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NEW "MAKE HER SPACE" EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW

12/14/2019

cover by nacrowe

watch the latest streaming episode HERE of MAKE HER SPACE as MAGIE and JEN discuss life, recent events and the DOLLTITS upcoming EP RELEASE PARTY TONIGHT at 8PM at SEARCH PARTY STUDIO in STATEN ISLAND.

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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CHECK OUT THIS BAND | WARPAINT

12/13/2019

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photo manipulation by nacrowe

i learned of LOS ANGELES-based INDIE band WARPAINT in the late 2000s from an interview with JOHN FRUSCIANTE who appreciated their rhythmically complex yet impressionistic feedback-swelled sonic textures.

i mention such since this band is firmly in the camp of INDIE bands that experiment with the form (implementing AFRICAN rhythms with looping feedback and echoed vocals) yet retain catchy hooks in the best tradition of THE TALKING HEADS, THE VELEVT UNDERGROUND, XTC, TELEVISION, FELA KUTI and yes, even JOHN FRUSCIANTE's idiosyncratic work in the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

they are definitely worth checking out.

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"DEER GOD RADIO 60: CHESS RECORDS" AVAILABLE NOW

12/13/2019

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parody by nacrowe

watch HERE this recent episode of DEER GOD RADIO giving due to the legendary CHICAGO GOSPEL/BLUES/SOUL/ROCK AND ROLL record label CHESS 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!

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THROWBACK THURSDAY | HOWARD STERN INTERVIEW OF HILLARY CLINTON

12/12/2019

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photo manipulation by nacrowe

i know a lot has been made in recent years about HOWARD STERN's skills with the long-form interview format, but no bullshit, this is the best interview i've ever seen with the famously guarded former secretary of state, first lady, senator and presidential candidate HILLARY CLINTON.

obviously this interview from last week has absolutely nothing to do with me or DEER GOD, but i wanted to spread the word on it with the vehicles i have at my disposal (website and social media) for the benefit of whomever reads this blog.

i should say that years ago when i was a PEACE CORPS volunteer in ALBANIA the then-secretary of state came for a visit. usually when a prominent official or celebrity visits various volunteers would be called upon to TIRANA (the capital) to showcase their projects. an example of such was when actress ELIZA DUSHKU came to promote literacy and volunteers from the southeast region (where her family is descended from) came to speak with her before returning to introduce her in-person to the community. very cool indeed. this did not happen with CLINTON. they literally invited all the minority volunteers to to the capital for a lame photo-op. all involved felt used. their local projects were not of concern in this situation. whether that was her doing or not i have no idea, but i should at least be clear that i was never a huge fan, although of course she was infinitely more qualified than TRUMP (obviously). sigh.

BABA BOOEY.

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SPOTLIGHT | BUSTER KEATON

12/11/2019

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photo manipulation by nacrowe

CHARLIE CHAPLIN seems to get all the shine.

much of it deservedly so, especially given the transcendent greatness of films like MODERN TIMES and THE GREAT DICTATOR with which he used to levy criticism at capitalism and fascism at the height of his powers. it one thing to be supremely gifted and something completely different to take big risks and potentially bite the hand that feeds by critiquing your new country as an immigrant (see SPOTLIGHT on BILLY WILDER).

all that being said, watching BUSTER KEATON is akin to listening to LEADBELLY or HOWLIN' WOLF recording. at first you are mesmerized by the power of the art and then it hits you eventually how primitive the means of production where when this was made. in a sense it becomes that much more authentic and pure in its intention, although you eventually come to realize to them this was just what you did. one take. one microphone.

same with watching KEATON who wrote and directed his film which often display staggering set-pieces with stunts and acrobatics that are still thrilling and mesmerizing. when you see him throwing multiple logs from a moving train to display other logs lying on the tracks, that was actually him doing that.

whenever i feel like i've seen it all i tend to look back, way back to the early days of cinema (HAROLD LLOYD, GEORGES MÉLIÈS, JOSEF VON STERNBERG, ERICH VON STROHEIM) because there you really get a sense of the creative abandonment and potential they say in their craft. the rules hadn't been set yet.

and that's a nice place to be creatively for any artist.

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FILM REVIEW | BLADE RUNNER

12/10/2019

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photo manipulation by nacrowe

at the heart of RIDLEY SCOTT's transcendent DYSTOPIAN film BLADE RUNNER (THE LADD COMPANY, 1982) is the question of what defines our humanity? what actually makes us human? loosely based on PHILIP K. DICK's novel DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? (DOUBLEDAY, 1968), this film follows a bounty hunter in a future dystopia where technology has advanced to the point that mass produced androids called replicants are used for their labor. equipped with a conscious and prefabricated memories, some of these subjects have circumvented their end dates, thus necessitating a bounty hunter (known here as a blade runner) to find and kill them.

i could go on about the revolutionary special effects and set pieces that define the look of this film, but it is my opinion that what really makes this film a touchstone for future generations are the concerns it brings up. in our modern day with modern genetics and CRISPR technology that allow us to modify the human genome to our will, it is important to consider what will be lost in the process. are we defined by our creator? are we pre-designated to serve a certain function or are we free actors allowed to explore our agency? what makes this film inspires is that there is an open question of whether HARRISON FORD's character (who is a blade runner) is himself a replicant. is the enforcer even in charge of his own will or is he too just serving the purpose of another higher entity.

when i look to the future all i see is BLADE RUNNER. this film did not foresee the internet, but i nonetheless it did see a future where information is a tool of power and identity. and that is something i see today that reduce us all to consumers that can be defined with an algorithm based on our spending habits, social media posts and spending habits. we are already defined by our reciepts in this new economy but the downsides insofar have been pretty mild to benign in nature on a personal level. i think that'll change and our agency will be in question once techniques are used to influence our decision-making, whether economically or politically. we are only in the beginning stages.

once it is in full bloom we will all be replicants in a sense. we will all be created by our environment into information consumers with a purpose we don't even envision.

that to me is the legacy of BLADE RUNNER. an absolutely can't miss, must-watch film.

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"DEER GOD RADIO 64: SUB POP RECORDS" NOW AVAILABLE

12/10/2019

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parody by nacrowe

please check out HERE this recent unpromoted SURPRISE episode of DEER GOD RADIO focused on the influential northwestern independent record label SUB POP 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!

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BOOK REVIEW | "CAN I SAY: LIVING LARGE, CHEATING DEATH, AND DRUMS, DRUMS, DRUMS " BY TRAVIS BARKER

12/9/2019

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photo by nacrowe

this straightforward, un-adorned memoir co-written by BLINK-182 drummer / FAMOUS STARS & STRAPS founder-owner TRAVIS BARKER delivers on the goods of walking his audience through the ups and downs of his improbably career.

my interest, aside from the fact that he's a sick musician that has been in several killer bands that basically defined my formative adolescent years (i.e. THE AQUABATS! , BLINK-182 and THE TRANSPLANTS), was mainly in how he went about his career. what i learned is that the dude has an addictive personality that basically informed his relationships with weed, women, tattoos and all things material. that drive throughout this self-spun narrative of his life essentially allowed him to pursue and push further without being sidelined by doubt or obstacles.

and man, were there obstacles. namely the death of his mother at 13, but also the horrific experience of being in a lear jet plane crash after a gig in 2008. both events defined him and the later gave him the opportunity to reassess his priorities.

its easy to find many of the things written about here wrote and rife with cliches, but i dont think that was a concern of his when considering pursuing this book. if anything, what i took from his story is the intense level of engagement he has with his instrument and how that singular focus provide him a unique vessel to communicate with an ever growing cadre of musicians and artists. through everything, that core relationship was intact.

you really get the feeling he'd be drumming somewhere in a small club with a no name band happily even if BLINK-182 never took off. its that love of his art that i resonated with. the stories of sex addiction and pursuing of celebrity relationships and material bullshit less so.

this book was easily digestible and straight to the point, much like a good 90s skate punk song. worth it if you are a fan of the POP PUNK genre.

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