photo & text by nacrowe
sometimes with art there is no pretext or subtext, there is just the TEXT. and i can safely attest that all five of the zines brought together in this PIZZA PUNKS COLLECTION (CONUNDRUM PRESS, 2021) by CANADIAN artist COLE PAULS is just that: a celebration of all things PUNK ROCK and PIZZA. originally just an excuse for SELF-EXPRESSION and EXPERIMENTALISM with the graphic novel format and later a dedicated art school project, this collection does not bother much with BASIC aspects of LITERARY ELEMENTS like CONFLICT, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT or even PLOT per se, instead reveals a series of ABRUPT visual VIGNETTES into the PUNK ROCK underground and how such is fueled by, you guessed it, PIZZA.
for me the FUN of experiencing this collection is obviously not the more FORMAL elements of STORY CONSTUCTION, but the LOVE and CARE that PAULS obviously put into his STARK black-and-white IMAGERY and the minutiae of details related to the scene from the PINS, STUDS and PATCHES on participants jean jackets to the BEARDS and SHAVED HEADS that demarcate SUBCULTURES from the GNARLY HESHERS to the TIGHTLY-WOUND STRAIGHT-EDGERS. its all lovingly depicted in these PANELS and seemingly PIZZA is again the thing that unites them all. only in CANADA, eh? my personal FAVORITE part of this collection were the PUNK ROCK and HARDCORE album sleeve PARODIES that showcased ICONIC records with PIZZA-infused IMAGERY such as THE RAMONES' ROCKET TO PIZZA, THE CRAMPS' BAD PIZZA FOR BAD PEOPLE, SONIC YOUTH's GOOEY, BLACK FLAG's PIZZA WAR, THE CLASH's PIZZA CALLING, FUGAZI's A STEADY DIET OF PIZZA and THE CIRCLE JERKS' GOLDEN SHOWER OF PIZZA as particular highlights. its all so RIDICULOUS that its hard to not find UNIRONIC JOY in the ABSURDITY. PERFECT for a satirizing a scene that notoriously has no HUMOR and takes itself way-too-seriously. the PIZZA PUNKS COLLECTION is definitely something that you have to take for what it is, and that is a celebration of the good things in life (i.e. PUNK ROCK and PIZZA). can't argue or find any fault with that.
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photo & text by nacrowe
i mean this is it.
when you consider 1980s HARDCORE PUNK ROCK there are arguably a few immediate bands that come to mind: BAD BRAINS, DEAD KENNEDYS, CIRCLE JERKS, MINOR THREAT, D.O.A., THE MISFITS and BLACK FLAG. and THE FIRST FOUR YEARS (SST, 1983) compilation is in essence a re-release of all the ICONIC pre-HENRY ROLLINS INDEPENDENT EPS such as NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (SST, 1979), JEALOUS AGAIN (SST, 1980) and SIX PACK (SST, 1981) when the band was fronted by a succession of VOCALISTS from KEITH MORRIS to RON REYES to DEZ CADENA. it doesnt get more ground zero than these AGGRESSIVE and extremely RAW PERFORMANCES of "NERVOUS BREAKDOWN", "NO VALUES," "WASTED," "CLOCKED IN," "WHITE MINORITY" and "FIX ME" in the history of HARDCORE or INDEPENDENT music writ large in the UNITED STATES. by the time ROLLINS joined in 1981 BLACK FLAG was well on their way to carving out an INDEPENDENT circuit of small veteran affair halls, elks lodges, backyards, bowling alleys and NONTRADITIONAL concert venues that would later be utilized and exploited in the 1990s by ALTERNATIVE ROCK and INDIE ROCK bands alike. these SONGS were the core of the gospel they spread and BLACK FLAG were nothing if not CULTURAL PIONEERS in that sense, along with fellow travelers in THE CRAMPS, VANCOUVER HARDCORE act D.O.A. and COLLEGE ROCK acts like R.E.M. and THE REPLACEMENTS it should be noted during the same period. i was aware of the band going back to elementary school years through reading KURT COBAIN interviews where he mentioned them along with the likes of FLIPPER and THE RAINCOATS, but it wasnt until high school that i was clued into them via a childhood friend i was visiting at the turn of the millennium in SOUTHER CALIFORNIA. through this friend i gained an APPRECIATION and context for what previously i experienced as DISCORDANT NOISE and SLOPPY MUSICIANSHIP. after that education getting to sear FEAR on that trip it dawned on me the UNRELENTING ENERGY and UNBRIDLED FURY that the MUSIC unleashed in a crowd. something clicked. it was as if BLACK FLAG was a soundtrack to that VIOLENT release of pent-up AGGRESSION and FRUSTRATION that comes with living in this country. that feel of SUBLIMATION rooted in being poked at by superiors at work, in the media, at the bank and at school to conform and acquiesce to the man. it was TRANSFORMATIVE and the music to me seemed more aligned with another COUNTERCULTURE HERO whose MUSIC i had come to know intimately when my family lived in NIGERIA a few years earlier: FELA KUTI. GREG GINN's furiously PRIMITIVE GUITAR WORK and these various VOCALISTS screeching their EXPLOSIVE DISSATISFACTION with society all came to be the same COHESIVE EXPRESSION in my understanding and i thank my friend for opening that door for me. also, the RAYMOND PETTIBON ARTWORK on those early EPs are SINGULAR in their absolute DEVASTATING DEPICTIONS of SOCIETAL COERCION and the physical BRUTALITY of VOILENCE. as someone that was repeatedly hazed in high school, discovering PETTIBON took me unflinchingly right back to the moment of ABUSE. the PERFECT primer for the proper MINDSET for listening to BLACK FLAG no doubt. THE FIRST FOUR YEARS is an ESSENTIAL release by an absolutely ICONIC band. it is a release well worth checking out and returning to again and again. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
even though i fully realize its fundamentally PRODUCT PLACEMENT, i am such a fan of WELL-RECORDED and PRODUCED LIVE PERFORMANCE videos by MUSICIANS whatever the rationale. and there is something about ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS where songs get stripped back to their SKELETAL ELEMENTS and take on a different flair for the listener. sometimes with PEDALS, DISTORTION and "wall of sound" PRODUCTION these nuances get overlooked in a mix so an all-acoustic rendition very much provides an opportunity to showcase the artistry of both the COMPOSITION and MUSICIAN. conversely it also provides an opportunity to show the lack of such as well.
TAYLOR GUITARS has both their LONG-RUNNING ACOUSTIC SESSIONS and SOUNDCHECK LIVE MUSIC SERIES doing the same basic function in showcasing MODERN ARTISTS. the roster of BANDS showcased in both SERIES that i was drawn to were most definitely from the POST HARDCORE, PUNK ROCK, SKA and POP PUNK genres such as TAKING BACK SUNDAY, DESCENDENTS, NEW FOUND GLORY, LESS THAN JAKE, SPARTA, TUNNEL VISION and WAGE WAR. its pretty COOL stuff and most definitely worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
the LOS ANGELES-based GARAGE ROCK trio L.A. WITCH just hits so many aural sweet spots for me with that ELEMENTAL, FUZZED-OUT, REVERB-DRENCHED sound that has BRAVADO and SWAGGER to spare, bringing forth PHANTASMAGORIC visions of VANISHING POINT (20TH CENTURY FOX, 1971) and FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! (RM FILMS INTERNATIONAL, 1965) alike. and those harmonized vocals a la 1960s GIRL GROUPS like THE SHANGRI-LA's, THE CRYSTALS and THE RONETTES delivered with DEADPAN SINCERITY delivered in this context is just such a REVELATION. front-woman SADE SANCHEZ in particular is a ROCK N ROLL FORCE to reckon with and pay attention to in the future.
i look forward to their continued output and believe L.A. WITCH are definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
when mercurial co-VOCALIST / GUITARIST TOM DELONGE abruptly left BLINK-182 for the second time after the touring cycle in support of NEIGHBORHOODS (DGC, 2011), BASSIST MARK HOPPUS and DRUMMER TRAVIS BARKER were again left to pick up the pieces. the first go around they started the spin-off group +44 and released the EXPANSIVE and quite STELLAR WHEN YOUR HEART STOPS BEATING (INTERSCOPE, 2006) record to a decidedly disappointing commercial reception of the project. for all intents and purposes, that record was the artistic successor to the self-titled BLINK-182 (GEFFEN, 2003) album that found the group very much come into their own as MATURE PRODUCERS and SONGWRITERS. in retrospect, it is obvious that the record-buying public wanted a BLINK-182 record and not a new project.
lesson learned. when history repeated itself again and the two found themselves likewise stranded, they moved ahead and recruited the much CELEBRATED ALKALINE TRIO VOCALIST and main SONGWRITER MATT SKIBA to join BLINK-182 in DELONGE's absence. the show must go on. for the HARDCORE fans this was seen as a lateral move as SKIBA was a much HERALDED MUSICIAN in his own right and a WORTHY COLLABORATOR and DELONGE replacement. NINE (COLUMBIA, 2019) is the follow-up to the SKIBA debut CALIFORNIA (BMG, 2016), and like its predecessor is a COHESIVE and surprisingly SUCCESSFUL effort that marries the POP melodicism of CLASSIC BLINK-182 with the decidedly SARDONIC and downright GLOOMY lyrical persona that is SKIBA. STANDOUT tracks include the singles "DARKSIDE," "I REALLY WISH I HATED YOU," "BLAME IT ON MY YOUTH," "HAPPY DAYS" and "GENERATIONAL DIVIDE." all successful bands have a UNIQUE internal creative chemistry that is organically determined and often UNSPOKEN in nature but mysteriously relied upon nonetheless. what is INTERESTING is when lineups get shuffled around and the quality of their output wavers. at those times you get a sense of how IMPORTANT and almost ALCHEMICAL those DELICATE relationships actually are. such is the case with JANE'S ADDICTION and their myriad of projects featuring various core members (i.e. PORNO FOR PYROS, POLAR BEAR, THE PANIC CHANNEL, SATELLITE PARTY, PSI COM and so on). such is also the same of BLINK-182 and their reshuffled outside projects (i.e. BOX CAR RACER, ANGELS & AIRWAVES and the aforementioned +44). when SKIBA joined the band it was unclear if BLINK-182 could survive this permutation, but in actual fact they were creatively thriving along the similar historic lines of AC/DC, FAITH NO MORE, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, BLACK SABBATH and ALICE IN CHAINS before them. it was probably INEVITABLE but DELONGE later rejoined the band. again. so the legacy of NINE is a FRUITFUL trajectory of an ALTERNATE version of the group that prematurely ended. at least until DELONGE gets bored again and decides to leave and spearhead another LAME project with his publishing company. in my mind its a bit of a letdown that HOPPUS and BARKER let DELONGE back in but, you know, that is their prerogative. i just remember looking forward to the next SKIBA / HOPPUS / BARKER collaboration that seemingly will never come to pass. regardless NINE is well worth checking out and one of the STRONGER later period BLINK-182 releases that did nothing but further cement their legacy as a POP PUNK powerhouse. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
TIM ARMSTRONG really does not need any introduction. or further publicity from blogs like this for that matter.
he has long been a MODERN PUNK ROCK legend. this was his legacy even before his much-CELEBRATED long-term band RANCID got off the ground in 1991 due to his previous participation in the likewise ICONIC SKA PUNK outfit OPERATION IVY. much like his peers in GREEN DAY, BAD RELIGION, NOFX, PENNYWISE, SUBLIME and THE OFFSPRING (maybe), the personal narrative of ARMSTRONG is arguably synonymous with the narrative of the genre itself. that being said, ARMSTRONG's TIM TIMEBOMB & FRIENDS project is a USEFUL vehicle that allows him to temporarily park the ambitions of his legacy project in RANCID and deep-dive into his eclectic appreciation of REGGAE, FOLK, ROCKABILLY, NEW WAVE, COUNTRY, DUB, CLASSIC ROCK, AMERICANA, and all things SKA, as well as outside projects such as his musical ROCKNROLL THEATRE film series. it also allows him the ability and freedom to collaborate with outside musicians. at this stage in the game ARMSTRONG is such a BELOVED SONGWRITER, no doubt due to his penchant for MELODY and the deeply PERSONAL / AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL nature of his LYRICAL CONTENT, that a project vehicle that allows him to branch out of his pocket and further develop his artistic potential sans the self-imposed genre confinements of PUNK ROCK feels like a WELCOME and APPROPRIATE thing. and much DESERVED. much like every RANCID release has delivered the goods, i likewise look forward to TIM TIMEBOMB & FRIENDS releases since it provides a perspective on where his heart is at during the current moment. definitely worth checking out.
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the AUSTRALIAN PUNK ROCK / ALTERNATIVE ROCK singer-songwriter BRODY DALLE!
​ ​​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! photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
SHOT! THE PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL MANTRA OF ROCK (MAGNOLIA, 2016) is an absolutely FASCINATING documentary about the TRANSCENDENT and often MERCURIAL mystery that is the state of being an ARTIST. the late ENGLISH PHOTOGRAPHER MICK ROCK of course is a cultural legend, mostly due to the GROUNDBREAKING visuals he produced during the 1970s GLAM ROCK scene in the LONDON as well as the work he created for PROMINENT MUSICIANS in SYD BARRETT, DAVID BOWIE, IGGY POP and LOU REED. in particular BOWIE and REED were close confidants and collaborators during that period. THE STOOGES' RAW POWER (COLUMBIA, 1973), LOU REED's TRANSFORMER (RCA, 1972), DAVID BOWIE's PIN UPS (RCA, 1973), QUEEN's QUEEN II (ELEKTRA, 1974), RAMONE's END OF THE CENTURY (SIRE, 1980) and SYD BARRETT's THE MADCAP LAUGHS (HARVEST, 1970) are some of the ALBUM OVERS ROCK is most famously associated with, but he went on to have a lasting IN-DEMAND career right up until his passing in 2021 that saw him create ICONIC PORTRAITS of everyone from DEBBIE HARRY, JOHN LYDON, MADONNA, ROXY MUSIC, JOAN JETT, R.E.M., OZZY OSBOURNE, TALKING HEADS and BOB MARLEY to MILEY CYRUS, JANE'S ADDICTION, SNOOP DOGG, THE MISFITS, JOSH HOMME, MOTLEY CRUE, KAREN O, DAFT PUNK and LADY GAGA. ROCK was a SINGULAR VISIONARY whose vast CATALOGUE speaks for itself.
but that is not what makes this film so COMPELLING. ROCK was a CAMBRIDGE-trained STUDENT of modern and medieval languages who was absolutely obsessed with SYMBOLIST POETS such as ARTHUR RIMBAUD, CHARLES BAUDELAIRE and LORD BYRON. in DAVID BOWIE, IGGY POP and especially LOU REED he was drawn to their COMBUSTIBLE energy that was both intellectually STIMULATING, yet completely DEBAUCHED. they were this generation's truth-sayers and poets in the flesh and ROCK's PHOTOGRAPHY would essentially come to serve as the PROPAGANDA arm of that movement. what i found INTERESTING about ROCK's process were the lengths he went through, namely yoga and drugs, to get outside of his CEREBRAL mind and get INSTINCTUAL. the CELEBRATED mid 20th-century FRENCH photographer HENRI-CARTIER BRESSON wrote and spoke effectively about capturing what he called 'THE DECISIVE MOMENT,' when the ARTIST adroitly manipulates the MEDIUM to the extent that they bend it to their will unconsciously. ROCK talks in the film about how his subject by definition is the most INTRIGUING thing in the world, irrespective of the ACTUAL REALITY differing. he is almost channeling the SUBJECT and taking what is being given, and guiding them in the process without being CONSCIOUS of such, as evidenced by the PHOTO SESSIONS filmed for this documentary. the fact that a man so WELL-READ and EDUCATED felt compelled to pursue a PROFESSION that is about being immediately RESPONSIVE and IN-THE-MOMENT sans intellectual forethought is an absolutely CAPTIVATING dichotomy. the film delves into his inability to turn off the forward momentum and the chasing of said muse through late night cocaine benders, orgies and crazy nights that turned into days or even a week of SLEEPLESS bodily abuse. it all caught up when he had several heart attacks in his early 40s which saw him re-evaluate his life choices and pursue a more MODERATE path forward, which found him married and with a family in STATEN ISLAND of all places. much like DAVID JOHANSEN, ROCK was a fixture on the north shore but was given his space and privacy. i know he sold signed copies of his ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHS of DEBBIE HARRY, DAVID BOWIE, FREDDIE MERCURY, IGGY POP and LOU REED and i believe even donated a few for a fundraiser for the non-profit internet radio station i am involved with in STAPLETON. i never met him but i know people from the station that did. he was just another guy. a dude with a monster talent and one of the most coveted and INTIMATE back CATALOGUES of CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT PHOTOGRAPHS ever, spanning everything from PROGRESSIVE ROCK, GLAM ROCK, PUNK ROCK, NEW WAVE, GLAM METAL, POP and so on to the present. it should also be noted that the CINEMATOGRAPHY is also absolutely STELLAR throughout. a fitting first-hand testament to the late great creator of IMAGES. SHOT! THE PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL MANTRA OF ROCK is most definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
in the intervening three year-span that separated the IXNAY ON THE HOMBRE (COLUMBIA, 1997) release from its aptly-titled predecessor SMASH (EPITAPH, 1994), seemingly everything for THE OFFSPRING had completely shifted. no longer were they a JUNIOR PUNK ROCK band (to peer groups like PENNYWISE, NOFX and RANCID) turned 6X platinum SURPRISE CULTURAL PHENOMENON on an INDEPENDENT label, but instead now a significant asset to big CORPORATE players on a STORIED major label. their CAREER NARRATIVE in essence mirrors that of the INTERNAL DYNAMICS of the PUNK ROCK genre in the 1990s, which was in the midst of an UNFORESEEN IDENTITY CRISIS navigating those MURKY waters between SUBCULTURE and MAINSTREAM, DIY operations and LARGE-SCALE DISTRIBUTION, PUNK ROCK elitism and mainstream acceptance. all of these concerns, of course, are now complete anachronisms of a long bygone pre-internet age when gatekeeping of PHYSICAL PRODUCT and GLOBAL PUBLICITY and DISTRIBUTION avenues were a real thing. it all sounds quite SILLY and QUAINT in retrospect.
i moved from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA to NIGERIA in the fall of 1995 and SMASH was the VERITABLE soundtrack to my previous elementary school years in ORANGE COUNTY, having come out when i was in 4th grade. by the time IXNAY ON THE HOMBRE was released i was now in 7th grade and on another continent and at the time my interest in PUNK ROCK had largely shifted to METAL (i.e. SEPULTURA, TOOL and METALLICA) and ALTERNATIVE ROCK (ALICE IN CHAINS, FAITH NO MORE, SMASHING PUMPKINS and JANE'S ADDICTION). it would be a few years later that i would learn about all the great CALIFORNIA HARDCORE bands from the 1980s (DESCENDENTS, BLACK FLAG, THE VANDALS, DEAD KENNEDYS, T.S.O.L., CIRCLE JERKS) and their later in and out-of-state acolytes in the 1990s (NOFX, RANCID, PENNYWISE, LAGWAGON, PROPAGANDHI) and dive back into the genre permanently. what i remember about my exposure to IXNAY ON THE HOMBRE was that it was very similar to SMASH with tracks that were HIGH ENERGY, MEMORABLE and full of SOCIAL CRITIQUES about STONERS and SLACKER STEREOTYPES. STANDOUT songs include "COOL TO HATE," "MOTA," "I CHOOSE," "ALL I WANT," "THE MEANING OF LIFE" and the decidedly more subdued "GONE AWAY," which anecdotally they played at a BRITISH classmate of mine's memorial service in LAGOS after passing away after sustaining injuries from being hit by a car while on break in LONDON. i hear that song now and i snap right back to the complete shock of that moment, especially at such a tender age. i dont think i was even a teenager yet. such was life in NIGERIA. in retrospect this album represents the last in a lineage of recordings for THE OFFSPRING that goes back to their self-titled NEMESIS debut. singer and main songwriter DEXTER HOLLAND being a gifted student (much later earning a PHD in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY from USC) was always concerned with critiquing SOCIAL, POLITICAL and CULTURAL matters in a distinctly SOPHISTICATED and indirect manner through personal observation and the construction of composite characters in his lyrics. the tone of which was always based on the sonic template of the 80s HARDCORE PUNK he grew up on. somehow after IXNAY ON THE HOMBRE on the follow-up AMERICANA (COLUMBIA, 1998), those same instincts found a new home in consciously TRADITIONAL pop songs in the KNOWING and IRONIC style of "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC. which was UNFORTUNATE at the time and continues to be a reason THE OFFSPRING have diminished their REPUTATION in the years since. yes SMASH is the most commercially SUCCESSFUL independent release of all-time [11 million copies sold to date], but their peers in GREEN DAY and RANCID would never put out LAME POP drivel with SLICK music videos and no edge. it didnt have to be that way and IXNAY ON THE HOMBRE represents to me that last hoorah of a ONCE-PROMISING band that permanently later lost their way. i hear it now and i just think of what could have been. photo & text by nacrowe
it feels sometimes when navigating through MUSIC WEBSITES or the comments sections of YOUTUBE videos, MUSIC BLOGS or posts on SOCIAL MEDIA that the online world is just TOXIC. there seems to be a fixation with being AGGRESSIVE and CONFRONTATIONAL with one's opinion rather than THOUGHTFUL, CONSIDERED or COMPASSIONATE. with WEBSITES there sometimes seems to be an embedded incentive to come off ELITIST and EXCLUSIONARY because of their access and role as a gatekeeper to the opinions and thoughts of ARTISTS and MUSICIANS.
what i love about the WIKIPEDIA: FACT OR FICTION web series by ONLINE MUSIC MAGAZINE LOUDWIRE is not the fact that it confronts MODERN METAL, ALTERNATIVE ROCK and PUNK ROCK royalty from the likes of SLAYER, PANTERA, INCUBUS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, LAMB OF GOD, BAD RELIGION, WHITE ZOMBIE, KISS, METALLICA, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, SLIPKNOT and CANNIBAL CORPSE with their (more-than-often INCORRECT) group-sourced online WIKIPEDIA biographies, it is the fact that host GRAHAM HARTMANN is so EVEN-KEELED about the whole endeavor. too often an INTERVIEW SHOW like this will have a host that is attempting to make the whole thing about them and how KNOWLEDGABLE or COOL they are projecting themselves in the effective afterglow of the TALENT (for which the audience is tuning in for), which is more than a little GRATING and PATRONIZING as a viewer. it is easy to identify with HARTMANN as he is treating the talent like REGULAR people and thus humanizes them in the process. its refreshing how little of that actually goes on in the MUSIC PRESS, which seems keen on building up or tearing down the public profiles of prominent MUSICIANS and their work. that or being part of a TRANSPARENT PROMOTIONAL APPARATUS to the DETRIMENT of the FANBASE. i enjoy watching and rewatching these past episodes because of HARTMANN and his ability to not act as an industry cog, instead being an AWARE MUSIC JOURNALIST / EVERYDAY FAN that most MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS can see in themselves. at least i can. WIKIPEDIA: FACT OR FICTION has expanded in recent years into the worlds of PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING and ACTORS, along with MUSICIANS, but at the center of it all is still HARTMANN and his ability to make this promotional vehicle seem less showbiz and a bit more DOWN-TO-EARTH and FUN. most definitely worth checking out.
parodies by nacrowe
i was just at the BROOKLYN MUSEUM today to catch the INCREDIBLE SPIKE LEE: CREATIVE SOURCES exhibit (which i highly recommend and is open through february 4). after taking that WONDERFUL exhibit in, i had a happy accident in noticing from the guide that there was another INTRIGUING exhibit taking place a floor below called COPY MACHINE MANIFESTOS: ARTISTS WHO MAKE ZINES (open through march 31). honestly, in my mind i was just hoping that said exhibit would have examples of those RARE RAYMOND PETTIBON ZINES from the 1980s. oh did they. in fact there was a whole wall of them. beyond COOL. just as COMPELLING, there were also MULTIPLE BIKINI GIRL ZINES from the early 1990s which got me thinking about the MEDIUM in general.
with the ubiquity of EFFICIENT and COST-EFFECTIVE office copy machines in the 1980s (largely due to a lost anti-trust case that saw XEROX bequeath its intellectual property to rivals TOSHIBA, CANON, MINOLTA and SHARP), there was suddenly a mechanism for retail customers to SELF-PUBLISH at scale at a reduced cost. enter SELF-MADE ARTISTS, SOCIAL/POLITICAL ACTIVISTS and MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS who grabbed onto this platform to create MAKESHIFT, LOW-QUALITY publications that expressed a viewpoint by definition outside of the mainstream. the exhibit very dives into the diversity of output from the late 1970s onward and how the format really provided a voice for the voiceless and addressed the needs of COMMUNITY FORGOTTEN or UNRECOGNIZED by the publishing industry at the time. that melding of ART, POLITICS and MUSIC is such an INTERESTING topic and the exhibit showcases the extremities of taste and decency in those often aggressively TRANSGRESSIVE publications. i feel like i understand the niche pre-internet. what i had a harder time understanding was the need for ZINES from the 2000s onward when the internet had provided numerous avenues (FORUMS, SOCIAL MEDIA, BLOGS, WEBSITES, E-MAIL CHAINS, NEWSLETTERS, SUBSTACKS, etc.) for COMMUNITY generation on a MASSIVE global scale. but maybe that limitation is the point. ZINES are by design DISPOSABLE and severely limited in production, thus limiting the COMMUNITY involved and rendering such UNSEARCHABLE in the technological sense. it makes you consider if KATHLEEN HANNA was starting out today in 2023 what messaging vehicle she'd have initiated to get her thoughts transmitted to the PUBLIC. thats what ive been thinking about the rest of the day. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating RIOT GRRRL bands from throughout 1990s, as well as later female artists that took up the mantle and ran with it thereafter. enjoy! photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
by the time the I'M NOW: THE STORY OF MUDHONEY (KING OF HEARTS, 2012) documentary came out more than a decade ago, the much REVERED SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK band MUDHONEY had become somewhat of an ongoing UNDERGROUND cultural institution similar to their likewise NOTEWORTHY local peers in the MELVINS. both bands predated and were early PROGENITORS of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK explosion and ultimately became SURVIVORS of it as well, with all that entailed including a dalliance with the major label system. what is apparent from the film is that MUDHONEY, like the MELVINS, did everything on their own artistic terms, damn the COMMERCIAL CONSEQUENES. which is why they are still much BELOVED and arguably more INFLUENTIAL in the long-run then their BETTER-KNOWN contemporaries in SOUNDGARDEN, ALICE IN CHAINS, PEARL JAM, SCREAMING TREES and NIRVANA.
their narrative is very much intertwined with the emergence of the INDEPENDENT local SUB POP label as a cultural force in the late 1980s and early 1990s. after releasing their first single on the CASH-STRAPPED LABEL, a GERMAN promoter flew them out to BERLIN for a showcase that effectively introduced both the EUROPEAN public and the foreign music press this AMORPHOUS fuzzed-out-beyond-oblivion sound termed "GRUNGE" by some critics back stateside. this initial foray into the EUROPEAN market setup not just MUDHONEY and SUB POP RECORDS, but the entire scene for future success. but in the short-term the LABEL was operating in the red due to a lack of funds and it wasn't until the UNEXPECTED ECONOMIC WINDFALL that was NIRVANA's NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991), that the LABEL was able to find its financial footing. by that point MUDHONEY had already left for REPRISE RECORDS a year earlier, fearing the very real POTENTIAL FINANCIAL INSOLVENCY of SUB POP. this MAJOR LABEL PERIOD for me is the crux of the film, as it showed a band that operated at arms length from their LABEL both financially and artistically, exploiting it for their own decidedly MODEST aims. afraid of having their sound polished in the process a la THE REPLACEMENTS and HUSKER DU before them, the band shrewdly did not change their recording process despite the new BLOATED BUDGETS. they consciously recorded on a shoestring and collectively pocketed the rest, which effectively led to DOWN PAYMENTS on houses and other invidually VALUABLE LONG-TERM ASSETS. for me it seems extraordinarily ASTUTE (and PUNK ROCK) to utilize the MAJOR LABEL SYSTEM to shore up their individual long-term financial interests instead of plunking it away on RECORDING and TOUR PRODUCTION BUDGETS. again, the only other examples of bands i've heard of doing something similar were the MELVINS and the likewise REVERED LOS ANGELES based MELODIC HARDCORE band BAD RELIGION. by the time MUDHONEY came back to earth and returned to SUB POP for the third phase of their career and they left the MAJOR LABEL SYSTEM for good, they were rendered effectively UNSCATHED. this is exceedingly RARE, as most bands caught up in the post-NEVERMIND major label feeding frenzy that didnt "make it" came out the other end dismantled, discarded or shells of their former selves. not MUDHONEY, and at this point SUB POP was for years on solid financial and cultural footing, making the reunion work to present day. much is made about the DIY ETHIC in PUNK ROCK and INDIE ROCK circles, but their is something to be said about going into the lion's den, especially during this period, and not getting torn to shreds. with MUDHONEY they had a strong vision of who they were as individuals and what they wanted to accomplish. in effect, they saw themselves decidedly NOT as an ARENA BAND or as ROCK GODS and basically wanted to be the next link in the chain of CELEBRATED bands like THE STOOGES, THE RAMONES, MOTORHEAD, BLACK FLAG, THE DAMNED and the MC5. and they accomplished such with their INTEGRITY intact which is quite the SINGULAR achievement given the body count that came out of that scene from drugs and the pressures of the RECORDING INDUSTRY. more than a decade since the release of this film, such is still very much the case. and they do such by remaining in the PRESENT MOMENT. for some they might be a nostalgia act from a bygone era, but they view themselves as a VITAL CREATIVE ENTITY entering a new phase and continuing to ENGAGE and influence the next generation of ROCK AND ROLL musicians, much like their heroes in IGGY POP and the late LEMMY KILMISTER. this documentary is ESSENTIAL viewing for fans of ALTERNATIVE ROCK, PUNK ROCK and INDIE ROCK, especially from the CRUCIAL late 1980s / early 1990s period in the PACIFIC NORTHWEST. NOTABLE interview participants in this documentary include KIM THAYIL (SOUNDGARDEN), KIM GORDON & THURSTON MOORE (SONIC YOUTH), STONE GOSSARD & JEFF AMENT (PEARL JAM), KEITH MORRIS (BLACK FLAG / CIRCLE JERKS), TAD DOYLE & KURT DANIELSON (TAD), BOB BERT (PUSSY GALORE), JOHN WAHL & CHRIS BAGAROZZI (CLAWHAMMER), WAYNE KRAMER (MC5), producer JACK ENDINO (SKIN YARD), photographer CHARLES PETERSON and RECORD LABEL founders BRUCE PAVITT & JONATHAN PONEMAN (SUB POP). photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
sometimes its just fun to watch people discuss shop, whether they be PAINTERS or CARPENTERS or RECORD PRODUCERS or FILMMAKERS or MUSICIANS as the case may be. SHRED WITH SHIFTY finds lead GUITARIST CHRIS SHIFLETT, primarily known for his two plus decades of service with the DAVE GROHL-led MODERN ALTERNATIVE ROCK institution that is the FOO FIGHTERS as well as noteworthy PUNK ROCK bands like NO USE FOR A NAME and ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES, interviewing various other GUITARISTS about their TECHNIQUE, COMPOSITION, PHILOSOPHY and INSPIRATION(S) for playing. the PREMIER GUITAR-sponsored VIDEO SERIES and PODCAST appears to be the visual cousin and continuation of his informal longtime WALKING THE FLOOR audio podcast series that covered much of the same ground. NOTABLE past SHRED WITH SHIFTY participants in these video interviews include NILE ROGERS (CHIC), RIVERS CUOMO (WEEZER), MIKE MCREADY (PEARL JAM), BLAKE SCHWARZENBACH (JAWBREAKER) and ALEX LIFESON (RUSH). its an eclectic, INTER-GENERATIONAL and MULTI-GENRE blend that mirrors the interests of the host, himself an INDEPENDENT PUNK ROCK veteran that plays in arguably the most CONSEQUENTIAL ROCK N ROLL band on the planet, who also has a budding side career as an ALT COUNTRY TRAVELING SINGER-SONGWRITER.
personally i tend to pay more attention to the PUNK ROCK / CLASSIC ROCK end of his interviews rather than those with the BRAD PAISLEYs of the world (no disrespect to their GUITAR CHOPS and COMPOSITIONAL PROWESS). i am able to follow the CONVERSATIONS and understand the TECHNIQUES being employed and exploited in these discussions, but i wonder at times about the user-friendliness of such for BEGINNING GUITAR PLAYERS. it makes me rethink who the audience is for these EXTENDED VIDEO PODCASTS, because it would seem on the surface to be beginning or INTERMEDIATE MUSICIANS. yet there is no GUITAR TABLATURE provided or VISUAL ASSISTANCE on how what being played corresponds to a guitar in REAL-TIME, which would be beneficial to PLAYERS of all levels. maybe the engagement of the DISCUSSION is the real objective here, buts its DIFFICULT to ascertain since so much of the actual content revolves around the playing itself. for my purposes, i enjoy watching SHIFLETT and his GUESTS having FUN talking shop and exploring the diversity of thought that goes behind CONSTRUCTING a MEMORABLE part in a fan-favorite song that has stood the test of time (i.e. guitar leads from PEARL JAM's "ALIVE," RUSH's "LIMELIGHT," WEEZER's "ONLY IN DREAMS" and NILE ROGERS / DIANA ROSS' "I'M COMING OUT". there is real value in that and i look forward to each new episode irrespective of the GUEST involved(with the exception being the MODERN COUNTRY ARTISTS whose music is not my cup of tea). SHRED WITH SHIFTY is most definitely worth checking out.
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the REVERED PRODUCER / ENGINEER / MIXER and MODERN PURVEYOR of all things LOUD and AGGRESSIVE, JOE BARRESI!
​ ​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!
parody by nacrowe
by the time i saw AFI play for the first time in late june of 2001 at a WARPED TOUR stop in VENTURA they were already well in the midst of MASSIVE transition. it was an INSANE period, as i was staying with a childhood friend of mine in nearby ORANGE COUNTY who was basically giving me an education on all things 80s HARDCORE and SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUNK ROCK (think everything from THE VANDALS, ADOLESCENTS, D.I., FEAR, AGENT ORANGE, PENNYWISE, DESCENDENTS and RICH KIDS ON LSD to DR KNOW, BLACK FLAG, NOFX, WASTED YOUTH, T.S.O.L. and BATTALION OF SAINTS). i had left CALIFORNIA in sixth grade to live in AFRICA due to a parent's job and by this point was staying over for an extended period before returning to KUWAIT, of all places, for my senior year of high school. a CRAZY time. anyway, my friend was a PUNK purist, maybe somewhat of the PURITANICAL variety, and loved AFI's string of albums on the INDEPENDENT NITRO RECORDS as well as LIKE-MINDED bands they were associated with like THE NERVE AGENTS and TIGER ARMY.
in 1999 the band released BLACK SAILS IN THE SUNSET (NITRO, 1999) which was a particularly PIVOTAL moment as it represented the first full-release with guitarist JADE PUGET as a full-member and major CONTRIBUTING SONGWRITER. this record sounded more COHESIVE and POLISHED than previous efforts with a decidedly SOPHISTICATED sense of COMPOSITION and SONG DYNAMICS. it was a SIGNIFICANT artistic step forward that was followed up by the similarly CONSISTENT follow-up THE ART OF DROWNING (NITRO, 2000). this album saw them gain widespread attention with "THE DAYS OF THE PHOENIX" single and video. this was the album cycle that i first came across AFI at VENTURA and it proved to be their final album for NITRO RECORDS. in retrospect its intriguing to me the timing of my discovery of AFI. it was essentially through the eyes a longtime fan who was falling out of love with them, seeing the direction they were, as well as the scene itself, going in. namely lots of once UNDERGROUND PUNK ROCK and emerging POP PUNK bands (everyone from TAKING BACK SUNDAY, FALL OUT BOY and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE to GLASSJAW, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK and NEW FOUND GLORY) were making the jump to major labels, due in no small part to their popularity on the annual WARPED TOUR. AFI had their cultural moment with the two subsequent releases of SING THE SORROW (DREAMWORKS, 2003) and DECEMBERUNDERGROUND (INTERSCOPE, 2006), both incredible efforts that benefited greatly from the increased PRODUCTION VALUE and ENGINEERING prowess of SINGULAR and much sought-after producers like JERRY FINN and BUTCH VIG, respectively. but in my opinion we are currently in the midst of AFI's most FORTUITOUS period. everything after and including CRASH LOVE (INTERSCOPE, 2009) has seen the band explore their underlying POWER POP and POST PUNK roots to great avail as their SOUND and AESTHETIC has really blossomed from their previous 2000s GOTH PUNK pigeonholing. i really feel strongly that they are riding their own CREATIVE WAVE right now and the band has never been more VITAL or COMPELLING as a listener and a fan. everything before seemed to be very much about leveling up to feel CONFIDENT enough as SONGWRITERS and ARTISTS to take up the challenge of DRASTIC STYLISTIC SHIFTS, shedding and reemerging at will in the form that best fits their current taste as they see fit. when the bottom fell out of the recording industry back in the early 2000s it feels like such was freeing for them and their music as catering to their own UNIQUE AESTHETIC and bringing along their core audience at their INTENSE live shows is what kept them going. so that is my take. im always interested to see what AFI has cooked up next and what musical interests they have been basking in as of late. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the EVER-EVOLVING music of AFI. enjoy! photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
in the popular history of PUNK ROCK, the LEGENDARY BOWERY dive bar/ music venue CBGB'S gets a lot of shine. and that is partly for good reason, as its doors remained open for decades, from 1973 through 2006. it was by default the resident PUNK venue of NYC throughout the ALTERNATIVE ROCK explosion of the 1990s, when the UNDERGROUND music of the 70s and 80s (i.e. the PUNK ROCK, NO WAVE, POST PUNK, INDIE and HARDCORE scenes) gained a POPULAR national following. even at the dawn of the new millennium CBGB's was a VITAL venue in support of the NASCENT POST-HARDCORE and METALCORE scenes. its cultural cache is a testament to its relative longevity.
whats INTRIGUING is how MAX'S KANSAS CITY, another earlier venue with roots in the 1960s AVANT GARDE art and music scenes, has largely been remembered as a footnote to CBGB'S as the birthplace of PUNK ROCK when arguably it was the other way around. the film NIGHTCLUBBING: THE BIRTH OF PUNK IN NYC (CHIP BAKER FILMS, 2023) is basically an argument for MAX'S KANSAS CITY being the true breeding ground for what became PUNK ROCK and aims to correct the narrative. notable participants interviewed for the film include ALICE COOPER, FRANK INFANTE (BLONDIE), H.R. & DR KNOW (BAD BRAINS), JIMMY ZERO (DEAD BOYS), BILLY IDOL (GENERATION X), JAY JAY FRENCH (TWISTED SISTER), HARLEY FLANAGAN (CRO-MAGS), JAYNE COUNTY, BRIAN SETZER (THE STRAY CATS), LENNY KAYE (PATTI SMITH GROUP) and SYLVAIN SYLVAIN (THE NEW YORK DOLLS) among others. and its hard to argue against them as MAX'S KANSAS CITY in its first incarnation under the ownership of MICKEY RUSKIN was essentially a restaurant frequented by the nearby ANDY WARHOL crowd of superstars and models that sometimes held special events in its EXCLUSIVE back room. in this context, WARHOL was able to showcase THE VELVET UNDERGROUND at the restaurant in some of their earliest performances. this in time led to other groups and artists like THE STOOGES, PATTI SMITH, WAYNE COUNTY, DAVID BOWIE and ALICE COOPER among others to follow suit. a new wave of bands, most notably THE NEW YORK DOLLS, then started utilizing the venue around the time that ownership switched to TOMMY DEAN MILLS and the upstairs space was expanded from fifty to a hundred person capacity. right in time for ECLECTIC bands like BLONDIE, THE RAMONES and TALKING HEADS to popularize the venue. what marked MAX'S KANSAS CITY from CBGB'S was its owners support of the scene, paying more of the gate to performers and providing them with food, as well as the INCLUSIVE nature of the live act and audience which blurred every line of GENDER, SEXUALITY, RACE, CREED and CLASS. CBGB'S was a dirtier affair that relished its SQUALOR (i.e. the notoriously DISGUSTING bathroom) and owner HILLY KRISTAL was famous for screwing over performers with his share of the gate proceeds. in essence, the venue took advantage of its good fortune in being the right venue at the right time. over time, however, CBGB's promoted a HYPER-MASCULINE culture that came off a bit XENOPHOBIC and HOMOPHOBIC at the very least and attracted a certain lug-head following. much of the case for MAX'S KANSAS CITY seemed to circle around its ability to invite EXPERIMENTATION and publicize and celebrate the AVANT GARDE elements of society, as it could trace its lineage right back to THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. which is pretty INCREDIBLE. sadly the venue ended in 1981 after the owner sold the building after some shady business deals in ATLANTIC CITY went south. the loss to the arts COMMUNITY basically guaranteed its status as a footnote in the story of ROCK AND ROLL and PUNK ROCK in particular, as its name receded from view before the ascent of the UNDERGROUND scene in the POPULAR mindset a decade later. makes you wonder about what other past CELEBRATED venues ended before their time had arrived. the MUDD CLUB (NYC)? the MASQUE, the COCONUT TEASZER, and MADAME WONG's (LOS ANGELES)? photo & text by nacrowe
thinking about a pre-TRAVIS BARKER line-up of BLINK-182 is always INTERESTING because the chemistry that lifted them above the POP PUNK fray to become veritable icons of the genre itself was due to that very specific MUSICAL ALCHEMY that came to fruition immediately after DUDE RANCH (MCA, 1997), their second album and major label debut. not that this recording effort is without GOOD SONGWRITING, as is the case with tracks like "DICK LIPS," "WAGGY," "PATHETIC," "APPLE SHAMPOO," and of course their breakout singles "JOSIE" and "DAMMIT." but rhythmically and stylistically, this album is pretty REPETITIVE and MYOPIC in terms of its SONGWRITING. in essence it is a band coming into its own both in terms of PRODUCTION and navigating the expectations that come with being on a major label.
when i first heard DUDE RANCH it was in the immediate aftermath of its more commercially and artistically SUCCESSFUL follow-up ENEMA OF THE STATE (MCA, 1999) that had both BARKER and LEGENDARY producer JERRY FINN added to the mix. BARKER being the MULTI-TALENTED drummer that he was, could elevate and transcend basic POP PUNK CHORD PROGRESSIONS with both an eye for SONG DYNAMICS and COMPOSITION as well as sheer TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY. listening to ENEMA OF THE STATE you can hear grooves that are based in both JAZZ and LATIN traditions that bring a sense of SWING and BOUNCE to several tracks. its entirely unfair to compare him to original drummer SCOTT RAYNOR who on DUDE RANCH and its predecessor CHESHIRE CAT (CARGO, 1995) provides a perfectly COMPETENT, if DERIVATIVE, sense of drive to his DRUMMING in the style of MELODIC HARDCORE bands like BAD RELIGION, NOFX and PENNYWISE. lyrically DUDE RANCH continues along the same lines of its predecessor by splitting the difference between SOPHOMORIC toilet humor and heartfelt odes to past relationships and teenage youth a la MILO AUKERMAN and the legendary 80s SOUTH BAY PUNK ROCK band DESCENDENTS. this lyrical perspective would continue on subsequent releases but seemed strategically aimed at both presenting the band as willing to laugh at their PUBLIC IMAGE and provided a critical distraction for genuine efforts at tracks that stretched their SONGWRITING ABILITIES and made them VULNERABLE. all the basic elements are their on DUDE RANCH, as well as CHESHIRE CAT, but the right mixture of TRADITIONAL and PROGRESSIVE MUSICAL ELEMENTS are not quite their yet. for me DUDE RANCH is all about my high school experience and hearing it makes me strangely NOSTALGIC for a time i would not in retrospect under any circumstances ever want to revisit again. what makes it an INTRIGUING listen years later is how foretells what was to come as well as provides a key look at an ICONIC band minus a VITAL ELEMENT in BARKER (or maybe two if you also count FINN, which you probably should). as much as i love this record, ENEMA OF THE STATE is the OBVIOUS starting point for anyone getting into BLINK-182 or POP PUNK in general. maybe after consuming GREEN DAY's DOOKIE (REPRISE, 1994), DESCENDENTS' MILO GOES TO COLLEGE (NEW ALLIANCE, 1982), MXPX's LIFE IN GENERAL (TOOTH & NAIL, 1996), FALL OUT BOY's TAKE THIS TO YOUR GRAVE (FUELED BY RAMEN, 2003) and NEW FOUND GLORY's STICKS AND STONES (DRIVE-THRU, 2002), you should revisit DUDE RANCH for comparison and context. NOT ESSENTIAL but definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
sometimes you are unexpectedly confronted with a group that has NEXT-LEVEL INTENSITY and BALTIMORE's SHARPTOOTH is that band. this REVERED HARDCORE PUNK ensemble has two STELLAR full-length's on PURE NOISE RECORDS and are led by the UNADULTERATED BRUTALITY of vocalist LAUREN KASHAN, who has utilized her position as a POSITIVE vehicle to both sublimate her TRAUMA and advocate on behalf of TRAUMA victims to seek MENTAL HEALTH assistance. i think such action takes REAL COURAGE and is indicative of the CHARACTER behind both KASHAN and her bandmates. recently the band has moved on to new vocalist MELISSA WARD who likewise brings the UNBRIDLED FEROCITY, plus they have a song called "FUCK YOU DONALD TRUMP" so what is there not to love? definitely looking forward to what the new lineup cooks up.
SHARPTOOTH is definitely worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
MUSICIAN DUFF MCKAGAN has seemingly lived a thousand lives on stage.
for most he is unquestionably synonymous with the much CELEBRATED and formerly DEBAUCHED LOS ANGELES ROCK AND ROLL institution known as GUNS N' ROSES. for others of a previous era, he was known for his involvement in his hometown SEATTLE's pre-GRUNGE 1980s PUNK ROCK scene with such luminaries as 10 MINUTE WARNING, THE FARTZ and THE FASTBACKS. in recent years he has been involved with the UNDER-APPRECIATED LOADED and WALKING PAPERS projects as well as countless recording sessions and side appearances with artists like JERRY CANTRELL, IGGY POP and MARK LANEGAN and in bands such as VELVET REVOLVER, MAD SEASON, KINGS OF CHAOS, NEUROTIC OUTSIDERS and even JANE'S ADDICTION. despite such a RIDICULOUS resume of AWESOME bands, MCKAGAN's DEFT contributions as a SONGWRITER and PERFORMER are often overshadowed by his more FAMOUS collaborators of the top-hatted variety. i think such perceptions will shift with his forthcoming LIGHTHOUSE (BFD, 2023) release as the singles i heard definitely build on his previous release TENDERNESS (UME, 2019) to showcase an EARNEST and VULNERABLE SINGER-SONGWRITER wrinkle hitherto unforeseen in his main gigs. people are aware of his THOUGHTFUL and ADROIT writing abilities given his past columns for SEATTLE WEEKLY and PLAYBOY and his two published memoirs, IT'S SO EASY: AND OTHER LIES (review linked HERE) and HOW TO BE A MAN (AND OTHER ILLUSIONS) (review linked HERE), but as a solo artist he is entirely UNDERRATED. in my opinion his recent solo work, separate from his RENOWNED past catalogue, is well worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
who knew QUEENSLAND was such a SHITHOLE back in the 1970s?
the fact that a band as LEGENDARY and SEMINAL as first-wave AUSTRALIAN PUNK ROCK band THE SAINTS came out BRISBANE, which at the time was in the throes of an ARCH CONSERVATIVE and unrepentantly CORRUPT government led by premier JOH BJELKE-PETERSEN, is something of a MINOR MIRACLE. this politician, who ruled from 1968-1987, rose through the ranks of the police force and welded it VIOLENTLY like a CUDGEL against all elements of SOCIAL DISSENSION or ACTIVISM. in essence JOH ran an AUTONOMOUS POLICE STATE that made the business of live music an UNDERGROUND affair, which in turn ironically resulted in establishing in time BRISBANE as a musical and culturally INNOVATIVE city. the documentary STRANDED (WILDBEAR ENTERTAINMENT, 2015) is very much as preoccupied with the evolution of the music scene in BRISBANE as it is with the narrative of THE SAINTS and their first three ESSENTIAL releases, (I'M) STRANDED (SIRE, 1977), ETERNALLY YOURS (SIRE, 1978) and PREHISTORIC SOUNDS (HARVEST, 1978), before the breakup of their ICONIC initial lineup. along with local contemporaneous PUNK ROCK scene-mates such as the LIKE-MINDED PENETRATION, NOTABLE bands that emerged shortly over the next few years such as THE LEFTOVERS, THE GO-BETWEENS, RAZAR, XERO and THE RIPTIDES diverged dramatically in STYLE and SOUND, but were bound both by their passion for music and their steadfast commitment to the scene and the COMMUNITY that literally bled, suffered and vigorously fought it into existence. there is a bit of synchronicity with the emergence of PUNK ROCK across the english-speaking world in the late 1970s, with THE RAMONES in NEW YORK CITY, THE SEX PISTOLS in LONDON and THE SAINTS in BRISBANE all emerging more or less at the same time (i am aware THE SEX PISTOLS was unambiguously after THE RAMONES). all three bands were influenced by the sheer SONIC POWER and POLITICAL FORCE and will behind those early records by SUBTERRANEAN bands like THE STOOGES, MC5 and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. what is INTRIGUING about THE SAINTS is that they are the only PUNK ROCK band of that period that had to will themselves into existence despite a VOLATILE governmental security apparatus hell-bent on maintaining a STRANGLEHOLD on the population. sorry, RONALD REAGAN and MARGARET THATCHER had absolutely nothing on SIR JOH and his BRUTAL cronies with a badge. testimonials to that end come by way of JEAN JACQUES BURNEL and JET BLACK of THE STRANGLERS as well as JELLO BIAFRA of DEAD KENNEDYS who all had adverse experiences touring during the early in the late 1970s and early 1980s respectfully. in both cases the police acted overly aggressively without restraint or respect for basic human rights, arresting band members on trumped up charges designed to intimidate. THE STRANGLERS for their part wrote "NUCLEAR DEVICE (THE WIZARD OF AUS)" off of THE RAVEN (UNITED ARTISTS, 1979) as cheeky send-off to the JOH regime. the example of THE SAINTS proved to be internationally INFLUENTIAL as bands, in addition those from BRITAIN and the UNITED STATES, emerged at the time from war-torn places like IRELAND (THE BOOMTOWN RATS) and NORTHERN IRELAND (STIFF LITTLE FINGERS) that saw PUNK ROCK as a vehicle to speaking their truth about the UNFORTUNATE predicament of their COMMUNITIES. if an OBSCURE band from AUSTRALIA could do such, literally why not them? its a FASCINATING and POWERFUL PHENOMENA when you consider that this SELF-IDENTIFICATION and SELF-ORGANIZATION of a cross-border INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY of music fans, artists and advocates self-generated in a pre-internet age. again, a SMALL MIRACLE of sorts. notable participating interviewees for STRANDED include PAULINE MURRAY (PENETRATION), NICK CAVE (THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, THE BAD SEEDS), JELLO BIAFRA (DEAD KENNEDYS), STEVE DIGGLE (BUZZCOCKS), BOB GELDORF (THE BOOMTOWN RATS) and JEAN JACQUES BURNEL & JET BLACK (THE STRANGLERS). AUSTRALIAN PUNK ROCK is generally not included in the mainstream conversation or history of PUNK ROCK, so i consider this film ESSENTIAL viewing and most definitely worth checking out. |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
March 2024
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