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photo & text by nacrowe
this book is concerned with the resurgence of the KLU KLUX KLAN in the 1920s, not to be confused with the original iteration which itself was a response to the emancipation of slaves by order of then-president ABRAHAM LINCOLN. that organization petered out in influence during the RECONSTRUCTION period after successfully economically and legally limiting the new rights afforded the newly freed black slaves in the AMERICAN SOUTH.
what i would consider the most shocking insight of NYU history professor LINDA GORDON's book THE SECOND COMING OF THE KKK: THE KLU KLUX KLAN OF THE 1920s AND THE AMERICAN POLITICAL TRADITION (LIVERIGHT, 2018) is how mainstream this second iteration proved to be at the time. during that period a plurality of AMERICANS seemingly shared or sympathized with their extreme nativist, right-wing populist dogma that promoted an anti-intellectual, anti-cosmopolitan and anti-scientific belief system, not to mention the explicit call for the subjugation and ouster of JEWS and CATHOLICS. its hard to believe but the KLU KLUX KLAN did not stand out in the least. they were very much consider just another male social club like your average local ELKS, LIONS or ROTARY club. they even made a point when entering a new area to seek out FREEMASONS to join their ranks. apparently this even included future president HARRY S TRUMAN who "joined when he though it was 'just' a patriotic group." in terms of its political sway in the 1920s, the KLAN had in its ranks two SUPREME COURT justices (HUGO BLACK and EDWARD DOUGLASS WHITE), "eleven of the thirteen men elected to the US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES" in INDIANA as well as "the majority of TEXAS and COLORADO congressmen." They also helped flex their political muscle by "electing governors in INDIANA, OKLAHOMA, OREGON, COLORADO and TEXAS." reading this book is very much like witnessing an OBAMA-era TEA PARTY convention or a present-day TRUMP rally. indeed that is probably the point. echos of SARAH PALIN populist assertions of promoting "real AMERICANS" can be seen in the KLAN's promotion of what they deemed to be "100% AMERICANS" (i.e. white PROTESTANTS). the amount of nativist and racist MISINFORMATION, PROPAGANDA spewed at the time initially had a hard time being countered due in part to the sympathies of the public at the time, as well as BRANDOLINI'S LAW which is basically that "the amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order or magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it." its a scenario that is even more relevant today than at any point in the past due to the sophistication of modern online communication and networking technologies. ultimately internal corruption and hypocrisy destroyed the organization, which rose again in another iteration during the civil rights movement a generation later, but that is besides the point. the compelling nature of this book is the fact that our real national legacy is one of exclusion and violence. the culprits are numerous and plentiful make up a wide swath of AMERICAN religious, political and business leadership. for example, collusion by local "ministers struggling to keep their churches in repair, rarely refused to cooperate" with the KLAN as they offered funds and congregates. it is this type of corrosive and transactional dealmaking that insidiously made the KLAN part of the landscape of the period. their later economic boycotting of JEWISH and CATHOLIC stores and the building of political machines pushing for reduced immigration from non "NORDIC" countries (successfully i may add) worked because of how well they implanted themselves into AMERICAN daily life, especially in the MIDWEST, PLAINS and SOUTHWEST. long story short, the methods and rhetoric used to ingratiate themselves with a sympathizing public in both tone and tenor is remarkably similar to that of the currently outgoing TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. maybe most startling of all is how much such doesnt shock me in the least. TRUMP is a truly horrendous person who like the KLU KLUX KLAN made visible an undercurrent of RACIST and NATIVIST attitudes and opinions that has always colored our political discourse from inception. this book is pretty depressing but reveals quite a bit i didnt know about how mainstream and explicitly public HATE has been in our politics, even ironically outside of the KLU KLUX KLAN itself. such an environment only made their racist belief structures insidious by degree, which is beyond distressing. makes me pause to consider of what else we have shoved under the carpet, even today in a soon-to-be post-TRUMP AMERICA. 
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with the resurgence in interest in vinyl records that has been going on for the past two decades in the wake of streaming, the mp3 and the obliteration of the compact disc as viable format, HARDCORE icon and vinyl aficionado HENRY ROLLINS has been teaming up with online retailer THE SOUND OF VINYL and UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP's promotions and outreach website UDISCOVER MUSIC to create a series of videos about his love of vinyl and those artist that create it.
ROLLINS' curating efforts over the past few years on this accord have included tutorials, artist recommendations and interviews with artists, directors and independent label owners. basically everything a novice would like to know about starting a collection and where to start, but were afraid to ask. ROLLINS at his age is over the industry, so he comes off as a no-bullshit, straightforward guide with no pretensions. and thank god for that since lord knows that elitism is what drives people away from record stores. i enjoy watching these and my hope is that both companies expand such with other noteworthy curators. my suggestions: CHUCK D, BRIAN ENO, GEORGE CLINTON, DAVID BYRNE, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, RICHARD DAVID JAMES, NEIL YOUNG, Q-TIP, CORNELIUS and JOHNNY MARR. one can only dream. below are ROLLINS' record recommendations. in the future i'll post further articles highlighting some of his interviews. this is still very much a current and developing endeavor. 
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its funny, i was always under the impression i was anti-third wave SKA. i saw LESS THAN JAKE and REEL BIG FISH at WARPED TOUR years ago with the crowd skanking in unison and thought it was all beyond corny and lame. both bands were like awful, parody versions of THE SPECIALS or MADNESS, bands i liked, respected and grew up listening to. also seemed that the political roots of the genre were replaced by silliness.
just running through in my mind all of the bands i like that i now realize were part of the wave included quite a variety of bands like OPERATION IVY, THE SLACKERS, DANCE HALL CRASHERS, THE AGGROLITES, THE SUICIDE MACHINES, FISHBONE, THE AQUABATS, SAVE FERRIS, THE INTERRUPTERS, GOLDFINGER and, of course, SUBLIME and NO DOUBT. guess i have to thank the recent documentary PICK IT UP! - SKA IN THE 90s (POPMOTION PICTURES, 2019) for setting me straight on that. so maybe i was a fan all along and didnt know it. the documentary not only chronicles the history of SKA from its JAMAICAN roots, but also conveys how its adoption by the PUNK ROCK community created a hybrid genre that bridged two communities who both had similar pre-existing self-sufficient, DIY ethos. many of the SKA bands refused to play shows that weren't all ages, over time changing how book agencies dealt with PUNK bands in general. most venues and promotes make their profits on alcohol and the fact that all these SKA bands had 8-10 players didn't make for a financially rewarding touring situation, especially with the decision to play all ages shows. just indicative of how inclusive the scene was initially and the ethos to nurture a supportive community. when it blew up in popularity everything changed (as expected). i found it interesting that some bands saw the rise of NO DOUBT and SUBLIME as an answer to the psychological heaviness of GRUNGE and a reaction of sorts by the public to the death of KURT COBAIN. it's a similar rationale to the rise of bands like OASIS and BLUR in ENGLAND during the concurrent BRITPOP movement. i just never associated NIRVANA with paving the way for the rise of SKA bands, but now i have that connection. like any bubble, it had its peak and then the market got saturated and the bottom fell out in the early 2000s. its the same old record industry story. the scene had effectively cannibalized itself as the fad grew in popularity. the public was SKA'd out. the documentary does a great job of showcasing global bands that have risen in the interim years in places like MEXICO, JAPAN and VENEZUELA among other places. part of accepting this music is being open to it and its message of positive mindset and self-empowerment. at WARPED TOUR i obviously failed in that regard. but whats funny is that in college at RUTGERS i knew lots of classmates who were obsessed with this local band called STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO who werent silly or outrageous, but wrote upbeat songs about real-life. and what is not to like about that. all the bands i listed before, especially ones like THE AGGROLITES and THE SLACKERS, use the form as a means of expressing a wide range of emotions rooted in personal narratives and social realities. there is a core message there that is accessible. it also helps that their musicianship and song-craft are all top notch, but my feeling is that they are tapping into what SKA music historically was all about: messages of self-empowerment and community. for me that is the future of the genre, as much as i love the extreme cartoonish-ness of THE AQUABATS and their DEVO-inspired visuals. 
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TOUCHING FROM A DISTANCE: IAN CURTIS & JOY DIVISION (FABER & FABER, 1995) by DEBORAH CURTIS is a unique memoir in that it tackles an uncommon subject in the world of music biographies: wives and family. maybe it is because the ethos of ROCK N ROLL is prone to promote a juvenile escapist fantasy that by design does not include more adult themes like responsibility, maturity and accountability. but whats interest is that partners like DEBORAH CURTIS, widow of IAN CURTIS (frontman of MANCUNIAN POST-PUNKS legends JOY DIVISION), provide the support and sacrifice, both emotional and financial, to make such artistic fantasies a reality.
IAN CURTIS and the music of JOY DIVISION have resonated in the generations since their demise. IAN's suicide and his battles with epilepsy have colored his legacy with an aura of mystique and intrigue similar to that of KURT COBAIN, AMY WINEHOUSE, JIM MORRISON, JANIS JOPLIN, JIMI HENDRIX and the list goes on. it is a testament to her own sense of inner strength and personal conviction that DEBORAH does not placate to such vulgar myth-making when describing her relationship with her late husband. instead what we get is a portrait of an uneven, volatile artist who to some extent was a coward, as he cruelly inflicted pain on those who loved him most as he was impotent to affect change on the real source of his problems outside the family circle. it should be said first that IAN and DEBORAH married very young, as they were both teenagers. as such they both entered a world of domesticity neither was ready for, especially IAN. this was apparent in his exceedingly controlling and manipulative behavior towards his wife. this included controlling with whom she could speak to (including male coworkers or former school friends), what she could wear, and denying her the ability to finish school. in essence he controlled her ability to be independent. IAN is also revealed to be a political conservative who made proclamations to friends that it was her duty as a wife to vote the same. apparently also he held racist views towards ASIANS and in particular recent immigrants from INDIAN subcontinent. as for IAN himself, he was more of a social opportunist and his behavior in keeping with typical chauvinism of the period, as DEBORAH describes he "lived his life by a conflicting code that changed depending on who was there at the time and what he could gain from it." there is a particularly heartbreaking detail provided of when DEBORAH was visibly pregnant thusly shunned and dismissed by IAN and the crew at a show. apparently she wasn't worth their time despite the fact that it as her efforts that originally helped financially sustain the band early on. how quickly they forget. another telling but equally sad detail was the fact that IAN would keep a picture of his dog CANDY in his wallet, yet kept no such mementos of his wife or infant daughter. he was proud of the dog despite the fact that he did nothing to maintain its upkeep to the point that DEBORAH had to give it away due to lack of money for food. i want to make clear that the tone of this biography is even and unemotional. this is not a tell-all book attempting to settle old scores, even with regards to IAN's BELGIAN mistress. where this memoir excels is in its ability to provide a more well-rounded portrait of a gifted yet supremely trouble artist. she gives credit and deep thanks to the band and crew who provided support and protection on the road to IAN during his epileptic episodes. ultimately IAN's reasons for his self-destruction were entirely his own. he was a control freak who had no choice but to cede control of his body to seizures. he was conflicted about fame and was the least capable member to guard against those that sought to exploit him. he fantasized and fetishized death from a young age. it was his choice alone. i found this book to be quite courageous, especially given the cult around IAN CURTIS that has perpetuated after his death to this day. this is her truth. i should also mention that this book served as the basis for the excellent ANTON CORBIJN biopic CONTROL (BECKER FILMS, 2007) filmed and released a decade after this memoir's publication. 
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watch the latest streaming episode HERE of MAKE HER SPACE on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as JEN presents a playlist celebrating life from her home.
past episodes of MAKE HER SPACE as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
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click HERE for the latest episode of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as host TOM FERRIE presents a playlist in celebration of the GIVING TUESDAY station-wide fund drive. worry ye not if you still would like to donate to the station, which is a registered nonprofit. you can always donate by visiting the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC website HERE.
remember that past episodes of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, MAKE HER SPACE, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
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sometimes i just want to chill and zone out to METAL. one of my go-to's for a while has been the doomed-out bliss of ARKANSAS' PALLBEARER who harken back to bands like PAGAN ALTAR, CANDLEMASS and BLACK SABBATH at their most atmospheric and psychedelic.
definitely check them out. 
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long before i taught in YOKOHAMA, i read THOUSAND CRANES (VINTAGE INTERNATIONAL, 1952) by YASUNARI KAWABATA sophomore year of high school. this was a post WORLD WAR II novel that deals with a culturally-sanctioned form of masculinity that is based on oppression and how one comes o terms within a new context with shifting power dynamics.
central to this book is the significance surrounding the rituals and choreography of the traditional JAPANESE tea ceremony. the delicate, controlled movements assigned to these performative proceedings and are a meditation unto themselves, elevating the presentation of what are consumables into a transcendent art form. this performance informs the viewer about the transient nature of experience and the transcendent sensual pleasures that are to be gained by focusing our attentions to the ever passing moment. when i moved to JAPAN, it was KAWABATA's description of these tea ceremonies that provoked my interest in investigating other traditional pastimes like gardening and kabuki. the through-line with all of these activities is this BUDDHIST concept of SUNYATA, the nothingness of identity (anatman) and the basic concept that "all things are empty of intrinsic existence and nature" (svabhava). MAHAYANA BUDDHISM asserts that our experience of ourselves and that of our surroundings are devoid of meaning, but that we should engage with such fully nonetheless. it is a very ineriguinging topic and something that comes up time and time again in my travels in ASIA when objects of seemingly insurmountable detail are produced as means of meditation. it is this concept that drives TIBETAN BUDDHIST monks to create impossibly ornate MANDALAS, only to be destroyed upon completion. life is impermanent and ever evolving and we are merely a transient moment in that evolution. the atoms in our body will eventually disperse and reorganize into other combinations, just as they did before our conception. our consciousness likewise is an emerging phenomena which will eventually dissipate and recede. THOUSAND CRANES utilizes the tea ceremony as a means of describing the breakdown of JAPANESE masculinity and the social order underlaying it in a postwar period that was highly transformational. the degradation of this ceremony over time mirrors that of its subjects in the narrative. it is interesting metaphor, especially since the transient nature of experience is baked into it. will this sense of toxic masculinity pervade? hard to tell. i wonder what KAWABATA would have made of modern KAWAII culture in JAPAN and the extent to which the following generations held firmly and passionately to quixotic notions of a youth culture that promised freedom from responsibility and control. seems the polar opposite of the tea ceremony which embodies and transmogrifies all the embedded cultural weight of generations into a ritual movement, a slight turn of the wrist as one delicately pours tea into a vessel. 
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RICK RUBIN is a renowned record producer with an enviable discography that transcends genre and era. he is celebrated for his ability to tap into an artists creative mindset and challenge them to produce new material that often exceeds audience expectation. notable records he's produced include the likes of SLAYER's REIGN IN BLOOD (DEF JAM, 1986), RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS's BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK (WARNER BROS, 1991), TOM PETTY's WILDFLOWERS (WARNER BROS, 1994), BEASTIE BOYS' LICENSED TO ILL (COLUMBIA, 1986), SYSTEM OF A DOWN's SYSTEM OF A DOWN (AMERICAN, 1998), RUN-DMC's RAISING HELL (PROFILE, 1986), JOHNNY CASH's AMERICAN RECORDINGS series (AMERICAN, 1994-2010), SLIPKNOT's VOL.3: THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES (ROADRUNNER, 2004) and METALLICA's DEATH MAGNETIC (WARNER BROS, 2008) among many others. he has also involved been involved in the formation of two successful record labels, DEF JAM and AMERICAN, with each known for their diverse roster lineups.
all that being said, it comes as no surprise to anyone that RUBIN decided to start an interview podcast where he does what he does best: talk. his deft ear and inquisitive, probing questions mark him as an active listener of idiot savant levels. check out these interview he's done over the past few years. definitely worth your time if you are a fan of modern music and the process behind their creation. 
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HANK: FIVE YEARS FROM THE BRINK (RADICAL MEDIA, 2013) is a JOE BERLINGER (SOME KIND OF MONSTER, PARADISE LOST TRILOGY) directed documentary that allows former TREASURY SECRETARY HANK PAULSON, third under the GEORGE W. BUSH administration, to explain his response and process with regards to the 2008 financial crisis that defined his stewardship of the UNITED STATES' economy.
the format of this documentary is very much interview-based in the tradition of ERROL MORRIS, who famously is an off-camera interlocutor asking questions of his subject and challenging them. all we get is the subject's, here being PAULSON, reactions which serves as a light interrogation. this is intercut with archival footage. i appreciate this format because it very much leaves the focus of the narrative on that of the subject, not distracting side recreated events or first-person narrations. it forces the viewer to listen. anyway, PAULSON very much says what you would expect: that the focus of TARP and propping up the banks and FANNIE MAE/FREDDIE MAC in the wake of the crisis was aimed at helping common people. he was direly afraid of a second depression, with bread lines and high unemployment. his wife gives testimony throughout about the physical tole these decisions had on him physically and mentally. i do not doubt it. i remember back then people called him "KING HANK" because he was given the power by congress to financially buttress the market however he saw fit, resulting ultimately in TARP. he mentions the fact that all the money was made back and answered, ineffectively, longstanding critiques that the bailouts never matriculated down to the street level and that the banks merely profited off the kindness of the government's bailout. AMERICAN people always talk about "no risk-it, no biscuit" but what happens when you fail? average people loose homes. the wall street bankers got bonuses. two points i found interesting.
fingers crossed. 
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this was an interesting one.
THE HEPATITIS BATHTUB AND OTHER STORIES (DA CAPO, 2016) by NOFX with JEFF ALULIS seems at heart to be a distant PUNK ROCK cousin of the similarly structured and similarly debauched legendary MOTLEY CRUE memoir THE DIRT (reviewed HERE). both spend the majority of their ink going on a bout drug addiction and various inventive forms of self abuse that saw a wake of emotional turmoil and human destruction in their wake. call me a prude but tales of degradation, violence and selfish behavior in the extreme bores me. to me it just screams as a cry for attention and deep need for outside validation. in other words its very un-PUNK ROCK. NOFX are the children of the LOS ANGELES HARDCORE scene in the 1980s when more aggressive bands from the SOUTH BAY and ORANGE COUNTY got involved and upped the violence quotient considerably. before that moment it was more of an inclusive art scene with eclectic musical approaches and a crowd that reflected such. NOFX is emblematic of a shift to a more streamlined, aggressive, less socially conscious brand of PUNK ROCK that decidedly had more to do with WHITE MALE AGGRESSION than the prior ethos of individuality, self-responsibility and empowering your community. for me what made this book interesting were the times that NOFX shifted away from the sophomoric frat house routine they are renowned for and put their collective backbone into some type of cause. NOFX singer / main songwriter / bassist FAT MIKE put his name and independent record label FAT WRECK CHORDS as the muscle behind the PUNKVOTER website in order to get his fans out voting, specifically with the aim of getting GEORGE W. BUSH out of office. obviously it didn't work but that is the point, it marks FAT MIKE and the band as having an interesting in speaking truth to power and encouraging civic engagement and self-empowerment. in other words i'd argue the definition of PUNK ROCK. another strain throughout FAT MIKE's narrative is his growing confidence to let his passion for fetishism and S&M to be expressed in his music more openly, not guarded behind the knowing wink of a joke. although originally introduced to us in the first few pages as a means of titillation and shock value, what transpires over the course of the story is how such for him is a means of identity with a correlating community supporting such endeavors. in a way, its as normal as a country club or a knitting circle, it is just another means at deriving a community and in a strange sense this book offers an insider's look at the appeal and benefits of such a non-mainstream community. lastly i want to mention that for me the most compelling of the several individual narratives that made up each chapter (again, in similar fashion to THE DIRT), was that of NOFX drummer ERIK "SMELLY" SANDIN and his relationship with drugs. i feel that out of all the members, his story was the most depraved. the damage he did to himself and his surrounding community was insanely hardcore and fueled entirely by an intense sense of self-loathing rooted in a troubled childhood. the narcotics and the "friends" he picked up thereafter were just symptomatic of that need to belong. it sounds so simple, but his journey was one of discovery one's own self-worth, even through the haze of drug addiction. and he was a legendary degenerate junkie for that matter. COURTNEY LOVE referred to him as the worst junkie she'd ever seen due in part to his lack of ability to control his symptoms, puking and passing out with no regard for his surroundings. the idea that he can come out of that arguably present himself as one of the more responsible members of the band is a testament to his efforts. i do want to also commend guitarist ERIC MELVIN for sharing his experience of being social abused as a child. its beyond courageous and should be celebrated as such. hopefully it will result in other victims feeling like there is a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. that being said, as a fan of NOFX, my only gripe with this book is about how little of this book dealt with the actual music. as a band that has highly referential lyrics to specific people and places, there were only a few nuggets thrown out there to clarify such. maybe that was a conscious decision but in my mind it was an unfortunate one. most of the material in this book is beyond cliche, especially with regard to ROCK AND ROLL memoirs in general. if debauched behavior by ROCK AND ROLL bands is what you are voyeuristically seeking to learn about then THE DIRT is the way to go. if you are interested in learning about the 1980s HARDCORE scene or the 90s POP PUNK explosion there are several other books more insightful than this one. i wasn't disappointed, just underwhelmed with this book. i think if the tone was a little more somber at points, as well as axing that ridiculous cover, the utter depravity and bleakness of its content would be a bit easier to swallow. instead i am left with being sure how they feel about their band history, which is confusing as a fan. seek this book out only if you are a committed fan of the group. otherwise there are arguably better books on the subject of LOS ANGELES HARDCORE scene and its transitions to the 90s and beyond. HENRY ROLLINS GET IN THE VAN (review linked HERE), KEITH MORRIS' MY DAMAGE (review linked HERE) BAD RELIGION's DO WHAT YOU WANT (review linked HERE) and JON DOE's UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN (review linked HERE) all immediately come to mind. LEXICON DEVIL, AMERICAN HARDCORE, WE GOT THE NEUTRON BOMB and WE'RE NOT HERE TO ENTERTAIN are good options as well. 
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join us tonight at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC dedicated to classic DOO WOP vocal groups from the 1940s and 1950s.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
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click HERE for NUTMEG's latest streaming CLASSICAL-ISH radio show on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where she presents an early winter mood playlist to help us get into the festive spirit.
don't forget that you can also access other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and DEER GOD RADIO here at our website. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
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SAVAGES is just a great straight-up ENGLISH INDIE ROCK band with angular riffage and tight song-craft in the POST PUNK tradition of groups like ELASTICA, GANG OF FOUR, THE FALL and WIRE but a bit more abrasive.
i think we are living in a golden age of POST PUNK revival with bands like this and SAVAGES as well as WARPAINT and THE XX. definitely worth checking out. 
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there is an interiority to SABRINA (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 2018) by NICK DRNASO that i really appreciated. the idea that in an increasingly digital world where all of human experience is reduced down to IMAGES, SOUNDS, WORDS and VIDEOS emanating from a screen, that all of reality is really what we choose it to be. in essence our senses have been hijacked and our ability to trust our perceptions has been compromised.
SABRINA presents narrative surrounding the abduction and murder of a CHICAGO woman and how such gets played out online when the video of such goes viral. illustrated efficiently yet plainly with muted colors and faces with seemingly no emotion, this graphic novel ingeniously utilizes LANGUAGE as the locus of tension and action. language here serves to deliver these plainly depicted figures into a surreal psychodrama. in essence digital media has the transformative ability to make us all question our sense of IDENTITY and our relationship to each other. with relatives, friends and significant others thrown in the mix in the public square that is the internet, disinformation and false narratives are proposed and take hold in the collective consciousness, some forwarded by unsympathetic actors with personal agendas and others by professional journalists. it is all the same racket an loved ones of the deceased are merely products to be analyzed, investigated and questioned with contempt. their humanity is compromised at the behest of public intrigue. this book is less about a murder victim and more about the collateral damage that has befallen the families of tragedies such as SANDY HOOK who have been the target of disinformation campaigns by the likes of ALEX JONES and other nefarious conmen leeching off the body politic with their conspiracy theories under a false flag of patriotic fervor and the limits of free speech and personal freedom. funny how concepts such as CIVIC DUTY, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY or even HUMAN DECENCY enters the picture with these bloodsuckers. but they are just a symptom of our collective appetite for tragedy from which we all vicariously experience at a distance. we are all vampires feeding off each other. SABRINA even depicts the extended circle of the victim engaging in this sort of behavior, checking out conspiratorial blogs and websites, listening to right wing news in an effort to make sense or draw order from the nihilistic notion that there is no meaning or lesson to draw from such a senseless act of VIOLENCE. and for me that tension is the crux of this narrative and where DRNASO succeeds wildly in this subdued yet immensely affecting graphic novel. that very need to define what is undefinable rather than look truth in the face and realize that there is no greater intent or purpose for human suffering. anything else is a fabrication conceived out of existential pain. conspiracy theories, hope, religion are all symptoms of this nihilistic worldview. maybe the proliferation of information via the internet has only gotten us closer to that realization or distracted us from it with a renewed sense of creative abandon. interesting book worth checking out. 
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this is pretty cool.
the MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE in SEATTLE recently did their annual fundraiser for local music education and community engagement initiatives by celebrating the work of regional favorite sons ALICE IN CHAINS. aside from their performance at the event, there were also performances both on-site and via video submissions by various peers and artists, many of the METAL and ALTERNATIVE ROCK persuasion. while i am pretty on the fence about music-related museums in general (in my mind movements are only truly dead once you can visit an exhibit), these performances by the likes of MARK LANEGAN of SCREAMING TREES, MASTODON, HEART, FISHBONE, KORN, SOUNDGARDEN, TAD DOYLE of TAD, KRIST NOVOSELIC of NIRVANA, DAVE NAVARRO of JANE'S ADDICTION, COREY TAYLOR of SLIPKNOT, METALLICA, BILLY CORGAN of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, TAYLOR HAWKINS of the FOO FIGHTERS are amazing and serve of evidence of the cultural impact ALICE IN CHAINS had on their peers and the next generation of musicians. makes me miss LAYNE STALEY and MIKE STARR all the more deeply. not to mention their fallen peers in CHRIS CORNELL and KURT COBAIN. rest in peace brothers. 
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released at time in her career when she was in between projects and hadn't toured or been seen in public for years as she privately sough a diagnosis for what she later learned to be late stage LYME DISEASE, THE PUNK SINGER (LONG SHOT FACTORY, 2013) is a documentary about the career and cultural impact of BIKINI KILL / LE TIGRE / THE JULIE RUIN frontwoman and RIOT GRRRL founder KATHLEEN HANNA.
in essence her greatest contribution to popular culture is the empowerment of a whole generation of girls and young women in the 1990s. her confrontational lyrics and fierce outspoken political manifestos place her in the vanguard of what PUNK ROCK is all about. in fact, i'd argue BIKINI KILL exceeded the label, pushing their listeners to organize themselves and start RIOT GRRRL support structures in their own communities and empower each other. totally DIY. absolutely grassroots. that aspect of her influence is their in spades in the film as it goddamn well should be. in my mind she is a revolutionary figure. what made this documentary interesting beyond that is how she transcended her cult status and pursued her private life without being boxed in by her own supporters. its not unlike the premise from MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN (HANDMADE FILMS, 1979), where leaders have to fight an image and new cultural paradigm that they created. well, partly created. the media has a bottom line it has to uphold and only looks for the sensationalist aspects of narrative that it wants to promote. uplifting consciousness of both women and men is not a selling point for the corporate ogre. her frustrations with her presentation on a national stage that are beyond her control are well founded by expected. the media is a circus mirror side act on the best of days. 
i dont want to make too much of this but i think that just as courageous as her creative work is her ability to pursue a relationship with ADAM HOROVITZ of the BEASTIE BOYS (whose LICENSED TO ILL album is famously juvenile and retrograde in terms of gender politics) because it speaks to how we dont choose who we fall in love with. in his defense, the BEASTIE BOYS quickly dumped that shtick and sought inclusiveness and championed issues of global awareness throughout the rest of their career. if anything they were a conscientious band that had a definite evolution and you can see in this film how HANNA's influence guided them along a route they had already chosen.
i thin also just coming out and being an advocate for those suffering with LYME DISEASE is incredibly powerful and empowering. i know people that find her preachy and maybe even a bit naive, but i wish we had more artists like her right now. i'm glad she is out there doing her thing, or teaching classes at NYU or working on art and solo projects, or continuing the fight against patriarchy. god bless her. i should also mention that a whole cadre of female musicians, artists and writers were interviewed for this film including JOAN JETT, KIM GORDON (SONIC YOUTH, BODY/HEAD), ALLISON WOLFE (BRATMOBILE), LYNN BREEDLOVE (TRIBE 8), CORIN TUCKER (HEAVENS TO BETSY, SLEATER-KINNEY), CARRIE BROWNSTEIN (SLEATER-KINNEY) and BECCA ALBEE (EXCUSE 17) as well as BIKINI KILL bandmates TOBI VAIL and KATHI WILCOX, LE TIGRE bandmates JOHANNA FATEMAN and JD SAMSON, photographer TAMMY RAE CARLAND, director TAMRA DAVIS and writers SARA MARCUS, JENNIFER BAUMGARDENER and TAVI GEVINSON. if you are a fan of PUNK ROCK or revolutionary movements in general, this is definitely required viewing. HANNA is a national treasure. BOOK REVIEW | "NO GOD BUT GOD: THE ORIGINS, EVOLUTION, AND FUTURE OF ISLAM" BY REZA ASLAN12/14/2020 
photo & text by nacrowe
as i've mentioned before at length, i used to live in KUWAIT, ALBANIA and NIGERIA. i have been to EGYPT, JORDAN and PALESTINE. i also attended a NEW ENGLAND boarding school that taught COMPARATIVE RELIGION as a core subject. so i have had some exposure to the precepts and culture surrounding ISLAM and the MUSLIM world in general.
but i knew i did not have a basic understanding of the history of the religion and its evolution over time, like i have gained over the years regarding CHRISTIANITY and BUDDHISM. i knew it was a gap in my knowledge. NO GOD BUT GOD: THE ORIGINS, EVOLUTION AND FUTURE OF ISLAM (RANDOM HOUSE, 2005) by AMERICAN-IRANIAN religious scholar REZA ASLAN is thorough introduction to the often misunderstood history of ISLAM. originally published in the first few years after the 9/11 attacks, his book can be interpreted as an attempt at defining for a western audience what the faith is actually about. for that matter the book provides a captivating summation of the life of the prophet, with asides taken during relevant moments in the narrative to both foreshadow later chapters as well as outline how interpretations have shifted over time. i am not a scholar on the subject so i wont go into detail, but what struck me was how revolutionary and progressive the original community in MEDINA was relative to my experience living in KUWAIT, which was a very culturally and socially conservative community. that distance is the story of the book, how the SOCIAL EGALITARIANISM of the original UMMAH (MUSLIM community) in MEDINA has shifted based on later innovations and scaffolding that were constructed by later community leaders seeking their own agenda. its a story that has more than a few parallels in the development of CHRISTIANITY. after the description of the life of the prophet is complete, the next section dealt with the SUNNI, SHI'ITE and SUFI sects developed and diverged from each other with their own corresponding rituals, institutions and belief structures. again, i was aware that they existed but the history and the development of their rituals i was utterly naive about. in particular i was aware of the SUFI rituals found in parts of ALBANIA, specifically the southern city of BERAT, but was unaware of how these rituals were meant as a means of dissolving the ego to commune with God. in particular learning about the mysticism and experiential bent of the SUFI sect really opened my eyes to the diversity of thought and interpretation within the larger community. attending a year of high school in KUWAIT the idea of religion seemed even like an even more draconian ideal than what i witnessed in CATHOLIC SCHOOL growing up in CALIFORNIA. there were in-country news reports of HONOR KILLINGS and the general abuse and exploitation of nameless workers from countries like NEPAL, INDONESIA, SRI LANKA, BANGLADESH and INDIA. it was beyond depressing to watch and experience and it is still something i grapple with. i always assumed that the political structure there was hopelessly corrupt and morally bankrupt and never associated such with the religion. greed is a god we can all agree on and the UNITED STATES is no stranger to such. our hands are not clean either. this book further reinforced that opinion. the later chapters deal with how the MUSLIM community has dealt with COLONIALISM and modernity to date. its a complicated issue that ASLAN covers very efficiently and thoroughly and which i cannot due justice succinctly. what i can say is that the concept of nation states and the DAR-AL-ISLAM (community of believers) do not co-align perfectly to traditional precepts of MUSLIM identity. to which group does one's loyalty supersede: their religion or country? modernity has only further put into focus core issues regarding who defines and controls the faith. is it the scholars or the population that define what constitutes ISLAM? due to the democratization of the internet, this is still an evolving and highly dynamic issue. ASLAN argues that due to such transformative communication technology, we are very much living in the midst of a reformation right now. the traditional guardrails and institutions are being displaced by more tech savvy upstarts re-contextualizing and reinterpreting the QUARAN for a new generation. whether such moves forward or is caught up in back-currents with a counterreformation is to be determined. and for me that is the big takeaway of NO GOD BUT GOD, that ISLAM is a dynamic faith with a diverse population of believers that are still in pursuit of a more perfect expression of that ideal MEDINA community fourteen hundred years ago. it is an ongoing dynamic and nothing about it is simple, which counters the western depiction of such that is unabashedly through the prism of colonialism. i thoroughly enjoyed this book and will likely reference it for a long time coming. i am almost certain i will read this posting at a future moment and realize how much understanding i have gained in the meantime. i will be processing this information no doubt for some time coming. 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO dedicated to the BROOKLYN INDIE ROCK record label GREENWAY RECORDS.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
cover by nacrowe
watch the latest streaming episode HERE of MAKE HER SPACE on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as JEN and special guest NAZZ of CHANNELS AND WINDS both don the blonde wigs and present a chill playlist celebrating being grateful. but don't get it twisted, THANKSGIVING is still a bullshit holiday.
past episodes of MAKE HER SPACE as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
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