i am well aware that the RECENTLY concluded FIRST SEASON of DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN (DISNEY+, 2025) is a CONTINUATION, of sorts, of the FORMER NETFLIX SERIES and has been hinted at by PAST CAMEOS on SHE HULK, ECHO and SPIDERMAN PROPERTIES ever since MARVEL got the RIGHTS back from WARNER BROS a number of YEARS ago.

i get it and i dont care about any of that INSIDE BASEBALL FANBOY HORSESHIT.

at best i am a CASUAL FAN of the MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE.  i didnt read SUPERHERO COMICS as a CHILD, even when i was in EARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL i found them pretty LAME and INSIPID.  as a FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER i appreciate them on the LEVEL of their UNIQUE ABILITY to provide IMPLICIT COMMENTARY on the FORMIDABLE ECONOMIC and POLITICAL MACHINATIONS and SUBSEQUENT ILLS of SOCIETY through the POWER of ALLEGORY.  such is where DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN really shines in its BRUTAL and TIMELY PRESENTATION of a BURGEONING AUTOCRAT's CHARACTER ARC to ABSOLUTE POWER and the COMPLEX ROLE of the SUPPLICANTS and TRUE BELIEVERS who aided and abetted that SORRY TRAJECTORY through MOTIVATIONS that range from OPPORTUNISTIC to ASPIRATIONAL.  for all the ON-SCREEN CRUELTY and PHYSICAL SAVAGERY of some of these INTENSE FIGHT SEQUENCES, and they are quite BARBAROUS (to the POINT that it is DIFFICULT to believe this is a DISNEY PROPERTY quite HONESTLY), such is a SMOKESCREEN for the REAL DEPRAVITY and INHUMANITY at the HEART of the NARRATIVE.  such being the RANK-AND-FILE PUBLIC SERVANTS who fall in line and allow THEMSELVES to be corrupted in the FACE of such EVIL.  those CHOICES EM MASS are the FULCRUM from which this NARRATIVE balances upon the PRECIPICE of.  its a pretty REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT.

and the DIRECT SYMMETRY with that of the TRUMP ADMINISTRATION 2.0 is OBVIOUS and rather BREATHTAKING in its BOLD DEPICTION of SOCIETY CRUMBLING at the FEET of a TYRANT.  VINCENT D'ONFRIO'S PRESENTATION of his WILSON FISK / KINGPIN CHARACTER is ASTOUNDING in its PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPTH and SUBTLE BEHAVIORAL TICS for MANIPULATION that allow a MOB BOSS to MANIPULATE and COERCE through FEAR and INTIMIDATION, creating a PERMISSION STRUCTURE for OTHERS to carry out DESPICABLE ACTS in his stead, for his AMUSEMENT, on their own INDEPENDENT ACCORD.  you can see such now CONTEMPORANEOUSLY with ICE RAIDS on NATIONWIDE COLLEGE CAMPUSES, PROTESTS and JOB SITES and the EXTRAJUDICIAL SHENANIGANS taking place with the LAWLESS EXTRADITION of UNDESIRED PARTIES to EL SALVADOR PRISONS sans HABEUS CORPUS guaranteed by the CONSTITUTION.  never mind the PATHETIC PATSYS and USEFUL IDIOTS like PAM BONDI, PETE HEGSETH, ROBERT F KENNEDY JR, TULSI GABBARD, SEAN DUFFY, KRISTI NOEM, LINDA MCMAHON, ELISE STEFANIK and MARCO RUBIO who collectively allowed such CORRUPTION, CRIMINALITY and ABJECT CRUELTY to manifest upon the WEAKEST, POOREST and most DESPERATE among us.  SHAME on all of THEM.

we are truly in DIRE TIMES and i am really THANKFUL that DISNEY allowed their CREATIVE TEAMS to devise SOMETHING so POIGNANT, THOUGHTFUL and SUBVERSIVE during this POINT in our COLLECTIVE HISTORY as a NATION.  good for them.

i was born in the mid 1980s and as such was pretty YOUNG when quite a few CONSEQUENTIAL, if not EPOCHAL, ALTERNATIVE ROCK ALBUMS were released in QUICK SUCCESSION in the early 1990s.  i would even go so far as to say i became CONSCIOUS of CONTEMPORARY BANDS starting around the mid 1990s while i was still a PRE-TEEN.  such being the CASE there are quite a few SIMILAR-SOUNDING, mostly MID-TEMPO AMERICAN ROCK AND ROLL BANDS in the EARNEST and CONFESSIONAL SINGER-SONGWRITER MOLD that came to PROMINENCE in the late 80s and early 90s that i COMPLETELY MISSED THE BOAT on, most NOTABLY MINNEAPOLIS' SOUL ASYLUM, SANTA BARBARA's TOAD THE WET SPROCKET, TEMPE's GIN BLOSSOMS, RICHMOND's CRACKER and BOSTON's THE LEMONHEADS. 

i feel like with CULTURAL MATTERS, things like one's MEMORY and LIVED EXPERIENCE are absolutely INTEGRAL to attaching MEANING to IMPACTFUL MUSIC, FILM, LITERATURE and ART in general.  and i am more than a bit fascinated by my own MUSICAL BLINDSPOT during this SPECIFIC ERA that was right before i got into MUSIC.  as ive gotten OLDER ive connected with TONS of ACTS from the NEAR and DISTANT PAST of VARYING GENRES, but with this TYPE of BAND from this ERA i find that i am continually finding MORE and MORE GROUPS i previously OVERLOOKED for no GOOD REASON. 

such is the DEFINITELY the CASE with THE LEMONHEADS, who are in ESSENCE the COMMERCIAL VEHICLE for SINGER-SONGWRITER EVAN DANDO.  the BAND has included an EXTENSIVE LIST of PROMINENT, FORMER MEMBERS in BILL STEVENSON (DESCENDENTS, BLACK FLAG), JULIANA HATFIELD, PATRICK MURPHY (DINOSAUR JR), KARL ALVAREZ (DESCENDENTS, ALL) and KENNY LYON (NOFX) among MANY OTHERS.  their CELEBRATED fifth ALBUM IT'S A SHAME ABOUT RAY (ATLANTIC, 1992) included their ROLLING, HAZY, NOSTALGIC SINGLE of the SAME NAME that was REPORTEDLY inspired by a NEWSPAPER ARTICLE about a BOY in AUSTRALIA that kept getting kicked out of DIFFERENT SCHOOLS to the POINT that NOBODY knew what to do with him.  the SONG THEMATICALLY deals with FEELINGS of SOCIAL ISOLATION and the PERILS of maintaining a LISTLESS, LESS-THAN INDUSTRIOUS EXISTENCE which became something of an ANTHEM for the SO-CALLED SLACKER GENERATION that was GENERATION X.  as a MILLENNIAL, when i hear "IT'S A SHAME ABOUT RAY," or watch its JOHNNY DEPP-starring MUSIC VIDEO, i dont hear any of that.  instead i just hear a BLAND yet MILDLY MEMORABLE TRACK in the CONFESSIONAL SING-SONGWRITER VEIN that utilizes DANDO's VOICE as a DRONE of sorts in the CHORUS.  maybe to BOOMERS or the SILENT and GREATEST GENERATIONS SONGS like this hit a RAW NERVE in that their YOUTH was spent dealing with CONFLICTS in VIETNAM, KOREA and/or WORLD WAR II, not pining over some VAGUE SENSE of PURPOSE or MEANING during a TIME of MATERIAL PLENTY (thus the DENIGRATORY SLACKER TAG).

i dont know.  this is all from a TIME before me and it wasnt my FIGHT.  the SONG is pretty MEDIOCRE and is the OBVIOUS HIGHLIGHT from the ALBUM OUTSIDE of their later STANDALONE HIT COVER of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "MRS. ROBINSON" that was added-on CYNICALLY for SUBSEQUENT RE-RELEASES.  again, im not BIG on PAUL SIMON at all like BOOMERS are, so yeah, its pretty much a MEH from me OVERALL.  not a TERRIBLE RELEASE but not SOMETHING i gravitate to at all, much like with SIMILAR ROCK AND ROLL BLAND FARE from the likes of COUNTING CROWS, SOUL ASYLUM, GIN BLOSSOMS, COLLECTIVE SOUL or BETTER THAN EZRA from the SAME PERIOD.  definitely BETTER BANDS out there to investigate than THE LEMONHEADS. 

this RECORD is thus a HARD PASS for me.

SECT is just a NO BULLSHIT, DOWN-THE-LINE, BRUTAL METALLIC HARDCORE BAND made up of members of EARTH CRISIS, RACETRAITOR and UNDYING among OTHERS.  im just feeling so fed up with the turn AMERICAN SOCIETY has taken in the past few months and have been searching for ANYTHING MUSICALLY to constructively sublimate that UNCEASING RAGE and FRUSTRATION at.  with UNCOMPROMISING LYRICS that deal squarely with SYSTEMATIC RACISM, ECONOMIC SLAVERY, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHES, DRUG USE and the ANIMAL INDUSTRY, SECT is no doubt a an APT VEHICLE for such AGGRESSION.

definitely a BAND well worth checking out.

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the ICONIC ALTERNATIVE ROCK BAND THE SMASHING PUMPKINS.
​
​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

the BAKERSFIELD ALTERNATIVE METAL / NU METAL BEHEMOTH that is KORN was an EVER-PRESENT PRESENCE in my CHILDHOOD, especially once i was made aware of THEM via a MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSMATE shortly after their SELF-TORTURED sophomore LIFE IS PEACHY (EPIC, 1996) RELEASE.  each of their SUCCESSIVE RELEASES followed me throughout my PRIMARY and SECONDARY SCHOOL YEARS to the point that their FIFTH STUDIO ALBUM UNTOUCHABLES (EPIC, 2002) was released shortly after i graduated from HIGH SCHOOL.  as such i see those first five RELEASES with the ORIGINAL LINEUP as almost a SET since their QUALITY remained so consistently STELLAR.  i believe, and i am not ALONE in this OPINION, that the FOLLOW-UP (and FINAL) RELEASE to feature the ORIGINAL LINEUP TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR (EPIC, 2003) is UNDERSTANDABLY where KORN FELL-OFF as an INNOVATIVE CREATIVE UNIT.  and the NEVER RECOVERED in my OPINION.

but what makes UNTOUCHABLES stand out is UNDOUBTEDLY the PRODUCTION. but first some CONREXT.  

for their first two KORN, KORN (EPIC, 1995) and LIFE IS PEACHY, KORN worked with UPSTART PRODUCER ROSS ROBINSON (SEPULTURA, AT THEM DRIVE-IN, GLASSJAW, THE CURE) who is RENOWNED for his ABILITY to actively spur, manipulate and ever coerce a PRIMAL PERFORMANCE from his CLIENTS.  as such, VOCALIST JONATHAN DAVIS established his MANIC, SELF-PUNISHING VOCAL TANTRUMS as a key MAINSTAY COMPONENT of his CELEBRATED and massively INFLUENTIAL STYLE via those two ROBINSON-produced RECORDINGS. LIFE IS PEACHY saw the BAND EXPERIMENT with a more immediately ROBUST and BEEFIER SOUND via a COLLABORATION with NOTED PRODUCER TOBY WRIGHT (ALICE IN CHAINS, SLAYER, FEAR FACTORY, SEVENDUST, THE BLOOD BROTHERS, SLIPKNOT).  then FINALLY ISSUES (EPIC, 1999) saw them work with the FAMOUSLY COLLABORATIVE MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST / COMPOSER / PRODUCER BRENDAN O'BRIEN (PEARL JAM, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, INCUBUS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MASTODON) whose ETHOS was more about capturing a by-definition TRANSIENT MOMENT and INTER-MUSICIAN CHEMISTRY then imposing a certain PRECONCEIVED SOUND.  each PRODUCER is NOTEWORTHY for their IDIOSYNCRATIC PHILOSOPHIES regarding the capturing of RECORDED SOUND and the RESULTS speak for themselves as each ALBUM showcased a DIFFERENT ASPECT of the BAND, the MUSICIANSHIP and their SONGWRITING.

with UNTOUCHABLES KORN went with the decidedly PERFECTIONIST MICHAEL BEINHORN (SOUNDGARDEN, HOLE, MARILYN MANSON, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) who is NOTORIOUS for his LONG RECORDING SESSIONS in which he is going for TECHNICAL AURAL PERFECTION.  as an UNCOMPROMISING TASK-MASTER of GIL NORTON-levels of ABSOLUTE INSANITY, he has garnered somewhat of a DESERVED REPUTATION for causing BAND MEMBERS, usually DRUMMERS, to drop out and quit GROUPS during the RECORDING PROCESS after being pushed beyond their TECHNICAL CAPACITIES and, USUALLY, being replaced on RECORD by a WAITING SESSION ACE.  perhaps BEINHORN is best known and CELEBRATED for his PRODUCTION WORK on SOUNDGARDEN's LANDMARK SUPERUNKNOWN (A&M, 1994) RELEASE, for whose RECORDING and MIX (done by O'BRIEN i should add) is still very much an ASPIRATIONAL INDUSTRY MEASURING STICK for QUALITY nearly thirty plus years later.  so when i listen to the SEAMLESS TRANSITIONS and SPECTACULAR GROOVES on TRACKS like "THOUGHTLESS," "ALONE I BREAK" and "HERE TO STAY," the latter of which being my UNQUESTIONED vote for GREATEST KORN TRACK ever, my IMMEDIATE THOUGHT is the REPETITION needed and DOGGED, UNYIELDING PATIENCE to pull such off TECHNICALLY as well as PSYCHOLOGICALLY.  there is no IMMEDIACY to the TRACK on these ALBUMS, no DIRECT PUNCHINESS that comes from a PUNK-inspired LOOSENESS when recording HALF-CONSIDERED COMPOSITIONS on the fly.  this is a VERITABLE FREIGHT TRAIN of a SONIC PRODUCTION that comes with UNDERSTANDING all the COMPONENT PARTS and constructing them TOGETHER in TIRELESS FASHION until they fit FLAWLESSLY to PERFECTION.

to my ears as a COHERENT STATEMENT of PURPOSE, KORN and LIFE IS PEACHY are the true DEFINITIVE KORN ALBUMS.  such provide a LOOSENESS and a CREATIVE SPACE for HUMAN FALLIBILITY in the GROOVE.  UNTOUCHABLES is the OPPOSITE END of that SPECTRUM and presents an equally POTENT ARGUMENT for how KORN should sound if the OPPOSITE were TRUE.  as such i feel that those first five ALBUMS complement each other well as the SONGWRITING was consistently high and the PALPABLE PASSION was very much the COMMON DENOMINATOR.  after such the BAND lost the PLOT a bit and started to repeat ERAS until there RADICAL LEFT TURN with THE PATH OF TOTALITY (ROADRUNNER, 2011) and its ADVENTUROUS FORAY into DUBSTEP and EDM almost a DECADE later.

there is something about ART that is depicted at HUMAN SCALE that just hits DIFFERENT.  especially PHOTOGRAPHY.  the late ELSA DORFMAN was a PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER who got her start as a SECRETARY for GROVE PRESS in the early 1960s and thus had a front-row seat to after-hours happenings with the COUNTERCULTURE LITERATI, everyone from ALLEN GINSBERG, BOB DYLAN, LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI, DENISE LEVERTOV, GREGORY CORSO, ANAIS NIN, JONATHAN RICHMAN (THE MODERN LOVERS), ROBERT CREELEY, STEVEN TYLER (AEROSMITH) and PETER ORLOVSKY among OTHERS.  all of whom she DISCRETELY photographed at a MOMENT of EASE. eventually DORFMAN became WELL-KNOWN for the UNUSUAL PORTRAITURE she conducted for DECADES from her CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS STUDIO, which included the LARGE-SCALE POLAROID SPECIALTY FORMAT of 20 x 24.

in a SENSE CINEMA is the PEFECT VEHICLE for evaluating LARGE-SCALE PHOTOGRAPHY, itself being OVERSIZED in and of ITSELF.  as showcased in ERROL MORRIS' PROFOUND DOCUMENTARY THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN'S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY (FOURTH FLOOR, 2017), there is a undeniably POTENT INTIMACY that comes with that LEVEL of DETAIL presented at that SUBSTANTIVE a SIZE.  which is absolutely INTRIGUING because the COMMERCIAL INTENT of the MASS-PRODUCED POLAROID was to make PHOTOGRAPHY unambiguously ACCESSIBLE to EVERYONE, with the ENTIRE SHOOTING and DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INSTANTANEOUSLY taking only a FEW MINUTES at most.  the fact that such maintains its SENSE of IMMEDIACY and FAMILIARITY of a FLEETING MOMENT at such a impractically MASSIVE SCALE is HEART-WARMING to consider.  maybe that is the SPECIAL MAGIC of PHOTOGRAPHY ITSELF or perhaps even the UNEXPECTED PROFUNDITY of DORFMAN's GIFT.

throughout the FILM DORFMAN often discusses her own ARTISTIC LIMITATIONS and the CUMBERSOME NATURE of the CAMERA ITSELF, of which only six were ever built and are a particularly STUBBORN ARTIFACT of a PREVIOUS AGE in which the MARRIAGE of MECHANICS, CHEMISTRY and SPECTROMETRY are seen dancing in an UNEASY UNION. she speaks about her STRAIGHTFORWARD PROCESS regarding her INTERACTION with her SUBJECT, being interested in LITERALLY only SURFACES and that PHILOSOPHICALLY her WORK can only function with what is SOLELY provided to her by the SUBJECT.  she is not preoccupied in UNVEILING SOULS or PERSONALITIES, but rather the PHYSICALITY of our TENTATIVE CORPOREAL STATE.  it is all a PART of a truly UNRULY and UNTENABLE PROCESS,  while looking at a PRINT of an ALLEN GINSBERG LARGE-SCALE PORTRAIT DORFMAN makes the POIGNANT OBSERVATION that such a SYSTEM will never be seen again, so IMPRACTICAL the PROCESS and ANTIQUATED the TECHNOLOGY.  in spite of all of these SELF-IMPOSED RESERVATIONS about her own WORK and the SEVERE OBSTINATE NATURE of the CAMERA and FILM ITSELF, what comes through is a DISTINCT FOCUS on the UNADULTERATED HUMAN FORM and the INNATE FRAGILITY of it. 

maybe it is the SCALE and/or maybe it is the UNWAVERING DEGREE of DETAIL, like a CHUCK CLOSE CLOSE-UP, but what endures when viewed in SERIES with the SAME SUBJECT is that the PRESENT MOMENT and our PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE of it is PAINFULLY TRANSITORY at best, with all THINGS continually SHIFTING and EVOLVING/DETERIORATING.

ARGUABLY DORFMAN's most REVEALING SUBJECT is HERSELF, having tested out the CAMERA with SELF-PORTRAITS CONTINUALLY through the YEARS.  you see in UNSPARING DETAIL given the SCALE and CLARITY of the PHOTOGRAPHS the RAVAGES that TIME puts on her BODY, the SAGGING OF HER SKIN, the DOWNWARD DROOP OF HER JAWLINE, the WINNOWING OF HER HAIR and the INEVITABLE BENDING DOWNWARD OF HER POSTURE.  it is both HORRIFIC and SUBLIME.  never mind the FACT that she, as well as her SUBJECTS are ALWAYS smiling and looking their CAMER-READY BEST - a REPEATED CRITICISM of her WORK by ART GALLERIES, DEALERS and AGENTS alike.  it is beside the point, i see her PHOTOGRAPHS and i see our FRAGILE MORTALITY.  plus her WORK is now a PART of the COLLECTIONS at THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY (WASHINGTON DC), THE HARVARD ART MUSEUMS (CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS), THE SAN FRANCISCO MUSUEM OF MODERN ART and THE PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART (MAINE).

during her SHOOTS she would take TWO PHOTOGRAPHS per SESSION.  one was chosen by the CLIENT and the other, what she deemed the B-SIDE, was kept by her.  the ARCHIVE she amassed over DECADES is ESSENTIALLY a STOCKPILE of B-SIDES.  or to put it more bluntly: REJECTED PHOTOGRAPHS.  in the FILM DORFMAN showcases many of these B-SIDES with the VERSIONS bought by her CLIENTS and usually the more COMPELLING of the PAIR are the B-SIDES because SOMEONE is UNINTENTIONALLY BREAKING the STRUCTURE by BLINKING and SNEEZING, allowing COMPETING REALITIES to set in and be documented for POSTERITY. 

the UNSTATED IMPLICATION is that DOCUMENTARIES almost function in this SAME MANNER, that there is an OPPORTUNITY COST to showcasing or imposing one NARRATIVE over another, relaying IMAGES in one order over another, shooting from an ANGLE, the IMPLEMENTATION of a COLOR CODING SCHEME and all the other COUNTLESS MYRIAD of UNCONSCIOUS DECISION-MAKING that UNDOUBTEDLY impacts the FINAL PRODUCT.  MORRIS, much like DORFMAN, ceases CREATIVE CONTROL over the PROCESS at some POINT and just reveals their own HUMANITY on the PROJECT despite THEMSELVES.  MORRIS may OUTRIGHT DISREGARD her ARTISTIC BONAFIDES and ABILITIES, but the WORK does such in spite of HERSELF.  it just emanates from her and like those unnervingly REVEALING PORTRAITS of GINSBURG she cries over, i know doubt see this LOVINGLY-CONSTRUCTED FILM as a SIMILAR POINT of DOCUMENTED REMEMBRANCE and SHARED MEMORY for her HUSBAND HARVEY and SON ISAAC in the wake of her PASSING in 2020.

THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN'S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY is a uniquely MOVING and POIGNANT FILM about the NATURE and POWER of ART and the fact that  DORFMAN's CAREER was a B-SIDE to no one.  highly recommended.

ART in the MODERN DIGITAL AGE has this LAMENTABLE REPUTATION for being a FRIVOLOUS, FOO FOO ACTIVITY pursued by ELITIST TWITS with no PRACTICAL RELEVANCE or DIRECT APPLICATION to the COLD ECONOMIC REALITIES of COMMERCE and the REAL WORLD.  such an UNFORTUNATE and patently UNFAIR STANDING in the UNITED STATES has resulted in the EFFECTIVE DEFUNDING of MUSIC and ART DEPARTMENTS for DECADES due to this SUPPOSED UTILITARIAN LINE OF LOGIC.

WHAT ART DOES: AN UNFINISHED THEORY (FABER & FABER, 2025) by BRIAN ENO and BETTE ADRIAANSE presents a counter-argument to the FUNCTIONAL IMPORTANCE of an APPRECIATION of the ARTS and how such elevates the PRODUCTIVE POSSIBILITIES of the INDIVIDUAL in a CONTEMPORARY CONSUMERIST SOCIETY.  CENTRAL to this THEORY are CONCEPTIONS surrounding PLAY and FEELING.  ART in essence allows us to tapping into and adopting INTERIOR WORLDS of PLAY and FEELING where neither have a REAL-WORLD CONSEQUENCE.  ART thus functions as a WINDOW into this ULTERIOR MODE of EXISTENCE and allows the INDIVIDUAL the OPPORTUNITY to consider how they would function within such CONSTRAINTS and, just as IMPORTANTLY, how they would FEEL about such.  much like how CHILDREN take on ADULT ROLES in play-acting DOCTORS, CARE-GIVERS, PILOTS and so on, we all are part of a SIMILAR PROCESS when watching a FILM or PLAY, going to the BARBER, take in a PAINTING, dressing up in the morning or reading a NOVEL.  we are EXPANDING our IMAGINATION and SENSE of CONSCIOUSNESS by play-acting and taking STOCK of our EMOTIONAL ASSESSMENT of a NOVEL SITUATION or SET of CIRCUMSTANCES.  thus when ACTUAL SOCIETAL CHANGE entails we are somewhat PREPARED due to having MENTALLY explored SIMILAR SITUATIONS in a CONSEQUENCE-FREE ENVIRONMENT. 

both ENO and ADRIAANSE also tap into this EXPANSIVE IDEA of ART as a MEANS of imagining the IMPLICATIONS of FUTURE REALITY.  SCIENCE is often FALSELY seen as a LEGITIMATE FOCUS of INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY WORTHY of FUNDING and CAPITAL EXPENDITURE in COMPARISON to ART which is often DERIDED as a highly SPECULATIVE and SUPERFICIAL PURSUIT.  both WRITERS see such not as RELATED in OPPOSITION but TWO SIDES of the SAME COIN with SCIENCE exploring the FUNCTIONAL BASIS of the OUTSIDE WORLD and ART our INTERIOR REACTION to such.  its all WELL and GOOD to conceptualize and understand VARIOUS ASPECTS of our PHYSICAL UNIVERSE and its MYRIAD of GUARDED SECRETS, but without a PROPER MEANS of processing such INSIGHTS and IMPLICATIONS on our UNDERSTANDING of SELF renders it almost USELESS in a SENSE.  the two go hand in hand, ART and SCIENCE, according to ENO and ADRIAANSE.

its DIFFICULT not to find these CONCEPTS and IMPLICATIONS surrounding PLAY and FEELING pretty COMPELLING.  oftentimes this BLOG is my VENUE for engaging with the WORLD and making SENSE of TRADITIONAL FILMS, BOOKS, RECORDS and VARIOUS ONLINE CONTENT i am bombarded with on a DAILY BASIS.  it is my way of processing such and attempting to come to some SENSE of UNDERSTANDING about how such COMPLICATES and ENRICHES my EXISTENCE as a CONSCIOUS BEING in this TRANSIENT CORPOREAL FORM.  my HOPE is that these IDEAS will take root at the EDGES and HOPEFULLY begin the PROCESS of reshaping how SOCIETY looks at ART and get away from this MBA MODE of thinking that is LITERALLY KILLING the PLANET, or at least our PROSPECTS of surviving along with it. 

ART is there to be PRACTICAL and MEANINGFUL for an UNDETERMINED AUDIENCE for an UNIDENTIFIABLE PERIOD of TIME for an UNKNOWN PURPOSE.  WHAT ART DOES basically dislocates the CONCEPTION that the UTILITY of ART in a CAPITALIST SYSTEM, as such can potentially have a LONGER SHELF LIFE that may prove RESONANT with LATER GENERATIONS in FUTURE CONTEXTS.  its PURPOSE and MEANING is ever EXPANDING and being contextualizing as CIRCUMSTANCES SHIFT.  UNDERSTANDING such requires one to not be LIMITED in CONCEPTION, but to think both CRITICALLY and EXPANSIVELY for a MOMENT.

and it starts with a LITTLE IMAGINATION.

in the CONTRIVED WORLD of the MALE-DOMINATED MUSIC GEAR YOUTUBE SPHERE there is one that stands out by far, that being CLASSICALLY-SPHERE HARPIST EMILY HOPKINS.  yes, i said that CORRECTLY, a HARPIST who demoes MUSIC GEAR, including GUITAR PEDALS.  HOPKINS holds two DEGREES from HUNTER COLLEGE and regularly works as a COMPOSER having written and recorded for FEATURE FILM and VIDEO GAME PROJECTS alike.  as a PERFORMER she has played her at everywhere from CARNEGIE HALL to SUBWAY PLATFORMS across the CITY.

HOPKINS maintains two YOUTUBE CHANNELS, one focused on MUSIC TECHNOLOGY and the other a more TRADITIONAL DEMOING PLATFORM.  being PROMINENT YOUNG WOMAN on a SUCCESSFUL YOUTUBE CHANNEL REGRETTABLY in our TOXIC ONLINE CULTURE also entails a CERTAIN LEVEL of EXPECTED SEXUAL HARASSMENT and UNREPENTANT MISOGYNY in the COMMENTS SECTIONS of her VIDEOS.  what i appreciate about HOPKINS, apart from her TALENT and SELF-DEPRECATING SENSE of HUMOR, is her PRETERNATURAL ABILITY to MERCILESSLY EVISCERATE these SORRY GOONS on her CHANNEL.  that FLAVOR of NO F'S GIVEN TEMPERAMENT reminds me of my ridiculously INTENSE RELATIVES in LONG ISLAND, which is of course where HOPKINS hails from.  its PURE CONTENT GOLD and a SOURCE of CONTINUING ENTERTAINMENT to witness that side of her PERSONALITY unleashed on these PATHETIC, ATTENTION-SEEKING BETA-MALES.

a TALENTED LONG ISLAND HARPIST who demoes GUITAR PEDALS with a NO BULLSHIT ATTITUDE.  this may just be the most PERFECT CONCEIT for a YOUTUBE CHANNEL, like ever.  just saying.  definitely worth checking out.

in the WAKE of the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK explosion of the early 1990s there was a rather PREDICTABLE WAVE of SO-CALLED POST-GRUNGE BANDS that took the SONIC TEMPLATE innovated by the likes of ALICE IN CHAINS, SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM and NIRVANA and just ran with it.  as a RESULT most of these GROUPS were pretty DERIVATIVE and UNIMAGINATIVE with their SOUND and PRESENTATION.  no doubt during this period that CULTURAL MOVEMENT was decidedly on the WAIN, but such did not deter a SELECT FEW who took the ARTISTIC BATON and attempted to augment such with their own DISTINCT SONIC SENSIBILITIES. 

​i consider the TORONTO-based OUR LADY PEACE to be of the LATER COHORT of INVENTIVE POST-GRUNGE BANDS along with the likes of EVE 6, TRIPPING DAISY and THIRD EYE BLIND.  they are just a little too ECCENTRIC and UNIQUE to be derided as SECOND-RATE ANYTHING with VOCALIST RAINE MAIDA's VOCAL DELIVERY being ADMITTEDLY something of an ACQUIRED TASTE (not unlike the UNCONVENTIONAL VOICES of PERRY FARRELL, BRETT ANDERSON, TOM DELONGE or DOLORES O'RIORDAN) and SONGS that are UNDENIABLE MELODIC and WELL-CONSTRUCTED.

i should admit however that BACK IN THE DAY, as well as RIGHT NOW, i was never an ADMIRER of OUR LADY PEACE.  their SONGS were not particularly MEMORABLE and honestly they got lost in the MIX back during that ERA.  that is not to say that i dont RESPECT their ARTISTIC INTEGRITY or SUBSEQUENT CAREER LONGEVITY, having proven themselves to be a MAINSTAY of the PERIOD.  its just that SINGLES like "CLUMSY," "SUPERMAN'S DEAD," "AUTOMATIC FLOWERS," "4am" and "CARNIVAL" off of their DEFINITIVE SOPHOMORE RELEASE CLUMSY (COLUMBIA, 1997) were perfectly FINE and uniquely them but nothing particularly SPECIAL to my EARS.  its just a TASTE THING and not a JUDGEMENT CALL since i do admire their WORK ETHIC, the COMMUNITY they built and the PRIDE they maintained in CONTEMPORARY ROCK AND ROLL BANDS from CANADA.

just not my CUP OF TEA and thats OK.  i still think PEOPLE should check this ALBUM out and come to their own DETERMINATION.

now i fully acknowledge that the ICONIC BLUR GUITARIST GRAHAM COXON is in ABSOLUTELY no need of ASSISTANCE from ME or this BLOG for RECOGNITION or PRAISE.  in fact, i get the FEELING he is UNCOMFORTABLE with that sort of ATTENTION from ANYONE, but im gonna give it to him anyways while trying not to come off as too much of a COMPLETE FANBOY (err, too late).  COXON has long been my FAVORITE BRITISH MUSICIAN, especially when i was growing up in the 1990s in NIGERIA where i was introduced to BLUR of all things by ENGLISH CLASSMATES.  i always thought his playing in that BAND was ECLECTIC, MEMORABLE and highly INVENTIVE.

so much so in FACT that i believe COXON, similar to other LUMINARIES in JOHNNY MARR (THE SMITHS), PAUL WELLER (THE JAM), COLIN NEWMAN (WIRE),  HOWARD DEVOTO (BUZZCOCKS / MAGAZINE), HUGH CORNWELL (THE STRANGLERS) and NOEL GALLAGHER (OASIS), has an OVERLOOKED and CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED SOLO CAREER, at least in AMERICA, with MATERIAL that holds up to his celebrated MAIN GIG.  if anything, its WEIRDER (in a GOOD WAY).

just saying.  you should definitely check it out.

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating AUSTRALIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER KEVIN PARKER and his PSYCH ROCK BAND TAME IMPALA.
​
​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

as much as NIRVANA and its CONTINGENT of SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK PEER BANDS in SOUNDGARDEN, ALICE IN CHAINS, MUDHONEY and PEARL JAM UNDERSTANDABLY garner the BULK of CRITICAL PRAISE for popularizing what is ARGUABLY the last GREAT CULTURAL MOVEMENT in ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY, its DIFFICULT not to postulate that such would not have happened had the GROUNDWORK not been laid in the late 1980s by ECLECTIC and IDIOSYNCRATIC BANDS such as FAITH NO MORE, FISHBONE and especially JANE'S ADDICTION.  PERRY FARRELL and COMPANY SONICALLY combined VARIOUS STRAINS of ROCK AND ROLL from the POST PUNK / GOTH ROCK TRADITION of BAUHAUS, THE CURE and SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES to PROTO PUNK / ART ROCK a la THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, THE STOOGES and the NEW YORK DOLLS as well as more STRAIGHT-AHEAD CLASSIC ROCK fare in LED ZEPPELIN and THE DOORS, not to mention INCENDIARY HARDCORE PUNK ROCK ACTS like THE GERMS and BAD BRAINS.  their major label DEBUT NOTHING'S SHOCKING (WARNER BROS, 1988) RELEASE was a STATEMENT of PURPOSE for the ages that ARGUABLY got the ball rolling in EARNEST for the ALTERNATIVE ROCK scene writ large, but UNDOUBTEDLY its FOLLOW-UP RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL (WARNER BROS, 1990) was their FINEST RECORDED MOMENT to date.

as much as it was an INGENIOUS AMALGAM of GENRES, RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL was an EXPERIMENTAL ART PIECE.  in fact i view it less as an album and more as a MULTI-MEDIA ART PIECE (an ARGUMENT supported by the LATER GIFT VHS RELEASE) meant to memorialize, and in a STRANGE WAY even canonize, that elevated SPIRITUAL and TRANSCENDENT METAPHYSICAL PLANE FARRELL experienced throughout a DRUG-FUELED THREESOME over the course of a WEEKEND with his CREATIVE PARTNER / GIRLFRIEND CASEY NICOLLI and their SINCE-DECEASED FRIEND XIOLA BLUE.  it is a CONCEIT that may sound rather PRURIENT and DEBASED on the face of it (and it probably is), but in the CAPABLE HANDS of FARRELL and his BANDMATES such unfolds, especially in the SECOND HALF of the ALBUM on the SUBLIME SUITE of TRACKS in "THREE DAYS," "THEN SHE DID," "OF COURSE" and "CLASSIC" into an INCREDIBLE EXPRESSION of the UNFILTERED EUPHORIA and SENSE of CONNECTION through SEX, as well as the SHEER ISOLATION and NIGHTMARISH FEAR OF ABANDONMENT that comes when one's PARTNER perishes UNEXPECTEDLY.  its a PSYCHODRAMA of OPERATIC PROPORTIONS and completely transforms this ADMITTEDLY SALACIOUS LYRICAL PREMISE into something altogether MYSTICAL and OTHERWORLDLY.  id even state that the SECOND SIDE of RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL has no MATCH in ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY, it is absolutely FLAWLESS.

no doubt GUITARIST DAVE NAVARRO, DRUMMER STEPHEN PERKINS and especially BASSIST ERIC AVERY were on the top of their game during the recording of RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL.  for all of FARRELL's WILD LYRICAL PREDILICTIONS, such would have come off HOLLOW if said PRONOUNCEMENTS of METAPHYSICAL ECSTASY were not supported by likewise enduringly POWERFUL MUSIC that had a SHARED SENSE of SCALE and EMOTIONAL CATHARSIS.  the CENTER PIECE of such is "THREE DAYS" which is a MULTI-PART EPIC that finds one ENTRANCING CYCLICAL GROOVE SEAMLESSLY transitioning into another all due to the ADROIT MELODIC SENSIBILITIES of AVERY, possibly the most CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED MUSICIAN this SIDE of THE WHO's JOHN ENTWISTLE.  NAVARRO and PERKINS on many of these TRACKS are EXPERTLY adding STRUCTURE and EMBELLISHMENTS to AVERY's GROOVES and that INTERACTION and ALCHEMY is TRULY something SPECTACULAR to witness.  i could name other TRACKS from this RECORD, but quite HONESTLY, they are all STELLAR.  i just feel that SECOND SIDE is UNTOUCHABLE and almost SACROSANCT at this POINT in MY LIFE.  along with DEVO and THE SMITHS, JANE'S ADDICTION is my FAVORITE BAND of ALL-TIME and RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL is my FAVORITE ALBUM. so yeah, im completely PREJUDICED on this ACCORD.

my INITIAL INTRODUCTION to the RECORD was via 106.7FM KROQ in LOS ANGELES.  in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL i was involved in a MEXICAN SOCCER LEAGUE in the PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC ORANGE COUNTY CAPTAL of SANTA ANA.  i found out years later that such a LEAGUE was concocted as a means of getting AT-RISK YOUTH off the STREETS and into something more STRUCTURED, so my BROTHER and i, WHITE BOYS that we are, stood out.  i can remember being on a SOCCER FIELD with LOW-RIDER CARS passing by blaring out "BEEN CAUGHT STEALING" on their BASS-HEAVY SOUND SYSTEMS.  just a few years later i am in BOTSWANA of all places with my PARENTS on VACATION (we had moved to NIGERIA in the interim in late 1995) and my FATHER had gotten me a CD COPY of RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL as a GIFT.  this was pre-INTERNET so SOMEBODY ELSE in the COMPANY had to physically buy it in somewhere in EUROPE while on a SEPARATE TRIP and bring it back with them to AFRICA to give to my FATHER.  DIFFERENT TIME, LONG PROCESS.  anyway, when i first heard the RECORD in TOTALITY was literally surrounded by WILD WARTHOGS on an AFRICAN GAME RESERVE.

the LAST THING i want to mention about the ALBUM is how it was also a PRODUCT of its LOCATION, namely LOS ANGELES.  having grown-up there until i was twelve, there is a CERTAIN ENERGY, a VIBRANCY, that the MEXICAN POPULATION brings to the FOOD, LANGUAGE, ARCHITECTURE, MUSIC, ART and OVERALL CULTURE of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, but LOS ANGELES specifically.  having visited SEVERAL MISSIONS throughout CALIFORNIA as a CHILD, that INGRAINED APPRECIATION for CATHOLIC-related ART and ARCHITECTURE is a THING that seeps into the VERY CORE of your BEING.  there is something ASPIRATIONAL yet entirely CORPORAL about CATHOLIC ART that no doubt dates back to the BAROQUE ERA with CONFRONTATIONAL RELIGIOUS ARTISTS like CARAVAGGIO, GOYA and VELAZQUEZ.  with the FARREL / NICCOLLI COLLABORATIVE ARTWORK for RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL, which is a SCULPTED, PLASTER OF PARIS DEPICTION of the three NUDE FIGURES in bed post coitus.  LOVINGLY-DEPICTED, it feels almost like it could have been from the HEAD of a CATHOLIC SHRINE in a SMALL, RURAL, DIMLY-LIT, ANCIENT BASILICA.  for me at least that ARTWORK felt UNDENIABLY LOS ANGELES, all it was missing was a VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE.  some would see such as HERESY or a COMPLETE ABOMINATION, but i think it is an ARTISTIC TIP-OF-THE-HAT to a STLYE that combines the SACRED with the PROFANE, much as the MUSIC of JANE'S ADDICTION had done with memorializing a likewise PROFOUND MOMENT in FARRELL's LIFE.  the BAND acknowledges this POSSIBLE CONTROVERSY with the SPANISH-spoken INTRODUCTION on the ALBUM OPENER "STOP!" with a BENEVOLENT WARNING that "ladies and gentlemen, we have more infleunce over your children than you do, but we love them.  bred and spread from LOS ANGELES, JANE'S ADDICTION!" the very FACT that it is delivered in GRAMMATICALLY-SUSPICIOUS SPANISH speaks for ITSELF and the BAND's SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP to the city of LOS ANGELES.  it also lets the LISTENER know they are in for a UNIQUE RIDE.

and THEY are.

RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL is one of my FAVORITE RECORDS of ALL-TIME and as such should listened to by EVERYONE, irrespective of your INTEREST in the HISTORY of ROCK AND ROLL or ALTERNATIVE ROCK writ large.  it is just a STELLAR, TRANSFORMATIONAL ALBUM that has seeped its way DEEP into my CONSCIOUSNESS and SENSE of SELF-IDENTITY since CHILDHOOD.  required listening in my opinion.

there is SOMETHING about the PUNK DIY ETHOS that touches some PEOPLE in a MANNER that allows THEM to bypass BULLSHIT ROADBLOCKS like SELF-DOUBT, INADEQUACY and IMPOSTER COMPLEX and just go for it.  MUSICIAN, SONGWRITER, SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR and AUTHOR JUSTIN PEARSON exemplifies such with his LONG-RUNNING INDEPENDENT LABEL THREE ONE G and MYRIAD of CONFRONTATIONALLY AVANT GARDE MUSICAL PROJECTS over the years including SOME GIRLS, THE LOCUST, RETOX, SWING KIDS, DEAD CROSS and PLANET B.  the RECENT​ DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH YOURSELF (TURNSTYLE FILMS, 2022) DOCUMENTARY examines his EARLY TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD and how such NEGLECT and ABUSE at the HANDS of his FATHER (who was MURDERED when he was twelve) in a WARPED SENSE informed his OUTLOOK on LIFE and propelled his DESIRE to make SOMETHING of his LIFE CREATIVELY and attempt to jolt and instigate PEOPLE out of their WAKING SLUMBER.

my FAMILIARITY with PEARSON is originally rooted in the ECCENTRIC and highly EXPERIMENTAL HARDCORE PUNK BAND THE LOCUST, which i was clued into by a CHILDHOOD FRIEND on a TRIP to SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA during the SUMMER of 2001. they were suggested to me based on my LOVE of all things DEVO.  the fact that this FILM finds PEARSON and his BANDMATES confide that the ICONIC AKRON-based arty POST PUNK OUTFIT as a KEY INFLUENCE was INTRIGUING to learn long after the FACT.  in a SIMILAR WAY, both DEVO and THE LOCUST utilized their IDIOSYNCRATIC PRESENTATION as a MEANS of challenging their AUDIENCE.  for DEVO there was a POLITICAL BENT regarding the CONSOLIDATION and GROWING CORPORATIZATION of ART and AMERICAN LIFE that they felt was WATERING-DOWN INDIVIDUALISM and CREATIVITY.  for THE LOCUST, they were revolting against a HOMOGENIZED HARDCORE SCENE that was a lot of POSTURE and FEIGNED AGGRESSION for no REAL REASON that they found ALIENATING and MORALLY BANKRUPT.  the FILM does a GREAT JOB of describing the LINE the BAND walked and the PRICE they paid for their INDIVIDUALITY against a SUBTERRANEAN CULTURE of TOXIC MASCULINITY with no SENSE of IRONY or HUMOR.  when my friend showed me their SELF-TITLED THE LOCUST (GOLD STANDARD LABORATORIES, 1998) RELEASE my INITIAL REACTION was LAUGHTER, not a MOCKING LAUGHTER but one of being OVERWHELMED by the SENSORY OVERLOAD i was experiencing.  not unlike my first time as child listening to THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART or WEEN.

and it stuck with me.

much of the DETAILS presented in this FILM regarding the TRAUMA of PEARSON's CHILDHOOD and his FORMATIVE MUSICAL EXPERIENCES in the UNDERGROUND HARDCORE SCENE of SAN DIEGO are likewise covered in his EXCELLENT MEMOIR FROM THE GRAVEYARD OF THE AROUSAL INDUSTRY (SOFT SKULL, 2010), which i recommend HIGHLY.  my only GRIPE with the FILM is that the TRAJECTORY of his CAREER ends with THE LOCUST and doesnt continue on to other INTERESTING PROJECTS, such as his COLLABORATION with MIKE PATTON (FAITH NO MORE, MR. BUNGLE, FANTOMAS, TOMAHAWK) and DAVE LOMBARDO (SLAYER) in DEAD CROSS or his more decidedly DANCEABLE recent PROJECT PLANET B.  somewhere there is a THIRD ACT to this FILM that needed to be told.

regardless, PEARSON is a COMPELLING ARTIST that is WORTHY of being exposed to a GREATER AUDIENCE and DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH YOURSELF is a POWERFUL INTRODUCTION to his ART and CAREER.  hopefully itll inspire SOMEONE out there to get up and leave some WRETCHED CIRCUMSTANCE and likewise FEARLESSLY make PROVOCATIVE and MEANINGFUL ART just like he did.

PEOPLE are CRUEL.

INDIVIDUALLY its hard not to appreciate most PEOPLE but EN MASSE its a different STORY.  COWARDICE, SELF-INTEREST, DISRESPECT, IMPATIENCE, GREED, DISHONESTY, JEALOUSY and OBEDIENCE all seep their way into one's BEHAVIOR when in a CROWD.  its HUMAN NATURE and arguably a SURVIVAL MECHANISM.  going by to get by.  following the HERD.  going with the FLOW.
​
THE MASOCHISTS (ALTERNATIVE COMICS, 2002) by NICK BERTOZZI is particularly AFFECTING GRAPHIC NOVEL made up of THREE NARRATIVES that showcase how we are all COMPLICIT in the HARMING of others, and thus DEGRADING and DEFILING our own HUMANITY in the PROCESS.  these CHARACTERS are ALIENATED based on OPPORTUNITIES regarding the DEBASING ALLURE of SEX and COMPANIONSHIP, FINANCIAL REWARD and ARTISTIC RECOGNITION.  all are EFFECTIVELY EXPLOITED and become FURTHER DEHUMANIZED in the PROCESS, even if such dont realize it in REAL-TIME.  in a SENSE its DIFFICULT to limit this CAUSTIC SCREED on anything in PARTICULAR, such as the CAPITALIST SYSTEM writ large, MODERN SEXUAL POLITICS or the FICKLE SUPERFICIALITY of the ARTS COMMUNITY in general.  i just get the FEELING that for BERTOZZI, HUMANITY is WICKED and IRREDEEMABLE, and thus all ACTIVITY in pursuit of the EGO (FAME, FORTUNE, RECOGNITION, ADORATION, IMMORTALITY) is by DEFINITION an UNDESERVING and IGNOBLE GOAL. 

there is also the QUESTION of who the TRUE MASOCHISTS are in these three SEPARATE NARRATIVES.  are they the ones being SHIT ON or the FOOLS DELUDED enough to chase after FALSE, IMPURE GOALS.  i tend to think the LATER, which is no doubt why these SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION metastasize and resurface GENERATION after GENERATION without fail.

its all a par to of being HUMAN.  that sorry FRAGILITY and HOPELESS NEED TO BELONG despite the CONSEQUENCES to YOURSELF, NAMELESS OTHERS and the even the ENVIRONMENT itself.  SELF-INTEREST is the DEATH of EVERYONE.

the DELIBERATE MISUSE of OPEN-SOURCED, ENCRYPTED MESSAGING PLATFORMS like SIGNAL and TELEGRAM are very much in the NEWS these days  for their ILLICIT USAGE by STATE and/or CRIMINAL ACTORS, all drawn in by the TECHNOLOGICAL PROMISE of EFFECTIVE SECURITY and COMPLETE ANONYMITY.  like everything regarding heady SUBJECTS like FREE SPEECH and their APPLICATION to NOVEL FORMS of COMMUNICATION, much of the CONTENTION and FRICTION surrounding such is REFERENCE to PERNICIOUS FORMS of COMMENTARY like the PROLIFERATION of HATE SPEECH, UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES and even TERRORISM.

the RECENT FRONTLINE / PROPUBLICA JOINT INVESTIGATION / DOCUMENTARY THE RISE AND FALL OF TERRORGRAM (PBS, 2025) delves into the weeds about how TELEGRAM became the VERITABLE NEXUS for a DECENTRALIZED, ONLINE GROUP of INTERNATIONAL EXTREMISTS that has actively led to an estimated 35 CRIMES including BOMBINGS, STABBINGS and SHOOTINGS.  with each NEW VARIANT of SOCIAL MEDIA, POLITICAL EXTREMISTS inevitably utilize such to assemble and proselytize NEW RECRUITS.  FACEBOOK was used to promote and organize the NOTORIOUS WHITE NATIONALIST "UNITE THE RIGHT" RALLY in CHARLESTON, VIRGINIA.  such became too PUBLIC-FACING and thus ANONYMOUS ONLINE FORUMS like 4CHAN and 8CHAN were used until those SERVICES became somewhat moderated in the WAKE of VIOLENT ATACKS against MINORITY COMMUNITIES (MUSLIM and JEWISH, respectively) in NEW ZEALAND and CALIFORNIA.  which brings us to TELEGRAM and a LOOSE, deliberately DECENTRALIZED, SELF-RECOGNIZED COLLECTIVE called TERRORGRAM that made TAILORED MEDIA CAMPAIGNS and LITERATURE to help spur RECRUITS into initiating a RACE WAR that would supposedly benefit their ULTRA-NATIONALIST ENDS regarding the DESIRED RISE of an AMERICAN ETHNO-STATE.

what makes this DOCUMENTARY so COMPELLING is both the REPULSIVE and  INSIDIOUS NATURE of the EXTREMIST MATERIAL being ACTIVELY promoted on these WIDELY-AVAILABLE PHONE APPLICATIONS and the LENGTHS these CRIMINALS will go through to manipulate and ultimately control DISAFFECTED, TEENAGE MALE CAUCASIANS.  what is INTIGUING is that certain members consolidate influence through being active in MULTIPLE CHANNELS within the EXTENDED MATRIX of SECRET GROUP CHATS.  some provided ACTIONABLE ADVICE, while others a WARPED PERSPECTIVE on MISINFORMED ACCOUNTS of WORLD HISTORY and AGGRIEVEMENTS from the PAST.  one PARTICIPANT even garnered CONSIDERABLE CLOUT through turning WRITTEN TREATISES and MANIFESTOES into SHAREABLE AUDIOBOOKS, reciting them ALOUD HERSELF in ENGLISH.  all these SMALL MOVES and REINFORCING ATTENTION over TIME led to CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE and TRAUMA in SEVERAL COMMUNITIES across the GLOBE.  all through SECRETIVE INTERNET CHANNELS like TELEGRAM.

REPORTERS A.C. THOMPSON and JAMES BANDLER of PROPUBLICA both were able to make these CONNECTIONS through an IN-DEPTH, TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED ANALYSIS of the NETWORK MATRIX itself, all those ONLINE POSTINGS, GROUP CHATS and PUBLICLY-AVAILABLE MESSAGES.  one would think that these TYPES of DESTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS between HIGH-RISK PERSONNEL would be ANATHEMA to TELEGRAM's FINANCIAL BOTTOM-LINE, but in today's FRACTURED MEDIA ENVIRONMENT and the ANYTHING-GOES ONLINE CULTURE that seemingly OPENLY celebrates DEVIANCY, CHAOS and SOCIO-POLITICAL NIHILISM, who knows?

SCARY WORLD indeed.

a commonly UNMENTIONED ASPECT of what made the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK SCENE so TRANSFORMATIONAL was how it shifted the CULTURAL TIDES of the MAINSTREAM MUSIC INDUSTRY so thoroughly that it EFFECTIVELY provided an OPPORTUNITY for truly LEFT-OF-CENTER BANDS that previously would never have been considered VIABLE to have a stab at securing a NATIONAL AUDIENCE through MAJOR LABEL MARKETING and DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS.  bands ranging from BAD RELIGION, MELVINS, WEEN, MR. BUNGLE and PRIMUS were of this ECLECTIC and IDIOSYNCRATIC ILK relative to the more CONVENTIONAL FARE that proceeded them.  the way i see it, much as PUNK ROCK opened the door to REAL SONIC EXPERIMENTATION that developed into the more ADVENTUROUS and INVENTIVE POST PUNK, such is what those UBER-POPULAR but MUSICALLY CONVENTIONAL ALTERNATIVE ROCK BANDS (i.e. NIRVANA, ALICE IN CHAINS, PEARL JAM, MUDHONEY and SOUNDGARDEN) did for PRIMUS.

but what makes PRIMUS so UNUSUAL?

​SONICALLY and LYRICALLY PRIMUS is the AWKWARD BRAINCHILD of IDIOSYNCRATIC BASSIST / VOCALIST LES CLAYPOOL who comes from the same ECCENTRIC FAMILY of wildly EXPERIMENTAL MUSICIANS as FRANK ZAPPA, THE RESIDENTS, SYD BARRETT, TALKING HEADS, RUSH, BUTTHOLE SURFERS, KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD, DEVO, KING CRIMSON, SECRET CHIEFS 3 and CAPTAIN BEEFHEART.  along with slapping, CLAYPOOL is NOTORIOUS for utilizing a TECHNICAL DOUBLE-HANDED TAPPING TECHNIQUE on his FRETLESS SIX-STRING BASS that establishes and maintains a highly PERCUSSIVE and RHYTHMIC MOMENTUM to many a PRIMUS SONG, all of which have ODD LYRICAL CONCEITS  about NICHE ASPECTS of RURAL AMERICAN LIFE. 

there is probably no better EXAMPLE of such than the SINGLES "JERRY WAS A RACE CAR DRIVER," "TOMMY THE CAT" and "THOSE DAMNED BLUE-COLLAR TWEEKERS" off of their major label debut ALBUM SAILING THE SEAS OF CHEESE (INTERSCOPE, 1991).  all of these showcase a VIRTUOSIC LEVEL of SKILL and DEXTERITY on his BASS, notwithstanding the likewise STELLAR MUSICIANSHIP of DRUMMER TIM ALEXANDER and GUITARIST LARRY LALONDE that makeup the CLASSIC PRIMUS LINEUP.  all in CREATIVE SERVICE of OBTUSELY, IMPRESSIONISTIC TALES about REDNECKS and their UNGODLY PREOCCUPATIONS with CRS, DRUGS and GENERAL RANDOMNESS.  its no surprise that PRIMUS allowed the FLOODGATES to burst wide open with regards to WELL-CONSTRUCTED, highly TECHNICAL MELODIC WEIRDNESS in ROCK AND ROLL, paving the way for the QUIRKY likes of INCUBUS, PUSCIFER, LIMP BIZKIT (especially WES BORLAND), SYSTEM OF A DOWN, DEFTONES, MODEST MOUSE, KORN and SLIPKNOT. 

BASICALLY PRIMUS took the UNCONVENTIONAL FUNK ROCK that preceded them and really dialed up the FREAKISH HUMOR and ABSURDITY, an ETHOS that is not unlike that FAMED HUNTER S. THOMPSON QUIP about how "when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."  that FREAK FLAG is basically what INSPIRED, for better or worse, many of the subsequent SO-CALLED NU METAL BANDS that followed and there is ARGUABLY no better PLACE to start that INVESTIGATION than SAILING THE SEAS OF CHEESE to get a PROPER SENSE of such.

definitely worth checking out.  REQUIRED LISTENING even.

there are radically EXPERIMENTAL BANDS and then there is GUADALAJARA's DESCARTES A KANT, which combines EVERYTHING from SURF MUSIC, CABARET, JAZZ, NEW WAVE, SHOEGAZE, ELECTRONIC MUSIC, NOISE ROCK and PUNK to create a SOUND all their own.  trying to describe them is an ABSOLUTE FOOL'S ERRAND, there MUSIC just needs to be EXPERIENCED.  not to get all DEVO-ish but this has all the HALLMARKS of a NEW TRADITION being manifested into COLLECTIVE ACTION.  with all the TURMOIL going on right now, i'm all for it.

this ACT is easily one of the most refreshingly ORIGINAL BANDS i have heard since first encountering the likes of DRAB MAJESTY, MURA MASA, VOLA, JAVIERA MENA, NO JOY and FONTAINES D.C. in the past five years while maintaining this BLOG. 

bottom line: DESCARTES A KANT is a BAND worth checking out right now, like this second. go!

the longer i listen to MUSIC the more i am convinced that my STARTING POINT and LOCUST of COMPARISON are the ALTERNATIVE BANDS that rose in the late 1980s and early 1990s when i was COMING-OF-AGE.  there are the OBVIOUS SEATTLE BANDS (NIRVANA, PEARL JAM, SOUNDGARDEN, MELVINS, ALICE IN CHAINS, SCREAMING TREES, MUDHONEY) and the EXPERIMENTAL, HYBRID CALIFORNIA GROUPS (JANE'S ADDICTION, FAITH NO MORE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, FISHBONE, TOOL, PRIMUS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) that came with them (some even PRECEDING), but there are also other ACTS like LIVING COLOUR, R.E.M. and FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS that made a SIGNIFICANT IMPACT on me in KINDERGARTEN.  just that CELEBRATORY SENSE of UNADULTERATED ENERGY and JUBILATION that came with WELL-EXECUTED POP SONGS, even if some where MELANCHOLIC in NATURE.  to me it was all just a LESSON in FEELING and being an EMPATHETIC RECIPIENT of a MOOD and SONIC GESTURE floating in TIME.  and my HOPE is that despite the CIRCUMSTANCES LIFE throws at you i can sustain that sort of EMOTIONAL CONNECTION to SOUND and by EXTENSION ART in GENERAL.

that ERA of ALTERNATIVE bands was the END of an EPOCH in AMERICAN CULTURE that ARGUABLY goes back to CHUCK BERRY, BUDDY HOLLY, LITTLE RICHARD, ELVIS PRESLEY, FATS DOMINO and THE BEATLES.  in retrospect it feels like the LATEST ITERATION of a TRADITION that had been recycling ITSELF for at least TWO GENERATIONS.  the RISE of HIP HOP and the INTERNET where both COLOSSAL ENVIRONMENTAL SHIFTS that made ROCK AND ROLL both a sonic ANACHRONISM and effectively IMPOSSIBLE to incubate on a LOCAL SCENE LEVEL. via the ALL-CONSUMING POWER of the INTERNET everything became NATIONAL: our NEWS, our POLITICS, our MUSIC.  the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK EXPLOSION only happened because those BANDS could incubate in a SLEEPY PACIFIC NORTHWESTERN ENVIRONMENT that few toured and created a VACUUM that was filled by LOCAL MUSICIANS. and these MUSICIANS took in EVERYTHING from PUNK ROCK and HARDCORE to THRASH METAL, GLAM ROCK, INDUSTRIAL MUSIC, CLASSIC ROCK and INDIE ROCK SENSIBILITIES and created a HYBRID out of CURIOSITY and FUN.  there was no AMBITION because save for a HANDFUL of ACTS (HEART, THE VENTURES and THE SONICS) and one DUFF MCKAGAN of ICONIC LOS ANGELES HAIR METAL BAND GUNS N' ROSES, NOBODY SUCCESSFUL came from WASHINGTON STATE.

that sort of EXTENDED GESTATION PERIOD would never happen in today's CURRENT ENVIRONMENT.  sure, ROCK AND ROLL BANDS exist, some transcendently STELLAR ONES in fact, but the GAME has changed.  their IMPACT must be registered IMMEDIATELY lest they return back to CULTURAL OBSCURITY and RELATIVE MEDIOCRITY.  with SOCIAL MEDIA ALGORITHMS there is always ANOTHER ACT that can fill the VOID.

its DEPRESSING.  no wonder i look back at that PERIOD FONDLY.  no doubt this is what it must feel like to be getting OLD.

click HERE to access a PAST DEER GOD RADIO EPISODE on NONPROFIT INTERNET RADIO STATION MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a PLAYLIST celebrating the ALTERNATIVE ROCK MOVEMENT of the 1990s.

at this point the ICONIC EAST BAY SKA PUNK BAND OPERATION IVY is one of the most FABLED PUNK ROCK GROUPS of ALL-TIME (write up there with THE GERMS, SEX PISTOLS, MINOR THREAT, RAMONES, D.O.A., THE MISFITS, DEAD KENNEDYS, THE CLASH, BLACK FLAG and so on), no doubt spurred in part by their notoriously BRIEF EXISTENCE and SUBSEQUENT DISINTEGRATION after one FAILED NATIONAL TOUR.  often they are credited with popularizing a HYBRID SOUND that served as the SPRINGBOARD not only for RANCID, made up in part by FORMER MEMBERS TIM ARMSTRONG and MATT FREEMAN, but also the THIRD WAVE OF SKA MOVEMENT of the 1990s.

i was made AWARE of OPERATION IVY during my SOPHOMORE YEAR of HIGH SCHOOL when i became involved with the ON-CAMPUS RADIO STATION and had my own SHOW.  at the time i became interested in stridently POLITICAL HARDCORE BANDS like CRASS, DEAD KENNEDYS, THE CLASH and MINOR THREAT, arguably influenced by my EXPOSURE in NIGERIA to FELA KUTI, and another DJ basically saw such and schooled me on all things OPERATION IVY and in QUICK SUCCESSION related JAMAICAN ROOTS REGGAE and DUB ACTS like BURNING SPEAR, DESMOND DEKKER, JIMMY CLIFF, LEE "SCRATCH" PERRY, BUNNY WAILER, KING TUBBY and PETER TOSH among MANY OTHERS.  i should add that it was during this SAME PERIOD that i was also introduced to THE HARDER THEY COME (NEW WORLD, 1972) FILM as well.  for me such EXPOSURE consolidated the SPIRITUAL THROUGH-LINE between INTERNATIONAL RESISTANCE MUSICAL FORMS like AFROPOP, PUNK ROCK and REGGAE writ large.  all DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS of a SIMILAR ETHOS surrounding PERSONAL FREEDOM in the FACE of STRUCTURAL OPPRESSION.

the MYTHOLOGY surrounding OPERATION IVY and the BERKELEY SCENE that spawned them was pretty POTENT STUFF for a TEENAGER, especially when you consider that the fiercely INDEPENDENT 924 GILMAN STREET VENUE that they played at was maintained and operated by YOUNG PEOPLE.  as part of the COLLECTIVE, ARMSTRONG and FREEMAN participated in all aspects of the venue, from helping decided on future show lineups, to cleaning the premises, including the BATHROOMS.  as INDIVIDUALS they took quite literally COLLECTIVE OWNERSHIP of their SCENE through an INCLUSIVE DIY ETHOS of HARD WORK and MUTUAL RESPECT.  when i finished off HIGH SCHOOL in NEARBY SACRAMENTO, so deep was the ALLURE that i made a PILGRIMAGE to 924 GILMAN STREET largely out of CURIOSITY and RESPECT, much as i had done in NYC years before regarding CBGBs.  it is basically HOLLOWED PUNK ROCK ground for its PROMINENT ROLE in the CAREERS with the likes of LOCAL TALENT in CRIMPSHRINE, ISOCRACY, NEUROSIS, AFI, PANSY DIVISION, SWEET CHILDREN (an early ITERATION of GREEN DAY) and OPERATION IVY.

just like with talking about other SEMINAL PUNK ACTS like MINOR THREAT, DEAD KENNEDYS, SEX PISTOLS, THE GERMS, D.O.A. or BLACK FLAG, its nearly IMPOSSIBLE to separate the INTERTWINED NARRATIVE of the GROUP and their PARTICULAR SCENE from the MUSIC itself.  thus all that PROLOGUE.  but in terms of the MUSIC, OPERATION IVY was key in concocting a HYBRID SKA PUNK SOUND that took the MELODY and AGGRESSION of PUNK ROCK BANDS like BAD RELIGION, SOCIAL DISTORTION and THE CLASH while melding it with the AFOREMENTIONED JAMAICAN ROOTS REGGAE INFLUENCES as well as the BRITISH 2 TONE SKA MOVEMENT a la THE SPECIALS, MADNESS and THE ENGLISH BEAT.  KEY ENERGY (LOOKOUT, 1989) TRACKS include ECLECTIC COMPOSITIONS like "BANKSHOT," "SOUND SYSTEM," "UNITY," "BAD TOWN," "KNOWLEDGE" and "BOMBSHELL."  i should mention that unlike many of their LATER ACOLYTES in NOFX, GOLDFINGER and THE AQUABATS who went on to popularize the SKA PUNK SOUND, OPERATION IVY, as stated before, was very much in keeping with the POLITICAL BENT of the GENRES they appropriated and innovated from.  i believe this ASPECT of their SOUND is part of what makes their MUSIC so TIMELESS.  the IDEA that they were so FIERCELY involved and PROTECTIVE of a SCENE that was so INCLUSIVE and SELF-SUSTAINING only furthers such a case for AUTHENTICITY of INTENTION.  that and the FACT that they called it quits rather than COMPROMISE cemented such an ENDURING LEGACY to the POINT that they remain one of the most universally CELEBRATED PUNK BANDS of all-time.

and definitely worth checking out.

like most GREAT THINGS, SWISS AVANT GARDE METAL BAND ZEAL & ARDOR came about pretty UNEXPECTEDLY.  the very CONCEPT of the GROUP, to combine two seemingly INCONGRUENT GENRES in AFRICAN-AMERICAN SLAVE SPIRITUAL HYMNS and SCANDINAVIAN BLACK METAL, was initiated largely on a lark via a SOLICITED SUGGESTION on an ONLINE MESSAGE BOARD.  no doubt aware of the POTENCY of such a HYBRID SOUND, SONGWRITER and FRONTMAN MANUEL GAGNEUX added to that MIX a LYRICAL PERSPECTIVE that was DECIDEDLY SATANIC in the ESTABLISHED TRADITION of NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL.  which is to say that such wasnt necessarily in FAVOR of the IDEA of worshipping EVIL, but the NEGATION and OPPOSITION of CHRISTIANITY as an INSTITUTION and IDEOLOGICAL CONCEIT writ large.

what is COMPELLING about the RECENT DOCUMENTARY PLAY WITH THE DEVIL: BECOMING ZEAL & ARDOR (SOAP FACTORY, 2023) is how over TIME and three RELEASES both world events (i.e. the GEORGE FLOYD MURDER and the RESULTING PROTEST MOVEMENT) and GAGNEUX's own PERSONAL ARTISTIC EVOLUTION led him to LYRICALLY lean more HEAVILY on the INNATE OPTIMISM, HOPE and POWER of the SLAVE HYMNS than the more NIHILISTIC PREOCCUPATIONS of BLACK METAL.  that dichotomy that seems to be in DIAMETRIC OPPOSITION is at the crux of this RIVETING DOCUMENTARY.  obviously GAGNEUX is playing with a VOLATILE SET of SOCIO-POLITICAL INFLUENCES whose COMBINATION is both INTRIGUING and COMPLICATED, not least of which given that his TOURING BAND is made up of SWISS MUSICIANS of CAUCASIAN descent.

another FACET of this FILM is the RAPID ASCENT of the PROJECT itself, which caught CRITICAL FIRE when GAGNEUX's SELF-PRODUCED RECORDINGS gained the ATTENTION of TASTEMAKERS and a LUCRATIVE DEMAND for a LIVE PRODUCTION came in order.  problem was there was no BAND, so one was quickly assembled with forty dates attached with no lead TIME or OPPORTUNITIES to gel as a COLLECTIVE and/or FAIL in a LIVE SETTING at a LOWER STAKES set of VENUES.  the PROJECT was literally shot out of a canyon onto MAJOR FESTIVAL DATES with lots of EXPOSURE and RISK for IMPLOSION.  such didnt happen as the GROUP was concocted out of FRIENDS and COLLEAGUES from the LOCAL BASEL SCENE, but you get the SENSE of how in the MODERN INTERNET AGE there is LITTLE PATIENCE from the AUDIENCE for niceties like ARTIST DEVELOPMENT as in GENERATIONS PAST. 

likewise the WINDOW for CULTURAL RELEVANCE is also BRIEF and EVER-SHIFTING as NEW BANDS, ARTISTS and PROJECTS inevitably shift our ATTENTION away with the click of a MOUSE.  that TENSION is PALPABLE throughout PLAY WITH THE DEVIL as GAGNEUX STRUGGLES to make sense of his WHIRLWIND NOTORIETY amongst a growing RABID FANBASE who seem him as a PROPHET of a new EMERGING COUNTERCULTURE.  he wants to evolve and develop as an ARTIST, but not with the tail chasing the dog in making ART that will not challenge his AUDIENCE and by EXTENSION his OWN STATUS.  the OPPORTUNITIES and RISKS are apparent of his SITUATION and it is beyond INTERESTING to watch SOMEONE going through such an ARDUOUS PROCESS of SELF-REFLECTION.

ultimately as a fan i know he came out just FINE, but this FILM presents a UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY BEHIND-THE-CURTAIN of the PROCESSES and PRESSURES of an EMERGING TALENT of TRUE CONSEQUENCE in the CULTURE.  most definitely a DOCUMENTARY worth checking out irrespective of your INTEREST in TRADITIONAL SLAVE SPIRITUALS or BLACK METAL.