photo & text by nacrowe
TYLER, THE CREATOR and the ODD FUTURE COLLECTIVE in general through me for a loop when i first came across their CATALOGUE in the early 2010s. at first i thought it was all a bit of an INSIDE JOKE gone AWRY, like they were just being INFLAMMATORY for the sake of being CONTROVERSIAL and getting attention. but then i quickly realized they were collectively far too GIFTED and CONSISTENT with their CREATIVE OUTPUT for such to be the case.
that being said, "YONKERS" off of TYLER's second album GOBLIN (XL, 2011) was the first SONG i came across by anything RELATED to the ODD FUTURE CAMP and he is pretty much CONFRONTATIONAL to the point of being DIABOLIC, rattling off MURDER and TORTURE FANTASIES that would make METHOD MAN and his WU-TANG CLAN COMPATRIOTS blush. speaking of which, the PRODUCTION throughout GOBLIN is decidedly SPARSE and MINIMALIST a la RZA which succeeds in putting the FOCUS on the WICKED LYRICISM at hand. its almost a LYRICAL THROWBACK to the FANTASTICAL HORRORCORE-themed likes of EMINEM, MF DOOM and GRAVEDIGGAZ in terms of STYLE and SUBSTANCE, separating him THEMATICALLY and SPIRITUALLY from his HIP HOP CONTEMPORARIES who are either more concerned with ISSUES surrounding the SOCIAL JUSTICE and the BLACK COMMUNITY (KENDRICK LAMAR, CHILDISH GAMBINO, PUSHA T), PAEANS to one's BLOATED EGO and EMPTY CONSUMERISM (KANYE WEST, TRAVIS SCOTT, DRAKE, PLAYBOI CARTI and A$AP ROCKY and ) or somewhere in between (MAC MILLER). looking back at GOBLIN in retrospect i look at it as a PALETTE CLEANSER of sorts, since his LATER RELEASES very much expand on his INNATE CREATIVITY and NEAR LIMITLESS CAPACITY to fearlessly follow his own MUSE, bringing CULTURE along with him in a MANNER SIMILAR to that of PHARRELL WILLIAMS or (for a time) KANYE. STANDOUT TRACKS here include "GOBLIN," "SHE," "TRON CAT," "SANDWITCHES" and the AFOREMENTIONED "YONKERS," which are all in that same TRANSGRESSIVE LYRICAL VEIN, but really what these SONGS accomplish is an EXPECTATION that this ARTIST is BOLD to the point of EXASPERATION and not afraid of saying or producing anything. in a GENRE like HIP HOP that at times feels claustrophobically CONSERVATIVE and prone to GROUP THINK, it is quite REFRESHING to have something this unrepentantly OBNOXIOUS thrown in the MIX just for the sake of breaking the MONOTONY. more than BASTARD (self released, 2009), this RECORD set the table for an INTRIGUING career as a MAJOR CREATIVE and VOICE in AMERICAN CULTURE writ large. at the very least GOBLIN is definitely worth checking out.
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photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
when i began in high school to actively learn and seek out what i considered EXPERIMENTAL RECORDS due to my INTEREST in a whole host of ANGULAR GROUPS like ELASTICA, BIG BLACK, SLINT and THE STRANGLERS, all roads quickly lazered in on POST PUNK OUTFITS like GANG OF FOUR, JOY DIVISION, WIRE, THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, MAGAZINE, THE FALL and MISSION OF BURMA. these BANDS seemed determined on moving past TRADITIONAL SONG STRUCTURES and ESTABLISHED CHORD PROGRESSIONS and ODD TIME SIGNATURES and blazing a NEW SONIC VOCABULARY, arguably none more so than BOSTON's MISSION OF BURMA and their comically SHORT CATALOGUE and lifespan as a CREATIVE ENTITY.
the DOCUMENTARY NOT A PHOTOGRAPH: THE MISSION OF BURMA STORY (MVD VISUAL, 2006) CATALOGUE's their UNEXPECTED REUNION at the turn of the millennium almost two decades after the release of their INNOVATIVE then-only FULL-LENGTH VS (ACE OF HEARTS, 1982) and a few EPs. for a BAND that was so overly GUARDED of its IMAGE and RECORDED OUTPUT, the CONCEPT of DOCUMENTARY seems pretty COUNTERINTUITIVE as they continue to be somewhat COY and OPAQUE about the REASONING behind their REFORMATION. in fact, most of this film is pretty UNINTERESTING since the BAND MEMBERS seem completely ENAMORED with their own LEGEND and PUBLICITY. that they are too GOOD for ROCK AND ROLL and its BIG DUMB AUDIENCES. sadly i know PEOPLE as PATRONIZING and unrepentantly SELF-AGGRANDIZING as this in REAL-LIFE, who are overly concerned with RACE-TO-THE-BOTTOM ARGUMENTS about UNDERGROUND BANDS that never GAVE-IN or progressed beyond PROVINCIAL, LONG-GONE SCENES of yesteryear. funny thing is they all listened to MISSION TO BURMA. makes complete sense now. i found this FILM difficult to stomach even if i appreciate their MUSIC pre-and-post REUNION. this DOCUMENTARY did not further their case in my OPINION and came off more than a bit HEAVY-HANDED, as if this was a HAGIOGRAPHY rather than a DOCUMENT about the REFORMATION of a quasi-successful EXPERIMENTAL band. not recommended unless you yourself are a lonely INVETERATE INDIE ROCK PURIST with no hope of a SOCIAL LIFE, maybe then youd appreciate this CONDESCENDING FILM. photo & text by nacrowe
like EVERYONE, this PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION that is fast approaching has me filled with much CONSTERNATION and UNRESOLVED DREAD about a quite POSSIBLE second FUTURE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION and what that could mean for the COUNTRY and the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. part of me still cant believe that he is a VIABLE CANDIDATE, unlike ROMNEY or MCCAIN or even BUSH, given his VOLATILE TEMPERAMENT and PREVIOUS RECORD, both POLITICAL and CRIMINAL, but that is the WORLD we live in.
not coincidentally, ive been attempting in recent weeks to brace MYSELF for what will come and seek out BOOKS on MEDITATION, ANXIETY, STRESS, WELLNESS and the like to buttress my MENTAL HEALTH. unlike most AMERICANS, i have lived in MILITARY DICTATORSHIPS and FAILED DEMOCRACIES (in fact, MULTIPLE on VARYING CONTINENTS) and appreciate firsthand the UNDUE TOLL of STRESS that comes with attempting to FUNCTION in a SOCIETY where the RULES are MALLEABLE if not outright NEGOTIABLE. it feels like that is what we are collectively barreling towards and i dont think most of my fellow citizens understand such. one BOOK i found that was HELPFUL was the GRAPHIC NOVEL YOUR ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO BECOMING ONE WITH THE UNIVERSE (ADAMS, 2014) by YUMI SAKUGAWA, which delves and brilliantly VISUALLY translates IDEAS related to MEDITATION and MINDFULNESS. in a seemingly UNRELENTING CHAOTIC CULTURAL and POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT spiraling ever more OUT OF CONTROL due to MANIFESTATIONS of our own COLLECTIVE CREATION (SOCIAL MEDIA, MISINFORMATION, CAPITALISTIC SELF-INTEREST, RACISM, SEXISM, DISINFORMATION, RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION et al), it helps to reduce and resolve EVERYTHING down to the CONSCIOUS ACT of BREATHING. yes, BREATHING. SAKUGAWA's POTENT and ILLUMINATING ILLUSTRATIONS showcase our SECURE, INDIVIDUAL CONNECTION to the ENVIRONMENT and how such roots us on a COSMIC LEVEL. it takes our PHYSICAL BEING and explodes the CONTEXT of our PERSONAL CONCERNS, DISSATISFACTIONS and FEARS to that of a UNIVERSAL SCALE, where such seems MINUSCULE and INDULGENT in relation to the PERSPECTIVE of the COSMOS. and i feel strongly that reframing such to that LEVEL can be HELPFUL as it reminds us that ultimately we cannot alter certain ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES and need to come to TERMS with them for the sake of our OWN HEALTH and those around us. the potential LONG-TERM REPERCUSSIONS (be they ECONOMIC, CULTURAL or INTERPERSONAL) of a SECOND TRUMP PRESIDENCY are staggering and beyond consequential and i fear it may go the wrong way. if that is such i need to somehow find a way to resolve my TERROR and DEEP CONCERN about the IMPLICATIONS of such an EVENTUALITY. i see this book and others like it as a FIRST STEP in establishing and maintaining the PROPER PERSPECTIVE on such. enough to maintain my MENTAL HEALTH at least. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i mean how sick is this?
RANCID and OPERATION IVY are just FOUNDATIONAL bands in my life that unquestionably opened the door to learning and appreciating COUNTLESS SKA, DANCEHALL and ROOTS REGGAE ACTS over the years. not to mention PUNK ROCK as well. and a HUGE PART of their APPEAL is the INTRICATE and beyond MELODIC BASS PLAYING of MATT FREEMAN. throughout his diverse CATALOGUE, whether he is playing LIGHTNING-FAST, SPIT-IN-YOUR-EYE HARDCORE-inspired PUNK ROCK or more RELAXED REGGAE-inflected GROOVES, it is his BASS PLAYING that serves as the MELODIC FULCRUM for each SONG. so (and sincerely i hate to say this) unlike most BASS PLAYERS, watching FREEMAN showcase his PARTS on RANCID, OPERATION IVY and CHARGER TRACKS on his MATT FREEMAN'S BASS BUNKER YOUTUBE CHANNEL is absolutely RIVETING. i am not a BASS PLAYER and i yet find myself watching every VIDEO he releases out of SHEER APPRECIATION of his TECHNICAL MUSICIANSHIP, FEEL for the INSTRUMENT, and PASSION for MUSIC. his sound is entirely UNIQUE not only in the CONTEXT of PUNK ROCK, but ROCK N ROLL writ large. and yet this YOUTUBE CHANNEL is CONTAGIOUS because you really get the sense that playing MUSIC brings him JOY. just a PHENOMENAL TALENT that i am so pleased is sharing his GIFT more intimately with the WORLD via his YOUTUBE CHANNEL. REQUIRED VIEWING in my OPINION for any FAN of PUNK ROCK, JAMAICAN MUSIC or anything in between. definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
PUNK ROCK came in WAVES and when THE DAMNED played THE STARWOOD in LOS ANGELES back in 1977, becoming the first BRITISH PUNK BAND to do so, it was the catalyst that set off an IMMEDIATE CHAIN REACTION that in essence galvanized a DORMANT MUSICAL COMMUNITY in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. seemingly overnight LOCAL GROUPS based around HOLLYWOOD were formed such as THE GERMS, THE WEIRDOS, THE BAGS, THE SCREAMERS and so on, but the more INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT was the CONVERSION of previously existing BANDS like X.
the all-so-brief FIRST WAVE of this PUNK ROCK SCENE was an INTIMATE and musically EXPERIMENTAL and DIVERSE AFFAIR, with BANDS MUTUALLY-SUPPORTIVE of one another. this all would change irrevocably in the 1978 when outside SUBURBAN ACTS from NEARBY ORANGE COUNTY (ADOLESCENTS, SOCIAL DISTORTION, D.I., THE VANDALS, THE MIDDLE CLASS), the SAN FERNANDO VALLEY (BAD RELIGION, THE DICKIES) and the outer limits of GREATER LOS ANGELES COUNTY (BLACK FLAG, DESCENDENTS, TRUE SOUNDS OF LIBERTY, CIRCLE JERKS) would infiltrate the SCENE and bring with them a more ABRASIVE and (for the most part) SONICALLY CONSERVATIVE VERSION of PUNK ROCK known thereafter as HARDCORE. i make this DISTINCTION because that SECOND WAVE was so PERVASIVE and INFLUENTIAL thereafter, that PEOPLE mostly forget about or disregard that COMMUNITY of EXPERIMENTAL ARTISTS that made up that INITIAL SCENE. and its not like MUSICAL CONVERSION is an ANOMALY. look no further than THE CLASH who in a PREVIOUS ITERATION were THE 101ERS, a NOMINAL PUB ROCK OUTFIT with ROCKABILLY ROOTS fronted by the FORMER FOLKIE JOHN "WOODY" MELLOR, a fairly DERIVATIVE SONGWRITER who would go on to devise the more APPROPRIATE JOE STRUMMER PERSONA when PUNK ROCK (i.e. THE RAMONES) first ascended on LONDON in 1976. i believe with X, their CONVERSION was not so CAVALIER and clearly OPPORTUNISTIC as that of STRUMMER's, but was actually the result of witnessing firsthand a NEW MUSICAL FORM that was more IMMEDIATE, EXPRESSIVE and AUTHENTIC than what came before. PUNK was not a RECITAL or a SHOWCASE for TECHNICAL MUSICIANSHIP per se, but a VEHICLE for spurring CREATIVITY and instigating a LIKE-MINDED COMMUNITY to go out and celebrate being artistically GENUINE and IN-THE-MOMENT. X in undeniably a LOS ANGELES band in the PROUD TRADITION of THE DOORS and LOVE that came before and later ICONIC, ART-DAMAGED BANDS like JANE'S ADDICTION, THELONIOUS MONSTER, FISHBONE and the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS that came about a GENERATION later. the DEEP CONFLICT, MEDIA CULTURE, VIOLENCE and DISILLUSIONMENT that make up the lived experience of being an ANGELENO is their wellspring of MATERIAL for MAIN SONGWRITERS EXENE CERVENKA and JOHN DOE, much like that AFOREMENTIONED LINEAGE of BANDS. it makes perfect sense and is fitting that not only is their debut LOS ANGELES (SLASH, 1980) release named after the city, but likewise that none other than RAY MANZAREK (KEYBOARDIST in THE DOORS) produced such. thing is, so much regarding PUNK ROCK in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA in the COMMON RECOLLECTION is colored by the AFOREMENTIONED HARDCORE MOVEMENT. so you cant come into LOS ANGELES expecting something as SONICALLY ABRASIVE. with songs like "NAUSEA," "YOUR PHONE'S OFF THE HOOK, BUT YOU'RE NOT," "JOHNNY HIT AND RUN PAULENE," and the STANDOUT TRACK "LOS ANGELES," their sound is decidedly more MID-TEMPO with BLUES and ROCKABILLY-inspired GUITAR RIFFS and CHORD PROGRESSIONS that make their SONGWRITING AESTHETIC less AGGRESSIVE and much more PALATABLE and STRAIGHTFORWARD. to my ears LOS ANGELES sounds more like what came before than what was to come in short order. it is what they are, a MULTI-FACETED GROUP of ARTISTS who discovered PUNK ROCK, a la STRUMMER, rather than the FOLLOWING WAVE that was INDOCTRINATED from the jump and took it to a NEW EXTREME. case in point is the AWKWARD COVER of THE DOOR's "SOUL KITCHEN" and the various INEXPLICABLE KEYBOARD PARTS littered throughout LOS ANGELES undoubtedly a la MANZAREK. to my ears its an ODD FEATURE but such is what distinguishes this RECORDING and showcases their WILLINGNESS to EXPERIMENT. LOS ANGELES is an INTRIGUING DOCUMENT of the BEGINNINGS of a PUNK ROCK SCENE that would soon be IN FLUX and transforming to SOMETHING decidedly more SONICALLY AGGRESSIVE and CONSERVATIVE. along with THE BAGS, THE GERMS, THE SCREAMERS, THE WEIRDOS, THE DICKIES, THE GO-GO's and so on, you get a sense of what a DIVERSE and VIBRANT SCENE this TRANSITIONAL and incredibly BRIEF PERIOD produced. personally not my cup of tea, but it is well worth checking out for the UNINITIATED as an APT COUNTER-EXAMPLE to what would shortly come. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
BRITISH RAPPER LOYLE CARNER is definitely more-than-FAMILIAR with the heyday of the NATIVE TONGUES movement and SEMINAL HIP HOP ACTS like DE LA SOUL, BLACK SHEEP and A TRIBE CALLED QUEST. in fact, his SMOOTH, EFFORTLESS, LANGUID FLOW and CONFESSIONAL LYRICS dealing with VULNERABILITY and DISAPPOINTMENT over JAZZ-influenced BEATS has a close ring to the PRODUCTION and FLOW of one Q-TIP.
for me his MUSIC hits a SWEET SPOT for me since it bucks the all-too-PREVALENT TREND in CONTEMPORARY HIP HOP of WANNA-BE GANGSTER-ISM, TOXIC MASCULINITY and RIDICULOUS FICTIONAL PERSONAS in favor of something more personal and real. teh fact that he is so ELOQUENT and THOUGHTFUL and his LYRICS so ACCESSIBLE and AUTHENTIC just makes it all the better. LOYLE CARNER is definitely a VOICE worth checking out.
parodies & text by nacrowe
the first BIG CONCERT i ever went to was OZZFEST 99 at the PNC BANK ARTS CENTER in NEW JERSEY. i went alone. i was fourteen at the time and my PARENTS didnt allow my YOUNGER BROTHER to attend. which in retrospect was a BUMMER since the lineup that year was really something. aside from the absolutely LOADED MAIN STAGE of BLACK SABBATH, DEFTONES, SLAYER, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, ROB ZOMBIE, STATIC-X and PRIMUS, there was also the SECOND STAGE that was headlined by FEAR FACTORY and had this STANDOUT, MASKED, matching-uniformed-overalls-wearing, EMERGING ACT out of IOWA called SLIPKNOT on their FIRST NATIONAL TOUR. my BROTHER did end up attending OZZFEST 2000 and OZZFEST 2001 and got to see PANTERA before they imploded shortly thereafter, but OZZFEST 99 was arguably the STRONGEST LINEUP that festival ever amassed.
initially i was a bit OVERWHELMED by it all: the AGGRESSIVE PEOPLE, the LOUD MUSIC, the PUNGENT smell of MARIJUANA, the UNEASY FEELING that i was VOLUNTARILY entering a potentially VOLATILE SITUATION. but the TRUTH is once i saw a BAND in action playing the SECOND STAGE (in front of an OPEN FIELD unlike the LAM AMPHITHEATER SEATING in front of the MAIN STAGE), and witnessing firsthand a DUDE falling in the MOSH PIT and being immediately helped back up i realized i was in a relatively SAFE PLACE with an ENTHUSIASTIC COMMUNITY of MUSIC FANS. my TRIBE basically. but the MUSIC itself was SENSORY OVERLOAD, especially ROB ZOMBIE, whose STAGE PRODUCTION was INSANE. im talking MULTIPLE SCREENS, UNEXPECTED EXPLOSIONS, DEMONIC GO-GO DANCERS, FLASHING NEON '666' SIGNS and so on. could not have been more FUN for a TEENAGER. it was an INSTANT and SEAMLESS CONVERSION to the OVER-THE-TOP world of METAL. looking back it feels like METAL hasnt really had that COMMON TENT in decades to rally around, instead dissipating after the END of OZZFEST into an evermore COMPLEX ARRAY of CLIQUES and SUB-GENRES. that was what made OZZFEST work was that you had a TRANSCENDENT CULTURAL FIGURE like OZZY OSBOURNE (and more importantly the BUSINESS ACUMEN of his WIFE / MANAGER SHARON) taking the whole GENRE under his wing again and unifying the FANBASE. but i dont even know who could pull that off in the 2020s when AMERICAN SOCIETY is in a completely DIFFERENT PLACE and the DIVISIONS in CULTURE, GEOGRAPHY, ECONOMICS and POLITICS are on the very verge of splintering the NATION apart from the INSIDE. maybe its time for OZZY and SHARON to do more than his fair share and UNIFY the LOST ​METAL TRIBES once again. or not. they've already done enough quite honestly. embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the many METAL BANDS that have played OZZFEST. enjoy! photo & text by nacrowe
in high school i got into DEVO and in college i discovered KRAFTWERK. for whatever reason, those TWO BANDS that are completely SEPARATE both in terms of AESTHETICS and INTENTION are connected in my IDIOSYNCRATIC, EXPERIENTIAL TRAJECTORY as a MUSIC FAN.
DEVO is very much utilizing FORMAL COMPOSITIONS with highly IRREGULAR ARRANGEMENTS and ELECTRONIC SONIC TEXTURES as a means of jarring its AUDIENCE into an ESCAPIST REALM / MINDSET that is meant as a PARODY of CONTEMPORARY CONSUMER CULTURE and CAPITALISM more broadly via its likewise FABRICATED WORLD of TELEVISED ADVERTISING. they were very much a heady ARTISTIC, MULTI-MEDIA RESPONSE to an apparent DOMINATING, ALL-CONSUMING corporate takeover of most ASPECTS of AMERICAN LIFE, a PERSPECTIVE that has only grown evermore PRESCIENT in the decades that have followed. KRAFTWERK on the other hand was part of a GENERATION of GERMAN MUSICIANS that sought to create a NEW CULTURAL "YEAR ZERO" that took no CUES or INSPIRATION from what came before, as such led to the rise of FASCISM and the THIRD REICH ultimately. so no VEILED REFERENCES to FOLK TRADITIONS or CELEBRATED GERMAN CLASSICAL COMPOSERS like BEETHOVEN, BRAMS, SCHUMANN, STRAUSS, HANDEL, MENDELSSON or especially WAGNER, nor RELATED AUSTRIAN COMPOSERS such as MOZART, BRUCKNER, SCHOENBERG, HAYDN, SCHUBERT or MAHLER. so the utilization of SYNTHESIZERS, SEQUENCERS and the like was a means of politically drawing a line in the sand and establishing a NEW PARADIGM moving forward. that sort of FOCUSED INTENTION based on SOCIO-HISTORICAL CONCERNS of liberation from a tainted past is what makes KRAFTWERK and their KRAUTROCK PEERS so COMPELLING. and an entirely DIFFERENT ANIMAL from DEVO, whose SENDUPS of AMERICAN CORPORATE CONSUMER CULTURE was a PRODUCT of a DIFFERENT ERA, having came out more than half a decade later. what makes THE MAN-MACHINE (KLING KLANG, 1978) ALBUM such an INTERESTING listen is how despite its CONSCIOUS DESIGN as MUSIC devoid of the HUMAN ELEMENT, such is still in spite of itself quite EMOTIVE and even MELANCHOLIC in DELIVERY. in terms of LYRICS, the RECORD outright references MODERN SCIENCE FICTION LITERARY TROPES based around TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES and openly questions the embedded UTOPIAN IDEALS associated with such. specifically i am speaking of TRACKS like "SPACELAB," "THE ROBOTS," "THE MAN MACHINE" and "METROPOLIS" that are concerned with ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, SPACE COLONIZATION and a FUTURE WORLD of TECHNOLOGICAL WONDER that renders HUMANS OBSOLETE and ripe for EXPLOITATION. i always find it INTRIGUING how the VISUALS associated with THE MAN-MACHINE make EXPLICIT REFERENCE to the pre-NAZI period of the UFA (and LEGENDARY FILM DIRECTORS like FRITZ LANG), the REVERED GERMAN MOTION-PICTURE PRODUCTION COMPANY. in a SONG like "THE MODEL," you get a BITTER sense of ROMANTIC ISOLATION that it is DIFFICULT to discern if such is from a SYNTHETIC or ORGANIC PERSPECTIVE, a ROBOT or a HUMAN or perhaps more fascinatingly, something in between. maybe MACHINES do have an EMOTIONAL CAPACITY, since they are but an EXTENSION of US. in the CURRENT AGE of GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, this line of INQUIRY and EXPLORATION is still beyond PRESCIENT and RELEVANT to our CONTENTIOUS LIVED EXPERIENCE coming to terms with a TECHNOLOGY (much like NUCLEAR WARFARE, CLOUD COMPUTING and SOCIAL NETWORKS beforehand) that is beyond our COLLECTIVE CAPACITY to effectively rationalize and CONTROL. THE MAN-MACHINE along with COMPUTER WORLD (KLING KLANG, 1981) and AUTOBAHN (PHILIPS, 1974), i find myself constantly returning to the CATALOGUE of KRAFTWERK for AURAL INSPIRATION. the EXECUTION of their VISION is UNMATCHED and wholly its own thing, which has INSPIRED EVERYONE from APHEX TWIN, BIG BLACK, DAFT PUNK and U2 to RAMMSTEIN, DEPECHE MODE, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, NEW ORDER and DAVID BOWIE. required listening in my opinion. photo & text by nacrowe
much as SOUND CITY (ROSWELL FILMS, 2013) was a CLOSE EXAMINATION of the ANALOG RECORDING PROCESS as a FOUNDATIONAL, EQUALIZING EXPERIENCE for MUSICIANS , the more RECENT WHAT DRIVES US (ROSWELL FILMS, 2021) is a COMPANION DOCUMENTARY that similarly finds DIRECTOR and FOO FIGHTERS FRONTMAN DAVE GROHL investigating the TOURING EXPERIENCE as a BEDROCK PURSUIT that both galvanizes and connects all WORKING MUSICIANS regardless of GENRE or STATUS. as HENRY ROLLINS of HARDCORE PUNK ROCK ICONS BLACK FLAG made FAMOUS with his GET IN THE VAN: ON THE ROAD WITH BLACK FLAG (2.13.61, 1994) MEMOIR, the EXPERIENCE of TOURING endlessly throughout the country in a CONGESTED, OVERLOADED, FAR-TOO-INTIMATE PASSENGER VAN of some VARIETY was a VERITABLE RIGHT OF PASSAGE. it is an ARDUOUS yet REWARDING PROCESS that all SUCCESSFUL MUSICIANS from a pre-internet age, until recently, went through at some PHASE in their CAREER and connects EVERYONE from U2 to AC/DC, SLAYER to DEAD KENNEDYS, BLACK FLAG to THE BEATLES.
and GROHL makes that INTERCONNECTION between GENERATIONS of MUSICIANS intimately CLEAR as day with what has to be one of the most ECLECTIC and beyond IMPRESSIVE INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT LIST i have ever witnessed, including all THEN-CURRENT MEMBERS of the FOO FIGHTERS, BRIAN JOHNSON (AC/DC), THE EDGE (U2), FLEA (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), ANNIE CLARK (ST. VINCENT), PETE STAHL (SCREAM), IAN MACKAYE (MINOR THREAT, FUGAZI), EXENE CERVENKA (X), STEVEN TYLER (AEROSMITH), DAVE LOMABARDO (SLAYER), D.H. PELIGRO (DEAD KENNEDYS), BEN HARPER, SLASH & DUFF MCKAGAN (GUNS N ROSES), KIRA ROESSLER (BLACK FLAG), TONY KANAL (NO DOUBT), CHARLIE GABRIEL (PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND), JENNIFER FINCH (L7) and MIKE WATT (MINUTEMEN) as well as MEMBERS of EMERGING BANDS RADKEY and STARCRAWLER and even RINGO STARR (THE BEATLES). yes, he even got a freakin' BEATLE to talk about the CRUCIAL ETIQUETTE of admitting when one has farted in the VAN to avoid DISCONTENT and ARGUMENTS therein. GREAT STUFF. but the CENTRAL QUESTION is why? why leave literally EVERYTHING behind? and why bother with all that HEADACHE and UNCERTAINTY. WHAT DRIVES US seems to argue that the ANSWER lies in BOTH. you RECORD and put out a PRODUCT (maybe) and then take the SHOW on the road as a PROVING GROUND of sorts. putting your CREATIVE EFFORTS into action and possibly experienced that EUPHORIC MOMENT of having a genuine RECIPROCATED REACTION from a PAYING AUDIENCE. the TOURING EXPERIENCE completes that CYCLE and is at the very essence of what it means to be a MUSICIAN. its probably the same REASON SAILORS for centuries took to the UNKNOWN, with its INHERENT PHYSICAL and FINANCIAL RISKS, in search of GLORY. pre-FILE SHARING and STREAMING was the IDEA that TOURING supported ALBUM SALES, but such EXPECTATIONS have been completely INVERTED for the past two decades whereby NEW RELEASES are an EASY EXCUSE to TOUR as extensively as possible and hopefully make a PROFIT to live off of in the PROCESS. that is the DREAM at least. it seemed before that there were a few TRAJECTORIES at play. first, you stayed at the VAN-level of TOURING your ENTIRE CAREER, which is undoubtedly the vast majority of MUSICIANS. the next is that you rise to a somewhat COMFORTABLE LEVEL of TOURING with LONGEVITY right above the VAN-level, which is the case with MIKE WATT or X for example. thereafter there is the ladder of COMFORT up to SHARED BUSES and SEPARATE BUSES and the like for massively PROFITABLE TOURING OUTFITS like NO DOUBT, GUNS N' ROSES, U2, METALLICA or AEROSMITH. WHAT DRIVES US interestingly makes the COGENT POINT that no NEW ACTS in the past twenty years have reached that TOP-LEVEL , ELITE STRATA, instead being somewhere in that decidedly more MODEST, MIDDLE GROUND. at least before in THEORY there was the NOTION that TOURING in a VAN might lead somewhere. now not so much. which is why i felt the most IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVES in the FILM were that of EMERGING BANDS in RADKEY and STARCRAWLER, who both see TOURING devoid of CREATURE COMFORTS for months on end in IDEALISTIC TERMS. the DIY-level TOURING EXPERIENCE is a means of proving their INTENT and their CRAFT to the MASSES. in spite of their being more DIGITAL COMPETITION in the ENTERTAINMENT SPACE, the almost ELEMENTAL, VISCERAL EXPERIENCE from both the PERFORMER and AUDIENCE PERSPECTIVE cannot be replicated online or shared in a file. it is an ELUSIVE once-in-a-lifetime MOMENT that has the POTENTIAL to change lives. those two young BANDS seem to be TRUE BELIEVERS no doubt. and that is the OBJECTIVE and the payoff. and the REASON to leave home and TOUR despite all the OBSTACLES, CHALLENGES and off-stage BULLSHIT. it is a BELIEF in the POWER of the MUSIC itself. BOOK REVIEW | "CATCHING THE BIG FISH: MEDITATION, CONSCIOUSNESS, AND CREATIVITY" BY DAVID LYNCH10/28/2024 photo & text by nacrowe
i was introduced to TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION more than a decade ago when i was working as a TEACHER in VENEZUELA. it was my second year there and the SCHOOL was basically IMPLODING. the ADMINISTRATION and the other EDUCATORS didnt see eye to eye and the WHOLE THING was a HUGE MESS. as an OLIVE BRANCH or FACE-SAVING MEASURE, the SUPERINTENDENT at the time invited in MEMBERS of the DAVID LYNCH FOUNDATION to instruct the whole FACULTY over a weekend in TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION. it didnt work in terms of the SCHOOL, as SEVERAL TEACHERS subsequently QUIT in very short order, but as an INTRODUCTION to the world of MEDITATION it was FRUITFUL for me as i was shortly about to depart for JAPAN and utilized the TRAINING as an entry point to the ZAZEN SESSIONS i later EXPERIENCED at ZEN BUDDHIST TEMPLES.
so that is where i am coming from when i plainly state that CATCHING THE BIG FISH: MEDITATION, CONSCIOUSNESS AND CREATIVITY (TARCHER, 2006) is in essence DAVID LYNCH's intensely PERSONAL EXAMINATION and EXPLANATION of the many BENEFITS of TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION and how such is involved in his CREATIVE PROCESS as a PAINTER and FILM DIRECTOR. in this form of MEDITATION a WORD is provided that is REPEATED in SILENCE as a MANTRA that over a PERIOD induces an ALTERED CONSCIOUS STATE that effectively allows the USER to disassociate from their WAKING MENTAL STATE filled with PEDESTRIAN WORRIES, TASKS, PREOCCUPATIONS, DISAPPOINTMENTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, COMMITMENTS and so on. for a TEMPORARY PERIOD you are just BEING IN THE MOMENT, emotionally and psychologically SETTLED and ALIVE. LYNCH attests that such a STATE is an APT VEHICLE for expanding and exploring one's DEEP WELL OF CONSCIOUSNESS and that through DISCIPLINE and ROUTINE PRACTICE one can garner the ABILITY to make more IMPACTFUL CONNECTIONS and access BIGGER IDEAS. since you are not being IMPRINTED by the UNHELPFUL FILTER of NEGATIVE EMOTIONS and FEELINGS of SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS, rather you are acting and reacting with a sense of PURITY. one can see how this EXPANDED CAPACITY may be DESIRABLE for a CREATIVE like LYNCH, who sees CREATIVITY as an ITERATIVE PROCESS that reveals itself over time, one DECISION at a time. each CHOICE thus sets a CONDITION that further DECISIONS are a RESPONSE with or against all the way down the line. this is how LYNCH views his PAINTINGS to function, as well as with his FILMS and their many INTERCONNECTED DECISIONS regarding everything from CASTING, LIGHTING, DIALOGUE, PLOT, SET DESIGN, et al. in his ESTIMATION, if one is in the RIGHT MENTAL STATE than they are chasing an IDEA with a FOCUS UNMOLESTED by OUTSIDE, IRRELEVANT INTERESTS. MEDITATION for him is a VEHICLE to maintain that sense of PURITY and EXPANDED CAPACITY to being open to NOVEL IDEAS, not unlike catching fish in an ocean. in this MANNER, all DECISIONS are done with PURE INTENTION and thus are definitively CORRECT, irregardless of OUTSIDE INDUSTRIAL or COMMERCIAL CONCERNS that OTHERS may hold as IMPORTANT. it is an INTRIGUING WAY to consider the CREATIVE PROCESS and how one maintains a VISION despite the OUTSIZED INFLUENCE of the world of BUSINESS INTERESTS, especially of the CORPORATE VARIETY. how REASONABLE or QUIXOTIC a vision i cannot make a CLEAR, DISCERNING JUDGEMENT because the PROOF is in the pudding as LYNCH is one of the most CELEBRATED living FILM DIRECTORS RENOWNED for FILMS like ERASERHEAD (LIBRA, 1977), BLUE VELVET (DE LAURENTIIS, 1986), THE ELEPHANT MAN (PARAMOUNT, 1980), LOST HIGHWAY (OCTOBER, 1997), MULHOLLAND DRIVE (UNIVERSAL, 2001), and the TRANSFORMATIONAL TELEVISION SERIES TWIN PEAKS (ABC, 1990-1991). DUDE must have done SOMETHING RIGHT along the way. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
seems like just about everyone has a PODCAST these days.
add to the list one JOEL MADDEN, VOCALIST of 2000s MARYLAND POP PUNK ICONS GOOD CHARLOTTE and ALL-AROUND LOS ANGELES SCENESTER. his PODCAST ARTIST FRIENDLY WITH JOEL MADDEN is a one-one-one EXTENDED CONVERSATION / INTERVIEW FORMAT where MADDEN basically reconnects with FRIENDS from the ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY over the years, whether they be from METAL, ALTERNATIVE ROCK or HIP HOP COMMUNITIES, or even other WORLDS like COMEDY and FILM. it is never in doubt how WELL-CONNECTED and LIKED MADDEN is regarding his GUESTS, but what stands out to me about this PODCAST is not the IMPRESSIVE CATALOGUE of PAST INTERVIEWEES, which include BRANDON BOYD & MARK EINZIGER (INCUBUS), LIL WAYNE, VIOLENT J and SHAGGY 2 DOPE (INSANE CLOWN POSSE), RAFA (PRAYERS), CLAUDIO SANCHEZ (COHEED & CAMBRIA), MORGAN LANDER (KITTIE), PETE WENTZ (FALL OUT BOY), JACOBY SHADDIX (PAPA ROACH), MIKE HERRERA (MXPX) and so on, but rather how BANAL, INARTICULATE, UNINQUISITIVE, UNINFORMED and just laughably SELF-REFERENTIAL MADDEN is as an INTERLOCUTOR. it is SHOCKING how POOR of an INTERVIEWER he is. no matter the QUESTION, it all seems to be about him. he just comes off as being particularly NARCISSISTIC, INARTICULATE and UNCURIOUS INDIVIDUAL who maybe sees this PODCAST as a means of generating ATTENTION as his music career has SLOWED-DOWN considerably throughout the years. i routinely leave these CONVERSATIONS with a LIMITED UNDERSTANDING of COMPELLING novel INFORMATION unlike the music-related NO DOGS IN SPACE PODCAST, the SST RECORDS-centric YOU DON'T KNOW MOJACK PODCAST, the DISCHORD RECORDS-centric END ON END PODCAST or MADDEN's own PUNK ROCK PEERS in FAT MIKE (NOFX) and his FAT MIKE's FAT MIC PODCAST, DAMIAN ABRAHAM (FUCKED UP) and his TURNED OUT A PUNK PODCAST or MIKE HERRERA (MXPX) and his NAMESAKE THE MIKE HERRERA PODCAST. there are just so many BETTER OPTIONS with PREPARED, KNOWLEDGABLE and INTELLIGIBLE HOSTS that seem emotionally and intellectually ENGAGED in the TOPIC. i just get the sense from MADDEN that he is just coasting and riding on VIBES with these INTERVIEWS, or worse, using these other ARTISTS to prop up his PUBLIC PROFILE. which oddly feels FITTING for his IMAGE as a hopelessly MEDIOCRE FRONTMAN who once sought further CELEBRITY in the HOLLYWOOD party scene two decades ago. this PODCAST the WOULD-BE VEHICLE to CULTURAL RELEVANCY. i am fairly OPEN-MINDED and will watch or listen to almost anything once, and even i was wondering why i was listening to this after a while. just painfully TERRIBLE STUFF not worth revisiting outside of PRIOR INTEREST in a PARTICULAR GUEST. photo & text by nacrowe
SIDE PROJECTS from KEY MEMBERS of PROMINENT BANDS are always a FASCINATING VEHICLE to parse through as a MUSIC FAN. one sometimes wonders what CREATIVE WEIGHT is being pulled in that seemingly MAGICAL ALCHEMY of VOICES that make-up TRANSCENDENT RECORDS. at least i know i do. such is why the many 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK GROUPS associated with MEMBERS of JANE'S ADDICTION (PORNO FOR PYROS, BANYAN, DECONSTRUCTION, THE PANIC CHANNEL and POLAR BEAR), NIRVANA (including SWEET 75, FOO FIGHTERS, EYES ADRIFT and 3RD SECRET), QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (including THEM CROOKED VULTURES, MONDO GENERATOR, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL), PEARL JAM (including MAD SEASON, HOVERCRAFT, THE ROCKFORDS) and BLUR (GORILLAZ, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE QUEEN, THE WAEVE, ROCKET JUICE & THE MOON, THE JADED HEARTS CLUB) are so INTRIGUING. they reveal another wrinkle about the ARTISTRY and CREATIVE SPARK of each PARTICIPATING MEMBER.
and THE RENTALS, which was initially a DECIDEDLY NEW WAVE / POWER POP SIDE PROJECT / SONGWRITING VEHICLE for WEEZER BASSIST MATT SHARP, showcases such TALENT in doves on his DEBUT RETURN OF THE RENTALS (REPRISE, 1995) ALBUM. in hindsight, given his EVENTUAL DEPARTURE from WEEZER and his LEGACY as the other MAJOR SONGWRITING TALENT in that BAND, it should be NOTED that while THE RENTALS was conceived and executed he was still very much a MEMBER of the GROUP between their ICONIC SELF-TITLED WEEZER (DGC, 1996) and PINKERTON (DGC, 1996) RECORDINGS, which so happen to mark his SOLE CONTRIBUTIONS to their DISCOGRAPHY. longtime FOUNDING WEEZER DRUMMER PAT WILSON even contributes PERCUSSION to RETURN OF THE RENTALS. given that those first two STORIED RECORDINGS are so intensely cherished and beloved by SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS of ALTERNATIVE ROCK fans the world over, eclipsing their SUBSEQUENT decades of releases, such makes RETURN OF THE RENTALS an INTERESTING HISTORICAL DOCUMENT beyond its own MERITS as a GREAT POP RECORD. i think WELL-INTENTIONED but definitely OVER-ZEALOUS WEEZER DEVOTEES over-analyze such for hints at what was to come. not that i care, but i just wanted to state and establish such as an OBVIOUS FACT for the UNINITIATED. in contrast to WEEZER's MELODIC and markedly less AGGRO NEW WAVE-inspired INTERPRETATION of ALTERNATIVE ROCK, RETURN OF THE RENTALS has a more RETRO SYNTH-dominated TRADITIONAL POP SOUND that recalls NOTEWORTHY 80s ACTS like THE CARS and BLONDIE. this NOSTALGIC SONIC AETHETIC is most effectively heard on TRACKS like "PLEASE LET THAT BE YOU," "WAITING," "THE LOVE I'M SEARCHING FOR," "MY SUMMER GIRL" and "FRIENDS OF P." the 90s was an INTERESTING TIME when consciously POST-MODERN acts like BJORK, TRICKY and BECK juxtaposed SONIC TEXTURES, INSTRUMENTATION, PRODUCTION STYLES, TEMPOS and GENRES at will. THE RENTALS was not a part of that EXPERIMENTAL LINEAGE in my opinion as this particular SOUND was not a PASSING INTEREST for SHARP but an AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION as SUBSEQUENT RELEASES will attest. on RETURN OF THE RENTALS, another NOTABLE DEPARTURE from the SOUND of WEEZER is the almost EXCLUSIVE use of FEMALE BACKING VOCALS. this is INTERESTING because a MAJOR ELEMENT of the ORIGINAL SOUND from the FIRST ITERATION of WEEZER was SHARP's UNIQUE FALSETTO BACKING VOCALS which have not been replicated to any MEANINGFUL level of SATISFACTION in the intervening years since. that he would not carry such a TALENT over to this PROJECT is an INTRIGUING CREATIVE DECISION. is a gem of a 90s POP RECORD that is well worth investigating, irrespective of your INTEREST LEVEL in WEEZER or ALTERNATIVE ROCK. although if you come at it from that direction, as i have, in brings along with it a TANTALIZING what-could-have-been CAREER TRAJECTORY of AMAZING SOUNDS that never made it into a WEEZER RECORDING. that probably should have been. one can only DREAM. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
my INTRODUCTION to JPOP BANDS was largely through my experience teaching in JAPAN for a year nearly a decade ago now. while the TECHNICAL MUSICIANSHIP and PRODUCTION QUALITY was usually quite SUPERB regarding their ROCK N ROLL ACTS, there always seemed to be something to be desired in the OUTCOME. sorry to say it INEVITABLE came off a bit SOULLESS and MANUFACTURED. and i dont believe the LANGUAGE BARRIER is necessarily to blame for such as ive been exposed to COUNTLESS PERUVIAN, SENEGALESE, THAI, GERMAN, FRENCH, NIGERIAN and COLOMBIAN GROUPS over the years that have been able to effectively translate that UNIQUE SPONTANEITY and COMMANDING ENERGY that all GREAT MUSIC has despite speaking in a FOREIGN non-ENGLISH TONGUE.
recently i came across the KOBE-based W.O.D. who has a VARIED SOUND that straddles the SONIC BORDERS between DOWN-AND-DIRTY, FUZZED-OUT GARAGE ROCK and the EXPANSIVE SOUNDSCAPES of PSYCH ROCK. very COOL STUFF that is delivered with PRESENCE, PERSONALITY and a VITAL SENSE of URGENCY. one of the better STRAIGHT-UP JAPANESE ROCK BANDS i have come across in a long time and absolutely RECOMMENDED listening for fans (and critics) of the JPOP UNIVERSE.
parody & text by nacrowe
without doubt, DEATH GRIPS is the most EXCITING GROUP to come out in the past two decades. the only other EMERGING BAND ive found myself nearly this INFATUATED with during that same period is DRAB MAJESTY, which is a completely DIFFERENT VIBE, more DOWN-TEMPO and MOODY to DEATH GRIP's UNBRIDLED SONIC EXPERIMENTS and DYNAMIC, BIT-CRUSHING, FIST-BUMPING, GENRE-OBLITERATING AURAL TERRORISM.
when i even consider LIKE-MINDED BANDS from the past, all i can think about are NO WAVE INNOVATORS like SWANS and BUSH TETRAS as well as LOU REED's deliberately ANTI-COMMERCIAL METAL MACHINE MUSIC (RCA, 1975) release the spurred on later EARLY INDUSTRIAL ACTS such as THROBBING GRISTLE and EINSTÃœRZENDE NEUBAUTEN. its all that plus CONFRONTATIONAL / NIHILISTIC HIP HOP with a POLITICAL EDGE a la PUBLIC ENEMY or DEAD PREZ at their most INCENDIARY. that is to say that DEATH GRIPS is a wildly INNOVATIVE BAND with no real PRECEDENT and anything you can point to as a POSSIBLE REFERENCE POINT is likewise beyond GNARLY, EXPERIMENTAL and BADASS. the SACRAMENTO-based TRIO is made up of ZACH HILL, arguably the GREATEST DRUMMER of this (or maybe even any) GENERATION, KEYBOARDIST ANDY MORIN and VOCALIST STEFAN BURNETT, a.k.a. MC RIDE. on TRACKS like "GUILLOTINE (IT GOES YAH)," "KNOWN FOR IT," "THE FEVER (AYE AYE)," "GET GOT," and "NO LOVE" the BAND just seams to completely revel in SONICALLY ASSAULTING its AUDIENCE with UNREPENTANT DISSONANCE and WHITE NOISE while surreptitiously embedding, however SUBTERRANEAN, a PALPABLE sense of MELODY. its just INSANE that SOMETHING so POWERFUL and outright CONFRONTATIONAL and COMPLEX on a SONIC LEVEL maintains any semblance of STRUCTURE and MELODIC COHESION enough to manually tap or head-bop a RECOGNIZABLE BEAT to. its an INTRIGUING DYNAMIC that is quite the ACHIEVEMENT and sounds in its entirety like NOTHING i can immediately point out. its a ONE-OF-ONE SITUATION. likewise the corresponding TRANSGRESSIVE ARTWORK is just as ABSTRACT and tangentially RELATED to the MUSIC. what it provides is a VIBE and a CREATIVE ASSERTION that what you are about to EXPERIENCE is not for the faint of heart. after an unremarkable year living in the suburbs of SACRAMENTO my senior year of high school back in the day, i was absolutely convinced that NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE (besides DEFTONES) would ever come from that CULTURAL BACKWATER. it was just too CONSERVATIVE and BORING. decades later CHELSEA WOLFE, HELLA (featuring ZACH HILL), TERA MELOS and DEATH GRIPS have proved me WRONG MULTIPLE TIMES over. obviously i was gravely MISTAKEN. regardless, DEATH GRIPS is an EXPERIENCE. definitely check them out, especially their DEBUT ALBUM THE MONEY STORE (EPIC, 2012) as well as their previous SELF-RELEASED MIXTAPE EXMILITARY (2011). you will not be disappointed. photo & text by nacrowe
FOLLOW THE LEADER (EPIC, 1998) was an ABSOLUTE GAME-CHANGER of an ALBUM. the BAKERSFIELD-based ALTERNATIVE METAL BAND KORN up until this third album were a bit of a DERIVATIVE MR. BUNGLE act whose UNDERCOOKED SOUND on their two previous EFFORTS, KORN (EPIC, 1994) and LIFE IS PEACHY (EPIC, 1996) - both produced by ROSS ROBINSON (SEPULTURA, GLASSJAW, SLIPKNOT, AT THE DRIVE-IN) - seemed more about TRANSGRESSIVE LYRICAL CONTENT, an OVERLY-DRAMATIC PANTING SINGING STYLE and a seemingly UNPOLISHED and highly IMPROVISATIONAL SONGWRITING AESTHETIC.
my initial introduction to KORN was during my middle school years in NIGERIA through a CLASSMATE from LEBANON and those first two ALBUMS were a VERITABLE SOUNDTRACK to living abroad for the first time in what was undoubtedly a highly VOLATILE environment under a particularly DEVASTATING military dictatorship. in other words, KORN fit that VIBE well with their aggressively FUNK RHYTHMS and unambiguously CONFRONTATIONAL LYRICS regarding RETRIBUTION from the PERSPECTIVE of the VICTIMIZED and UNDER-APPRECIATED. the SONIC and LYRICAL AESTHETIC of those INITIAL RECORDED EFFORTS captured lightning in a bottle in terms of VIBE and ENERGY. but conversely they always felt a little HAPHAZARD and OFF-THE-CUFF, which is something that was addressed on FOLLOW THE LEADER. my sense is that FOLLOW THE LEADER was their first MATURE EFFORT as a BAND fully in COMMAND of their COLLECTIVE VOICE. the PRODUCTION was BEEFIER and more DIRECT while maintaining an EXPERIMENTAL EDGE utilizing to GREAT EFFECT EERY and ODD MODULATING EFFECTS ping-ponging between GUITARISTS BRIAN 'HEAD' WELCH and JAMES 'MUNKY' SHAFFER's DUAL GUITAR ATTACK. part of this is due to the ENGINEERING WORK of TOBY WRIGHT, RENOWNED for his PRODUCTION with ALICE IN CHAINS, FEAR FACTORY and SEVENDUST and among OTHERS, and the result is that the guitars are absolutely MASSIVE and CRUSHING on particularly STANDOUT TRACKS like "FREAK ON A LEASH," "IT'S ON!," "MY GIFT TO YOU," "GOT THE LIFE" and especially "DEAD BODIES EVERYWHERE." FIELDY's BASS GUITAR, always more of a PERCUSSIVE ELEMENT than a MELODIC one on PREVIOUS RELEASES, here maintains that line but does deviate into more INTERESTING (and ironically TRADITIONAL) territory on "RECLAIM MY PLACE" and "CAMELTOSIS" where it covertly propels the MELODY along. but where this ALBUM really SHINES is in the TRANSFORMATION of VOCALIST JONATHAN DAVIS who tempers back his distinctively IDIOSYNCRATIC and HISTRIONIC SINGING STYLE a bit and provides a more DIRECT and EFFECTIVE LINE OF COMMUNICATION to his AUDIENCE. in middle school DAVIS was almost an AVATAR of BLIND RAGE and FRUSTRATION whose PERSONAL DEMONS were so ALL-CONSUMING that they devoured his ability to effectively verbalize those INTENSE EMOTIONS in any COGENT MANNER. on FOLLOW THE LEADER, which is KORN's post-FAME RECORD for all intents and purposes, DAVIS directs such BILE at the HOLLOWNESS of SUCCESS and CELEBRITY CULTURE ("GOT THE LIFE") as well as the walking all-out FREAK SHOW that being part of that COMMUNITY entails ("FREAK ON A LEASH"). that is not to say that it is all DISMAL and SELF-DEFEATING as their is some HUMOR involved with shoutouts and features with their PEERS and TOUR MATES in LIMP BIZKIT and ICE CUBE and a COLLABORATIVE REIMAGINING of "EARACHE MY EYE" with none other than CHEECH MARIN HIMSELF. FOLLOW THE LEADER came out during my freshman year of high school and it felt REFRESHING and COHESIVE relative to their PREVIOUS OUTPUT, as well as the litany of BANDS that followed suit in the years since their 1994 DEBUT. in terms of the SO-CALLED NU METAL MOVEMENT, the only other NOTABLE RELEASE that reached this level of IMPACT and INFLUENCE was the PHENOMENAL LINKIN PARK DEBUT ALBUM HYBRID THEORY (). in my ESTIMATION, those are the two HIGH-WATER MARKS of the GENRE. it felt like KORN were onto something SPECIAL and the years since have provided further EVIDENCE of such given their INFLUENCE over other SEMINAL ACTS in SYSTEM OF A DOWN, MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE, SLIPKNOT, EMMURE and BRING ME THE HORIZON, all HYBRID GROUPS that juxtapose GENRE ELEMENTS to GREAT EFFECT. as for KORN, FOLLOW THE LEADER also marks their COMMERCIAL and ARTISTIC PEAK as SUBSEQUENT RELEASES have mostly sought to recreate FRUITLESSLY the UNIQUE MAGIC of this RECORD with DIMINISHING RETURNS. definitely an ESSENTIAL RECORD by a CONSEQUENTIAL BAND worth revisiting again and again. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
watching the recent RETROSPECTIVE DOCUMENTARY ALL UP IN THE BIZ (MASS APPEAL, 2023) about the LIFE and CAREER of the LATE LONG ISLAND RAPPER BIZ MARKIE is a veritable CULTURAL HISTORY of the EMERGENCE of HIP HOP with many PROMINENT early LUMINARIES paying homage in the process. given that he was such an INTER-GENERATIONALLY BELOVED FIGURE whose IMPACT far exceeded his IMPRINT on the GENRE, which is CONSIDERABLE, his EARLY DEATH at 57 in a BALTIMORE hospital during the COVID era was COMPLETELY SHOCKING. his PASSING followed a lengthy hospital stint that originated with a STROKE followed shortly thereafter by a DIABETIC COMA.
much of his LEGACY revolves around his CHARACTER. always a PRANKSTER and always up for a GOOD TIME. his REAL-LIFE was quite DARK with his MOTHER PASSING AWAY at an early age and a FATHER that put him up in the FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. much of his CHARACTERISTIC HUMOR and LEGENDARY WILD ASIDES was a means of DISTRACTION from feelings of NOT BELONGING and DIMINISHED SELF-WORTH. being POOR and BLACK on LONG ISLAND was a STRUGGLE (BIZ having been born in HARLEM) and his METHOD of relieving TENSION and addressing ADVERSITY was a contagiously FLAMBOYANT and completely DISARMING SENSE of HUMOR. you dont get the SENSE that such was a COMPLETE ACT since BIZ seemed preternaturally PREDISPOSED to bouts of DEEP EMPATHY and COMPASSION, but there is a PERFORMATIVE ASPECT such nonetheless and its COMPELLING that such followed him through his ENTIRE LIFE, in and out of the SPOTLIGHT. what is also INTRIGUING is how he shared the ATTENTION on STAGE, even during the early days of HIP HOP, and helped get TALENTED and fiercely COMPETITIVE ARTISTS he met along the way their FIRST OPPORTUNITIES in the GREATER COMMUNITY. the FILM specifically lists LYRICAL LEGENDS BIG DADDY KANE and RAKIM as such BENEFICIARIES. just on that alone his HIP HOP BONAFIDES are UNTOUCHABLE. the ARTISTS, COLLABORATORS and ADMIRERS that participated and paid HOMAGE to the BIZ include ICONIC PRODUCERS MARLEY MARL and PRINCE PAUL, RAPPERS DARRYL 'DMC' MCDANIELS (RUN-DMC), RAKIM, BIG DADDY KANE, DOUG E. FRESH, ERICK SERMON (EPMD), FAT JOE, DAVE 'TRUGOY THE DOVE' JOLICOEUR & KELVIN 'POSDNUOS' MERCER (DE LA SOUL), DJ JAZZY JEFF, and MASTA ACE, as well as DESIGNERS DAPPER DAN and BENNY THE JEWELER, and COMEDIAN (and PROUD BROOKLYNITE) TRACY MORGAN. and NICK CANNON. i have to admit that in my COMPLETE NAIVETE, i only became aware of the HIP HOP LEGEND in the late 1990s via his INVOLVEMENT with the BEASTIE BOYS' HELLO NASTY (CAPITOL, 1998) RELEASE. it was during his post-CAREER DJ phase when he became more of a BEHIND-THE-SCENES PRODUCER, COLLABORATOR and DJ-for-hire of the HIGHEST ORDER. BIZ was part of a GENERATION of HIP HOP ARTISTS that preceded my own. but instantaneously on record he came off as this TALENTED, GREGARIOUS, LARGER-THAN-LIFE FIGURE who lived for HIP HOP. and to me that CRAZY, CONTAGIOUS ENERGY is the DEFINING TRAIT of the LATE, GREAT BIZ MARKIE. INDUSTRY PEOPLE call him the "CLOWN PRINCE of HIP HOP" but i feel like he opened the doors for a WHOLE COHORT of IDIOSYNCRATIC LYRICISTS to find their way and be accepted as EQUALS in the GENRE, and from the outset. i am talking about PECULIAR INDIVIDUALISTIC ARTISTS like OL' DIRTY BASTARD, ANDRE 3000, KOOL KEITH, TYLER THE CREATOR and DANNY BROWN. BIZ created that LANE. never mind the fact that THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G., A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, NAS, WU-TANG CLAN, JAY-Z, DE LA SOUL and BEASTIE BOYS all are on record as having let know their ABUNDANT PRAISE. dude was a SELFLESS INDIVIDUAL that wanted to make sure EVERYONE around him was ENJOYING THEMSELVES, even when LIFE was NOT PLEASANT or FAIR. to me that sense of COMPASSION, EMPATHY and LOVE was his REAL GIFT to the WORLD and will undoubtedly be his LASTING LEGACY. in a GENRE that seemingly seeks out and consciously profits of of the ELEVATION of TIRED TROPES around NEEDLESS CONFLICT and lionizing TOXIC MASCULINITY, BIZ MARKIE stood as a RESPECTED ELDER STATESMAN that seemingly EVERYONE could agree on and believe in. photo & text by nacrowe
i had an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE of a time TEACHING ANTIGONE, one of the three THEBAN PLAYS attributed to the ANCIENT GREEK TRAGEDIAN SOPHOCLES in the LATE 5TH CENTURE BCE, during my BRIEF TENURE TEACHING at my former high school in KUWAIT. part of this was STRUCTURAL since i was supposed to WORK from LESSON PLANS and utilize FORMAL ASSESSMENTS provided by two SENIOR TEACHERS. that never happened as i was never given such, for what REASON i still havent the FOGGIEST.
but that wasnt the WORST of it. in essence i was supposed to TEACH a TEXT that was inherently about the CONCEPT of FATE versus FREE WILL in a CULTURE that disregarded outright and even FORBADE such talk. over there it was always some VERSION of the REFRAIN "if ALLAH wills it, such will be done" that permanently parked the CONVERSATION firmly in the FATE corner. and then there was the CENTRAL PLOT TRAJECTORY that in essence revolved around INCEST. so there i was, in a country that FORBADE DISCUSSION of, much less ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, of the whole ARGUMENT of FREE WILL and then i was supposed to TEACH ANTIGONE without mentioning the FACT that the MAIN CHARACTER decides to GOUGE HIS EYES OUT due to learning that he unknowingly KILLED HIS FATHER and PROCREATED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH HIS OWN MOTHER. without question it was the WORST EXPERIENCE of my TEACHING CAREER, with NO SUPPORT from my SUPERIORS and a TEXT that was wildly INAPPROPRIATE, INCOMPATIBLE and strikingly OUT-OF-POCKET for the INTELLECTUAL FRAMEWORK and CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT i was WORKING within. i was UNQUESTIONABLY set up for FAILURE is how i look back at it well past a decade later. i still shake my head and wonder what was the point of teaching ANTIGONE in KUWAIT if you cant address it on its own terms? just choose another TEXT. i first read ANTIGONE back during my sophomore year of high school (in the UNITED STATES) and aside from its more outright TRANSGRESSIVE and DRAMATIC aforementioned PLOT ELEMENTS such as PATRICIDE and INCEST, at its core is a META-NARRATIVE surrounding our INDIVIDUAL CONTROL over our own LIVES. ESSENCE versus EXISTENCE. NATURE versus NURTURE. as individuals are we SELF-MADE and EVER-EVOLVING based on KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE and INTUITION or are all our ACTIONS PREDETERMINED at birth, fixed in stone as part of our NATURAL INHERITANCE. as a TOPIC, such is perennially FRUITFUL for classroom DISCUSSION as STAGGERING modern SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES in GENETICS and our INTIMATE UNDERSTANDING of the HUMAN GENOME has pushed the DEBATE FASCINATINGLY further and further towards regarding what we, in fact, INHERIT and how much of our INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR, PREDILECTIONS and even PERSONALITY is a PREDICTABLE and REPEATABLE OUTCOME based on our GENETIC MAKEUP. i worry about where the UNITED STATES is heading because i fear that the DISCUSSION is due to be CLAMPED DOWN and DISREGARDED soon enough by our own TRUMP-aligned REVANCHIST CHRISTIAN NATIONALIST-influenced EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS that wish to tow a similar NARROW and INTELLECTUALLY STUNTED LINE as i experienced in KUWAIT as both an EDUCATOR and a STUDENT. and that deeply DEPRESSES me. its not like INCEST and PATRICIDE is anything new under the sun, i mean, ANTIGONE is more than 2,400 years old at this point. but that is where we seem to be heading as a SOCIETY i FEAR. regardless of the IMPENDING TRUMPOCALYPSE, too many AMERICANS NATIONWIDE have already adopted this line of THINKING. it feels sadly INEVITABLE. i very much hope im WRONG. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
there is SOMETHING about INTERVIEWS with WESTERN BANDS in FOREIGN COUNTRIES, especially JAPAN and SOUTH KOREA, where a lot of the PRETENSE and BULLSHIT gets dropped. its totally UNDERSTANDABLE given the FICKLE and JADED NATURE of the AMERICAN and BRITISH MUSIC PRESS, where seemingly UNINSPIRED RESPONSES to ROUTINE LOADED QUESTIONS are UNNECESSARILY PICKED APART and OVER-ANALYZED for FALSE GATEKEEPING NARRATIVES regarding SUPPOSED AUTHENTICITY and INTENTIONALITY. that or its a PUBLICATION licking the ARTIST up and down in essence for ACCESS to their AUDIENCE for clicks and ad revenue.
its all a game. that is why its so REFRESHING when you come across SOMETHING like THE QUESTION INTERVIEW SERIES by the ONLINE JAPANESE MUSIC PUBLICATION TURN TV. you can tell that the MUSICIANS are trying to ANSWER their QUESTIONS HONESTLY and with a sense of RESPONSIBILITY, knowing full well that they are REPRESENTATIVES of a MUSICAL COMMUNITY, SCENE and CULTURE that they are in effect introducing and acquainting their JAPANESE FANBASE with. its pretty COOL STUFF and the MUSICIANS INTERVIEWED are PAST and CURRENT INDIE ROCK HEAVY-HITTERS, BANDS like SLOWDIVE, IDLES, JAPANESE BREAKFAST, FONTAINES D.C., WEYES BLOOD, TIM BURGESS (THE CHARLATANS), RIDE and THE LINDA LINDAS. and you can tell the FEELING is MUTUAL, which is always NICE. definitely a FUN (and INFORMATIVE) INTERVIEW SERIES well worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
the IMAGINATIVE, INNOVATIVE and highly IDIOSYNCRATIC GUITAR PLAYING of WES BORLAND is undoubtedly a MAJOR ELEMENT in the CRUSHING yet at times ETHEREAL SOUND of JACKSONVILLE NU METAL OUTFIT LIMP BIZKIT, one which was sorely MISSED when he UNCEREMONIOUSLY DEPARTED the BAND in 2001 after the TOURING CYCLE for their IDIOTICALLY-TITLED CHOCOLATE STARFISH AND THE HOT DOG FLAVORED WATER (INTERSCOPE, 2000) RELEASE. as much as the TALENTED and FORMIDABLE RHYTHM SECTION of DRUMMER JOHN OTTO and BASSIST SAM RIVERS was more than CAPABLE of establishing and maintaining a SOLID GROOVE, in BORLAND's ABSENCE there was a COMPLETE DEARTH of MEMORABLE RIFFS that defined the GROUP's SOUND. such was the case on the MEANDERING, FORGETTABLE and thoroughly SUBPAR RESULTS MAY VARY (INTERSCOPE, 2003) ALBUM with BORLAND REPLACEMENT MIKE SMITH of SNOT.
for his part BORLAND went in FULL PURSUIT of NUMEROUS PROJECTS that all maintained a decidedly EXPERIMENTAL EDGE including BIG DUMB FACE, EAT THE DAY, THE DAMNING WELL and BLACK LIGHT BURNS. along with his BROTHER SCOTT, BIG DUMB FACE is an ONGOING (up to present day) ECCENTRIC, MULTI-GENRE PROJECT in the CONCEPTUALLY ABSURDIST yet highly TECHNICAL VEIN of BANDS like WEEN and PRIMUS. this PROJECT is basically BORLAND's ID run completely amok with no stone left unturned with deliberately CONFOUNDING yet GALVANIZING RESULTS. EAT THE DAY was another more STRAIGHT-AHEAD PROJECT with SCOTT that was designed to replace LIMP BIZKIT as BORLAND's main CREATIVE VEHICLE but despite much TIME, EFFORT and countless FRUITLESS AUDITIONS to secure a COMPETENT VOCALIST, this ELUSIVE PROJECT just never quite panned out. likewise, THE DAMNING WELL was a SUPERGROUP of sorts that also didnt pan out which brought together BORLAND with FILTER SINGER RICHARD PATRICK, NINE INCH NAILS GUITARIST DANNY LOHNER and the UBER-GIFTED A PERFECT CIRCLE / THE VANDALS / DEVO DRUMMER JOSH FREESE. for all intents and purposes, BLACK LIGHT BURNS is an EFFECTIVE SOLO VEHICLE, with BORLAND serving as both frontman and MAIN SONGWRITER with FORMER DAMNING WELL PARTICIPANTS in LOHNER and FREESE, along with PRODUCER ROSS ROBINSON (SEPULTURA, KORN, GLASSJAW, THE CURE, AT THE DRIVE-IN), serving as KEY COLLABORATORS on this decidedly SONICALLY AGGRESSIVE and INDUSTRIAL-indebted BAND. to date BLACK LIGHT BURNS for many FANS is his most musically and artistically REALIZED EXPRESSION to date. so why join LIMP BIZKIT? who knows, but i feel part of it was the TEPID RESPONSE from his FORMER AUDIENCE in terms of RELATIVE RECORD SALES and CONCERT ATTENDANCE. i cannot imagine releasing ART as UNCOMPROMISING and BADASS as the debut CRUEL MELODY (I AM: WOLFPACK, 2007) ALBUM and not have such an IMMEDIATE CULTURAL IMPACT as with more MEDIOCRE EFFORTS with LIMP BIZKIT in the past. all this is to say that when LIMP BIZKIT reunited with BORLAND for THE UNQUESTIONABLE TRUTH (PART I) EP (GEFFEN, 2005), from the jump with the SURPRISE PERFORMANCE MUSIC VIDEO of "THE TRUTH," it was obvious the RIFFS and ENERGY was back tenfold. VOCALIST FRED DURST is still very much a LIABILITY, but the INTERNAL CHEMISRY is definitely there. for whatever reason, be it INTERPERSONAL or ALCHEMICAL, this VERSION the band is where all the MEMBERS realized they needed to be. for BORLAND it must have been such a HEADY EXPERIENCE to come to the REALIZATION that DURST, in spite all of his FLAWS, has SOMETHING that cannot be QUANTIFIED and is likewise a VALUABLE ASSET within the CONTEXT of LIMP BIZKIT. in spite of his efforts to the contrary, a BEGRUDGING RESPECT for the LEGACY of the BAND was put in place that has resulted in two SUBSEQUENT RELEASES in GOLD COBRA (INTERSCOPE, 2011) and STILL SUCKS (SURETONE, 2021) that likewise mine that UNIQUE ARTISTIC JUXTAPOSITION between the VERBALLY PROFANE (and KNUCKLE-DRAGGINGLY DIMWITTED) with the sonically SACRED, ETHEREAL, ANGULAR and BRUTAL AURAL LANDSCAPES of the one SUPREME GUITAR WIZARD in BORLAND. THE UNQUESTIONABLE TRUTH (PART I) is not the DEFINITIVE LIMP BIZKIT RELEASE but is an important TRANSITIONAL ALBUM that found the BAND reconnect and reestablish their MUSICAL CHEMISTRY. such is apparent on "THE TRUTH" and "THE PROPAGANDA" specifically. definitely worth checking out but not ESSENTIAL with regards to their catalogue. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i was going through an UNFORTUNATE PHASE recently where i was FEELING pretty DISGRUNTLED about the CURRENT STATE of HIP HOP and the seeming INANITY of MODERN CULTURE with its SOCIAL MEDIA-indebted EMPHASIS on VAIN SELF-BRANDING, HOLLOW, ATTENTION-SEEKING GIMMICKS and LAME MARKETING SCHEMES as opposed to AUTHENTIC ARTISTRY and some IOTA of HUMILITY. i kept thinking back to MCs from my childhood (i.e. BUSTA RHYMES, JAY-Z, BIG PUN, TUPAC, MADLIB, ANDRE 3000, EMINEM, BLACK THOUGHT, NAS and Q-TIP) that even at their most BRAGGADOCIOUS always seemingly maintained some SEMBLANCE of a RESPECT for the LINEAGE and TRADITION of the ART FORM itself, knowing full well that they were the CONTEMPORARY STEWARDS of such.
i kept trying to think if there was ANYONE more RECENT that i had FORGOTTEN that was firmly in that SAME CULTURAL VEIN. and then it hit me, i remembered those INCREDIBLE mid-to-late 2000s RECORDS by the ENGLISH RAPPER and PRODUCER THE STREETS such as ORIGINAL PIRATE MATERIAL (LOCKED ON, 2002), A GRAND DON'T COME FOR FREE (LOCKED ON, 2004) and EVERYTHING IS BORROWED (VICE, 2008). what always struck me about the MUSIC of MIKE SKINNER was his VULNERABILITY. even more so than his HYPER-LITERATE RHYME SCHEMES and his identifiably LAIDBACK BRUMMIE FLOW, it always felt like his THE STREETS PERSONA was centered around his CHARACTER-BUILDING RESPONSES to LIFE's SEVERE DISAPPOINTMENTS and FAILURES. things i knew i could relate to like FEELINGS of INADEQUACY related to LOVE, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, FRIENDSHIP and the STRUGGLE to stay EMOTIONALLY AFLOAT. when i devoured those EARLY RECORDS during my undergraduate and post-collegiate years, such OPEN DISCUSSION of REAL STRUGGLES hit me as unquestionably AUTHENTIC and even COURAGEOUS, as most MCs are more optimistically (and understandably) FOCUSED on the COME-UP then the INEVITABLE COME-DOWN. remembering of those RECORDS made me go back and revisit his CATALOGUE as well as appreciate more RECENT QUALITY OUTPUT in NONE OF US ARE GETTING OUT OF THIS LIFE... (ISLAND, 2020) and THE DARKER THE SHADOW THE BRIGHTER THE LIGHT (679, 2023). all this to say that THE STREETS is definitely worth checking out. |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
November 2024
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