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photo & text by nacrowe
when i lived in MYANMAR i remember flying from YANGON in the south to MANDALAY in the north where i taught. on that flight right after take off you could see this notorious prison from the colonial period called INSEIN PRISON which had this unique circular shape. it was the embodiment of this BRITISH concept of the PANOPTICON, whereby from one spot you could view virtually everything.
i remember my song of choice to listen to while viewing INSEIN PRISON from the air was "ELECTRIC EYE" by NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL pioneers JUDAS PRIEST off their SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE (COLUMBIA, 1982) record. that song concerned itself with the idea of modern spy satellites looking down on you from space bearing witness to your every move like a pernicious, judgmental god. again, perfect song to listen to in that situation. long considered the real follow-up to BRITISH STEEL (COLUMBIA, 1980) after the misfire of POINT OF ENTRY (COLUMBIA, 1981), SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE to my ears is where the modern sound of JUDAS PRIEST cemented itself and established them as one of the premier METAL bands of the new decade and a prominent influence on the then-emerging stateside THRASH scene. just look at all those dueling guitar leads of the leading bands (SLAYER, METALLICA and MEGADETH) and say no more. makes sense that those bands couldnt compete with the real ace in the hole of PRIEST which is the operatic vocals of ROB HALFORD, which to this day still stand as some of the best ever in the genre (arguably only RONNIE JAMES DIO is in the same discussion). obviously "YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING" is the standout single from the record, and well it should be. it is a classic pop song for the ages. i have heard it overseas at rock bars from CYPRUS to CROATIA and it never fails to get an enthusiastic response. it is a stone cold METAL anthem. that being said, i veer way more towards the more adventurous songs of this record like "PAIN AND PLEASURE," "DEVIL'S CHILD," and of course, "SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE" that all seem to point the way to what would much later culminate at the dawn of the next decade in my favorite PRIEST album PAINKILLER (COLUMBIA, 1990). that album absolutely crushes. so in summation, SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE is required listening for any fan of METAL. definitely worthy of revisiting and reexamination. it absolutely stands the test of time and continues to inspire modern musicians. 
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HARMONIES FROM HEAVEN (BBC, 2016) is a BRITISH documentary released a few years after the passing of PHIL EVERLY from LUNG DISEASE and basically follows the highlights and chart success from roughly 1957-1962 of THE EVERLY BROTHERS.
its interested hearing from a bunch of musicians and record execs i've never heard of (notable exceptions being brief supplemental commentary by the likes of ART GARFUNKEL, GRAHAM NASH, KEITH RICHARDS and JACK BUGG) explaining to me the importance of one of the most seminal AMERICAN pop acs of the 20th century, but i have to say they did a pretty decent job. the documentary gets into how ROCK N ROLL was a fusion of WHITE and BLACK musician traditions, namely BLUEGRASS and BLUES, and that THE EVERLY BROTHERS were early pioneers of that style, influencing THE BRITISH INVASION of the early 1960s. part of their appeal were songs tailored to the perspectives of teenagers, a growing demographic in the postwar period who also represented a new emerging economic power driving AMERICAN popular culture. songs that lightly touched on juvenile delinquency like "WAKE UP SUSIE" had a hint of subversion to them that resonated with their fans, even though now compared to modern pop provocateurs like NIKKI MINAJ or CARDI B this stuff is beyond tame, even adorably so. i was taken aback by their downfall which was caused by their publisher. they had signed a deal with the newly constructed WARNER BROS and left CADENCE RECORDS. at the time they left their old management as well. their publisher, who was aligned with their management, held the rights to their old songs as well as managed their key songwriters, husband and wife team FELICE and BOUDLEAUX BRYANT. effectively that shut the valve on new songs as well as their old songs. today this kind of thing would be unimaginable and would result in intense litigation and negotiation. back in the 1950s it effectively killed their career, opening the door to the next generation which turned out to be BRITISH INVASION bands like THE BEATLES, THE KINKS and THE ROLLING STONES. you really get the sense, although it is never uttered, that THE EVERLY BROTHERS were the victims of a growing power struggle between NASHVILLE and the greater entertainment industry. its not like the AMERICAN SOUTH is known for being recalcitrant, tribal, stubborn, petty and downright cruel... hmmmmm. another thing i didn't realize was how different the two brothers were, PHIL being a staunch conservative and his brother DON being a leftist. i can only imagine during that period, which included the HUAC TRIALS and MCCARTHYISM how intense that must have been. after their demise in the early 1960s, the two brothers didn't speak for 10 years. i wish they'd dive into that a bit more, but i guess with this being an authorized documentary such a thing wouldnt be explored out of respect. interesting yet slightly underwhelming documentary about probably the greatest harmonizers in music history. a good introduction but nothing revelatory revealed. 
photo & text by nacrowe
i'm just going to come out and say it, this book plays out a bit like a hagiography. NO HERE GETS OUT ALIVE (PLEXUS, 1980) by JERRY HOPKINS (and 10 years later amended by DANIEL SUGARMAN) is the first published biography on JIM MORRISON, the legendary front-man of LOS ANGELES rock icons THE DOORS. this book was based in part on interviews HOPKINS had done with with MORRISON a decade early just prior to the singer's death.
in a way it is to be expected. MORRISON was a shaman-like, slithering poet of a front-man who exemplified all the FREEDOM and excess of the 1960s DRUG CULTURE and the fervent ANTI-MILITARISM of the VIETNAM WAR protests. i suspect to baby boomers at the dawn of the 1980s he was still a beacon of hope for things to come (too bad TRUMP is part of that legacy now, ouch). what i took from this book at the time i read it, which was way back in high school, was the moment they inhabited. MORRISON was part of a generation that was challenging notions of RACE, MARRIAGE, WAR and PEACE, SEX and were most definitely in the midst of an INTER-GENERATIONAL divide. drugs and birth-control allowed people to expand their consciousness as well as divorce SEX from its procreative responsibilities in a pre-AIDS landscape. the book goes into great detail about the music scene in LOS ANGELES at the time including most predominantly ARTHUR LEE and his band LOVE, who were the house band at the WHISKY A GO GO when THE DOORS started out. ironically in a book about THE DOORS, it is his descriptions of LEE that really resonated with me since it expanded on that brief cultural moment when racial and artistic lines seemed to blur however temporarily in the arts scene, which mirrored the concurrent CIVIL RIGHTS and ANTI-WAR MOVEMENTS of the period. the other big takeaway is how these same indulgences are what did MORRISON in eventually, famously passing away in PARIS in requisite mysterious fashion. his death and mystique didn't interest me, but his downfall did. the manner in which he sequestered himself from the band and those who cared about his well being ultimately getting pushed away as drugs and hangers-on took over. if anything this is a big ROCK N ROLL cliche. a cliche that influenced countless musicians since including IGGY POP, JANE'S ADDICTION and (i'd argue) the entire PUNK movement. read this book with a grain of salt. if anything pay attention to its descriptions of the cultural and political moment THE DOORS inhabited. i am almost certain that their greatness lies in their innate ability to absorb and reflect the light from a burning nation bent on consuming itself ouroboros-style. i wish we had someone today who could artistically relay that today's fractured state of affairs accurately and authentically in real time. where is this generation's JIM MORRISON? 
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check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO exploring the expansive, atmosphere and experimental soundscapes of AMBIENT MUSIC.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
it is often written about to the point of cliche that the success of NIRVANA's NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991) was a paradigm shift in the music industry, but the truth is in the bands that followed in their wake that arguably would never have had an opportunity from a major label pre-1991. specifically i am thinking about bands like GREEN DAY, THE OFFSPRING and especially WEEZER.
that is not to say that their eponymous debut WEEZER (DGC, 1994), widely known as THE BLUE ALBUM, had much to do with NIRVANA in sound or substance. NIRVANA frontman/songwriter KURT COBAIN came out of the parallel INDIE ROCK / HARDCORE scenes of the 1980s whereas WEEZER frontman/songwriter RIVERS CUOMO decidedly was more influenced by the concurrent NEW WAVE and METAL scenes of the same era. where i feel the two align is in a presentation of an alternative MASCULINITY that wasnt based on caveman-like caricatures of unbridled machismo that dominated the 1980s. with that being said, WEEZER is an absolutely seminal ALTERNATIVE ROCK record. beyond hits such as "BUDDY HOLLY," "UNDONE (THE SWEATER SONG)" and "SAY IT AIN'T SO," which were all the soundtrack to my elementary school years in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, there are melodic, bittersweet paeans to all things summer, girls, social isolation and KISS. these include personal favorites like "IN THE GARAGE," "SURF WAX AMERICA" and "THE WORLD HAS TURNED AND LEFT ME HERE." to my ears this is a perfect record in that it combines a preternatural sense of MELODY with pop sensibilities and a lyrical stance that is as much about NOSTALGIA as it is about LONELINESS. whereas COBAIN takes this core sense of alienation and seemingly gets caught up in a vortex of self-flagellation, CUOMO takes that same intimate sense of self-loathing and turns it on its head. makes it something beautiful as it still conveys PAIN and SOCIAL ISOLATION. part of that bubblegum sheen comes from producer RIC OCASEK (R.I.P.) of BOSTON NEW WAVE band THE CARS-fame who created a work that updated his signature style for a younger, more angsty generation. in my mind there is a definite through line between "BUDDY HOLLY" and classic CARS songs like "LET'S GO" or "DANGEROUS TYPE." both are just fun to listen to and dont feel dated in the least. i should also mention the vocal contributions of original bassist MATT SHARP and his incredible background harmonies which adds an almost BRIAN WILSON-esque depth on songs like "IN THE GARAGE" and "HOLIDAY." this element has long been missed since his departure years after the release of this album after the band's first break-up. WEEZER is also an interesting record in how it compares to its much adored follow-up PINKERTON (DGC, 1996), which is decidedly more personal to the point of being uncomfortable and unhinged. WEEZER is the sound of a upstart band firing on all cylinders. it still sounds great and is basically required listening to anyone who is a fan of rock music of any era. unlike other subsequent records, this hasnt aged at all. it is absolutely still relevant. 
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SEX STAINS was a fun PUNK ROCK / mixed-media project featuring members of BRATMOBILE (ALLISON WOLFE), WARPAINT (DAVID ORLANDO) and PRETTIEST EYES (FRANCISCO GARCIA) along with choreographer / professional dancer MECCA VAZIE ANDREWS.
to my ears this band seemed to have a playful, angular, upbeat, kinetic and experimental sound that was definitely within the tradition of the POST PUNK, RIOT GIRRRL, ALTERNATIVE ROCK and straight up PUNK ROCK sounds of their previous bands. definitely a group worth revisiting and checking out. 
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check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO that examines over 40 years of LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK!
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
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up until my family moved to NIGERIA when i was 12, we basically never went on trips. the two exceptions to that was a basketball camp i went to in ARIZONA and a memorable road trip to SAN FRANCISCO that included stays in MONTERREY, SOLVANG and SAN SIMEON. its funny because since our big move in 1996, ive now been to somewhere north of 60 countries in the past 25 years. which i admit is insane. but that trip north was a pretty big deal for me.
it was also the trip i got NIRVANA's last record IN UTERO (DGC, 1991) along with its predecessor NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991) at the former TOWER RECORDS in near FISHERMAN's WHARF on columbus avenue and bay street in SAN FRANCISCO. years later after graduating high school i got TRICKY's MAXINQUAYE (FOURTH AND BROADWAY, 1995) at that same store. anyway, like most fans of INDIE ROCK, PUNK ROCK and ALTERNATIVE ROCK, for me NIRVANA was an important band. by the time i got the STEVE ALBINI recorded / produced IN UTERO, frontman KURT COBAIN had been deceased for a few months. what struck me about the record at the time was how raw it was compared to NEVERMIND, which stunned me. COBAIN is obviously celebrated for his preternatural sense of melody and opaque lyrics, but as a 12 year old that was beyond me at that point. really i fed off the aggression and sense of pain in his voice. specifically i am referring to songs like "TOURETTE'S", "RADIO FRIENDLY UNIT SHIFTER," "VERY APE," "SCENTLESS APPRENTICE" and especially "RAPE ME." to me that is the real power of NIRVANA in general. just that vibe of being dissatisfied with the world / yourself. in essence IN UTERO has been the soundtrack to me youth, from moving to AFRICA and visiting places like SPAIN, GHANA, ITALY and COTE D'IVOIRE. i hear the songs and i am snapped back to those trips with my family. alienation is a universal experience, but being a THIRD CULTURE KID really puts that sense of disconnect in perspective. at some point you come to feel comfortable in unfamiliar settings. in some ways that is how i look at IN UTERO as an adult. COBAIN at that point in his life was at a point of great transition in his life, becoming a father, a generational icon and a hardcore drug addict. all that is reflected in his lyrics which i would argue the most poetic and meaningful of his career, due undoubtedly to the influence of his criminally underrated wife COURTNEY LOVE. dont believe me? read her lyrics from HOLE albums of the period and tell me they are not superior. i think it is beyond doubt that her influence, for good or ill, is indelibly reflected throughout IN UTERO. songs dealing with themes of childbirth, death and reproduction as well as the guilt, shame and lack of control associated with emotional dependence and drug addiction. i cant even begin to imagine the disorientation associated with becoming a media sensation in your mid-20s, especially given his isolated biography and inward artistic leanings. then again he feverishly chased that attention so at the very least the dude was a deeply conflicted and endlessly fascinating figure. with IN UTERO you are given a sense of his mindset post-fame with songs like "DUMB," "PENNYROYAL TEA," "HEART-SHAPED BOX" and "ALL APOLOGIES" being both intimate as well as caustically sardonic and self-lacerating. it really is quite the achievement. this is one of those records that i feel strongly shaped my identity, worldview and even sense of masculinity from a pretty early age. because of that it is difficult for me to separate it from my own lived experience. it is easily one of my favorite records from the period, only SOUNDGARDEN's SUPERUNKNOWN (A&M, 1993), TOOL's ÆNIMA (ZOO, 1996), RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (EPIC, 1992) and ALICE IN CHAINS' DIRT (COLUMBIA, 1992) are in the same ballpark in my opinion. culturally IN UTERO and NIRVANA in general represent the last impactful movement in ROCK AND ROLL. its been 30 years and we're still waiting for someone to match it. still. waiting. 
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based on the excellent book of the same name, MURDER IN THE FRONT ROW (BONDED BY BLOOD, 2019) is a documentary that tackles what made the BAY AREA THRASH METAL scene of the early 1980s such a potent breeding ground for some of the most enduring bands in METAL including EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL, TESTAMENT, POSSESSED, VIOLENCE and FORBIDDEN and a scene of influence and import for those not from the region like ANTHRAX, SLAYER, MEGADETH and METALLICA.
its an interesting conceit to base a film on since most of the conversation historically regarding THRASH METAL is centered THE BIG FOUR, i.e. the aforementioned ANTHRAX, SLAYER, MEGADETH and METALLICA. by providing a community of promoters (WES ROBINSON), venues (RUTHIE'S INN and THE STONE), meeting places/record stores (THE RECORD VAULT) managers (DEBBIE ABONO) and rabid fans (SLAY TEAM), SAN FRANCISCO basically provided the supportive environment that allowed the scene to thrive and punch much beyond its weight culturally over time and serve as the focus of this documentary. the TAPE TRADING scene also served as a vehicle for the underground decimation of music both nationally and globally, which served the scene well as a cheap and efficient means of promotion to the most hardcore of audiences. gaining notoriety with this audience allowed foreign promoters the opportunity to gain familiarity with their sound far in advance of their arrival. this of course was in the days of snail mail and letter writing, decades before e-mail or internet searches were a thing. luckily these bands had a work ethic to engage with this community. i found the most interesting part of this documentary was the idea of the SLAY TEAM, who were scene enforcers at shows who confronted charlatans and "posers" that would show up at shows wearing shirts of HAIR METAL bands or wearing the wrong attire. on one hand they served as gatekeepers and a check on the intentions of the audience. on the other hand the idea of being accosted at a show by a team of vigilante fanatics sounds terrifying and an extreme form of bullying and thuggish behavior. its indicative of the extreme insularity of a scene that at once nurtured the artists but eventually stifled them creatively, as THRASH METAL became rather confined to a sound that few attempted to move beyond. and when one did (i.e. METALLICA), they paid for it dearly with their core audience. but that downside is never explored. this documentary mearly provides information and withholds judgement. one downside to this documentary is that it minimizes the influence of bands outside he scene like SLAYER (LOS ANGELES) and ANTHRAX (NEW YORK CITY). METALLICA and its cousin MEGADETH are both presented as hybrid LOS ANGELES / SAN FRANCISCO bands since they either moved to the bay area and/or poached musicians from the scene. i think minimizing SLAYER's influence on THRASH METAL is almost discrediting in hindsight, since the film only presents one side of this cultural dialogue by exploring the scene's influence on the band's look. i imagine the mark of SLAYER on the scene far surpasses the scene in SAN FRANCISCO's imprint on the band. but that is just my opinion. this is an interesting documentary about a place and time and the birth of modern stateside METAL. definitely required viewing for the uninitiated. worth checking out. 
photo & text by nacrowe
who wouldnt want to relive their high school years? maybe take chances you wish you had or perhaps avoid those you did?
that is the basic premise of TOO COOL TO BE FORGOTTEN (TOP SHELF, 2008) by ALEX ROBINSON which follows a middle-aged protagonist, ANDY WICKS, who is transported back to his awkward high school days while under hypnosis for a longstanding, seemingly unbreakable SMOKING HABIT. what makes this narrative interesting is not the premise, which is well-trodden at this point, but rather the idea that what our MEMORY isolates and presents to us as crucial, identity-forming events in our past is not always the case. yes, we are the end product of our past decisions (which makes the idea of being transported back as a youth with the experiences of an adult confusing and a bit cumbersome), but as individuals we are constantly evolving and our changing PERCEPTION of our own past is a reflection of such identity-shifting. not sure about you, but i can look to my past actions and pick out a whole slew of events that either point to me being CHARITABLE, HONEST and EMPATHETIC or CRUEL, LETHARGIC and ENVIOUS. its more a reflection of my emotional state that anything objective, because in essence i am all those things and even others i havent considered. it is a part of being HUMAN. following WICKS' journey through his past is interesting because it shows that even with EXPERIENCE, PERSPECTIVE and EMOTIONAL MATURITY, the limited agency of being an adolescent relegates one to a strict set of options. the adult community basically serves to disempower you of your ability to express yourself, as you are considered a work-in-progress of sorts. as a former teacher, that whole sub-narrative surrounding AGENCY is always fascinating to consider and explore. ROBINSON's graphic novel is provocatively themed with beautiful, quirky illustrations that showcase the discomforting, often brutal SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS of youth. some of which we never grow out of. great read. highly recommended. 
parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 10PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the legendary MUSCLE SHOALS session musicians out of rural ALABAMA.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the work of legendary songwriter and NEW YORK CITY cultural icon LOU REED.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
honestly i only really came to appreciate this record a few years ago when i was teaching 6th graders in MYANMAR. this school was AMERICAN but i wasnt teaching AMERICAN or foreign kids, instead it was the sons and daughters of local business, political and military interests. the school was relatively new, less than 10 years old and was initiated to capitalize on what was assumed to be foreign corporate interest in the region as it became further democratized and open to foreign investment. sadly with recent events that optimism and hope seems to have been severely trampled upon.
i taught ENGLISH and i was always hesitant about utilizing AMERICAN cultural concepts as the basis for lessons. i was teaching the language and not necessarily the culture if that makes any sense. there were times i let that slide and as was the repeated case with music, especially JAMES BROWN, ARETHA FRANKLIN, LOUIS ARMSTRONG and RAY CHARLES. anyway so there i was teaching a typical class on HALLOWEEN, which the school promoted as an event, when i asked the class if they'd ever seen MICHAEL JACKSON's "THRILLER" video? they hadnt. well i fixed that immediately. i nixed the last half of class just to watch it twice. the kids were transfixed. the music, the choreography, the melody, the howling. from knowing nothing about MICHAEL JACKSON to dancing in the hallways and their next two classes (sorry!), they very much got the gist of the true spirit of HALLOWEEN. so yeah, even 30+ years late on a culturally neutral, unbiased and unsuspecting audience full of preteens (the most critical of judges i would argue), that video still resonated like it did in the early 1980s. i was shocked. but there you have it. does the THRILLER (EPIC, 1982) have some corny songs on it. absolutely. the PAUL MCCARTNEY duet "THE GIRL IS MINE" is beyond lame and cringe-worthy. the RICHARD CHEESE 2005 version with STEPHEN HAWKING is way better. "BABY BE MINE" and "HUMAN NATURE" are likewise pretty strikingly bad. however, that hook on "P.Y.T. PRETTY YOUNG THINGS" still kills as shone with its repurposing to similar intoxicating effect on KANYE WEST's "GOOD LIFE" track off of GRADUATION (DEF JAM, 2007). of course "BEAT IT" and "BILLIE JEAN" are iconic stone-cold classics that dont need any vouching on my behalf. probably my favorite song on the record is "WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHIN'" which has a very "ROCK WITH YOU"-vibe from his previous outing OFF THE WALL (), my personal favorite record he did. anyway, regardless of my opinion of this record and the merits of its individual tracks, this album crushed with pre-teens nearly 40 years after the fact in MYANMAR. i think that speaks for itself. it just devastates me that this opening of dialogue between cultures that i experienced seems to be on the way out just at the moment it was getting started. 
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at the risk of sounding totally off-based, its been a long-held observation of mine that women are often constrained in music, especially ROCK N ROLL, with heteronormative views of FEMININITY as defined by men. that and their sound must not threaten that concept as well.
what i love about CARRE CALLAWAY and her unique brand of ALTERNATIVE ROCK / INDIE ROCK songwriting is just how brash and unfiltered she comes off. there is a real sense of abandon and CATHARSIS and just genuine EXPRESSION that comes off completely AUTHENTIC and seemingly based in REAL-EXPERIENCE. i dont sense any coy affectation or need to play submissive for the camera, and by extension a certain audience. she is playing on a different field that is very much reminiscent of PATTI SMITH. QUEEN KWONG is definitely worth checking out. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the intoxicating moods and sonic textures of TRIP HOP icon TRICKY.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
basically everything related to THE SMITHS i was was predisposed and probably indoctrinated to appreciate from my father. he's definitely to blame for my love of all things MORRISSEY and JOHNNY MARR in all their permutations. i can place myself in our beat-up burgundy early 80s HONDA ACCORD shuffling along IMPERIAL HIGHWAY with him listening to tapes of BONA DRAG (HMV, 1990) or STRANGEWAYS HERE WE COME (ROUGH TRADE, 1987) on the stereo as he drove to work in LA HABRA on a typical sunny SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA afternoon.
i distinctly remember when he received the early ELECTRONIC singles "GETTING AWAY WITH IT" and "GET THE MESSAGE" and how i'd stay in his office reading CALVIN AND HOBBES listening to them on repeat. i had no idea who BERNARD SUMNER or NEIL TENNANT was or even NEW ORDER or PET SHOP BOYS for that matter. but this was my introduction to ELECTRONIC MUSIC in general. ELECTRONIC (FACTORY, 1991) by ELECTRONIC was the basis for all other further explorations into SYNTH POP and INDUSTRIAL MUSIC in my teens. basically everything from DEPECHE MODE to KMFDM and THROBBING GRISTLE started with those first few ELECTRONIC singles for me. i dont believe the single "DISAPPOINTED" was initially on this album, but i think it was released as a single around that time. for me those three singles ("GETTING AWAY WITH IT," "GET THE MESSAGE," and "DISAPPOINTED") are permanently etched in my experience of early childhood. a few years ago i saw JOHNNY MARR playing a solo set at IRVING PLAZA in NYC with my father and brother and he played "GETTING AWAY WITH IT" which was beyond cool. i know i come across as a fanboy (because i am), but the versatility of his musicianship in various contexts is pretty mind-blowing. it is probably why myself and many others are always interested in what collaborations or musical avenues he is venturing down next. if you are not familiar with this record, in my opinion it is definitely the ELECTRONIC record to find. 
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filmed in SEATTLE after the initial wave of GRUNGE had crested and crashed, HYPE! (HELVEY-PRAY PRODUCTIONS, 1996) is very much a contemporaneous attempt to make sense of what turned out the be the last organic pre-internet mass cultural phenomenon in AMERICAN history.
utilizing interviews from participants from bands the likes of SKINYARD, THE MONOMEN, BEAT HAPPENING, THE MELVINS, SCREAMING TREES, SOUNDGARDEN, THE FASTBACKS, MUDHONEY, TAD, GAS HUFFER, COFFIN BREAK, THE SUPERSUCKERS, LOVE BATTERY, 7 YEAR BITCH, THE GITS, DEAD MOON, PEARL JAM and THE WALKABOUTS among others and scene producers like JACK ENDINO, STEVE FISK, FRANK HARLAN and photographer CHARLES PETERSON as well as local indie record label founders CALVIN JOHNSON (K RECORDS) and BRUCE PAVITT and JOHNATHAN PONEMAN (SUB POP RECORDS) it has been repeatedly said that due to this scene's relative isolation from all but major touring acts in the 80s that a void was filled by local bands that had a fierce DIY ethic informed by HARDCORE and INDIE ROCK of the period. when this insular scene burst open nationally in the wake of the success of ALICE IN CHAINS, SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM and, of course, NIRVANA, things became more unbalanced in the scene once a financial motive got involved. suddenly catwalks where filled with flannel and opportunistic bands moved to SEATTLE to be "discovered" and outright careerism polluted the once vibrant scene that house and nurtured misfits. i found the crux of this film to be that intersection between art and commerce. that point at which expression is informed by winds of passing fad. once your scene is a fad, where do you go? what do you do? the film never really answers that question but offers an amazing look at how such commercial interests affected that small intimate scene at a time it was wholly unprepared for it. and yet it seems inevitable that once you become en vogue, your season will ultimately fade and another thing will replace you. i think fortunately for SEATTLE, to this day that city name is synonymous with highly influential strains of ALTERNATIVE ROCK, INDIE ROCK and even SLUDGE METAL. it is still relevant to anyone who loves ROCK AND ROLL. there is still a purity to listeners to this day. of course, this idea of commerce affecting a scene's perceived purity makes no sense in today's climate. through technology there is no more isolated local scenes, the playing field is relatively horizontal in terms of means of exposure and music distribution. when nobody is making money anymore from music, those lines that existed during the filming of this documentary seem rather quaint by comparison. interestingly, director DOUG PRAY 20 years later revisIted the scene and talked to some of the same participants again (video embedded below) about the impact of that initial wave. for most of them they just kept on their same path and nurtured upcoming artists. for band that came about long after GRUNGE came and went, the true legacy is that commercial viable artistry that is vibrant can come from anywhere, even SEATTLE. 
photo & text by nacrowe
written in the intervening years after GEORGE W. BUSH's disastrously incompetent and misguided (to put it diplomatically) decision to lead AMERICA into war with IRAQ, ASSASSINATION VACATION (SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2006) by SARAH VOWELL is a memoir about her pilgrimage to sites associated with the murders of past presidents ABRAHAM LINCOLN, JAMES A. GARFIELD, WILLIAM MCKINLEY and their assassins.
yes the premise of this book is all a bit morbid, but her humor and enthusiasm for the subject is what makes this book ironically so pleasant and enjoyable. learning about MARYLAND's racist state song or VIRGINIA's often quoted state motto (by JOHN WILKES BOOTH and TIMOTHY MCVEIGH alike) makes you question the sanity of our system of government all over again. or at least have some respect for how the rancid sausage is made. furthermore, learning about the entrenched corruption and incompetence between government and business during the GILDED AGE of the late 19th century, it is difficult if not impossible not to make the connection to the BUSH ERA. furthermore having read this in 2021, from my vantage point GEORGE W. BUSH comes off as child's play next to the malice and fear-mongering that defined the recent DONALD TRUMP era (and still does to present). the real star of the show seems to be how far the party of LINCOLN has fallen. getting acquainted with GARFIELD and MCKINLEY makes you appreciate the machinations and swell of corporate interests that swayed foreign and domestic policy back then. its beyond depressing. this is also the type of book that i found myself constantly googling photographs, statues, tombs and historical markers related to obscure figures lost to history like EDWIN BOOTH (legendary SHAKESPEAREAN actor and older brother of JOHN WILKES), ROBERT TODD LINCOLN (eldest son of ABRAHAM), ROSCOE CONKLING (REPUBLICAN NEW YORK SENATOR) and MARCUS HANNA (REPUBLICAN campaign manager). what stood out to me was the section about GARFIELD's passing at the JERSEY SHORE. being a resident of the area, i knew about SEVEN PRESIDENTS BEACH but had no idea that presidents vacationed in LONG BRANCH multiple times. to me that fact was a bit of a shock. to learn that a church ive passed numerous times was where a president was aheld before transport back to WASHINGTON D.C. is pretty interesting and something i feel cheated in not knowing earlier. not since reading BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's BORN TO RUN (SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2016) have i found myself getting out and finding local spots of historic significance. i was also relieved to learn that GARFIELD wasnt shot in NEW JERSEY, that happened in D.C. he just came north to convalesce and take in the warm climate. at least he passed in pretty area. definitely an idiosyncratic, personal and thoroughly enjoyable book that makes investigating history both humorous and absolutely devastating. highly recommended. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO that explores the experimental soundscapes of POST ROCK.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
i know that SUBLIME get a bad rap due to the fact that their fans are by and large assholes. and by that i mean oafish frat boy meatheads and their adjacent WHITE PRIVILEGE and warped sense of ENTITLEMENT that use the band as an entry point into REGGAE without having to understand thorny issues like JAMAICAN / AFROCENTRIC politics, history and culture. in essence SUBLIME get tagged for WHITE-WASHING REGGAE and DUB in a similar fashion to how ORANGE COUNTY third-wave SKA did for that genre.
i get that. i really do. the number of times ive been to a beach somewhere stateside or even in SOUTH AMERICA, SOUTHEAST ASIA or the MEDITERRANEAN where AMERICANS are vacationing and inevitably listening to "BADFISH" off of their 40oz. to Freedom (SKUNK, 1992) is to many to count. its cringeworthy. however, that being said i dont question the intent or integrity of the late songwriter BRAD NOWELL when he released his string of records in the mid 1990s. in a sense he was able to bridge the gap between SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUNK ROCK and ROOTS REGGAE, which he got into after a childhood trip to JAMAICA with his family. SUBLIME was one of several bands (311, RANCID, etc.) playing with this sort of hybrid but in my estimation they had more of an edge. they re-contextualized it for the work-class white inhabitants of the SOUTH BAY in greater LOS ANGELES. their eponymous, and final, record SUBLIME (MCA, 1996) was the high-water mark of the band and their sound. even now it sounds unique and hasnt really been co-opted and aped as was the case with other influential bands of the era, namely NIRVANA (which begot bands like PUDDLE OF MUDD, SEETHER) ALICE IN CHAINS (NICKLEBACK, GODSMACK) or RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (NU-METAL in general). songs like "SANTERIA," "WHAT I GOT," "WRONG WAY" and "DOIN' TIME" were all well-constructed hits on ALTERNATIVE ROCK radio at the time, but for me this record is really about the skanked-out bliss of songs like "PAWN SHOP," "APRIL 29, 1992 (MIAMI)," "SAME IN THE END," "BURRITOS" and especially "GARDEN GROVE." for me those songs successfully crossed PUNK ROCK with REGGAE in a cohesive, seemingly organic manner while lyrically providing commentary on issues of ECONOMIC INSECURITY, SUBURBAN BOREDOM and RACIAL INEQUALITY. just kind of sucks that the band is associated with FRATERNITY culture. i think NOWELL deserved better. 
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