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

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

just saying.  you should definitely check it out.

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating AUSTRALIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER KEVIN PARKER and his PSYCH ROCK BAND TAME IMPALA.
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​​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!

oftentimes when the HISTORY is communicated about the UNDERGROUND PUNK ROCK SCENE in the COACHELLA VALLEY of the LATE 1980s and EARLY 1990s, otherwise known as the PALM DESERT SCENE, much of it UNDERSTANDABLY centers around JOSH HOMME-centric BANDS like KYUSS and later QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.  such makes some SENSE to an EXTENT, given that the MASSIVE, DOWN-TEMPO, DOWN-TUNED STONER ROCK SOUND that KYUSS pioneered (along with MELVINS and SLEEP) is so PREVALENT today in MODERN METAL and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE is probably the most CELEBRATED ROCK AND ROLL BAND this SIDE of NIRVANA.

but still.

the PALM DESERT SCENE and its DIY ETHOS is what raised HOMME and the SOUND of such was far more ECLECTIC than given CREDIT for in the past.  such is a NECESSARY CORRECTION that the LO SOUND DESERT (ROCK SQUAD, 2016) DOCUMENTARY ADROITLY presents, interviewing PARTICIPANTS and centering the NARRATIVE around the CHRONOLOGY and EVOLUTION of the many GROUPS that made an IMPACT within this admittedly INSULAR COMMUNITY roughly two hours east of LOS ANGELES.  the FILM of course does include the PARTICIPATION of HOMME and his KYUSS / QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE COHORTS in NICK OLIVERI, BRANT BJORK, ALFREDO HERNANDEZ and SCOTT REEDER, but undoubtedly more COMPELLING are the CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS of more OBSCURE but undeniably INFLUENTIAL MUSICIANS within the SCENE such as MARIO LALLI (ACROSS THE RIVER, YAWNING MAN), SEAN WHEELER (THROW RAG), IAN TAYLOR (UNSOUND), CHRIS COCKRELL (SOLARFEAST), JOE DILLON (DALI'S LLAMA) and NICK NAVA (HORNNS) among many OTHERS. 

the BASIC STORY presented is one of BORED KIDS coming-of-age in the IMMEDIATE WAKE of the RAT PACK LOUNGE SCENE LAMENESS that brought so many GERIATRICS to the COACHELLA VALLEY a GENERATION before.  being an ADOLESCENT in a COMMUNITY that was literally PURPOSE-BUILT as a RETREAT and DELIBERATE ESCAPE from RESPONSIBILITY for WEALTHY ANGELENOS meant no MUCH-NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE or OUTLETS to entertain oneself, which over time resulted in a TIGHT COMMUNITY of ARTISTS and MUSICIANS that mutually supported one another largely out of NECESSITY.  this meant UNDERGROUND SHOWS at MAKESHIFT VENUES, within and without the city limits, that were INEVITABLY SHUT DOWN by a POLICE FORCE beholden to SENIOR CITIZENS and RECENT RETIREES.  aside from SELF-SUFFICIENCY, the DIY ETHOS of that TENTATIVE ARTS COMMUNITY promoted ORIGINALITY and AUTHENTICITY.  such nurtured the DEVELOPMENT of a DIVERSE SERIES of HOMEGROWN BANDS that channeled everything from PSYCHEDELIA, ART ROCK, BLUES, ACID ROCK, SKA, GARAGE ROCK, SPACE ROCK and so on, which no doubt is the UNSUNG NARRATIVE of the SCENE in the POPULAR IMAGINATION which seemingly focuses almost EXCLUSIVELY on STONER ROCK.

like SEATTLE around the SAME PERIOD, this INSULAR COMMUNITY was AMBITIOUS ARTISTICALLY but not necessarily COMMERCIALLY.  ART was its own REWARD and a SENSE of CATHARSIS from a DOLDRUM EXISTENCE at the LITERAL EDGE of SOCIETY.  to be otherwise was DELUSIONAL since nobody got out and became SUCCESSFUL.  such is why KYUSS going on tour in AUSTRALIA opening for METALLICA after DAVE GROHL glowingly mentioned the BAND as the future of GRUNGE in an MTV INTERVIEW before a MAJOR TELEVISED EVENT with an APPROVING KURT COBAIN in tow was such a turning point for the SCENE.  that and the SUBSEQUENT SUCCESS of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.  such ANOMALIES almost put everything out of CONTEXT and in a WARPED PERSPECTIVE, which is a TRAP that VARIOUS other DOCUMENTARIES about this PARTICULAR SCENE fall into. 

its FORTUNATE that LO SOUND DESERT finally corrects the HISTORICAL RECORD about the SONIC DIVERSITY of the PALM DESERT SCENE for POSTERITY.  my GUT FEELING is that even HOMME wants such, as these are all of his FRIENDS, ACCOMPLICES and FORMATIVE MUSICAL PEERS.  funny it took a GERMAN to do such, but this is the most CLEAR-EYED and COHERENT EXPRESSION on the PALM DESERT SCENE that i am aware of.  required viewing in my OPINION.

BREAKUPS are HARD.

i imagine the DIFFICULTY is only COMPOUNDED once you vacate the DIZZYING HEIGHTS of being a universally ADMIRED CRITICAL DARLING and a SO-CALLED SAVIOR of ROCK N ROLL writ large during an otherwise DISPOSABLE ERA of WIDESPREAD MEDIOCRITY within the GENRE.  such was the case with the MINNESOTA HARDCORE BAND HÜSKER DÜ in the 1980s when they transformed PUNK ROCK into something way more MELODICALLY SOPHISTICATED, LYRICALLY AMBITIOUS and EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT.  its not HYPERBOLE to state that they paved the way for LIKE-MINDED INDIE / ALTERNATIVE ROCK bands the NEXT DECADE with EVERYONE from THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, GREEN DAY and FOO FIGHTERS to METALLICA, PIXIES, DINOSAUR JR and NIRVANA.
​
the DOCUMENTARY EVERY EVERYTHING: THE MUSIC, LIFE AND TIMES OF GRANT HART (WHAT WERE WE THINKING FILMS, 2013) follows the HÜSKER DÜ CO-SONGWRITER and DRUMMER as he attempts to make SENSE of his CAREER TRAJECTORY both in and beyond the highly INFLUENTIAL 80s HARDCORE BAND.  in essence for GRANT HART, its a very PUBLIC RUMINATION filled with REGRET regarding PAST MISCOMMUNICATIONS, UNWISE CHOICES and MISSED OPPORTUNITIES.  quite HONESTLY, in COLLEGE when i first heard ZEN ARCADE (SST, 1984) and NEW DAY RISING (SST, 1985) while participating with the RADIO STATION, i was made aware of the INDIE ROCK ICON that is HÜSKER DÜ FRONTMAN BOB MOULD and his later 1990s ALTERNATIVE OUTFIT SUGAR, much akin to SAME LEVEL as that of his CELEBRATED PEERS in J MASCIS (DINOSAUR JR), FRANK BLACK (PIXIES), THURSTON MOORE (SONIC YOUTH), CALVIN JOHNSON (BEAT HAPPENING), STEPHEN MALKMUS (PAVEMENT) or LOU BARLOW (SEBADOH).  maybe its because he was the GUITARIST and the PROMINENT PUBLIC FACE of HÜSKER DÜ, but HART definitely UNFAIRLY got the SHORT END OF THE STICK and LARGELY was relegated the STATUS of a REVERED CULT FIGURE. 

worse is that the CAREER of HÜSKER DÜ is somewhat of a CAUTIONARY TALE for YOUNG BANDS of the PERIOD concerning the very REAL PITFALLS of the BUSINESS, specifically the jump from INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELS to the majors.  HUSKER DU was on SST RECORDS, run by GREG GINN of BLACK FLAG fame and the DE FACTO HARDCORE LABEL of the 1980s that had an ECLECTIC ROSTER including MINUTEMEN, SACCHARINE TRUST, DINOSAUR JR, MEAT PUPPETS, SONIC YOUTH and HUSKER DU among OTHERS.  SST was a SHOESTRING OPERATION and much of the VERBAL AGREEMENT was based mutual trust.  HUSKER DU got their RECORDS in STORES and GRACIOUSLY, if not NAIVELY, put their CUT of the REVENUE back into producing more PRODUCT, but ultimately they did not receive much of anything MONETARILY from the SITUATION, despite delivering THREE ALBUMS.  moving to WARNER BROS they allowed REPRESENTATIVES of the LABEL to essentially pick them apart and manipulate their SOUND and PRESENTATION, which resulted in the BAND disbanding under ACRIMONIOUS TERMS with each other after two ALBUMS there.  NARCOTICS may have also been in the MIX as well for HART, but such was an ATTEMPT to curtail the PAINFUL LOSS of IDENTITY and SELF-WORTH associated with his FORMER BAND's REVERED STATUS and SUCCESS.

listening to HART go on MONOTONOUS MONOLOGUE after TIRING MONOLOGUE to the CAMERA about HIMSELF ad nauseam, i can only empathize with that SENSE of TRAUMA and PAIN from FUTILELY attempting to follow-up what was a once in a LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.  F SCOTT FITZGERALD is FAMOUSLY accredited with stating that "there are no second acts in AMERICAN LIVES," but HART serves as EXAMPLE of SOMEONE chasing his CREATIVE MUSE, whether such be LITERARY or otherwise, despite a markedly DIMINISHED PRESENCE in the SCENE OUTSIDE of a MINUSCULE but DEDICATED CULT FOLLOWING.  it would seem that if you are a TRUE ARTIST, you continue on in spite of APATHY from the OUTSIDE WORLD. 

gotta RESPECT that at least.

this FLM was DEPRESSING and pretty TEDIOUS.  as a HISTORICAL DOCUMENT it is INTERESTING for any FAN of the 80s HARDCORE SCENE, but for a CASUAL LISTENER id advise to stay away since this one feels like a CHARMED MUSICIAN seeking SYMPATHY were they probably shouldnt.  at least that is how i read the DOCUMENTARY.

normally i tend to adhere to the DISMISSIVE MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN-penned MAXIM of FUCK RETRO ANYTHING from the TOOL SONG "ÆNIMA" but from time to time i make EXCEPTIONS.  the MULTI-TALENTED LONG ISLAND-based BROTHERS in BRIAN and MICHAEL D'ADDARIO and their POWER POP outfit THE LEMON TWIGS is one such SPECIAL CASE.  undoubtedly their JANGLY SOUND seemingly evokes EVERYTHING GLAM and ARTSY from the 1970s POP ROCK world including THE RASPBERRIES, SWEET, THE BEATLES, MOTT THE HOOPLE, BIG STAR, THE BEACH BOYS and SLADE among OTHERS. 

what stands out are their INFECTIOUS MELODIES, NOSTALGIC PRODUCTION AESTHETIC and QUALITY SONG-CRAFT.  on top of being GIFTED SONGWRITERS, both BRIAN and MICHAEL are CAPABLE VOCALISTS and DEFT MULTI-INSTRUMENTALISTS who regularly switch INSTRUMENTS in-between PERFORMED SONGS which is IMPRESSIVE.  THE LEMON TWIGS are definitely a BAND worth checking out.

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

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

i was introduced to the MUSIC of SONGWRITER STEPHIN MERRITT and his CELEBRATED INDIE ROCK BAND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS through a COWORKER immediately after undergrad when i worked at a CORPORATE RETAIL BOOKSTORE.  this PEER was a bit of a SNOB had a TASTE for the EXPERIMENTAL and likewise wisened me to the likes of STEREOLAB, FENNEZS, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, BROADCAST, CORNELIUS, NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL, THE MOUNTAIN GOATS and AUTECHRE among others.  as such my FIRST IMPRESSION of THE MAGNETIC FIELDS was that they were the HYPER-LITERATE, UBER-SOPHISTICATED with absolutely no SOUL TYPE OF THING youd hear ROUTINELY promoted on NPR.  in PARTICULAR, the 69 LOVE SONGS (MERGE, 1999) ALBUM seemed to me less about HUMAN AFFECTION and GENUINE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION as an OVERWHELMING FEELING or TRANSCENDENT PHENOMENON, instead ODDLY more as an ISOLATED TOPIC of ACADEMIC PURSUIT.  i noticed the DISTANCE between the TONE and SUBJECT implicitly but left at that and never really went back to investigate. 

its more than 15 years since then.

so for me personally its INTRIGUING to learn about MERRITT and his WORK via the STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS () DOCUMENTARY i recently discovered.  what i failed to understand before is that MERRITT is a COMPOSER very much in the CLASSIC SENSE of the word, i.e. the GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK TRADITION of SONGWRITERS such as COLE PORTER, IRVING BERLIN, JEROME KERN, RICHARD ROGERS and the like.  that sort of BRILL BUILDING MENTALITY of mass-producing QUALITY SONGS at an almost FRANTIC PACE for PUBLICATION and LICENSING PURPOSES.  as a SELF-DESCRIBED OUTSIDER, you get the SENSE in the FILM that MERRITT as a SONGWRITER is ENGAGED in an INTERNAL DIALOGUE about CHARACTERS and SCENARIOS from the DISTANT PERSPECTIVE of an OBJECTIVE THIRD-PARTY OBSERVER, not himself particularly engaged himself amongst the fray.  as many of his SONGS were written over COUNTLESS hours alone in DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN BARS, this ASSESSMENT seems WARRANTED. 

its INTERESTING because THE MAGNETIC FIELDS came to PROMINENCE in the early 1990s when CONFESSIONAL, SELF-FLAGELLATING ALTERNATIVE ROCK BANDS were dominating the CULTURAL CONVERSATION with MASCULINITY that wore HEART-ON-SLEEVE LYRICS as a VERITABLE BADGE OF HONOR and SUPPOSED SIGNIFIER of their BONIFIDES and AUTHENTICITY as ARTISTS.  in MERRITT you have the POLAR OPPOSITE, someone who has fully embraced ARTIFICE as his OPAQUELY-THEMED SONGS reveal NOTHING of himself PERSONALLY.  his COMPOSITIONS are more concerned with a META-NARRATIVE about the CONCEALED ART OF SONGWRITING itself, where CLEVER ARRANGEMENTS and ODD INSTRUMENTATION give OLD FORMS new life if done with a SENSE of ATTENTION-TO-DETAIL and CRAFT.  and that SENSE of being a CRAFTSMAN is what renders THE MAGNETIC FIELDS such a COMPELLING CREATIVE ENTITY that has affected NOTABLE INFLUENCES, COLLEAGUES and PEERS interviewed in this DOCUMENTARY including PETER GABRIEL (GENESIS), SARAH SILVERMAN, NEIL GAIMAN, DANIEL HANDLER and CARRIE BROWNSTEIN (SLEATER-KINNEY).

this INTENTIONAL OBTUSENESS and DELIBERATE PSYCHIC DISTANCE between the ART and ARTIST likewise makes MERRITT a RIPE OBJECT for SCORN and MISUNDERSTANDING, especially amongst his MUSIC CRITIC BRETHREN (MERRITT himself wrote and edited for both SPIN and TIME OUT NEW YORK at some point) who dont appreciate not being in on the CONVERSATION.  as such some [UNFAIR] CRITIQUES have been leveled against him claiming that he is RACIST and/or UNAPPRECIATIVE of BLACK CULTURE, which is PREPOSTEROUS given his INCREDIBLE depth of knowledge and apparent VOCAL ADMIRATION for PAST SONGWRITING FORMS, TRADITIONS and GENRES.  appreciating ART is an ACT of COMPASSION and EMPATHY and i just dont believe you can internalize such at the level MERRITT has with MALICE and INTOLERANCE in your heart.  as much as a MISANTHROPE he comes across, the secret is in the sauce and his MUSIC is too ARTICULATE and INTERTEXTUAL with REFERENCES to others for it to be EVIDENCE of some DARK, UNSPOKEN AGENDA.  or maybe i am just not seeing such and should further investigate.  it seems more likely that MERRITT's OPEN STATUS as a HOMOSEXUAL MALE with STRONG OPINIONS about ART and an UNCONVENTIONAL SONGWRITING and LYRICAL AESTHETIC makes him an EASY TARGET for MISINTERPRETATION.  as such the ORIGINAL CRITIC to level a BAD FAITH BARBED CRITIQUE of MERRITT being RACIST delivers a MEA CULPA for his DAMAGING and admittedly UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIM in the FILM.

but i can see how these sort of NARRATIVES develop.  the less one involves themselves with the PRESS and developing their PUBLIC IMAGE is susceptible to OUTSIDERS doing the job for him.  and such is PERILOUS given that such CHARACTERIZATIONS are often BLOATED and FACTUALLY INCORRECT EXAGGERATIONS that denote an AGENDA by the MUSIC CRITIC and not the ARTIST.  such was the case no doubt with MERRITT and this DOCUMENTARY is EVIDENCE of this UNJUST PHENOMENON.  in the decade since its release, SOCIAL MEDIA has only sped up this PROCESS and we are all in essence with MERRITT trying to negotiate such a TILTED LANDSCAPE.  the LOOKING GLASS is now our COLLECTIVE REALITY and the ABSURDITY of ATTENTION-SEEKING PROVOCATEURS is the COIN OF THE REALM.  i think MERRITT's EMBRACE of ARTIFICE is now very much ahead of its time, as now its IMPOSSIBLE to tell the DIFFERENCE so blurred the line between FANTASY and REALITY has become in a POST-TRUTH LANDSCAPE.

GIRL FRIDAY is an INTRIGUING LOS ANGELES-based INDIE POP GROUP that was formed when GUITARIST VERA ELLEN and BASSIST LIBBY HSIEH met up while attending UCLA.  their SOUND is EXPANSIVE yet firmly rooted in a UNIQUE VOCAL PRESENTATION that sees most of the BAND take the LEAD at some point.  come to think of it, i cannot recall another MODERN BAND outside of the PROGRESSIVE METAL OUTFIT MASTODON where every MEMBER sings.  the fact that GIRL FRIDAY also maintain a COMBINED SONIC and LYRICAL PERSPECTIVE filled with a BROODING SENSE of UNEASE and ISOLATION, mirroring my own PERSONAL EXPERIENCE of living in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, just endears them that much more to me.

definitely a BAND worth checking out.

the TRANSITION from the late 70s mostly NEW YORK CITY and LONDON-based PUNK SCENES to the HARDCORE MOVEMENT that rose up all over the UNITED STATES in its wake during the 1980s is such a PIVOTAL and TRANSFORMATIVE ERA in ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY, not just because of the MUSIC itself and how it EVOLVED, but how the COMMUNITY itself CHANGED and became less corporate and more INDEPENDENT.  that CONSCIOUS SHIFT took the UNBRIDLED ENERGY of the ORIGINAL MOVEMENT, which in POLITICAL TERMS was PERFORMATIVE in NATURE,  and realigned it with already existing PROGRESSIVE-LEANING MOVEMENTS that sought ACTIONABLE CHANGE in the REAL WORLD.

such was the NARRATIVE of POSITIVE FORCE DC, a WASHINGTON DC DIY COMMUNE that was established to provide a MUTUALLY-SUPPORTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL NEXUS for YOUNG PEOPLE to promote and build COMMUNITIES and consolidate POSITIVE CHANGE EFFORTS along DISTINCTLY FEMINIST, ECOLOGICAL, RACIAL, ECONOMIC and POLITICAL FRONTS.  the DOCUMENTARY POSITIVE FORCE: MORE THAN A WITNESS - 30 YEARS OF PUNK POLITICS IN ACTION (PM PRESS, 2014) makes the POINT that PUNK in its INITIAL INCEPTION was all about the INDIVIDUAL and had a SELF-DEFEATING, NAVAL-GAZING, INWARD QUALITY to it where one DEFINED what they were AGAINST, not what they were about.  by the very FACT that it was located in and around the NATION'S CAPITAL, PARTICIPANTS of the DC HARDCORE SCENE were practically inundated with POLITICS as a matter of DAILY LIFE and the IDEA of MORAL OUTRAGE without ACTION was pretty much ANATHEMA to the ETHOS and SPIRIT of the MOVEMENT.  the INFLUENCE of POSITIVE FORCE DC lay in its ability, along with the NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS it collaborated with, was to utilize the CREATIVE CAPITAL of its MEMBERS to spur SOCIAL JUSTICE EFFORTS with PUNK ROCK as a GALVANIZING VEHICLE for such.  the improvised PUNK PERCUSSION PROTESTS the GROUP initially innovated during their 1985 REVOLUTION SUMMER CAMPAIGN, where they banged pots, pans, drums and random bits and bobs across the street from the SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY in protest of their OPPRESSIVE APARTHEID REGIME, are EMBLEMATIC of this GROUND-UP VISION of COMMUNAL ACTION.  and its that sense of COMMUNITIES EMPOWERMENT that comes from the MARRIAGE of ART and POLITICS that makes the POSITIVE FORCE DC EXAMPLE so POWERFUL.   

in the NARRATIVE of POSITIVE FORCE: MORE THAN A WITNESS, the PROVERBIAL WRENCH thrown in the MACHINE was the rise of NIRVANA and what that meant regarding the DIY NATURE of PUNK ROCK that was now being CORPORATIZED to some extent.  such spread the GOSPEL throughout the COUNTRY and the WORLD, well beyond the CONFINES of INDEPENDENT CHANNELS, but at what cost?  now KURT COBAIN was known for his PROGRESSIVE POLITICS and promoting ORGANIZATIONS and BENEFITS that championed LGBTQ+ RIGHTS as well as taking RIOT GRRRL ACTS on as OPENERS, so he did what he could with his PLATFORM, but having such underwritten ultimately by a MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATION leaves such with a COMPLICATED LEGACY.  FAIRLY or UNFAIRLY, the DOCUMENTARY presents FUGAZI as a COUNTEREXAMPLE of a MUCH-REVERED IAN MACKAYE-led BAND that maintained their DIY ETHIC while consciously doing countless REGULAR BENEFIT SHOWS and supported LOCAL COMMUNITY-run CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS in the CITIES and TOWNS they played in.  thus ultimately maintaining their VALUES in the PROCESS.  maybe i misread this ARGUMENT, but i dont think comparing COBAIN and MACKAYE is particularly HELPFUL, even within the CONTEXT of the 1990s PUNK SCENE.  both are ADVOCATES that made CERTAIN BUSINESS DECISIONS and both did what they could as a result of such.  especially decades later this PURITY TEST is a bit TRITE and ultimately COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE if your goal is attempting to spur PEOPLE to COMMUNITY ACTION. 

just meet them where they are.

POSITIVE FORCE: MORE THAN A WITNESS is a SHORT but IMPACTFUL DOCUMENTARY that serves as an INTELLIGENT PRIMER into the DC HARDCORE SCENE and the PROGRESSIVE POLITICS at the heart of it, not to mention its LONG-LASTING LEGACY that continues into the 2010s when this FILM was constructed.  the PARTICIPATING INTERVIEWEE LIST is pretty INCREDIBLE, with the POSITIVE FORCE DC CO-FOUNDERS MARK ANDERSEN and MARK JENKINS involved as well as NOTABLE MUSICIANS such as IAN MACKAYE (MINOR THREAT, FUGAZI, THE EVENS), KATHLEEN HANNA (BIKINI KILL), DAVE GROHL (SCREAM, NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS), JELLO BIAFRA (DEAD KENNEDYS), IAN SVENONIUS (NATION OF ULYSSES), ALLISON WOLFE (BRATMOBILE), LAURA JANE GRACE (AGAINST ME!), DANBERT NOBACON (CHUMBAWAMBA), BENJI MADDEN (GOOD CHARLOTTE), TED LEO (TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS) and OMAM EMMET (BEEFEATER).  i have to state plainly that in RETROSPECT it is quite UNFORTUNATE that ALLEGED SERIAL RAPIST JUSTIN SANE (ANTI-FLAG) is prominently utilized in this DOCUMENTARY, serving as a REPRESENTATIVE of the NEW GENERATION of MUSICIANS forwarding the POSITIVE FORCE DC BANNER into the future.  a few years after this FILM SANE has been ACCUSED of having SEXUALLY ASSAULTED some 60 WOMEN and UNDER-AGED GIRLS (one as YOUNG as 12) around the GLOBE and he skipped out to IRELAND before he could be formally brought to TRIAL in the UNITED STATES.

given such, i really wish that the DIRECTOR would consider re-editing this FILM.  there has to be other PROMINENT DC HARDCORE-influenced or LIKE-MINDED MUSICIANS and BANDS (especially ALTERNATIVE ROCK, POST-HARDCORE and METALCORE) from LATER GENERATIONS (DAVEY HAVOK (AFI), RANDY BLYTHE (LAMB OF GOD), KNOCKED LOOSE, GEOFF RICKLY (THURSDAY), CONVERGE, DARYL PALUMBO (GLASSJAW), TURNSTILE and even STEVE AOKI just to name a few OBVIOUS CHOICES) that would be PERFECT for the SAME ROLE in the DOCUMENTARY. 

​just a THOUGHT.

there is a CERTAIN ROMANCE with the NARRATIVE surrounding UNDERGROUND MUSICAL SCENES, where a CRITICAL MASS of LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS coalesce, make ART and provide a NEW IDENTITY to an ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY.  even just the mentioning of PLACES like SEATTLE, LAUREL CANYON, MEMPHIS or PORTLAND evoke SOUNDS and IMAGES of PROMINENT MUSICIANS, RECORDING STUDIOS, LABELS, ZINES, RADIO STATIONS and EVENT SPACES from years past.  the WE FUN: ATLANTA, GA INSIDE/OUT (WALTER O. ROBISON PRODUCTIONS, 2009) DOCUMENTARY is a seemingly HAPHAZARD and highly IMPRESSIONISTIC concurrent LOOK at the EXPERIMENTAL and highly INSULAR INDIE ROCK SCENE in ATLANTA in the late 2000s. 

it seems pretty OBVIOUS viewing the FILM that the PARTICIPANTS were FAMILIAR with the PRODUCTION TEAM and even considered them an INSIDER within the SCENE itself, which has ADVANTAGES and DRAWBACKS.  there seemed to be no FILTER when seemingly INEBRIATED MEMBERS of DEERHUNTER, THE BLACK LIPS, CARBONA, KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES, SUBSONICS, MASTODON, THE SELMANAIRES and THE COATHANGERS were being interviewed, but most of these CONVERSATIONS were pretty MEANDERING and decidedly UNINFORMITIVE.  so the WHOLE EXERCISE in that sense felt like a [LITERAL] WASTED OPPORTUNITY.  plus many of these MUSICIANS seemed to be consciously attempting to act provocatively ON-CAMERA, making them seem rather PERFORMATIVE and INAUTHENTIC in NATURE, at least more than i suspect the were behind closed doors during NORMAL GIGS.  i would have preferred something a little less CHUMMY and a bit more SUBSTANTIAL because this UNFORTUNATELY feels more like an ASSEMBLAGE of BEHIND-THE-SCENES B-ROLL FOOTAGE then a PROPER DOCUMENTARY attempting to be OBJECTIVE and provide PERSPECTIVE on an EMERGING CULTURAL SCENE.

but maybe that was the point.  the ETHOS of the ATLANTA SCENE seemed to be very MERCURIAL, ETHEREAL and OF-THE-MOMENT and any PROFESSIONAL AMBITIONS of GREATER EXPOSURE seem MUTED at best, or even consciously SELF-SABOTAGING as evidenced by a SCENE where a fire extinguisher going off and effectively ruins the OPPORTUNITY for SEVERAL GROUPS participating in a MASSIVE shoot for the COVER of a local MAINSTREAM PERIODICAL.  NATIONAL GLORY doesnt seem to be in the cards with this CROP of MUSICIANS as told by the FILM, which is INTERESTING in retrospect given that MASTODON is such a HUGE METAL BAND (arguably the next SCION of SLAYER, METALLICA, and BLACK SABBATH in the POPULAR CONSCIOUSNESS) and THE BLACK LIPS, DEERHUNTER and THE COATHANGERS are all nationally touring, WELL-ESTABLISHED INDIE ROCK / PUNK ROCK BANDS in their own right CELEBRATED far outside the ATLANTA metropolitan region. 

but at that moment of filming the MAKESHIFT DIY INSTITUTIONS that emerged around these BANDS with NONTRADITIONAL, highly MAKESHIFT VENUES like BASEMENTS and (no joke) a STRIP MALL SPACE that specializes in polo played with bumper cars.  same with the LOCAL DIE SLAUGHTERHOUSE! RECORDS who released many of these GROUPS.  money wasnt the MOTIVATING FACTOR here, but making ART and establishing a COMMUNITY definitely was.  and if anything else, this DOCUMENTARY showcases the INTIMACY and INSULARITY that comes with a small SUBTERRANEAN SCENE of WEIRDOS.

definitely not the most INFORMATIVE, WELL-CONCEIVED or WELL-EXECUTED FILM dealing with MUSICIANS ive ever come across, but a DOCUMENT that is worth checking out for FANS of INDEPENDENT MUSIC nonetheless.

i recently became aware of the OAKLAND-based INDIE ROCK band FAKE FRUIT, which is fronted by the INIMITABLE SINGER-SONGWRITER HANNAH "HAM" D'AMATO who has a LYRICAL AESTHETIC all her own.  the SONGS, especially those on their recent sophomore MUCHO MISTRUST (CARPARK, 2024) RELEASE, are PUNCHY with MELODIC HOOKS galore and LYRICS that delicately feel UPBEAT and OPTIMISTIC TONALLY but undergird a deeply SARDONIC VIEW of the WORLD.

this BAND really does hit a SWEET SPOT for me in terms of their ATTITUDE, AESTHETIC and STELLAR SONGWRITING.  FAKE FRUIT is definitely a BAND i look forward to keeping an eye on for years to come.  very much worth checking out.

NEW YORK CITY is UNIQUE PLACE with a STORIED LEGACY of SELF-CANNIBALIZATION.  due to its GLOBAL STATUS as an UNRIVALED NEXUS of all things CULTURAL and ECONOMIC with an EVER-SHIFTING POPULATION, the CITY has a NATURAL TENDENCY to inevitably FEED ON ITSELF which is simultaneously INVIGORATING and absolutely CONFOUNDING to LONG-TERM RESIDENTS.  i look no further than my own IRISH side of the FAMILY who descend from the BAY RIDGE SECTION of BROOKLYN, from whom i have heard for decades concerning the CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS of the NEIGHBORHOOD which was once NORWEGIAN, then PUERTO RICAN, then ARAB and now PRIMARILY CHINESE over the relatively short span of 70+ years.  that CHURN of NEWCOMERS and the subsequent DEMOGRAPHIC EVOLUTION rooted in the ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES that the CITY affords OUTSIDE INVESTORS and DEVELOPERS alike is the CENTRAL NARRATIVE of NEW YORK CITY and by EXTENSION the UNITED STATES.

when NEW YORK CITY was in an ECONOMIC LULL back in the 1970s and DEMAND for REAL ESTATE was at an HISTORIC NADIR due to a plague of HIGH CRIME RATES and RAMPANT UNEMPLOYMENT, such provided SCRAPPY ARTISTS with an OPPORTUNITY to set up shop in UNCONVENTIONAL INDUSTRIAL SETTINGS, like ABANDONED FACTORIES, to go about creating their ART with SPACE in RELATIVE ISOLATION.  such was the STORY when the band MATERIAL decided that creating a MAKESHIFT STUDIO in the POLLUTED and altogether UNDESIRABLE GOWANUS section of BROOKLYN in the BASEMENT of a FACTORY suited their ARTISTIC NEEDS.  such was the INCEPTION of BC STUDIO and the PROFESSIONAL TRANSITION of MARTIN BISI from a LIVE SOUND ENGINEER to a RECORD PRODUCER.  SOUND AND CHAOS: THE STORY OF BC STUDIO (COLLECTIVE EYE, 2014) is a DOCUMENTARY that examines the DEVELOPMENT and LEGACY of a RECORDING STUDIO and PRODUCER that has witnessed everyone from BRIAN ENO, THE RAMONES, SWANS, IGGY POP, SONIC YOUTH, THE DRESDEN DOLLS, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, FOETUS, GINGER BAKER, COP SHOOT COP, HERBIE HANCOCK, VIOLENT FEMMES, JOHN ZORN, POP. 1280 and even WHITNEY HOUSTON record within its CAVERNOUS, SUBTERRANEAN TRACKING ROOMS.

given the ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC SCENE at the time with the UNDERGROUND HIP HOP, NO WAVE and POST PUNK MOVEMENTS, the CLIENTELE for BC STUDIO were understandably interested in NONTRADITIONAL SOUNDS and PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES.  and that was largely out of NECESSITY.  fast forward a few decades and the STUDIO has amassed a CELEBRATED CATALOGUED of INFLUENTIAL records that connects them to a NEW GENERATION of EXPERIMENTAL MUSICIANS and SONGWRITERS, but the NEW YORK CITY REAL ESTATE MARKET has caught up as SYMBOLIZED by the INCURSION of a NEW WHOLE FOODS MARKET across the STREET which predictably drives up LOCAL PROPERTY VALUES and pushes out the LONG-STANDING ARTS COMMUNITY.

now this FILM was made a decade ago in 2014 and the HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS has only grown in STATURE as a NATIONAL SCOURGE in the INTERIM, pitting GENERATIONS and COMMUNITIES against each other as NIMBYism and GENTRIFICATION tear apart the very FABRIC of NEIGHBORHOODS.  the UNENVIABLE and highly TENUOUS PREDICAMENT of BC STUDIO provides an USEFUL PERSPECTIVE to view NEW YORK CITY's SELF-CANNIBALIZING NATURE through. sure NEW OPPORTUNITIES provide the POTENTIAL for GROWTH and PROSPERITY, but for WHOM and at what cost?

and that QUESTION is as RELEVANT and PRESCIENT right now as those REVERED SWANS, JOHN ZORN and BRIAN ENO RECORDINGS BC STUDIO is FAMOUS for birthing into EXISTENCE. SOUND AND CHAOS: THE STORY OF BC STUDIO is a PENETRATING DOCUMENTARY well worth further INVESTIGATION with THEMES that transcend its FOCUS on CULTURE and URBAN GENTRIFICATION.  it also has an INCREDIBLE LIST of PARTICIPATING INTERVIEWEES from the likes of LEE RANALDO (SONIC YOUTH), MICHAEL GIRA (SWANS), JG THIRLWELL (FOETUS), MICHAEL HOLMAN (GRAY), BRIAN VIGLIONE (THE DRESDEN DOLLS), BILL LASWELL (MATERIAL), GRAND MIXER DXT and JIM COLEMAN (COP SHOOT COP).

parodies & text by nacrowe

on some level MUSIC should be a TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE.  i know when i listen to COMPOSITIONS by PHILIP GLASS, MASSIVE ATTACK, PETER GABRIEL, BJORK, APHEX TWIN, NEUROSIS or GUSTAV MAHLER i have the EXPERIENCE of being PSYCHICALLY transported to an ELEVATED CONSCIOUSNESS apart from my PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT and CORPORAL SENSE OF SELF.  its almost like i am floating weightlessly in a SONIC COCOON.  its probably the closest i get to being fully enveloped in an EXTENDED MEDITATION SESSION.

with BELLE & SEBASTIAN, the CELEBRATED SCOTTISH INDIE POP COLLECTIVE, the WHOLE SONIC and LYRICAL AESTHETIC is a WORLD unto itself.  much like THE SMITHS, there is an INTERIORITY to that EXPERIENCE that is singular to itself.  IDIOSYNCRATIC NARRATIVES of LONG-DISTANCE RUNNERS and LIBRARIES and the MUNDANE INANITY of CORPORATE OFFICE LIFE that make MODERNITY so WEIRD and EXCITING in its BLAND DULLNESS.  the CLOSEST ANALOGUE i can point to is the PRECISE VISUAL AESTHETIC of a LUIS BUÑUEL or WES ANDERSON film where you can identify such immediately from a SINGLE STILL FRAME.  its a WORLD unto itself that is neither a FANTASTICAL PROJECTION or a REFLECTION of SOCIETY, but an INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE by the AUTEUR him or herself. 

with BELLE & SEBASTIAN, such is MAIN SONGWRITER STUART MURDOCH, who has to be one of the more UNDERRATED COMPOSERS of his generation.  when i listen to his SONGS, especially "THE BOY WITH THE ARAB STRAP," "I FOUGHT IN A WAR," "ANOTHER SUNNY DAY," and "THE STATE I AM IN" there is a COMPLICATED EMOTIONAL CELEBRATION of feeling ISOLATED and apart from SOCIETY that i find both ENDEARING and REASSURING.  its as if that sense of INTERIORITY that comes with SECLUDED PURSUITS like absorbing FILMS, BOOKS, MUSIC and ART are FULFILLING in and of themselves without need for OUTSIDE VALIDATION.  i dont feel MURDOCH's MUSIC wallows in SOCIAL SOLITUDE as JACK BLACK's SELF-IMPORATANT RECORD STORE CLERK CHARACTER in HIGH FIDELITY (TOUCHSTONE, 2000) famously intimates with GLEEFUL MOCKERY, rather it presents a REASSURANCE that OTHERS like you have SIMILAR TASTES and INTERESTS.  its very similar to that of the INTERIOR LANDSCAPE of MORRISSEY's LYRICS which likewise present a MINDSET whereby IDIOSYNCRATIC NODS to OSCAR WILDE, SHELAGH DELANEY, JAMES DEAN, BILLY FURY, A.E. HOUSMAN and THE NEW YORK DOLLS reign SUPREME and FRONT-OF-MIND.

when i find MYSELF BORED with CONTEMPORARY MUSIC BELLE & SEBASTIAN is like an OLD, WARM, COMFORTABLE AURAL BLANKET that takes me back to a REASSURING FRAME-OF-MIND that consoles and presents an ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTION of MASCULINITY than SOCIETY deems necessary from the TIRED, overly CONFRONTATIONAL DOG-EAT-DOG VARIETY. 

for whatever it means, i feel at HOME.  and ive never stepped foot in SCOTLAND, much less GLASGOW.

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the REVERED SCOTTISH INDIE ROCK BAND BELLE & SEBASTIAN.  enjoy!

parodies & text by nacrowe

im deeply CONFLICTED about THE SMITHS.

or rather i should say ive been quite AMBIVALENT about MORRISSEY for some time now.  his DRAMATIC, SUDDEN and UNPRECEDENTED FALL FROM GRACE from REVERED INDIE ROCK ELDER-STATESMAN into just another REPULSIVE BLOWHARD in the crowded, UNSAVORY world of REVANCHIST, CONSERVATIVE BRITISH POLITICS and VOCAL ADVOCATES of WHITE NATIONALISM during and since BREXIT has been something that is quite DIFFICULT to come to terms with.  such being because the MUSIC, IMAGERY and LYRICAL UNIVERSE of THE SMITHS was such a BEAUTIFUL, INCLUSIVE thing that seemed geared towards a COMMUNITY of the DOWNTRODDEN and UNSUNG.  the very IDEA that such could be WARPED, BASTARDIZED and effectively folded into a WORLDVIEW that is so VILE and CRUEL just seems ANTITHETICAL to what their CELEBRATED CULTURAL LEGACY once was.  which lets be FRANK, THE SMITHS are the GREATEST BAND ever with ARGUABLE COMPETITION only from the likewise MUCH-BELOVED, STUDIED and MIMICKED BRITISH INVASION CULTURAL ICONS THE BEATLES.

i continually thing back to the SONG 'I KNOW IT'S OVER' off of THE QUEEN IS DEAD (ROUGH TRADE, 1986) and the SPECIFIC LYRICS "it's so easy to laugh, it's so easy to hate / it takes strength to be gentle and kind" and wonder aloud where that REPRESENTATION of MASCULINITY that championed EMPATHY and COMPASSION went astray with MORRISSEY?  it is truly BIZARRE and downright DISAPPOINTING, as if his whole career was some VENAL DISPLAY of COSPLAY or at worst an INSINCERE PERFORMANCE.  i find it hard to listen to THE SMITHS now which is UNFORTUNATE because along with DEVO and JANE'S ADDICTION, they were my FAVORITE BAND since childhood, end stop.

i should state that SMITHS GUITARIST and CO-SONGWRITER JOHNNY MARR has in comparison aged with DIGNITY and GRACE both in his many COLLABORATIONS over the years (THE THE, BILLY BRAGG, ELECTRONIC, BECK, THE PRETENDERS, MODEST MOUSE, NOEL GALLAGHER, TALKING HEADS, KIRSTY MACCOLL, PET SHOP BOYS, HANS ZIMMER, THE CRIBS, BRYAN FERRY) and his PRODUCTIVE solo career.  you really get the sense with MARR and that he takes everything in STRIDE and remains OPEN, TEACHABLE and RECEPTIVE to the WORLD, rather than close it off as he reaches his later years.  i suppose not EVERYONE has that blessing of aging GRACEFULLY.  MARR has, MORRISSEY has not and their LEGACY well no doubt be irrevocably TARNISHED by the later.

embedded below is a past DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the SEMINAL BRITISH INDIE ROCK BAND THE SMITHS.  enjoy!

MANDY, INDIANA is a RECENT MANCHESTER-based NOISE ROCK BAND that has got to be one of the more SONICALLY UNIQUE GROUPS i have come across in recent years.  fronted by the FRENCH-singing VALENTINE CAULFIELD, their ANGULAR, UNPREDICTABLE and often HARSH SOUNDSCAPES are given an almost REGAL AIR that instantaneously separates them from other SIMILAR ACTS.  its a CURIOUS JUXTAPOSITION that works and invites the LISTENER to further investigate and spend time with their MUSIC.  MANDY, INDIANA are a DIFFERENT GROUP and GENRE, but its almost reminiscent of when MIRA AROYA of the LIVERPOOL-based SYNTH POP VETERANS LADYTRON starts getting into speaking her NATIVE BULGARIAN on VARYING TRACKS, providing their SOUND a sense of MYSTERY and OTHERNESS to it.

definitely an INTRIGUING BAND worth checking out.

when i began in high school to actively learn and seek out what i considered EXPERIMENTAL RECORDS due to my INTEREST in a whole host of ANGULAR GROUPS like ELASTICA, BIG BLACK, SLINT and THE STRANGLERS, all roads quickly lazered in on POST PUNK OUTFITS like GANG OF FOUR, JOY DIVISION, WIRE, THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, MAGAZINE, THE FALL and MISSION OF BURMA.  these BANDS seemed determined on moving past TRADITIONAL SONG STRUCTURES and ESTABLISHED CHORD PROGRESSIONS and ODD TIME SIGNATURES and blazing a NEW SONIC VOCABULARY, arguably none more so than BOSTON's MISSION OF BURMA and their comically SHORT CATALOGUE and lifespan as a CREATIVE ENTITY.

the DOCUMENTARY NOT A PHOTOGRAPH: THE MISSION OF BURMA STORY (MVD VISUAL, 2006) CATALOGUE's their UNEXPECTED REUNION at the turn of the millennium almost two decades after the release of their INNOVATIVE then-only FULL-LENGTH VS (ACE OF HEARTS, 1982) and a few EPs.  for a BAND that was so overly GUARDED of its IMAGE and RECORDED OUTPUT, the CONCEPT of DOCUMENTARY seems pretty COUNTERINTUITIVE as they continue to be somewhat COY and OPAQUE about the REASONING behind their REFORMATION.  in fact, most of this film is pretty UNINTERESTING since the BAND MEMBERS seem completely ENAMORED with their own LEGEND and PUBLICITY.  that they are too GOOD for ROCK AND ROLL and its BIG DUMB AUDIENCES.  sadly i know PEOPLE as PATRONIZING and unrepentantly SELF-AGGRANDIZING as this in REAL-LIFE, who are overly concerned with RACE-TO-THE-BOTTOM ARGUMENTS about UNDERGROUND BANDS that never GAVE-IN or progressed beyond PROVINCIAL, LONG-GONE SCENES of yesteryear.  funny thing is they all listened to MISSION TO BURMA.

makes complete sense now.

i found this FILM difficult to stomach even if i appreciate their MUSIC pre-and-post REUNION.  this DOCUMENTARY did not further their case in my OPINION and came off more than a bit HEAVY-HANDED,  as if this was a HAGIOGRAPHY rather than a DOCUMENT about the REFORMATION of a quasi-successful EXPERIMENTAL band.  not recommended unless you yourself are a lonely INVETERATE INDIE ROCK PURIST with no hope of a SOCIAL LIFE, maybe then youd appreciate this CONDESCENDING FILM.

much as SOUND CITY (ROSWELL FILMS, 2013) was a CLOSE EXAMINATION of the ANALOG RECORDING PROCESS as a FOUNDATIONAL, EQUALIZING EXPERIENCE for MUSICIANS , the more RECENT WHAT DRIVES US (ROSWELL FILMS, 2021) is a COMPANION DOCUMENTARY that similarly finds DIRECTOR and FOO FIGHTERS FRONTMAN DAVE GROHL investigating the TOURING EXPERIENCE as a BEDROCK PURSUIT that both galvanizes and connects all WORKING MUSICIANS regardless of GENRE or STATUS.  as HENRY ROLLINS of HARDCORE PUNK ROCK ICONS BLACK FLAG made FAMOUS with his GET IN THE VAN: ON THE ROAD WITH BLACK FLAG (2.13.61, 1994) MEMOIR, the EXPERIENCE of TOURING endlessly throughout the country in a CONGESTED, OVERLOADED, FAR-TOO-INTIMATE PASSENGER VAN of some VARIETY was a VERITABLE RIGHT OF PASSAGE.  it is an ARDUOUS yet REWARDING PROCESS that all SUCCESSFUL MUSICIANS from a pre-internet age, until recently, went through at some PHASE in their CAREER and connects EVERYONE from U2 to AC/DC, SLAYER to DEAD KENNEDYS, BLACK FLAG to THE BEATLES.

and GROHL makes that INTERCONNECTION between GENERATIONS of MUSICIANS intimately CLEAR as day with what has to be one of the most ECLECTIC and beyond IMPRESSIVE INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT LIST i have ever witnessed, including all THEN-CURRENT MEMBERS of the FOO FIGHTERS, BRIAN JOHNSON (AC/DC), THE EDGE (U2), FLEA (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), ANNIE CLARK (ST. VINCENT), PETE STAHL (SCREAM), IAN MACKAYE (MINOR THREAT, FUGAZI), EXENE CERVENKA (X), STEVEN TYLER (AEROSMITH), DAVE LOMABARDO (SLAYER), D.H. PELIGRO (DEAD KENNEDYS), BEN HARPER, SLASH & DUFF MCKAGAN (GUNS N ROSES), KIRA ROESSLER (BLACK FLAG), TONY KANAL (NO DOUBT), CHARLIE GABRIEL (PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND), JENNIFER FINCH (L7) and MIKE WATT (MINUTEMEN) as well as MEMBERS of EMERGING BANDS RADKEY and STARCRAWLER and even RINGO STARR (THE BEATLES).  yes, he even got a freakin' BEATLE to talk about the CRUCIAL ETIQUETTE of admitting when one  has farted in the VAN to avoid DISCONTENT and ARGUMENTS therein.  GREAT STUFF.

but the CENTRAL QUESTION is why?  why leave literally EVERYTHING behind? and why bother with all that HEADACHE and UNCERTAINTY.  WHAT DRIVES US seems to argue that the ANSWER lies in BOTH. 

you RECORD and put out a PRODUCT (maybe) and then take the SHOW on the road as a PROVING GROUND of sorts.  putting your CREATIVE EFFORTS into action and possibly experienced that EUPHORIC MOMENT of having a genuine RECIPROCATED REACTION from a PAYING AUDIENCE.  the TOURING EXPERIENCE completes that CYCLE and is at the very essence of what it means to be a MUSICIAN.  its probably the same REASON SAILORS for centuries took to the UNKNOWN, with its INHERENT PHYSICAL and FINANCIAL RISKS, in search of GLORY.  pre-FILE SHARING and STREAMING was the IDEA that TOURING supported ALBUM SALES, but such EXPECTATIONS have been completely INVERTED for the past two decades whereby NEW RELEASES are an EASY EXCUSE to TOUR as extensively as possible and hopefully make a PROFIT to live off of in the PROCESS. 

that is the DREAM at least. 

it seemed before that there were a few TRAJECTORIES at play.  first, you stayed at the VAN-level of TOURING your ENTIRE CAREER, which is undoubtedly the vast majority of MUSICIANS.  the next is that you rise to a somewhat COMFORTABLE LEVEL of TOURING with LONGEVITY right above the VAN-level, which is the case with MIKE WATT or X for example.  thereafter there is the ladder of COMFORT up to SHARED BUSES and SEPARATE BUSES and the like for massively PROFITABLE TOURING OUTFITS like NO DOUBT, GUNS N' ROSES, U2, METALLICA or AEROSMITH.  WHAT DRIVES US interestingly makes the COGENT POINT that no NEW ACTS in the past twenty years have reached that TOP-LEVEL , ELITE STRATA, instead being somewhere in that decidedly more MODEST, MIDDLE GROUND.  at least before in THEORY there was the NOTION that TOURING in a VAN might lead somewhere.  now not so much.

which is why i felt the most IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVES in the FILM were that of EMERGING BANDS in RADKEY and STARCRAWLER, who both see TOURING devoid of CREATURE COMFORTS for months on end in IDEALISTIC TERMS.  the DIY-level TOURING EXPERIENCE is a means of proving their INTENT and their CRAFT to the MASSES.  in spite of their being more DIGITAL COMPETITION in the ENTERTAINMENT SPACE, the almost ELEMENTAL, VISCERAL EXPERIENCE from both the PERFORMER and AUDIENCE PERSPECTIVE cannot be replicated online or shared in a file.  it is an ELUSIVE once-in-a-lifetime MOMENT that has the POTENTIAL to change lives.  those two young BANDS seem to be TRUE BELIEVERS no doubt.

and that is the OBJECTIVE and the payoff.  and the REASON to leave home and TOUR despite all the OBSTACLES, CHALLENGES and off-stage BULLSHIT.  it is a BELIEF in the POWER of the MUSIC itself.

SIDE PROJECTS from KEY MEMBERS of PROMINENT BANDS are always a FASCINATING VEHICLE to parse through as a MUSIC FAN.  one sometimes wonders what CREATIVE WEIGHT is being pulled in that seemingly MAGICAL ALCHEMY of VOICES that make-up TRANSCENDENT RECORDS.  at least i know i do.  such is why the many 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK GROUPS associated with MEMBERS of JANE'S ADDICTION (PORNO FOR PYROS, BANYAN, DECONSTRUCTION, THE PANIC CHANNEL and POLAR BEAR), NIRVANA (including SWEET 75, FOO FIGHTERS, EYES ADRIFT and 3RD SECRET), QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (including THEM CROOKED VULTURES, MONDO GENERATOR, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL), PEARL JAM (including MAD SEASON, HOVERCRAFT, THE ROCKFORDS) and BLUR (GORILLAZ, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE QUEEN, THE WAEVE, ROCKET JUICE & THE MOON, THE JADED HEARTS CLUB) are so INTRIGUING.  they reveal another wrinkle about the ARTISTRY and CREATIVE SPARK of each PARTICIPATING MEMBER.

and THE RENTALS, which was initially a DECIDEDLY NEW WAVE / POWER POP SIDE PROJECT / SONGWRITING VEHICLE for WEEZER BASSIST MATT SHARP, showcases such TALENT in doves on his DEBUT RETURN OF THE RENTALS (REPRISE, 1995) ALBUM.  in hindsight, given his EVENTUAL DEPARTURE from WEEZER and his LEGACY as the other MAJOR SONGWRITING TALENT in that BAND, it should be NOTED that while THE RENTALS was conceived and executed he was still very much a MEMBER of the GROUP between their ICONIC SELF-TITLED WEEZER (DGC, 1996) and PINKERTON (DGC, 1996) RECORDINGS, which so happen to mark his SOLE CONTRIBUTIONS to their DISCOGRAPHY.  longtime FOUNDING WEEZER DRUMMER PAT WILSON even contributes PERCUSSION to RETURN OF THE RENTALS.  given that those first two STORIED RECORDINGS are so intensely cherished and beloved by SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS of ALTERNATIVE ROCK fans the world over, eclipsing their SUBSEQUENT decades of releases, such makes RETURN OF THE RENTALS an INTERESTING HISTORICAL DOCUMENT beyond its own MERITS as a GREAT POP RECORD.  i think WELL-INTENTIONED but definitely OVER-ZEALOUS WEEZER DEVOTEES over-analyze such for hints at what was to come.

not that i care, but i just wanted to state and establish such as an OBVIOUS FACT for the UNINITIATED.

in contrast to WEEZER's MELODIC and markedly less AGGRO NEW WAVE-inspired INTERPRETATION of ALTERNATIVE ROCK, RETURN OF THE RENTALS has a more RETRO SYNTH-dominated TRADITIONAL POP SOUND that recalls NOTEWORTHY 80s ACTS like THE CARS and BLONDIE.  this NOSTALGIC SONIC AETHETIC is most effectively heard on TRACKS like "PLEASE LET THAT BE YOU," "WAITING," "THE LOVE I'M SEARCHING FOR," "MY SUMMER GIRL" and "FRIENDS OF P." the 90s was an INTERESTING TIME when consciously POST-MODERN acts like BJORK, TRICKY and BECK juxtaposed SONIC TEXTURES, INSTRUMENTATION, PRODUCTION STYLES, TEMPOS and GENRES at will.  THE RENTALS was not a part of that EXPERIMENTAL LINEAGE in my opinion as this particular SOUND was not a PASSING INTEREST for SHARP but an AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION as SUBSEQUENT RELEASES will attest.  on RETURN OF THE RENTALS, another NOTABLE DEPARTURE from the SOUND of WEEZER is the almost EXCLUSIVE use of FEMALE BACKING VOCALS.  this is INTERESTING because a MAJOR ELEMENT of the ORIGINAL SOUND from the FIRST ITERATION of WEEZER was SHARP's UNIQUE FALSETTO BACKING VOCALS which have not been replicated to any MEANINGFUL level of SATISFACTION in the intervening years since.  that he would not carry such a TALENT over to this PROJECT is an INTRIGUING CREATIVE DECISION.

is a gem of a 90s POP RECORD that is well worth investigating, irrespective of your INTEREST LEVEL in WEEZER or ALTERNATIVE ROCK.  although if you come at it from that direction, as i have, in brings along with it a TANTALIZING what-could-have-been CAREER TRAJECTORY of AMAZING SOUNDS that never made it into a WEEZER RECORDING.  that probably should have been. 

​one can only DREAM.

there is SOMETHING about INTERVIEWS with WESTERN BANDS in FOREIGN COUNTRIES, especially JAPAN and SOUTH KOREA, where a lot of the PRETENSE and BULLSHIT gets dropped.  its totally UNDERSTANDABLE given the FICKLE and JADED NATURE of the AMERICAN and BRITISH MUSIC PRESS, where seemingly UNINSPIRED RESPONSES to ROUTINE LOADED QUESTIONS are UNNECESSARILY PICKED APART and OVER-ANALYZED for FALSE GATEKEEPING NARRATIVES regarding SUPPOSED AUTHENTICITY and INTENTIONALITY.  that or its a PUBLICATION licking the ARTIST up and down in essence for ACCESS to their AUDIENCE for clicks and ad revenue. 

its all a game.

that is why its so REFRESHING when you come across SOMETHING like THE QUESTION INTERVIEW SERIES by the ONLINE JAPANESE MUSIC PUBLICATION TURN TV.  you can tell that the MUSICIANS are trying to ANSWER their QUESTIONS HONESTLY and with a sense of RESPONSIBILITY, knowing full well that they are REPRESENTATIVES of a MUSICAL COMMUNITY, SCENE and CULTURE that they are in effect introducing and acquainting their JAPANESE FANBASE with.  its pretty COOL STUFF and the MUSICIANS INTERVIEWED are PAST and CURRENT INDIE ROCK HEAVY-HITTERS, BANDS like SLOWDIVE, IDLES, JAPANESE BREAKFAST, FONTAINES D.C., WEYES BLOOD, TIM BURGESS (THE CHARLATANS), RIDE and THE LINDA LINDAS.

and you can tell the FEELING is MUTUAL, which is always NICE.  definitely a FUN (and INFORMATIVE) INTERVIEW SERIES well worth checking out.