parodies by nacrowe
its funny how when you are a child you just sort of accept things as they are without questioning motives or thinking too deeply about comparisons, because well, your frame of reference is so LIMITED. everything is essentially a NOVEL EXPERIENCE. since i remember being alive the music of DAVID BYRNE and the legendary NEW WAVE band TALKING HEADS has been a part of my existence. as ive written before, i am almost certain that LITTLE CREATURES (SIRE, 1985) was played throughout my early childhood as it was the soundtrack to my parents learning how to care for a child for the first time in the late 1980s. i remember understanding from an early age that a lot of the songs were about regular people and the ROADS they travelled on and the BUILDINGS they entered. INFRASTRUCTURE in other words. its a very un-ROCK N ROLL topic and still a bit jarring.
its no secret that BYRNE attended both the MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART and THE RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN and that his music essentially splits the difference between CIVIL ENGINEERING and EXPERIMENTAL SONGWRITING. his influence endures to this day in countless ANGULAR POST PUNK and INDIE ROCK bands that choose to experiment with both FORM and SUBJECT in their songwriting, i.e. everyone from BECK, OINGO BOINGO, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, R.E.M. and VAMPIRE WEEKEND to SUFJAN STEVENS, BLONDIE, THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, DIRTY PROJECTORS, THE B-52's and recent collaborator ST. VINCENT. BYRNE also utilized outside musical forms in his compositions such as most notably early looping grooves that were inspired by NIGERIAN AFROBEAT icon FELA KUTI. in fact my familiarity with TALKING HEADS made my cultural transition to living in LAGOS in the mid 1990s less musically jarring as the underlying beat and groove was fairly similar. but what always gets to me about BYRNE was the idea that his songs were about people from a third-person point of view that had some DISTANCE from the subject. there is a certain OBSERVATIONAL quality to it that lacks INTIMACY, almost like an alien writing a report back to the mothership about mankind without having to be directly involved with it. in recent years BYRNE has talked openly about his AUTISM and such may be connected to his lyrical outlook, but im not entirely sure. to me that DISTANT perspective is quite liberating and almost reminds me of that famous HARRY LIME (played by ORSON WELLES) speech in THE THIRD MAN (LONDON FILMS, 1949) where his character is on a giant ferris wheel in post-WORLD WAR II VIENNA looking down at the people below asking if in the wider scheme of things any of them would be missed if they were squashed like the ants they resembled. alright, maybe the SOCIOPATHIC element is not as pronounced (except maybe in "PSYCHO KILLER"), but there is something to the wider perspective of life through that conscious MACRO perspective on humanity and the large scale SYSTEMS and INSTITUTIONS that enable our species to thrive en masse. again, very un-ROCK N ROLL but at the same time incredibly COMPELLING to think about, which is why TALKING HEADS are a continued touchstone in my listening habits from early childhood to date. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that originally aired over a year ago. the playlist includes music from throughout the TALKING HEADS's celebrated catalogue. enjoy!
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parodies by nacrowe
with so much POP MUSIC in the digital age feeling manufactured and the end product of an extended marketing and research investigation, its REFRESHING to come across a TALENTED songwriter with global POP ambitions that sounds like themselves over an extended catalogue. such is the CAMBRIDGE native CHARLOTTE EMMA AITCHISON a.k.a. CHARLI XCX.
i came across the BRITISH singer-songwriter CHARLI XCX when her debut TRUE ROMANCE (ATLANTIC, 2013) came out just over a decade ago. that release had an UPBEAT energy with a TRIPPY and SURREAL bend to it that was seemingly OUT-OF-STEP with the more outlandish output of LADY GAGA and her acolytes in RIHANNA, MILEY CYRUS, KATY PERRY and NIKKI MINAJ who all seemed bent on out-crazying each other on the visual front for attention. what set CHARLI XCX apart from this crowd was her focus on songwriting with a slew of memorable tracks in "GRINS," "YOU - HA HA HA," "BLACK ROSES," "TAKE MY HAND," "YOU'RE THE ONE," "WHAT I LIKE," and especially "NUCLEAR SEASONS." totally dug her debut. i was teaching in VENEZUELA when her follow-up SUCKER (ATLANTIC, 2014) came out which was more PLAYFUL and direct and less TRIP-HOPy with songs that dealt with SELF-EMPOWERMENT themes. STANDOUT tracks include "NEED UR LOVE," "BREAKING UP," "BOOM CLAP," "FAMOUS," "LONDON QUEEN," "SUCKER," and most noticeably in the ANTHEMIC "BREAK THE RULES." these songs had more concise arrangements with MEMORABLE melodies often tinged with SELF-EFFACING HUMOR and BRAVADO to spare. it also felt AUTHENTIC to her SONGWRITING PERSONA and INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVE. often times with POP STARS you get the feeling that it is all just a theatrical exercise for them, inhabiting on roles in songs that are divorced from their essence as INDIVIDUALS. cant say that about CHARLI XCX since nothing feels forced or performative on her records. in that sense she is less akin to that aforementioned list of peers that are in the BRITNEY SPEARS industry mold (minus LADY GAGA who writes her own material) and more in league with the more AUTHENTIC company of SONIC AUTEURS like PJ HARVEY, LORDE, BJORK, TAYLOR SWIFT, AMY WINEHOUSE or even MADONNA. at least in my opinion. her hot streak since those two releases has continued unabated with FUN and INTOXICATING album and non-album tracks like "1 NIGHT," "USED TO KNOW ME," "BLAME IT ON YOU," "1999," "GOOD ONES," "BEG FOR YOU," "ILY2," "YUCK," and "5 IN THE MORNING." but my favorite track of hers bar none is the revelatory non-album single "BOYS" and its INGENIOUS music video (also directed by CHARLI XCX) that basically flips the script on the MALE GAZE. instead of half-naked women vamping it up suggestively for the camera (a posture and approach she no doubt is familiar with), on "BOYS" there is a seemingly never-ending cavalcade of shirtless men fulfilling female PIN-UP TROPES from EATING PANCAKES, HOLDING PUPPIES, PILLOW FIGHTING, WASHING CARS, LOUNGING IN BED ON SATIN SHEETS, DRINKING MILK and PUMPING IRON to CHILLING WITH STUFFED ANIMALS, RIDING ON INFLATABLE FLAMINGOES, EATING ICE CREAM and WIELDING CHAINSAWS. all in front of supposedly "feminine" pastel colored backdrops. of the exhaustive seventy-five men included some notable participants include OLI SYKES (BRING ME THE HORIZON), DIPLO, STORMZY, MARK RONSON, WIZ KHALIFA, CARL BARAT (THE LIBERTINES), JOEY BADA$$, CHROMEO, EZRA KROENIG & ROSTAM BATMANGLIJ (VAMPIRE WEEKEND), MAC DEMARCO, WILL.I.AM (BLACK EYED PEAS), BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER (FC BAYERN MUNICH), G-EAZY, FRANK CARTER (GALLOWS, PURE LOVE), TY DOLLA $IGN and JOE JONAS (JONAS BROTHERS). i just love the fact that the music video is UNAPOLOGETICALLY playing the same game historically imposed on female entertainers by switching up the game and exploiting some quality MALE BEEFCAKE in the process. feels like a concept that was a long time coming and it is done with more than a healthy dose of INTELLIGENT HUMOR and nudge-nudge, wink-wink SELF-AWARENESS. im always looking forward to her next release, probably the only POP STAR i feel that way about. especially now that she has completed her deal with ATLANTIC RECORDS and has all her options seemingly available to her a decade into a STELLAR career. stay tuned. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that originally aired a little over a year ago. the playlist includes music from throughout CHARLI XCX's catalogue. enjoy!
parody by nacrowe
i was first made aware of the BIRMINGHAM INDIE ELECTRONIC duo BROADCAST via a coworker at a bookstore i was employed at shortly after undergrad. the dude a few years older and acted a bit WEIRD to me, which in retrospect may have been due to some insecurities related to my having attended and completed college. something he didnt pursue. whats interesting is that he was my first real encounter with a "hipster" as he refused to listen to anything remotely CONVENTIONAL or MAINSTREAM. youd have thought being around college radio people (having had my own show for two years) would have given me some manner of experience with this type of person, but no. turns out the college radio people were a pretty DIVERSE, OPEN-MINDED bunch of MUSIC NERDS. like me or so i thought.
what was interesting about this coworker was the music he was into, which in retrospect was rather BULLETPROOF if not slightly ARCANE at the time. INDIE groups i hadnt come across (probably because i didnt read INDEPENDENT online music blogs) like STEREOLAB, THE MAGNETIC FIELDS, GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, DANIEL JOHNSTON, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, PIZZICATO FIVE, THE HIGH LLAMAS, MERZBOW, AIR, BELLE AND SEBASTIAN, NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL, THE APPLES IN STEREO and of course, BROADCAST. the from his discography i was familiar with included THE FLAMING LIPS, THE JESUS LIZARD, THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS and OF MONTREAL. what drew me to BROADCAST was the HAUNTED, CINEMATIC feel of the music and the EMOTIVE vocals of the late TRISH KEENAN. this was music that felt like it was composed while watching one of those early-to-mid 1960s ANNA KARINA led JEAN-LUC GODARD films. there is a deep sense of URBANE SOPHISTICATION and deep INCONSOLABLE SORROW that is unique to BROADCAST. its an absolutely INTOXICATING dynamic and persists throughout their discography. i wouldnt call them DEPRESSING, but their is an INTROVERTED posture to their music that feels mired in that SUNLESS, cloudy emotive state while maintaining some psychological distance from it. its a feeling that is incredibly well-articulated while not resorting to cheap pity or blame. almost as if this wave of grey DREARINESS is a state of being or consciousness. much like AMBIENT artists like early APHEX TWIN or SEAFEEL or EXPERIMENTAL sound artists like BRIAN ENO, i can drift off listening to BROADCAST and feel fully enveloped in their aural landscapes of experiential GLOOM. seems like a valid response to the state of the world as any other expression ive come across. helps me acknowledge and confront such on an unspoken, unarticulated emotional level, similar to listening to JOY DIVISION or DRAB MAJESTY. cant recommend BROADCAST with any more VIGOR or PASSION. they were a truly great band that deserves more attention and accolades. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that originally aired a year ago. the playlist includes music from throughout BROADCAST's all-too-brief recorded catalogue. enjoy!
parodies by nacrowe
not sure whats been going on in the DEFTONES camp post-COVID with their unceremonious firing of bassist SERGIO VEGA (QUICKSAND) after years of service following the untimely passing of original bassist CHI CHENG, not to mention founding guitarist STEPHEN CARPENTER's outing himself publicly and repeatedly as a VACCINE DENIER and CONSPIRACY THEORIST to the point that he wont tour in EUROPE(?). its getting a little RIDICULOUS. having lived in the CULTURAL BACKWATER of SACRAMENTO briefly my senior year of high school, im all too aware that sometimes with some people you can take the person out of SACRAMENTO, but you can't take the SACRAMENTO out of the person.
its all very confusing for what has to be one of modern AGGRESSIVE music's most BELOVED and INFLUENTIAL groups who have long outlasted the shelf life of their peers in the 1990s, influencing 2000s METALCORE and POST-HARDCORE for starters. they are one of the few groups whose albums get ever more WEIRD and EXPERIMENTAL as they push forward with each new release (only other example i could thing of in modern ALTERNATIVE ROCK / INDIE ROCK was THE FLAMING LIPS). maybe that is the growing influence and maturing songwriting arc of frontman CHINO MORENO over the past 30 years, but it is something to behold. the band has long been a balance of seemingly opposing forces with a singer that channels HARDCORE, POST PUNK, NEW WAVE and ALTERNATIVE ROCK influences ranging from THE SMITHS, DURAN DURAN, FAITH NO MORE and the BAD BRAINS to a guitarist that straight up cosplays on his instrument like he is the sixth member of the IMPOSSIBLY HEAVY SWEDISH PROGRESSIVE METAL outfit MESHUGGAH. but it works. and has for decades. my hope as a fan is that with all the seemingly ERRATIC activity coming from their camp as of late, that there isnt something deeper, more FOREBODING going on. if anything they have been the model of CONSISTENCY and QUALITY CONTROL throughout ever step of their career and discography. not one bad or subpar album. DEFTONES have spoiled us as fans and for that i am GRATEFUL. i just want the gravy train to remain in motion unabated, but im concerned. it feels like something is up. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that originally aired around the 20th anniversary of 9/11 during the pandemic. the playlist includes music from throughout DEFTONES' revered catalogue. enjoy!
parodies by nacrowe
i am in love with TIMBALAND's UNIQUE and INNOVATIVE process of developing song ideas.
the much admired VIRGINIAN R&B / HIP HOP producer often begins his development process with SPONTANEOUS RHYTHMS he concocts while beatboxing, slapping a nearby table or somehow other manipulating a PERCUSSIVE BEAT on the spot. often in this UNADORNED form the elaborate POLYRHYTHMS he is renowned for are already well-established, which is quite INCREDIBLE. if a PATTERN is worth pursuing further with a client he will then transpose such onto a DRUM KIT, SYNTHESIZER, DRUM MACHINE, KEYBOARD PATCH or some other EXOTIC INSTRUMENTATION in a process of refinement. the results of this process are ELABORATE RHYTHMS that feel ORGANIC and deeply connected to the HUMAN EXPERIENCE. KRAFTWERK this is not. his music, despite whatever INSTRUMENTATION is implemented, has a GROUNDED and ELEMENTAL feel to it. the HUMAN BODY is an INSTRUMENT with a STEADY BEAT that we are all attuned with. and it makes sense on some level that a RHYTHM that is conceived utilizing such an ORGANIC foundation will connect with others in spite of later embellishments and production trickery. it should be stated that often this process is tailored to the needs of the client in mind with TIMBALAND collaborating with them on the spot and SPONTANEOUSLY in the moment. its a COLLABORATION that cannot be more DIRECT, with no filters such as instruments or even lyrics in the loop. just two sets of ears and eyes following each other as their mouths manipulate and explore new MELODIC and RHYTHMIC AURAL PATTERNS together. if that description comes off sounding a bit INTIMATE, my argument is that such a process of CREATION actually is. TIMBALAND is known for repeatedly working with a small stable of GIFTED artists over the years, from MISSY ELLIOTT, AALIYAH (R.I.P.) and LUDACRIS to RIHANNA, JAY-Z and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE. i think this fact that he is selective with which recording artists he collaborates with because the key to his CREATIVITY is that deep sense of one-to-one CONNECTION. its hard to say if that level of INTIMATE CRAFTSMANSHIP is replicated elsewhere in the music industry, where lots of producers are seeking to entertain the wants and needs of potential clients rather than creating something UNIQUE and INNOVATIVE. doing such risks failure. TIMBALAND seems alright with such a trade-off unlike most of his peers. INTENSE, ELABORATE, POLYRHYTHMIC beats are not in vogue at the moment in HIP HOP, much like the LYRICISM and conceptual frameworks that carried CELEBRATED past albums from ICE CUBE and A TRIBE CALLED QUEST to PUBLIC ENEMY and TUPAC SHAKUR. like all things with culture, itll eventually cycle back. my hope is TIMBALAND will be part of that next renaissance of ELEVATED ARTISTRY in HIP HOP. here is hoping. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that originally aired in late 2020 during the pandemic. the playlist includes music from throughout TIMBALAND's ECLECTIC and PROPULSIVE production catalogue. enjoy!
parodies by nacrowe
there is something REFRESHING about the manner in which RECORDING ENGINEER STEVE ALBINI goes about his business. too often people, me included, lionize PRODUCERS as if they are MOSES navigating clueless bands through the RECORDING PROCESS and to the promised land. at best, some producers have HUMILITY and perceive themselves as COLLABORATORS or vehicles for artists to utilize in realizing their vision. with ALBINI he strips all of that pomp and circumstance to the core, instead viewing himself as a COMMON engineer attempting to capture the live sound of the band with no input or outside manipulation. being a musician himself as a founding member of the SEMINAL CHICAGO noise rock band BIG BLACK and later projects such as SHELLAC and RAPEMAN, ALBINI wholeheartedly believes in enabling the artist. as a RECORDING ENGINEER (he scoffs at the title and never refers to himself as a "PRODUCER"), ALBINI believes in a STRICT division of LABOR whereby creative decisions are the sphere of influence of the artist and the tracking of which is his.
he is known for recording quickly with MINIMAL if no overdubs altogether, which leads to music that has an IMMEDIATE, UNVARNISHED quality such as CELEBRATED albums like PJ HARVEY's RID OF ME (ISLAND, 1993), PIXIES' SURFER ROSA (4AD, 1988), HELMET's MEANTIME (INTERSCOPE, 1992), NEUROSIS' TIMES OF GRACE (RELAPSE, 1999), THE BREEDERS' POD (4AD, 1990) and arguably most famously NIRVANA's IN UTERO (DGC, 1994). he also charges a SET RATE with NO FUTURE POINTS on the album. in this way he sees his work as a form of LABOR akin to a plumber or electrician. he comes in, completes his SERVICE, and lets the artist keep the results with no strings attached. what is AMAZING is that there is almost FANATICAL PURITY to that WORKINGMAN ETHOS as ALBINI has refused time and again to leverage his position to create FINANCIAL WINDFALLS for himself and his family. again, as an artist himself, such GAINS would be perceived at the EXPENSE of his clients and result in a COMPROMISED DEBASEMENT of the RECORDING PROCESS. in his perspective, such would be a blaring CONFLICT OF INTEREST. for him, his experiences and IMMENSE abilities are a resource for use by the creative community with NO ELITISM or expectation attached. the more i think about it the more REMARKABLE his BUSINESS ETHICS are. ive made no qualms about hiding the fact that i am currently enrolled in business school pursuing an MBA. everything there is seemingly done with the end objective of extracting as much ECONOMIC VALUE from any product or service as mathematically and ETHICALLY possible, with an emphasis on the former. it is not that ALBINI's method is an anomaly in the music industry, it feels like an outlier in general. i cant even begin to imagine how much MONEY he left on the table with IN UTERO alone. but thats kind of the point. FINANCIAL CONCERNS will come and go, but art lives on forever. best to maintain and ensure the PURITY of that PROCESS and let the other matters come to its own equilibrium and conclusion. ALBINI is someone i am continually FASCINATED by both musically and ETHICALLY and i find myself coming to terms with his since of BUSINESS ETHOS all the time. embedded below is the second DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC, which originally aired a little over three years ago. the playlist includes music from throughout STEVE ALBINI's 'PRODUCTION' catalogue. enjoy!
parodies by nacrowe
author F SCOT FITZGERALD is famous for having once quipped that there are no SECOND ACTS in AMERICAN lives. once you SELF-IDENTIFY and SELF-DEFINE yourself it is DIFFICULT to transition to an alternative in the PUBLIC PERCEPTION. i was a secondary school teacher and now im pursuing a business degree which could not be more different in terms of mission, sentiment or perspective. i can see it in my classmates. i still question whether i have shifted in the process or if i still see myself years after the fact as an educator. in some ways this blog and the bi-weekly radio show is a continuation of that previous WAY OF LIFE.
i enjoy it. when i think of the ENGLISH band NEW ORDER, they appear to be the prime cultural example of turning a page and pursuing your PASSION anew, irrespective of who you were before or how PUBLIC PERCEPTION has compartmentalized your identity in a tidy box. the ICONIC MANCHESTER POST PUNK band JOY DIVISION begat the DEFINITIVE NEW WAVE band NEW ORDER through a DEATH in the lineup. the death of IAN CURTIS ended one set of opportunities and HARSHLY and ABSURDLY opened others. you listen to the former's final album CLOSER (FACTORY, 1980), the tone and sonic aesthetic of the later's POWER, CORRUPTION & LIES (FACTORY, 1983) seems UNCONNECTED and completely ARBITRARY, but in fact its the same rhythm section. the band through COLLECTIVE PERMISSION or sheer PIGHEADEDNESS allowed themselves the ability to EVOLVE and TRANSFORM. forget DAVID BOWIE, the transition from JOY DIVISION to NEW ORDER is one of the most UNLIKELY and FRUITFUL musical transitions in recorded memory. for me it is an example to KEEP READING, KEEP LISTENING, KEEP COMMUNICATING and allow myself to not feel defined by my past. i hope that is the case for others as well. embedded below is the second DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC, which originally aired a little over three years ago. the playlist includes music from throughout the CELEBRATED NEW ORDER catalogue. enjoy!
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating NYC DANCE-PUNK independent label DFA RECORDS!
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
i was listening the today to long-time noted tech journalist KARA SWISHER's interview with biographer WALTER ISAACSON about ELON MUSK, the subject of an upcoming, as yet untitled book. for those who dont know, ISAACSON trades in narratives about INNOVATIVE SCIENTISTS, POLITICIANS, PHILOSOPHERS and ENTREPRENEURS who left their mark on society; everyone from BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, LEONARDO DA VINCI, HENRY KISSINGER and ALBERT EINSTEIN to JENNIFER DOUDNA (pioneer of GENE EDITING and CRISPR) and STEVE JOBS. his work leans towards HAGIOGRAPHY and his arguably UNCRITICAL approach spares things like the CHARACTER FLAWS and PROBLEMATIC viewpoints of his subjects in order to shed light on the achievements that differentiate them from their peers.
SWISHER admittedly takes ISAACSON to task for glossing over the TROUBLING aspects of MUSK's NARCISSISTIC personality and SOLIPSISTIC worldview, such as his wanton CRUELTY on TWITTER, punching down on less POWERFUL people with repeated VILE HOMOPHOBIC, MISOGYNISTIC, TRANSPHOBIC, XENOPHOBIC and RACIST garbage. he's beyond a troll. he's an ASSHOLE of TRUMPIAN proportions and ISAACSON is SYCOPHANTIC towards him because he has a space ship and manufactures electric cars. it got me thinking about how as a society we treat this class of ENTREPRENEUR differently, going back to HENRY FORD, HOWARD HUGHES and THOMAS EDISON. that in a sense we are all COMPLICIT in this whitewashing of history and that over time MUSK will be no different. a century from now his net positives for humanity related to TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT in SPACE EXPLORATION and BATTERY STORAGE CAPACITY will supposedly outweigh the copious MISANTHROPIC BILE he continually spews upon the most VULNERABLE populations on TWITTER. according to APOLOGISTS and ENABLERS like ISAACSON. when issues like this are raised i always think about my own COMPLICITY in the matter. being a participant in a CAPITALIST SOCIETY, by definition i am benefiting on the EXPLOITED LABOR of some NAMELESSS, FACELESS person in a faraway land. unlike most AMERICANS, ive seen this dynamic at play up close in SOUTHEAST ASIA, LATIN AMERICA, EASTERN EUROPE and WEST AFRICA during my time overseas. its the underbelly of CAPITALISM nobody wishes to acknowledge. in a way the same goes for music and film. there are countless ASSHOLES in each industry that have done some terribly MONSTROUS things and we are all COMPLICIT, knowingly or unknowingly, in their cultural ascension by admiring and taking to heart their creative work. the second DEER GOD RADIO episode was about this very COMPLICATED dilemma of attempting to compartmentalize the artist from the art. i dont think we differentiate such, but we do and in the long arc of history the films of WOODY ALLEN and ROMAN POLANSKI and the music of R KELLY, MICHAEL JACKSON and CHUCK BERRY will undoubtedly outlive us all. i am in SWISHER's corner but ISAACSON sadly might be on to something. and thats TRAGIC and UNFORTUNATE. i just try to think past and ignore DEGENERATE MISANTRHOPES like MUSK who ironically have MARTYR COMPLEXES and EPIC DELUSIONS regarding personal crusades and corporate missions to save humanity. just leave me out of it! embedded below is the second DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC, which originally aired this week five years ago in march 2018. the playlist includes some unquestionably SENSATIONAL music created and performed by some truly UNSAVORY and AWFUL human beings. enjoy! NOTE: this veritable shitlist of musicians does not include THE CRAMPS. viva POISON IVY y LUX INTERIOR para siempre!
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the production catalogue of veteran record producer / engineer / mixer ERIC VALENTINE!
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
i think like a lot of people i feel a certain sense of COMPLACENCY in my listening habits at times, especially as i get older. what was once NOVEL and INNOVATIVE inevitably becomes part of a growing catalogue of interesting diversions in my mind's eye. it feels like when the proper MOOD or situation arises, i am readily equipped to curate the proper soundtrack, if only for myself. at times i feel JADED by my own taste and seeming inability to appreciate new music.
what i love about the NO WAVE bands is that they are stridently UNCOMPROMISING and aggressively NONCOFORMIST. its almost like discovering that SONIC ANARCHY that was ORNETTE COLEMAN after a lifetime of initiation into the contemplative melodicism of JOHN COLTRANE, the sincere poignancy of LOUIS ARMSTRONG or technical dexterity of SONNY ROLLINS. COLEMAN was pure UNGUARDED, UNADULTERATED EXPRESSION unencumbered by traditional constraints of form or theory. such is NO WAVE as well. when i want my musical palette cleansed, i listen to SWANS or DINOSAUR L, JAMES CHANCE & THE CONTORTIONS, LYDIA LYNCH, DNA or SUICIDE. it makes me realize that limitations are self-induced and the symptom resulting from a lack of COURAGE and/or IMAGINATION. listening to NO WAVE groups is a CONFRONTATIONAL EXPERIENCE that makes me consider what my own self-imposed limitations are not just as a music listener, but as an appreciator of art and as a CONSCIOUS HUMAN BEING in general. these artists were absolutely on the edge of something. sometimes im not even sure what. its like that classic line from THIS IS SPINAL TAP (EMBASSY, 1984), "it's such a fine line between stupid and clever." at times i dont know what side of that threshold some of these bands are on, or myself for that matter. does it even matter? who decides and who cares? and that dynamic is pretty much the FUN and enduring appeal of NO WAVE bands. in the modern era where seemingly every flavor of music is MARKETED, COMMODITIZED and ultimately rendered DISPOSABLE, these EXPERIMENTAL groups from the late 70s and early 80s somehow found a way to stay RELEVANT and RESISTANT to being pigeon-holed more than four decades on. its like a cultural CHEAT CODE or something. im endlessly fascinated by the idea that these bands defy easy categorization, and yet their music remains VITAL and ENJOYABLE to consume. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode from the winter of 2020 on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC dedicated to the music of the brief NO WAVE era in NYC. enjoy!
parody by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating BRITISH HIP HOP phenomenon M.I.A.!
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
being introduced to the DEAD KENNEDYS and the ENIGMATIC, politically STRIDENT cultural FOLK HERO that is JELLO BIAFRA in high school was a complete revelation and game changer. it would be another few years before i got my head around 1980s HARDCORE after being introduced to such by a childhood friend, but to me the DEAD KENNEDYS were OUTLIERS in that movement. with the exception of maybe D.O.A. and BAD RELIGION, their ability to cut through the noise and deliver scathing RIGHTEOUS diatribes related to BRAZEN POLITICAL CORRUPTION, MINDLESS CAPITALISM and DISASTROUS FOREIGN POLICY decisions, both past and present, was second to none. what set them apart in my estimation was BIAFRA's bold penchant for CAUSTIC satire and EAST BAY RAY's adoration and clever reinterpretation of traditional SURF guitar motifs. the DEAD KENNEDYS sounded utterly UNIQUE and their SCATHING lyrical content was presented with a certain amount of HUMOR and performative glee and gusto that made it that much more MEMORABLE then that of their cohorts during the same period who sounded like an incoherent angry populist mob.
by the time i discovered the DEAD KENNEDYS in 1999 through other DJs at my high school school radio station, i had already lived in NIGERIA for three years and bore witness to the intersection of GLOBAL POLITICS and INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE. SANI ABACHA was the dictator during my time in LAGOS and he ruled at times with an iron fist, killing political opponents and prisoners (often in public) with no regard for human rights any semblance of a fig leaf for judicial due diligence. it was a hopelessly CORRUPT and DANGEROUS situation that was reinforced with funds from the petroleum industry, of which my family was a part of. i dont blame them for providing for us, but i came out of the experience with the notion that the world is very COMPLICATED, with many competing NATIONAL INTERESTS and AGENDAS. with a figure like BIAFRA, whose name interestingly is a reference to the former breakaway NIGERIAN republic, there is a certain unflinching gaze and distinct perspective on how to make sense of these COMPLEX issues. if anything he is shedding a light on said INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS (KHMER ROUGE, BUSH OIL WARS I & II, SEPTEMBER 11th, AFGHANISTAN, JANUARY 6th, etc.) and foreign policy decisions in an INTELLIGENT, THOUGHTFUL and (yes) ENTERTAINING manner that tasks his audience to research and inform themselves and not become a thoughtless drone mouthing off stale copy provided by corporate media interests. in a sense BIAFRA is a secular prophet pointing the way to a better state of affairs where we are not isolated by our complicity with mobile digital platforms and political parties, instead advocating for a more INTIMATE, FORGIVING and ultimately EMPATHETIC relationship with our local community. such could serve as a point of reference for the world, rather than the threat of ECONOMIC and POLITICAL VIOLENCE via our military and long-held INSTITUTIONAL HEGEMONY through the likes of the UNITED NATIONS, WORLD BANK, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND and so on. do i agree with JELLO BIAFRA on everything. most of it yes, some probably not but that isnt really the point. his perspective is something i cherish and seek out to make sense of the UNITED STATES' position (both past and present) in the world, much like the wider chorus of NOTABLE voices that includes that likes of JON STEWART, N SCOTT MOMADAY, TIMOTHY SNYDER, HOWARD ZINN, ALEX HALEY, HEATHER MCGHEE, ROBERT MASSIE, JOE SACCO, NOAM CHOMSKY, GEORGE CARLIN, LEA YPI, HENRY ROLLINS, MISHA GLENNY, RACHEL MADDOW, RICHARD DAWKINS, MARK TWAIN, BARBARA DEMICK, RICHARD RHODES and so on. im glad he's still around and as VITAL as ever. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode from the winter of 2021 on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC dedicated to the music of JELLO BIAFRA and the DEAD KENNEDYS, as well as most of his side projects and collaborations of the years. enjoy! parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 6PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC celebrating the independent NYC-based DANCE-PUNK label DFA RECORDS.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archive. 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
ive been thinking about the whole concept of second chances recently. in so many places ive been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to spend time in abroad, life is a STRUGGLE and is quite basically about SURVIVAL. being such COMMUNITY bonds are TIGHT and there is a definite give and take in terms of ones ability to differentiate themselves and assert their INDIVIDUALITY. the upside is that being part of a TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY you are LOVED, VALUED and considered a part of the fabric of SOCIETY which gives one a palpable sense of PERSPECTIVE and PEACE with their surroundings.
i dont find that in AMERICA. you are free to be whomever you wish to be, but beyond your immediate family you are largely on your own in a CUTTHROAT business and cultural environment where your VALUE is COMMODITIZED along the lines of what financial gain you can effectuate with future potential collaborators. PIRATE CAPITALISM it feels like, where one feels SOCIALLY ISOLATED and CULTURALLY DISTANT from those in within the confines of their own immediate surroundings. whenever i stare to long into this particular sun i keep thinking about the idea of DAVID BOWIE and his fascinating career. one where he was constantly altering and expanding his sound, literary and cultural influences as well as presentation. before the modern conceptualization of avatars and curated social feeds projecting one's INNERMOST ASPIRATIONS, there was BOWIE and his MAJOR TOM (SPACE ODDITY), ZIGGY STARDUST (ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS), THE THIN WHITE DUKE (STATION TO STATION) and HALLOWEEN JACK (DIAMOND DOGS) characters lighting the way to render the whole concept of AUTHENTICITY mute. will the real SLIM SHADY please stand up, or does he even exist in the first place? maybe that is the answer. in a our POSTMODERN world there is no need for the INDIVIDUAL. we are all just providing data entry for UNTHINKABLY IMMENSE DATA SETS that will eventually spit back ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-enabled facsimiles of ourselves sans our COLLECTIVE HUMANITY. the world we are entering feels like a conceit to an UNWRITTEN BOWIE song. kind of makes sense that his last CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT was through the avatar of THE BLIND PROPHET (BLACKSTAR) on his final release days before his death. knowing the future isnt the same as experiencing it. i just adore that PESSIMISTIC and rather NIHILISTIC tone that marked his final incarnation and put a stamp on his WILDLY CREATIVE recording career as a FEARLESS and PEERLESS cultural innovator. i feel like in the end you are defined by your ability to CREATE and SELF-DEFINE, outside of financial valuations and one's place as a COMMODITY in a grand IMPERSONAL marketplace. but that is a MENTAL PRISON one has to navigate on their own. i look to BOWIE, as well as LOU REED, BJORK, SUN RA, MF DOOM, PRINCE, GEORGE CLINTON, DAMON ALBARN and even EMINEM as prophets of INDIVIDUALISM and SELF-LIBERATION in that regard. none of us are defined, we are always in the process of BECOMING. there will always be another opportunity. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode from the summer of 2019 on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC dedicated to the music of DAVID BOWIE from just about every phase of his career. enjoy!
parodies by nacrowe
my gateway drug to LOVE AND ROCKETS and by extension BAUHAUS and POST PUNK in general was the LEGENDARY ALTERNATIVE ROCK band JANE'S ADDICTION. i worshipped then and still do at the alter of DAVE NAVARRO and his HYBRID style that finds the balance between AMBIENT sonic textures a la ROBERT SMITH and DANIEL ASH and the more standard technical heroism of JIMI HENDRIX and JIMMY PAGE. when i was turning at 18 and found myself living with a relative in SACRAMENTO shortly after 9/11, leaving my family behind in KUWAIT, i basically dove headfirst into all things POST PUNK and GOTH ROCK as well as EXPERIMENTAL AMBIENT MUSIC and even TRIP HOP. in terms of discovering music, this was one of the most FERTILE and FORMATIVE eras of my life.
and discovering ASH specifically was a revelation both in terms of the EMOTIVE and highly AFFECTING soundscapes he produced, but also in terms of his NONTRADITIONAL approach to guitar. utilizing delay, reverb and a handheld device known as an E-BOW (which magnetically vibrated the strings creating a DRONE-like effect) he was able to conjure COMPLEX aural landscapes that reminded me of INDIAN MUSIC of all things. the use of droning notes is something that has been widely adopted and become more conventional in recent years, especially with POST ROCK andPOST METAL outfits ranging from MERZBOW to SUNN O))). within a POST PUNK context with the likes of BAUHAUS and LOVE AND ROCKETS this DRONING backdrop is cut up with SPASTIC drum patterns and ANGULAR bass and guitar lines that make for INTERESTING textural and compositional juxtapositions that challenge the listener. once you are aware of such, it is noticeably easy to see the through line with later ALTERNATIVE ROCK guitarists like KIM THAYIL (SOUNDGARDEN), JOHN FRUSCIANTE (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), and the aforementioned DAVE NAVARRO (JANE'S ADDICTION). all three share a love of DISSONANCE, odd time signatures, DRONING notes and ANGULAR guitar riffs. discovering ASH was an education in learning about where these POWERFUL guitar elements i grew up on were sourced and divined to perfection. beyond all that, whats COOL about ASH's solo career is how he took that SIGNATURE sound and further developed it by incorporated LATIN rhythms in the mix. those DRONING notes and start-stop guitar lines work like a charm in the midst of the push and pull swing that makes SALSA, CUMBIA and SAMBA so infectious. ASH essentially made DANCEABLE POST PUNK music, which seems like a contradiction in terms, but there you go. ASH is someone i am constantly going back and listening to both as a guitar player and as an ACTIVE listener attempting to glean something useful from a NONTRADITIONAL master musician with his own voice and approach to instrument. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode from around FEBRUARY 2020 on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC dedicated to the music of DANIEL ASH from every phase of his career. this is also one of two shows that my father was a guest on which makes it extra SPECIAL for me. enjoy!
photo & text by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK icons NOFX!
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 SHOEGAZE pioneers SLOWDIVE!
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
the thing ive always appreciated about ROB ZOMBIE is how he takes all these DISPARATE elements (KUSTOM KULTURE, GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM, HORROR FILMS, COMIC BOOKS, MONSTER MOVIES, EXPLOITATION FILMS) and synthesizes them into an AESTHETIC that is identifiably his own. in fact when i was in college and learning about FILM MOVEMENTS and directors it was always fun to learn about the ESOTERIC source material for much of his songs and promotional videos, i.e. auteurs like RUSS MEYER, JACK HILL, ROGER CORMAN, JAMES WHALE, GEORGE A. ROMERO, WILLIAM CASTLE, ROBERT WIENE, KUCHAR BROTHERS, HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS and ED WOOD JR.
it has always struck me how CONSERVATIVE METAL, as with PUNK ROCK, actually is with audience expectations that are often MYOPIC and ANTAGONISTIC towards any sense of progression or INDIVIDUALITY. they want the cheap thrills and will tolerate deviation only to a certain point. with WHITE ZOMBIE, ROB was on a different level both in their nascent EXPERIMENTAL, noise-rock phase as well as the later full TECHNICOLOR, PHANTASMAGORICAL, all-or-nothing GROOVE METAL phase for which they are famous and of which setup and informed ROB's solo career to date. the fact that his professional trajectory inevitably pointed towards a film directing career, and that such actually panned out is INCREDIBLE. their is a definite sense of continuity no matter the era of his CREATIVE OUTPUT you dive into and when i feel jaded like ive heard or watched everything, i take not of what OBSCURE film or artist he's referenced in a song or video and start exploring again. its fun and a CULTURAL EDUCATION in and of itself of which i am thankful for. im glad he's still doing his thing. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode from HALLOWEEN week 2021 on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC dedicated to the music of WHITE ZOMBIE / ROB ZOMBIE from throughout his extensive catalogue. enjoy!
photo & text by nacrowe
its hard for me to overstate how foundational the music of R.E.M. was for me as a music listener, as some of my earliest memories of experiencing new music was both the OUT OF TIME (WARNER BROS, 1991) and MONSTER (WARNER BROS, 1994) albums. ironically it was the former record that got me interested in playing guitar as a first grader. its ironic because that was the specific album in their discography where guitarist PETER BUCK essentially abandoned the instrument in favor of mandolin.
i think with those initial OUT OF TIME singles like "SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE" and "LOSING MY RELIGION" there was a sense of both pop abandon and real pathos in the LYRICS, MANNERISM and VOCALS of singer MICHAEL STIPE. its interesting that he was one of my earliest introductions to a 'rock singer' given his AMBIVALANCE to fame and his highly IDIOSYNCRATIC presentation that showcased a COMPLICATED figure with strong ideas and a seemingly UNDEFINABLE sexuality, this in addition to his obvious INTELLIGENCE and CHARISMA. STIPE was (and still is) a real MERCURIAL and COMPELLING figure, especially for a curious seven year old. when MONSTER came out the tone was more SOMBER and AGGRESSIVE with singles like "STAR 69," "BANG AND BLAME," "WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY, KENNETH?" and "CRUSH WITH EYELINER." all the guitar feedback and lyrics about DISLOCATION, strained relationships and potential VIOLENCE was a world away from "SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE" and was more in keeping with the NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN and PEARL JAM songs i heard on the radio station 106.7 FM KROQ out of nearby LOS ANGELES that bordered ORANGE COUNTY where i lived growing up. both visually and aurally, MONSTER was a major record for me growing up and was somewhat of an introduction to the aggressively REFLECTIVE and SELF-DISPARAGING aesthetic of ALTERNATIVE ROCK much as OUT OF TIME was an introduction to the PLAINTIVE, direct songwriting stylings of INDIE ROCK. whats interesting to me as an adult looking back is how arguably the STRONGEST R.E.M. record ever made, AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE (WARNER BROS, 1991), which came out between OUT OF TIME and MONSTER, was not in the mix for me during that period. until discovering it later in my late teens i had no memory of the record whatsoever. back in the early and mid 1990s there was no SPOTIFY or YOUTUBE, just the tail end of a national cassette trading network that i was not privy to at that age. i was literally only aware of what was on the radio and what my parents, usually my father, added to their CD collection. getting compact discs was a REVELATORY ritual up until the birth of MP3 trading and disc burning that began when i was in high school in the late 1990s and later the adoption of the iPod that came about a few years into the new millennium. prior to such i was TRANSFIXED to the ARTWORK and details of PACKAGING and their connection to musical content. that experience with OUT OF TIME and MONSTER was as TRANSCENDENT an experience as the music itself in many ways. that eye to visual ICONOGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, LAYOUT and GRAPHIC DESIGN vocabulary in general was an education in and of itself and my earliest VIVD memories of experiencing such, again are probably those two records (as well as LIVING COLOUR, SOUNDGARDEN and PEARL JAM releases from that same period). i find it more than amusing that since i began parodying album covers in an effort to promote my regular DEER GOD RADIO show at nonprofit radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC, the only pushback i ever got back was from 'angry' R.E.M. supporters. i was told on INSTAGRAM by a random person that STIPE didnt take kindly to people stealing from him and would sue me to oblivion. my hope and expectation is that if he did discover my promotional parodies he would be delighted by them as a LOVING homage to a band i ADORE and have respected since childhood. i certainly make no money from such and nor does the station. all that being said, R.E.M. please dont sue me. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode from the spring of 2022 on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC dedicated to the music of R.E.M. from throughout their extensive catalogue. enjoy! |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
May 2024
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