parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the wildly idiosyncratic and breathtakingly inventive music of the prolific cult band SPARKS!
​
​​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!

for me METALLICA's METALLICA (ELEKTRA, 1991) record, more commonly referred to as THE BLACK ALBUM, has always been an interesting topic.  this is because on the face of it, the record is an incredibly SUCCESSFUL pop record.  and i do not mean that disparagingly.  in terms of PRODUCTION, song CONSTRUCTION and SONIC VERSATILITY it is quite a devastatingly POWERFUL record.  when i was first introduced to METALLICA during the LOAD-period in the mid-1990s this was the record that caught my attention.  it is in fact a great entry-level introduction to METAL end stop.

what makes the record interesting for fans of the genre is the context from which it came out.  the previous three records, ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (review linked HERE), MASTER OF PUPPETS (review linked HERE) and RIDE THE LIGHTNING (review linked HERE) are a VERITABLE MURDERER'S ROW of classic THRASH METAL records, probably the GREATEST streak of records anyone from the genre has ever produced.  now that i am thinking about what i just said, i'm still sticking to it.  yeah, i'd put those three up against anything SLAYER or even BLACK SABBATH put out back-to-back-to-back.  those three records are what their REPUTATION is built upon.  its not that THE BLACK ALBUM is a bad record, its just that it is a victim to the band's discography, something the band has suffered from ever since in all honesty.

i think what makes THE BLACK ALBUM so CONTROVERSIAL to some and interesting to me, is how INEVITABLE it was.  eventually there was going to be a record that widened the appeal of the genre to a MASS AUDIENCE, if not METALLICA then someone else.  at some point someone was going to create a record that softened the harder edges, constricted errant noodling, shortened the song lengths and focused more on TRADITIONAL song-craft to manufacture a product more PALATABLE to radio and global audiences.  case in point are traditionally constructed tracks like the singles "WHEREVER I MAY ROAM," "THE UNFORGIVEN," "SAD BUT TRUE," and of course "ENTER SANDMAN."  in essence its a victim to its own success.  i am of the opinion that this was the record they wanted to make at the time and ultimately it is a great pop record.

but as a listener aware of how far they transcended their peers beforehand in terms of TECHNICAL PROWESS, FEARLESS COMPOSITIONS unafraid of lengthy detours, POLITICAL LYRICS and just sheer BRUTALITY; it is in retrospect a letdown.  i respect them for following their instincts, i just wish that such had led them down a different path.  one that melted my face off like the first time i heard "DAMAGE INC" or "FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE" or even "DYER'S EVE."

and im still waiting.

what i like about the BRAZILIAN INDIE ROCK outfit FAR FROM ALASKA is how they seamlessly integrated these ODD time signatures and EXPERIMENTAL sonic textures with a heavy dose of GROOVE.  think early QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE or even DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979.  maybe its because they are from BRAZIL that they cant help but maintain that KINETIC energy and create music with a forward PROPULSIVE feel.  i love it.

FAR FROM ALASKA is definitely worth checking out.

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the understated yet immaculate production work of recording legend STEVE LILLYWHITE!
​
​​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!

FLORIDA-based INDUSTRIAL METAL outfit MARILYN MANSON's TRENT REZNOR-produced second album ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR (NOTHING, 1996) was undoubtedly a huge record for me back in middle school.  the record is arty and heavy and absolutely wallows in NEGATIVITY, SELF-ANNIHILATION and all things DEBASED and DEBAUCHED.  it pretty much hit the bullseye for how i felt as a seventh grader during my second year living in NIGERIA.  as ive written about before at length, that first experience of living under a military dictatorship (yes, there have been more since) made me painfully aware of the INEQUITY, INJUSTICE, INHUMANITY and the unambiguous bald BRUTALITY that comes with living under such conditions. 

there was also just the realities of being an INSECURE teenager.  ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR just felt like the crystallization of that despondent feeling of having no hope bordering on outright NIHILISM that i felt as a teenager.  unrepentantly blistering tracks like "IRRESPONSIBLE HATE ANTHEM," "1996," "THE REFLECTING GOD" and "ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR" had a sense of psychic catharsis, as if all this pent-up PAIN, SELF-HATRED and INSECURITY could be somehow projected outward and burned onto a CALLOUS, UNFORGIVING world.  those songs just felt empowering to me.  other tracks like "WORMBOY," "ANGEL WITH SCABBED WINGS," "CRYPTORCHID," "MAN THAT YOU FEAR" and "TOURNIQUET" were very much pointed inward, showcasing an evolved inner UGLINESS as if viewing one's SCARRED, HOLLOWED-OUT PSYCHE through a carnival mirror.  going through puberty and just generally feeling physically INSECURE and VULNERABLE about myself (in a foreign country to boot) was very much coming to terms with an evolving IDENTITY.  in so many ways, my sense of IDENTITY is shaped by my interactions overseas as a perennial foreigner and  OUTSIDER to the point that coming home stateside was equally ALIENATING.  in fact, being on foreign soil became my default setting after a few iterations of this cycle of picking up and relocating, sometimes planned and sometimes sporadically.

it goes without saying that "THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE" is a highlight of the ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR album as it perfectly distills that odd sense SUPERIORITY and ALIENATION that comes with not being part of a CROWD.  in fact, that crowd may be a DISTORTED, self-generating NEGATIVE influence in and of itself.  think of RELIGIOUS GROUPS and POLITICAL PARTIES that purport to promote COMMUNITY but instead lay the foundations of DIVISION and FEAR in our body politic.  that song just feels like a celebration of the INDIVIDUAL, flawed and all, standing up to the mass forces that wish to SUBJUGATE and COERCE.  feels as relevant now, or even more so, then when it came out in the 1990s.

i am painfully aware of the charges made against MANSON at the moment and i want to stress my support for the victims of crime.  its hard to reconcile the fact that the same person that empowered me as a teenager is the same MONSTER that potentially groomed young women for decades.  i dont know how to make sense of that information.  i even tried on a very early episode of DEER GOD RADIO entitled GOOD MUSIC BY BAD PEOPLE to address that conflict of attempting to celebrate music by morally and criminally stained people.  i dont know what to believe regarding the case against MANSON but my default is to support the victims.  the situation feels like a TOXIC cycle that needs to be broken and hopefully his example will affect the choices of men moving forward.  or at the very least serve as a cautionary example.

ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR is a major achievement and i definitely think it is still worth checking out.  MANSON himself is another matter entirely.

ive been on a bit of a HAYAO MIYAZAKI kick as of late and recently rewatched the 2004 DISNEY re-dubbed version of the classic JAPANESE animated fantasy film MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (STUDIO GHIBLI, 1988).  the film centers around two young girls who relocate into an old countryside house with their father in order to stay closer to a hospital where their ailing mother is convalescing.  

what draws me to this film again and again is how much of the narrative is propelled by a sense of intense interiority on behalf of the psychological state of the two young girls, SATSUKI and MEI.  contrary to AMERICAN animated films, the pacing is very slow and prodding which only spurs further attention to these young girls and their experiences with sprites and ultimately TOTORO and his cadre of friends.  these small sprites known in the film as the SUSUWATARI are a part of the natural world and can only be seen by children.  this invention feels very much deep rooted in JAPANESE CULTURAL and RELIGIOUS SENSIBILITIES surrounding SHINTOISM and BUDDHISM where connection to the ENVIRONMENT and one's place in the NATURAL ORDER and its cycles is of paramount importance.  it is a source of STRENGTH and NOURISHMENT and is the basis for the psychic vitality of a COMMUNITY.

i also cant help as a westerner watching this film and not somehow project this notion that such fantastical journeys with animistic entities are stand-ins for a deprived maternal presence.  the girls very much miss their mother and are confronted with adult concepts like INFIRMITY and DEATH in a very tangible, almost existential manner.  its fascinating to think of this animated film as a celebrated product for children given its thematic bent, but then JAPAN is a very different culture that doesnt attempt to shield some cold, sober realities from the next generation such as in the UNITED STATES.   the very concept of ADOLESCENCE is very much an invention of THE WEST so its compelling to consider the interplay of such an idea within a traditional JAPANESE setting.

i cant praise this film enough.  much like everything MIYAZAKI and STUDIO GHIBLI touch, it is very much worth checking out.

it is difficult to read BOB FINGERMAN's graphic novel BEG THE QUESTION (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2002), itself a collection of his entire MINIMUM WAGE series, and not feel just the tiniest bit nostalgic for the less complicated, pre-internet existence of the 1990s.  if only.  FINGERMAN's narrative follows a BROOKLYN couple in their 20s as they navigate their way through ADULTHOOD PROBLEMS like moving in together, CAREER, SEX, DEATH, BODY IMAGE, FERTILITY, MONEY, FAMILY, CHILDHOOD TRAUMAS and ultimately MARRIAGE.  to my understand the piece is basically an extended meditation on relationships and the evolving motivations for maintaining such as individuals inevitably shift through different phases.  is it lust?  is it emotional security?

BEG THE QUESTION employs an extended network of FAMILY and FRIENDS of the couple who offer various examples of the NEEDS, DESIRES and OBLIGATIONS that bind us to one another.  for some it is all about ETHNIC and RELIGIOUS TIES, while for others maintaining a CONNECTIONS is done out of a sense of duty.  again for others there is common PERSPECTIVE and TEMPERMENT that gravitates some to each while for others sheer SEXUAL ATTRACTION does so (which is pretty creepy given that such AFFECTION is intra-familial during parts of this graphic novel).  for all of its questioning FINGERMAN does not give us a clear answer.  the ties that bind are ultimately a MYSTERY and a core facet of the collective HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

speaking for myself, i find that i often cannot get out of my own head on these sorts of matters.  i have always questioned what my MOTIVATIONS are for the people i maintain an emotional connection with.  is not even possible to not be SELFISH and be around people that make you feel good about yourself?  is that a bad thing?  being around people that offer you a different PERSPECTIVE and look on life?  do i have an ULTERIOR MOTIVE?  and what about the people that are EMOTIONAL VULTURES and provide nothing but take.  no NOURISHMENT or PERSPECTIVE, just baggage.  are they not worthy?  and what if they are family?  how does that play into it, do i have an OBLIGATION to them because we are kin?

i dont know the answer to that.  which is why i thoroughly enjoyed reading BEG THE QUESTION and wish to further seek other publications by FINGERMAN moving forward.  i found this graphic novel to be quite THOUGHTFUL, despite its at times RAUNCHY and TRANSGRESSIVE subject matter, and highly recommend it for anyone interested in piercingly HONEST meditations on modern life. 

and one last thing: in a post-ROE world it is hard to not think about how much AGENCY has been shifted away from women to make the types of decisions regarding FAMILY PLANNING and BODILY AUTONOMY examined in BEG THE QUESTION.  its hard to stomach the fact that we have regressed that much as a society in terms of HUMAN RIGHTS and basic EMPATHY and COMPASSION.  makes this graphic novel feel like a political and cultural ANACHRONISM id like to get back to.

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the criminally underrated musician WES BORLAND!
​
​​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!

as a kid in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA i played a lot of sports, but mainly basketball.  going into 6th grade i personally knew the head coaches of the three local high schools.  its funny to look back at it now, but at the time i was a sports prospect.  of course, my family moved to NIGERIA later that year and my whole world literally shifted overnight.  but during those late elementary years i have fond memories driving everywhere between LOS ANGELES and SAN DIEGO with my dad on our way to and from basketball camps and tournaments listening to U2 records.

there were certain songs we'd play as hype music which included AEROSMITH's "DREAM ON," THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "VOODOO CHILD (SLIGHT RETURN)" and U2's "IN GOD'S COUNTRY" and "WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME" off their landmark THE JOSHUA TREE (ISLAND, 1987) record.  i still to this day visualize long drives to places like ESCONDIDO, ANAHEIM HILLS and HUNTINGTON BEACH to those tracks.  what drew me to their sound was how they manipulated the idea of SPACE. whether through THE EDGE's reverb and delayed guitar manipulations or those epic slow fade-ins punctuated by BONO's howling voice full of YEARNING and DESPERATION, their just seemed to be a palpable sense of forward momentum.  PUSHING FORWARD to new frontiers despite the obstacles.  its easy to see in retrospect how those tracks worked as hype songs.

as an adult i have come to appreciate the GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS of U2, regardless of the fact that such is often used as a focal point for castigation and aspersions, especially at frontman BONO.  there is something very IRISH about having EMPATHY for another's suffering and i feel that he is coming at his political pronouncements from an inner place of DEEP COMPASSION.  i may be alone in that but thats my conviction.  when you look tracks like "BULLET THE BLUE SKY" or especially  "MOTHERS OF THE DISAPPEARED" (which is about the suffering of mothers whose children were abducted by REAGAN-backed military dictatorships in CHILE and ARGENTINA) there is a conviction to utilize his artistic medium to further AMPLIFY these political efforts and draw world attention to them. 

which he did.

less literal are the iconic singles "I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR" and "WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME."  its interesting that there is very much a thread of geography and the concept of DISPLACEMENT in much of the lyrical content from this record.  again, very IRISH.  the idea of searching for something important but unnameable and maybe even unattainable, like LOVE, ACCEPTANCE or even a COMMUNITY is an aspiration that is deeply human.  its almost metaphysical in nature.  having spent extensive time abroad in places like NIGERIA, ALBANIA, MYANMAR and VENEZUELA, i have literally visited people on streets with no name.  BONO very eloquently seeks to provide REPRESENTATION and a voice to the voiceless and those who are FORGOTTEN and looked over by our entrenched POLITICAL and ECONOMIC SYSTEMS that dont value or even acknowledge their EXISTENCE.  this is a concept i consistently struggle with.

and that struggle of living with a CONSCIOUS and bearing witness to the STRUGGLES of your neighbor is central to THE JOSHUA TREE.  its the thread that ties seemingly disparate tracks like "ONE TREE HILL" with "WITH OR WITHOUT YOU."  what is our individual RESPONSIBILITY to our COMMUNITY?  what bonds us to each other on an inter-personal level?  it really is an amazing accomplishment both SONICALLY and CONCEPTUALLY and for me it is a deeply sentimental record that reminds me of my own CONNECTION with my father.

so yeah, THE JOSHUA TREE is worthy of its hype and well worth checking out.

definitely enjoying this VIRGINIA band TRUE BODY i came across that has a real ANGULAR and searingly HAUNTING POST PUNK, GOTH ROCK vibe.  very minimal but precise instrumentation that puts the focus on ISABEL MORENO-RAIÑO's affecting vocals.  they are anew band with a limited output, but from what i heard they hit the sweet spot between BAUHAUS, JOY DIVISION and THE FALL.  definitely worth checking out.

parodies by nacrowe

​check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the innovative and socially conscious music of the multi-talented DONALD GLOVER, aka CHILDISH GAMBINO!
​
​​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!

what i love about the CALIFORNIA-by-way-of-WASHINGTON STATE INDIE ROCK band LA LUZ' sound is how they essentially explore the HAUNTING POSSIBILITIES of SURF MUSIC from the early 1960s.  just tons of reverb, delay and clean tone that are used not to necessarily show off virtuosic DEXTERITY, but as a means of increasing the EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT and AFFECTING PSYCHOLOGICAL POTENTIAL inherent in that unique SONIC TEXTURE.  essentially they are deconstructing and RECONFIGURING our expectations as listeners when hearing that sound.  its a COMPELLING and UNIQUE sound and their third album, the DAN AUERBACH (of THE BLACK KEYS fame) produced FLOATING FEATURES (HARDLY ART, 2018) is a great example.  STELLAR tracks that explore this dynamic include "CICADA," "MEAN DREAM," "THE CREATURE," "CALIFORNIA FINALLY," "FLOATING FEATURES" and "DON'T LEAVE ME ON THE EARTH." 

a key aspect of this sound is undoubtedly singer/lead guitarist SHANA CLEVELAND.  most singers have their vocals pushed forward in a mix, but throughout their discography LA LUZ have adroitly chosen to have hers pushed back.  the effect is that her FRAGILE YEARNING and DEEPLY AFFECTING vocals are enveloped in a COCOON OF SOUND.  it renders her voice as another instrument and key ingredient in a seductively MASSIVE sound.  one that is on equal pairing with ALICE SANDAHL's keyboard patches and even CLEVELAND's own NIMBLE and highly MEMORABLE guitar leads.  it is a sound reminiscent of how GIRL GROUPs like THE CRYSTALS, THE SHIRELLES and, most famously, THE RONETTES were mixed by PHIL SPECTOR back in the 1960s with his famous "WALL OF SOUND" production technique.  

that is not to say that this band is retro-minded or overly concerned with the past.  as stated before, LA LUZ is very much a REIMAGINING of the classic reverb-drenched SURF MUSIC made famous by THE VENTURES, LINK WRAY and DICK DALE; sonically similar but coming from a completely different DIY PERSPECTIVE. definitely worth checking out.

i really enjoyed this film. 

not because of its subject necessarily since i have nothing against TWISTED SISTER, their music, their fans or their legacy.  what i appreciate about THIS IS F***ING TWISTED SISTER! (ANDREW HORN FILMPRODUKTION, 2014) is that it is two-hour long documentary focused entirely on the tireless struggle to make it in the entertainment industry despite nearly overwhelming odds against the band. 

the band spent more than 10 years relentlessly playing and replaying the TRI-STATE bar circuit, building up a rabid following based on SHOCK TACTICS that seemingly glossed over their accomplished MUSICIANSHIP, PRESENCE and STAGECRAFT.  their narrative is a populous one since their success was not manufactured over night, but rather organically built up one fan at a time over the crucible of repeat live performances.  i thought it was quite refreshing to hear DEE SNIDER and JAY JAY FRENCH speak about the lengths they went to differentiate themselves from the pack and just the general daunting work  ethic that they maintained despite years of diminishing returns.  it must have felt quite hopeless and downright QUIXOTIC to be in the band throughout the 1970s playing bars in small-town LONG ISLAND, upstate NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT and the JERSEY SHORE.

usually bands in documentaries highlight the glorified heights and record sales of years gone by, but here the band is focused on their salad days when the unspoken connection between band and audience was at its zenith.  and looking back that is not to say there arent some CRINGE-INDUCING admissions, such as the DISCO SUCKS shtick that led them to hang an effigy of BARRY WHITE on stage, which went over real well in RACIST parts of upstate NEW YORK where it was confused with a promotion of lynching.  yikes!  just the idea that the band jumped on the DISCO SUCKS movement at all is a bit DISAPPOINTING given the HOMOPHOBIC and XENOPHOBIC overtones of that popular movement by a largely white heterosexual male audience.  there is also a bit of lazy CHAUVINISM and lame attempts at MACHISMO on stage and off throughout THIS IS F***ING TWISTED SISTER! which grew a bit tired.  one would think that the band would have been somewhat open to GENDER FLUIDITY or at least the concept of not being outright hostile to other sexual preferences given their stage presence but NO.  such was definitely not the case at the time.  like KISS, they aped the image of the NEW YORK DOLLS without every coming to terms with its broader meanings and ramifications.

but maybe such RETROGRADE attitudes was all just indicative of a time and place forty years ago.  in a sense, i respect them for being open about their past and the choices they dont repeat now.  i give them that.  i was similarly impressed by how in depth they went back into their years of STRUGGLE, when they were aspirational wannabes living on a dream.  doesnt get more AMERICAN than that.  it is also a testament to their singular FOCUS, DRIVE and downright STUBBORNNESS that they ultimately succeeded.  this documentary is definitely worth checking out and investigating on account of that alone. 

i will probably rewatch it again within the year.​

the EUROPEAN EEL in WESTERN CULTURE has long been a primordial symbol of all things opaque and subconscious.  in fact, little was known about its basic life cycle until the early 20th century.  SWEDISH author PATRIK SVENSSON in THE BOOK OF EELS: OUR ENDURING FASCINATION WITH THE MOST MYSTERIOUS CREATURE IN THE NATURAL WORLD (ECCO, 2019) provides a compelling narrative revolving around the cultural and historical symbolism of the EEL going back to ARISTOTLE and how its many remaining SECRETS may remain such with regards to mankind's current participation in global CLIMATE CHANGE.  that and it intertwines with SVENSSON's own fond memories of fishing for EELS with his father along local waterways and streams as a child in SWEDEN.

at the crux of this narrative is the EUROPEAN EEL and its unique life story.  in essence in transforms itself several times and travels thousands of miles from the SARGASSO SEA where it is believed to originate from to all over EUROPE (an area outside of BERMUDA marked by the convergence of several global currents and gulf streams) and back.  where it lands in EUROPE is believed to be random, but its life span is contingent on the conditions of where its new home.  some live for several decades while others more than a century before turning back, transforming itself for the last time and then home to the SARGASSO SEA to (we presume) mate and die.  on this last return the EEL develops reproductive organs and dissolves its stomach, going for months without food and living off its fat reserves for the several thousand mile journey.  its very much one of the most remarkable journeys of any animal i am aware of.

what is interesting is how SVENSSON utilizes this narrative to showcase a larger argument for what the EUROPEAN EEL represents to SOCIETY as its mystery has spurred thought and ingenuity for multiple millennia as its transformations (which were discovered in the modern era) defied all understood rules of  LOGIC and NATURAL SCIENCE.  the EEL itself become a unique and powerful symbol of THE UNKNOWABLE: that which is just beyond our grasp. 

its just sad that its SECRETS will likely die along with it.  yet another "EXTERNALITY" cause by a modern GLOBAL CAPITALIST MACHINE run amok that is destroying the planet.   its all too depressing.  THE BOOK OF EELS is a great book well worth checking out that really gets at the personal, natural and symbolic significance of this enduringly perplexing creature.

it feels like we are living currently in a GOLDEN ERA OF BOUTIQUE GUITAR PEDALS. 

in the past decade or two there have been a number of small firms like EARTHQUAKER DEVICES, CATALINBREAD, MYTHOS PEDALS, CAROLINE GUITAR COMPANY, DEATH BY AUDIO, CHASE BLISS AUDIO, HUDSON ELECTRONICS, JHS PEDALS, KEELEY ELECTRONICS, ORIGIN EFFECTS, WALRUS AUDIO, MR. BLACK PEDALS, STONE DEAF FX, WAMPLER PEDALS and DARKGLASS ELECTRONICS among many others that have producing products that, in some instances, are veritable ART PIECES.

one of my favorites is the OKLAHOMA-based OLD BLOOD NOISE ENDEAVORS who have created some MULTIFUNCTIONAL yet highly IDIOSYNCRATIC pedals that tend to blur the line between traditional genres like REVERB, DELAY, DISTORTION and the like.  their pedals feel geared towards EXPERIMENTATION and a deep sense of EXPLORATION of unknown sonic landscapes.  at least that has been my experience, as i have found myself on more than one occasion playing open chords in my practice room through one of their MODULATED REVERB / DELAY pedals and got totally lost some WEIRD, AMBIENT ALTERNATIVE REALITY only to look up at my phone eventually to learn more than an hour had passed (full disclosure: i won their SUNLIGHT, DARK STAR and VISITOR pedals).  its just FUN.

what i love about OLD BLOOD NOISE ENDEAVORS' interview and live performance series COFFEE & RIFFS is how it maintains and delivers on that experimental DIY aspect of their product.  friends of the company are basically interviewed and filmed in a very sporadic fashion about their sound and musical OUTLOOK followed by a brief performance which shows them UTILIZING various pedals by various manufacturers.  its a genius concept because it very much feels like me in my practice space EXPERIMENTING with the countless ways of UTILIZING my pedal collection.  like you are mining for gold, except here it is UNEXPECTED HAPPY ACCIDENTS that result in EMOTIONALLY RESONANT SOUNDS.

it is one of my favorite past times and i am sure it is the same way for countless bedroom hobbyists and guitar enthusiasts alike.  watching these videos, for me at least, is a thoroughly ENJOYABLE experience.  definitely worth checking out if you are so inclined.

not gonna lie.  i really hated 'NSYNC when they were an actual cultural concern.  this was before JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE garnered an ounce of CREDIBILITY for his solo career and way before the CONTROVERSY about how he effectively left JANET JACKSON stranded at SUPER BOWL XXXVIII. i remember being being beyond annoyed with shows like TOTAL REQUEST LIVE on MTV that effectively pushed this drivel on my demographic.  it felt INAUTHENTIC and so baldly MARKET-DRIVEN, which it undoubtedly was.

the pop cultural artifact that was the self-titled debut 'NSYNC record 'NSYNC (RCA, 1997) is effectively the end product of mastermind of the late DISGRACED 'record producer' LOU PEARLMAN, a FLORIDIAN businessman who saw an opportunity years earlier when the NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK chartered his private jets around the country on tour.  'NSYNC (as well as THE BACKSTREET BOYS) was a vehicle to further his ponzi scheme (of which he was later took to court and incarcerated for) as well as a projection of a WARPED SEXUALITY.  the dude was a PEDERAST and what he was very much involved in is something today called grooming.

which is to say that now when i hear these dated and overly-SACCHARINE pop songs, there is such a DARKER edge to them.  what once seemed like overtly juvenile odes to puppy love (such singles as "I WANT YOU BACK" and "TEARIN' UP MY HEART") and the TRANSCENDENT nature of HUMAN SEXUALITY (from an assumed projected female perspective) now read like the stunted expectations of an insecure adult male projecting his deluded unwanted advances on that of young men who financially depend on him.  its really quite sick, twisted and tragic even.  as an adult i feel for all the young men that got caught up in PEARLMAN's web, as they were all performers who had a PASSION for MUSICAL THEATER, SINGING and PERFORMANCE.  and this was their shot at stardom.  they didnt deserve dealing with a influential PEDOPHILE.  PEARLMAN was the worst variety of human PARASITE and i feel nothing but EMPATHY and SUPPORT for these guys now, knowing what i know.

i very much feeling like context is everything, even with a pop group like 'NSYNC.  you very much never know what is really going on behind the scenes.  never liked their music but that is besides the point.  when i see how all these former members have SUPPORTED one another over the years, whether one was coming out of the closet or another was pursuing various business and entertainment projects, what is more than apparent is how much of a SUPPORT NETWORK is still there.  a brotherhood even.  and that LOVE and MUTUAL RESPECT is unquestionably AUTHENTIC.  nobody can take that from them. 

the fact that they came out intact on the other end is such a GIFT.  i cant even imagine what they went through.  and publicly.​

been really digging the IMPRESSIONSTIC and ABSTRACT sonic textures and aural landscapes of SOUND OF CERES and its predecessor band CANDY CLAWS recently.  i cant remember how i came across them, but i am now fully aware of the level of intricately layered compositional prowess and musicianship of members KAREN and RYAN HOVER.  definitely aspects of SHOEGAZE and AMBIENT MUSIC but with an otherworldly presence that creates a totally unique HAUNTING vibe.  definitely worth checking out.

parody by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the legendary ENGLISH ELECTRONIC BAND DEPECHE MODE!
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​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

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part of the enjoyment of listening to ALICE IN CHAINS's debut FACELIFT (COLUMBIA, 1990) is that you are witness to a full-throated performance of LAYNE STALEY when he was basically at his physical peak.  its arguable that the creative apotheosis for the band was either later efforts like DIRT (review linked HERE), JAR OF FLIES (review linked HERE) or maybe even ALICE IN CHAINS (review linked HERE), but such records have the bitter aftertaste of knowing you are appreciating the efforts of a man courageously pushing ahead while in decline against chemical addictions pushing him asunder.  

several of the tracks on FACELIFT that utilize STALEY's extraordinary vocal talents, notable "BLEED THE FREAK," "CONFUSION," "I CAN'T REMEMBER," "IT AIN'T LIKE THAT" and "MAN IN THE BOX", but the undisputed highlight is "LOVE, HATE, LOVE" which seemingly structurally centers around it.  case in point is his unbelievable live performance of such on the LIVE FACELIFT VHS, which was a 1990 performance at THE MOORE THEATRE in SEATTLE.  its rather bittersweet  watching that band play since arguably this period of the band saw them play more shows than any other.  the rest of the STALEY-era is basically misfired touring efforts and stopgap recorded efforts aimed at satiating a growing demand for life performances that mostly never came to pass.  their 1993 summer co-headling (with PRIMUS) LOLLAPALLOZA jaunt was their last major tour with STALEY, which was in support of DIRT.

obviously i was too young (less than 10) when the original incarnation of ALICE IN CHAINS were a regular touring entity.  my introduction to them were the singles that local SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA radio station 106.7 FM KROQ played on heavy rotation during the early 90s, namely "MAN IN THE BOX" and "WE DIE YOUNG."  its funny to me now but i didn't actually know who the band was until i moved to NIGERIA in the fall of 1995 when an older AMERICAN schoolmate showed me his CD collection.  like most people, my first impression of the band was informed by the emotional resonance of STALEY's monstrous performances which seemed both tortured and on the edge of control.

the band obviously went on to great things, both during the STALEY and the later WILLIAM DUVALL eras of the band.   but its hard not to listen to FACELIFT and not wonder what career trajectory the band would have had with this original line-up had some in the band not succumbed to outside chemical interests.  its a painful what-if.

rest in peace LAYNE.​

with PUNK ROCK there are so many people credited with getting the initiating the genre, everyone from THE STOOGES and THE MC5 to the NEW YORK DOLLS, THE RAMONES and even THE DICTATORS.  the documentary STIV: NO COMPROMISE, NO REGRETS (CHIP BAKER FILMS, 2019) takes a look at STIV BATORS, frontman of what is in all likelihood is the first PUNK band THE DEAD BOYS (as well as later outfits like SHAM 69 one-off THE WANDERERS and the GOTH-tinged LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH).  and its a sad truth that unlike his contemporaries in IGGY POP, DAVID JOHANSEN and JOEY RAMONE and later acolytes like that of JOHN LYDON, JOE STRUMMER and DAVE VANIAN, BATORS is a relative unknown.  at least he was to me.

so that is essentially the raison d'être for this film, it is a sort loving effort by former band members, crew and friends to resuscitate his legacy and public profile.  what is sad is that despite some archival interview footage of JOEY RAMONE speaking about his former peer, there is little in the way of interview footage by major players, which is a shame.  it sort of limits the appeal of what is otherwise a more than competently constructed film which examines his rise out of rural OHIO to starting bands in CLEVELAND and ultimately infiltrating the nascent downtown CBGB's scene in NYC with a vengeance in the mid 1970s.  in fact, HILLY KRISTAL (owner of CBGB's) bankrolled their debut and managed them after seeing them play his club.  unfortunately that moment was the peak of their career and larger cultural relevance.  the band fell apart after a few more disastrous efforts in which they were mismatched with producers unsure of what to do with them or their sound.  subsequent efforts were interesting but BATORS seemed to be chasing trends (60s PSYCHEDELIA, 80s POST PUNK) rather than setting.  his absurd and tragic death in PARIS seemed a fitting marker to someone steeped in ROCK N ROLL cliches (again following in the footsteps of JIM MORRISON a generation before him).

after watching the documentary i am no closer to understanding why BATORS was a seminal figure in the history of PUNK.  not to be cruel, but outside of his niche of devoted cult followers, there doesnt seem to be any real consensus surrounding the nature of his brilliance.  i am more than a little baffled as to why this film was released knowing that there wasnt any high profile testimonials/aspersions regarding his legacy.

maybe his relative unknown public profile is right where it should be.  i dont know the answer to that.  maybe somebody with weight on the subject could tell me because everything ive read in countless books on PUNK ROCK mention THE DEAD BOYS as a footnote to the lasting impact of other later bands in that same scene, i.e. THE RAMONES.  i am still interested in the subject, but in my estimation this documentary, however well-intentioned and edited, was half-baked and could have used more credible participants.