i play GUITAR and absolutely adore FUZZ PEDALS.  i have a COLLECTION of them im a bit SELF-CONSCIOUS of how OUT-OF-CONTROL theyve gotten, but at the HEART of it is a LOVE of all-things WHACKED-OUT-TO-ALL-HELL DISTORTED TONES.  when trying STUFF out my GO-TO RIFFS are pretty much BLACK SABBATH, THE STOOGES, ZZ TOP, AC/DC and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE-related.  all contain an UNDENIABLE GROOVE and have a SENSE of UNSPOKEN MENACE about them which is only COMPOUNDED by their very SIMPLICITY.  for me its the kind of thing that makes ROCK AND ROLL still feel FUN and DANGEROUS, even if only in SMALL ROOM through a MODEST COMBO TUBE AMPLIFIER.

that FOCUS and INTENT surrounding a MEMORABLE GROOVE is what makes QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE FRONTMAN JOSH HOMME such a CONSEQUENTIAL GUITARIST and ROCK AND ROLL SONGWRITER.  that UNIQUE RHYTHMIC SENSIBILITY for SYNCOPATION originates in a BACKGROUND in POLKA of all things, with a LOCAL PALM DESERT area MUSIC TEACHER showing such to him from a YOUNG AGE.  such has 2/4 FEEL that emphasizes the DOWNBEAT at FAST TEMPOS.  while that SPECIFIC METER is not a hallmark of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE RIFFS, a DECIDED EMPHASIS on a SWING FEEL can be heard in SIGNATURE TRACKS like "NO ONE KNOWS" off of SONGS FOR THE DEAF (INTERSCOPE, 2002), "TURNIN' ON THE SCREW," from ERA VULGARIS (INTERSCOPE, 2007) "TANGLED UP IN PLAID" off of LULLABIES TO PARALYZE (INTERSCOPE, 2005) and "FEET DON'T FAIL ME" from VILLAINS (MATADOR, 2017).  those RIFFS are centered around EXOTIC CHORD EXTENSIONS being added and taken off in QUICK SUCCESSION at ODD INTERVALS.  very COOL STUFF, especially with an especially GNARLY FUZZ PEDAL blowing EVERYTHING SONICALLY out of PROPORTION at a LOUD VOLUME.

i believe that ROCK AND ROLL CULTURE is inherently CONSERVATIVE.  you can see such in the TYPES of EQUIPMENT sold or RECORDING TECHNIQUES and MIXES pursued. so any REAL INNOVATION or UNIQUE EXPRESSION that somehow doesnt upset the FRAGILE SENSIBILITIES of what is left of CONTEMPORARY ALTERNATIVE ROCK RADIO is an ACHIEVEMENT all its own.  and UNDOUBTEDLY QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and SPECIFICALLY HOMME have achieved that for TWO DECADES and counting now.  he FAMOUSLY chooses OFF-BRAND GUITARS and ARCHAIC AMPLIFIERS as a DELIBERATE MEANS for creating such SONIC LANDSCAPES while avoiding and not relying on LONG-ESTABLISHED PRODUCTION AVENUES.

just a STELLAR BAND whose RIFFS have brought me COUNTLESS HOURS of JOY.  definitely worth checking out.

click HERE to access a PAST DEER GOD RADIO EPISODE on NONPROFIT INTERNET RADIO STATION MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a PLAYLIST celebrating QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.

some SONGS just find you at the right TIME and POINT in your LIFE to make a MAXIMUM IMPACT and such was the TRACK "6 UNDERGROUND" by ENGLISH TRIP HOP act SNEAKER PIMPS when i was in MIDDLE SCHOOL.  moving to NIGERIA from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA was an unimaginably INVIGORATING but downright  DISORIENTING EXPERIENCE that was not helped at all by my PHYSICAL AWKWARDNESS going through the beginning of my TEENAGE YEARS.  that song itself just incapsulated that PALPABLE SENSE of CONFUSION and FOREBODING EXISTENTIAL DREAD at being in an UNFAMILIAR and, as was the case with NIGERIA throughout the 1990s under their RUTHLESS MILITARY DICTATOR SANI ABACHA, DANGEROUS and highly VOLATILE ENVIRONMENT. 

EXTREME MUSIC for an EXTREME PERIOD in my LIFE.

but whats CRAZY is that i didnt follow-up on the BAND and actually listen to their DEBUT BECOMING X (VIRGIN, 1997) RELEASE in full until i was at the end of HIGH SCHOOL half a DECADE later.  at that POINT i had moved to SACRAMENTO to live with a RELATIVE in the IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH of 9/11 from KUWAIT. where my FAMILY was stationed.  during that period i shut off from the WORLD and became deeply interested in the EXPERIMENTAL SONIC LANDSCAPES of SHOEGAZE, POST PUNK, GOTH ROCK, AMBIENT, KRAUTROCK and especially TRIP HOP, the later of which included ATMOSPHERIC and ECLECTIC ACTS like MASSIVE ATTACK, PORTISHEAD, TRICKY and SNEAKER PIMPS.  i basically rediscovered the BAND within a NEW CONTEXT, having known their most commercially SUCCESSFUL SONG but UNFAMILIAR with the ACTUAL GROUP ITSELF.

and what threw me was how CONSISTENT BECOMING X was well beyond its TRANSCENDENT SINGLE.  VOCALIST KELLI ALI shines throughout on STIRRING TRACKS like "POST-MODERN SLEAZE," "SPIN SPIN SUGAR," "BECOMING X" and "TESKO SUICIDE" which showcase her ABILITY to communicate INSECURITY and EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY with more than a HELPFUL DOSE of MENACE.  its a DELICATE BALANCE she is traversing but such makes her quite the SINGULAR PERFORMER, especially with such a LUSH AURAL BED enveloping her.  such must have been a POINT of FRUSTRATION for SONGWRITERS and SNEAKER PIMPS FOUNDERS CHRIS CORNER and LIAM HOWE, who found ALI LATE in the PROCESS.  for all INTENTS and PURPOSES, she is EFFECTIVELY the BAND, with her UNIQUE VOCALS and DYNAMIC PRESENTATION, in the PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS.

it is a SITUATION very REMINISCENT of when SHIRLEY MANSON was asked to join GARBAGE and the SUBSEQUENT GLOBAL SUCCESS they had, except that BUTCH VIG and COMPANY were only too THRILLED to have a CHARISMATIC FRONT-WOMAN take the MAJORITY of the SPOTLIGHT and PUBLIC ATTENTION.  such allowed him and his SONGWRITING COHORTS in FELLOW BAND MEMBERS, and CELEBRATED RECORD PRODUCERS in their own right, in STEVE MARKER and DUKE ERIKSON to FOCUS SQUARELY on the MUSIC itself (although it should be stated that in short order MANSON developed into quite the SONGWRITING FORCE).  sadly BECOMING X was the first and FINAL SNEAKER PIMPS RECORDING with ALI as she was UNCEREMONIOUSLY DISMISSED and CORNER wrestled back his INITIAL ROLE as FRONTMAN with severely UNINSPIRED and DEPRECIATING RESULTS on SUBSEQUENT RECORDS.  BITTER JEALOUSY and INFIGHTING was the CASE as the CORNER and HOWE felt sidelined by the PRESS in their own BAND.

TOUGH SHIT.

given that i OVERLOOKED BECOMING X initially, i dont have to go to far on a limb to surmise that this is one of the more criminally UNDER-APPRECIATED TRIP HOP RECORDS from the PERIOD.  ALI is definitely something SPECIAL to witness here and its UNFORTUNATE that this was her one go with the SNEAKER PIMPS.  her SUBSEQUENT SOLO CAREER veered well out of the FOREBODING SONIC AESTHETIC of TRIP HOP and into more more TRADITIONAL, UPBEAT ELECTRONICA TERRITORY, which kind of went against what made BECOMING X so darkly ALLURING.  this is one of my FAVORITE RECORDINGS of any GENRE from the PERIOD and definitely worth checking out.  required listening even.

im absolutely PARTIAL to the WARPED TOUR.  just want to get my PREJUDICE out of the way from the jump.  LIVING ABROAD during a GOOD PART of my FORMATIVE YEARS there was always this PALPABLE SENSE of COMMUNITY and RENEWAL when i returned home STATESIDE and go to attend that DAYLONG FESTIVAL.  it was the ONE DAY of the ENTIRE YEAR where i felt like i was with my TRIBE.  so i have nothing but FOND MEMORIES of being YOUNG and going to WARPED TOUR outside of that ONE EXPERIENCE in VENTURA when i got blown off by THE BOUNCING SOULS after mentioning to them i was also from NEW JERSEY. 

go figure, still?

NO ROOM FOR ROCK STARS (AGI ORSI, 2012) is a FASCINATING VANS-produced DOCUMENTARY that provides a BEHIND-THE-SCENES look at the TRAVELING BROTHERHOOD that is the WARPED TOUR during their 2010 NATIONAL OUTING.  what comes across is how the DIY ETHIC that compelled FOUNDER KEVIN LYMAN to initiate such in the WAKE of the SUCCESS of LOLLAPALOOZA is still a FOUNDATIONAL PART of the ETHOS of the EVENT irrespective of CORPORATE SPONSORS and COOPERATION from the RECORD INDUSTRY, both MAJOR and INDEPENDENT.  such is seen with copious FOOTAGE of VARYING ARTISTS and BANDS of EVERY STRIPE.  there are GRIZZLED VETERANS from STAPLE PUNK ROCK BANDS like PENNYWISE and THE BOUNCING SOULS, POP PUNK ACTS like ANARBOR and FAKE PROBLEMS, as well as EMERGING DEATHCORE GROUPS such as BRING ME THE HORIZON and SUICIDE SILENCE.  all to the SAME EXTENT have SIMILAR OBSTACLES regarding PERFORMANCE, SLEEP, HYDRATION, EXERCISE and the VITAL TASK of locating a CLEAN TOILET on site.  the WARPED TOUR basically democratizes the EXPERIENCES with no one ACT above another, LINEUP SCHEDULES shifting EVERY DATE and all being held to the SAME STANDARD of PROFESSIONALISM (i.e. the DIY ETHIC).

what is INTRIGUING is not so much those ACTS which despite their GENRE DIFFERENCES, all of whom have a MUTUAL RESPECT for one ANOTHER as TOURING MUSICIANS and INDEPENDENT LABEL-MATES, but the OUTRIGHT COMMERCIAL POP acts with SIGNIFICANT CORPORATE BACKING such as ELECTROPOP SINGER MIKE POSNER (SONY) and the OVERLY-SACCHARINE POP ROCK BAND NEVER SHOUT NEVER (WARNER BROS) pose another CHALLENGE entirely.  both are seemingly INCONGRUENT with that CORE DIY ETHIC, or at least on FIRST BLUSH.  POSNER in PARTICULAR is presented as something of an OPPORTUNIST CARPETBAGGER, utilizing the WARPED TOUR as a MEANS of appropriating CREDIBILITY and AUTHENTICITY with a MASS AUDIENCE in-between TELEVISED GIGS on NATIONAL MORNING SHOWS.  its DIFFICULT not to DETEST the DUDE given the BLANDNESS of his MUSIC and his MEDIA-TRAINED SAVVINESS in INTERVIEWS, repetitively speaking to the IMPORTANCE of his PERSONAL BRAND . but in JUXTAPOSITION to CHRISTOFER DREW of NEVER SHOUT NEVER, he's absolutely REALISTIC and soberly CLEAR-EYED about that purely TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONSHIP between ARTIST and CORPORATION.  DREW is PRIVILEGED to be in a relatively SIMILAR SITUATION as that of POSNER, but is increasingly JADED at the ADDITIONAL "ATTENTION" and "OBLIGATIONS" that come with being a CORPORATE SHILL.  while other ACTS on the WARPED TOUR are literally scrounging and fighting to survive on TOUR, he finds SUPERFICIAL ISSUES with having to do OFF-DATE SOLO ACOUSTIC SETS, PHOTOSHOOTS for GUITAR WORLD and other CORPORATE-BACKED PROMOTIONAL EVENTS.  DREW is no doubt a part of the MACHINE and then has the ABSOLUTE GALL to call-out the CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS and the SUPPOSED NEGATIVE MESSAGING CAMPAIGNS of other BANDS.  he just comes off as criminally NAIVE about his ELEVATED POSITION and its ABILITY to command ATTENTION via their MASSIVE CORPORATE MARKETING APPARATUS, which has its own OBVIOUS TRADE-OFFS.  dude is trying to have it BOTH WAYS and is coming off as a COMPLETE HYPOCRITE.  then again he deals with UNRELENTING FEMALE ATTENTION, with one OBSESSIVE FAN even disregarding his OBVIOUS PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT (he was on crutches) in pursuit of a SELFIE with her HERO. 

that SHIT no doubt mustve been quite AGGRAVATING.

but relative to a BAND like FOREVER CAME CALLING, who literally followed the WARPED TOUR across the UNITED STATES in a SMALL VAN just to attempt to sell SELF-PUBLISHED CDs face-to-face for GAS MONEY to UNINTERESTED CONCERT-GOERS in line at every stop before the GATES OPEN; its HARD to hear any BAND talk about the HARDSHIPS of TOURING.  even VOCALIST MITCH LUCKER of SUICIDE SILENCE who talks about the OBVIOUS TRADE-OFF of being UNABLE to spend TIME with his YOUNG DAUGHTER on TOUR.  you just get the SENSE that TOURING is just VARYING LEVELS of HARDSHIP for EVERYONE involved, LYMAN included. the FACT that FOREVER CAME CALLING got an OPPORTUNITY to play a SHORT SET on-stage in SAN DIEGO during one of the LAST STOPS makes their intense STRUGGLE for survival on the ROAD worth it.  makes them part of the BROTHERHOOD rather than an OUTSIDE OBSERVER, which fits the INCLUSIVE, SELF-INITIATING, HARD-WORKING ETHOS of the TOUR itself.

SIDENOTE:
its especially DIFFICULT to watch LUCKER's INTERVIEWS, as well as those with his FAMILY, given his UNTIMELY PASSING via a MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT less than TWO YEARS after FILMING.  you get a SENSE of his STRUGGLE as a YOUNG FATHER, but also his UNTAPPED POTENTIAL as a CHARISMATIC FRONTMAN no doubt on the ASCENT.  

despite everyone's RELATIVE STATION on the TOTEM POLE, at the end of the day the WARPED TOUR is a GROUP EFFORT.  and NO ROOM FOR ROCK STARS showcases such in spades.  a little UNEVENLY edited but definitely an INSPIRED DOCUMENTARY worth checking out.

recently came across the wildly EXPANSIVE SOUNDS of the TOULOUSE-based TRIO SLIFT that falls somewhere between SPACE ROCK, GARAGE ROCK, ACID ROCK and STONER ROCK.  its a SWEET SPOT where everything feels on the EDGE of COMPLETE SONIC ANARCHY, with all COMPOSITIONAL INTEGRITY seemingly about to disperse into SHEER DISSONANCE and UNFETTERED NOISE. 

and yet they somehow manage to keep it together right up to that PRECIPICE without falling into or being consumed by it which is quit a BALANCE and ARTISTIC FEAT.  SLIFT is definitely a POWERFUL BAND worth checking out.

part of the UNIQUE INTERNAL DYNAMIC that made the much-REVERED SACRAMENTO-based ALTERNATIVE METAL JUGGERNAUT DEFTONES so COMPELLING was that they maintained this IDIOSYNCRATIC DUAL-IDENTITY with their UBER-TALENTED VOCALIST CHINO MORENO crooning on record as if he was a NEW WAVE SINGER (as in DURAN DURAN or DEPECHE MODE) fighting for CONTROL with his ARTISTIC EQUAL in the CREATIVE BEHEMOTH that is GUITARIST STEPHEN CARPENTER whose PRECISE, DOWN-TUNED, DISCORDANT SONIC BRUTALITY seemed more in keeping with EXTREME METAL BANDS like MESHUGGAH or FEAR FACTORY than their SUPPOSED PEERS in LIMP BIZKIT or KORN.  throughout DEFTONES' WHOLE CAREER they were something of an ODD COUPLE that produced SINGULAR WORK that effectively EXPANDED the LEXICON of the METAL GENRE writ large and has highly influenced SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS of MUSICIANS.

but in the back of everyone's mind there was always the question of what an ELECTRONIC MUSIC OUTFIT fronted by MORENO would sound like.  enter CROSSES, a more EXPERIMENTAL, BEAT-centric, DISSONANT and less AMBIENT than a PREVIOUS similarly-themed PROJECT, TEAM SLEEP. CROSSES, a DREAM POP / DARK WAVE / POST PUNK COLLABORATION with FAR GUITARIST and COMPOSER SHAUN LOPEZ, presents a more UNBRIDLED REPRESENTATION of the sheer EMOTIONAL RANGE of the CELEBRATED SINGER.  GOOD NIGHT, GOD BLESS, I LOVE U, DELETE. (WARNER, 2023) the BAND's SECOND ALBUM in nearly a decade is a POWERFUL SHOWCASE of MORENO's INCREDIBLE CAPACITY to SEAMLESSLY adapt to AVANT-GARDE ​SOUNDSCAPES not DISSIMILAR to that of KEY INFLUENCE, MIKE PATTON of FAITH NO MORE / MR. BUNGLE / FANTOMAS / TOMAHAWK fame.  case in point are TRACKS like "LIGHT AS A FEATHER," "BIG YOUTH," "GIRLS FLOAT + BOYS CRY," "PLEASURE," "GOOD NIGHT, GOD BLESS, I LOVE U, DELETE.," "," and  "INVISIBLE HAND" where MORENO is perfectly at ease with DELICATELY-SHIFTING ELECTRONIC SYNTH PADE TEXTURES and ABRUPT BLASTS of SINE-WAVE ANARCHY.  it should be not downplayed or UNDER-APPRECIATED how much of a COMING-OUT party this release is for LOPEZ, a criminally UNDERRATED SONGWRITER in his own right.  you'd maybe think that on an ALBUM that has HIGH-PROFILE GUEST SPOTS with EL-P (RUN THE JEWELS) and ROBERT SMITH (THE CURE) that such would be the HIGHLIGHT, but no.  the EMERGENCE of LOPEZ as a SONGWRITING and COMPOSITIONAL ASSET of the FIRST ORDER is what this RELEASE is essentially about. 

and that COLLABORATION obviously works, so much so that in recent years when CARPENTER has stepped away from DOMESTIC and INTERNATIONAL TOURING due to a fear of traveling developed during the PANDEMIC, LOPEZ has stepped right in.  as a FAN of both PROJECTS, you almost wonder if this INCESTUOUS RELATIONSHIP will result in LOPEZ being involved with DEFTONES on some LEVEL or if more AVANT-GARDE ELECTRONIC MUSIC a la CROSSES will develop further with less of a TURNAROUND.  either way, its a pretty INTRIGUING SITUATION.

GOOD NIGHT, GOD BLESS, I LOVE U, DELETE. is CROSSES definitely worth checking out for FANS of DEFTONES or MORENO in general.  im not surprised since the dude, like PATTON, is capable of virtually anything on the MIC.

i remember back in UNDERGRAD i took an OLD TESTAMENT course out of SHEER CURIOSITY and at some point the PROFESSOR mentioned offhand that many BIBLICAL SCHOLARS had come to accept this PROMINENT THEORY surrounding the NEW TESTAMENT's CONSTRUCTION being rooted in a COMPILED SET of TEACHINGS and SAYINGS that were passed down in an ORAL TRADITION before being FORMALIZED and written down by the four EVANGELISTS.  in essence they were all writing a NARRATIVE based on a SIMILAR SCRIPT.

such is the FEELING i got reading the CRIMINALLY UNIMAGINATIVELY titled RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN, 2001) BIOGRAPHY by NME / ROLLINGSTONE MUSIC JOURNALIST COLIN DEVENISH.  this LARGELY EXPLOITATIVE and LAZY CASH GRAB of a BOOK is no doubt BLATANT in its CONSTRUCTION, where chapters are just a TANGENTIAL SERIES of PLATITUDES and CLICHE ASSUMPTIONS connecting SEMI-RELATED QUOTES together.  its as if he had a LIST of PRE-EXISTING QUOTES from past VIDEO, RADIO and PRINT INTERVIEWS that he was CYNICALLY attempting to shoehorn into a somewhat COHERENT NARRATIVE sans any MEASURABLE EXPERTISE or APPARENT INTEREST in the TOPIC.  which is a SHAME because the ALTERNATIVE METAL JUGGERNAUT that was and still is RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE deserved a COGENT NARRATIVE that did their WORK justice.  its obvious that PUBLISHER ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN was looking for a TIMELY PAYDAY with this and other TITLES in the late 1990s and early 2000s from a SERIES of POORLY-RESEARCHED and POORLY-CONCEIVED BAND BIOGRAPHIES that focused on PROMINENT ALTERNATIVE ROCK, INDIE ROCK and NU METAL ACTS ranging from SOUNDGARDEN, NIRVANA, LIMP BIZKIT, JANE'S ADDICTION, HOLE, NINE INCH NAILS, PIXIES, THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, KORN, SONIC YOUTH, MARILYN MANSON and so on.

knowing all this there is still some DETAILS to glean from the proceedings, such as the level of GENERAL DISCONTENT and INTERNAL STRIFE related to SONGWRITING CREDITS and BASIC BUSINESS DECISIONS, primarily throughout the EVIL EMPIRE (EPIC, 1996) era but really for much of their CAREER.  much like with the SIMILARLY-MINDED REVOLUTIONARY ACTS in THE CLASH before and SYSTEM OF A DOWN later on, their SOLIDARITY as an outward CULTURAL and POLITICAL FORCE belied an INABILITY to MEANINGFULLY communicate UNCOMFORTABLE CREATIVE and BUSINESS MATTERS INTERNALLY.  another tidbit is how TRAUMATIC a childhood VOCALIST and LYRICIST ZACK DE LA ROCHA endured in the UBER-CONSERVATIVE ORANGE COUNTY being of MIXED-RACE DESCENT.  most of the OTHER INFORMATION i already knew, but then again i probably watched the SAME PROGRAMS and read the same MAGAZINE INTERVIEWS that DEVENISH INDOLENTLY rehashed and regurgitated in this SUBPAR TEXT.

definitely do not read this BIOGRAPHY.  TOTAL WASTE OF TIME.  RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE deserved better, even if this BOOK is UNAUTHORIZED.

SIDE PROJECTS, SOLO PROJECTS and SPINOFF GROUPS are absolutely FASCINATING, especially ones that dont necessarily pan out.  they are in essence an OPPORTUNITY for FANS to get an INDIVIDUAL FEEL for what DIFFERENT MUSICIANS bring to the table and how truly DELICATE and VOLATILE that INTERPERSONAL ALCHEMY actually is.  case in point are the PROMINENT OFFSHOOT PROJECTS related to NOTABLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK BANDS such JANE'S ADDICTION (DECONSTRUCTION, PORNO FOR PYROS, BANYAN, POLAR BEAR, THE PANIC CHANNEL), TOOL (A PERFECT CIRCLE, VOLTO!, PUSCIFER), QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (THEM CROOKED VULTURES, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL, THE DESERT SESSIONS), DEFTONES (CROSSES, PALMS, TEAM SLEEP), THE SMASHING PUMPKINS (ZWAN), SOUNDGARDEN (AUDIOSLAVE, TEMPLE OF THE DOG) and ALICE IN CHAINS (MAD SEASON).

SUCCESSFUL BANDS seem to benefit from REMARKABLE TIMING, CHEMISTRY, STYLE and a PRETERNATURAL ABILITY to ALCHEMICALLY effectuate the CULTURAL ZEITGEIST in their COMMERCIAL FAVOR for WHATEVER REASON or by WHATEVER MECHANISM.  by all INTENTS and PURPOSES, TALK SHOW, the ALTERNATIVE ROCK SPINOFF of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS featuring their RHYTHM SECTION of GUITARIST DEAN DELEO, BASSIST ROBERT DELEO and DRUMMER ERIC KRETZ rounded out with NEW VOCALIST and FORMER TEN INCH MEN FRONTMAN DAVE COUTTS.  what i find so INTERESTING about TALK SHOW in particular is how much of a largely FORGOTTEN SIDE-NOTE this BAND has become.  the PROJECT was originally constructed as a bit of STOPGAP EFFORT when the FAMOUSLY TROUBLED STONE TEMPLE PILOTS VOCALIST SCOTT WEILAND was caught up in a DRUG CASE during the RECORDING SESSIONS for what would become TINY MUSIC... FROM THE VATICAN GIFT SHOP (ATLANTIC, 1996).  during that PERIOD the DELEO BROTHERS, essentially a SONGWRITING TEAM, went down their EXTENSIVE LIST of WRITTEN MATERIAL and dedicated such to be either TALK SHOW or STONE TEMPLE PILOTS songs.  so in a sense that LONE TALK SHOW (ATLANTIC, 1997) ALBUM and TINY MUSIC are something of RECORDED SIBLINGS in a SENSE.

which only makes the fact that one is a WELL-REGARDED ALTERNATIVE ROCK STAPLE and the other a FORGOTTEN ARTIFACT so COMPELLING in retrospect.  the INHERENT IMPORTANCE of the ABILITY to EMOTIONALLY sell a SONG by a CHARISMATIC FRONTMAN cannot be OVERSTATED.  WEILAND was obviously one of one and could not be replaced, SADLY then or now in the WAKE of his PASSING, and TALK SHOW and its MEDIOCRE RELEVANCE beyond a FOOTNOTE to the CULTURAL JUGGERNAUT that was STONE TEMPLE PILOTS is so INTRIGUINGLY a CASE STUDY of such.  it had to have been MADDENING to the DELEO BROTHERS and KRETZ that WEILAND was such an INTEGRAL COMPONENT of their ARTISTIC and COMMERCIAL SUCCESS, given his NOTORIOUS UNRELIABILITY. 

but such is the MYSTERIOUS MAGIC that is ROCK N ROLL.  VOLATILITY and UNPREDICTABILITY can spur the INTUITIVE CREATION of INCREDIBLE ART.  i've listened to TALK SHOW a FEW TIMES and its SERVICEABLE enough with no REAL HIGHLIGHTS or ESSENTIAL TRACKS.  "HELLO HELLO" and "EVERYBODY LOVES MY CARE" are pretty WHATEVER SONGS.  i know nothing of COUTTS or have any REAL INTEREST in pursuing such any further, as his PERFORMANCE on RECORD were rather UNEVEN and a bit FORMULAIC.  unfortunately the DUDE is the very DEFINITION of being a FOOTNOTE to HISTORY.  as is this LACKLUSTER RECORDING.  far better is the TINY MUSIC ALBUM that very easily could have included their SONGS and vice versa.  knowing that i cant help listening to TALK SHOW without thinking of what WEILAND could have offered those TRACKS LYRICALLY and MELODICALLY given the OPPORTUNITY. 

no doubt its pretty CRAZY to consider that.  and TRAGIC.

i wouldnt recommend the TALK SHOW ALBUM but the much later SELF-TITLED ARMY OF ANYONE (THE FIRM, 2006) COLLABORATION between the DELEO BROTHERS, FILTER VOCALIST RICHARD PATRICK and FUTURE KORN DRUMMER RAY LUZIER is a far more COHERENT and COMPELLING listen.

the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK EXPLOSION at the BEGINNING of the 1990s very much reset the CULTURAL TABLE which no doubt allowed for a SLEW of UNCONVENTIONAL and highly IDIOSYNCRATIC SONGWRITERS and ACTS the OPPORTUNITY of NATIONAL EXPOSURE from a newly discovered, supposedly OPEN-MINDED AUDIENCE.  immediately i think of SUCCESSFUL ARTISTS of a more AVANT-GARDE VARIETY like BECK, NINE INCH NAILS, PRIMUS, BJORK, THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS, WEEN, GARBAGE, MELVINS and THE FLAMING LIPS that would not necessarily have been afforded a MAJOR RECORD CONTRACT in decades past.  add to that list SACRAMENTO's CAKE led by SINGER JOHN MCCREA, whose deeply SARDONIC LYRICS about TRIVIAL TOPICS presented with a DEADPAN DELIVERY is the very EPITOME of 90s' IRONY CULTURE. 

arguably their SOPHOMORE RELEASE, FASHION NUGGET (CAPRICORN, 1996), was their ZENITH in that RESPECT, filled with OFF-KILTER COMPOSITIONS and BOUNCY GROOVES with distinctly ODD INSTRUMENTATION (TRUMPETS, 60s ORGANS, POLICE MICROPHONES, etc.) that recalled the whole ECLECTIC GAMUT of SOUNDS and GENRES that mark the CALIFORNIA AURAL LANDSCAPE, from HIP HOP, JAZZ and MARIACHI to FOLK, DISCO and CLASSIC ROCK.  case in point are TRACKS like "DARIA," "FRIEND IS A FOUR LETTER WORD," "RACE CAR YA-YAS," "FRANK SINATRA," and of course "THE DISTANCE" which all share the same DNA of that DROLL LYRICAL PERSPECTIVE, OFF-KEY VOCALS and ODD INSTRUMENTATION that mirrored a SENSE in that decade that everything was up for grabs CULTURALLY, including TRADITIONAL SONGS about CARS and RELATIONSHIPS gone SOUR to PURE, UNADULTERATED ESCAPISM.  in POST-MODERN SENSE there is no real INTENTIONALITY or WIDER OPINION being advocated here, moreover the LACK OF SUCH is SEEMINGLY the POINT itself.  my SENSE is that these SONGS are just CLEVER META-DECONSTRUCTIONS of CLICHE SONG TOPICS made to come off VAPID, INSINCERE and DEVOID of MEANING. 

there is APPARENTLY NO THERE there. 

just like with BECK there is a SENSE that they are just playing with MUSICAL ELEMENTS, TEXTURES and LYRICAL CONCEITS purely on FACE VALUE with no SUBTERRANEAN AGENDA, which in retrospect feels very 1990s.  that decade was one in which the UNITED STATES was relatively ECONOMICALLY PROSPEROUS and aside from a BRIEF SOJOURN into the MIDDLE EAST and later the FORMER YUGOSLAVIA, relatively CONFLICT FREE.  it feels like CULTURALLY AMERICANS got high on their own supply and regarded themselves too SOPHISTICATED and SAVVY for BASIC THEMES and SONG CONCEITS.  we needed to be CHALLENGED, as the WORLD wasnt pushing back hard enough against us quite yet.  that would change DRAMATICALLY beginning in 2001 and with it the SELF-SATISFIED ETHOS and ABOUNDING NAIVETE that i feel is all over FASHION NUGGET and CAKE's DISCOGRAPHY writ large.

damn CATCHY though.  definitely worth checking out.  that and i should mention, for what its worth, that a CLASSMATE of mine in HIGH SCHOOL was the SON of their ORIGINAL DRUMMER who plays on FASHION NUGGET.

ive read before how BANDS in the studio will break the ice by informally recording a COVER with the EXPRESS PURPOSE of getting the GROUP VIBE / CREATIVE JUICES / ATTITUDE / MENTALITY right before formally tackling HIGHER-STAKE ORIGINALS.  some BANDS like DEFTONES really stretch out and record UNEXPECTED SONGS by the likes SADE, THE CARS, DRIVE LIKE JEHU or THE SMITHS while others like METALLICA pay homage with more EXPECTED FAIR.  such is the case with their STOPGAP GARAGE INC (ELEKTRA, 1998) RELEASE which came out during the EXTENDED recording HIATUS between their RELOAD (ELEKTRA, 1997) and ST. ANGER (ELEKTRA, 2003) STUDIO ALBUMS.  the COMPILATION includes VARIOUS B-SIDES dating back to their LANDMARK RIDE THE LIGHTNING (MEGAFORCE, 1984) RELEASE including THE $5.98 EP - GARAGE DAYS REVISITED (ELEKTRA, 1987) that they utilized  before recording ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (ELEKTRA, 1988) to test out then-NEW BASSIST JASON NEWSTED in the studio, as well as ten NEW COVERS recorded specifically for GARAGE INC in 2008.

most of the NEW COVERS pay DIRECT HOMAGE to PUNK, NWOBHM and CLASSIC ROCK BANDS you'd come to expect from METALLICA, including DISCHARGE, THE MISFITS, DIAMOND HEAD, THIN LIZZY, MERCYFUL FATE and BLACK SABBATH, but what is more COMPELLING are the UNEXPECTED TRACKS by the likes of NICK CAVE AN THE BAD SEEDS, LYNYRD SKYNYRD (a FAVORITE of FORMER LATE BASSIST CLIFF BURTON) and even BOB SEGER.  arguably METALLICA at this JUNCTURE had come off of what is no doubt the two most EXPERIMENTAL RECORDS of their CAREER in LOAD (ELEKTRA, 1996) and RELOAD, which RADICALLY opened up their EXPLICIT INFLUENCES to that of TOM WAITS, ALICE IN CHAINS, KYUSS and WAYLON JENNINGS among others, so it makes some sense that SOUTHERN ROCK and POST PUNK seeped its way into their EXTENSIVE CATALOGUE of COVERS.  the OUTLIER of course is SEGER's "TURN THE PAGE" which was adopted largely because DRUMMER LARS ULRICH felt its LYRICAL CONTENT about the PERSONAL HARDSHIPS and FAMILIAL SACRIFICES that come with a LIFE ON THE ROAD fit the ETHOS of the BAND like a GLOVE.  RHYTHM GUITARIST / SINGER JAMES HETFIELD on that TRACK and digs deep with what has to be one of the most AFFECTING VOCAL PERFORMANCES of his DECADES-LONG CAREER, no doubt INSPIRED by METALLICA's LONGSTANDING REPUTATION as PEERLESS ROAD DOGS conquering the GLOBE for years-on-end in seemingly NEVER-ENDING TOURS.  such stands to date as an UNEXPECTED HIGHLIGHT of this COMPILATION.

of the PREVIOUSLY-RECORDED MATERIAL, it should be noted that there are MULTIPLE SONGS included by the likes of THE MISFITS, DIAMOND HEAD and MOTORHEAD.  i remember watching the LEMMY (LIONSGATE, 2011) DOCUMENTARY a number of years ago and there is a SCENE at the SUNSET STRIP's NOTORIOUS THE RAINBOW RESTAURANT [of course] where the LEGENDARY MOTORHEAD FOUNDER LEMMY KILMISTER is holding court and explains to the camera about how his NEARBY APARTMENT was paid off in full courtesy of ROYALTIES from the GARAGE INC ALBUM.  he CHEEKILY thanks METALLICA through the CAMERA LENS, but its TRUE.  METALLICA no doubt knew full well their STATURE in the CULTURE and that along with the CACHE of being covered by them, these BANDS would served to benefit from a likely FINANCIAL WINDFALL in the PROCESS.  to me that is the LITERAL "PAYING IT BACK" MOTIVATION of releasing GARAGE INC, as well as helping complete their CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS to ELEKTRA RECORDS in the INTERIM (for the record, ST. ANGER completed that PROCESS).

is GARAGE INC a bit UNEVEN in terms of PRODUCTION and SONG CHOICE?  yes ABSOLUTELY, but that is kind of the POINT.  recorded QUICKLY in a few TAKES with MINIMAL FUSS and a DELIBERATE GROUP FOCUS on VIBE and GROOVE, this COMPILATION marked a TURNING POINT in how they went about creating MUSIC which later influenced their more SPONTANEOUS EFFORTS like 72 SEASONS (BLACKENED, 2023) and their much-MALIGNED (although i loved it!) LOU REED COLLABORATION LULU (WARNER BROS, 2011).  i dont think METALLICA could SUSTAINABLY FUNCTION much longer if it maintained its PREVIOUS CUTTHROAT INTERNAL DYNAMICS which were the TOXIC STATUS QUO during SESSIONS from previous CYCLES.  in that sense i see this ALBUM as the first foray into a somewhat more COLLABORATIVE MODE of creating as a GROUP.

at the very least its an INTRIGUING  MUSICAL TIME CAPSULE of where METALLICA were at the time and one of the last major CREATIVE EFFORTS with the criminally UNDERRATED NEWSTED.

i was caught OFF-GUARD recently when i came across the MULTI-TALENTED OKLAHOMA CITY-based PUNK ROCK / NOISE ROCK / INDIE POP TRIO SKATING POLLY.  i was almost EMBARRASSED for not having heard them before given how POWERFUL, INFECTIOUS and PASSIONATE there MUSIC was.  each of their SONGS are DISTINCT COMPOSITIONS in their own right, but have quite DRAMATIC DYNAMICS whereby a TRACK can potentially be DELICATE and LILTING one MOMENT and then abruptly UNCORKED and unbridledly ABRASIVE the next.  the BAND itself is made up of three step-siblings with KELLI DREW MAYO and PEYTON MCKENNA BIGHORSE switching between BASS and GUITAR INTERCHANGEABLY both LIVE and on RECORD.  i dont say this lightly, but they are the CLOSEST THING ive heard in SUBSTANCE to NIRVANA since, well, NIRVANA.

definitely a BAND to pay attention to moving forward.

its always INTRIGUING when BANDS make abrupt STYLISTIC RIGHT-TURNS and NO DOUBT's HIGH ENERGY, MULTIPLE GENRE, highly COLLABORATIVE third ALBUM ROCK STEADY (INTERSCOPE, 2001) was such in comparison to its more SOMBER and REFLECTIVE PREDECESSOR in RETURN OF SATURN (INTERSCOPE, 2000).  it should be stated that NO DOUBT always had SKA and NEW WAVE LEANINGS throughout their WHOLE CAREER, but chose to emphasize DIFFERING ASPECTS given the STATE OF MIND and LYRICAL PERSPECTIVE that CELEBRATED FRONT-WOMAN GWEN STEFANI brought to the table.  with RETURN OF SATURN she was contemplating COMPLEX ASPECTS of IMPENDING ADULTHOOD DECISIONS like MARRIAGE, CHILDREN and the maintaining COMMUNICATION in a RELATIONSHIP.  as such the MUSIC on the whole emphasized the NEW WAVE side of NO DOUBT's AURAL IDENTITY with more DOWN-TEMPO yet melodically SOPHISTICATED COMPOSITIONS to match that INTENSE LYRICAL PERSPECTIVE. for STEFANI, that RELEASE in particular was her CONCERTED EFFORT at establishing herself as a CREDIBLE SONGWRITER apart from her STATUS as an ALTERNATIVE ROCK ICON.

ROCK STEADY is the OPPOSITE, it is a CONSCIOUS full EMBRACE of their more JAMAICAN MUSICAL LEANINGS (including a DANCEABLE DANCEHALL ELEMENT) as well as the more EMOTIONALLY DYNAMIC and HARD-CHARGING ELECTROPOP and NEW WAVE INFLUENCES.  this STYLISTIC DECISION largely came about ORGANICALLY after from listening to such backstage for months on end during the RETURN OF SATURN tour.  such was a means of breaking from the more SUBDUED and SOBER MUSIC they were playing onstage night after night.  ROCK STEADY is definitely a PARTY RECORD with TRACKS like "WAITING ROOM," "MAKING OUT," "HEY BABY" and "HELLA GOOD" that are as VIBRANT and ENERGETIC as they are EMPTY, TRADITIONAL POP FARE LYRICALLY.  the PROCESS was a QUANTITY over QUALITY SITUATION and many of these SONGS were written quite IMPROMPTU around the world in STUDIOS in LONDON, JAMAICA, SAN FRANCISCO, MINNESOTA and LOS ANGELES with NOTABLE PRODUCERS ranging from THE NEPTUNES, SLY & ROBBIE, RIC OCASEK, STEELY & CLEVIE, WILLIAM ORBIT and even PRINCE.

my INTRODUCTION to NO DOUBT oddly came shortly after moving from ORANGE COUNTY in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (literally one town over from where the BAND originated in ANAHEIM) to NIGERIA in the mid 1990s around the time of RELEASE for TRAGIC KINGDOM (INTERSCOPE, 1995) and its SUBSEQUENT global DOMINATION as a MAJOR CULTURAL PHENOMENON.  being in that FOREIGN and drastically ALIEN ENVIRONMENT and hearing something LITERALLY from your own BACKYARD back home was quite the HEAD-SPIN and most DEFINITELY gave me a HARD BOUT of HOMESICKNESS.  years later when RETURN OF SATURN was released, i was in HIGH SCHOOL in KUWAIT and the AUSTERE, SUBDUED TONE of that RECORD coincided with my EXPERIENCE being a STUDENT in a country that was CULTURALLY RIGID, UNWELCOMING and outright INHOSPITABLE to OUTSIDERS.  i came across ROCK STEADY when visiting my CHILDHOOD FRIEND back in ORANGE COUNTY during my spring break senior year.  it was a few months after 9/11 and my ABRUPT RELOCATION to SACRAMENTO with a RELATIVE there in an IMMEDIATE EFFORT to get me out of the VOLATILITY that was the MIDDLE EAST at that MOMENT.  i remember my FRIEND and his YOUNGER SISTER openly mocking ROCK STEADY and its seemingly TRIVIAL THROWAWAY LYRICS and OMNIPRESENT OVER-EXPOSURE on VH1, the CABLE MUSIC CHANNEL for the LARGELY ADULT CONTEMPORARY DEMOGRAPHIC.  in my mind, NO DOUBT's MOMENT had passed with this RELEASE as a CULTURAL YOUTH MOVEMENT, but in the decades since ive LIGHTENED UP and acknowledge that it was meant as a REFRESHER from the PROLONGED, BRUTAL SELF-REFLECTION that was RETURN OF SATURN.  it would take another decade for them to release their LIKE-MINDED FOLLOW-UP PUSH AND SHOVE (INTERSCOPE, 2012) to ever DIMINISHING RETURNS.

ROCK STEADY is not my FAVORITE RELEASE of theirs but definitely worth checking out, especially for FANS of the more POPPIER SIDE of the 90s ALTERNATIVE ROCK SCENE.

i distinctly remember being en route to a BOSTON CELTICS GAME, which was a SCHOOL-sanctioned ACTIVITY with the SUPERINTENDENT chaperoning no less, when our school van came in RADIO earshot of the LOCAL MODERN ROCK STATION 99.4FM WBCN out of BOSTON and the NEW LIMP BIZKIT SINGLE came on UNANNOUNCED through the STEREO.  what i remember most about my first time hearing "NOOKIE" was not the JUVENILE LYRICS about SEX and RELATIONSHIPS or the even the MASSIVE CHORUS, it was that UNORTHODOX OPENIN GROOVE that seemed to have come down from some FUNKY, INTER-DIMENSIONAL SPACESHIP that SEAMLESSLY blended both HIP HOP BEATS and some WEIRD, infectiously MELODIC HYBRID GUITAR / BASS LINE.  it sounded like a highly IDIOSYNCRATIC yet thoroughly WELL-CONSTRUCTED, RECORDED, MIXED and PRODUCED PIECE of POP SONG-CRAFT. then like everything else LIMP BIZKIT-related, REPEAT listens got ruined by VOCALIST FRED DURST and his MORONIC, UNWAVERING MISOGYNISTIC LYRICS concerning WHITE MALE AGGRIEVEMENT, arguably the most NON-RELATABLE SONG TOPIC ever.

but just the idea that my INTRODUCTION to SIGNIFICANT OTHER (INTERSCOPE, 1999) was something i didnt IMMEDIATELY AURALLY IDENTIFY as the BAND just proves what a SONIC DEPARTURE it was from its PREDECESSOR, LIMP BIZKIT's DEBUT THREE DOLLAR BILL, Y'ALL (INTERSCOPE, 1997).  PRODUCER ROSS ROBINSON (KORN, AT THE DRIVE-IN, SEPULTURA, GLASSJAW) on that DEBUT made his IMPACT spurring largely CONFRONTATIONAL SONGS that slashed with AGGRESSION and ATTITUDE, his VERITABLE CALLING CARD, and made the LISTENER notice on PURE ENERGY alone.  on the FOLLOW-UP, PRODUCER TERRY DATE (PANTERA, DEFTONES, SOUNDGARDEN) provided a SOUND that was distinctively more MUSCULAR with CONSIDERABLE HEFT and SONIC WEIGHT that presented the BAND more as a ROLLING FREIGHT TRAIN rather than a FERAL WILD ANIMAL as before.  this SONIC AESTHETIC of more TRADITIONALLY STRUCTURED and RECORDED SONG-CRAFT can be seen on the MAJORITY of SIGNIFICANT OTHER's TRACKS such as "SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT," "TRUST?," "9 TEEN 90 NINE," "I'M BROKE," "BREAK STUFF," and "JUST LIKE THIS."  the result are more MEMORABLE SONGS that rely more on MELODIC SOPHISTICATION and SONIC JUXTAPOSITION of TEXTURES than PURE, UNBRIDLED AGGRESSION as before.  that is not to say that WES BORLAND's IDIOSYNCRATIC WEEN and PRIMUS-indebted GUITAR STYLINGS are all ABSENT on SIGNIFICANT OTHER, as "RE-ARRANGED," "DON'T GO OFF WANDERING" and especially "NOBODY LIKE YOU" showcase his SPECIAL ABILITY to build and develop a MOOD through ODD INSTRUMENTATION and UNORTHODOX PLAYING TECHNIQUES.  the dude is a SONIC WIZARD and ULTIMATELY the SECRET SAUCE of LIMP BIZKIT's APPEAL well beyond his CREATIVE MAKEUP and ELABORATE GETUPS.

but i think SIGNIFICANT OTHER and the NU METAL GENRE in general has to be seen in the CONTEXT of the CULTURE in the late 1990s when WIDESPREAD FILE-SHARING was not a thing and RECORD SALES were at their PEAK.  MTV was KING and specifically the LIVE MUSIC VIDEO REQUEST SHOW TOTAL REQUEST LIVE (MTV, 1998-2008) was very much a MAKE-OR-BREAK PROPOSITION for the WIDESPREAD COMMERCIAL SUCCESS of POP, HIP HOP and ROCK ARTISTS alike.  part of the reason that somewhat PEDESTRIAN TRANSGRESSIVE ACTS like KORN, EMINEM and LIMP BIZKIT gained TRACTION was that they were the SONIC and SOCIOLOGICAL POLAR OPPOSITE of the BUBBLEGUM POP ARTISTS dominating at the time including most notably BRITNEY SPEARS, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, N'SYNC and THE BACKSTREET BOYS.  in that ENVIRONMENT a MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD ROCK AND ROLL GROUP would not suffice to translate the CHURNING and EVER-BUILDING RESENTMENT that MANUFACTURED POP was dominating the CULTURE.  thus the NEED for METAL that was SIMPLISTIC yet OVERLY-AGGRESSIVE and complete with VAPID MACHO POSTURING. 

arguably SIGNIFICANT OTHER and its TRACKS "NOOKIE" and "BREAK STUFF" embody that SENTIMENT better than anything else from that PERIOD.  this ASSOCIATION all but metastasized in the PUBLIC IMAGINATION when LIMP BIZKIT played the second night of WOODSTOCK 99 and the ENERGY UNLEASHED caused MASS INJURY and even was the SOUNDTRACK to several later reported SEXUAL ASSAULTS in the CROWD.  in a SENSE they were an EASY TARGET.  correction: FRED DURST, his IMMATURE LYRICS and MOOKISH, IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR on stage that needlessly resulted in WANTON PHYSICAL HARM to CONCERT ATTENDEES and PROPERTY DAMAGE made him an EASY TARGET.  and he hasnt outlived that quite yet no matter how many outside ELEVATED FILM PROJECTS he produces and directs in a CYNICAL ATTEMPT at PROFESSIONAL REHABILITATION.  ultimately such is the ENDURING LEGACY of SIGNIFICANT OTHER as far as i can tell, which sucks because musically WES BORLAND, JOHN OTTO, DJ LETHAL and SAM RIVERS never sounded so ON POINT and INNOVATIVE as they did on this PARTICULAR RECORDING.

moving to NIGERIA in the fall of 1995 was UNDOUBTEDLY one of the most CONSEQUENTIAL EVENTS of my life in retrospect and a TREMENDOUS PART of that RE-EDUCATION was much FIRSTHAND EXPOSURE to OUTSIDE COUNTRIES including the UNITED KINGDOM where i had RELATIVES.  for at least two summers moving forward part of the YEARLY RITUAL was going to ENGLAND for a few weeks to complete REQUIRED MEDICAL CHECKUPS and SHIPMENTS of FOOD and SUPPLIES that would be sent in bulk via TANKER to WEST AFRICA.  just so happens that such coincided with the ARGUABLE HEIGHT of the BRITPOP CULTURAL MOVEMENT with PROMINENT ENGLISH BANDS like BLUR, OASIS, PULP, SUPERGRASS, ELASTICA and SUEDE taking the CULTURAL REIGNS in ENGLAND from the relatively WANING INFLUENCE of the AMERICAN ALTERNATIVE ROCK MOVEMENT.  ADJACENT to such was the CONCURRENT EMERGENCE of EXPANSIVE TRIP HOP ACTS like PORTISHEAD and MASSIVE ATTACK and more SONICALLY AGGRESSIVE ELECTRONICA BANDS like THE PRODIGY who had an absolutely MASSIVE RECORD with their THE FAT OF THE LAND (XL, 1997) RELEASE.

up to my INITIAL EXPOSURE to THE PRODIGY, ELECTRONIC MUSIC in GENERAL was not a part of my LISTENING DIET at all.  years later i would discover SYNTH POP, AMBIENT MUSIC, POST PUNK, HIP HOP, DRUM AND BASS, ELECTROCLASH, ACID HOUSE/MADCHESTER, KRAUTROCK and EXPERIMENTAL INDUSTRIAL ARTISTS that fully embraced SYNTHESIZERS, DRUM MACHINES, SEQUENCERS, LOOPS, PADS and SAMPLING and arguably the only RELATED ELECTRONIC MUSIC i was FAMILIAR with up to that POINT was the JOHNNY MARR / BERNARD SUMNER COLLABORATIVE ELECTRONIC PROJECT through my father who was and still is a MASSIVE SMITHS fan.  its FUNNY to me because i only became aware of THE PRODIGY, not through my time in ENGLAND, but through a KNOWLEDGABLE LEBANESE CLASSMATE in NIGERIA.  i bring all that prologue up just to present a SENSE of how ENORMOUS the CULTURAL PENETRATION of their THIRD RELEASE, THE FAT OF THE LAND, especially considering that none of us had MTV OVERSEAS and this years before the INTERNET became a VIABLE THING.  this was strictly through LITERAL WORD OF MOUTH and the PHYSICAL MUSIC PRESS at the time which is pretty INCREDIBLE.

what made THE FAT OF THE LAND so REVOLUTIONARY was how it took the SONIC AGGRESSION and ATTITUDE of PUNK ROCK and created a SEAMLESS HYBRID with the INCORPORATION of impossibly QUICK BREAKBEATS and AGGRESSIVE-SOUNDING novel SONIC TEXTURES through SAMPLING and LOOPING.  yes, it is true that 1990s PEERS like GARBAGE and BECK as well as EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS going back to the NO WAVE and KRAUTROCK SCENES of the 1970s innovated these TECHNIQUES far before THE PRODIGY popularized them, but never had both PUNK ROCK and ELECTRONICA been melded so FLAWLESSLY.  and it made IMMEDIATE SENSE once you heard it, specifically TRACKS like "FUEL MY FIRE," "NARAYAN," "MINDFIELDS" and the SINGLES "BREATHE," "FIRESTARTER" and the EPIC "SMACK MY BITCH UP."  all of which were intensely HARD-CHARGING and somehow expansively PSYCHEDELIC at the same time.  just a WICKED COMBINATION.  looking back it feels EMBLEMATIC of where the CULTURE was at the time, with the walls that effectively defined GENRES being DISREGARDED and torn asunder.  such is so PREVALENT in the decades since that the NEWER GENERATIONS of FANS in the INTERIM dont even consider GENRE as a CONSIDERATION anymore. 

now its just a VIBE THING.  and when you look at the FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES in EUROPE over the past decade or so, THE PRODIGY is a MASSIVE DRAW who usually outperform and out-spectacle TOP-SHELF METAL ACTS like SLIPKNOT, SLAYER and METALLICA.  never really understood why their APPEAL was a bit more MUTED in the UNITED STATES, maybe its because they didnt fit neatly into a GENRE PRESCRIPTION, RADIO FORMAT or FESTIVAL SLOT that all need to be PREDETERMINED for AMERICAN AUDIENCES (who lets face it, arent that SOPHISTICATED) to properly digest.  i feel kind of PRIVILEGED that THE PRODIGY were one of those BANDS i cam to know ABROAD in their PROPER CONTEXT.
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definitely a LEGENDARY ACT well worth checking out, and no better STARTING POINT then THE FAT OF THE LAND before devouring their EXTENSIVE CATALOGUE.

parodies & text by nacrowe

until recently ive had a JOB that was PHYSICALLY DEPLETING and just a GRUELING ORDEAL that required me to deal with being OUTSIDE for SPELLS in the COLD, especially during the winter, utterly DRENCHED from what my JOB REQUIRED.  the few breaks id get over TIME id just learn to COMPLETELY ZONE OUT and RECHARGE while listening to MUSIC, the more EMOTIONALLY and EXPERIENTIALLY TRANSPORTIVE the BETTER.  in essence i was attempting to not think about the rest of my SHIFT.

certain TYPES of MUSIC was GREAT in this regard, especially LO-FI AMBIENT MUSIC such as APHEX TWIN or BRIAN ENO, TRIP HOP like MASSIVE ATTACK and PORTISHEAD or surprisingly even MODERN PROGRESSIVE METAL like TOOL, GOJIRA or MASTODON.  after much trial and error another particularly STRONG CANDIDATE was the EXPERIMENTAL ENGLISH ALTERNATIVE ROCK band RADIOHEAD and the SHIFTING SOUNDSCAPES of their highly EVOCATIVE DISCOGRAPHY from THIRD ALBUM OK COMPUTER (PARLOPHONE, 1997) onwards.  it kind of STAGGERING how EFFECTIVE their MUSIC was in MENTALLY TRANSPORTING me away from my IMMEDIATE SITUATION and ive been trying to discern ever since what are the ELEMENTS of their SOUND that make such the case.  it could be that they just write STELLAR sonGS and that VOCALIST THOM YORKE has one of the most UNIQUE SINGING VOICES in ROCK AND ROLL, less a SWAGGERING, ALPHA-MALE FRONTMAN STEREOTYPE and more a MEEK, INSULAR, EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED AVATAR of deeply SUPPRESSED emotions coming to the FORE.  i find it IMPOSSIBLE to not IDENTITY PERSONALLY with just the SOUND of his VOICE.  its almost like a VOICE in my head that tells pierces through the BULLSHIT and evokes my actual EMOTIONAL and MENTAL STATE.  when you listen to CHRIS CORNELL or ROBERT PLANT you are confronted with thinking about their STAGGERING GIFTS, ON-STAGE PERSONA or OVERPOWERING VOCAL PRESENCE.  with YORKE i find you are thinking about how you felt when your cat DIED as a child.  his VOICE  just takes you there.

same goes with the LUSH and UNORTHODOX SONIC COMPOSITIONS courtesy of the INTERPLAY between GUITARISTS ED O'BRIEN and JOHNNY GREENWOOD.  i find that when i listen to RADIOHEAD SONGS i am not thinking about the PROCESS of making SOUNDS as with CELEBRATED VIRTUOSOS like RANDY RHOADS, EDDIE VAN HALEN or even CONTEMPORARY INNOVATORS like TOM MORELLO, instead you are just ENVELOPED and MESMERIZED by the SUBLIMITY of the ORCHESTRATIONS and SONIC TAPESTRIES themselves.  case in point for me is that EVERY TIME i hear "AIRBAG" or "LET DOWN," "EXIT MUSIC (FOR A FILM)" or "HOMESICK SUBTERRANEAN ALIEN" off of OK COMPUTER i am IMMEDIATELY TRANSPORTED back to being on that bus in the SWISS ALPS i was on back in 1998 during a SCHOOL TRIP shortly after i bought the ALBUM in ZURICH on an ORGANIZED excursion abroad with the FRENCH department.  i may be PHYSICALLY DEPELTED and WARMING UP from the COLD, but MENTALLY im off somewhere deep in the mountains looking at SNOW-CAPPED OBLIVION.

and then im back to WORK.

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the INFLUENTIAL ENGLISH ALTERNATIVE ROCK band RADIOHEAD.  enjoy!

the NEWPORT BEACH-based POP ROCK BAND SUGAR RAY was nothing if not SELF-AWARE about their WANING MOMENT in the CULTURAL LIMELIGHT, as evidenced by the ANDY WARHOL-referencing title of their 14:59 (ATLANTIC, 1999) ALBUM.  ever since they dramatically ditched their EARLIER FUNK METAL / proto-NU METAL sound that was rooted in a FORMER ITERATION of the BAND (the LUDICROUSLY monikered THE SHRINKY DINX) that found its way on their debut LEMONADE AND BROWNIES (ATLANTIC, 1995), they somehow hit COMMERCIAL PAY-DIRT with its FOLLOW-UP FLOORED (ATLANTIC, 1997) that essentially smoothed over any EDGES in their SOUND and presented a BLAND REGGAE-inflected POP AESTHETIC that won over the MASSES.  that and their CONSCIOUS MARKETING EFFORTS surrounding VOCALIST MARK MCGRATH and his BEEFCAKE IMAGE.

so its always been SURPRISING to me that their post-FAME follow-up RELEASE is actually a pretty STRONG COLLECTION of MELODICALLY SOPHISTICATED and CATCHY SONGS that include SINGLES that are more than a bit SELF-DEPRECATING, as if they are fully acknowledging their DUBIOUS CLAIM to the POP CULTURE throne and dont internally dont expect their MASSIVE POPULARITY to continue much longer.  and honestly how could they given that their rise as an UNAPOLOGETIC POP ACT came about during the HEIGHT of the NU METAL EXPLOSION of MOODY, SELF-FLAGELLATING and downright NIHILISTIC BANDS including KORN, DISTURBED, LIMP BIZKIT, SLIPKNOT, MUDVAYNE, LINKIN PARK and so on. 

in the summer of 1997, the FLOORED track "FLY" was virtually INESCAPABLE and seemed to be a SHALLOW PAEAN to BREEZY, CAREFREE LIVING and the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FANTASY writ large.  which is why its so INTERESTING that 14:59 SINGLES like "FALLS APART," "SOMEDAY," "WHEN ITS OVER" and "EVERY MORNING" share a SONGIC and LYRICAL SENSE of MELANCHOLIA and even DESPERATION at the EPHEMERAL NATURE of ADORATION, whether such be RELATIONSHIP-based or even a META-COMMENTARY about their AUDIENCE.  its pretty INCREDIBLE and a BOLD MOVE to make a POP ALBUM around those COMPLEX TYPES of SOPHISTICATED, BITTERSWEET EMOTIONS and DYNAMICS that no doubt likely bypass most of their FICKLE FANBASE.  during that period seemingly EVERYONE had their OBLIGATORY 80s COVER, i.e. ORGY's "BLUE MONDAY" (by NEW ORDER), KORN's "WORD UP!" (by CAMEO), LIMP BIZKIT's "FAITH" (by GEORGE MICHAEL), ALIEN ANT FARM's "SMOOTH CRIMINAL" (by MICHAEL JACKSON), COAL CHAMBER's "SHOCK THE MONKEY" (by PETER GABRIEL), DEFTONES' "NO ORDINARY LOVE" (by SADE), P.O.D.'s "BULLET THE BLUE SKY" (by U2) or DISTURBED's "LAND OF CONFUSION" (by GENESIS) and so.  not to be outdone SUGAR RAY concocted a pretty BLAND COVER of "ABRACADABRA" by the STEVE MILLER BAND, which lets be HONEST, was a pretty UNREMARKABLE TRACK to begin with.

so overall 14:59 was a CALCULATED and SELF-CONSCIOUS ATTEMPT at turning the page from an admittedly HIGHLY UNLIKELY previous BREAKOUT EFFORT that was VACUOUS in NATURE through some MELODICALLY SOPHISTICATED TRACKS that acknowledged their perceived TENUOUS POSITION in an EVER-SHIFTING POP CULTURAL LANDSCAPE.  and it worked.  they stayed RELEVANT and arguably this RECORD, not FLOORED, is the TEMPLATE for all RELEASES that followed til present day where SUGAR RAY is an ON-AGAIN / OFF-AGAIN ENTERPRISE mostly on the 90s NOSTALGIA TOURING CIRCUIT.  while not the WORST RECORD in the WORLD, there are definitely PLENTY of other RECORDS from this period more WORTHY of CRITICAL INVESTIGATION than anything by SUGAR RAY, such as 311, DEFTONES, SUBLIME or INCUBUS to name a few of their far SUPERIOR major label CONTEMPORARIES.  id begin with those.

the OBSCURE DELINEATION between ENCOMIUM and EXPLOITATION is pretty THIN indeed and the BIOGRAPHICAL GRAPHIC NOVEL GODSPEED: THE KURT COBAIN GRAPHIC (OMNIBUS, 2003) created by the WRITING DUO BARNABY LEGG and JIM MCCARTHY with ILLUSTRATIONS by FLAMEBOY consciously walks that DELICATE LINE in stride.  written in FIRST PERSPECTIVE, the COMIC attempts to provide a SOBER TAKE on the TROUBLED INTERIOR LIFE and SOCIAL DYNAMICS of a MUCH-BELOVED CULTURAL ICON.  there are no REAL REVELATIONS on that accord, given that EXISTING BIOGRAPHERS like CHARLES CROSS and MICHAEL AZERRAD have long since established the ENDURING NARRATIVE of a particularly DIFFICULT UPBRINGING and UNSETTLED FAMILY SITUATION, being a CHILD of DIVORCE who ping-ponged unsuccessfully between PARENTS and RELATIVES throughout his ADOLESCENCE that spurred a deeply ENTRENCHED, LIFE-LONG SENSE of NEGATIVE SELF-IDENTITY that was sadly SELF-DEFINED as being UNLOVED, UNWANTED and PERENNIAL ALIENATION.  even gaining WIDESPREAD FAME and RECOGNITION for his ART, finding LOVE and becoming a FATHER was not enough to effectively counter such INTENSE EMOTIONS of ISOLATION ultimately. or at least such is the often PERPETUATED MYTHOLOGY surrounding the ICONIC FRONTMAN for the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK BAND NIRVANA, KURT COBAIN.

what makes GODSPEED a COMPELLING GRAPHIC NOVEL is the STARK artwork by FLAMEBOY which really dredges into BOTH POLES of COBAIN's COMPLICATED PERSONALITY.  those being the COMPASSIONATE, ATTENTIVE and ENGAGED MUSICIAN / VISUAL ARTIST as represented by his PERSONAL AVATAR of CREATIVITY and LIFE-FORCE with the inclusion of his ADOLESCENT MAKE-BELIEVE FRIEND BODDAH, depicted with BRIGHT COLORS and CHILDLIKE ENTHUSIASM, and the unquestionably DARK CORRIDORS of his MIND where his HOPELESS, NIHILISTIC DESCENT into DRUG ADDICTION and SELF-ISOLATION seemingly offered no OPTIMISM or DAYLIGHT, which are depicted in MUTED COLORS and GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS of SELF-HARM.  these TWO POLES which ping-pong at times in QUICK SUCCESSION showcase the TORTURED NATURE of COBAIN's CULTURAL LEGACY in VIVID DETAIL, which in my OPINION is a VISUAL ACHIEVEMENT.

my only GRIPE is with the NARRATIVE itself and not the VISUALS of GODSPEED, since this GRAPHIC NOVEL infers that COBAIN's SUICIDE was INEVITABLE and that ultimately he was a VICTIM of his own SUCCESS.  three decades since his PASSING and i still dont buy that MUCH-PERPETUATED CONCLUSION.  he had CHOICES.  unimaginably PAINFUL and DIFFICULT DECISIONS regarding his MENTAL HEALTH, CAREER and RELATIONSHIPS (both PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL), but they were there.  i did not know the GUY, i was in early elementary school when he DIED, but there is always ANOTHER OPTION regarding SUICIDAL IDEATION and helping proliferate the ENDURING MYTH that his DEATH was somehow INEXORABLE is quite the DANGEROUS MESSAGE and id even argue blithely REPREHENSIBLE.

so yeah, GODSPEED is a DEFINITE MIXED-BAG since it veers too much into HAGIOGRAPHY in my OPINION.  a GRAPHIC NOVEL LOVINGLY-DEPICTED but is COMPLICATED and CONTROVERSIAL, much like COBAIN himself.

i remember this FELLOW AMERICAN STUDENT that was a year older than me who lived directly across the street in NIGERIA who had this CD with a distinctly ODD COVER of what looked like a PINK VASE or SEASHELL or ONION or something.  now the rest of his COLLECTION outside of WHITE ZOMBIE was pretty much TRASH so i was immediately suspicious that this was gonna be another MIDDLING ALTERNATIVE ROCK-lite SEVEN MARY THREE, TOADIES, LIVE, COLLECTIVE SOUL, MARCY PLAYGROUND SOUND-ALIKE BAND (of which he had many) but was totally startled to learn how GREAT this ALBUM sounded, which of course turned out to be the ICONIC DEBUT ADRENALINE (MAVERICK, 1995) by the INFLUENTIAL SACRAMENTO-based ALTERNATIVE METAL BAND DEFTONES.  FYI its a BULB SYRING (a SPECIALIZED PUMP designed for delicately sucking MUCUS out of INFANTS) on the COVER, but its very much an ONGOING MYSTERY to me still why there is in fact a BULB SYRING on the COVER.

that confusion is EMBLEMATIC of how much of what i learned about MUSIC in the mid-to-late 90s was completely out of CONTEXT, as my FAMILY had relocated to WEST AFRICA in a pre-internet age, so most of what i heard was via CASSETTE TAPE trading with other INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS or CDs PEOPLE brought back from vacation in AMERICA or EUROPE.  it was pretty hit or miss with no outside CONTEXT like MAGAZINES or MUSIC VIDEOS. 

so my initial impression of DEFTONES was the SHEER AGGRESSION and GROOVE of it all, especially on TRACKS like "7 WORDS," "MINUS BLINDFOLD" "ENGINE NO. 9," "ROOT" and "NOSEBLEED."  VOCALIST CHINO MORENO had yet to fully EMBRACE his CROONING STYLE OF SINGING he INHERITED from 80s NEW WAVE and SYNTH POP that would blossom on their FOLLOW-UP AROUND THE FUR (MAVERICK, 1997) which effectively set the TEMPLATE for the rest of their career, instead here on their DEBUT there is a TENDENCY for STACCATO SING-SUNG PHRASING and a sort of BARKING IN RHYTHM, no doubt a CARRYOVER from early 90s HIP HOP. i dont remember being particularly OVERWHELMED by MORENO, not like later ALBUMS where he became a UNIQUE and TRANSCENDENT FORCE in MUSIC who expanded the very DEFINITION of what an AUDIENCE could expect from a METAL FRONTMAN.  other than the STELLAR SONGWRITING, for me ADRENALINE is absolutely all about the staggeringly INVENTIVE RIFFS of GUITARIST STEPHEN CARPENTER and the INTRICATE PERCUSSION of DRUMMER ABE CUNNINGHAM, who are virtually a LOCKED-IN MACHINE throughout their DEBUT.  my only GRIPE is that sonically the GUITAR TONE is MONOTONOUS and a bit NASALLY, THIN and rather TINNY with EXCESSIVE HIGH FREQUENCIES that are a bit much to my TASTE.  its as if PRODUCER TERRY DATE found a setting they agreed on and never wavered due to another UNKNOWN VARIABLE like TIME PRESSURE.  this would not happen again on SUBSEQUENT RELEASES which were more SONICALLY VARIED.

while not as consistently IMPRESSIVE as AROUND THE FUR or WHITE PONY (MAVERICK, 2000), what ADRENALINE did was established a UNIQUE SONIC AESTHETIC and PALETTE that the BAND built upon.  in a post-NIRVANA era in which seemingly everyone was chasing that SOUND, this HYBRID AURAL TEMPLATE that combined HIP HOP RHYTHMS, METAL SINGLE-NOTE GUITAR RIFFAGE, HAZY SHOEGAZING WALL-OF-SOUND ATMOSPHERICS and STOP-START SONGWRITING DYNAMICS create a BLEND that was utterly SINGULAR and TRANSFORMATIVE.  in short order this became the DE FACTO SOUND of the close of the DECADE that carried over into the NEW MILLENNIUM arguably just as much as KURT COBAIN's PIXIES-informed SONGWRITING itself.  while not my PREFERRED DEFTONES ALBUM, ADRENALINE is absolutely REQUIRED LISTENING for anyone interested in the EVOLUTION of METAL and ALTERNATIVE ROCK.  definitely worth checking out.

i first stumbled onto the OTHERWORLDLY CLEVERNESS that is the QUIRKY BROOKLYN-based ALTERNATIVE ROCK DUO THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS back in high school when i was in and around the RADIO STATION preparing for my SHOW.  i recall hearing the SONG "ISTANBUL (NOT CONSTANTINOPLE)" off of FLOOD (ELEKTRA, 1990) in the STATION's green room and suddenly realizing that i had previously heard that PARTICULAR TRACK on the long-since DEFUNCT ANIMATED TELEVISION SERIES TINY TUNES ADVENTURES (CBS, 1990-1992) way back in the day during my early elementary years.  and for me that sense of the PARTNERSHIP as having a SPECIFIC APPEAL and LYRICAL / SONGWRITING AESTHETIC that defies easy CATEGORIZATION or era, like say WEEN or SECRET CHIEFS 3, is what makes them such a SINGULAR CREATIVE UNIT.

GIGANTIC (A TALE OF TWO JOHNS) (PLEXIFILM, 2003) is essentially a RETROSPECTIVE DOCUMENTARY about the career and LEGACY of THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, i.e. JOHN FLANSBURGH and JOHN LINNELL, circa the turn of the millennium.  not surprisingly given the intellectually STIMULATING and downright IDIOSYNCRATIC LYRICAL CONCEITS of their most BELOVED SONGS, which tend to FOCUS on anything from the MUNDANE to the INANE and everything in between, their case is being made by ASSOCIATES, PEERS and FANS that share such an OBSCURE OBSESSION with KNOWING META-NARRATIVES and the COMPLEX ALLURE of the ABSURD.  MEDIA PERSONALITIES like NPR PRESENTERS IRA GLASS (THIS AMERICAN LIFE) and ROBERT KRULWICH (RADIOLAB), MUSICIANS FRANK BLACK  (PIXIES) and MARK HOPPUS (BLINK-182), COMEDIANS JANEANE GAROFALO, ANDY RICHTER and MICHAEL MCKEAN, as well as WRITERS MICHAEL AZZERAD, SARAH VOWELL and DAVE EGGERS.

my LONGSTANDING TAKE on THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS going back to high school was that there was a certain SELF-IMPORTANT INSULARITY to their MUSIC, as if it was too CLEVER by half to the point that it came off as INAUTHENTIC or perhaps even SELF-IMPORTANT and CONCEITED.  to me there was something almost BRILL BUILDING about their exceedingly CONCEPTUAL BRAND of POP SONGWRITING.  i now realize that with all that NEGATIVE ENERGY i wasnt really describing the BAND, but rather their FANBASE.  much like JOHN LENNON and PAUL MCCARTNEY, FLANSBURGH and LINNELL throughout GIGANTIC concede that what drives their CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP is a HEALTHY COMPETITION that finds both attempting to surprise, please and creatively spur on the other.  in other words their songs are anything but CONTRIVED, but rather HONEST ATTEMPTS at being ORIGINAL by avoiding SONGWRITING CLICHES and LYRICAL CONCEITS and/or SUBVERTING them in the PROCESS.  the fact that they both branched out into the highly SPECIALIZED WORLD of TELEVISION and FILM PLACEMENTS makes PERFECT SENSE given that THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS seemingly dedicated their career to ECCENTRIC TOPICS and SONG IDEAS.  in that sense they are almost like DEVO in their SEAMLESS INTEGRATION into CORPORATE music-for-hire SPOTS without artistically compromising one iota.  rather it is an EXTENSION of their VISION.

looking back now, they almost feel like the ALTERNATIVE to what was marketed as ALTERNATIVE ROCK back in the 1990s, having spearheaded and popularized a previous more BOOKISH wave of the MOVEMENT a decade earlier.  i think given my IMMENSE APPRECIATION for the MUSIC of the ERA and all of its inherent NIHILISTIC SOLIPSISM and SELF-ANNIHILATING TENDENCIES that some of those SEATTLE BANDS embodied (especially NIRVANA and ALICE IN CHAINS), it makes ABSOLUTE SENSE that a more SONICALLY UPBEAT and self-consciously HIGHBROW ENTITY like THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS would be looked past outright on first INSPECTION.  what they liked in PATHOS they more than made up with HUBRIS considering how truly ODD their MUSIC is.

which is what differentiates THEM and makes them enduringly INTERESTING to a WHOLE COHORT of annoying ACADEMIC TYPES that seemingly regenerates itself for time immemorial.  GIGANTIC is a COMPELLING FILM that puts THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS in PERSPECTIVE.  makes me wonder what they are up to now more than two decades after this DOCUMENTARY was released.