photo & text by nacrowe
life comes at you fast sometimes with MAJOR CHANGES that arent necessarily desired or planned for in advance. such is the case in THE FALL OF HOMUNCULUS (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 1998) comic by FINNISH graphic novelist PENTTI OTSAMO with a NARRATIVE that centers around the PSYCHIC and INTER-RELATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS that come with an UNEXPECTED PREGNANCY for a YOUNG couple.
not that id know firsthand since ive never had a CHILD. the very idea of it, especially of the UNPLANNED variety is the stuff of PERSONAL NIGHTMARES. just the UNBRIDLED RESPONSIBILITY of it all and the gravity of bringing another HUMAN into the world. i figure that if circumstances dictated at some future point that i participated in that entire enterprise, id at the very least like to be PREPARED in advance as much as possible. or is that NAIVE? in THE FALL OF HOMUNCULUS you have a YOUNG woman who is intuitively in touch with her NATURAL SURROUNDINGS as she loves to garden and explores THEMES surrounding such in her figurative artwork. even after her MISCARRIAGE she maintains a GENERAL FAITH in the JUSTICE of a GREATER COSMIC ORDER. in her way of thinking, that PAINFUL EXPERIENCE was not a complication of her life's trajectory, but rather a TEACHER providing INSIGHT into how NATURE operates and earning her some HARD-WON SELF-KNOWLEDGE. this is complete contrast to her male partner who views the pregnancy as an OBSTACLE to maintaining a CAREFREE lifestyle in which he can get blackout drunk at parties and have ANONYMOUS sex while in said stupor. just the height of IMMATURITY and RECKLESSNESS in the face of ADULT RESPONSIBILITY. its an INTRIGUING inter-personal dynamic that doesnt seem particularly NOVEL or UNBELIEVABLE. you really wonder how many couples maintain a SIMILAR TOXIC DYNAMIC. you also realize quickly the SOCIETAL WEIGHT put on women during this period and the cultural expectations that dont always pressure men to account in a similar manner. in ALCHEMY there is a notion of creating a HOMUNCULUS of oneself, that is, manufacturing a fully formed DIMINUITIVE version which often reveals some UNKNOWN ASPECT OF ONESELF. often a SHADOW VERSION or one with EXAGGERATED features and behaviors that lend to the creator learning more about their own human frailties. this feels like an apt METAPHOR for the unborn child at the center of OTSAMO's NARRATIVE. up until its MISCARRIAGE, this fetus provided VALUABLE INSIGHT into the TRUE NATURES and personalities of the couple and their STRAINED relationship to one another. its fall and demise reveals their MISGIVINGS and INABILITIES to function as a COHERENT UNIT. THE FALL OF HOMUNCULUS is a bit OBLIQUE and NARRATIVELY CUMBERSOME in places, but i felt it was a highly AFFECTING PARRABLE about the DUAL NATURE of human SELFISHNESS and ALTRUISM. definitely worth checking out.
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photo & text by nacrowe
a 17th-century SAILOR is abandoned at SEA on an EFFECTIVE DEATH SENTENCE when he comes in contact with a MERMAID, an ALLURING harbinger of his own impending DEMISE. JULIA GFRÖRER's AFFECTING graphic novel BLACK IS THE COLOR (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2013) explores the SEDUCTIVE possibilities equated with DEATH and one's own MORTALITY.
for the ship's captain, faced with dwindling supplies, the CRUEL solution of abandoning two of his crew to their DOOM at SEA is an easy decision made on purely UTILITARIAN LOGIC. their SACRIFICE will effectively allow others to live. such are the HARSH REALITIES of life on the water. lost alone at SEA on a dinghy (his partner died shortly thereafter to the elements), the SAILOR is confronted by a MERMAID who visits him at nighttime and eventually seduces him shortly before his DEATH. somewhere else the ship he left catches fire from lightning killing all on board. what is INTRIGUING is not the narrative of all this DESTRUCTION itself, but the BLASE, JADED manner in which a gaggle of MERMAIDS discuss the victims and their IMPENDING DOOM. they treat the victims at a distance and talk of them almost as if they were part of a police lineup, discussing their physical features and their relative value to them based on such. this is an INVERSION of how SAILORS are portrayed in literature speaking of SIRENS and their SEDUCTIVE PROWESS. here the victimized SAILORS are just potential trysts to be used and discarded. rinse and repeat. this dynamic seems to be a METAPHOR of both the UNFORGIVING NATURE of the PHYSICAL WORLD and its ABSOLUTE INDIFFERENCE to the collective efforts, trials and tribulations of humanity. the MERMAIDS in this narrative represent that sense of DETACHMENT, both PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL, of the NATURAL ORDER from the needs of mankind. by the example of the lost SAILOR at SEA making love to MERMAID, we see that such distance is truly only traversed in the throngs of passing along into another plane of existence, of departing the NATURAL REALM in DEATH. the REAL INTIMACY is the reclaiming of one's physical remains back into the grip of NATURE and utilized to her own ends in the NEVER-ENDING chain system of atoms being REPURPOSED, REORGANIZED and RE-CONTEXTUALIZED in PERPETUITY. the idea that we are not separate from NATURE, but a manifestation of it. too often mankind identifies itself in contrast to the ENVIRONMENT and its processes, but such is SHORT-SIDED and WRONG. NATURE is always in control and back to her embrace we will inevitably return, on her terms not ours, much like the RUINOUS and DESTRUCTIVE AMOROUS advances of a MERMAID. BLACK IS THE COLOR is quite the achievement. even in this translated version (original is in FRENCH), the narrative implications of the theme surrounding DEATH is PROFOUND and deeply THOUGHT-PROVOKING. definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
i mean the title says it all. THE HAÇIENDA: HOW NOT TO RUN A CLUB (SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2009) book by LEGENDARY JOY DIVISION / NEW ORDER bassist PETER HOOK goes into excruciating detail about the MISMANAGEMENT and horrendously BAD DEAL-MAKING at the heart of one of the most CELEBRATED NIGHTCLUBS of all-time.
for its part, the MANCHESTER venue THE HAÇIENDA out of dumb genius or FINANCIAL NECESSITY (one person was less costly then putting up a whole band), is credited with elevating the figure of the DJ in the 1980s to a pedestal they still hold in MODERN DANCE CULTURE to date. inspired by the inclusive underground dance venues like the DANCETERIA in NEW YORK, THE HAÇIENDA sought to establish a similar void in BRITISH culture. what is interesting is that it took nearly a decade and the melding of sorts with another DANCE CULTURE, that of the party isle of IBIZA, with its use of a new DRUG called ECSTASY, that saw the emergence of ACID HOUSE under its own watch and became the epicenter of a WORLD-WIDE DANCE PHENOMENON from roughly 1988-1990. the narrative HOOK presents is one where NEW ORDER and its label FACTORY RECORDS basically stumbled into one CULTURAL SUCCESS after another despite their combined efforts to the contrary. from the start, THE HAÇIENDA made NO FINANCIAL SENSE and its INSATIABLE need for CASH INFUSION throughout its history OVER-LEVERAGED all INVESTORS involved, including the band members themselves who were liable for any OUTSTANDING DEBT. not NEW ORDER was overly concerned or involved enough in the day-to-day to see what a drain the operation was on their bottom line. they lived in a COCOONED ALTERNATIVE REALITY with little interest or regard for the combined extracurriculars of manager ROB GRETTON and label head TONY WILSON, for them the venue was a clubhouse of sorts where they could hang out when back home in MANCHESTER from tour or recording. like everything FACTORY-related, the whole enterprise was more of an ASPIRATIONAL ART PROJECT than a CALCULATED BUSINESS OPERATION. as HOOK's other books about JOY DIVISION and NEW ORDER will attest, this naive modus operandi basically carried over to all BUSINESS ASPECTS of their career as guided by GRETTON and WILSON. so much with THE HAÇIENDA was wrong from the get go. the BUILDING itself with its high ceilings and rooftop was not conducive to a NIGHTCLUB in terms of SOUND or ATMOSPHERE. FACTORY brought in a designer who OVERSPENT on the interior design. they OVERPAID for a CRAPPY sound system. OVERPAID for bands. took out LOP-SIDED BAD LOANS. made BAD BUSINESS DEALS with vendors and contractors. the list is NEVER-ENDING. but somehow eventually nearly a decade in, it all worked despite itself. until it didnt. after the peak years of THE HAÇIENDA and the MADCHESTER scene, LOCAL GANG interest reared its head due to the money made on PARTY DRUGS and basically infiltrated the scene, which led to VIOLENCE and AGGRESSION that winnowed away regulars and provided OPPORTUNITIES for EMERGING rival VENUES to exploit. the book is written in sequential year-to-year chapters with figures about REVENUES and EXPENDITURES as well as notes regarding event calendars and FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES for the coming year included in the mix. you can see how it all financially spiraled out of control as well as the dominance of regular DJs over time. it really is a REMARKABLE top-down look at a BUSINESS VENTURE that stayed afloat in spite of itself. the question i keep coming back to in my mind is what would have happened if THE HAÇIENDA was actually run well throughout its run. would it have been more PROFITABLE? its GLOBAL CULTURAL IMPACT more sustained? could it possibly have been more successful? somehow i doubt it. the rolling SHAMBOLIC nature of the FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE that propelled the VENUE had an energy all its own and the conspiring players in the midst all played a part in its success and eventual downfall. despite everything, the long-defunct VENUE today is a BRITISH LANDMARK that still has an IMMENSE CULTURAL CACHE attached to it. for a FAMOUS BUSINESS FAILURE, and it was surely that, it oxymoronically sure was a CULTURAL SUCCESS for the ages. it is part of the ENDURING MYTHOLOGY of JOY DIVISION, NEW ORDER, FACTORY RECORDS and by extension MANCHESTER itself, just as much as OLD TRAFFORD or FREE TRADE HALL. photo & text by nacrowe
loving stylized to evoke the MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE, GRAPHIC and INDUSTRIAL DESIGN of the first half of the 20th century, the POIGNANT graphic novel WHITE RAPIDS (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 2007) by FRENCH-CANADIAN illustrator/graphic novelist PASCAL BLANCHET depicts the REAL-LIFE rise and fall of a company town created to oversee the maintenance and day-to-day operations of a nearby private HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER STATION well north of MONTREAL on the SAINT-MAURICE RIVER. conceived and built in the 1920s when the area was largely wilderness, the town of RAPIDE BLANCHE by the late 1960s due to INFRASTRUCTURE efforts was integrated into MODERN society to the point that its existence was deemed OUTMODED, closing its doors by the early 1970s after CANADA nationalized its electric grid and consolidated the parent company into its fold.
the romance of the period is evocatively portrayed with lyrical references to BIG BAND JAZZ and streamlined illustrations of BUILDINGS, ROADS and CARS that evoke the work of ED RUSCHA and his REVERED ADVERTISING-influenced depictions of GAS STATIONS. with BLANCHET's illustrations you get a VIVID sense of the PALPABLE OPTIMISM of this halcyon era when new TECHNOLOGY, of both the INDUSTRIAL and CONSUMER VARIETY, provided improvements in lifestyle that allowed for an appreciation of life and nature that ironically dovetailed with the latter being rained in by such. over time what was once NOVEL became ROUTINE and then rendered IRRELEVANT. this self-contained village was made an ANACHRONISM by the forward march of TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS that allowed the operations of the dam to be conducted by REMOTE AUTOMATION and maintenance through day trips to the site. RAPIDE BLANCHE was a victim of its own SUCCESS. that OPTIMISM in essence fed on itself in an act of SELF-CANNIBALIZATION. its difficult to take in the example of the COMMUNITY of RAPIDE BLANCHE and not expand such out to our present day when new TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ranging from MRNA VACCINES, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, CRISPR GENE EDITING, ELECTRIC VEHICLES and even PRESCRIPTION WEIGHT LOSS REMEDIES like OZEMPIC and WEGOVY are set to radically affect not only the future trajectory of our economy, but also our COLLECTIVE RELATIONSHIP to one another and our basic individual sense of IDENTITY. when emerging new technological capacities are inevitably rendered PEDESTRIAN and UNREMARKABLE, something about ourselves quietly dies along with that PROCESS and WHITE RAPIDS strikingly details such. OPPORTUNITY and INNOVATION leads inescapably to expectation and ultimately AUTOMATION. i am not convinced that BLANCHET is necessarily NOSTALGIC for the cultural trappings of the period so eloquently evoked in WHITE RAPIDS, but maybe he is slightly for that sense of buoyant CONFIDENCE and CAMARADERIE that came with exploring and leveraging COMMUNITY and big ideas to affect change (in this case, taming a river and its HAZARDOUS rapids for the public good). by comparison today the scale of our TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS seem more PAROCHIAL and MARKET-DRIVEN, which allows for more excuses concerning value creation on the behalf of the interests of SHAREHOLDERS and an INVESTMENT CLASS rather than the betterment of a COMMUNITY at large. progress moves forward but with the advent of the INTERNET and SOCIAL MEDIA our sense of AGENCY in the mix seems DIMINUTIVE and ever more PRECARIOUS. paradoxically we seem to live in a smaller world as TECHNOLOGY expands ever outward. WHITE RAPIDS is most definitely a COMPELLING graphic novel that deals with deep issues in an EFFICIENT manner that parallels its STREAM-LINED illustrative style. definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
when i discovered SEPULTURA in sixth grade back in 1995, it was a few months after my FAMILY moved to NIGERIA from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. on a FAMILY trip to ITALY, between my brother and me we scored TOOL's UNDERTOW (review linked HERE), RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE'S self-titled debut (EPIC, 1992), FAITH NO MORE's ANGEL DUST (review linked HERE) and SEPULTURA's CHAOS AD (ROADRUNNER, 1993) and ROOTS (ROADRUNNER, 1996) albums. it was one of the better and most INFLUENTIAL record hauls of my life and very much served as the SOUNDTRACK to my experience living in LAGOS during my middle school years. i say this only to setup the fact that MAX CAVALERA's music helped CONTEXTUALIZE the rampant POLITICAL and ECONOMIC CORRUPTION and widespread HUMAN SUFFERING i witnessed of a burdened population with its neck firmly under the boot of a MERCILESS and BRUTAL MILITARY DICTATORSHIP. i was also similarly gutted the following year when CAVALERA left SEPULTURA, effectively ending their relevance as a creative entity moving forward.
my motivation for reading MY BLOODY ROOTS: FROM SEPULTURA TO SOULFLY AND BEYOND (JAWBONE PRESS, 2022) was to gain some INSIGHT and CONTEXT in his own words into the BELOVED BRAZILIAN METAL icon MAX CAVALERA and his ECLECTIC career that i've followed and enjoyed for most of my life. to me the dude is a SINGULAR figure, even among the CELEBRATED greats of the genre, in that he has continued to expand both the LEXICON of the genre by incorporating new TEXTURES and INSTRUMENTS, often from INDIGENOUS world traditions, and has seemingly brought the extended FAMILY of METAL together throughout his career. METAL can feel a bit INSULAR at times, with the never-ending patchwork of evermore OBSCURE sub-genres, but CAVALERA seemingly proves the COMMONALITY and SHARED NATURE of such ARTISTIC EXPRESSION with each DISTINCT iteration and recording by his ongoing SOULFLY project (which has touched on everything from DEATH METAL, THRASH METAL, BLACK METAL, CROSSOVER THRASH, GRINDCORE, DOOM METAL, SLUDGE METAL and even NU METAL). in MY BLOODY ROOTS, CAVALERA presents a BRAZILIAN childhood that was marked by the death of his ITALIAN father when he was 9, effectively impoverishing his FAMILY and transitioning his life in short order from one of means and SECURITY to one of SURVIVAL. by the time he was 13, CAVALERA decided that music was his means not only of EXPRESSION and employment, but also an IDENTITY and sense of COMMUNITY in the wake of his father's passing. it seems obvious that CAVALERA's knack for COMMUNITY BUILDING started in that moment and has continued unabated to the present. along with his drumming brother IGGOR, CAVALERA established SEPULTURA and gradually learned his instrument and the band made its way up the ladder in BRAZIL, each record expanding on the prior in terms of LYRICAL CONTENT, TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY and SONIC BRUTALITY. this culminated in ROOTS, which saw the band incorporate INDIGENOUS RHYTHMS and TEXTURES into their EVER-EXPANDING SOUND, even collaborating some field recordings with the native XAVANTE tribe in the interior MASSO GRATO state in BRAZIL. in the wake of the demise of SEPULTURA, CAVALERA through his SOULFLY has incorporated word RHYTHMS and TEXTURES from SERBIA, TURKEY, RUSSIA and EGYPT among other places to date. SEPULTURA effectively broke up due to INTERNAL business tensions over their manager GLORIA, who in time was married to CAVALERA. the band thought MAX was given PREFERENTIAL treatment and that they could do better as a unit with outside management. her firing led to CAVALERA's quitting SEPULTURA, the band he started with his brother, who stayed along for another decade. the band is still an ongoing entity today, but their influence and stature is nominal at best. they are essentially a HOLLOWED-OUT edifice of what was a ONCE-PROMISING BAND poised to be the next METALLICA. the story of CAVALERA's career is one of finding COMMUNITY in the face of DISAPPOINTMENT and TRAUMA at the STAGGERING LOSS of his FATHER, his BAND and his STEPSON. it is also the story of coming to terms with such and the DESTRUCTIVE coping mechanisms he employed surrounding the excessive use of alcohol and other chemicals. the fact that he address such head-on with no fanfare and went to rehab with the right attitude and came out successful is a testament to his sheer will and LOVE and CONNECTION to his FAMILY, both of the blood and musical variety. i truly feel that what separates CAVALERA is his INTENTION. you never feel that he is going through the motions, just writing and performing music for its own sake. there is a palpable EDGE and a real sense that this process is deeply PERSONAL and CATHARTIC for him, always. in turn the listener buys into the SENTIMENT as well and treats him as a REVERED sage on a truly CHAOTIC but INSIGHTFUL aural journey. i'm always interested in his work with any number of his myriad of side projects, from CAVALERA CONSPIRACY with his brother, to KILLER BE KILLED with peers from THE DILLNGER ESCAPE PLAN and MASTODON, and GO AHEAD AND DIE with his son ZYON. not to mention the downright INCENDIARY NAILBOMB. his memoir MY BLOODY ROOTS may be a bit STRAIGHTFORWARD and UNADORNED, but its HEARTFELT and and unassailably AUTHENTIC much like his music. most definitely recommended. photo & text by nacrowe
there are some books that i feel like i was almost destined to appreciate and HUBERT SELBY JR.'s debut novel LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN (GROVE PRESS, 1964) is undoubtedly one of them. for starters, its second chapter was the namesake for THE SMITHS' celebrated third album THE QUEEN IS DEAD (ROUGH TRADE, 1986). the novel basically confronts the reader with six vignettes of UNDERGROUND LIFE along the docks in BROOKLYN and the FORGOTTEN and UNACKNOWLEDGED COMMUNITIES that inhabit this LAWLESS expanse that are in a suspended state from mainstream AMERICA. these include TRANSGENDER SEX WORKERS, LABOR UNION OFFICIALS, DRAG QUEENS, SAILORS, HOMOSEXUALS, DOCK WORKERS and JUNKIES all scrambling and struggling to make their way in life. as with all SELBY novels, most major characters are on a steady decline, some falling victim to their own HUBRIS and AMBITION, while others fall prey to lost HOPE, ADDICTION and so on. LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN is no different with regards to this CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT quirk with nothing less than the AMERICAN DREAM seemingly on trial for the fraud that it is for these LOST COMMUNITIES.
i read LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN my senior year of high school and was taken aback by how RAW and TRANSGRESSIVE it was. that is not to say that SELBY did not exhibit immense EMPATHY and COMPASSION for his characters, but the acts showcased within are just so EXTREME. i cannot recall another book that has gang-rape in it. maybe you can, but i just cant. but the novel seems to be conveying a MENTALITY and WAY-OF-LIVING that is the very UNDERBELLY of AMERICAN CAPITALISM in which people are paying the price for our COLLECTIVE CONVENIENCE. the docks themselves represent an area in limbo, both ECONOMIC and PSYCHOLOGICAL. it is literally where foreign and domestic markets converge and everything has a price levied on it. where VALUE is assessed which is the lifeblood and heartbeat of MARKET CAPITALISM. SELBY just recognizes that the merchandise that is up for exchange in these regions includes people and all matters of VICE and HUMAN FRAILTY. these FORGOTTEN COMMUNITIES are in essence culturally TABOO and thus are beset by VIOLENCE and immense personal SUFFERING, all virtually in private, as a result of our collective inability to recognize our SHARED HUMANITY and look past our own QUIXOTIC notions of what reality actually consists of. it is the perfect metaphor for AMERICAN life in general, since these areas and people are so paramount to the health of the larger superstructure, yet UNEXAMINED and largely UNCONSIDERED in any meaningful detail. this is the sort of thing i have witnessed overseas my whole life, whether such be an UNDER-VENTILATED, OVER-CROWDED NIKE factory in CAMBODIA built next to the BURNED-DOWN and ABANDONED one next door or witnessing firsthand as a teenager the international opiate trade in NIGERIA. TRADE, CAPITALISM and the PROFIT MOTIVATION in the end degrades us all, just like it was presented nearly sixty years ago in LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN. as a former high school english teacher, i always delighted in SELBY's IDIOSYNCRATIC and wholly NOVEL use of GRAMMAR and SYNTAX. he basically does away with COMMAS (,) and APOSTROPHES (') and replaces them with SLASHES (/). if someone passionately and angrily yells out a piece of DIALOGUE, he just writes it in ALL CAPS (FUCK YOU), which is oddly LOGICAL and makes sense it today's MODERN PHONE TEXTING CULTURE. my personal favorite quirk is SELBY's complete disregarding of the common convention of tagging a speaker after DIALOGUE (i.e. he/she said). this is confusing at first but his characters are so MEMORABLE and DYNAMIC that it becomes obvious rather quickly who is say what, which is an INTRIGUING technical accomplishment. i just appreciate anyone who can bend LANGUAGE and LITERARY CONVENTIONS to meet their needs and EXPECTATIONS and not the other way around, which often feels the case. sometimes i feel writers are just creating with their audience too much at front-of-mind. i love how SELBY lovingly disregards his reader and thereby paradoxically elevates them and assumes their INDIVIDUAL INTELLIGENCE in the exchange. to mention LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN means i have to acknowledge the fact that it did court CONTROVERSY upon its release and was even the center of an obscenity trial in ENGLAND. this book, along with the rest of SELBY's catalogue, is absolutely meant for a mature audience with the ability to see past what are INTENSE descriptions of EXTREME situations and recognize the deeper fear of the DIRE consequences that come when we look past each other's INHERENT VALUE and SHARED HUMANITY and see only an INSTRUMENTAL means to an end such as PROFIT CREATION or SEXUAL EXPLOITATION. furthermore such objectives seem to be the very point in a CAPITALIST SOCIETY where literally everything and everyone is for sale. it is my belief that SELBY is presenting people struggling to hold onto their core sense of IDENTITY, of an INNER PURITY despite being victim to this hell-scape that is AMERICAN CONSUMERISM along the docks of BROOKLYN. LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN is a LEGENDARY cult novel that is deserving, much like its equally UNCOMPROMISINGLY BRUTAL ULI EDEL-directed cinematic adaptation, of a much larger audience. required reading in my opinion. photo & text by nacrowe
the late PANTERA guitarist "DIMEBAG" DARRELL ABOTT was a LARGER-THAN-LIFE figure and arguably one of the most BELOVED HARD ROCK / METAL guitarists of all time, right there alongside the likes of EDDIE VAN HALEN, JIMMY PAGE, RITCHIE BLACKMORE, TONY IOMMI and RANDY RHOADS before him. his TALENT, PASSION and DRIVE for his instrument was absolutely UNDENIABLE, but what author ZAC CRAIN insists in his recent biography BLACK TOOTH GRIN: THE HIGH LIFE, GOOD TIMES, AND TRAGIC END OF DIMEBAG DARRELL (DA CAPO, 2009) is that among his PEERS, FANS and IDOLS he was just as RENOWNED for his HUMILITY, unbridled CHARM and preternatural ability to UPLIFT anyone and everyone's spirits, famous or otherwise. CRAIN even posits an argument that core of his DEVOTION for music and the guitar was not bred out of need to resolve a deep ANGER or FRUSTRATION with the world, rather it was a vehicle to express JOY, LOVE, AFFECTION and a shared CONNECTION with his extended COMMUNITY. such is particularly INTRIGUING given the absolute and uncompromisingly BRUTAL sonic nature of the METAL purveyed by PANTERA throughout their existence.
this focus on DIMEBAG's HUMILITY is the stuff of LEGEND. a childhood friend of mine who lives in MONTREAL spoke about how he ran into DIMEBAG and drummer VINNIE PAUL ABOTT while walking in a park. they were playing that night at a local club as part of their tour pushing their post-PANTERA project DAMAGEPLAN. my friend told them how during his middle school years in NIGERIA their music got him through a CRAZY time period in a foreign country. the ABOTT BROTHERS asked him to write his name down and stop by the show, he was added to their guest list. literally a guy off the street that recognized them and expressed a GENUINE CONNECTION to their music was enough for them to open their backstage for a ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME experience. testimonials to that level of GENEROSITY are throughout BLACK TOOTH GRIN. he in essence treated the METAL COMMUNITY as his extended FAMILY. what i found INTERESTING about BLACK TOOTH GRIN was how CRAIN analyzed how music being a FAMILY BUSINESS (with his father being a former MANAGER and his only brother a BANDMATE) affected DIMEBAG's sense of FAMILY and how matters of the band, with the exception of his mother and long-time girlfriend RITA, superseded such. his father's dismissal as band manager upon moving to a major label led to an impasse that remained simmering in place for the rest of his life. likewise, his relationship with his brother was always colored by their shared involvement with one another in BUSINESS INTERESTS. all major life decisions thus inevitably got processed through the lens of PANTERA and then DAMAGEPLAN, rather than as a FAMILY. that is a terribly COMPELLING insight into DIMEBAG's relative ISOLATION at the end of his life. another INTERESTING wrinkle was DIMEBAG's FUNCTIONAL ALCOHOLISM and how such was enabled by his position and RABID fanbase that sought to get wasted with him as a manner of CELEBRATION. a bit bloated and no doubt less robust as he hit his forties with DAMAGEPLAN, had he survived there no doubt would be a need for eventual moderation if not sobriety in his near future. such was the case with his partner-in-crime ZAKK WYLDE (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) who year later would famously veer away from the booze as a matter of self-survival. BLACK TOOTH GRIN is a fairly PEDESTRIAN biography is REPETITIVE in places. you can tell it was a LABOR OF LOVE and that interviews collected were almost explicitly POSITIVE by FANS, PEERS, ROADIES, SPONSORS, TOUR MANAGERS, BUSINESS PARTNERS and GUITAR IDOLS alike. at times i feel that the book veers a little too hard into hagiography, especially given the more UNSAVORY elements of PANTERA's legacy. this includes singer PHILIP ANSELMO's often MISOGYNISTIC lyrics and sometimes LATENTLY RACIST themes, as well as the band's penchant for CONFEDERATE FLAG-themed merchandise. similarly CRAINE seemingly conflates the TOXIC MASCULINITY exhibited by ANSELMO with the band retaining a sense of METAL PURITY in an age of other bands (namely METALLICA) selling out to the ALTERNATIVE nation. i think such is a particularly UNFORTUNATE supposition, as METAL has nothing to do with those DESTRUCTIVE positions and to suggest otherwise is DANGEROUS and just historically INACCURATE. so i was disappointed by all of that. similarly, it was also deeply troubling that CRAIN spent so much time describing DIMEBAG's deranged murderer. the less i know, understand or think about that asshole, much like JOHN LENNON's assassin, the better. the fact that CRAIN didnt heed such only paid off in death what that SAD, PATHETIC person arguably desired most post-mortem: attention. i would recommend listening to DIMEBAG's guitar playing, but not necessarily this book. i'd instead turn to bassist REX BROWN's OFFICIAL TRUTH: 101 PROOF: THE INSIDE STORY OF PANTERA (review inked HERE) memoir, which is likewise PROBLEMATIC and anything but definitive, but at least an INTIMATE and thoroughly AUTHENTIC perspective on the career and legacy of the much universally CELEBRATED METAL band. almost two decades after his passing, the loss of DIMEBAG is still bitterly felt. i feel incredibly lucky to have gotten the opportunity to see him play live at OZZFEST 2000 back in the day. he was undoubtedly the highlight of a stacked METAL tour and was undeniably SPECIAL. RIP DIMEBAG AND VINNIE PAUL. photo & text by nacrowe
it never ceases to amaze me how a novel as UBIQUITOUS and WELL-READ for generations now in high school english classes as RAY BRADBURY's RENOWNED DYSTOPIAN novel FAHRENHEIT 451 (BALLANTINE, 1953) still has lessons to teach us about the NATURE and STRUCTURE of AUTHORITARIAN POWER through CENSORSHIP and CONTROL OF IDEAS through CONTROL OF LANGUAGE.
after failing to secure a publisher, FAHRENHEIT 451 was serialized in issues of PLAYBOY in the mid-1950s, which makes sense given the publication's longstanding advocacy on behalf of FREE SPEECH (another prominent example includes an unedited interview with CIVIL RIGHTS leader MALCOLM X). its plot dealt with a fireman named GUY MONTAG who incinerated books declared VERBOTEN on behalf of the state. the novel gains momentum when MONTAG starts reading said books and works to undermine his own job and the POWER STRUCTURE of a FUTURE DYSTOPIAN STATE. BRADBURY undoubtedly was moved both by the EXTREME BRUTALITY of the PURGES of political dissidents, artists and academics associated with the post-war STALINIST state, as well as the AGGRESSIVE and highly CONTROVERSIAL efforts of former SENATOR JOSEPH MCCARTHY and his HOUSE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE to curb FREE SPEECH and POLITICAL EXPRESSION stateside. i can remember teaching FAHRENHEIT 451 to freshman and sophomore students in countries (KUWAIT, MYANMAR, VENEZUELA) were books and class texts were EDITED and BANNED on a state level. CENSORSHIP in these countries was not an alien or academic concept, it was a matter of daily life. what gets me now is how PRESCIENT this well-trodden and widely-read novel is regarding out own situation here in the UNITED STATES, where states such as FLORIDA and TEXAS are effectively WHITEWASHING their own youth into being INDOCTRINATED into FALSE and BASTARDIZED NARRATIVES regarding SLAVERY and AMERICAN HISTORY writ large. on one hand it is SAD and PATHETIC, but on the other hand it is INSIDIOUS and TRANSGRESSIVE to even nominal conceptions of a FREE SOCIETY. it is also a NAKED POWER GRAB. these REPUBLICANS and their acolytes are likewise seeking to BAN literature that advocates for DIVERSITY, RACE and GENDER EQUALITY and an expanded appreciation of the HUMAN EXPERIENCE in all its nuanced COMPLEXITIES. the idea of BANNED BOOKS is such an ANATHEMA to our SELF-CONCEPTION as AMERICANS that the idea that it has become part of the current CULTURE really portends badly for us as a deeply DIVIDED nation moving forward. as a former educator, my experience teaching this book a decade ago abroad was one thing, but in a preceding stateside context CENSORSHIP always felt more academic and distant then a daily live experience. it seemed like an anachronism from the bowels of a FORGOTTEN MCCARTHYIST past. not anymore. it feels like it was written to describe our current PREDICAMENT. definitely worth rereading, even if the last time you did was in high school. youll be unpleasantly surprised how truly PRESCIENT FAHRENHEIT 451 still is seven decades after its initial publication. photo & text by nacrowe
the impetus for his SURRENDER: 40 SONGS, ONE STORY (KNOPF, 2022) memoir may have been a SERIOUS HEALTH SCARE, but the story presented therein is far removed from TRADITIONAL ROCK N ROLL star fare. if anything, BONO's memoir is a deep exploration of the RELIGIOUS, MORAL and METAPHYSICAL themes that guided and informed his LIFE'S WORK, both within and without the confines of his FAMOUS band, U2. what is INTRIGUING is the level of which his ADVOCACY WORK is rooted in his CHRISTIAN FAITH and the MORAL OBLIGATION to BEAR WITNESS and BE OF SERVICE, to AFFECT CHANGE, and the INSEPARABLE interplay that dynamic bears fruit in the lyrical content of his band throughout their PARALLEL MUSICAL JOURNEY. that connection is further structurally expressed and reinforced by the very fact that the NARRATIVE is told one song at at time.
but before i get too ahead of myself, i should just state my bias upfront. talk of RELIGION in cultural matters always makes me UNCOMFORTABLE. just the appearance of potential PROSELYTIZING makes me CONCERNED and sometimes ANGRY for the sheer gall of that TRANSGRESSION. its why i was particularly nasty to CHRISTIAN missionaries during my times as a PEACE CORPS volunteer in ALBANIA, since they further conflated the already BLURRED line between CHRISTIANDOM and the UNITED STATES. made it seem like joining them made you somehow more AMERICAN. but the PIETY and GOOD WORKS of BONO seem more in keeping with the legacy of ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI in which one attempts to walk the walk of JESUS CHRIST and not so much talk about it. its about being of GENUINE SERVICE to the UNDERSERVED and UNDERREPRESENTED without want or need of recognition or influence. the act of GOOD WORKS done with HUMILITY is being a TRUE representative of the FAITH. BONO fully and unequivocally admits to MISJUDGMENTS and MISSTEPS in his long ADVOCACY CAREER. things like early MISGUIDED EFFORTS where he worked on behalf of AFRICAN interests (debt relief, HIV/AIDS vaccine, etc) instead of in partnership with AFRICAN stakeholders, thus continuing a COLONIAL DYNAMIC of NAKED PATERNALISM into the new millennium. some of these MISTAKES cut deeper than others, but to his credit, BONO seemingly always LISTENED, LEARNED and ADJUSTED based on the EXPERIENCE and WISDOM of those in his ever broadening ring of allies. his life journey can be boiled down to his struggle to become a BETTER, more ACTIVE and EMPATHETIC LISTENER. SURRENDER: 40 SONGS, ONE STORY throughout its 500+ pages goes deep into many topics worthy of mention related how one seeks to live a GOOD LIFE, even while in the midst of a particularly CHARMED one. the through-line seemingly is that of FAMILY and the TRUE NATURE of FRIENDSHIP and LOVE. his CREATIVE and ADVOCACY WORK seemingly is rooted in such at its core, and his CHRISTIAN FAITH an even more ELEMENTAL layer beneath the buttresses those FUNDAMENTAL structures. it is one thing though to use said FAITH as a BLUNT cudgel to separate one from those around them and another entirely to use such CONVICTIONS to attempt to widen that FAMILIAL RING through PERSONAL SACRIFICE (time away from family, money, etc.) and extend LOVE and FRIENDSHIP to an ever widening audience, even (and arguably especially) political enemies and those that categorically disagree with you. to me, that FORCE MULTIPLIER effect is what makes the ETHICAL CORE of U2's appeal UNIQUE, as well as that of its frontman. even though from time to time i wish BONO would just focus on the next album and let someone else attempt to save the WORLD, im glad he's still at it, always pushing forward and trying and i know secretly he is very much an ongoing point of PRIDE and ADMIRATION for much of the greater IRISH DIASPORA, of which i am a part of. photo & text by nacrowe
back when i was teaching high school english, i absolutely loved teaching my students about wonky literary stuff like INTERTEXTUALITY. such being the concept that WRITTEN TEXTS have capacity to make META-COMMENTARIES on each other through mechanisms like PARODY, QUOTATION, ALLUSION, PASTICHE and so on.
one of my FAVORITE texts for showcasing such was REVERED CANADIAN author ANGELA CARTER's QUINTESSENTIAL collection of FEMINIST RE-IMAGININGS of CLASSIC FAIRY TALES, THE BLOODY CHAMBER (HARPER & ROW, 1979). itd start by having my students read the original 17th century versions of "LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD," "CINDERELLA," "PUSS IN BOOTS," "SLEEPING BEAUTY" and "BLUE BEARD" by FRENCH author CHARLES PERRAULT. then i'd have them read the 18th century versions by GERMAN authors the BROTHERS GRIMM. contrary to the DISNEY presentations of these NARRATIVES, what always stood out was how unrepentantly MISOGYNIST and BRUTALLY VIOLENT these stories were. the basic message being conveyed through such (and remember the audience for these tales were children), was that of compliance to your parents and/or husband or else all varieties of harm such as RAPE, TORTURE and MURDER would be set upon you and be justified in society's eyes. there always came a point during the semester when my students would tell me i ruined DISNEY for them, by reading these centuries-old FAIRY TALES. mission accomplished! what CARTER BRILLIANTLY accomplishes in THE BLOODY CHAMBER is invert all of the RAMPANT MISOGYNY of these stories on their head and create COUNTER-NARRATIVES of EMPOWERED FEMALE CHARACTERS supporting one another, taking initiative and giving their patriarchal overlords whats coming to them. the fact that my students understood and where familiar with if not two, sometimes three versions of a FAIRY TALE before reading CARTER's version only amplified the resonance of her choices in variating the PLOT and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT in her STRIDENTLY FEMINIST PARODIES. and therein is the JOY of the TEXT. it is not only the fact that there is a SATISFACTIONA in the inherent RIGHTEOUSNESS of effectively countering centuries-old deep-seated indoctrinating MISINFORMATION regarding GENDER and WOMEN'S ROLE IN SOCIETY, there is also the hope that these versions could equal the score for posterity. that CARTER's CELEBRATED LITERARY VARIANTS will always by part of the legacy of these NARRATIVES and permanently comment and blunt their effects for those who choose to read them. i just love the fact that to truly absorb and appreciate her the POWER of her IMAGINATIVE GENIUS and BARBED with in these RE-IMAGININGS, one must be familiar with the implications of the innately CHAUVINIST SOURCE MATERIAL, only further cementing the connection between the two. it is an INTERTEXTUAL comeuppance that is so ENJOYABLE as a reader and something my students took to heart and applied to other TEXTUAL REBOOTS from cinema to comic books and so forth. it made them look between the differences and really dig into what messages were being transmitted amongst those VARIATIONS. THE BLOODY CHAMBER is required reading in my opinion. it is absolutely ESSENTIAL and only grows more and more RELEVANT as our cultural and social mores degrade and implode in on themselves. feels like the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION is even being inverted upon and PARODIED in a similar fashion these days with all previous understanding of such perverted to a growing REGRESSIVE AUTHORITARIAN perspective devoid of HUMOR or EMPATHY. CARTER's book speaks to a deeper HUMANISM by pointing out how our past misgivings through PARODY. its an open question whether PARODY is currently dead when some of our political leaders (cough, cough, DONALD TRUMP, cough) are beyond such, themselves being UNREPETANT, RIDICULOUS and BEYOND THE CAPACITY FOR SHAME. or maybe this is the PERFECT time to point out that the emperor, in fact, has no clothes. jury is still out. photo & text by nacrowe
written mostly while on tour in the mid-2010s with KINGS OF CHAOS and WALKING PAPERS, HOW TO BE A MAN (AND OTHER ILLUSIONS) (DA CAPO, 2015) is very much a continuation of RENOWNED GUNS N' ROSES bassist (and published author) DUFF MCKAGAN's previous memoir IT'S SO EASY: AND OTHER LIES (review linked HERE) in that he offers ADVICE based on the HARD-FOUGHT second chance he got at LIFE, as outlined in the previous book. memorably, at thirty his appendix burst due to years of HEAVY DRINKING and he was ready to end his life. this book finds him looking back at all the WISDOM and EXPERIENCE he has gained from his post-GUNS N' ROSES sobriety as he nears fifty. if anything, HOW TO BE A MAN very much feels like an update on his life post-IT'S SO EASY and the actual difficult implementation of said INSIGHTS into regimes, boundaries, and a full acceptance of ADULT RESPONSIBILITIES to himself and his FAMILY, which he gushes about to no end. its all very ENDEARING and written in a DIRECT, CONFRONTATIONAL style that feels very HONEST and AUTHENTIC, as if he is attempting to point the way for peers, fans or anyone dealing with similar PAST ADDICTIONS and AILMENTS. the idea being that sober SELF-REFLECTION and SELF-DISCIPLINE can help anyone turn their life around. maybe even reconcile with others and themselves in the PROCESS.
the fact that the book is from the perspective of being on tour is SIGNIFICANT. you get the sense the he is making THOUGHTFUL observations about PAST CHOICES while he is in the proverbial belly of the beast. being on tour sounds GLAMOROUS until you realize the amount of ISOLATION involved and time spent apart from FAMILY. not to mention the REPETITIVE BOREDOM of it all outside of playing shows. SEX and DRUGS filled that space in the past, but now MCKAGAN is very much about READING BOOKS on his kindle or FINDING LOCAL GYMS to work out and palliate his FRUSTRATIONS or CREEPING NEGATIVE ENERGY. he also has a purpose to such efforts, that being the financial WELLBEING of his FAMILY. its that objective which finds him in EUROPE sleeplessly (and unknowingly) battling pneumonia for weeks on end in an UNGLAMOROUS splitter van, sharing rooms at LOCAL motels while trying to break WALKING PAPERS to a new audience. he does this because treating himself to buses and nice hotels isnt SUSTAINABLE longterm, and the responsible thing is to live at the level the band can afford. that dynamic is only made more STARK and APPARENT since he joined that BACK-TO-BASICS EUROPEAN tour after a LUXURIOUS swing through SOUTH AMERICA with KINGS OF CHAOS, who are essentially USE YOUR ILLUSION-era GUNS N' ROSES members (SLASH, GILBY CLARKE, MATT SORUM) and a variety of FAMOUS singers from JOE ELLIOT (DEF LEPPARD) and GLENN HUGHES (DEEP PURPLE) to COREY TAYLOR (SLIPKNOT) and MYLES KENNEDY (ALTER BRIDGE) singing cover songs. he went from private jets with full-horizontal reclining seats and SWANKY boutique hotels to splitter vans and BUDGET motels literally overnight. and for him it is all EQUAL and part of the ROCK AND ROLL ETHOS of it all. i think for MCKAGAN, all that entails being a man is as much about putting your sense of ENTITLEMENT, HUBRIS and EGO in check as it is about doing so with your FEARS and DEMONS. not that he doesnt acknowledge his past. there is a POIGNANT narrative he presents of being at a friend's place in the WEST VILLAGE in NYC for the weekend in preparation for SUPER BOWL XLVIII. he is their with JERRY CANTRELL of ALICE IN CHAINS and another friend, all former DRUG ADDICTS. during their stay they came across PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN (who MCKAGAN doesnt name in the book out of respect and discretion) on the street multiple times looking to score, waiting for the man. HOFFMAN ended up passing away the morning of the game. for MCKAGAN, being at the game felt like a victory over his past struggles with ADDICTION, of having survived to age fifty. bearing indirect witness to HOFFMAN's final days only made such a dichotomy that much more PRESCIENT. is definitely a book that is worth checking out as its message is UPLIFTING and INSPIRING without dismissing the SEEDIER and DARKER aspects of the human condition. its sense of balance is what makes it feel that much more AUTHENTIC, HOPEFUL and RELATABLE, even for those of us fortunate enough to not have past DRUG ADDICTIONS. that being said, we all are ADDICTS to one thing or another. photo & text by nacrowe
i first read the novella THE METAMORPHOSIS (KURT WOLFF, 1915) by CZECH JEWISH literary icon FRANZ KAFKA way back in high school and for me it quickly felt PRESCIENT of my current situation at the time. the novella follows the salesman GREGOR SAMSA as he struggles to come to grips with the fact that he woke up one day from bed as a giant insect.
although the conceit seems HUMOROUS at first glance, the underlying PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR of an UNSANCTIONED PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION has rendered this narrative a classic example of EXISTENTIAL literature. in my case, going through the double whammy of PUBERTY and the ISOLATION of boarding school, not to mention the later moves during my high school years to both KUWAIT and SACRAMENTO left me feeling a bit CONFUSED and UNSURE of my place in the world. when confronted with a NOVEL SITUATION or a new REALITY, the main thing is survival, just getting through it. when rereading THE METAMORPHOSIS over the years, that yearning to adapt after the initial shock of it all was what rally felt COMPELLING for me. i always found it INTRIGUING how quickly SAMSA pedals to SURVIVAL MODE and completely bypasses the RATIONALIZING and SEARCH FOR MEANING in his predicament. to me that felt TRUTHFUL to my experience of life at the time (and since). once one is at a COMFORTABLE distance you can sit back, analyze and come to some conclusion about the wider RAMIFICATIONS and CONSEQUENCES of a TRAUMATIC event. but such is a luxury one does not have in the moment. THE METAMORPHOSIS poses for me a PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION about the very notion of a PERSONAL IDENTITY. is our IDENTITY the very collection and narrativizing of our PERSONAL EXPERIENCES or are we SEPARATE from such? does one ever really transcend seismic shifts in our lives or do we, in essence, TRANSFORM into a new being, DIFFERENT version of ourselves. having traveled extensively throughout my life and been put in countless cultural situations across several continents, i often wondered what would i be like if i never left SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. on a FUNDAMENTAL level, would i be a DISTINCTLY SEPARATE person sans those experiences. in THE METAMORPHOSIS, is SAMSA somehow TRANSFORMED FUNDAMENTALLY given his new insect anatomy, or has his personal sense of IDENTITY remained intact? for me that is the question of the novella. we all are in a CONSTANT state of TRANSFORMATION, as 98% of our atoms are replaced every year, creating an INTERESTING real-life SHIP OF THESEUS-like scenario. that WELL-KNOWN, MIND EXPERIMENT first presented by ANCIENT GREEK philosopher PLUTARCH presents a scenario in a plank of wood is replaced on a SHIP. the consideration then arises of whether or not the SHIP is in fact the SAME SHIP due to this replacement of a minor part? extrapolated further, the question arises of how many pieces can be replaced before it could fundamentally be determined to be a DISTINCT DIFFERENT SHIP? is there such a threshold? there is no CONCLUSIVE, DEFINITIVE answer. similarly, THE METAMORPHOSIS is always asking us to constantly QUESTION OURSELVES and especially our firmly-held SENSE OF REALITY in the face of LESS-THAN-SATISFYING answers in an at-best INDIFFERENT MORAL UNIVERSE. in a sense, that UNYIELDING TRANSFORMATION of all things is the point, even if we can't QUANTIFY or CONTEXTUALIZE such to our limited expectations. we are living in a natural world that is in a constant ETERNAL STATE OF FLUX, of TRANSFORMATION, of BECOMING. it is an ABSURD and DIFFICULT REALITY to internalize in any PRACTICAL way, especially as we are taught to recognize patterns and discern meaning from outside stimuli. from such we determine an OBJECTIVE, a MOTIVATION, a MEANING. here there is none. just NEVERDING CHANGE. which is ABSURD. and the pursuit of meaning in amidst such an ABSURD REALITY is enough in of itself is what i gather from KAFKA. THE METAMORPHOSIS is required reading in my opinion. in addition to the novella, anything by KAFKA is most definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
in spite of all the SURPRISING career achievements and accolades of the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement of the early 1990s, the recent MUD RIDE: A MESSY TRIP THROUGH THE GRUNGE EXPLOSION (CHRONICLE PRISM, 2023) memoir by founding MUDHONEY guitarist STEVE TURNER attests to how SMALL, INSULAR and INCESTUOUS the beginnings of that ISOLATED regional scene actually was. at the center of it all was a generation of 1980s HARDCORE kids that were trying to figure out what followed up on that INFLUENTIAL national underground scene.
because of their relatively long distance from other MAJOR MARKETS, these kids effectively entertained themselves and established an INTIMATE music and arts scene that was as SUPPORTIVE as it was ECLECTIC. some bands emerged with more of a PLODDING and DOWN-TEMPO riff heavy BLACK SABBATH / late era BLACK FLAG vibe (MELVINS), while others a more PSYCHEDELIC, HEAVY BLUES LED ZEPPELIN type of thing (SOUNDGARDEN), while still others where inspired by the more FLAMBOYANT CLASSIC ROCK elements of KISS, QUEEN and AEROSMITH (MOTHER LOVE BONE). the book goes through many of these EMERGING bands and how their personnel changes reflected competing influences, ambitions and philosophies on how a band should be presented and sound like. for me that was the crux of the memoir and its most INTRIGUING aspect, especially how it distilled the early scene band GREEN RIVER, made up of MARK ARM and STEVE TURNER of what would later become MUDHONEY and STONE GOSSARD and JEFF AMENT of MOTHER LOVE BONE and PEARL JAM. long story short, the band basically bifurcated due to the competing SONIC and BUSINESS SENSIBILITIES of those two camps, which manifested itself in the LONGSTANDING 30+ year careers of both MUDHONEY and PEARL JAM. for me MUDHONEY (as well as the MELVINS) is the perfect band to speak reflectively about the GRUNGE movement, partly due to their early involvement and influence on the scene as well as their ability to survive and thrive longterm and make EVEN-HANDED BUSINESS DECISIONS. MUDHONEY never got anywhere close to the INCREDIBLE COMMERCIAL and FINANCIAL SUCCESS of scene peers in NIRVANA, PEARL JAM, SOUNDGARDEN and ALICE IN CHAINS. their career trajectory was respectable, but more muted probably due to the more chaotic and noisier aesthetic of their sound which was heavily indebted more to proto-PUNK bands like THE STOOGES and MC5 and GARAGE ROCK in general than 70s METAL or CLASSIC ROCK. those other bands found a way to manifest and crystalize a new AGGRESSIVE sound that translated well to MAINSTREAM RADIO, whereas MUDHONEY and similar bands like the MELVINS and the U-MEN never figured such out. watching these peers navigate the waters of the major label scene allowed MUDHONEY the perspective of how to make SHREWD BUSINESS DECISIONS when ultimately given the opportunity to sign with REPRISE RECORDS in the mid-1990s. much like with the experience of the MELVINS and SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAN MELODIC HARDCORE band BAD RELIGION, both of whom were signed to ATLANTIC RECORDS around the same period, once the the ride was over after a handful of albums, all three bands seamlessly returned back to independent labels (SUB POP, EPITAPH and AMPHETAMINE REPTILE respectively) the better for temporarily utilizing the DISTRIBUTION and BOOKING acumen of their former CORPORATE OVERLORDS. all three learned from the mistakes of others and were left relatively unscathed from the experience, which was not the norm. MUD RIDE is pretty SOBER accounting of an UNEXPECTED, UNFORESEEN and UNLIKELY musical career. it is also the narrative of a collection of musicians that viewed the cultural landscape and the opportunities available with PERSPECTIVE and didnt let AMBITION cloud their judgement. how the HARDCORE scene prepared them for that DIY ETHIC to go out and reach for success on a modest scale is something to be admired. that INFORMED ethic also allowed a band like PEARL JAM, who were that rare band to reach the upper echelons of the MUSIC INDUSTRY, to maintain a level of PERSPECTIVE as well in the process. it allowed them the ability to call shots and treat their team well and not get gobbled up by CORPORATE INTERESTS that sought to exploit, confuse and dismantle them like their peers in NIRVANA. the SEATTLE GRUNGE / ALTERNATIVE ROCK explosion is an endlessly FASCINATING topic and MUD RIDE provides a UNIQUE perspective on the last INDEPENDENT music scene to marinate in relative ISOLATION arguable ever (due to the advent and proliferation of the internet and social networking). definitely a book worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
published on a faux notepad complete with graph paper, ADRIAN TOMINE's graphic novel THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 2020) is a personal narrative about coming to grips with life's SLIGHTS and HUMILIATIONS and appreciating the greater picture of securing MEANING and DIRECTION in FAMILY.
TOMINE recounts how being an OBSESSIVE comic book fan from a very early age informed not only his IDENTITY but the manner in which he engaged with the OUTSIDE WORLD. in a sense, the WORLD of literature and graphic novels from the author's PERSPECTIVE is likened to that of an INTERNAL dialogue in a waking DREAM-LIKE WORLD of one's own creation. its comforting to spend time in such a place, even as a reader, that has recognizable rules of engagement, unlike the real WORLD. being HAZED and effectively OSTRACIZED as an ASIAN-descent kid in RURAL WHITE-BREAD FRESNO didnt help matters either. if anything it intensified the need to escape into the welcoming FANTASY realm of comics. what is INTERESTING about THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST is how it collapses that childhood narrative arc related to survival with his TOMINE's career post-success and his CONFLICTED need for approval, ADMIRATION and ACCEPTANCE by the greater comic book COMMUNITY as an adult. at times it felt like an activity that was so PERSONAL for him was utilized as a cudgel to bat him over the head with by naysayers and the industry itself. much of this graphic novel is a catalogue of sorts related to these SLIGHTS and HUMILIATIONS, some private, others public, that TOMINE took the brunt of as a MATURING ADULT with MARRIAGE and CHILDREN to think about. thinking that he is about to die, he learns that nothing related to the craft or OBSESSIVE goal projecting of his career as a comic book writer and illustrator mattered to him. at all. his thoughts were purely about his two DAUGHTERS and his WIFE. ive had the pleasure of working overseas in ALBANIA, JAPAN, VENEZUELA and MYANMAR as an international school teacher instructing secondary language arts classes. being abroad for over a decade gave me time to think about my home country at a distance and how so much of our IDENTITY is tacked on to our economic success, i.e. our perceived ATTRACTIVENESS as a potential romantic partner, our VALUE as RESPECTED member of SOCIETY; all seems to be established by our economic status. much like how TOMINE allows himself to be personally defined by the FLUID and FICKLE (and largely INCORRECT) perceptions of others, such is also how ive experienced life as a former lowly paid secondary teacher. it was a war i fought by myself as it was a DEHUMANIZING VALUE SYSTEM that i did everything to not internalize even if it felt that the outside WORLD had. being an EMPATH and a NURTURER who EMPOWERED his students was what i VALUED in myself, even if such wasnt how i was being evaluated by superiors. this book took me back to how we all have to find our own CORE sense of SELF and a VALUE SYSTEM that works for us and cannot be invaded by the OUTSIDE WORLD. i think TOMINE found such in THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST with his love of FAMILY. in the same way that writer ALLAN SILLITOE a generation or two before found in the INCARCERATED character COLLIN SMITH in his screenplay for the film THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER (BRITISH LION, 1962), who counteracts the BORSTAL SYSTEM of JUVENILE DETENTION wreaked on the WORKING CLASS in ENGLAND at the time. his rebellion is as much about one of asserting their personal autonomy as it is about countermining the equally PUNITIVE mental prison that is class consciousness in BRITISH SOCIETY. in both examples a PALPABLE sense of PERSONAL IDENTITY is rooted in an ALTERNATIVE VALUE SYSTEM that emboldens the INDIVIDUAL and deflects against SOCIETAL forces. THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST is an INCREDIBLE read and a THOUGHT-PROVOKING examination of what motivates as CREATIVE individuals tying to find LOVE and ACCEPTANCE in a seemingly COLD and INDIFFERENT environment, both PHYSICAL and MENTAL. BOOK REVIEW | "SMASH!: GREEN DAY, THE OFFSPRING, NOFX AND THE '90s PUNK EXPLOSION" BY IAN WINWOOD8/14/2023 photo & text by nacrowe
in recent years there has been a deluge of memoirs and published histories of the PUNK ROCK movement and all of its sub-genres and related SCENES. what makes SMASH!: GREEN DAY, THE OFFSPRING, NOFX AND THE '90s PUNK EXPLOSION (DA CAPO, 2018) by VETERAN BRITISH music journalist IAN WINWOOD (NME, ROLLING STONE, REVOLVER, Q, THE GUARDIAN, MOJO) so FASCINATING is that fact that it effectively elaborates on the expanded trajectory of the WEST COAST expansion of PUNK ROCK and HARDCORE into the 1990s. from THE DAMNED and THE SEX PISTOLS LEGENDARY late 1970s performances to the advent of the early LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK SCENE in the late 70s/early 80s with THE GERMS, X, THE SCREAMERS, FEAR, THE WEIRDOS and THE BAGS to the HARDCORE BANDS from nearby counties infiltrating the SCENE throughout the 80s like BLACK FLAG, WASTED YOUTH, CIRCLE JERKS, SOCIAL DISTORTION, THE ADOLESCENTS, T.S.O.L. and DESCENDENTS to the 90s BANDS at focus throughout SMASH! and beyond. it is that very tension within that lineage of generations of PUNK BANDS that makes this book such a UNIQUE and COMPELLING read.
when AMERICAN HARDCORE was initiated in the 1980s, various BANDS started their own RECORD LABELS (DISCHORD, SST, ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES) out of necessity and begot a COTTAGE INDUSTRY of viable ALTERNATIVE options for artists. they also provided a lean BUSINESS MODEL and strong DIY ethic for the next generation of INDEPENDENT artists. such is the case with the BAY AREA's LOOKOUT! RECORDS which famously released early GREEN DAY offerings and the catalogue of OPERATION IVY. within the PUNK ROCK COMMUNITY, this effective FETISHIZING of what it means to be truly AUTHENTIC and INDEPENDENT had a huge effect on PUNK and PUNK-influenced BANDS of the 1990s. case in point, arguably at the center of SMASH!'s narrative is the melodic SAN FERNANDO MELODIC PUNK ROCK BAND BAD RELIGION and the INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL its guitarist BRETT GUREWITZ founded, EPITAPH RECORDS. unlike LOOKOUT!, EPITAPH found itself in 1994 with an UNEXPECTED diamond album [i.e. 10 million copies sold] in THE OFFSPRING's SMASH (EPITAPH, 1994) that effectively forced the LABEL to expand rapidly while defying continued efforts from most of the MAJORS to buyout their operation and/or poach their artists. in essence, the commercial success of this INDEPENDENT PRIVATE LABEL put them in the same stratosphere as publicly traded MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATE ENTITIES with larger checkbooks and a deeper well of resources. all PUNK and HARDCORE LABELS were never at that level and it was a situation GUREWITZ never anticipated. in the wake of such there was a new equilibrium and expectations game internally amongst the BANDS, their MANAGERS and the LABEL that took years to level off and resolve itself. in essence, the BANDS that stayed INDEPENDENT (NOFX, RANCID, PENNYWISE) by and large were critically rewarded long-term and with the exception of GREEN DAY (who didnt come off unscathed in terms of their reputation). even GUREWITZ own BAND BAD RELIGION signed during this period with ATLANTIC RECORDS for several releases and eventually successfully came back to EPITAPH at the beginning of the new millennium with new ENERGY and a return-to-form recorded offering. whereas EPITAPH RECORDS exemplified this dynamic from the BUSINESS and LABEL perspective, undoubtedly GREEN DAY are the poster boys for the pitfalls of working with the MAJORS during this pre-digital era (because currently nobody cares about this puritanical litmus test since no one is selling records at this scale anymore). they famously were effectively abandoned and ex-communicated by their SCENE and the ARTISTIC COMMUNITY from which they developed, the 924 GILMAN STREET venue in BERKELEY. all for signing to WARNER BROS. they were in a bind. touring nonstop throughout the states and EUROPE, LOOKOUT! couldnt keep up with demand. their fans couldnt locate product. GREEN DAY didnt believe that PUNK ROCK was about being ELITIST with hard-to-locate OBSCURE records in limited supply. the widespread DISTRIBUTION of a MAJOR would change all that. and it did. but it came at a high cost to their personal sense of IDENTITY, especially in the wake of DOOKIE (REPRISE, 1994) and its MASSIVE diamond-level commercial success. success only counterintuitively exacerbated that sense of ALIENATION and DISLOCATION from their small BAY AREA SCENE and even their FANBASE. eventually newcomers would replace that shedding of ORIGINAL SUPPORTS tenfold but that was the bargain back during this heady period. SMASH! really elucidates on an that INTERESTING convergence of PUNK ROCK ethics and all the GUILT, CONTRADICTION and seemingly socially enforced LACK OF AMBITION at the heart of it. when NIRVANA exploded, close behind it was the dismantling and/or renewed RECALCITRANCE of all that undercurrent of TRADITIONAL mores at the heart of the genre that separated it from other music sub-genres. it is still in retrospect a topic that is absolutely FASCINATING to consider almost three decades hence. i dont know if it has an analogue to today, which is more ECLECTIC, GENRE-LESS and far less TRIBAL musically than it was back then. politically today is a whole 'nother story entirely. definitely a INTRIGUING book well worth checking out. even if its BRITISH perspective on the CULTURAL PHENOMENA that was 90s PUNK ROCK does get a little weird at times. photo & text by nacrowe
HELL IS FULL (ONI PRESS, 2020) is a QUIRKY collection of individual WEBCOMICS written and illustrated by BROOKLYN-by-way-of-WASHINGTON DC comedian BRANDON REESE. these MINIMALIST panels feel very SPONTANEOUS and IN-THE-MOMENT both CONCEPTUALLY and ARTISTICALLY, as if REESE was improvising both on the spot. that being said, i dont feel that it is fair to judge their lack of sophistication or intent as a negative since it appears they are meant to be consumed immediately with no extended aftertaste or reason to linger. WELL-ESTABLISHED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY and FAMOUS CHARACTERS, both in CORPORATE MARKETING and WESTERN FOLKLORE are fair game, and are utilized in a manner that draws IDIOSYNCRATIC mention to some inane or UNEXPECTED aspect of their existence (such as their gender or motivation as a character).
going through this collection i am convinced that a book is not even the proper venue for this material as there is no narrative arc or conceptual fasciae that binds them together. it is pretty much just STREAM-OF-CONSCIOUSNESS ANARCHY with all RANDOM CHARACTERS subject to the unpredictable churn. given that REESE is a full-fledged veteran of the famously IMPROVISATIONAL UPRIGHT CITIZEN'S BRIGADE THEATER in NYC, i wonder if writing and illustrating for him is just another vehicle for creating MATERIAL from the ether with no prolonged previous engagement in the topic. there is only a RUDIMENTARY CONCEIT and a LUKEWARM, AD LIBBED PUNCH LINE, maybe. that's essentially how i chose to read HELL IS FULL, the first frame hastily establishes CHARACTER(s), LOCATION and a PREMISE while the next few contextualize and payoff such (maybe) in rapid succession. some work and others dont, but as a reader you move on immediately UNDAUNTED regardless. HELL IS FULL is an INTERESTING read, but if you are into CONCEPTUALLY RICH or ARTFULLY RENDERED GRAPHIC NOVELS then this is definitely not for you. can't say id recommend it, but i did find the implied process of its creation INTRIGUING. photo & text by nacrowe
as a music fan its always INTRIGUING to learn about the behind-the-scenes inner-workings and machinations of CONSEQUENTIAL operators like PRODUCERS, MANAGERS, ENGINEERS and even ROADIES. in his engaging memoir LUNCH WITH THE WILD FRONTIERS: A HISTORY OF BRITPOP AND EXCESS IN 13 1/2 CHAPTERS (JAWBONE PRESS, 2019), you are introduced to the world of IMAGINATIVE media manipulations and greasy pole climbing that is PUBLIC RELATIONS through PHILL (now JANE) SAVIDGE of the noted now-DEFUNCT firm of SAVAGE & BEST. at the height of the BRITPOP movement in the 1990s, this PUBLIC RELATIONS firm was at the center of the BRITISH YOUTH CULTURE having represented heavy-hitters of the period including SUEDE, PULP, ELASTICA and THE VERVE among many others. LUNCH WITH THE WILD FRONTIERS is basically a guided tour through the period and how he was able to adroitly manipulate PRESS COVERAGE and keep his clients and their new projects square in the BRITISH public's notoriously FICKLE focus and attention.
so in essence this book is really about the fine art of BULLSHITTING. SAVIDGE seems to be such a PRETERNATURAL talent at the art of NETWORKING and HYPE-BUILDING that his memoir showcases him in the same room serving the interests of everyone from DAVE STEWART (EURYTHMICS), KEITH ALLEN and ANDREW LLOYD WEBER to PAUL ALLEN, DAMIEN HIRST, A. R. RAHMAN, JARVIS COCKER and even LOU REED. its all very INCREDIBLE and FASCINATING, but you get the sense throughout that SAVIDGE is a very USEFUL instrument for effectuating a DESIRABLE outcome, be it PRESS about a nightclub or a new band in a very specific BRITISH periodical. to that end he is singularly focused and uniquely poised to perpetually create what we now refer to in the digital era as "content." the dude was a constant producer of CONTENT that effectuated BENEFICIAL outcomes for his clients and provided unique access as a gatekeeper to a new generation of innovators pushing culture. long-term though, it is never made clear how said ATTENTION benefited everyone. seems like a never-ending hamster wheel of DRUGS, LIES and HYPE. plus with the never satiated public consumption of said CONTENT, there is always the threat of being overtaken and replaced by newer, younger, hipper artists and individuals involved in ever more DESIRABLE and DEBAUCHED situation. it seems in retrospect that the cheque written by SAVAGE & BEST was sadly delivered to the following generation of subsequent artists to pay up. some with UNFORTUNATE results. even though this memoir chronologically doesnt overlap with the likes of AMY WINEHOUSE or PETE DOHERTY, it was never that far from my attention the darker aspects of chasing down and falling into this type of RABBIT HOLE. despite all of the GLAMOUR and DETACHED AFFECTION related to PRESS COVERAGE, you also get the sense that one's IDENTITY and PUBLIC PERSONA is what is at stake and being bartered over in the process. some get LOST. what is so COMPELLING about this book is how little i learned about SAVIDGE as an individual away from his MANIPULATIONS in the ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. he is a complete CYPHER. it is probably what made him such a great PUBLIC RELATIONS agent. LUNCH WITH THE WILD FRONTIERS is definitely an INTERESTING book with a UNIQUE perspective on the BRITISH MUSIC INDUSTRY during the BRITPOP period. definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
originally published as issue #22 in the EIGHTBALL series, the graphic novel ICE HAVEN (PANTHEON, 2005) by CELEBRATED ALTERNATIVE COMICS cartoonist DANIEL CLOWES is a compelling KALEIDOSCOPIC depiction of an AMERICAN small town's inhabitants with interweaving personal narratives that sometimes resolve and other times continue onward unabated such as is the case in real life. LOVE, DEATH, LOSS, MARRIAGE, SEX and DIVORCE find their way into one's life trajectory much as JEALOUSY, PRIDE, ART, PARANOIA, HISTORY and PREJUDICE do as well. CLOWES' makes CLEVER use of differing art styles in his panels to represent the UNIQUE worldview and perspective of different said inhabitants, whether they be INNOCENT children or SCHEMING adults.
in many ways, this narrative experiment at the heart of ICE HAVEN reminds me of the IDIOSYNCRATIC DAVID BYRNE film TRUE STORIES (WARNER BROS, 1986) and how said film juxtaposes various aspects of RURAL TEXAN life and CULTURE without editorializing or passing judgment on the subject. BYRNE throughout is just a PASSIVE observer providing brief glimpses on the then rapid industrial expansion of the microchip industry and its effects on the landscape and how such informed how inhabitants viewed and identified themselves. with ICE HAVEN, CLOWES has a comic critic embedded in the mix who acts as a GREEK chorus, providing UN-AUTHORITATIVE insight and commentary on the action at hand. this is a distracting device of sorts and CLOWES' actual opinion is never elucidated specifically to the reader. it is just another voice to add to the mix. and that is ultimately how i see this graphic novel in general, as in INTERESTING composite shot of a community, warts and all. there are some people with AMBITION with good intentions and others set to EXPLOIT circumstances to their own benefit in completely BAD FAITH, just like in real life. i dont get the feeling that CLOWES is making any META-COMMENTARY on specific aspects of modern AMERICAN LIFE, more just attempting to showcase the mechanizations of it and for the reader to get a sense of how the pieces potentially fit together. ICE HAVEN is an INTRIGUING achievement and well worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
the INCREDIBLE personal narrative of VENERATED guitarist BRIAN TRISTAN, a.k.a. KID CONGO POWERS, very much mirrors that of the UNIQUE and TRANSFORMATIVE power of ROCK AND ROLL itself. if anything, as a DEVOUT fan and ASTUTE devotee of music, the young native-born ANGELENO found a vehicle of ESCAPISM that recast his IDENTITY as a HOMOSEXUAL and second-generation son of MEXICAN immigrants. first it was through GLAM ROCK / GLITTER scene of the early 1970s in LOS ANGELES and then came the cultural title wave that was PUNK ROCK. whats COMPELLING about POWERS experience is that he was not a musician but a journalist during this period, writing for several fanzines and even starting the WEST COAST fan club, of which he served as president, for THE RAMONES of all things. his connection to PUNK ROCK was both an EMOTIONAL and INTELLECTUAL exercise,
it was only a chance meeting with UNKNOWN songwriter JEFFREY LEE PIERCE (himself president of the BLONDIE WEST COAST fan club) at a PERE UBU show that the seed of becoming a musician was planted. and it is that LIFE-CHANGING event that makes POWERS memoir SOME NEW KIND OF KICK (HACHETTE, 2022) such a UNIQUE, almost MYSTICAL, story. what drew people to his playing was not his playing technique, but his AURA. such was the case when POISON IVY and LUX INTERIOR from THE CRAMPS poached him from the PIERCE-led PUNK outfit THE GUN CLUB. there was a certain special alchemy at play that enabled POWERS to unconsciously blend in with his new cohorts without any words being spoken about that process. his ability to collaborate is seemingly MAGICAL. such was also the case when NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS took interest in his services. its an INTRIGUING dynamic to consider that for a musician with issues surrounding IDENTITY issues related to his SEXUALITY and RACE that were exacerbated by CHILDHOOD TRAUMA (the unsolved MURDER of a cousin at a young age) and years of serial ABUSE of narcotics, that for him his very calling card was his adept ability to be molded and reconfigured in new ARTISTIC contexts. in essence he literally lost himself in the music. and the DRUGS. i had a PERIPATETIC childhood being shuttled between CALIFORNIA, NIGERIA, KUWAIT and MASSACHUSETTS and feel a certain kinship in understanding the REPETITIVE EMOTIONAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS of constant readjustment to unknown surroundings and new social contexts, but this level of navigation described in SOME NEW KIND OF KICK is beyond me. and it was all so public being a touring musician and all. i cant imagine the INTESTINAL FORTITUDE it took to submerge your IDENTITY into that of the ARTISTIC ambitions of your cohorts. especially with regards to your SEXUALITY. at the end of the book he is at the funeral of former bandmate, who himself was a closeted HOMOSEXUAL. something POWERS only learns after his death. obviously it was a different era when the majority of the contents of this book take place, between mid-1970s and the mid-1990s. there have been quite a few books published in recent years that have focused on the early LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK scene of the late 1970s and POWER's addition most definitely gives a palpable introduction to the DIVERSITY and INCLUSION at the heart of the scene, before the second-wave heathens transferred it into something more sonically BRUTAL, intellectually ENFEEBLED and aesthetically RIGID. i would definitely recommend this memoir along with other standouts like UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN by JOHN DOE of X (review linked HERE), VIOLENCE GIRL: A CHICANA PUNK STORY by ALICE BAG of THE BAGS(review linked HERE) and MY DAMAGE: THE STORY OF A PUNK ROCK SURVIVOR by KEITH MORRIS of THE CIRCLE JERKS / BLACK FLAG / OFF! (review linked HERE) as worthy of consideration into further understanding this deeply FASCINATING scene. photo & text by nacrowe
CECIL AND JORDAN IN NEW YORK STORIES (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 2009) is a collection of graphic short stories by BRITISH-AMERICAN ALTERNATIVE cartoonist GABRIELLE BELL. most of these narratives deal with the INTERIOR LIVES of young women as they navigate the ADULT WORLD and the pressures of maintaining friendships and the looming threat of INDEPENDENCE and RESPONSIBILITY. at times this is expressed through the realistically-depicted REBELLIOUS actions of characters while at others wild and FLABOYANT IMAGININGS and SPRAWLING IDEATIONS of fancy that fly far from any NATURAL depiction of REALITY. the through line that roots and connects the narratives together is a EMOTIONAL grounding in the characters' reactions. even if the plot is in essence quite a bit FANTASTICAL. it should also be noted that parts of CECIL AND JORDAN IN NEW YORK STORIES were the basis for the MICHEL GONDRY section in the anthology film TOKYO! (COMMES DE CINEMAS, 2008), himself no stranger to all CREATIVE things WONDROUS and ABSURD.
i think for anyone that survived adolescence it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to not remember a time when one's IMAGINATION could serve as a distraction from the COLD, SOBER REALITIES that surrounded them. for me that vehicle of escape was film, travel, art and especially music. for others it is the wondrous capacity of literature that can allow for a temporary respite from reality while also helping one redefine such in an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE and HEADSPACE. it is that TRANSCENDENT power that individual EXPRESSION provides which helps us SELF-IDENTITY and modify our working BELIEF STRUCTURE. for me listening to SKINNY PUPPY, MASSIVE ATTACK or THE CARS allows me to channel different aspects of my IDENTITY and helps alleviate STRESS and provide CLARITY on a current situation. or perhaps distract me from such temporarily. reading through BELL's short stories gives me that same sense of individual adventure in enjoying the process of BECOMING. that sense when one is an adolescent of transitioning into a person you are not familiar with just yet as your introduction to your FUTURE SELF is just beginning. i think BELL very much brings that feeling of emerging IDENTITY come to life throughout these short narratives. definitely recommended. |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
April 2024
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