|
|
|
photo & text by nacrowe
RED HOT + BLUE: A TRIBUTE TO COLE PORTER (CHRYSALIS, 1990) was a compilation album spearheaded by the RED HOT ORGANIZATION that raised funds for worldwide AIDS research, relief and awareness efforts.
and im not gonna lie, the reason this compilation stands out to me almost 30 years after its release is DAVID BYRNE's cover of "DON'T FENCE ME IN." growing up in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, my early musical memories revolve around car rides with my father in which he would play MORRISSEY / THE SMITHS, THE KINKS, THE STRANGLERS, THE BEATLES and TALKING HEADS. DAVID BYRNE's former band is most definitely a formative influence for me and this rendition of the COLE PORTER standard with its heavily syncopated LATIN (BRAZILIAN?) rhythms was another example of BYRNE's ability to organically utilize textures from global traditions without sounding paternalistic or hokey (like say PAUL SIMON). i was in KINDERGARTEN when this compilation came out and it was my introduction to the idea of AIDS, and really just the concept of disease in general. i remember my parents explaining to me how it was raising money to help people for a disease with no cure, which was pretty heavy for a little kid. going back and revisiting the compilation there are several standout performances from the likes of KIRSTY MACCOLL with THE POGUES as well as NENEH CHERRY, DEBBIE HARRY with IGGY POP, U2, TOM WAITS, k.d. lang, and the JUNGLE BROTHERS(!). its hard to imagine now how talking about AIDS was at one point taboo, but it was. and its pretty amazing that these artists, all pretty seminal in their own right, took a stand for an underserved community that was suffering and in need of help and destigmatization. if you havent already, RED HOT + BLUE: A TRIBUTE TO COLE PORTER is definitely worth revisiting. just goes to show the quality of the songwriting of COLE PORTER, which really is a surprise to no one. there is a reason he is so celebrated among musicians of all genres. 
0 Comments
photo manipulation by nacrowe
LOS KITSCH is just an infectious GARAGE ROCK band out of BOGOTA, COLOMBIA with catchy melodies and a propulsive, kinetic energy that is beyond contagious. this feels like rock music that doesnt get bogged down in having a message per se, instead more concerned with providing a sense of unadulterated joy and emotional/spiritual release.
definitely worth checking out. 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
theres a fine line between art and advertisement, and guitar pedal manufacturer WALRUS AUDIO walks it here with its discontinued SONGS AT THE SHOP series of live performances from its YOUTUBE channel. it finds established and up-and-coming talent of varying genres (INDIE ROCK, POST HARDCORE, POST ROCK) playing at their headquarters in OKLAHOMA.
what might at first glance appear like a ploy for absolutely shameless product placement instead puts the focus on the artist (where it should) and gives you a sense of how these products enable musicians. the fact that the talent straddles so many different genres only furthers that point. its an interesting concept that has been utilized and co-opted now by bigger companies like ERNIE BALL and GIBSON with more established legacy artists, which is fine but there appears to be a purity here with these performances. a symbiosis between the product and the art. definitely check out some these performances. 
photo & text by nacrowe
in my mind RIDE THE LIGHTNING (MEGAFORCE, 1984) by METALLICA is the best THRASH METAL record of all time (sorry SLAYER). it may even be the best METAL record as well. the jump in technical proficiency and song-craft from the KILL 'EM ALL album released just a year earlier is quite remarkable.
for me it is all about "FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE," "RIDE THE LIGHTNING" and "CREEPING DEATH" which are virtuosic exemplars of brutality, musicianship and song-craft without losing a sense of urgency and focus that happens when technically gifted musicians seek to show off their proficiency. it really hones in on the intention and drive of HARDCORE with the next level savage riffage and aggression of NWOBHM in a hybrid that has been copied but not matched (again, in my estimation) since. these three songs also tackle disparate subject matter regarding the likes of NUCLEAR WARFARE, CAPITAL PUNISHMENT and the BOOK OF EXODUS which showcases a progression in broader interests beyond that displayed on KILL 'EM ALL, which was a METAL record largely about, well, playing METAL. RIDE THE LIGHTNING is also the first METALLICA record where the band consciously sought to throw a curveball at its audience by including, gasp, a ballad. albeit it is a ballad about suicide. "FADE TO BLACK" is a now a long-running staple of their live shows that foreshadowed similar fare like "WELCOME HOME (SANITARUIUM)" off of MASTER OF PUPPETS and "ONE" off ....AND JUST FOR ALL which similarly utilize a sophisticated sense of extreme song dynamics to carry a narrative. fairly or unfairly, i identity this fearlessness to buck listener expectation with CLIFF BURTON, whose musical lexicon and appreciation far exceeded the METAL genre. the dynamism of "FADE TO BLACK" and the instrumental "THE CALL OF KTULU" are a testament to such. my middle school band in NIGERIA also covered the ERNEST HEMINGWAY-referencing "FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS" so that opening dual guitar-line will always have a special place in my heart. at the time the lyrics that dealt with complicated themes regarding organized violence and state motivations for war were beyond me, but those riffs were not. viscerally i cant still visualize playing this song publicly and getting a reaction from the crowd in the cramped gym. so yeah, im a bit biased. one other thing i want to mention is the classical influence on RIDE THE LIGHTNING. when i first heard this record in the mid 1990s that sense of sophistication in the arrangements and even orchestration of parts sonically differentiated this record. when "FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE" kicks in it really punches because of how its unrepentant aggression contrasts with the opening orchestrated prelude. that trick will be repeated to similar effect with "BATTERY" and "DAMAGE INC" off of MASTER OF PUPPETS. that classical influence gave this record, as well as the aforementioned follow-up MASTER OF PUPPETS, a distinct feel and sophistication that resulted in the pronounced aggression and heightened lyrical themes hitting that much harder. i cannot recommend this record highly enough. easily one of my favorite METAL records of all-time. if only they left off "ESCAPE." 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
i was most definitely not raised on COMICS. as a young child i read CALVIN & HOBBES but that was about it. in fact, its only been in the past few years since returning stateside that ive really dived in headfirst into the weirder world of the genre and all roads seemed to point at SCOTTISH writer GRANT MORRISON. specifically his more personal work in THE INVISIBLES, ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL series.
GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS (RESPECT FILMS, 2010) is essentially a documentary made up of several sit-down interviews with the writer discussing his upbringing and influences. essentially he was raised as a child of the cold war with palpable fears of nuclear annihilation that COMICS helped him escape from, specifically those with super powers that had the capacity to neutralize such massive threats. his father was an political agitator who was very much against SCOTLAND's role in NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION and its harboring of the TRIDENT MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM. so that sense of existential dread and loss of agency was part of his nascent sense of identity. fast forward to attending a GLASWEGIAN all-boys school for his teen years and his sense of isolation only furthered his relationship with reading and creating his own narratives in regular school published COMIC STRIPS. what interested me about his life's narrative is after he became established with the BATMAN vehicle ARKHAN ASYLUM, which allowed him the economic freedom to eventually pursue his THE INVISIBLES series. in essence, once he was financially independent he decided to travel and experience as much as possible. those excursions abroad allowed him to experience various modes of existence in terms of chemical, spiritual and gender manipulations that were beyond what his SCOTTISH identity would allow back home. it is that exploration that he threw into his work. as someone who spent the better part of a decade living abroad on five continents, i understand completely the sense of not being able to escape yourself and the sense of being connected to many, but essentially alone. i get understand that intimately and that sentiment very much resonated with me. i find it interesting that upon meeting his partner he now resides and works comfortably back in SCOTLAND. that sense of leaving only to return but with a new appreciation. what i found less interesting was all the talk of magical thinking from MORRISON himself as well as those of his numerous peers that are interviewed in the film. MORRISON is not the first or the last person to sprinkle in autobiographical nuggets into his elaborate fictional worlds. maybe the everything ALEISTER CROWLEY and MAGIK related is a BRITISH obsession that doesnt translate to an AMERICAN audience. it just came off like tedious nonsense, like running into "ghost hunters" from STATEN ISLAND. you just nod and keep walking, preferably fast. i thoroughly recommend this documentary to anyone interested in TRANSGRESSIVE and thought-provoking art or literature. MORRISON is most definitely worth the effort of further investigation, especially THE INVISIBLES which is a personal favorite of mine. no wonder THE MATRIX ripped it off. 
photo & text by nacrowe
at this point there is a whole cottage industry of DAVE GROHL-directed media products, from documentaries (SOUND CITY, WHAT DRIVES US) to tv shows (SONIC HIGHWAYS, FROM CRADLE TO STAGE) to his recent memoir THE STORYTELLER: TALES OF LIFE AND MUSIC (DEY STREET, 2021). oh yeah, and he makes music.
GROHL obviously has one of the most storied careers of any modern musician, having cut his teeth as a teen with the 1980s DC HARDCORE stalwarts SCREAM before serendipitously joining the legendary 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK group NIRVANA and then forming his own band, FOO FIGHTERS, after their demise. he's collaborated with everyone from LEMMY KILMISTER and TRENT REZNOR to CAT POWER and JOHN PAUL JONES. his side projects include PROBOT, THEM CROOKED VULTURES and a brief stint in QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE. but most music fans are familiar with his biography. and i believe he knows that, which is why his memoir is not a straight chronological telling of his personal narrative, but rather notable moments or vignettes told in sequential order. structurally it was very reminiscent of A HOUSE ON MANGO STREET. and i think such was a smart idea because it freed him to really dive into the meaning of certain rights of passage of his youth and that of his family without having to worry about how they fit into a broader context. again, most of these stories are familiar to anyone who has watched or read his interviews over the years or even read former KERRANG! editor PAUL BRANNIGAN's laboriously compiled biography THIS IS A CALL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DAVE GROHL (review linked HERE). what THE STORYTELLER provides is a perspective of a ROCK AND ROLL life rooted in family. GROHL goes to great lengths to show that his love of music was almost a manifestation of his unconditional love for his mother, who supported and sacrificed tirelessly on his behalf (a contrast to that of his father). but beyond his mother, his love of music connected him to an ever widening mandala of similarly minded friends that includes both the famous and the obscure; and they are both written about with equal wit and empathy. his childhood friend JIMMY SWANSON is as much a part of his personal narrative (perhaps more so) as that of KURT COBAIN, which is very endearing. given his public profile and immense cultural influence, it was likewise heartwarming to see GROHL give respect to his predecessors and influences: from NEIL PEART, PAUL MCCARTNEY and JOHN BONHAM, to LITTLE RICHARD, JOHN FOGERTY, AC/DC and JOAN JETT. even numerous obscure HARDCORE bands from his youth. THE STORYTELLER is in essence a vehicle for shining a light on the connective, reinvigorating force that is music, which is a common returning theme in all of his film and tv projects. by extension music makes everyone kin. everyone is connected on the same wavelength. aside from its focus on musicians, the core of what i found engaging about THE STORYTELLER is how music connects him with his children. how he takes inspiration from their courage to perform publicly in front of their school peers during their elementary years or how they relate to it on the same emotional wavelength that he does. this made me think about how i have that same musical relationship with my dad and how for GROHL and his children THE BEATLES are that connection point, THE STRANGLERS and THE SMITHS are the same with my father. i havent read about that intergenerational connection in any previous rock memoir, maybe with the exception of KEITH RICHARDS and his mother in LIFE (review linked HERE). i should point out that i found it odd that GROHL mentions his wife in passing (unlike his mother and daughters). it was an interesting omission. i thoroughly enjoyed this book and its focus on family and the nature of human connection through music or more elementally, love. i know most readers just want to hear COBAIN stories, but i thought he walked that line of audience expectation adroitly and with much care and empathy. THE STORYTELLER is well worth reading and i look forward to future non-musical efforts by GROHL and his ever expanding army of collaborators. 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
i am a fan of online series of live performance by bands. i make no secret that we here at DEER GOD made a few of our own at various NYC locations in pre-pandemic times. BLIND BLIND TIGER SPEAKEASY from what i could gather is a downtown LOS ANGELES bar where some genius filmed and recorded upcoming area bands in front of a green screen. i just love the creative anarchy and bold weirdness of these performances and their presentation.
lord knows if id seen this when it was still happening years ago, i'd have thought long and hard about following suit and experimenting with different FX elements. maybe once (or if) everything goes back to normal that could be a possibility. either way, these videos from BLIND BLIND TIGER SPEAKEASY are just fun to watch. enjoy. 
photo & text by nacrowe
HELMET to me equals riffs. those precisely jagged, start-stop verse riffs that juxtaposed with ringing open chords create an aural sense of space not to dissimilar to a FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT structure. WRIGHT loved having tight, claustrophobic hallways that led to grand high-ceilinged parlors and family rooms. it was part of his artistic lexicon.
i feel that PAGE HAMILTON has a similar songwriting aesthetic when crafting his songs, especially those on MEANTIME (INTERSCOPE, 1992). his ability to mine contrast in his songs, through abrupt tempo and time-signature shifts is progressive without sacrificing aggression and intention. when i listen to songs like "UNSUNG," "BETTER," and "IN THE MEANTIME" there is a cathartic sense of push and pull, catch and release that is sonically very satisfying on a compositional level. in a sense his songs almost feel like JAZZ music or CLASSICAL MUSIC in that there is a definite form and structure that creates tension and then resolves itself, almost like a SONATA. in a SONATA you start in one key, go to another, maybe another, and then return to the original key. like a sunday drive through the countryside. HELMET's music is anything but an evening stroll, but it works on the same level in that no matter how exotic or unforeseen the sonic texture or tempo shifts are, they do ultimately resolve themselves in a thoroughly satisfying way. the other band for whom this is a trademark in my opinion is TOOL. but they are way further on the progressive rock side of the coin, HELMET is like a PROGRESSIVE ROCK version of HARDCORE. ive been fascinated with the riffs of HAMILTON since childhood and he has been criminally underrated for years. i mean, if none other than DIMEBAG DARRELL of PANTERA steals your riff ("UNSUNG" riff on "RISE" from VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER), you must be the real deal. MEANTIME is a classic record and should be celebrated and revisited often much like those of their contemporaries from the ALTERNATIVE ROCK explosion of the 1990s. 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
BROOKLYN-based PUNK ROCK band SURFBORT is probably the most transgressive artist i have come across since this side of discovering the BUTTHOLE SURFERS and GG ALLIN as well as the films of JOHN WATERS and GREGG ARAKI back in the late 90s as a teen. this band is everything i love about ROCK MUSIC: RAW, UNHINGED and UNAFRAID of crossing cultural mores dealing with sex, politics, power structures or gender.
can't wait to see how this band develops. SURFBORT are most definitely worth checking out. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO focused on the eclectic AMERICAN independent label MATADOR RECORDS!
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
i was pretty shielded from DRUG CULTURE funny enough as a kid living in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. that all changed in sixth grade when my family moved to NIGERIA in the mid 1990s. NIGERIA and specifically LAGOS where i lived was a major node in the global narcotic trade. it was also there that i was introduced to the seminal DIRT (COLUMBIA, 1992) album by SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK icons ALICE IN CHAINS through a friend a few years older than me. this album really served as an introduction to the physical and psychic costs of ADDICTION and it still resonates as such for me all these years later. in my mind it put context around the choices of others i was witnessing at the time, people dabbling in HEROIN and other OPIATES.
specifically i am referring to songs like "JUNKHEAD," "SICKMAN," "GOD SMACK," and "DIRT" which deal with the pain and throes of ADDICTION directly as well as "RAIN WHEN I DIE," "DOWN IN A HOLE," and "HATE TO FEEL" which get at the self-loathing and social consequences of maintaining such. the fact that the production (courtesy of TOBY WRIGHT) is so lush and the blended vocal harmonies of LAYNE STALEY and JERRY CANTRELL so intoxicating make the bleak subject matter palatable, although i would not go so far as to say it romanticizes it. if anything, STALEY is relaying his truth in one of the most transparent records about the damage wreaked by narcotics this side of NEIL YOUNG. i would be doing a disservice if i didn't mention that "THEM BONES," "DAM THAT RIVER" and "WOULD?" are three of the most propulsive and catchy songs the band ever came up with. the CANTRELL penned ode to his father's VIETNAM service in "ROOSTER" is also highly affecting and puts context to their once strained relationship with empathy and courage. and ultimately i think that sense of empathy (towards other and themselves) is why DIRT is such a landmark record years later and doesn't fall into ROCK AND ROLL cliches regarding the subject. there is no real message other than a presentation of their experiences and that of people close to them (MOTHER LOVE BONE's ANDY WOOD being focus of "WOULD?" being an example). it lets the listener decide upon how to interpret and self-identify with subject matter, not the other way around. this empathetic, humanizing approach would continue even in the years after STALEY's passing in BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE (VIRGIN, 2009), an ode to their lost friend and bandmate which is similarly focused on themes of loss and self-destruction as well as renewal and hope. in my mind that record bookends DIRT. all these years later and when i hear DIRT it still reminds me of the numbing interiority and loss of agency that comes with ADDICTIONS of any sort and makes me stop to be more empathetic to another's personal battle. as a child it gave me context to a world i was just witnessing for the first time. that sense of empathy for me that is the legacy of this record. 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
from its inception, GORILLAZ was designed as a hybrid multi-media/art/music project meant to provide a creative vehicle with no historical or cultural antecedents for BRITISH collaborators DAMON ALBARN (BLUR) and cartoonist JAMIE HEWLETT (of TANK GIRL fame). in essence ALBARN had long felt confined by the expectations and parlor games of the fickle and often churlish BRITISH tabloid music press and sought a way of removing himself from the equation. the documentary BANANAZ (HEAD FILM, 2008) serves as a behind-the-scenes documentation of notable recording, touring and press circuit madness surrounding the GORILLAZ (PARLOPHONE, 2001) and DARK DAYS (PARLOPHONE, 2001) albums.
given that the presentation of the band was done through cartoon characters, this provided ALBARN with the opportunity to really pursue musical collaborations and multiple musical genres with gusto. this can be seen with his choice of producers in DAN "THE AUTOMATOR" NAKAMURA and DANGER MOUSE, studio musicians in JUNIOR DAN (BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS), SIMON TONG (VERVE) and DAVE ROWNTREE (BLUR) as well as the litany of notable participants including DAN "THE AUTOMATOR" NAKAMURA, DEL THE FUNKEE HOMOSAPIEN, IBRAHIM FERRERA (BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB), KID KOALA, ROOTS MANUVA, BOOTIE BROWN (THE PHARCYDE), DANGER MOUSE, DE LA SOUL, MIHO HATORI (CIBO MATTO), D12, IKE TURNER, TINA WEYMOUTH (TALKING HEADS), NENEH CHERRY, MARTINA TOPLEY-BIRD, SHAUN RYDER (HAPPY MONDAYS), MF DOOM and even DENNIS HOPPER. and that incredible eclectic list really expands on subsequent releases. it really is an ingenious front that has a definite PINK FLOYD lineage despite what ALBARN thinks of their music (which is a noteworthy scene in the film). for me the most interesting aspects of this film were not musical in nature and all centered around HEWLETT. watching snippets of his creative process was interesting given that this project arguably produced his most famous characters. just the thought and work that went into something that most people largely passively consume without a second's notice. a virtual band? sure, its not that different than JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS or THE ARCHIES, right? it is a deceivingly straightforward ruse that has a real depth behind it which makes this project continually interesting. you have both character development and an interest in seeing whom ALBARN feels worthy of collaboration. it was also interesting seeing HEWLETT doing press interviews to baffled AMERICAN DJs on an extended press tour and what total chore that seems. its funny because HEWLETT not being a musician, does not hesitate to take the piss out of them, not caring about alienating the music industry. watching that was beyond entertaining since you know that kids in the know about his career and artistic legacy would appreciate his antics. i cant imagine how lame that must be to talk to drive-time early commute DJs in the midwest. just writing that sentence makes me shiver. those first two records were especially great so BANANAZ was always going to be interesting no matter the quality. watching ALBARN having his guard down was a joy to watch given that the project was manufactured as a ploy to divorce his music from his public persona. im surprised more havent followed in his wake. because culture has only gotten more toxic and it has become more virtual. we are all GORILLAZ now. BOOK REVIEW | "KIDS OF THE BLACK HOLE: PUNK ROCK IN POSTSUBURBAN CALIFORNIA" BY DEWAR MACLEOD10/11/2021 
photo by nacrowe
much like the previously reviewed UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN: A PERSONAL HISTORY OF L.A. PUNK (linked HERE) KIDS OF THE BLACK HOLE: PUNK ROCK IN POSTSUBURBAN CALIFORNIA (UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS, 2011) by DEWAR MACLEOD deals with the LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK scene that began primarily around HOLLYWOOD in the late 70s and then quickly proliferated to the surrounding suburbs and statewide thereafter in quick succession.
whereas UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN is by design an oral history by participants of the original scene with some HARDCORE musicians sprinkled in, MACLEOD's take on the subject is of a more academic, anthropological variety including economic, media criticism and social historical insights. unlike UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN, he analyzes both scenes, those being the original LOS ANGELES scene and the fragmented suburban scenes it spawned, with equal critical attention and weight. in UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN there is the presentation of HARDCORE as the bastardization of the original scene which was described as diverse and inclusive of various art and minority communities. the almost exclusively WHITE MALE kids that made up the HARDCORE scene in the suburbs where abrasive, boorish and exceedingly violent and their music was a sped-up, dumbed down, sonically conservative variant. that was general criticism of such from that book. MACLEOD here presents HARDCORE instead as a progression of an art form by kids who grew up within communities that by definition had no center, no core, no essence as they were part of the seemingly infinite suburban sprawl. their communities were defined by shopping centers and shallow consumerism. HARDCORE and its community was both a rejection of that complacency and a brutal, primal return to a cultural of year zero, L.A PUNK that preceded it included. these were not sophisticated art kids that jumped on PUNK as a means of expression as the original scene originated in the wake of the example of the SEX PISTOLS and the BRITISH variant's social and stylistic concerns, which were mimicked. HARDCORE, as MACLEOD argues, was the manifestation of a generation of kids raised in the suburbs with seemingly no locust of control over their surroundings, it was this dislocation, this imbalance that led them collectively to seek out HARDCORE in its extremities as a public sublimating ritual for control. that was what i gathered from this book regarding the violence that grew out of HARDCORE with the transition from BRITISH inspired "pogoing" to "slam dancing" behavior. with HARDCORE in a SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA context you also have to be aware of the sensationalism behind its portrayal at the time by the media. cops at shows became a regular occurrence after the inexplicable 1979 ELKS LODGE MASSACRE, a show played by first-wave L.A PUNK bands like THE PLUGZ, THE WEIRDOS, THE SKULLS and THE DICKIES among others that was famous infiltrated by plainclothes police and resulted in a mini-riot and the public beatings of PUNK kids. after that event and the media attention that followed, the scene in LOS ANGELES was viewed as volatile and senselessly violent, which only drove those types of people to future shows, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. thereafter the scene ceded control to the masses. one other thing that interested me about this book was MACLEOD's sociological read of the early scene which included various participants, cliques and independent zine writers/editors all attempting to define the scene to no avail. when i think of NYC where PUNK originated i think of closed, defined, claustrophobic spaces, both physical and spiritual. PUNK was a burst of energy and a claim to identity rooted in this perceived hostile environment. with LOS ANGELES, you dont have that sense of enclosing space like in NYC. but what you do have is the sense of the painful vacuous, vapid nature of the middle AMERICAN mindset, which i would argue is just as reductive and spiritually exhaustive. interesting book that presents lots of interesting reads on a scene that no-doubt has had ripple effects on modern AMERICAN culture beyond the HARDCORE scene of the 1980s. definitely worth seeking out. 
parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the electronic genius of SCOUSER ELECTROCLASH outfit LADYTRON!
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the amazing INDIE ROCK music of KIM DEAL!
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
as i mentioned before in my FACE IT book review, my brother works at a big box electronics retailer and within the past year had an older customer come in about her phone. my brother started looking over the phone and asked the customer "are you?..." to which she said "yes." at that point he went in a back room with the phone to begin repairing it and told an associate "that's pretty wild that DEBBIE HARRY is outside" to which his coworker asked "who's DEBBIE HARRY?"
well, DEBBIE HARRY is the legendary singer of BLONDIE, one of the most iconic NEW WAVE bands that came out of the original PUNK ROCK scene at CBGB's in the late 1970s that also famously nurtured TELEVISION, PATTI SMITH, SUICIDE, THE DEAD BOYS, TALKING HEADS and, of course, THE RAMONES. i know there is much debate about what specifically constitutes a PUNK band versus a NEW WAVE band and where BLONDIE fits into that schema. such talk never really interested me. all i know is that PARALLEL LINES (CHRYSALIS, 1978) is a great pop record with all that entails: great hooks, powerful performances, thoughtful lyrics and sheer charisma. there is a reason that HARRY is so beloved and has been a touchstone for everyone from JOAN JETT, ELASTICA and MADONNA to GARBAGE, R.E.M. and NO DOUBT. i dont want to get away from the obvious fact that DEBBIE HARRY is a female cultural icon in the vein of MARILYN MONROE. there is a reason ANDY WARHOL did portraits of her during the last decade of his life. but i think that image also has an underbelly and such is that she is criminally underrated as a singer and a recording artist due to her commercial appeal and status as a pre-internet celebrity. PARALLEL LINES often gets attached to the PUNK and NEW WAVE movements, but in my estimation the movement that should be referenced is the POWER POP movement that sought to modernize the modern classicism of THE BEATLES. This is evidenced in the excellent covers of THE NERVE's "HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE" and BUDDY HOLLY's "I'M GONNA LOVE YOU TOO" as well as all the CHRIS STEIN written/co-written tracks such as "PICTURE THIS," "SUNDAY GIRL," and of course "HEART OF GLASS." all showcase a way with a memorable pop hook that was not attached to their more experimental brethren at the time. that sense of melodic appeal and pop sheen has been a sore spot for many when compared to the likes of PATTI SMITH, TALKING HEADS or THE RAMONES, but in my mind they all carved their own lane. why do they all need to sound the same. it is the same case when one realizes that GREEN DAY and NEUROSIS came from the same EAST BAY scene and where admirers of one another. life is complicated, get over it. Perhaps my favorite moment on PARALLEL LINES is "ONE WAY OR ANOTHER" written by HARRY and based on her experience with a stalker. the song is from the perspective of the perpetrator and the lyrics really counteract that celebratory upbeat vibe of the music. its an interesting juxtaposition that subverts listener expectations and showcases the psychological complexity of a deranged mind focused on the object of his/her obsession. it many ways this voyeurism is mirrored in the deification involved in celebrity culture, something i am almost certain was not lost on HARRY who was the object of said attention. i want to close by mentioning that guitarist CHRIS STEIN is also criminally underrated as a songwriter. his sense of melody, structure and arrangement is often overlooked among his peer group. i feel the influence of BLONDIE on modern music is as much his legacy as HARRY's, who obviously was the public-facing member of the group. on top of that he is also a talented photographer. definitely check out PARALLEL LINES and take in its sublime pop bliss. and then listen to THE RAMONES. 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
NEW JERSEY's Ho99o9 is the most sonically and viscerally adventurous HIP HOP group i have come across since discovering PUBLIC ENEMY as a child. the closest analogues i can point at are DEATH GRIPZ, FLATBUSH ZOMBIES, DEAD PREZ and fellow GARDEN STATERS THE MISFITS. their eclectic sound is a potent mix of classic EAST COAST HIP HOP with a defiantly PUNK ROCK / HARDCORE / POST HARDCORE streak that is beyond sonically abrasive and enthralling. makes sense given that former DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN drummer BILLY RYMER is currently touring with them. lyrically they are not afraid to get political, thus the PUBLIC ENEMY comparison.
Ho99o9 is an immensely talented, artistically ascendent group definitely worth check out and keeping an eye out for in the future. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the georgously ambient yet crushingly brutal and emotive METAL of DEFTONES!
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
i dont even know where to start with TROUT MASK REPLICA (STRAIGHT, 1969) by CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND. in an era, the 1960s, that was known for expanding the lyrical and sonic possibilities of ROCK N ROLL, this record stands alone for its experimental embrace of idiosyncratic sonic textures and rhythms, not to mention a complete discarding of traditional arrangements and recognizable song structures.
i put this record up against LOU REED's METAL MACHINE MUSIC (RCA, 1975) as records that are more about the process than the end result. whereas METAL MACHINE MUSIC is an exercise in dissonance, discordance and complete sonic disarray in the vein of STRAVINSKY or PENDERECKI, TROUT MASK REPLICA is steeped in the BLUES, yet utterly warped. this was done partly by BEEFHEART having his musicians record on multiple instruments they were not familiar with. it is a record composed by BLUES musicians intimately familiar with the form, yet not "biased" by the traditions and techniques of their instrument. the fact that the record even comes off coherent is really a testament to their musicality, despite its seeming naïveté. i almost feel that the nearest analogue to TROUT MASK REPLICA is not even music, but OUTSIDER ART. people like HENRI JULIEN FELIX ROUSSEAU or HENRY DARGER who impulsively manipulated their canvases based on pure instinct, without resorting to the techniques and artificial prejudices of the public or educators. despite their naïveté, what shines through is a purity of intent. everytime i hear TROUT MASK REPLICA i am challenged to rethink the purpose of basic melodic elements and how limited our collective musical imaginations really are by what we listen to in the WESTERN TRADITION. for me this record is a line in the sand to expand my musical horizons and challenge myself to experience alternate forms from other cultures, traditions and musical communities. if this dude was able to subvert BLUES in such a profound manner, there must be a world of truly alternative soundscapes out there just waiting to be discovered and cherished. 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
IT/LL BE BETTER TOMORROW (SQUITTEN, 2006) is a sparse, no frills documentary focused on the life and cultural legacy of HUBERT SELBY JR, literary cult hero and author of LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN (GROVE PRESS, 1964) and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (PLAYBOY PRESS, 1978) among other titles that centered around the death and destruction of that most seductive of nonexistent myths: the AMERICAN DREAM. i like to think of him as a prophet who showed AMERICA its dark soul, much like other notable clarion voices before him.
the documentary, as you would expect, details the struggle of his journey, which began in his beloved BROOKLYN. leaving school after 8th grade to join the merchant marines during WWII, he ended up contracting tuberculosis which left him scarred and bedridden at at stateside sanitarium where over four years he had multiple operations that result in part of his lung being removed along with six of his back ribs. he had lifelong medical issues dating back to this period, but he was lucky, as he was the only survivor from his ward. during this period he decided to be a writer. and maybe that pain and isolation he encountered allowed him the PSYCHIC FREEDOM to fearlessly pursue the depths of humanity on display in his work. in the documentary several people make the observation that the subject at hand is the absence and replacement of love. unfortunately the censors and religions hypocrites at the time couldnt get past the JUNKIES, PROSTITUTES and UNION LEADERS of his first novel LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN to appreciate such. makes me wonder what they get out of their bible. whatever greater fame he had at the time was gained through the notoriety of being the subject of such obscenity trials both stateside and in ENGLAND. but who cares about cretins that can't appreciate art. along with his physical ailments, the other carryover from his time at the sanitarium was an addiction to opiates, brought on initially by prescribed morphine but bloomed in subsequent years into a full-blown heroin addiction. his eventual conquering of both heroin addiction and alcohol dependence midway through his life was the second major conquest of his life, having now beat the odds twice. the literature that followed made his name, but he took to conventions of grammar, punctuation and basic norms of identifying speakers in a manner that made them bend to his will for his own agenda. i've mentioned this before in my previous entry (linked HERE) on SELBY but for me one of his greatest technical achievements is to have paragraphs with multiple characters speaking without quotes or tags revealing identification ( such as "he/she said"). the cadence and flow of the characters' use of language reveals their individual identities, which only further reveals SELBY's mastery as a writer. cant think of anyone else able to pull that rabbit from their hat. his later life resulted in him collaborating with screenwriters as well as teaching writing workshops at USC. while never gaining the level of notoriety commensurate with his talent during his life beyond cult status, he was much beloved as showcased by the sheer involvement of noteworthy figures who speak on his influence in this documentary including musicians LOU REED and HENRY ROLLINS, writers JERRY STAHL, AMIRI BARAKA, LUKE DAVIES, NICK TOSCHES, GILBERT SORRENTINO and RICHARD PRICE, actors ELLEN BURSTYN, ALEXIS ARQUETTE and JARED LETO and directors ULI EDEL and DARREN ARONOFSKY. much like HUNTER S. THOMPSON, SELBY had a deep hatred of the GEORGE W. BUSH administration and their misadventures abroad as well as their abuses to free speech and the AMERICAN constitution. both were ashamed of their country in the wake of his rise to power. its not hard to think of what their reaction to our current predicament would be. despite SELBY stating outright that his later years were his darkest due to the new administration, we have only slipped deeper into that well of despair in the years since. but the dude was the ultimate survivor. and i believe ultimately so are we. |
October 2021
All
|
