parodies by nacrowe

i get it.  everyone likes to SHIT on BONO.

i think even he understands how his well-publicized PHILANTHROPIC and HUMANITARIAN OUTREACH EFFORTS come off as severely SELF-SERVING and seemingly COUNTERPRODUCTIVE to his STATUS and ROLE as a GLOBAL CULTURAL FIGURE and ROCK N ROLL LUMINARY of the first order.  especially if you are of the more CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL PERSUASION and dont share his decidedly PROGRESSIVE, HUMANISTIC VALUES.  i get it.

but i also feel he is coming from the right place.

im not CATHOLIC but i was partially raised in that MINDSET having unfortunately attended PAROCHIAL school early on and later surrounded by EAST COAST IRISH CATHOLIC RELATIVES.  and to me there is something distinctly IRISH about BONO specifically.  at its core is a GENUINE EMPATHY for the UNDERREPRESENTED, UNDERNOURISHED, UNDERVALUED, UNDER-COMPENSATED and UNAPPRECIATED POPULATIONS that deal with POLITICAL, ECONOMIC and even ETHNIC REPRESSION as part of their REALITY and DAILY LIVED EXPERIENCE.  you look at the IRISH with their VOLATILE HISTORY that is defined by the ENDURANCE of both DOMESTIC FAMINES and generations of SAVAGE MISTREATMENT by their BRITISH OVERLORDS, as well as their FOLK MUSIC that gives voice to such DESPAIR and RESILIENCY, and you can begin to understand why they have such COMPASSION for the UNDERDOG.  i see BONO in that TRADITION, who like ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI turned that SYMPATHY into ACTIONABLE ITEMS that he could pursue. 

i dont feel his ADVOCACY and PHILANTHROPIC WORK comes from a place of SELF-AGGRANDIZEMENT or even EGO.  he is basically leveraging his biggest asset, HIMSELF.  i dont know if he could have persuaded GLOBAL POLITICAL LEADERS to collaborate and make SIGNIFICANT strides on EXTREME POVERTY, GLOBAL HEALTH or AIDS initiatives had he advocated quietly in the shadows.  his STRENGTH is in his command of the MEDIA'S ATTENTION, so why not veer such towards SOLUTIONS regarding criminally UNDER-RECOGNIZED PROBLEMS that affect those without the PLATFORM to advocate for themselves.

my WHOLE LIFE ive heard people go on and groan about BONO and his ADVOCACY EFFORTS outside the confines of U2.  they see it as a DISTRACTION from his CREATIVE WORK, not an EXTENSION of such.  i just disagree.  to me what he is doing is QUINTESSENTIALLY IRISH.  being of IRISH CATHOLIC DESCENT i even take a point of pride in the fact that he does such, welcoming in the slings and arrows of a MEDIA CULTURE and even a FICKLE FANBASE that deny his HUMANITY and AGENCY as an INDIVIDUAL.  they just want more PRODUCT for how it affects them.  it is an INTRIGUING DYNAMIC because that INTEREST is what provides him his PLATFORM, but i feel CONFIDENT that his SHAMELESS RELENTLESSNESS in his ADVOCACY for the IMPOVERISHED and UNDER-RESOURCED MILLIONS is not an act of SEVERE SELF-GLORIFICATION, but a DELIBERATE and SUSTAINED ACT of ALTRUISM.  of LOVE.  again, i am not CATHOLIC and thus dont believe in their MYTHOLOGY surrounding SAINTS, SINNERS or SAVIORS, but i appreciate the fact that such informs BONO's DRIVE to help others and cant knock him for it.  on a purely SELFISH level, these EXPERIENCES have long INFORMED both the MUSIC and LEGACY of U2, making such more INTIMATE, HEARTFELT and AUTHENTIC.

and IRISH.

so yeah, i dont get the TIRED ATTACK against BONO and his ADVOCACY WORK.  makes no sense.

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating U2.  enjoy!

parodies & text by nacrowe

when i got into DEPECHE MODE in earnest during my time as a PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER in ALBANIA, what connected with me the most was that UNDENIABLE sense of GROOVE and just SEX that palpably emanated from those VIOLATOR (MUTE, 1990), SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION (MUTE, 1993), ULTRA (MUTE, 1997)  and EXCITER (MUTE, 2001) era SOUNDSCAPES.  the SYNTH POP and ELECTRONIC MUSIC i was familiar with up until that point were more things like early NEW ORDER, PET SHOP BOYS and DEVO which seemed a bit more consciously BOXY and CLUNKY, albeit in an aesthetically COOL way, but not something id categorize as a SEXY or even remotely DANGEROUS sounding.  maybe its SINGER DAVE GAHAN's SLITHERY VOCAL DELIVERY and songs about AMBITION, SEDUCTION, REDEMPTION and MORAL PERIL or GUITARIST MARTIN GORE's melodically SOPHISTICATED yet intensely DANCEABLE COMPOSITIONS that made the difference, all i know is that once i jumped in that pool i was immediately in the deep end.

from which i have yet to recover.

in ALBANIA and my time traveling around EASTERN EUROPE in general there is a GENERAL BLANDNESS to the ARCHITECTURE and UNIFORM CONFORMITY to the CULTURE that derives from being in a location from the post-SOVIET SPHERE-OF-INFLUENCE (albeit ALBANIA was DIFFERENT than YUGOSLAVIA in that they were POLITICALLY-ALIGNED with CHINESE COMMUNISM, not RUSSIAN).  for whatever reason, i found DEPECHE MODE to be a PERFECT SOUNDTRACK to my experiences in the setting.  with their use of SYNTHESIZERS and the UNWAVERING RIGIDITY and AUTOMATIC REGIMENTATION of DRUM MACHINES, the FOUNDATION for their SOUND can feel CLAUSTROPHOBIC and UNFORGIVING at times.  then the MELODY kicks in and their SOUND opens up often into those TRANSCENDENT and MEMORABLE CHORUSES.  i think being in ALBANIA felt that way at times, given your STATUS as an OUTSIDER you were being constantly monitored and judged by the LOCALS until you were taken in and treated like a LONG-LOST, EXTENDED MEMBER of the FAMILY.  that SOCIAL BARRIER is what made that EXPERIENCE FASCINATING in retrospect, likewise DEPECHE MODE's ABILITY to find MELODY in strict RHYTHMIC STRUCTURES feels like a WORTHY EXPRESSION and ANALOGUE of such a DYNAMIC.

i doubt such was INTENTIONAL, but such a SERENDIPITOUS CONFLUENCE of IDEAS is what makes being ALIVE ENJOYABLE and worthy of putting yourself out there to discover new places and be open to UNFAMILIAR ART.  there is always NEW MUSIC to discover, even in NEW JERSEY.

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating DEPECHE MODE.  enjoy!

parodies by nacrowe

i remember years ago going to a NEW FOUND GLORY SHOW at the CONVENTION HALL in ASBURY PARK with my brother and a FRIEND of his, who turned out to be the MAIN INSTIGATOR of attending this SHOW.  i think he was just using us for our ride but thats neither here nor there.  what was FUNNY was that the UNANNOUNCED OPENER was none other than NEARBY LONG ISLAND's very own POST-HARDCORE HEROES in GLASSJAW, arguably my brother's FAVORITE BAND.  the WHOLE SITUATION from his PERSPECTIVE went from "wait, why am here?" to "GLASSJAW is in the building, HOLY SHIT!" in a few seconds flat.  

ive been in a MASSIVE MIKE PATTON FAN going back to middle school and during high school was always on the lookout for SIMILARLY-MINDED BANDS and found such first in SACRAMENTO's DEFTONES and later in GLASSJAW, both of which have STELLAR FRONTMEN with EMOTIVE, IDIOSYNCRATIC and highly SINGULAR VOCAL DELIVERY STYLES in CHINO MORENO and DARYL PALUMBO.  in my opinion PATTON, MORENO and PALUMBO are the three most EXCITING SINGERS in ROCK AND ROLL writ large over the past three decades (with honorable mention going to MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN of TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE and PUSCIFER FAME), due in large part to their preternatural ability incorporate DISPARATE INFLUENCES (EXPERIMENTAL MODERN COMPOSERS, POST PUNK, JAZZ, SHOEGAZE and so on) to transform a song into a VERITABLE ART PIECE.  the first time i heard the GLASSJAW debut EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SILENCE (ROADRUNNER, 2000), i became aware very quickly that my expectations regarding the role of a VOCALIST as an equal ARTISTIC INSTRUMENT unto itself had quickly manifested when bearing witness to PALUMBO's JAGGED TONAL MODULATIONS that both COMPLICATED and worked within the POST HARDCORE FRAMEWORK of GUITARIST JUSTIN BECK's likewise DISSONANT and often ATONAL SOUNDSCAPES.

and BECK is a CRITICAL COMPONENT to the appeal of GLASSJAW's SOUND.  his aggressively AVANT-GARDE GUITAR WIZARD NOISE SCREEDS that come off as a more ANGULAR, ATMOSPHERIC and outright CHAOTIC TOM MORELLO-esque WALL-OF-SOUND that just barrels the LISTENER into ABSOLUTE SUBMISSION.  his BELLIGERENT SOUNDSCAPES are the PERFECT COUNTERPOINT to PALUMBO's DISTINCTIVE VOCAL DELIVERY and opaquely ROMANTIC LYRICAL CONTENT that seemingly deals with the concept of MUSIC as a VEHICLE for CATHARSIS.  when i listen to a track like "SHIRA," "MU EMPIRE," or "PRETTY LUSH," i am confront with INTENSE EMOTIONS that somehow finding a FITTING RESOLVE at the CONCLUSION of the EXPERIENCE.  they are all sonic mini-dramas that help me EMOTIONAL PURGE my own FRUSTRATIONS regarding INADEQUACIES and the PRESENT CONSEQUENCES of PAST DECISIONS.  that sense of CATHARSIS is something i value and hold DEAR and is at the very fulcrum of my ADORATION of GLASSJAW on wax and their similarly ECSTATIC LIVE PERFORMANCES. 

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the ICONIC LONG ISLAND POST HARDCORE BAND GLASSJAW.  enjoy!

parodies & text by nacrowe

there is an APPARENT, WIDESPREAD DISPOSABILITY with the way MODERN MUSIC is MANUFACTURED, MARKETED and DISSEMINATED.  i dont know when it happened but there seems to have been a moment in the past two decades when BROADER CULTURE got divorced from a sense of COMMUNITY.  i remember back in the mid-90s attending in grade school in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA and being peripherally aware that much of this MUSIC i heard on the LOCAL RADIO STATION(106.7FM KROQ out of LOS ANGELES) was from a formerly SMALL SCENE up north in SEATTLE and that BANDS like NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM, ALICE IN CHAINS, SCREAMING TREES, MUDHONEY and so on knew and supported each other pre-FAME.  it was a MOVEMENT of eclectic but LIKE-MINDED BANDS that grew out of a DIY ETHOS and an actively SUPPORTIVE local NETWORK of VENUES, PROMOTERS, COLLEGE RADIO STATION and INDEPENDENT LABELS (such as SUB POP).

when i think about that sense of POSITIVE IMPACT, COMMUNITY IDENTITY and INTENTIONALITY that permeates everything behind the MUSIC, including the BUSINESS itself, i think back to the example of DISCHORD RECORDS out of WASHINGTON DC.  of course the LABEL and its LEGENDARY FOUNDER, IAN MACKAYE of HARDCORE ICONS MINOR THREAT and the equally REVERED POST-HARDCORE LUMINARIES in FUGAZI, founded the DIY IMPRINT as a means of promoting their FRIENDS and the POLITICAL and SOCIAL CAUSES they held DEAR while functioning effectively OUTSIDE of the MAINSTREAM RECORD INDUSTRY.  this SPARTAN ORGANIZATION had MINIMAL BUDGETS and utilized the CREATIVE EFFORTS of SMALL, UPSTART RECORDING STUDIOS (like INNER EAR with PRODUCER DON ZIENTARA) while manufacturing the SINGLES themselves by hand.  all in an effort to support LOCAL TALENT and provide INTERESTING PRODUCT to LIKE-MINDED RECORD STORES nearby and eventual nationwide.  that DIY MODEL has been revisited and reproduced all over the country with PROMINENT EXAMPLES like SST, ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES, LOOKOUT!, FAT WRECK CHORDS and EPITAPH collectively making a SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT on the BROADER CULTURE and providing an ALTERNATIVE ROUTE than MAJOR LABEL DISTRIBUTION.

but that CONVERSATION is more than a bit of an ANACHRONISM at this point.  given that the INTERNET has flooded the ZONE with PRODUCT and no need for wider PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION, which was the COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE of MAJOR LABELS in the 80s and 90s, it begs the question of what is the point of LABELS of any denomination in this seemingly LIMITLESS ECOSYSTEM.  and yet DISCHORD RECORDS persists with a STEADY STREAM of QUALITY PRODUCT that maintains the same CORE DIY VALUES that it did 30+ years ago.  it is pretty EXTRAORDINARY.

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating DISCHORD RECORDS.  enjoy!

parodies & text by nacrowe

there is something about that PROPULSIVE, CONTAGIOUS, ROLLING ENERGY of GLAM ROCK from the 1970s that has always resonated with me.  its just FUN.  that whole SONIC AESTHETIC of establishing a KILLER GROOVE and just riding it for all its worth.  EMBLEMATIC of such are DISPARATE ACTS like T. REX, SPARKS, ROXY MUSIC and DAVID BOWIE, all of whom cleverly created WORLDS onto themselves through both their INNOVATIVE MUSIC and seemingly GENDERLESS sense of STYLE.  there is a sense of PERSONAL FREEDOM and SHEER ABANDON when listening to these songs. 

it makes absolute sense in retrospect how SUBSEQUENT ROCK AND ROLL MOVEMENTS that openly questioned SOCIETY's established RESTRICTIVE NORMATIVE CULTURE surrounding MASCULINITY followed the lead of GLAM ROCK over the decades.  everything from PUNK ROCK, SYNTH POP, NEW WAVE and POST PUNK on down the line through INDIE ROCK, ACID HOUSE, SHOEGAZE, ALTERNATIVE ROCK, TRIP HOP and the MODERN POST-HARDCORE  and POST ROCK movements and varying CONSTITUENT MASCULINITIES the represent are indebted to GLAM ROCK opening that CULTURAL DOOR.

to me ROCK AND ROLL has always been a MOVEMENT since inception based around COLLECTIVE VALUES of DIVERSITY, FREEDOM, PERSONAL EXPRESSION and the ETHOS of INCLUSIVITY.  im always more than baffled when i meet DISTANT RELATIVES that are arch REVANCHIST CONSERVATIVES and yet are supposedly HUGE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FANS.  im always confused by that and wonder how closely they read or even identified with the MAN's LYRICS, which literally advocate for everything they are against.  its a TOTAL COGNITIVE DISSONANCE for them to work out, not me, but all the same it just feels like an LIVING, BREATHING, WALKING OXYMORON. 

​even more so than most other ROCK AND ROLL ADJACENT CULTURAL and SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, GLAM ROCK from the 1970s embodies this OPEN ETHIC arguably the most intensely to date.  when taking in these ARTISTS, including more OBSCURE PIONEERS like JOBRIATH, i am confronted with the LIMITATIONS of my own MASCULINITY and how i have slavishly INTERNALIZED CONVENTIONS regarding GENDER that i never even consciously considered until then.  it just feels like a TRANSFORMATIVE AURAL EXPERIENCE that makes you tap into and consider the CONCEPTUAL POSSIBILITY of a FREER, more IDEAL SOCIETY in which everyone is more in touch with themselves and each other. 

too bad CAPITALISM killed all that.

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

parody by nacrowe

there is just something about SNARLING, WELL-EXECUTED PUNK ROCK BANDS that is hard to not be sucked in by.  when done correct, that sense of UNBRIDLED, INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM and CREATIVE ABANDON becomes SYNONYMOUS with POUNDING RHYTHMS and DISSONANT, FEED-BACKED GUITARS that feel right on that VOLATILE PRECIPICE of all out SONIC CHAOS.  like absolute lightning in a bottle.  GROUPS that immediately came to mind that fit this bill include PAST-AND-PRESENT PROTO-PUNK, ALTERNATIVE, HARDCORE, GARAGE ROCK and POST-HARDCORE BANDS THE STOOGES, BIKINI KILL, FUGAZI, RAMONES, AT THE DRIVE-IN, BLACK FLAG, GLASSJAW, BAD BRAINS, ACID DAD, BIG BLACK, CONVERGE, DEAD KENNEDYS and BLACK SABBATH.

add to that list THE COATHANGERS.

ever since this ATLANTA PUNK ROCK / GARAGE ROCK group became a THREE-PIECE in 2013, there has been this PALPABLE, COMBUSTIBLE ENERGY propelling them forward with what are SPARSE yet exceptionally WELL-CRAFTED, MEMORABLE SONGS.  must be something about the OPEN SPACE of a POWER TRIO in the lineage of culturally REVOLUTIONARY past BANDS ranging from MOTÖRHEAD, SLEATER-KINNEY, CREAM, AGENT ORANGE, NIRVANA and HÜSKER DÜ to THE JAM, RUSH, GREEN DAY, ZZ TOP and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE. 

all three BAND MEMBERS sing, but there is just something about the SINGULAR JUXTAPOSITION of GUITARIST JULIA KUGEL's and DRUMMER STEPHANIE LUKE VOICES that differentiates their MELODIES from everyone.  KUGEL has a DELICATE, almost CHILDLIKE BARK that is an EVOCATIVE INSTRUMENT capable of much subtlety while LUKE has a GNARLY, RASPY VOICE that is quite POWERFUL and comes off BADASS, HARD-FOUGHT and EARNED like she has been chain-smoking while swallowing razorblades her whole life.  the INTERPLAY of both, often in CALL-AND-RESPONSE REFRAINS (along with FORMIDABLE BASSIST MEREDITH FRANCO) is EFFECTIVE and quite INDELIBLE, especially coupled with their CONSIDERABLE SONGWRITING CHOPS.

im pretty much always on the lookout for any NEW MATERIAL from the THE COATHANGERS or their VARIOUS SIDE PROJECTS, including WHITE WOODS and JULIA, JULIA.  they havent released anything in a minute, but they are definitely a BAND worth checking out and keeping an eye out for.
​
embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the INCREDIBLE ATLANTA-based PUNK ROCK BAND THE COATHANGERS.  enjoy!

parodies by nacrowe

maybe its just me, but i think for most FANS of ROCK AND ROLL and the CULTURE surrounding it there is a DEARTH of APPRECIATION for how culturally TRANSFORMATIONAL a period the FIRST WAVE of THE GREAT MIGRATION (roughly 1910-1940) actually was.  after the initial haphazard efforts surrounding RECONSTRUCTION largely failed, the UNITED STATES government for VARIOUS REASONS surrounding POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY and BALD-FACED RACISM, basically allowed the SOUTHERN STATES to impose RACIAL SEGREGATION LAWS (i.e. JIM CROW) that lasted from 1877 on through the 1960s when the VOTING RIGHTS ACT was enacted.  this resulted in an ESTIMATED 1.6 million BLACK SOUTHERNERS relocating en masse to MAJOR URBAN CENTERS in DETROIT, CLEVELAND, PHILADELPHIA, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK CITY, WASHINGTON DC, SAN FRANCISCO and CHICAGO.  it should be mentioned that this trend continued with another SECOND WAVE until 1970 with an ESTIMATED six million MIGRANTS involved in total.

particularly these BLACK SOUTHERNERS from RURAL TOWNS in the DELTA REGION, i.e. ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA and MISSISSIPPI, quite literally carried with them the BLUES TRADITION that itself was an extension of generationally INHERITED CULTURAL HERITAGE going back to WEST AFRICA and THE MIDDLE PASSAGE.  when these MUSICIANS came to CHICAGO, it was the early years of MODERN AMPLIFICATION TECHNOLOGY that transformed the GUITAR from an ACCOMPANYING INSTRUMENT to that of a LEAD INSTRUMENT.  the CHICAGO BLUES was that INFLECTION POINT when the DELTA BLUES became ELECTRIFIED and thus served as the FOUNDATIONAL TEMPLATE for RHYTHM & BLUES, i.e. ROCK AND ROLL. 

people are MISTAKEN and point to BUDDY HOLLY or even ELVIS PRESLEY as the PROGENITORS of the ROCK AND ROLL GENRE when they should really be focused on the CHESS RECORDS roster of CHUCK BERRY and BO DIDDLEY, as well as the CHICAGO BLUES GREATS that preceded them in MUDDY WATERS, HOWLIN' WOLF, ELMORE JAMES, SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON, OTISH RUSH and so on.  it just seems like TRAVESTY that we are coming up to the 75th anniversary of the CHESS RECORDS founding in 1950 and the label and its ARTISTS are still not given their full due by the PUBLIC, who have moved on to other things.

part of such makes sense, as time moves on and with it the PUBLIC IMAGINATION, but there are other INFLECTION POINTS in AMERICAN CULTURE that are continually CELEBRATED that had NOTHING of the ENDURING impact of the CHICAGO BLUES.  sorry, not THE BEATLES on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, not BOB DYLAN at NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL, not JIMI HENDRIX at WOODSTOCK, not HAIGHT-ASHBURY or the SUMMER OF LOVE, not the advent of MTV, nor even the introduction of the APPLE IPOD.  the CHICAGO BLUES along with its IMMEDIATE DELTA BLUES PREDECESSOR is AMERICAN CULTURAL BEDROCK.

i just wish it was REVERED that way.

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the LEGENDARY CHICAGO BLUES and FOUNDATIONAL ROCK N ROLL label CHESS RECORDS.  enjoy!

parodies & text by nacrowe

the SLANDER against COURTNEY LOVE is one of those things ive been confused about since CHILDHOOD.  i first came to know about HOLE via their LIVE THROUGH THIS (DGC, 1994) release back when i was still in elementary school.  even at that age i could detect that with this particular SINGER there was a FIERCE INTENSITY and NO BULLSHIT DIRECTNESS that cut through everything i was hearing on the radio, namely the ALTERNATIVE ROCK CULTURAL BEHEMOTH KROQ 106.7FM transmitting out of NEARBY LOS ANGELES.  to me LOVE was and always will be a ROCK STAR of the first order just based on those FOUNDATIONAL AURAL EXPERIENCES i had.

and i was BEYOND NAIVE back then.  again, i was in elementary school during a pre-internet age.

it was only later that i learned she was the WIDOW of KURT COBAIN, how they had a child, how she survived ADDICTIONS and a CHAOTIC and PERIPATETIC UPBRINGING, her early stint with FAITH NO MORE, and how her TALENT was only matched by her ability to shit stir and alienate PEERS, ALLIES and ENEMIES alike.  take away her GENDER and much of this is pretty PEDESTRIAN stuff related to what degenerates like OZZY OSBOURNE (DRUGS, ANIMAL CRUELTY, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE) and MOTLEY CRUE  (DRUGS, VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER and DOMESTIC VIOLENCE) did back in the 1980s.  and i think that is kind of the point.  there is aN INHERENT MISOGYNY to the greater press narrative of LOVE that is rooted in some PURITANICAL DOUBLE-STANDARD of what constitutes FEMININITY in AMERICA and that being a REVOLUTIONARY and culturally TRANSGRESSIVE ROCK N ROLL ICON does not fit such an UNREALISTIC and WARPED IDEAL.

and it goes further.

id argue that LOVE is one of the BETTER LYRICISTS of her generation.  put her lyrics to "VIOLET" next to anything COBAIN or TRENT REZNOR wrote in the 1990s and youll see what i mean.  its not even close in terms POETICISM and INTELLIGENCE.  yet she often gets pegged as being the coattail rider of first COBAIN and later BILLY CORGAN on CELEBRITY SKIN (DGC, 1998), as if she didnt write her own songs on those two GENERATION-DEFINING albums.  read COBAIN's LYRICS pre-and-post LOVE, which is basically NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991) versus IN UTERO (DGC, 1993) and youll see the UNMISTAKABLE INFLUENCE of her over his music on a PURELY LYRICAL LEVEL.

regardless, youd think that in 2024 with all the GENERATION Z-ERS reevaluating past CULTURAL MILESTONES by everyone from EMINEM and the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS to GREEN DAY, MADONNA and even METALLICA that there would be a RE-EVALUATION of LOVE at some point. 

but no.

hasnt happened yet.  it should though.  she is a SINGULAR ICON of the 1990s, on par with her LATE HUSBAND, REZNOR, CORGAN, THOM YORKE, BECK, PJ HARVEY, RIVERS CUOMO, SHIRLEY MANSON, EDDIE VEDDER and DAVE GROHL, and yet she is still severely UNDERRATED in my opinion.  i have a feeling, no, i know for a fact that if she was a MAN and not a WIDOWED MOTHER that none of this BULLSHIT would have ever have been thrown her way.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating all things COURTNEY LOVE.  enjoy!

photo & text by nacrowe

i was always a sucker for a GREAT MELODY.

maybe that comes from being a SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA kid of the 1990s raised being inundated and effectively indoctrinated on 1960s NOSTALGIA and REVERENCE for past LOCAL ACTS like the BEACH BOYS, THE BYRDS, THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS and THE DOORS.  i think it was just part of the chemical makeup of that region, that affinity for MELODIC (mostly) GUITAR-BASED HOOKS and WELL-CONSTRUCTED and executed VOCAL HARMONIES.

when i was introduced to PUNK ROCK via THE SEX PISTOLS, RAMONES, THE STRANGLERS, THE DAMNED and THE CLASH, it never really occurred to me the REAL SONIC DIVERSITY that was apparent straight from the jump.  namely im talking about PUNK BANDS like BUZZCOCKS, STIFF LITTLE FINGERS or THE SAINTS that had a definite TRADITIONAL POP SENSIBILITY with RECOGNIZABLE MELODIC HOOKS.  i have to say i didnt know much about that LINEAGE when BLINK-182 released ENEMA OF THE STATE (MCA, 1999) during my freshman year of high school.  i thought they were just a GOOD ALTERNATIVE ROCK band in an ADJACENT, albeit LYRICALLY JUVENILE and STUNTED, VEIN of THE OFFSPRING, MXPX, PENNYWISE, BAD RELIGION or especially GREEN DAY, who truth be told had been trending downwards as of late at the time pre-AMERICAN IDIOT ().  i honestly viewed BLINK-182 in the VEIN of those aforementioned MELODICALLY RICH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BANDS of yore and less so with MODERN PUNK ROCK.

i didnt know any better.

through BLINK-182 i was introduced to DESCENDENTS, NOFX, THE VANDALS, LAGWAGON, GOLDFINGER and a whole slew of MELODIC PUNK BANDS that brought their stream-lined COMMERCIAL SOUND into CONTEXT.   GREEN DAY, BLINK-182 and the POP PUNK branch of the PUNK ROCK FAMILY TREE that they popularized (BANDS like NEW FOUND GLORY, FALL OUT BOY, SUM 41, YELLOWCARD, GOOD CHARLOTTE and PARAMORE) often get tagged as ABOMINATIONS by CONCEITED PURISTS and SELF-APPOINTED PUNK ROCK ZEALOTS, but really the LINEAGE is there.  goes all the way back to OG bands like RAMONES and BUZZCOCKS in the late 70s.  the whole CONVERSATION regarding TAGS and CATEGORIES is pretty TIRED and ANTIQUATED anyway.  the benefit of BLINK-182 on POPULAR CULTURE in my opinion is that they paved the way and created the space for BANDS i adore like THE GET UP KIDS, JIMMY EAT WORLD, A DAY TO REMEMBER and SOMETHING CORPORATE to get their INITIAL foot in the door and gain VITAL TRACTION and EXPOSURE.  like everything, CONSEQUENTIAL BANDS have UNINTENDED RIPPLE EFFECTS and for BLINK-182 one such MANIFESTATION of their IMPACT was the RENEWED VALUE of great MEMORABLE melodies to slip there way back into AGGRESSIVE ROCK N ROLL once again.

and for that i am eternally GRATEFUL.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the iconic SAN DIEGO POP PUNK BAND BLINK-182 and all their iterations (BOX CAR RACER, +44, ANGELS AND AIRWAVES).  enjoy!

parodies by nacrowe

i remember one weekend during my junior year of high school in KUWAIT i was watching this temporary televised feed of a FOREIGN music video channel called CHANNEL [V] AUSTRALIA way past midnight because there was a marathon on some ECCENTRIC ICELANDIC SINGER-SONGWRITER id never heard of called BJÖRK.  itd be another year and another hemisphere away until i discovered TRIP HOP in earnest to be able to help describe what i was hearing, but at the time i was just completely transfixed with how ECLECTIC her SOUND was (combining ELEMENTS of HOUSE, BIG BAND JAZZ, FOLK, ALTERNATIVE ROCK, SYNTH POP, TRIP HOP, CLASSICAL and other AVANT-GARDE MUSICAL TRADITIONS) and how IDIOSYNCRATIC and utterly UNIQUE her SINGING STYLE was.

it was both IMMERSIVE and INTOXICATING while being totally ALIEN to anything id ever come across before.

and similar to my much later experience of discovering the NOVEL SONIC SOUNDSCAPES of APHEX TWIN, BJÖRK was so left-of-center and beyond my ability to comprehend what i was listening to at the time that i connected to such instantaneously on a VISCERAL and distinctly EMOTIONAL level.  it basically bypassed my CONSCIOUS MIND that liked to parse out contextual clues and actively deconstruct what i was listening to as i was listening to it.  i knew nothing of ICELAND or her work in THE SUGARCUBES.  i was perfectly NAIVE.

that would change and the next year would find me transported to a relative's house in SACRAMENTO in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, which happened at the beginning of my senior year of high school.  it was also the year of the release of her fourth effort VESPERTINE (ONE LITTLE INDEPENDENT, 2001), which was more reflective and refined in TONE with a more SONG-ORIENTED, FOLK-inspired outlook with AMBIENT and ORGANIC SONIC TEXTURES courtesy of an INSPIRED collaboration with the SAN FRANCISCO EXPERIMENTAL DUO MATMOS.  at the time it felt like my world had been thrown into a complete SPIRAL, being half a world away from family and callously stuck in a cultural backwater with no friends.  what made matters worse was that my relative worked as an UNPOPULAR teacher at the public school i attended some 45 minutes from his home which resulted in my inability to have people over or conversely stay out with potential people i met.  i was utterly STUCK and ALONE and i knew it.  for me VESPERTINE was the soundtrack to that experience.  that album in particular seemed lyrically resigned to the idea that real-life is DIFFICULT, COMPLEX and UN PREDICTABLE and that the adult reaction to such is just to take it all in stride.  to meet the moment as it comes.  on some level that album in particular helped me emotionally get through a tough year and for that reason i am still very much attached to it two decades later, arguably more than her earlier records that are more generally CELEBRATED by critics and the public alike.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the wildly CREATIVE and EXPERIMENTAL ICELANDIC SINGER-SONGWRITER BJÖRK.  enjoy!

parodies & text by nacrowe

i remember being in VENTURA back in the summer of 2001 with a CHILDHOOD FRIEND of mine going to WARPED TOUR with an absolutely LOADED ROSTER that included RANCID, THE VANDALS, FEAR, 311, PENNYWISE, AFI, NEW FOUND GLORY and THE BOUNCING SOULS.  at the time i had just finished my junior year of high school, which was TUMULTOUS to say the least given that such was my first full year in KUWAIT.  being at a music festival in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA felt like an ABSOLUTE CULTURE SHOCK to me, just with the level of UNENCUMBERED EXPRESSION emanating both from the BANDS and CROWD alike.  it was a STARK contrast from my EXPERIENCES studying and living in THE MIDDLE EAST where i was always GUARDED and extra CAREFUL with my SPOKEN OPINIONS should such EXPRESSION reach the wrong set of ears.  there is a certain conditioning that happens over time in such a HOSTILE environment.

which is to say that my introduction to THE DISTILLERS that day and the modern PUNK ROCK CULTURAL FIGURE that was AUSTRALIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER BRODY DALLE had quite the impact.  being utterly NAIVE and not knowing her BAND, her record label, her-then marriage to RANCID FRONTMAN TIM ARMSTRONG, just going on that PERFORMANCE alone at WARPED TOUR i felt for the first time that i was in the PRESENCE of a ROCK GOD.  like whatever "IT" is, she had IT.  and this was BEYOND SEXUALITY as there was a certain CHARISMA, a POINT-OF-VIEW, a PERSONALITY and COMFORTABILITY of BEING that just emanated from this FERAL BEING who sang all RASPY and GNARLY like she was gargling RAZOR BLADES.  i remember thinking that this is what it must have been like for an AUDIENCE MEMBER to have first encountered KURT COBAIN back in the day.  like there are tons of PRETENDERS, but this SHIT right here right now is the REAL DEAL.  and i cant think of another example of such, other than i remember laughing at my first sight of SLIPKNOT performing on their INAUGURAL national tour as part of the OZZFEST 99 festival, but that was because i thought they were RIDICULOUS with an ULTRA-AGGRESSIVE SOUND and STAGE SHOW that i was sure would catch on with the masses. 

and it did.

but BRODY DALLE was just a FORCE OF NATURE.  over the years i grew to appreciate that she put the time into her CRAFT, with each SUCCESSIVE project and solo recording showing an ARTISTIC penchant for EVOLUTION and integrating new TEXTURES and SONIC ELEMENTS into her no bullshit MUSICAL, VISUAL and LYRICAL AESTHETIC.  i always look forward to her new projects, irregardless of the years between releases, since she hasnt disappointed yet and has a SOLID track record in choosing COLLABORATORS that bring out different aspects of her SONGWRITING.  she is still every bit the ROCK GOD i recognized more than twenty years ago in VENTURA.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the TALENTED AUSTRALIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER BRODY DALLE.  enjoy!

parodies & text by nacrowe

PROGRESSIVE MUSIC in general gets a bad rap at times for being SELF-INDULGENT and artistically UNINSPIRED, where TECHNIQUE and VIRTUOSITY inhibit SPONTANEITY and INTERPERSONAL CHEMISTRY.  and when it comes to whole swaths of PROGRESSIVE ROCK from the 1970s and MODERN PROGRESSIVE METAL, that is a FAIR CRITICISM in my opinion.  there are times where i feel like i know they are proud of this COMPLICATED AURAL COMPOSITIONS they concocted, but do i really have to listen to it?  seems it was never really intended to be enjoyed, just sorted over by other LIKEMINDED and highly technically PROFICIENT MUSICIANS.

but thats not always the case.

i see CONTEMPORARY PROGRESSIVE METAL bands like MASTODON, GOJIRA, VOLA, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, TOOL, MESHUGGAH, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and INTRONAUT, all bands with chops and INTIMATE FAMILIARITY with ODD TIME SIGNATURES to spare, and they all pass the RAMONES test.  such being that there is an URGENCY and a SINGULAR AURAL EXPERIENCE being communicated and transmitted with the LISTENER firmly in mind, albeit with a more than slightly EXPANDED MUSICAL VOCABULARY.  nothing is SUPERFLUOUS or mere window dressing, it all serves a purpose within the GREAT COMPOSITION.  for me the maintaining of that BALANCE is the ARBITER of what constitutes a GREAT band, PROGRESSIVE or not.  what makes PROGRESSIVE METAL COOL when done well is that the EXTENDED LEXICON of sonic material makes the music more IMMERSIVE and ENJOYABLE to the LISTENER, as if one was reading an INSPIRED NOVEL rather than a CHILDREN'S STORY.  the PLOT is the same but the PRESENTATION and depth of ARTISTRY is assisted by the more COMPLEX STRUCTURES and SHEER VARIETY of BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS utilized in its CONSTRUCTION.  when i listen to those AFOREMENTIONED bands there is a depth of EMOTIONAL CONTENT as well, which only intensifies the LYRICAL CONTENT it is meant to undergird, flesh out and translate.
 
all this as opposed to DREAM THEATER or PERIPHERY whose music i cant stand.  just COMPLEXITY for COMPLEXITY's sake.  i listen to them and come away feeling that they cant outplay a lack of depth or INSPIRATION.  to me there is no audience CONSIDERATION in what they play, so its not really ROCK N ROLL, which is based on that ELEMENTAL CONNECTION.  what they do are DRESSED-UP clinics at BEST and GRANDIOSE recitals at worst.  i'd rather see a less COMPLEX but more RELATABLE acts like MODERN PUNK ROCK VETERANS in NOFX, DESCENDENTS, RANCID, AFI, THE BOUNCING SOULS, LAGWAGON, A DAY TO REMEMBER, PROPAGHANDI, THE VANDALS, ALKALINE TRIO or BAD RELIGION than most any PROGRESSIVE METAL bands any day of the week (aforementioned list not withstanding).

but thats just me.

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the TRANSGRESSIVE NYC INDUSTRIAL / ELECTROPUNK / METAL / HIP HOP band MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE!
​
​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

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

parodies by nacrowe

like everything, i came to HIP HOP late.  as someone who spent my early youth in SUBURBAN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, it is still quite INTERESTING to me that my first introduction to several SEMINAL WEST COAST HIP HOP ARTISTS like TUPAC SHAKUR, SNOOP DOGG, DR. DRE and the like was after i left and moved to AFRICA of all places.  specifically NIGERIA in late 1995.  thus it was through NIGERIAN CLASSMATES as well as other INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS from FARAWAY locales like LEBANON, SOUTH AFRICA, UNITED KINGDOM and VENEZUELA that i gained an EDUCATION in the MUSIC from my home state.

in a way it made sense.

in the mid-1990s NIGERIA was a DANGEROUS place and LAGOS, where i lived and went to middle school, seemed to be at the very center of all the DEATH, CORRUPTION and GENERAL DYSFUNCTION caused by the then-MILITARY DICTATOR and all-around VIOLENT PSYCHOPATH SANI ABACHA.  his goons did all sorts of UNSPEAKABLE SHIT that i wont get into, suffice to say that living there was a constant foray into RISK-MANAGEMENT with real-life DIRE CONSEQUENCES.  everything off the compound i lived on was weighed with a cost-benefit analysis based on ARMED personal SECURITY availability, time of day, weather and potential unrest in the area.  in this TENSE environment where there was WANTON VIOLENCE (usually by the local police) that as quite, listening to CYPRESS HILL attest to how pedestrian the activity of taking another's life is made absolute total sense.  same with TUPAC and his VIVD DESCRIPTIONS of the INTERNAL PSYCHOLOGY and HEIGHTENED MINDSET of GANG MEMBER, trusting only their own in what is essentially a HOSTILE LANDSCAPE.  for me, the WEST COAST rappers that described and embodied the UNDERGROUND GANG CULTURE of south central LOS ANGELES were in essence describing LAGOS wholesale.  same SURVIVALIST MENTALITY, same POTENTIAL for INDISCRIMINATE VIOLENCE, same MISTRUST for anyone in authority.

at the time, being in middle school in that sort of ENVIRONMENT was initially beyond CONFUSING and DIFFICULT to make heads or tails of given i was a SHELTERED suburban WHITE KID from ORANGE COUNTY far away from home.  but i grew accustomed to witnessing other's UNFAIR and UNJUST PAIN and MISFORTUNE at the punishing hands of DISEASE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, rampant CRIMINALITY and the UNYIELDING MECHANIZATION of GLOBAL CAPITALISM.  when i think of WEST COAST HIP HOP, i dont think of SHOCK TACTICS or VERBAL VULGARITY to amass ATTENTION, i think of REPRESENTATION.  the idea that the world is collectively sitting up and taking notice of places like COMPTON, OAKLAND, INGLEWOOD, LONG BEACH and WATTS.  learning about their SITUATION.  potentially empathizing with their TREATMENT.  i feel like that reporting aspect of HAPPENINGS on the ground and in the COMMUNITY is a PROUD LINEAGE most WEST COAST RAPPERS have come to carry on.  

i feel strongly that my exposure to such assisted in my ability to empathize and understand what i was witnessing on a daily basis in NIGERIA.  that and my simultaneous exposure to the likewise CONFRONTATIONAL and REVOLUTIONARY MUSIC of FELA KUTI, who was still alive at the time and still performing locally.  to me his MUSIC is thus inextricably linked with that of socially aware CURRENT and PAST WEST COAST acts like ICE CUBE, NIPSEY HUSSLE, TUPAC SHAKUR, YG, CYPRESS HILL, VINCE STAPLES and KENDRICK LAMAR.  here's hoping such COMMITMENT to COMMUNITY and PERSONAL AUTHENTICITY continues moving forward into the next GENERATION.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating WEST COAST HIP HOP.  enjoy!

parodies by nacrowe​

​check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the ICONIC VIRGINIA METAL band LAMB OF GOD!
​
​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

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

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the LEGENDARY IRISH ROCK N ROLL band U2!
​
​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

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

parodies & text by nacrowe

one of the aspects ive always appreciated about JAZZ is how it always seemed to be on a trajectory of INNOVATION and EVOLUTION, with NEW CONCEPTS both refining and expanding on PREVIOUS TEMPLATES of the FORM.  JAZZ emerged out of what came before it (i.e. RAGTIME, VAUDEVILLE, BLUES, SPIRITUALS, GOSPEL HYMNALS and the like) and became this ELASTIC ENTITY that was capable of near limitless COMPOSITIONAL and IMPROVISATIONAL possibilities.  ENSEMBLES were big in the 1920s and 30s with big bands and their EXTENSIVE PRODUCTION and VISUAL PRESENCE making something of an AURAL and VISUAL SPECTACLE of the COMPOSITIONS, INTERPRETATIONS and LEADERSHIP STYLINGS of ICONIC BAND LEADERS like GLENN MILLER, BENNY GOODMAN, COUNT BASIE and especially DUKE ELLINGTON.  this was also the period of SINGULAR JAZZ SINGERS fronting these ORCHESTRAS with the likes of SARAH VAUGHAN and ELLA FITZGERALD taking center stage.

whats INTRIGUING to me is the next step in the ladder, which was BEBOP.  to me this VARIATION of the FORM is the DE FACTO VERSION of JAZZ moving forward, with its focus on INDIVIDUAL IMPROVISATION (rather than COLLECTIVE PERFORMANCE of PRE-WRITTEN COMPOSITIONS) and SMALL attuned ENSEMBLES allowing for a CREATIVE VEHICLE to exploring hitherto UNKNOWN REACHES and ASPECTS of the INSTRUMENTS themselves.  VIRTUOSOS ranging from DIZZZY GILLESPIE, THELONIOUS MONK, CHARLIE PARKER, JOHN COLTRANE, MAX ROACH, CHARLES MINGUS, DEXTER GORDON, MILES DAVIS, HORACE SILVER, CLIFFORD BROWN, ART BLAKEY, LEE MORGAN, BUD POWELL and SONNY ROLLINS could reign free unencumbered by MASSIVE ORCHESTRAS drowning out their INGENIOUS and often SUBTLE INTERPRETATIONS of both CLASSIC SONGBOOK STANDARDS and NEW COMPOSITIONS alike.  BEBOP in this sense very much set the table for further EXPERIMENTATION later on with FREE JAZZ and the SEAMLESS INCORPORATION of OUTSIDE GENRES in the LATIN FUSION that came long after. 

it is counterintuitively both a PAIRED-DOWN and MORE-COMPLICATED version of JAZZ than the BIG BAND era given that within that more LIMITED ENSEMBLE SETUP there was more VARIATION and IMPROVISATION in the mix, where each PARTICIPANT would be given the bandwidth to really stretch out and explore their INSTRUMENT that a BIG PRODUCTION would not allow as such would render absolute CHAOS.

i almos think of BEBOP as a PUNK-like EXPRESSION.  in its simplicity there is more POSSIBILITY for the MUSICIAN.  of course MUSICIANS like GILLESPIE, PARKER, MONK and COLTRANE were all PAINTERS that actively deconstructed JAZZ to its constituent parts and reassembled such at will, being able to play anything in NOVEL, UNCONVENTIONAL JUXTAPOSITIONS that have dazzled LISTENERS for generations.  in some sense with PUNK, going straight back to CHUCK BERRY-isms is a CONSCIOUS ACT of seeking a BACK-TO-BASICS, YEAR ZERO approach that was intentioned to likewise spur INNOVATION and EXPRESSION minus the SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT, MEANINGLESS WANKERY of PROGRESSIVE ROCK.  STEVE JONES and JOHNNY RAMONE are no MILES DAVIS or DEXTER GORDON, but i think the INTENTIONALITY may have been SIMILAR in that both initiated FORMS that welcomed seemingly LIMITLESS EXPRESSION. 

just a thought.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating BEBOP.  enjoy!

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the SCOTTISH INDIE ROCK band BELLE & SEBASTIAN!
​
​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

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

parody & text by nacrowe

not to get all ANTHONY FONTANO on everyone, but PERFECT ALBUMS have always been in short supply.  it sometimes feels like when a band hits their CREATIVE PEAK that they dont normally cash-in on said ARTISTIC SUCCESS commercially until subsequent RELEASES that inevitably dont live up to the HYPE.  i can think of countless UNDERGROUND PUNK ROCK and INDIE ROCK examples but such are the machinations of the MUSIC INDUSTRY which necessitate a convergence of outside forces to be ALIGNED and SYNCHRONOUS for such RECOGNITION and BENEFITS to materialize.

in my estimation, the debut self-titled ELASTICA (GEFFEN, 1995) ALBUM is such a case study.  i'd argue that song-for-song it is the STRONGEST, most CREATIVE release of the BRITPOP era, topping efforts by more FAMOUS and NOTORIOUS acts like OASIS, BLUR, SUEDE and PULP.  ELASTICA songwriter JUSTINE FRISCHMAN's CHARISMA, VOCAL DELIVERY and CLEVER TURNS OF PHRASE over ANGULAR, OFF-KILTER, HOOK-LADEN SONG STRUCTURES is pure MAGIC.  i can vividly remember hearing "CONNECTION" in my parent's compact two-door HONDA ACCORD on my may way to and from soccer practice in elementary school on the LOCAL radio station 106.7 KROQ out of nearby LOS ANGELES.  it sounded like nothing else on the radio and just had this PALPABLE sense of DRIVE and UNDENIABLE COOLNESS.  the only other BRITPOP song i can recall from my childhood in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA is OASIS' "LIVE FOREVER," but my AWARENESS of the CULTURAL MOVEMENT didnt really coalesce until a year later when my family stayed in ENGLAND with a relative for a month during the summer.

in 2001 shortly after being shipped off to live with a distant relative in SUBURBAN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA from KUWAIT in the aftermath of 9/11, i dove into BRITPOP in earnest along with RELATED GENRES like SHOEGAZE and POST-PUNK.  discovering bands like WIRE and GANG OF FOUR around that time put ELASTICA in context, especially their SONIC AESTHETIC of fashioning an INTRICATE MELODY out of INTERWEAVING GUITAR LINES that sync in and out of SYNCOPATION with the RHYTHM SECTION.  it provided me CONTEXT and a better APPRECIATION for songs like "2:1," "ANNIE," "NEVER HERE," "LINE UP," "CONNECTION" and "WAKING UP."  in my estimation, ELASTICA hasnt aged one iota in the nearly three decades since its release. 

to me it still sounds RELEVANT and absolutely CONTEMPORARY.  a prime example of what a ROCK N ROLL RECORDS should feel and sound like to go hand in hand with anything ever produced by the universally CELEBRATED likes of THE STOOGES, BLACK SABBATH, RAMONES, THE DOORS, QUEEN, LOU REED, RADIOHEAD, THE CLASH, NIRVANA, THE BEACH BOYS, VAN HALEN or THE BEATLES.  id put it in that company.  unfortunately due to reasons outside their control, i dont believe ELASTICA or its STELLAR FOLLOW-UP THE MENACE (ATLANTIC, 2000) ever got their proper comeuppance.  such is the MUSIC INDUSTRY.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the ICONIC BRITPOP band ELASTICA.  enjoy!

parodies by nacrowe

maybe its THE DANDY WARHOLS' fault. 

i remember discovering their track "COOL AS KIM DEAL" off their ...THE DANDY WARHOLS COME DOWN (CAPITOL, 1997) record back in college when i had a radio show on RUTGERS UNIVERSITY's 90.3FM THE CORE.  at that point i had long been FAMILIAR with SINGER-SONGWRITER KIM DEAL and her two FAMOUS INDIE ROCK bands, THE PIXIES and THE BREEDERS, but i had never put the concept together that she was an ARBITER of COOLNESS in MODERN CULTURE.  i dont believe COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR was being facetious or ironic when he wrote that song, i take the dude completely at his word.

what i do know is that there is a certain EARTHY, ORGANIC and UNADORNED AUTHENTICITY to KIM DEAL that is similar to how i perceive other GREAT FEMALE SINGER-SONGWRITERS from PJ HARVEY, CHRISSIE HYNDE and COURTNEY LOVE to KIM GORDON, POLY STYRENE and PATTI SMITH.  and i absolutely detest that tired trope of lumping FEMALE MUSICIANS with FEMALE MUSICIANS, but it feels INEVITABLE given the dearth of truly TRANSCENDENT ROCK AND ROLL MUSICIANS who buck the trend of providing a PRESENTATION of WOMANHOOD that conforms to the MALE GAZE whims of the MUSIC INDUSTRY.  its just a fact and it is beyond DEPRESSING.  like those aforementioned WOMEN, i feel that DEAL just walks into those meetings, laughs and tells her superiors to fuck off at the mere mention of that sort of bullshit. 

or maybe they just dont even bring it up.

the ANGULAR, CONCISE and highly IDIOSYNCRATIC COMPOSITIONS of THE BREEDERS was something i immediately took to upon DISCOVERY in early high school.  for most intents and purposes, i saw that band and DEAL in particular as being quintessentially INDIE ROCK, in other words a QUIRKY, SELF-MADE, bordering on LO-FI, WARTS-AND-ALL PRESENTATION with an UNDENIABLE DIY ETHOS and a DEFIANT if not somewhat GUARDED LYRICAL PERSPECTIVE.  i felt like DEAL was performing this CLOAK-AND-DAGGER routine where she was wrapping GENUINE emotion in a haze of determinably OBTUSE LYRICAL CONTENT.  i may not intellectually know what her songs were about, but emotionally i felt i did, which was way more IMPACTFUL and ENDURING.  in high school i moved around a bit, and not between COUNTIES or even STATE LINES, but time MULTIPLE TIME ZONES and HEMISPHERES.  sometimes i was on my own and sometimes i was with family and yet still other times i was on my own with family.  hearing POD (4AD, 1990) and LAST SPLASH (4AD, 1993) in that context really helped me calm down and center myself, just take in that AURAL CONTENT as it washed over me and made me realize that all things must pass.  every moment is a TRANSITORY EXPERIENCE that will come to an eventual end.  and so did my time in SACRAMENTO my senior year and i thank DEAL and ROBERT SMITH and PERRY FARRELL and SIOUXSIE SIOUX and HENRY ROLLINS and DANIEL ASH and JUSTIN FRISCHMAN and MARTIN GORE for getting me through it.  to me that is the real company she keeps, at least in my PSYCHE and particular EXPERIENCE of late adolescence.  and ill always thank her for that sense of SOLACE and bewildered AMUSEMENT at how STRANGE and WONDERFUL life can be.  because that is how i describe her MUSIC and the way it makes me feel.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the INDIE ROCK icon KIM DEAL.  enjoy!