more than twenty years into this CARNIVALESQUE FREAK-SHOW that is SOCIAL MEDIA, we are all pretty much too intimately FAMILIAR with the CONCEPT of having an AVATAR or ALIAS that represents us ONLINE via SOCIAL MEDIA, CHAT ROOMS, COMMENT SECTIONS and the like.  such is a VEHICLE for DUPLICITY, DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR and general HORRIFIC BEHAVIOR due to the lack of ACCOUNTABILITY that comes with having your NAME and LIKENESS attached to your WRITTEN OPINIONS.

cartoonist PETER BAGGE's presents in his COMPELLING GRAPHIC NOVEL ​OTHER LIVES (VERTIGO, 2010) a variety of CHARACTERS that blur the line between their REAL-LIFE IDENTITIES and online SECOND-WORLD PERSONAS as well as PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL LIES, SECRETS and OBFUSCATIONS that DIVIDE and ISOLATE them from EACH OTHER as well as THEMSELVES.  its an INTRIGUING SUBJECT considering that all of us hold a SELF-PERCEPTION that GUIDES and INFORMS our DAILY BEHAVIOR and sense of EXPERIENTIAL CONTINUITY as a UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL.  through SOCIAL MEDIA we allow ourselves a WARPED MIRROR to CURATE a WIDELY-DISSEMINATED PUBLIC PROFILE that presents us as we see OURSELVES and not necessarily as we are perceived by OTHERS. 

through BAGGE's CHARACTERS we can observe a SIMILAR NARRATIVE based on such self-initiated DISTORTIONS that devolves into CHAOS and HARMFUL SELF-DESTRUCTIVE ACTIONS.  these CHARACTERS act out of a variety of motives from DESPERATION, LONELINESS and DESPAIR to AMBITION, SURVIVAL and an INTENSE need to BELONG.  its ironic that such use of AVATARS and ONLINE MONIKERS only makes such PROBLEMS more AGONIZING and SEVERE, since such INCENTIVES the very MOTIVES that manifest in such EMOTIONAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL ruination.

BAGGE seemingly offers no way out of this DEVASTATING DILEMMA outside of HONEST COMMUNICATION with both ONESELF and their IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY.  ONLINE FORUMS where one's OPINION is habitually SELF-REINFORCED does little to MITIGATE that LONG and PAINFUL DOWNWARD SPIRAL.  makes me reconsider the PERILS and/or BENEFITS or writing a BLOG.  seriously.

​OTHER LIVES is definitely an INTRIGUING READ well worth checking out.  much RECOMMENDED.  i look forward to seeking out more from BAGGE's CATALOGUE include HATE (FANTAGRAPHICS, 1990-2011) and NEAT STUFF (FANTAGRAPHICS, 1985-89) in the future.

the INTERESTING THING about the massively POPULAR NEW YORK TIMES-produced THE DAILY PODCAST is its FOCUS.  it is in all essence a DEEP DIVE into one NARRATIVE per episode.  HOST MICHAEL BARBARO has the UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY to HIGHLIGHT DEVELOPING CURRENT EVENTS and/or LONG-FORM ARTICLES utilizing the EXPERTISE and RESOURCES of FELLOW JOURNALISTIC PEERS within THE NEW YORK TIMES ecosystem.  in doing on THE DAILY  PODCAST he acts as a GATEKEEPER into the PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS and PROCESSES apparent in REPORTING and presenting NEWS PRODUCTS to the PUBLIC.  most INTRIGUING to me is when he INTERVIEWS the ACTUAL REPORTERS about their STORIES and gets into the WONKINESS that may have been curtailed slightly for PUBLICATION for REASONS of BREVITY and CLARITY.

for his part, BARBARO as a JOURNALISTIC ENTITY is pretty INDECIPHERABLE to pin down politically by design and normally asks BASIC questions of his GUESTS meant to elicit TRANSPARENCY and BACKGROUND INFORMATION, assuming (probably CORRECTLY) that his LISTENERS have not yet read the ORIGINAL NEWS PRODUCT.  at times this can feel a bit STILTED and TEDIOUS to listen to, especially when you are FAMILIAR with the FACTS at hand already, but again such is done consciously for the sake of the LISTENER in establishing a BASE UNDERSTANDING of the NARRATIVE being discussed.

i find MYSELF listening to THE DAILY out of HABIT, even taking in TOPICS i am not particularly INTERESTED in, and then in turn seeking the ORIGINAL ARTICLE more times than not.  in that sense, the PODCAST has done its OBJECTIVE in serving as an APERTIF of sorts before the MAIN COURSE by effectively promoting the GREATER NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION and the GIFTED PERSONNEL that make such FUNCTION.  definitely a PODCAST worth checking out.  highly recommended.

ive long considered the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' PIVOTAL fourth album MOTHER'S MILK (EMI USA, 1989) as a TRANSITIONAL EFFORT that marked the second phase of their CAREER.  such seems OBVIOUS since it is their first recording in the wake of FOUNDING GUITARIST HILLEL SLOVAK's untimely passing from an ACCIDENTAL HEROIN OVERDOSE and the UNDERSTANDABLE subsequent departure of likewise FOUNDING DRUMMER JACK IRONS shortly thereafter.  for a moment the BAND seemed on the decline, a VICTIM to ROCK AND ROLL cliches revolving around DRUG CULTURE, that was until they found the UBER-TALENTED, YOUNG GUITARIST JOHN FRUSCIANTE and the HARD-HITTING MICHIGANDER CHAD SMITH on DRUMS to round out what is considered by most to be their DEFINITIVE lineup.

as such MOTHER'S MILK feels like a CONTINUATION of PREVIOUS EFFORTS that utilize aggressively SYNCOPATED FUNK RHYTHMS propelled by FLEA's signature PERCUSSIVE SLAP-BASS TECHNIQUE and SINGER ANTHONY KIEDIS' highly IMPROVISATIONAL SCAT-SINGING VOCAL STYLINGS.  this is EVIDENT on TRACKS like "JOHNNY, KICK A WHOLE IN THE SKY," "STONE COLD BUSH," "SUBWAY TO VENUS," "PUNK ROCK CLASSIC," "MAGIC JOHNSON" and their CELEBRATED pair of COVERS in STEVIE WONDER's "HIGHER GROUND" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "FIRE." the later of which was recorded with SLOVAK and IRONS. given FRUSCIANTE's MUSICAL VIRTUOSITY and LOVE of the BAND as a FORMER FAN and AFICIONADO of all things FUNK and SMITH's  MUSCULAR CHOPS on the kit, these TRACKS present a BAND with no DISCERNIBLE LETDOWN in terms of SONIC AGGRESSION.  but where the lineup shines is in RELATION to more DYNAMIC, MELODIC TRACKS like "TASTE THE PAIN," "KNOCK ME DOWN" and especially the INSTRUMENTAL "PRETTY LITTLE DITTY" (later TASTELESSLY SAMPLED by CRAZY TOWN on their SOLE NU METAL hit "BUTTERFLY") which seemingly point the way for their subsequent CONSIDERABLE EVOLUTION and GROWTH as a CREATIVE UNIT on their EPIC, GENERATION-DEFINING follow-up BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGICK (WARNER BROS, 1991). 

the IMPACT of FRUSCIANTE himself cannot be UNDERSTATED.  he brought a HENDRIX-ian MUSICAL VOCABULARY and SENSE of MELODIC DYNAMICS to the BAND that would PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCE both how FLEA interacted with his INSTRUMENT as a PLAYER (he would become more TASTEFUL, less SHOWY and artistically ADROIT with his BASS-LINES) and how KIEDIS would convey his LYRICAL CONTENT (which would become much more PERSONAL and consequently RELATABLE).  when i listen to MOTHER'S MILK i am confronted with a BAND that is between TWO MODES of SONGWRITING, both of which these NEW MEMBERS are DEFT at conveying, but EMOTIONAL POTENTIAL of these batch of SONGS is not quite there yet.  not like they would be on subsequent releases like the AFOREMENTIONED BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGICK and CALIFORNICATION (WARNER BROS, 1999), which are TRANSCENDENT ROCK AND ROLL albums that will likely CELEBRATED for POSTERITY.
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while this album has its MOMENTS and is undoubtedly a step up in terms of SOUND QUALITY via the likes of PRODUCER MICHAEL BEINHORN, who would later find further SUCCESS with subsequent DISPARATE, UNIQUE releases like SOUNDGARDEN's SUPERUNKNOWN (A&M, 1994), MARILYN MANSON's MECHANICAL ANIMALS (INTERSCOPE, 1998) and HOLE's CELEBRITY SKIN (DGC, 1998) and KORN's UNTOUCHABLES (EPIC, 2002), i would not consider such an ESSENTIAL RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS release.  it is a SONIC STEPPING STONE to what would be their DEFINITIVE ERA as a CREATIVE UNIT.  the final piece of adding PRODUCER RICK RUBIN to the MIX from here on out brought a more DRY, SPARE SOUND that put the SPOTLIGHT on the BAND's unique INTERPERSONAL CHEMISTRY and strikingly EVIDENT MUSICALITY as well as that UNDEFINABLE HUMAN ELEMENT that his INIMITABLE ear could detect.  BEINHORN is more about LUSH, PERFECT SOUNDS and IMMACULATELY RECORDED PERFORMANCES a la other NOTABLE PRODUCERS like GIL NORTON (PIXIES, ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, FOO FIGHTERS, JIMMY EAT WORLD) and MARTIN HAMMETT (JOY DIVISION, MAGAZINE, THE DURUTTI COLUMN, A CERTAIN RATIO).  such was never what the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS were about at their CORE, which is BAND that loves to JAM and play off each other in the MOMENT.  GREAT listen nonetheless but something i'd advise digging into after other SEMINAL recordings like the AFOREMENTIONED BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGICK, CALIFORNICATION and the RECENT UNLIMITED LOVE (WARNER BROS, 2022).

the ATLANTA-based RAPPER JID is a probably the most INCREDIBLE HIP HOP TALENT i have come across in easily a decade.  just his RAPID-FIRE, MULTI-SYLLABIC WORDPLAY, EFFORTLESS FLOW and IMMERSIVE STORYTELLING brings to mind everyone from BUSTA RHYMES, GHOSTFACE KILLAH and ANDRE 3000 to CHILDISH GAMBINO and EMINEM.  i was late to the party having only discovering him recently on his feature with EMINEM on the UNDERRATED "FUEL" track from his recent THE DEATH OF SLIM SHADY (INTERSCOPE, 2024) album.  since then ive been devouring his DREAMVILLE catalogue and that of the myriad of past COLLECTIVES he has been a part of like EARTHGANG and SPILLAGE VILLAGE.

JID is definitely an ARTIST worth checking out and keeping a FUTURE eye on for GREATNESS.

parodies & text by nacrowe

when i got into DEPECHE MODE in earnest during my time as a PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER in ALBANIA, what connected with me the most was that UNDENIABLE sense of GROOVE and just SEX that palpably emanated from those VIOLATOR (MUTE, 1990), SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION (MUTE, 1993), ULTRA (MUTE, 1997)  and EXCITER (MUTE, 2001) era SOUNDSCAPES.  the SYNTH POP and ELECTRONIC MUSIC i was familiar with up until that point were more things like early NEW ORDER, PET SHOP BOYS and DEVO which seemed a bit more consciously BOXY and CLUNKY, albeit in an aesthetically COOL way, but not something id categorize as a SEXY or even remotely DANGEROUS sounding.  maybe its SINGER DAVE GAHAN's SLITHERY VOCAL DELIVERY and songs about AMBITION, SEDUCTION, REDEMPTION and MORAL PERIL or GUITARIST MARTIN GORE's melodically SOPHISTICATED yet intensely DANCEABLE COMPOSITIONS that made the difference, all i know is that once i jumped in that pool i was immediately in the deep end.

from which i have yet to recover.

in ALBANIA and my time traveling around EASTERN EUROPE in general there is a GENERAL BLANDNESS to the ARCHITECTURE and UNIFORM CONFORMITY to the CULTURE that derives from being in a location from the post-SOVIET SPHERE-OF-INFLUENCE (albeit ALBANIA was DIFFERENT than YUGOSLAVIA in that they were POLITICALLY-ALIGNED with CHINESE COMMUNISM, not RUSSIAN).  for whatever reason, i found DEPECHE MODE to be a PERFECT SOUNDTRACK to my experiences in the setting.  with their use of SYNTHESIZERS and the UNWAVERING RIGIDITY and AUTOMATIC REGIMENTATION of DRUM MACHINES, the FOUNDATION for their SOUND can feel CLAUSTROPHOBIC and UNFORGIVING at times.  then the MELODY kicks in and their SOUND opens up often into those TRANSCENDENT and MEMORABLE CHORUSES.  i think being in ALBANIA felt that way at times, given your STATUS as an OUTSIDER you were being constantly monitored and judged by the LOCALS until you were taken in and treated like a LONG-LOST, EXTENDED MEMBER of the FAMILY.  that SOCIAL BARRIER is what made that EXPERIENCE FASCINATING in retrospect, likewise DEPECHE MODE's ABILITY to find MELODY in strict RHYTHMIC STRUCTURES feels like a WORTHY EXPRESSION and ANALOGUE of such a DYNAMIC.

i doubt such was INTENTIONAL, but such a SERENDIPITOUS CONFLUENCE of IDEAS is what makes being ALIVE ENJOYABLE and worthy of putting yourself out there to discover new places and be open to UNFAMILIAR ART.  there is always NEW MUSIC to discover, even in NEW JERSEY.

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating DEPECHE MODE.  enjoy!

the IOWA-based, MASK-adorning, MATCHING JUMPSUIT wearing, NINE-PIECE METAL OUTFIT SLIPKNOT was an UNEXPECTED and absolutely STUNNING ONSLAUGHT-TO-THE-SENSES when their SELF-TITLED debut SLIPKNOT (ROADRUNNER, 1999) ALBUM was released just prior to the new millennium.  my INTRODUCTION to them was at fifteen while attending a LOADED OZZFEST 99 stop in NEW JERSEY where the BAND broke out VISUALLY and SONICALLY alongside their mostly METAL PEERS in FEAR FACTORY, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, GODSMACK, DEFTONES, STATIC-X, PRIMUS, SLAYER, ROB ZOMBIE and BLACK SABBATH.  turns out i saw them early on the tour that was their big break in the UNITED STATES, such being their first NATIONAL EXPOSURE thanks to JACK OSBOURNE, a CONSEQUENTIAL early SUPPORTER that also happened to be OZZY OSBOURNE's CLUED-IN fourteen year-old SON.  but whereas most of those BANDS RHYTHMICALLY had a GROOVE-based (DEFTONES, PRIMUS, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, ROB ZOMBIE) or INDUSTRIAL-inflected (FEAR FACTORY, STATIC-X) SOUND, SLIPKNOT seemed to be a bit more STRAIGHT-AHEAD, OLD-SCHOOL THRASH / DEATH METAL (SLAYER) in its APPROACH (with GALLOPING TEMPOS that switch drastically) just SONICALLY way more DENSE with its BASSIST, DJ, two GUITARISTS and MULTIPLE PERCUSSIONISTS in tow.  they definitely had a "MORE IS MORE" SONIC AESTHETIC that both seemed utterly ORIGINAL yet based in a CLASSIC METAL TEMPLATE.

their VISUAL PRESENTATION is also worth mentioning as it mirrored their SOUND.  nine DISTINCTIVE MEMBERS wearing MATCHING JUMPSUITS and various HORROR-themed MASKS that seemed to infer a type of CONSCIOUS ANONYMITY within a UNIT, like a GANG.  the JUMPSUITS also belied a WORKMANLIKE ETHOS and AESTHETIC, as if their INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS, of which those early INSANE shows there was nothing left ENERGY-WISE, only had any SUSTAINED VALUE in PROMOTION of the whole.  no INDIVIDUAL STAR per se, just this IDEA of being taken over by a CULT.  the MASKS in this CONTEXT provide some ON-STAGE DIFFERNTIATION and INDIVIDUALITY among MEMBERS, but like KISS before them, they also ensure their IDENTITY OFF-STAGE.  and i think its that INTERESTING DYNAMIC between INDIVIDUAL ANONYMITY and GROUP IDENTITY that makes the BAND so POTENT from a VISUAL PERSPECTIVE.  the OBVIOUS IMPLICATION is that literally ANYONE could be in that BAND, even the AUDIENCE.  we are all SLIPKNOT.  the ETHOS of their STRIKING VISUAL PRESENTATION is ironically counter to the STAR-MAKING AMBITIONS of most ENTERTAINERS.  maybe it was their UNASSUMING IOWA ROOTS that nurtured this or their COLLECTIVE APPRECIATION for EXTREME METAL (MERCYFUL FATE, NEUROSIS, IMMOLATION) and AVANT-GARDE MUSICIANS (SKINNY PUPPY, MIKE PATTON, GODFLESH, HELMET, MINISTRY) that likewise pursued a CONSCIOUS ANTI-IMAGE AESTHETIC, but whatever the INSPIRATION, such was a breath of fresh air during the IMAGE-CONSCIOUS late 90s that was dominated by PROMINENT NU METAL BANDS like KORN and LIMP BIZKIT.

now the MUSIC. 

the ACTUAL SLIPKNOT ALBUM is absolutely INTENSE.  arguably it is the most sonically DENSE and CLAUSTROPHOBIC RECORDING that FAMED PRODUCER ROSS ROBINSON (AT THE DRIVE-IN, KORN, SEPULTURA, GLASSJAW, THE BLOOD BROTHERS) has ever been involved with, which is actually saying something given the BRUTAL EMOTIONAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL POTENCY of the PERFORMANCES he is able to instigate and capture on TAPE is his PROFESSIONAL CALLING CARD.  i am hard-pressed to think of a more SAVAGE opening side to a commercially SUCCESSFUL RECORDING (with all due CONSIDERATION towards PANTERA, TOOL, LAMB OF GOD and WHITE ZOMBIE) than the TRACKS "EYELESS," "(sic)" and "SURFACING" off SLIPKNOT.  it is a REAL TESTAMENT to ROBINSON's ENGINEERING and MIXING SKILLS that all these myriad of COMPETING INSTRUMENTS, VOCALS and SAMPLES are presented with DISTINCT ARTICULATION and their own AURAL SPACE in the MIX.  there is nothing MUDDY or OPAQUE about these INTENSE TRACKS, they hit you like SLEDGEHAMMER right between the eyes.  personally my FAVORITE TRACK is "LIBERATE" which is as close to their SOUND moving forward as anything else on their debut, which balances a STRONG TENDENCY towards DISSONANT SONIC INTENSITY with an UNEXPECTED, AUTHENTIC FEEL for MELODY that is not CONTRIVED.  in fact it makes the TRACK more BRUTAL in comparison given that there are moments of LEVITY before you are being pile-driven again like those aforementioned OPENING TRACKS.  the OBVIOUS SINGLE "WAIT AND BLEED" is arguably the WEAKEST TRACK and the most UNLIKE the others, which seem almost CONTENT in their ABILITY to channel UNDENIABLE SONIC FEROCITY into EMOTIONAL CATHARSIS.

and for me that DYNAMIC is at the center of SLIPKNOT's APPEAL and where their VISUAL and SONIC AESTHETICS overlap.  the ANONYMITY, SELF-DENIAL and implied NIHILISM of their LURICS seems aimed at the INTERNAL BATTLE going on within an INDIVIDUAL and the RENEWED PERSPECTIVE and EMOTIONAL RELEASE that comes from such a PURGING.  out of experiences so DARK, VILE and UNSEEMLY comes something POSITIVE and SELF-AFFIRMING that UNITES and UPLIFTS EVERYONE in on the CONVERSATION.  being ANONYMOUS takes away that need for BASE IDOL WORSHIP, it opens the gate to SELF-IDENTIFY with each other and be part of a GREATER COMMUNITY.

and that was my EXPERIENCE with witnessing SLIPKNOT live at the second stage of OZZFEST 99.  within the first SONG i was already INITIATED as part of the CULT.  CLASSIC ALBUM by a CLASSIC BAND.  absolutely required listening.

i remember a few weeks after i moved to YOKOHAMA in the summer of 2015 i made the MUCH-ANTICIPATED, SHORT TREK over to the SHIBUYA SECTION of TOKYO and found their flagship BEHEMOTH TOWER RECORDS LOCATION in all its NINE-STORY GLORY.  it was a little less than a decade since they had CLOSED their stateside doors in 2006 and felt very much like a WELCOME BLAST FROM THE PAST.  almost immediately i came to realize how much had been LOST in the INTERIM and was BEYOND NOSTALGIA into a SLIGHT FEELING of PTSD. 

when i lived in WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS during my freshman and sophomore years of boarding school, my EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPITE was talking to the KNOWLEDGEABLE CLERKS at the nearby INDEPENDENT GREENFIELD RECORDS.  same with the DIMPLE RECORDS LOCATION in CITRUS HEIGHTS during my senior year in CALIFORNIA.  my junior year in KUWAIT was TERRIBLE, probably because they didnt have a RECORD STORE (plus everything would have been BANNED regardless).  it was at these LOCAL SHOPS that assisted me in my EXPLORATION of TRIP HOP, ALTERNATIVE METAL, DREAM POP, BEBOP JAZZ, POST PUNK, AMBIENT MUSIC, PSYCH ROCK, MINIMALISM, SHOEGAZE, KRAUTROCK, DEATH METAL and CLASSIC HIP HOP during my years where i was forming my TASTES and SELF-IDENTITY.  even now in NEW JERSEY there is a whole slew of INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES like STATION 1 BOOKS AND MUSIC in POMPTON LAKES, VINYL ADDICTION in NORTH ARLIINGTON, REVILLA GROOVES AND GEAR in MILLTOWN and the LONGSTANDING PREX in PRINCETON that cater to a COMMUNITY and actively support one another, never mind GENERATION RECORDS in GREENWICH VILLAGE, ACADEMY RECORDS in NEARBY BROOKLYN and the much BELOVED, long-since DEPARTED NYC INSTITUTIONS like KIM'S VIDEO, BLEEKER BOB'S and OTHER MUSIC.  returning to NEW JERSEY, the VOID left by the CLOSING of VINTAGE VINYL of FORDS in 2021, arguably the BEST RECORD STORE in the state which effectively serviced the NEARBY RUTGERS UNIVERSITY CROWD, is something very much still felt years later.  well beyond just the INVENTORY, the COMMUNITY has largely it PROMOTED has DISSIPATED in the AFTERMATH.

this is a whole longwinded way of saying that i understand the VOID left when an IMPACTFUL and much-BELOVED CULTURAL INSTITUTION like a RECORD STORE goes OUT OF BUSINESS, as was the case with SAN FRANCISCO's LONG-STANDING AQUARIUS RECORDS in 2016.  not only were they at the LITERAL INTERSECTION of countless AVANT-GARDE CULTURAL MOVEMENTS going back to its FOUNDING in 1969, from PROG ROCK to KRAUTROCK to PUNK ROCK and beyond, but they also were the CULTURAL AMBASSADORS of such.  the recent DOCUMENTARY IT CAME FROM AQUARIUS RECORDS (THE SCOURGE PRODUCTIONS, 2022) follows the HISTORY and IMPACT of the STORE, throughout its VARIOUS INCARNATIONS, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS and lineage of OWNERS (in a TRADITION of passing such down from EMPLOYEE to EMPLOYEE).  the through line is an ARTISTIC COMMITMENT to the promotion of INDEPENDENT ARTISTS as curated throughout their STORE, which reached an apex with their MUCH-CITED and RESPECTED E-MAIL NEWSLETTER which LOVINGLY promoted ARTISTS with REVIEWS and RECOMMENDATIONS. 

a sort of PITCHFORK before such existed.

the FILM begins with the INNER ORBIT of that COMMUNITY, the OWNERS and FORMER EMPLOYEES, and then ASTUTELY expands to the MUSIC COMMUNITY they served and finally the other STORES INTERNATIONALLY that NETWORKED with them and took their E-MAIL NEWSLETTER as a VERITABLE GODSEND of what NEW RELEASES were worth ORDERING. 

the PROBLEM is that the MARKET had SHIFTED.

i feel like IT CAME FROM AQUARIUS RECORDS is part of a RECENT TRADITION of DOCUMENTARIES that look back at what has been DISCARDED and LOST to HISTORY with the CONTINUOUS forward momentum of MODERN TECHNOLOGY making our MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS evermore POWERFUL yet paradoxically ISOLATING us from each other along that same EXPONENTIAL CURVE.  yes, it is TRUE that these types of STORES literally at their most BASIC sold highly OBSCURE VINYL RECORDS to a local NICHE AUDIENCE.  that was their BUSINESS PLAN.  their function to the SOCIETY though was not as an ELEVATED CULTURAL GATEKEEPER (like say PITCHFORK), but rather a COMMUNITY RESOURCE and MUCH-NEEDED MEETING-PLACE where LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS could talk about FILM, MUSIC, ART and IDEAS with KNOWLEDGABLE STAFF who could turn them on to RECORDING ARTISTS hitherto UNKNOWN and UNDER-APPRECIATED.  that sort of EYE-TO-EYE, TANGIBLE INTERACTION cannot be REPLICATED by a LOGARITHMICALLY-GENERATED PLAYLIST or ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.  that HUMAN TOUCH and CAPACITY for CONNECTION is what made AQUARIUS RECORDS such a BELOVED CULTURAL INSTITUTION for decades and is why it is so SORELY-MISSED by the BROADER BAY AREA COMMUNITY.

the FILM mentions but doesnt dive into the CHANGING LOCAL DEMOGRAPHICS and POLITICS of GENTRIFICATION APPARENT in SAN FRANCISCO, much as it also is in NYC, that spurred the FINANCIAL DECLINE of AQUARIUS RECORDS, only to state that with CHANGE comes OPPORTUNITY and that the STORE ran its course.  but that doesnt mean that such CHANGE is for the BETTER.  its all about what we VALUE as a COMMUNITY.  obviously JAPAN places a PREMIUM on INSTITUTIONS like TOWER RECORDS and the PHYSICAL MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTING and SELLING of PHYSICAL MEDIA, and is why they have LEGAL POLICIES that ensure such can persist.  if only AMERICANS had such CONSENSUS and FAR-RANGING VISION.  maybe then we wouldnt be SLAVES to APPLE, SPOTIFY and the like.

IT CAME FROM AQUARIUS RECORDS is an ESSENTIAL FILM and a topic of PARAMOUNT CULTURAL and ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE.  highly recommended.

my introduction to the BLUESY NYC-MIAMI-based / GEORGIA-raised INDIE ROCK SINGER-SONGWRITER CHAN MARSHALL and her CAT POWER MONIKER was back in the mid-2000s when i was in undergrad and THE GREATEST (MATADOR, 2006) came out.  living overseas in AFRICA and THE MIDDLE EAST during a PRE-INTERNET AGE throughout the 1990s, i was a bit behind the curve culturally in terms of stateside UNDERGROUND MUSIC.  like everyone, what caught my ear immediately was this RESTRAINED VOCAL DELIVERY and EMOTIVE WEIGHT in which she sang her OPAQUE and intensely PERSONAL LYRICS.  the further back in her CATALOGUE i traveled, the more of an ENIGMA she became, which no doubt is part of her APPEAL as a MODERN CULTURAL FIGURE and ARCHETYPE of an immensely TALENTED yet TROUBLED ARTIST. 


in CAT POWER: A GOOD WOMAN (CROWN, 2009), AUTHOR ELIZABETH GOODMAN provides a PORTRAIT of an AMBITIOUS SONGWRITER that holds a DEEP AMBIVALENCE towards her GIFAT.  as you would expect, this UNCERTAINTY regarding her TALENT is rooted in her biography as the CHILD OF DIVORCE who often placated the EMOTIONAL NEEDS of those around her POWER, often subsuming and folding her own needs and IDENTITY into that of others.  her ABSENTEE FATHER being a FAILED MUSICIAN who although technically educated in the CRAFT, never resonated with a WIDER AUDIENCE and projected such FRUSTRATION on his DAUGHTER and her NASCENT INTEREST in MUSIC.  this is key, because she was made to feel UNWORTHY and NOT VALUED for her lack of MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE which curdled into later DEFEATIST INTERNALIZATIONS of INFERIORITY and being UNDESERVING of RESPECT, especially when she found FAME and later COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. 

MARSHALL is a COMPLICATED FIGURE, no doubt, plagued by an INFERIORITY COMPLEX that paradoxically comes with a FIRM CONFIDENCE in her INTUITIVE ABILITY as both an OBSERVER and a WRITER.  this should not come as a surprise since basking in one's SUBSERVIENCE is a FORM of MANIPULATION, since one ironically feels that they are SINGULAR in their supposed LOWLY STATURE.  its an INTRIGUING DYNAMIC that played out in her CAREER, especially those LEGENDARY CONCERTS in which she publicly broke down and wallowed in her own SELF-PITY and effectively elevated her PERSONAL BREAKDOWN into a piece of PERFORMANCE ART, violating the BASIC CONCEIT of a LIVE SHOW in which a PAYING AUDIENCE is treated to a MUSICAL PERFORMANCE.  that RELATIONSHIP between AUDIENCE and ARTIST, and her breach of such, could only happen with a certain VOLATILITY that is counterintuitively defined by TRUST, BELIEF and CONVICTION in oneself. 

and it is not like MARSHALL is the first PROMINENT ARTIST to be known for seemingly basking in their own SELF-DESTRUCTION.  that CULTURAL LINEAGE goes back arguably to the origins of ART itself and is part of HUMAN NATURE and our DISTINCT SOCIAL BIAS towards NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.  part of the UNDOUBTED APPEAL of MARSHALL is her vulnerability and penchant for PUBLIC SELF-SABOTAGE.  i dont know what that means in terms of implicating the AUDIENCE in this unseemly COMPLICIT act of incentivizing such BEHAVIOR.  you look at everyone from LEGENDARY ARTISTS like JIM MORRISON, GG ALLIN and IGGY POP and unquestionably part of their ENDURING APPEAL are those PUBLIC TRANSGRESSIONS on-stage that violated BASIC CULTURAL MORES regarding GOOD BEHAVIOR and HUMAN DECENCY.  you dont have to look far ahead and recognize that KANYE WEST, TED NUGENT, 6IX9INE and so on are playing buy that same PLAYBOOK, albeit one projected outwardly to instigate ATTENTION and cultivate NOTORIETY rather than internally as a COMPLICATED FORM of SELF-IMMOLATION.

much else was covered in A GOOD WOMAN, which touched on ASPECTS of MENTAL HEALTH, BRAIN DISORDERS, GENERATIONAL TRAUMA and the ROLE of a COMMUNITY in supporting / spurring / challenging / hampering the EFFORTS of a NASCENT ARTIST, but for me the takeaway from this BOOK is that CENTRAL DYNAMIC of MARSHALL's PROBLEMATIC, ABSURD and CONTRADICTORY dual-pole NATURE as both a MASTER MANIPULATOR and VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE.  that ASPECT is something GOODMAN does a GREAT DEAL to unwind and parse through carefully to much EFFECT.  understanding that DYNAMIC makes me consider the INTENTIONALITY of other provocative ARTISTS of the past (everyone from CARAVAGGIO to KURT COBAIN) and my own COMPLICIT ROLE in the PROPAGATION of such NOTORIETY. 

i mean, i am writing about it after all.

i thoroughly enjoyed this BOOK and recommend it to anyone interested in the INTERRELATED ROLES of PERSONA, BEHAVIOR and SPECTACLE in MODERN POPULAR CULTURE irrespective of your level of INTEREST in INDIE ROCK.

this is a RECENT YOUTUBE DISCOVERY that im very fond of.  DRUMEO is an ONLINE PLATFORM aimed at ENGAGING and educating DRUMMERS of all ABILITIES and their HEARING SONGS FOR THE FIRST TIME series of videos finds DRUMMERS, some from ESTABLISHED BANDS like THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, MEGADETH and THE MARS VOLTA, some with PROFESSIONAL STUDIO and TOURING BACKGROUNDS for the likes of MICHAEL JACKSON, RINGO STARR, ELTON JOHN, QUINCY JONES, DAVID LEE ROTH, MADONNA, STEVIE WONDER, GENESIS and BILLY JOEL, and still others that are UP-AND-COMING SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS, all hearing new music for the first time.

and then playing DRUMS to it. 

DRUMEO takes out the ORIGINAL DRUM TRACKS and what is at play is the CREATIVE MIND of these highly ATTUNED MUSICIANS.  you get a sense of their feel and approach to SONG DYNAMICS.  most of these TRACKS are fairly well-known to the viewer, and often in radically DIFFERENT GENRES than what these players are known for.  what transpires is an APPRECIATION for the SKILL and range of the INSTRUMENT itself, as well as the ITERATIVE COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS of sussing out a DRUM PERFORMANCE that fits that track itself.  then they hear the original version with the DRUM TRACK and there is an APPRECIATION for the ARTISTIC CHOICES this other MEMBER of the PERCUSSION COMMUNITY made, sometimes overlapping and more often diverging from the PLAYER at hand.  as a viewer you get a PERSPECTIVE on the near LIMITLESS RANGE of ARTISTIC POSSIBILITY available in MUSIC and ART, and how each of these DRUMMERS present their own PARTICULAR SONIC SIGNATURE on such.  i am not a DRUMMER but find this series COMPELLING and beyond INTRIGUING, irrespective of how i feel about the MUSIC these PLAYERS have created professionally in the past. 

specifically BILLY JOEL.  i cant stand that dude or his MUSIC.

im not originally from NEW JERSEY, but i have been based here intermittently since 1996 and more or less permanently since the early 2000s.  given its DENSE, MULTIETHNIC POPULATION and strategic GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION along the NORTH ATLANTIC CORRIDOR as the INTERMEDIARY between PHILADELPHIA and NEW YORK CITY, it should come as a surprise to no one that it is has nurtured and been home to a number of MUSICIANS its ranks.  specifically everyone from THE SHIRELLES, ICE-T, YO LA TENGO, PATTI SMITH, BON JOVI, COUNT BASIE, THURSDAY, SARAH VAUGHAN, THE FOUR SEASONS, REDMAN and FRANK SINATRA to THE MISFITS, LORNA SHORE, DEBBIE HARRY, THE FUGEES, HALSEY, OVERKILL, PAUL ROBESON, THE BOUNCING SOULS, RICKY NELSON, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, WHITNEY HOUSTON, KOOL & THE GANG, GEORGE CLINTON and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN.  but arguably other than SINATRA the one musical figure that is most closely identified with the GARDEN STATE is FREEHOLD's own BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.

and BORN TO RUN () was his MAKE-OR-BREAK third ALBUM that became the de facto ICONIC AMERICAN RECORDING concerning the ASPIRATIONAL, WORKING-CLASS ETHOS of ESCAPISM through TRAVEL and the PURSUANCE of an almost insurmountably UNATTAINABLE GOAL of UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY.  that AWKWARD yet thoroughly INTRIGUING DYNAMIC of being effectively TRAPPED by one's CIRCUMSTANCES yet not DEFINED by them.  through LYRICS that romanticize the TRANSFORMATIONAL power of CARS, PARKWAYS and PERSONAL MOBILITY on PROMINENT SONGS like "THUNDER ROAD" and the TITLE TRACK "BORN TO RUN," there is a PALPABLE OPTIMISM about GREENER PASTURES just over the horizon.  namely out of NEW JERSEY but figuratively another locale where one is not so DEFINED by their PAST CHOICES and has the OPPORTUNITY of a NEW START at LIFE, LOVE and the AMERICAN PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.  for all its POSITIVE, CHARGED and UPLIFTING SENTIMENT, the OBVIOUS IMPLICATION is that such ESCAPIST PURSUITS are ultimately futile given that one cannot outrun themselves.  as a THIRD CULTURE KID that grew up ABROAD and shifted across HEMISPHERES MULTIPLE TIMES by the time i hit thirty, i can attest to such and find that LYRICAL PREOCCUPATION to be my FAVORITE ASPECT of this ALBUM and SPRINGSTEEN's CATALOGUE as a whole.

its FUNNY to me but other than my PARENTS, my only REAL CONNECTION to SPRINGSTEEN's MUSIC was a few years back when the RECORDING STUDIO at DEER GOD was still a FUNCTIONING ENTITY and we were in the process of MIXING an EXTENDED PERFORMANCE VIDEO we shot of a SPRINGSTEEN COVER BAND from STATEN ISLAND on location at both THE WONDER BAR and THE STONE PONY in ASBURY PARK.  in a sense that BAND found that same sense of CREATIVE ABANDON and EMOTIONAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION through SONGS like "BACKSTREETS," "TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT" and especially "JUNGLELAND."  playing in ASBURY PARK for them was almost akin to a RELIGIOUS PILGRIMAGE, touching and gracing those STAGES gave a TACTILE PALPABILITY to those same ASPIRATIONS and DREAMS of a LIFE beyond the MUNDANE TOIL and MEDIOCRITY of STATEN ISLAND EXISTENCE.  as much as i mocked the BAND and their COMMITMENT to all things SPRINGSTEEN, whom admittedly i am not a FAN of (not that i particularly dislike his MUSIC by any stretch), i secretly ADMIRED their COLLECTIVE RESOLVE to his CORE IDEALS of DIY SELF-TRANSFORMATION and COMMUNITY-BUILDING, even if they didnt share his POLITICS.  somewhere that venn diagram makes sense.

being in NEW JERSEY so long, SPRINGSTEEN is just part of the CULTURAL LANDSCAPE at this point, just like LUCY THE ELEPHANT or the ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK.  seemingly everyone has a STORY about him or E STREET BAND DRUMMER MAX WEINBERG, SAXOPHONIST CLARENCE CLEMONS (RIP) or GUITARIST STEVEN VAN ZANDT, much like when i lived in MASSACHUSETTS for two years during high school seemingly everyone had a PERSONAL CONNECTION, however TANGENTIAL, to AEROSMITH SINGER STEVEN TYLER or GUITARIST JOE PERRY.  but as a BROADER TOUCHSTONE arguably on par with other songwriters in BOB DYLAN, NEIL YOUNG, ROBBIE ROBERTSON or JOHN FOGERTY, it is that sense of being internally DEFINED by AMBITIONS and ASPIRATIONS that far exceed our INDIVIDUAL, IMMEDIATE MEANS that demarcates the CREATIVE WORK of SPRINGSTEEN.  and such was no more EVIDENT than on BORN TO RUN.

what gets me though is that most of my NEW JERSEY RELATIVES and NEIGHBORS that were supposedly BIG SPRINGSTEEN FANS back in the day, and early SUPPORTERS of his, are all now HARDCORE TRUMP VOTERS.  its just ODD how such WORKING-CLASS ASPIRATIONS of UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY from that generation CURDLED into something altogether TOXIC, SELF-DEFEATING and against the very ETHOS of what it means to be an AMERICAN.

kinda OBVIOUS but gotta say it anyway.  OPETH is a LEGENDARY SWEDISH METAL BAND who are in no need of any ATTENTION from this DIMINUTIVE venue.  they have a LUSH, MULTI-FACETED SOUND that is reflective of their ONGOING EVOLUTION as a band that incorporates everything SUBTLE SCANDINAVIAN FOLK TRADITIONS, JAZZ-influenced CHORD VOICINGS and ornately INTRICATE PROGRESSIVE METAL FLOURISHES that belie their ORIGINS as a FEROCIOUS DEATH METAL OUTFIT.  and that AMBITION to move forward and take ARTISTIC RISKS is what i deeply appreciate about OPETH since METAL in general can be a pretty CONSERVATIVE GENRE with a seemingly REQUISITE set of ELEMENTS that FANS actively and aggressively incentivize PROMINENT and SUCCESSFUL ACTS to not veer away from. 

such is why over time ive really come to VALUE the WORK of BANDS like MASTODON, ISIS, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, FANTOMAS, MESHUGGAH, TORCHE and NEUROSIS who have all blazed their own SINGULAR PATH in a field of FEARFUL MEDIOCRITY projecting as HYPER-MASCULINITY.  when i see BANDS taking RISKS like OPETH and succeeding it just serves as a further acknowledgement that REAL INNOVATION comes from following your own INSTINCTS, even if that means incorporating DELICATE FOLK PASSAGES into an undeniably BRUTAL and technically SOPHISTICATED PROG METAL COMPOSITION.

OPETH is definitely a BAND you should know already, as they have been around for over thirty years with thirteen studio albums to their name.  but if not, definitely check them out.  required listening.

parodies by nacrowe

i remember years ago going to a NEW FOUND GLORY SHOW at the CONVENTION HALL in ASBURY PARK with my brother and a FRIEND of his, who turned out to be the MAIN INSTIGATOR of attending this SHOW.  i think he was just using us for our ride but thats neither here nor there.  what was FUNNY was that the UNANNOUNCED OPENER was none other than NEARBY LONG ISLAND's very own POST-HARDCORE HEROES in GLASSJAW, arguably my brother's FAVORITE BAND.  the WHOLE SITUATION from his PERSPECTIVE went from "wait, why am here?" to "GLASSJAW is in the building, HOLY SHIT!" in a few seconds flat.  

ive been in a MASSIVE MIKE PATTON FAN going back to middle school and during high school was always on the lookout for SIMILARLY-MINDED BANDS and found such first in SACRAMENTO's DEFTONES and later in GLASSJAW, both of which have STELLAR FRONTMEN with EMOTIVE, IDIOSYNCRATIC and highly SINGULAR VOCAL DELIVERY STYLES in CHINO MORENO and DARYL PALUMBO.  in my opinion PATTON, MORENO and PALUMBO are the three most EXCITING SINGERS in ROCK AND ROLL writ large over the past three decades (with honorable mention going to MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN of TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE and PUSCIFER FAME), due in large part to their preternatural ability incorporate DISPARATE INFLUENCES (EXPERIMENTAL MODERN COMPOSERS, POST PUNK, JAZZ, SHOEGAZE and so on) to transform a song into a VERITABLE ART PIECE.  the first time i heard the GLASSJAW debut EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SILENCE (ROADRUNNER, 2000), i became aware very quickly that my expectations regarding the role of a VOCALIST as an equal ARTISTIC INSTRUMENT unto itself had quickly manifested when bearing witness to PALUMBO's JAGGED TONAL MODULATIONS that both COMPLICATED and worked within the POST HARDCORE FRAMEWORK of GUITARIST JUSTIN BECK's likewise DISSONANT and often ATONAL SOUNDSCAPES.

and BECK is a CRITICAL COMPONENT to the appeal of GLASSJAW's SOUND.  his aggressively AVANT-GARDE GUITAR WIZARD NOISE SCREEDS that come off as a more ANGULAR, ATMOSPHERIC and outright CHAOTIC TOM MORELLO-esque WALL-OF-SOUND that just barrels the LISTENER into ABSOLUTE SUBMISSION.  his BELLIGERENT SOUNDSCAPES are the PERFECT COUNTERPOINT to PALUMBO's DISTINCTIVE VOCAL DELIVERY and opaquely ROMANTIC LYRICAL CONTENT that seemingly deals with the concept of MUSIC as a VEHICLE for CATHARSIS.  when i listen to a track like "SHIRA," "MU EMPIRE," or "PRETTY LUSH," i am confront with INTENSE EMOTIONS that somehow finding a FITTING RESOLVE at the CONCLUSION of the EXPERIENCE.  they are all sonic mini-dramas that help me EMOTIONAL PURGE my own FRUSTRATIONS regarding INADEQUACIES and the PRESENT CONSEQUENCES of PAST DECISIONS.  that sense of CATHARSIS is something i value and hold DEAR and is at the very fulcrum of my ADORATION of GLASSJAW on wax and their similarly ECSTATIC LIVE PERFORMANCES. 

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the ICONIC LONG ISLAND POST HARDCORE BAND GLASSJAW.  enjoy!

for anyone FAMILIAR with the DOCUMENTARY DIG! (PALM PICTURES, 2004) about the INTIMATE FRIENDSHIP / RIVALRY between THE DANDY WARHOLS and THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE when they were both UPCOMING BANDS navigating their way through the MUSIC INDUSTRY in the wake of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK EXPLOSION on the early 90s, then you are already well aware of the THE DANDY WARHOLS COME DOWN (CAPITOL, 1997) ALBUM and its play for a NATIONAL AUDIENCE that came up short.  which makes sense given that the BAND was not a CLUELESS POST-GRUNGE, WANNABE, CARBON-COPY BAND but rather an ARTFULLY-CONSIDERED and CURATED OUTFIT by SONGWRITER / BOHEMIAN COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR whose HEADY, HAZY songs were more indebted to SHOEGAZE, POWER POP and SPACE ROCK INFLUENCES than the REQUISITE, UNORIGINAL CLASSIC ROCK, ALTERNATIVE and PUNK ROCK HOMAGES common of that era.

im sorry to say that i didnt come across THE DANDY WARHOLS until well into college in the mid-2000s.  i remember hearing them through a FRIEND and thinking immediately about how i could have possibly overlooked this AMAZING BAND that gave me such STRONG BRITPOP, POST PUNK and SHOEGAZE VIBES, recalling everything i loved about BANDS as DISPARATE as SLOWDIVE, ELASTICA, LUSH, THE STRANGLERS, BLUR, WIRE, BAUHAUS and MY BLOODY VALENTINE records.  there was both an ANGULARITY to their MELODIC SONGWRITING as well as a sense of ATMOSPHERE and SONIC DYNAMICS that i found COMPELLING from the jump.  when i realized that they were from the mid 90s i was kind of in SHOCK because everything from that period seemed almost inevitably to be a KNOCK-OFF NIRVANA, PEARL JAM or ALICE IN CHAINS REHASH.  this GROUP sounded ORIGINAL, or at least EVOCATIVE of a then OUT-OF-VOGUE SONIC AESTHETIC that probably should never have been abandoned in the first place.

right from the outset you have a TRACK like "BE-IN" which fades in on a LOOSE series of INTERTWINING PAD TEXTURES that doesnt kick into a KILLER GROOVE until nearly the two minute mark, setting the MOOD of an UNFOLDING and CINEMATIC SOUNDSCAPE that HYPNOTICALLY enraptures the LISTENER.  especially on HEADPHONES.  i cant think of a CONTEMPORANEOUS BAND that would have done such during this period on an album with COMMERCIAL AMBITIONS.  "GOOD MOURNING," "BOYS BETTER" and "EVERY DAY SHOULD BE A HOLIDAY" follow similar suit with a HAZY, SHOEGAZE-INSPIRED sense of ATMOSPHERICS and VOCALS pulled well DEEP into the MIX, not pushed forward as was the INDUSTRY NORM during that period.  the other MODE of SONGWRITING apparent on THE DANDY WARHOLS COME DOWN are the more traditionally JANGLY, SINGSONG-Y BRITPOP inspired numbers that almost have a FOLK sense about them in "COOL AS KIM DEAL" and the single "NOT IF YOU WERE THE LAST JUNKIE ON EARTH."  no over-the-top DISTORTION, MODULATION EFFECTS or CRAZY ATMOSPHERICS, just STRAIGHT-AHEAD ROCK AND ROLL with those two songs, which again seemed completely OUT-OF-STEP with the CULTURE at a the time when ALTERNATIVE ROCK was transitioning into HYBRID HIP HOP territory and WACKY, IDIOSYNCRATIC SOUNDSCAPES meant to evoke DJs.

LYRICALLY as well TAYLOR-TAYLOR was coming from a different PERSPECTIVE.  SARDONIC, CLEVER and ostentatiously ARTY, he seemed to be both a THROWBACK to a time when ROCK AND ROLL was more SELF-AWARE and prone to poke holes at its own ARTIFICE, MYSTIQUE and PERSONA with the PUBLIC.  REFERENCES to other ARTISTS, life in PORTLAND and the STUPIDITY of DRUG CULTURE and RELIGION are just a few of his LYRICAL PREOCCUPATIONS, almost like he was consciously attempting to subvert EXPECTATIONS of CLICHE SONG TOPICS.  come to think of it, i cant recall a TAYLOR-TAYLOR LOVE SONG ever in their EXTENSIVE CATALOGUE.  COME DOWN was the second attempt at their major label debut, CAPITOL having declined their INITIAL OFFERING for an apparent lack of SINGLES to push.  the fact that this distinctly LEFT-OF-CENTER EFFORT, which ironically is arguably the most POP ALBUM of their career, still didnt chart or find the AUDIENCE it deserved (at least stateside) is a testament to the FICKLE MUSIC CULTURE of the late 1990s and how LIMITED the AMERICAN AUDIENCE's TASTE for more ATMOSPHERIC EUROPEAN MODES of ROCK AND ROLL (i.e. SHOEGAZE, DREAM POP) was at the time.

all of the early DANDY WARHOL RECORDS are GREAT in my OPINION, those being DANDYS RULE OK (TIM/KERR, 1995), THE DANDY WARHOLS COME DOWN and THIRTEEN TALES FROM URBAN BOHEMIA (CAPITOL, 2000).  so yeah, definitely check out this ALBUM.  dare i say its an ESSENTIAL, albeit criminally UNDERRATED, release from the 1990s.

the life and career NARRATIVE of the GENERATIONALLY-ELITE BRITISH FOOTBALL LEGEND WAYNE ROONEY, of whom many EXPERTS consider the GREATEST STRIKER to ever grace the ENGLISH NATIONAL TEAM, as told in this recent sanctioned ROONEY (LORTON, 2022) documentary is one of UNBELIEVABLE TALENT, DRIVE, AMBITION and SHEER FORCE OF WILL that was ultimately TEMPERED by the limits of ones FALLIBILITY as a SINGLE HUMAN BEING.  from the moment he scored his first PREMIER LEAGUE goal for EVERTON as a 16 year-old, the YOUNGEST in league history, his life was no longer his in a sense and was now essentially the PUBLIC's as perceived through the WARPED CARNIVAL PRISM of the BRITISH PRESS.  not to make excuses for the MAN, but its not hard to imagine anyone not living up to that UNREASONABLE level of ATTENTION and HYPE at such a TENDER age in the UNBLINKING public SPOTLIGHT.

what INTRIGUED me about his story is that his success on the pitch was the CONSEQUENCE of an INDOMITABLE WORK ETHIC and EXPLOSION of effort on every play, attempting to capitalize on any and all opportunities for his side.  the ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER.  ROONEY wasnt necessarily a FINESSE PLAYER like LIONEL MESSI or an AGILE TACTICIAN like CRISTIANO RONALDO, instead he was an EFFORT GUY who just wanted it more than his OPPONENT.  the film roots that sense of UNWAVERING DETERMINATION in his HUMBLE BEGINNINGS as a YOUTH growing up in the CROXTETH section of LIVERPOOL, where PUGILISTIC and SURVIVALIST ACTIVITIES, sometimes VIOLENT, were a WAY OF LIFE.  everything was fought for and earned in that CONTENTIOUS SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT and it makes total sense that ROONEY HIMSELF represents in BRITISH CULTURE a sort of EVERYMAN PERSONA, rather than a paragon of INDIVIDUALISM and RARIFIED and UNACHIEVABLE MASCULINITY like that of MESSI and RONALDO after him and DAVID BECKHAM before him.  perhaps the ADORING CROWDS could see him in THEMSELVES as, again, his ON-PITCH EXPLOITS were the result of a PURE RESOLVE.

the man seemed incredibly FORTUNATE to have a SUPPORT SYSTEM around him in his PARENTS, GRANDMOTHER and WIFE COLEEN.  especially in light of his much PUBLICIZED INFIDELITIES.  it seems that his IMMATURITY and PUBLIC STUMBLES were dealt with INTERNALLY as a FAMILY UNIT and that the bonds that tied him with his WIFE since a SHARED CHILDHOOD in LIVERPOOL could not be UNRAVELED.  its an INTERESTING DYNAMIC because his PERSONAL FAILURES are not excused but dealt with as DAMAGING BEHAVIORS that dont dissuade his WIFE from a CORE BELIEF in his love of her and his RESOLUTE FEALTY to their GROWING FAMILY.  i just cant imagine what that must be like in such a HIGH-PROFILE and PUBLICLY-SCRUTINIZED RELATIONSHIP.  seems HORRENDOUS on a scale i cant even perceptually conceptualize, the fact that everyone knows your business and has opinions.  i dont believe we have that same level of PRESS INTENSITY in the UNITED STATES for our ATHLETES, especially in the age of SOCIAL MEDIA.

look back at this film i am just AMAZED that everyone in his PERSONAL orbit came out of such an unimaginably INTENSE experience relatively intact.  especially since he had to juggle so much so YOUNG.  as a teenager i could never of handled such ATTENTION and SCRUTINY.  im startled he didnt go off the rails more quite frankly.  i think sex, especially of the solicited variety, for this caliber of ATHLETE / ENTERTAINER / POLITICIAN / CELEBRITY is more about the AMBITION of ESCAPISM from themselves and their many RESPONSIBILITY than anything else.  its almost about CONTROL in a sense or the LOSS of such.  not that i am excusing such UNFORTUNATE BEHAVIOR, just putting some CONTEXT on it.  i can only imagine the desire to step back from one's REALITY through other SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORS and means like DRUGS and GAMBLING for instance.  glad to see he came out of it alright with his FAMILY in tow.

like the later similarly-produced BECKHAM SERIES, this likewise AUTHORIZED DOCUMENTARY does seemingly consciously gloss over the more SCRUTINIZED and UNSAVORY ASPECTS of ROONEY's BIOGRAPHY, but overall it is an ENJOYABLE FILM that provides some INSIGHT into his HUMBLE, distinctly WORKING-CLASS UPBRINGING in LIVERPOOL and his UNWAVERING FOCUS as a COMPETITOR that made him such a BELOVED ENGLISH CULTURAL FIGURE to date.

i remember years ago when i was working in YOKOHAMA visiting the SOJIJI TEMPLE and learning that the administered an ENGLISH-SPEAKING ZAZEN SESSIONS twice a month.   my first EXPERIENCE was INTENSE as you were sitting and doing nothing but allowing your THOUGHTS to EBB AND FLOW NATURALLY as you maintained a CERTAIN POSTURE.  this went on for two 45 minute SESSIONS followed by five minutes of WALKING ZAZEN around this BUDDHIST TEMPLE in COMPLETE SILENCE.  i dont know if id ever been limited before to only my THOUGHTS for an EXTENDED period of time sans DISTRACTIONS.  i remember walking out of that EXPERIENCE with a sense of CLARITY and EMOTIONAL EVENHANDEDNESS that was entirely NOVEL to me.

such was my FORMAL INTRODUCTION to MEDITATION.

much gets bandied about when mentioning THINGS like the MANY BENEFITS of MINDFULNESS and the practice of MEDITATION, but the KANSAS-based cartoonist GRANT SNIDER in his ILLUSTRATED GRAPHIC NOVEL THE ART OF LIVING: REFLECTIONS ON MINDFULNESS AND THE OVEREXAMINED LIFE (ABRAMS, 2022) seems keen on presenting a SIMPLE, DIRECT and UNADORNED VISUAL ARGUMENT for the POSITIVE SIDE EFFECTS of such a practice.  those being states of AWARENESS, COMPASSION, GRATITUDE, CALMNESS and APPRECIATION for the LITTLE THINGS in life.  in our FAST-PACED, HYPER-COMPETITIVE and EVER-EVOLVING MODERN CULTURE we are severely burdened by our INDIVIDUAL AMBITIONS, SELF-DEFINITIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES, PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS, NEGATIVE IDEATIONS and UNHELPFUL INTERNALIZATIONS.  such is compounded by SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER and our sense of IDENTITY in relation to our PROJECTED PEER GROUP.  we are so accutely attuned to those OUTSIDE FORCES that we dont stand a chance in terms of establishing our own GROUNDED BALANCE in relation to such.  that is where this BOOK is HELPFUL.  each PANEL seems destined to be copied and posted on a HOME-OFFICE WALL, WORK CUBICLE or POWER-POINT PRESENTATION regarding the BENEFITS of centering ONESELF through MEDITATION.

most if not all deal with being aware of one's SENSES, one's BREATH, one's BASIC state of being ALIVE and taking such in on its own terms.  that being ALIVE is not about ACHIEVEMENTS, ADORATION or amassing PHYSICAL THINGS, rather a state of AWARENESS of being in the CURRENT MOMENT is what it is all about.  i find reading these PANELS snaps me out of my CURRENT MENTAL STATE or INTERNAL DIALOGUE and makes me consider my CONNECTION to my PHYSICAL BODY in this MOMENT right now.

its POWERFUL stuff and i cant recommend this BOOK enough as it is WELL-WORTH the MOMENT of SELF-REFLECTION it produces each time i revisit it.​

as ive mentioned COUNTLESS TIMES before within this BLOG, ive spent a CONSIDERABLE amount of time overseas.  more than a quarter of my life was spent collectively ABROAD growing up in NIGERIA, SPAIN and KUWAIT as well as later working in countries like MYANMAR, VENEZUELA, ALBANIA and JAPAN.  honorable mention is a summer semester ABROAD in CYPRUS when they first opened up their DIVIDED BORDER in 2003 but that is neither here nor there.  even though ive been back STATESIDE for almost a decade now, i feel that ORIENTATION to see the UNITED STATES through the PRISM of the world has never really left me and is something that unfortunately ACTIVELY ISOLATES me from those without SIMILAR EXPERIENCES.

such is why i appreciate listening to the CROOKED MEDIA-produced POD SAVE THE WORLD PODCAST cohosted by FORMER OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AIDES BEN RHODES (DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR) and TOMMY VIETOR (NATIONAL SECURITY SPOKESMAN) that attempts to REFRAME CURRENT GLOBAL EVENTS and AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY through an INFORMED VIEWPOINT that takes into consideration a MYRIAD of OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES.  and to tell you the truth, that is what SEPARATES their PODCAST from the other CROOKED MEDIA VEHICLES over the years as FOREIGN POLICY is endlessly COMPLEX and EVER-EVOLVING as it attempts to consider the ECONOMIC, IDEOLOGICAL, CULTURAL, STRUCTURAL, DIPLOMATIC and GEOPOLITICAL STANCES of a whole host of INTERNATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS.  RHODES and VIETOR as much as they can attempt to PROCESS and PRESENT USEFUL INSIGHTS and INFORMATION primarily to a DOMESTIC AMERICAN AUDIENCE, articulating why such is of PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE. 

being OVERSEAS for so long, ive long INTIMATELY UNDERSTOOD how DOMESTIC POLICY DECISIONS affect our standing OVERSEAS as the world looks to us as a PROMINENT EXAMPLE to either MODEL (CULTURAL PLURALISM, MARKET CAPITALISM, INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY, FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS) or avoid (overturning of ROE V. WADE, invasion of IRAQ, TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DALLIANCES with FOREIGN AUTHORITARIAN DICTATORS).  something ive noticed since relocated back STATESIDE is the DISCONNECT between our SELF-PERCEPTION as AMERICANS and how such is received ABROAD.  truthfully i am just thankful that POD SAVE THE WORLD is a VENUE for maintaining that CONNECTION to a BROADER CONTEXT and educating myself about the TRUE IMPLICATIONS of our POLITICAL DECISIONS.  all of this in spite of VIETOR being a total UNREPETANT MASSHOLE with all that implies (CELTICS, RED SOX, PATRIOTS) and even some that i didnt know til quite recently (DUDE is a MILTON ACADEMY ALUMNUS).  its actually painful for me to say i respect the GUY.

definitely a POLITICAL PODCAST worth checking out.

how does one follow-up on a CULTURAL PHENOMENON?

its something that ARTISTS of commercially and artistically SUCCESSFUL bands have been struggling with since ever.  sometimes that ASCENDENT TRAJECTORY continues UNABATED like with NEW ORDER after JOY DIVISION, FOO FIGHTERS after NIRVANA, PEARL JAM after MOTHER LOVE BONE, GORILLAZ after BLUR, or THE BREEDERS after THE PIXIES.  other times it goes the other way like AUDIOSLAVE after RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, MEGADETH after METALLICA or THE RACONTEURS after THE WHITE STRIPES.  needless to say, its always a CREATIVE and FINANCIAL RISK to mess with or alter that UNIQUE CHEMISTRY that resulted in SUCCESS.   but these ACTS are relatively small time.

what do you do if the band you are following up on is THE BEATLES?

in the case of JOHN LENNON, you use that platform as an opportunity to move forward and create some of the most EXPERIMENTAL, and frankly UNCOMMERCIAL, MUSIC of the period by any MAJOR RECORDING ARTIST with the assembling of THE PLASTIC ONO BAND with his WIFE, JAPANESE AVANT GARDE CONCEPTUAL ARTIST YOKO ONO.  its a SIMILAR TACT that GEORGE HARRISON undertook as well post-BEATLES with his subsequent SOLO ALBUMS which delved deeper and deeper into his INTIMATELY-FELT CONNECTION with HINDU MYSTICISM and INDIAN MUSIC in general.  COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS be DAMNED.  such was not the case with PAUL MCCARTNEY who seemed unable to establish a VOICE after the DISSOLUTION of THE BEATLES and spent most of his decades-long career creating MEDIOCRE PABLUM that bordered from the SCHMALTZY to absolute CRINGE.

but back to LENNON. 

​his FOLLOW-UP RELEASE to the WILD EXPERIMENTALISM of his SOLO DEBUT JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND (APPLE, 1970) was the more SUBDUED and SONG-DRIVEN VEHICLE IMAGINE (APPLE, 1971), which has continually been ranked as one of the great albums of all-time by PROMINENT BOOMER CULTURAL PUBLICATIONS and is widely considered an EQUAL alongside his TOP BEATLES OUTPUT.  it should be said that many of these SONGS are rooted in UNUSED MELODIES and PARTIAL STEMS OF TRACKS dating back to the LATER BEATLES years, as was the case with most of the MEMBERS' first few SOLO RELEASES.  contributing to the sessions were VARIOUS MUSICIANS, ARTISTS, FRIENDS and HIRED GUNS ranging from GEORGE HARRISON to KLAUS VOORMAN (noted for his ILLUSTRATED REVOLVER cover art), ALAN WHITE (YES), MIKE PINDER (THE MOODY BLUES), TED TURNER (WISHBONE ASH), JIM GORDON (DEREK & THE DOMINOS) and JOEY MOLLAND and TOM EVANS of BADFINGER, a recent APPLE RECORDS SIGNEE.  IMAGINE was coproduced by LENNON, ONO and the FAMED WALL OF SOUND PRODUCER PHIL SPECTOR.  the title track "IMAGINE" is one of the most UBIQUITOUS and CELEBRATED SONGS ever written, but also grossly MISUNDERSTOOD.  it is often MISUSED as a WARM, FUZZY PEAN to all things UNITY, PEACE, HARMONY and KUMBAYA, when in actuality it is anything but.  LENNON himself understood this mistake and stated it was "virtually the COMMUNIST MANIFESTO" in interviews, as the TRACK considers a WORLD FREE of GOVERNMENT, RELIGION, POSSESSIONS, HUNGER and GREED (i.e. CAPITALISM), and calls instead for a VISION of the EQUAL BROTHERHOOD OF HUMANITY to take its place.  i feel like this is LOST on everyone, the public and ARTISTS alike, who ABUSE such when doing TELEVISED CHARITY FUNDRAISERS for PANDEMIC and WORLD DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS.   its almost CLICHE at this point and just plain LAZY.  maybe they should do "WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD" by LOUIS ARMSTRONG instead.  just saying. 

"IMAGINE" is undoubtedly the TRANSCENDENT BEHEMOTH of a TRACK on LENNON's LEGENDARY second post-BEATLES RELEASE, but its not the only GREAT SONG. 

"JEALOUS GUY" is one of the most achingly BEAUTIFUL, and quite frankly REALISTIC, EXPRESSIONS of the PAIN and inner TURMOIL that comes with being in a LOVING RELATIONSHIP, where one is constantly reevaluating their own MOTIVES, EXPECTATIONS, PERSONAL HISTORIES and INSECURITIES regarding such.  its an admission of GUILT and acknowledgement of IMPERFECTION, as well as an INTRIGUING declaration of INTENT.  lyrically the SPEAKER is seeking GREATER INTIMACY with their SIGNIFICANT OTHER in spite of their FLAWS.  in my mind that is pretty TIDY DESCRIPTION of what constitutes a MATURE RELATIONSHIP based on OPEN DIALOGUE. 

"OH YOKO!" is a BUOYANT FOLKSY TUNE that effectively showcases the ENERGY and PASSION of a NEW RELATIONSHIP.  it is so ENDEARING, and not in a contrived SACCHARINE MANNER, that i have a hard time listening to it in light of LENNON's DEMISE and the UNSPEAKABLE PAIN that came with his LOSS by his LOVED ONES, not limited to ONO herself.  same EXCRUCIATING DYNAMIC with "BEAUTIFUL BOY" off of his FINAL ALBUM, DOUBLE FANTASY (GEFFEN, 1980). 

"GIMME SOME TRUTH" is an pointedly ACERBIC protest SONG focused intently on the then-ONGOING VIETNAM WAR and the IDIOTIC HYPOCRISY and what we would now term TOXIC MASCULINITY that both initiated and sustained it during this period.  this PLAINTIVE question at its core is almost a GENERATIONAL DEMAND of the AMERICAN GOVERNMENT to explain its MOTIVES, as POLITICAL secrecy and WARPED PET THEORIES about the EXPANSION of COMMUNISM sent an estimated two million people to their DEATHS (on both sides) in a NEEDLESS CONFLICT over IDEOLOGY and BRUTE, UNADULTERATED POWER. 

lastly, and arguably my FAVORITE, is the MCCARTNEY DISS TRACK "HOW DO YOU SLEEP?" which is a response to then-recent DISPARAGING INTERVIEWS and SONG LYRICS his FORMER BANDMATE leveled at LENNON and ONO as being BUFFOONISH and UNSERIOUS.  given how deeply POLITICAL and PERSONAL LENNON's EFFORTS were during this period, it is no surprise that such PUBLIC ATTEMPTS at cutting him at the knees were not welcome in the slightest.  the deeply CUTTING COUNTERATTACK by LENNON is one in which he directs that MCCARTNEY had run out of IDEAS, pityingly rehashing and even pilfering his own past MELODIES ("ANOTHER DAY" and "YESTERDAY") for NEW MATERIAL and that his post-BEATLES OUTPUT was but a FAINT SHADOW of his former GREATNESS.  it should be said that all of this has remained TRUE over the decades, whereas LENNON and his post-BEATLES CATALOGUE has only grown in STATURE and CULTURAL PROMINENCE to date.

so how do you follow-up THE BEATLES?  by writing TRANSCENDENT SONGS for the ages.  a whole generation of PROMINENT BRITISH SINGER-SONGWRITERS ranging from NOEL GALLAGHER, PAUL WELLER, DAMON ALBARN, JARVIS COCKER and JOHNNY MARR no doubt have taken note of LENNON and see his path of SONIC EXPLORATION and deeply felt LYRICAL CONVICTIONS as a north star of sorts to judge one's next career phase against.

it goes without saying that IMAGINE is an absolutely ESSENTIAL album that is well worth checking out and repeatedly revisiting.

in retrospect im surprised i didnt know about the LOS ANGELES-by-way-of-CLEVELAND-and-SALT LAKE CITY SYNTH POP BAND CHOIR BOY already.  ive written about their DAIS RECORDS LABEL-MATES RIKI and DRAB MAJESTY in the past and their EVOCATIVE DREAM POP / POST PUNK / INDIE POP absolutely annihilates my MUSICAL SWEET SPOT.  their SOUND is reminiscent of the more LUSH and PSYCHEDELIC moments of THE SMITHS or THE CURE.  i was turned on to CHOIR BOY recently after talking to a MUSICIAN that works at a nearby GUITAR SHOP in ASBURY PARK regarding DRAB MAJESTY, one of my FAVORITE BANDS of the last decade.

whereas DRAB MAJESTY is definitely POLISHED and has this exuberantly DENSE SOUND, i see CHOIR BOY as a bit more of a DIRECT, STRIPPED-BACK and AMATEURISH AFFAIR.  and not in a bad way.  if anything, their lack of comparative PROFESSIONAL SHEEN just makes them come off that much more AUTHENTIC with their remarkably EXPRESSIVE SOUND.

definitely a BAND worth checking out.

parodies & text by nacrowe

there is an APPARENT, WIDESPREAD DISPOSABILITY with the way MODERN MUSIC is MANUFACTURED, MARKETED and DISSEMINATED.  i dont know when it happened but there seems to have been a moment in the past two decades when BROADER CULTURE got divorced from a sense of COMMUNITY.  i remember back in the mid-90s attending in grade school in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA and being peripherally aware that much of this MUSIC i heard on the LOCAL RADIO STATION(106.7FM KROQ out of LOS ANGELES) was from a formerly SMALL SCENE up north in SEATTLE and that BANDS like NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM, ALICE IN CHAINS, SCREAMING TREES, MUDHONEY and so on knew and supported each other pre-FAME.  it was a MOVEMENT of eclectic but LIKE-MINDED BANDS that grew out of a DIY ETHOS and an actively SUPPORTIVE local NETWORK of VENUES, PROMOTERS, COLLEGE RADIO STATION and INDEPENDENT LABELS (such as SUB POP).

when i think about that sense of POSITIVE IMPACT, COMMUNITY IDENTITY and INTENTIONALITY that permeates everything behind the MUSIC, including the BUSINESS itself, i think back to the example of DISCHORD RECORDS out of WASHINGTON DC.  of course the LABEL and its LEGENDARY FOUNDER, IAN MACKAYE of HARDCORE ICONS MINOR THREAT and the equally REVERED POST-HARDCORE LUMINARIES in FUGAZI, founded the DIY IMPRINT as a means of promoting their FRIENDS and the POLITICAL and SOCIAL CAUSES they held DEAR while functioning effectively OUTSIDE of the MAINSTREAM RECORD INDUSTRY.  this SPARTAN ORGANIZATION had MINIMAL BUDGETS and utilized the CREATIVE EFFORTS of SMALL, UPSTART RECORDING STUDIOS (like INNER EAR with PRODUCER DON ZIENTARA) while manufacturing the SINGLES themselves by hand.  all in an effort to support LOCAL TALENT and provide INTERESTING PRODUCT to LIKE-MINDED RECORD STORES nearby and eventual nationwide.  that DIY MODEL has been revisited and reproduced all over the country with PROMINENT EXAMPLES like SST, ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES, LOOKOUT!, FAT WRECK CHORDS and EPITAPH collectively making a SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT on the BROADER CULTURE and providing an ALTERNATIVE ROUTE than MAJOR LABEL DISTRIBUTION.

but that CONVERSATION is more than a bit of an ANACHRONISM at this point.  given that the INTERNET has flooded the ZONE with PRODUCT and no need for wider PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION, which was the COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE of MAJOR LABELS in the 80s and 90s, it begs the question of what is the point of LABELS of any denomination in this seemingly LIMITLESS ECOSYSTEM.  and yet DISCHORD RECORDS persists with a STEADY STREAM of QUALITY PRODUCT that maintains the same CORE DIY VALUES that it did 30+ years ago.  it is pretty EXTRAORDINARY.

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating DISCHORD RECORDS.  enjoy!

within the  MODERN DIGITAL ECONOMY, the CUSTOMER-ORIENTED concept of CUSTOMIZATION is CENTRAL and PARAMOUNT to maintaining any semblance of SUCCESS for MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS and INDEPENDENT, SELF-INITIATED ARTISANS from AMAZON to ETSY.  but such wasnt always the case, especially in the POSTWAR PERIOD of the 1940s and 1950s when CONSUMER APPLIANCES and AUTOMOBILES were produced with LIMITED OPTIONS in the name of efficiency and a PRODUCT-FOCUSED STRATEGY.  during this particular era of MODERN MARKETING known as the PRODUCTION ERA, the RATIONALE was to build STANDARDIZED, IDENTICAL goods as much as possible, as cheaply as possible, and that the MARKET would figure out who would purchase what later on.

step in ED "BIG DADDY" ROTH and his involvement in the development of what came to be known as KUSTOM KULTURE.

in the POSTWAR PERIOD, GIs came home and started tinkering with dirt cheap OUTDATED CARS from the 1920s, souped them up and started racing them around SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.  this eventually led to the TEENAGERS doing much the same to CONTEMPORARY CARS and creating, in effect, HOT RODS.  these HOT RODS they raced in the streets and caused DEATH and PROPERTY DAMAGE, so after LEGISLATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT CRACKDOWNS and some SELF-ORGANIZATION, such ACTIVITY was limited to SPECIALIZED VENUES where DRAG RACING and the like DEVELOPED and FLOWERED over the decade.  but the spirit of those ORIGINAL HOT RODS and LOADED FORD MODEL T's, A's and B's was kept alive when ARTISTS like VON DUTCH and late ROTH began DETAILING such with elaborate CUSTOM PAINT JOBS that included PIN-STRIPES, FLAMES, VIVID METAL FLAKE COLORS and the like.  thus KUSTOM KULTURE was born and effectively DEFINED the AMERICAN childhood from the 1950s through the early 1960s when it was summarily REPLACED by ROCK N ROLL (i.e. THE BEATLES and the BRITISH INVASION).  from then on instead of working on CARS, TEENAGERS worked on their GUITARS (which interestingly BRANDS like the ORANGE COUNTY-based FENDER used CUSTOM CAR COLORS to decorate).

TALES OF THE RAT FINK (SPHINX, 2006) is a lovingly-constructed documentary that examines the LEGACY of ROTH and his lasting impact on MODERN AMERICAN CULTURE.  in essence his UNIQUE, STYLISH PATTERNS and DESIGNS on boring STOCK CARS led him to innovate further and construct NEW VEHICLES altogether utilizing fiberglass and parts from previous AUTOMOBILES.  these CARS ran but they were more CUSTOM ART PIECES than PRACTICAL OPTIONS for WIDESPREAD PRODUCTION.  and that was kind of the point, his criticism of DETROIT at the time was how BORING the CARS produced were and at a time of such OPTIMISM and CULTURAL FORWARD MOMENTUM, such seemed PLAIN, CONFORMIST and UNINSPIRED.  KUSTOM KULTURE spread around SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA and ROTH profited off it, being the first to market his designs (especially MONSTERS and the DEGENERATE MICKEY MOUSE-inspired sendoff RAT FINK) on CUSTOMIZED SHORTS and create ORIGINAL LOGOS and BRANDING for CAR CLUB APPAREL and the like.  TOY CARS based on his MODELS, COMIC BOOKS and other revenue streams followed.  what killed everything was when CAR CUSTOMIZATION made the INEVITABLE turn from HIGH ART to a COMMON SPECTACLE, with a myriad of subsequent OPPORTUNISTS making cynical NOVELTY VEHICLES out of TELEPHONE BOOTHS, COFFINS and the like. 

​also DETROIT got the hint and started making COOL CARS again.

the film makes the argument that the SPIRIT of ROTH and his CUSTOM DESIGNS carried on in the LOOK and FEEL of a whole host of SUBSEQUENT MOVEMENTS, everything from the HALLUCINOGENIC FEEL of 1960s PSYCHEDELIC ART (think PETER MAX, ALTON KELLEY, WES WILSON and STANLEY MOUSE), modern RETRO-FUTURISTIC CAR DESIGNS, the VISUAL AESTHETIC of THE SIMPSONS, to CONTEMPORARY APPLE COMMERCIALS and their CUSTOM COLORS available for purchase.  in essence, the world is a more VIBRANT and ENGAGING place to experience thanks to the WORK of ROTH and his UNSCHOOLED, ORGANIC AESTHETIC and the CAR COMMUNITY he helped initiate which survives into the present.

having spent a LARGE PORTION of my early youth in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA surrounded the REMNANTS of this KUSTOM KULTURE, im surprised it took me until now to get clued into ROTH and the ORIGINS of the instantly RECOGNIZABLE RAT FINK CHARACTER, of which id seen but had no ASSOCIATIONS with.  that is why i recommend this documentary to anyone interested in MODERN ART and CULTURAL MOVEMENTS write large.

also worth mentioning are the VOICE ACTORS in TALES OF THE RAT FINK for all the VINTAGE CARS involved, which include a VARIED and IMPRESSIVE CAST including the following: ACTOR JOHN GOODMAN, COMEDI DUO THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS, WRESTLER "STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN, PAINTER ROBERT WILLIAMS, NOVELIST TOM WOLFE, SINGER ANN-MARGRET, CARTOONIST MATT GROENING (THE SIMPSONS, FUTURAMA) and MUSICIANS BILLY GIBBONS (ZZ TOP) and BRIAN WILSON (THE BEACH BOYS).