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CHECK OUT THIS BAND | ACID DAD

7/31/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

ACID DAD was one of the standout bands the we came across during the filming of our live performance series OFF THE M at NYC independent venues MARKET HOTEL and TRANS-PECOS back in late 2018/early 2019.

their is a sense of deja-vu when listening to modern ROCK N ROLL bands in general, where you can identify immediately what era or vibe they are going after, which only contributes to the sense that you've heard all before probably better.

not with ACID DAD. when i listen songs like "Child," "2ci" and "Marine" i am transported. not really sure where, but it feels like when i first discovered films by DEREK JARMAN, GREGG ARAKI or PIER PAOLO PASOLINI in high school. its a world i want to return to as soon as i can.

they are an INDIE ROCK group with a definite sense of melody and song-craft while maintaining an edge. like the first time i heard NIRVANA, i wasn't sure what the lyrics were about per se, but i knew they were genuine and authentic. ACID DAD's 2018 self-titled release on GREENWAY RECORDS is one of my favorite records in recent years.

definitely can't wait to see what they produce next.

THROWBACK THURSDAY | "DEER GOD RADIO 77: MASTODON"

7/30/2020

parody by nacrowe

i was thinking the other day about how music serves as a soundtrack to your life and how certain artists literally follow you around.

for me that band is MASTODON.

LEVIATHAN (RELAPSE, 2004)
i was first became aware of MASTODON in college when they were out touring their album LEVIATHAN. the album was a loose reimagining of HERMAN MELVILLE's MOBY DICK along the lines of a touring band following their dream but wishing for the comforts of home. as an ENGLISH major, how could i not love a band interested in literature? i wrote term papers to that album.

CRACK THE SKYE (REPRISE/SIRE/RELAPSE, 2009)
i remember listening to CRACK THE SKYE while going through the months-long process of applying for PEACE CORPS when i was living and working as a long-term-substitute teacher at STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL in NYC. when i learned that i was accepted and i had a departure date (country to specified later), i immediately thought i may be going to the UKRAINE. so given this album's RUSSIAN monarchy theme, it was only too perfect as a soundtrack to my reading of ROBERT K. MASSIE's epic NICHOLAS AND ALAEXANDRIA book centered around the doomed TSAR NICHOLAS II and his family. the sound of it fit perfectly. plus i got to see them tour this album at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN on their tour with ALICE IN CHAINS and DEFTONES. i had floor tickets. beyond sweet.

THE HUNTER (REPRISE, 2011)
turns out i was assigned ALBANIA, not UKRAINE, and I was in the remote mountainous northern region of KUKES on the border with KOSOVO when THE HUNTER came out. for me this album recalls cold trips through serene mountain passages along dirt roads in the ALBANIAN ALPS where our ride would stop to allow wolf packs to cross the road. just epic. i hear it and i can still smell that mountain air.

ONCE MORE AROUND THE SUN (REPRISE, 2014)
somewhere between LAKE TITICACA and the AREQUIPA DESERT in PERU i was able to obtain this album by dubious methods when it released. before getting it i had just seen the SACRED VALLEY, MACHU PICCHU and COLCA CANYON with its centuries-old fields scalloped into the mountains with running streams below and hovering condors dotting the sky overhead. when i heard the album the first time i was going through the AREQUIPA DESERT (driest in the world) with severely chapped lips counting the vicunas wandering afoot untouched in the distance. the album fit the vibe of that country perfectly.

EMPEROR OF SAND (REPRISE, 2017)
i streamed this via youtube when it first released as i was en route to HA LONG BAY from HANOI during a trip through VIETNAM. when i hear it i think of ungodly traffic and dusty BUDDHIST temples carved into rock on elevated vistas. what a gorgeous country.

MASTODON is an epic group and i feel fortunate that I got to experience their past few albums while in some pretty incredible places that more than lived up to the scale and scope of their music. i am definitely looking forward to their new release (whenever that is) which will most likely take place from an equally compelling locale: my car while driving down the GARDEN STATE PARKWAY.

enjoy this DEER GOD RADIO episode on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC from a few months back pre-PANDEMIC dedicated to MASTODON.

SPOTLIGHT | KEN ANDREWS

7/29/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

when i discovered the band FAILURE in the 2000s when i was in college, years after their demise, i could not believe that i completely missed out on such a great band during their heyday. it made me reconsider my MOUNT RUSHMORE of great bands from that ALTERNATIVE ROCK era (JANE'S ADDICTION, FAITH NO MORE, TOOL, ALICE IN CHAINS, NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, etc) to include one more. specifically the sounds found on their respective second and third releases, MAGNIFIED (SLASH, 1994) and FANTASTIC PLANET (SLASH, 1996) are HUUUUUUGGGGEEE.

almost PINK FLOYD-ish without the literary pretensions. just huge rock riffs with lots of space. in fact whenever i listen to their records now, even the releases post-reunion, i just feel like i am experiencing a defined space with lots of DEPTH and WEIGHT. its amazing that FAILURE mastermind KEN ANDREWS produced and mixed those records back in the 1990s. since their demise he has been an in-demand mixer that has worked with NINE INCH NAILS, PARAMORE, A DAY TO REMEMBER, TENACIOUS D, THE ICARUS LINE, JIMMY EAT WORLD, and M83 among others.

started before the quarantine, he created a YOUTUBE channel where he goes over his mixing techniques and utilizes the FAILURE back catalogue as examples. even if you are not a musician or studio rat, just a fan of his band then this is a real treat. its next level that a dude that went the DIY route (even with regard to their stylized, futuristic music videos) was able to track and mix content that held up to professional standards of the time. its also cool to get a sense of his writing process, which is layered and methodical.

if you haven't heard MAGNIFIED or FANTASTIC PLANET, please stop reading this and just go find a comfortable place and zone out on SPOTIFY for the next two hours. you can thank me later.

thank you to FAILURE for retweeting out posting! so cool.

FILM REVIEW | KILL YOUR IDOLS

7/28/2020

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KILL YOUR IDOLS (HUNGER ARTIST, 2004) examines the NO WAVE scene in the late 1970s in the lower east side and is largely a return to the more sonically experimental and lyrically ambitious origins of the PUNK movement (think PATTI SMITH and RICHARD HELL-era TELEVISION). almost ironically given that last statement is the fact that what largely unifies all these bands was their capacity to scrape away and put aside all their influences and create something wholly original. no recycled BLUES riffs, no clever allusions. this was direct, visceral, confrontational music that was meant to alienate the listener and make them uncomfortable.

essentially NO WAVE served as a new cultural year zero.

the music is described by some of the participants as being a byproduct of a deep need to emotional purge themselves. it transmitted a basic consciousness through music that embraced the moment and extreme dissonance of what is essentially ANTI-MUSIC.

this documentary interviews both those initially associated with the scene such as as SUICIDE, THEORETICAL GIRLS, TEENAGE JESUS & THE JERKS, THE CONTORTIONS and DNA and those who formed bands in its wake like SWANS and FOETUS as well as musicians that were informed by the scene down the line when this documentary was being recorded in the early 2000s; bands like A.R.E. WEAPONS, GOGOL BORDELLO and the YEAH YEAH YEAHS.

whats interesting about this documentary is not the actual music itself, which i find unlistenable by design; it is literally music not meant to be listened to. what interests me is how this brief moment in time freed future musicians to attempt unconventional techniques that embrace dissonance and disharmony into a sound that is wholly listenable and enjoyable to an audience. much like the beats with the cut-out method added the chaos of random chance into their writings to create meaning, this new generation was using the most confrontational of scenes to model their ideas of what was possible in creating harmonious music by nontraditional means. anti-music beget music. they created "new traditions" in DEVO terms. its an interesting idea.

you can see the legacy of this era not just in looped, feed-backed curations of INDIE ROCK bands like SONIC YOUTH and THE BOREDOMS, but also proto-INDUSTRIAL groups like EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN. like all experimental music or scenes based on such they are short-lived by necessity. experimentation calcifies into patterns which turns into modes of expression and techniques that further get introduced as new orthodoxies. thats why bands that truly take on the mantle of the spirit of this scene sound nothing like it.

kill these idols as well no doubt.

BOOK REVIEW | "LIFE" BY KEITH RICHARDS

7/27/2020

photo & text by nacrowe

LIFE (LITTLE BROWN & CO, 2010), written by the iconic ROLLING STONES guitarist / songwriter KEITH RICHARDS is one of the most expansive memoirs by a musician i have come across in recent years. it is exceptionally well written and conceived and was an enthralling read mostly due to the scope of its narrative.

following his early life you really get a feel for how early ROCK & ROLL was transmitted abroad and reintroduced by a bevy of talented BRITISH musicians who were steeped and obsessed with forgotten and dismissed stateside BLUES traditions. in a very real sense, these BRITISH INVASION bands reintroduced AMERICA to her own musical traditions.

for me that early period is the most interesting section of the book. you get a sense for how hostile the club scene in LONDON was initially to bands exploring the BLUES in the early 60s, instead focused at the time on ROCKABILLY and early ROCK AND ROLL. THE ROLLING STONES initially were just a group of CHICAGO BLUES obsessives (i.e. the roster of CHESS RECORDS) that aspired to be the best cover band of that music in town. songwriting wasn't even in the picture for them. one interesting tidbit during this period was the fact that there was a loose underground collective of record collectors that would play newly imported hard to find vinyl singles at house gatherings. these obsessives would argue about the authenticity of the artists while RICHARDS and MICK JAGGER were there only to glean off ideas about how to deconstruct the actual compositions themselves. its hilarious to think that these BRITISH obsessives thought they knew about the BLUES enough to judge them. its sad that when these musicians (like MUDDY WATERS) came to play ENGLAND they were booed for not fitting the prescriptive view of what a BLUESMAN should look and sound like (i.e. ROBERT JOHNSON). typical BRITISH snobbery. but you get a sense of what RICHARDS was fighting against.

this book goes deep into various parts of his career and personal life, as well as his relationship with drugs. its funny because RICHARDS has a public persona for being a modern-day PIRATE or DRACULA figure who, much like LEMMY KILMISTER, has consumed in inordinate amount of pharmaceuticals and yet somehow has carried on into his elder years. in actual fact throughout his memoir RICHARDS makes repeated commentary about the mistakes made by others regarding drugs. he speaks of using in moderation and consuming a base amount to maintain a steady level alertness, something he did to stay up for days on end recording albums in the late 60s and early 70s. he never upped the dosage in search of a higher plateau. it was all about stability.

this concept regarding stability also seems to be how he navigates relationships both personal and business alike. despite his bacchanalian reputation for debauched depravity, i mean he is practically the poster child for ROCK AND ROLL excess, he speaks about things like groupie-culture as less about sex and more about companionship while on the road for years on end, especially in the earlier years. its counter-intuitive from your expectations going in, but THE DIRT this is not. he comes off practically like an ENGLISH gentleman.

but again, for me this book is less about the extracurriculars and more about his appreciation for music and the art of collaboration. in many ways his strength as a musician, aside from his songwriting prowess, is to seamlessly integrate himself into a rhythm section, maintaining the groove without showboating or drawing attention to himself. they had JAGGER for that, the ultimate peacock. JAGGER for himself is given praise throughout but also consternation for his betrayal of the band in the 1980s when seeking a solo deal with the same company on the back of a recently signed multi-album deal for the band. JAGGER collaborates when necessary but ultimately is made to look like a selfish opportunist of the first order, seeking glory for himself which very much goes against the ethos of the band.

i could go because this book is beyond expansive and well-worth the time of anyone interested in ROCK AND ROLL, BLUES, COUNTRY MUSIC or the historical progression of popular music in the 20th century. can't wait to read JAGGER's perspective if such ever comes out.

"DEER GOD RADIO 88: TWENTIETH CENTURY COMPOSERS" NOW AVAILABLE

7/26/2020

cover by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO dedicated to composers of 20th century CLASSICAL MUSIC and influential musical concepts such as DISSONANCE, ATONALITY, REPETITION and IMPROVISATION which are part of the current musical lexicon far beyond compositional applications in modern classical music.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

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!

SPOTLIGHT | THRASHER MAGAZINE: MY WAR!

7/25/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

now this is a series i can relate to.

MY WAR!, the online video series on the THRASHER MAGAZINE YOUTUBE channel and website basically follows professional skateboarders pushing their boundaries and attempting often extremely technical and risky tricks. and failing. over and over again.

skateboarders recounting their battles include JAMIE THOMAS, AARON "JAWS" HOMOKI, CHRIS JOSLIN, SAMMY BACA, DANE BURMAN, MILES SILVAS, PEDRO DELFINO, JUSTIN "FIGGY" FIGUEROA and MILTON MARTINEZ among numerous others.

some of these tricks take multiple attempts over several years and multiple injuries. what translates is their drive and passion to see their goal through, despite the physical and mental consequences. i find it hard not to be inspired by that.

a show about failure. brilliant!

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | DEERHUNTER

7/24/2020

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whether in DEERHUNTER or his solo project ATLAS SOUND, ATLANTA-based INDIE ROCK songwriter BRADFORD COX really has a way with a hook. its difficult pinning his sound down because it encapsulates aspects of PSYCHEDELIC ROCK and EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC, but what draws me in is his knack for melody amidst intriguing sonic textures. its almost like a more experimental version of SONIC YOUTH (if that is even possible), if they were strictly equally obsessed with SYD BARRETT and STEREOLAB.

definitely worth checking out.

THROWBACK THURSDAY | "DEER GOD RADIO 36: SOUNDGARDEN"

7/23/2020

parodies by nacrowe

CHRIS CORNELL has been in my thoughts lately given the third anniversary of his passing this week. ive been a big fan of SOUNDGARDEN since my days in elementary school (check out that sweet SUPERUNKNOWN shirt from my class picture below from AIS LAGOS and even at STONEHENGE!).

as i mentioned before, the first two records i ever got was SUPERUNKNOWN and PEARL JAM's VITALOGY back in the day.

many reasons why i adore SOUNDGARDEN. i love delving into the rich world within CORNELL's lyrics as well as KIM THAYIL's layered and highly sophisticated sonic experimentalism. looking back at their ALTERNATIVE ROCK peers in SEATTLE and beyond, their off-kilter, odd time signature riffage and evocative lyricism really set them apart. they were a weird band in a good sense.

check out our episode from back in MAY 2019 dedicated to SOUNDGARDEN and the memory of CHRIS CORNELL. rest in power.

NEW "CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG" RADIO SHOW AVAILABLE NOW

7/22/2020

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click HERE for NUTMEG's latest streaming CLASSICAL-ISH radio show under quarantine on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where she is presenting a LO-FI CLASSICAL SET with you can "expect lots of women, lots of cello and and, as always lately, Chevalier de Saint George."

don't forget that you can also access other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and DEER GOD RADIO here at our website.

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!

SPOTLIGHT | RHYTHM ROULETTE

7/22/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

for me one of the great aspects of HIP HOP PRODUCTION is the cutup tecnhique whereby a song is made of an assemblage of parts derived from one's vinyl collection. the more eclectic arguably the bette. in my mind it gets into concepts of postmodernism and poststructuralism, which is why i've used songs like "BEWARE" by PANJABI MC feat. JAY-Z when explaining such ideas to high school students. that song incorporates a traditional BHANGRA drumming pattern, JAY-Z and the NIGHT RIDER THEME SONG. shouldn't work well but it does.

anyway, the discontinued YOUTUBE series RYTHM ROULETTE produced by MASS APPEAL featured numerous top-flight HIP HOP producers walking into a local record store to buy three records while blind-folded. they then went to their respective studio setups and went about creating a beat based solely on those records. what i love is the randomness and chaos of it and the fact that when it works, it really works as some of these concoctions are downright seriously slammin'. you really get the sense that music hast the capacity to transcend all and seemingly disparate musical styles really do have the potential to speak on the same level.

if you have any inclination to appreciate HIP HOP production, or perhaps even appreciate writers like WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS and his cut-up technique, this series is definitely for you. entertaining as all hell.

SPECIAL THANKS TO 9TH WONDER FOR RESHARING OUR IG STORY!

FILM REVIEW | HOW TO DRAW A BUNNY

7/21/2020

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documentaries are meant to answer questions that they pose. but what if there is no answer?

that is the basic conceit of HOW TO DRAW A BUNNY (ELEVATOR PICTURES, 2002), a documentary about the mercurial and enigmatic artist RAY JOHNSON. he was someone that lived through his art and had little need for traditional human interaction, choosing to keep his contemporaries at a distance and not partaking in gallery exhibitions and the like. he instead presented himself doggedly to the world through his coded, impenetrable drawings and collage work that he'd mail out.

in many ways his use of the mail was his mode of interaction, which for the 1950s is exceedingly modern to our eyes in the digital age of anonymous monikers using comments sections with the gusto of a late night bathroom graffiti artist. its interesting to watch a documentary where those that speak of him, speak of their inability to get a sense of the man. a total enigma that confused and yet gained the respect of major players in the art world including contemporaries like CHUCK CLOSE, ANDY WARHOL, CHRISTO & JEAN-CLAUDE and ROY LICHTENSTEIN among others.

i can't say i learned anything about the guy. but maybe that was the point. even his mysterious suicide seemed in comparison to his life less baffling. at least with that act there was some finally conclusion being made. or was it? maybe it was just an exclamation point that invited investigators, the public and his peers to reconsider his life and by extension his work. seems his whole life was one long curated performance piece (including his death) and this documentary itself is both the entry point and the ultimate expression of his legacy as an groundbreaking artist.

but really i dont know. i'm still processing this very intriguing film on a most curious individual. its like trying to decipher MARCEL DUCHAMP. answer: you can't.

BOOK REVIEW | "LONELY BOY: TALES FROM A SEX PISTOL" BY STEVE JONES

7/20/2020

photo & text by nacrowe

what i found most compelling about LONELY BOY: TALES FROM A SEX PISTOL (DA CAPO, 2017) by legendary SEX PISTOLS guitarist and punk icon STEVE JONES, was not his rehashing of his libido or knack for stealing (although both are quite impressive) or even his heroin abuse and long arduous battle thereafter to attain his sobriety, it was his dispassionate dispelling of the mythology surrounding PUNK ROCK that caught my imagination.

PUNK ROCK is a unique genre in that despite its reputation for being anti-establishment and for breaking rules and crossing lines, it is actually quite conservative. hearing him JONES tell the story of how the SEX PISTOLS got on and by extension PUNK ROCK as a whole is beyond interesting and is eerily reminiscent of the conceit behind LIFE OF BRIAN by MONTY PYTHON. that film almost exclusively is an examination of the power and evolution of ritual. JONES at times is almost gleeful in disparaging PUNK orthodoxy relative to notions of the DIY ETHIC, anti-commercialism, being "in it" for the music and not women, not signing to major labels, etc. for him that is all bullshit that was created by outsiders. outsiders being rock critics at BRITISH publications and fans that followed them post GRUNDY INTERVIEW and post-notoriety. the rituals of "lobbing" and "pogo-ing" and the fashion aspect of it where all stuff that got ahead of the bad and took on a life of its own which was separate from their initial intent, which was largely an insular matter.

its hard to think of a more long-lasting cultural phenomenon than PUNK ROCK. its ethos has infiltrate every youth movement since. for me it is compelling that JONES isnt afraid of showcasing what a lout he was as a youth and how his choices then wouldnt jove with modern notions of what the genre is supposed to exhibit. and why should he?

its also important to look at his womanizing, drug abuse and general laddish behavior in context given his terrible upbringing and sexual abuse by his stepfather growing up. by no means does this excuse his behavior, but i can sympathize with its impact on JONES' psyche and how it contributed to his worldview from a formative youth onward. sadly this type of event is not uncommon. i commend him for being so honest about such a touchy subject as child sexual abuse, took really courage and i respect him for that. this biography is largely a telling of how that damage informed his life and creative output. again, what bravery.

when i see the SEX PISTOLS now in hindsight given all that has passed since then, i interpret their music as a primal scream against that hierarchy and the underbelly rising to the top despite society's (and the music industry's) best efforts to the contrary. the fact that their sound and image was co-opted, sanitized, repackaged and market thereafter is only a testament to its lasting cultural potency.

this is a book well worth looking into if you are interested in PUNK ROCK, POST-PUNK or ENGLAND under MARGARET THATCHER. could not recommend it more strongly.

"DEER GOD RADIO 99: BEBOP" LIVE TONIGHT AT 8PM EST ON MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC

7/19/2020

parodies by nacrowe

tonight's new episode of DEER GOD RADIO at 8PM EST on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC is focused on the celebrated BEBOP movement in JAZZ of the 1940s and 1950s. both highly experimental and groundbreaking, this era and style of improvisation is still looked at as a high water mark in AMERICAN CULTURE writ large. surprised it took me this long to finally get to it! thats on me.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

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!

NEW "SYNTHESIZER SHOW" EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW

7/18/2020

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click HERE for another episode of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where Reed and Vince are again live from Vince's studio to present another playlist of electronic music on their 58th show!

as always, you can access all past episodes of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW via the DEER GOD website as well as those of MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, DEER GOD RADIO and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG.

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!

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | RITUAL TALK

7/17/2020

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witnessing RITUAL TALK perform at TRANS-PECOS back on a frigid winter night in 2018 was one of the highlights since being involved with DEER GOD. to my ears they conjure up the best experimental aspects of bands like JANE'S ADDICTION, FRIENDLY FIRES and even THE POLICE, the drums locked into an ambient groove going while shifting thumping bass lines and arpeggiated guitars swirl abound.

i loved that show. if it was up to me, we would have done an OFF THE M episode of their entire set.

enjoy!

THROWBACK THURSDAY | "DEER GOD RADIO 25: THE SMITHS"

7/16/2020

parodies by nacrowe

depending on your persuasion regarding DEER GOD RADIO, this episode is either the best one we ever did by far, or it was a complete disaster. i like to think its the former as THE SMITHS are one of my three favorite bands of all-time (the other two in my holy trinity are DEVO and JANE'S ADDICTION).

i was basically raised on the work of MORRISSEY and JOHNNY MARR by my parents and have been a fan since early childhood. TOM FERRIE of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW and a co-founder of MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC is a certifiable super-fan of the band and upon seeing the "bat signal" of my social media promotions, swung by for the show. basically we talked the entire time about THE SMITHS, just none of it on air. so this is a playlist of THE SMITHS, the solo work of MORRISSEY and MARR, as well as collaborative projects (all MARR) with the likes of THE THE, MODEST MOUSE, BRIAN FERRY, THE CRIBS and ELECTRONIC making it arguably one of the strongest ones to date.

just no commentary. at all. just the playlist unbroken pure and simple.

maybe i should redo this show in the future? nah, no reason to ruin a perfect thing.

SPOTLIGHT | TINKER HATFIELD

7/15/2020

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ABSTRACT: THE ART OF DESIGN is an ongoing NETFLIX series of documentaries that highlights exemplars associated with various fields of DESIGN. in this entry i am focused on the episode related to the revolutionary and widely-admired creative work of the modern AMERICAN shoe designer TINKER HATFIELD.

i think whats remarkable about the HATFIELD is the fact that these coveted objects he's manifested throughout the years via his collaborations with NIKE and various athletes are all in a sense engineering solutions to specific problems. by definition his designs are pragmatic in approach. it makes sense when you take out of the conversation how much influence the AIR JORDAN and AIR MAX lines have had on urban fashion and popular AMERICAN culture through the preceding decades.

but again, as originally conceived, form followed function. not the other way around. in terms of narrative, this episode does such by using a current technical objective at the time of filming (an adaptive-lacing technology called E.A.R.L. created during development for the AIR MAG) to contextualize his design process before going back and discussing solutions to past problems (i.e. the parameters that led to the AIR TRAINER 1, AIR TECH CHALLENGE 2, AIR JORDAN 3 and AIR JORDAN 20). the lacing system came out of the reality that by the time basketball players become professional, their feet have been mangled and deformed due to over tightening their laces over many years. he thought that if there was a shoe that could loosen and tighten during inactive parts of a game (free throw, sitting on the bench, etc), that such would be of long-term benefit to the athletes themselves.

HATFIELD also displays the curiosity and open-mindedness to take inspiration from unconventional sources to incorporate into his designs. my guess is that this is probably due to his architectural and engineering background where multiple solutions can satiate specific site parameters. this ability doesnt break from function informing form, if anything it spurs it. examples of this range from the POMPIDOU CENTER in PARIS inspiring him to make NIKE's pressurized air units visible to FIGHTER JETS and PANTHERS informing design choices for various AIR JORDAN models (5 and 13, respectively). there is a definite storytelling aspect to his work which carries over with the NIKE range write large, as such engages the consumer base in a way that transcends mere performance and technical capabilities of the product. MICHAEL JORDAN is obviously the cornerstone example, but HATFIELD also mentions how meeting then-TENNIS upstart ANDRE AGASSI informed his conception of him as being ANTI-COUNTRY CLUB and created products that bolstered that image entirely. in this sense, the athlete and his personality helped inform the design of his products, which were often neon-colored and loud, which was absolutely anathema to the crusty, conservative white traditionally worn on court.

the work of HATFIELD is renowned for its ability to address the needs of his clients while also presenting big, disruptive ideas that have largely defined the market several times over.

i appreciate him if only because the black/cement AIR JORDAN 3s are the most gorgeous basketball shoe ever. period.

FILM REVIEW | THIS IS SPINAL TAP

7/14/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

HELLO CLEVELAND!

arguably the greatest parody film of all-time and the most painful for touring musicians to watch. i can't even count the amount of musicians in interviews i've read who namecheck this film as the most painful thing they've ever seen. SLASH himself said that THIS IS SPINAL TAP (MGM, 1984) ruined an entire GUNS N' ROSES tour for him since it hit the mark with such precision.

where this film excels is in its mocking of the utter ridiculousness of nearly all forward-facing aspects of ROCK N ROLL, everything from album covers, lyrics, gear, stage set design to JESUS-complex surrounding musicians that drank the kool-aid on their image.

in my estimation all the classic lines of this film have that core ribbing as its moral center. i remember once GENE SIMMONS saying that all bands (at the time he was referencing the then-current GRUNGE bands out of SEATTLE) were in the KISS business. they all sold records and merchandise. such is true. no matter how "serious" or "artistic" your band is and no matter how respected they are by those whose opinion carries sway, at the end of the day you are a product that is being sold. THIS IS SPINAL TAP showcases a band that didn't get that memo and seemingly trample over every fault-line a band has to negotiate throughout their recording and touring cycles. having been around musicians in studios to some extent, the ridiculous nature of it all has never been lost on me. that is what makes it compelling and not part of the straight world.

the music is also classic. its obvious they are mocking specifically post-OZZY BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE and late 70s/early 80s METAL in general with their silly set designs and focus on the macabre. but my favorite song in the movie is their send-up of BRITISH INVASION-era songwriting in "GIMME SOME MONEY." never fails to make me smile.

classic movie with classic lines that still stings its subjects. quite an accomplishment.

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7/14/2020

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