photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
not that ISIS.
the EXPERIMENTAL BOSTON POST METAL pioneers ISIS were one of the most INNOVATIVE and REVERED bands of the early 2000s right up until their dissolution in 2010. they had this singular sonic aesthetic that seemed to split the difference between SLUDGE METAL and WEST AFRICAN POLYRHYTHMS and treated VOCALS as another INSTRUMENT rather than a primary focus that contextualizes the SONG. same thing compositionally since the band did not adhere to TRADITIONAL verse-chorus-verse STRUCTURES, instead almost providing an EXPERIENTIAL and CINEMATIC aural narrative with a seeming beginning, middle and end. first time i heard ISIS was in a live setting with my brother when they were the opening band for TOOL on a leg of their tour supporting LATERALUS (VOLCANO, 2001) and were just absolutely floored and entranced by their RAW, EMOTIONAL INTENSITY. i dont think the band gets the due they deserve outside their enduring RABID POST METAL cult following. definitely one of the great UNSUNG bands of the last quarter century and absolutely well worth checking out.
0 Comments
parodies by nacrowe
ever since i spent some extended time firsthand observing my RECORDING ENGINEER cousin and the ARTISTRY and seemingly LIMITLESS production capacities currently available via MODERN DIGITAL RECORDING and PRODUCTION SOFTWARE ranging from PROTOOLS to LOGIC to ABLETON to even FL STUDIO and beyond, it just all got me thinking back to the MENTALITY of making records half a century before when there was much more LIMITED TECHNOLOGY. in the 1950s, 60s and 70s with a FIXED amount of TRACKS available, one had to commit to a PERFORMANCE and a COMPOSITION, production 'mistakes' be damned. it also meant MUSICIANSHIP and CHEMISTRY was at a PREMIUM since the quicker the turnaround was, the less the final bill was for EXPENSIVE professional RECORDING STUDIO time.
such was where a TALENTED specialized new breed of STUDIO MUSICIAN appeared that could quickly surmise and internalize a PRODUCER's COMPOSITION and play such flawlessly under INTENSE pressure and short notice. MUSCLE SHOALS in ALABAMA, the FUNK BROTHERS in DETROIT (who worked exclusively with MOTOWN RECORDS) and most famously THE WRECKING CREW in LOS ANGELES are all examples of loose collectives of STUDIO MUSICIANS that had CHEMISTRY with one another and recorded various NOTEWORTHY TRACKS for TOP-END ARTISTS. when BRIAN WILSON did not want to tour anymore and instead hunker down at home and compose the new album, no problem. such was the case famously with PET SOUNDS (CAPITOL, 1966) which was recorded with THE WRECKING CREW and for which the other BEACH BOYS merely sang on for the most part. the whole topic of SESSION/STUDIO MUSICIANS i perennially find INTRIGUING. just the idea that they as part of their NORMAL course of business will learn what they are being asked to play upon arrival. the MUSICAL RANGE and TECHNICAL VIRTUOSITY required to do such and the DEFT CRAFTSMANSHIP to work and collaborate seamlessly with an UNKNOWN collective just sounds daunting beyond belief. this sort of thing still exists today, but it is often coordinated through direct relationships with PRODUCERS who call in help for specific punch-ins when budgets and timelines are tight. GUITARIST JOHN 5 (MARILYN MANSON, ROB ZOMBIE, MOTLEY CRUE, DAVID LEE ROTH) and DRUMMER JOSH FREESE (A PERFECT CIRCLE, NINE INCH NAILS, DEVO, THE VANDALS, FOO FIGHTERS) are prominent examples of MODERN STUDIO and LIVE TOURING MUSICIANS of the first-order that were so IN-DEMAND that they were offered full-time gigs by multiple ACTS. these days VERSATILITY and AVAILABILITY are key, as well as the ability to vibe well with an ARTIST or PRODUCER. in that way it feels a bit DIFFERENT than past examples like JIMMY PAGE (LED ZEPPELIN, THE YARDBIRDS) and JAMES BURTON (ELVIS PRESLEY, RICKY NELSON, THE EVERLY BROTHERS) did a generation or two ago. today a successful studio musician has to wear several hats and be ready to immediately strike should an opportunity present itself, even at the top of the industry. listening back at the songs performed on record by THE WRECKING CREW presents an NOSTALGIC EXPERIENCE of studio budgets and the luxury of having time to build a UNIQUE CHEMISTRY between PLAYERS over COUNTLESS SESSIONS. that ALCHEMY of CREATIVITY seems to have been squeezed out of RECORDING or at least transmuted to the HIRED GUN game with need for QUALITY PLAYERS for live performances. which is UNFORTUNATE but such is PROGRESS when virtually anyone can produce something DECENT even on the most BASIC of RECORDING SOFTWARE. even GARAGEBAND. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the MAJOR culturally SIGNIFICANT songs recorded by the extended collective of LOS ANGELES STUDIO MUSICIANS now as THE WRECKING CREW. enjoy! 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
its mind-boggling to consider all of the effectively ANONYMOUS ARTISTS and MUSICIANS that have meaningfully and actively participated in the creation of ICONIC WORKS in the ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, from CINEMATOGRAPHERS, SCRIPTWRITERS and EDITORS in FILM to PRODUCERS and RECORDING ENGINEERS in MUSIC. these UNSUNG PROFESSIONALS provide an absolutely INSTRUMENTAL service in the development and production of ART with little if not ZERO fanfare or POPULAR RECOGNITION by the wider public.
such an ASYMETRICAL DYNAMIC is also the case with SUPPORTING MUSICIANS, or SIDEMEN. the SIDEMEN: LONG ROAD TO GLORY (RED HAWK, 2016) documentary in particular focuses on this PHENOMENA with a close look at the life and careers of three LEGENDARY BLUES SIDEMEN in PIANIST PINETOP PERKINS and DRUMMER WILLIE "BIG EYES" SMITH (both of MUDDY WATERS fame) and the much CELEBRATED and singularly INFLUENTIAL GUITARIST HUBERT SUMLIN (of HOWLIN' WOLF fame). all three where close friends and BLUES survivors into their senior years before dying months apart from one another in 2011. post-RECONSTRUCTION, JIM CROW laws throughout the AMERICAN SOUTH effectively perpetuated the SEPARATE and very UNEQUAL TREATMENT of AFRICAN AMERICANS, which led to a MASSIVE MOVEMENT at the beginning of the 20th century to northern cities like PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK CITY and CHICAGO for BETTER jobs and working conditions in what is known as THE GREAT MIGRATION. part of what was transported up to CHICAGO in particular was the DELTA BLUES, which became electrified in the hands of MUDDY WATERS and HOWLIN' WOLF in a NEW VARIATION promoted by CHESS RECORDS known as the CHICAGO BLUES. along with LABEL-MATE CHUCK BERRY, these three ARTISTS were an early triumvirate that INNOVATED and POINTED THE WAY to what would shortly thereafter become ROCK N ROLL. in fact, it is not hyperbole in the least to state that they effectively INVENTED ROCK N ROLL. the INCREDIBLE stakes of their CONTRIBUTIONS to the overall trajectory 20th century MUSIC HISTORY and AMERICAN CULTURE writ large is what makes the CRIMINAL OVERLOOKING of PERKINS, SMITH and SUMLIN outside dedicated MUSICIANS' circles so DEVASTATING. SUMLIN and his EMOTIVE, LYRICAL and ATMOSPHERIC GUITAR LICKS for HOWLIN' WOLF in particular was a DIRECT INFLUENCE on later GUITARISTS ranging from JIMI HENDRIX (who repeatedly stated such), JIMMY PAGE, ROBBIE ROBERSTON, ERIC CLAPTON and a generation of BRITISH INVASION GUITARISTS and SONGWRITERS. to date SUMLIN is still not in the ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME which is indicative of his CONFOUNDING STATUS being entirely OVERLOOKED despite IMMEASURABLE INFLUENCE on MODERN MUSIC. this documentary is an effort to change that narrative. the roster of ARTISTS participating in the interviews regarding these three SIDEMEN are full of cultural heavyweights from BONNIE RAITT, JOHNNY WINTER, GREGG ALLMAN (THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND), ROBBY KRIEGER (THE DOORS), KEITH RICHARDS (THE ROLLING STONES), JOE PERRY & BRAD WHITFORD (AEROSMITH) and ELVIN BISHOP (PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND) to more modern players like ERIC GALES, DERICK TRUCKS, WARREN HAYNES (GOV'T MULE, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND), SHEMEKIA COPELAND, JOE BONAMASSA, WALTER TROUT, GUY DAVIS, BOBBY RUSH and KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD among others. seems more than fitting that these well-known CONTEMPORARY MUSICIANS pooled their CLOUT and collective light to shine on these three UNSUNG fellow ARTISTS for the sake of correcting the record for POSTERITY. the SIDEMEN: LONG ROAD TO GLORY film is ESSENTIAL viewing in my opinion. definitely worth checking out irrespective of your INTEREST in the BLUES. photo & text by nacrowe
ARCHITECTURE is one of those constants in our lives that absolutely goes UNNOTICED and UNHERALDED, yet is responsible for the efficiency and quality of our lives relative to our predecessors. its also the type of thing you become aware of when in a developing country with more NASCENT SYSTEMS (such as PLUMBING, ELECTRICITY, WATER, etc.) that make basic tasks that much more difficult. BUILT: THE HIDDEN STORIES BEHIND OUR STRUCTURES (BLOOMSBURY, 2018) is an absolutely ENGROSSING book that serves as a primer to all things STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING for the uninitiated. it explains not only the SCIENCE and PHYSICS at play behind STRUCTURES and how they work, but also the people and the history behind how such knowledge and PROCESSES were innovated and acquired over time. this includes everyone from ARCHIMEDES, FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI, FAZLUR KHAN and HENRY BESSEMER to EMILY ROEBLING, ISAMBARD BRUNEL and ELISHA OTIS among many others.
author ROMA AGRAWAL, herself a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER that worked on the modern LONDON ARCHITECTURAL ICON THE SHARD, displays a deep passion for communicating this core subject in a manner that is both INFORMATIVE and ENGAGING. at no point was i left wondering why i was reading at length about the HISTORY of SEWER CONSTRUCTION since such was related to innovation regarding MATERIALS and the PHYSICS of ARCHES discussed in previous chapters. each chapter, much like the foundation of a STRUCTURE, laid the BASE UNDERSTANDING for subsequently more COMPLEX CONCEPTS that further complicated and built upon such. i left this book with a more NUANCED UNDERSTANDING of the multitude of CONSIDERATIONS that go into conceiving and CONSTRUCTING a BUILDING, with all of its UNDERLYING REQUIREMENTS and VITAL SYSTEMS, than i certainly did before. having lived overseas in several developing countries such as NIGERIA, ALBANIA and MYANMAR, i was always keenly aware of the hardship that comes with a breakdown in BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE and how DISRUPTIVE such can be for the lives of regular people. much of BUILT speaks to the technological marvels of MODERN SKYSCRAPERS and ICONIC BRIDGES, but the heart of the conversation for me is how BASIC FUNCTIONS are going to be addressed globally given the future swelling of the human population and LIMITED RESOURCES. for me those EXISTENTIAL CONCERNS are what will be the true future test of ENGINEERING moving forward and not the CONSTRUCTION of the next BURJ KHALIFA or AKASHI KAIKO BRIDGE. when reading about SEWER SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION and the need for WELL-CONSIDERED WATER PURIFICATION/DISTRIBUTIVE SYSTEMS i could not help but viscerally remember moments abroad where i had no access to either and that is the status quo for a majority of the world's population. i just wonder how much incentive there is out there to utilize this vast TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE to uplift said underserved populations instead of showcase STRUCTURES meant to further cement economic hegemony on a global stage. BUILT is an INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT that should read by everyone. i found this to be an ESSENTIAL book that very much assisted in adding value to my appreciation for ARCHITECTURE and the SCIENCE and HISTORY behind it. it is most definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
one common thread throughout this BLOG is the certain fact that one of the side effects of me being raised partially overseas is this DISCERNIBLE disconnect that happens when one is at a distance from their NATIVE CULTURE for an extended period time. my personal experience with DISCOVERING MUSIC and FILM was on a DIFFERENT trajectory and timeline than others my age ive found. during my middle school years in NIGERIA one of the few ENGLISH-speaking channels we received outside of CNN INTERNATIONAL or the BBC WORLD NEWS was something called M-NET out of SOUTH AFRICA. given such i was routinely exposed to quite a bit of BRITISH and AUSTRALIAN fair back in the mid-90s and one of those shows was a rerun of the BRITISH twelve-part live-action televised EPIC MINI-SERIES that was I, CLAUDIUS (BBC2, 1976).
I, CLAUDIUS was a staged dramatic interpretation of the ROBERT GRAVES NOVEL and follows the ebb and flow of the POLITICS, BETRAYAL, COERCION, ADULTERY and HORSE-TRADING at heart in the intensely CHAOTIC PALACE INTRIGUE of the ROMAN EMPIRE from AUGUSTUS to TIBERIUS to CALIGULA and finally to the unlikely reign of CLAUDIUS. what makes the SERIES so COMPELLING and WATCHABLE decades later is 1) the quality of the acting involved and 2) the manner in schemes UNFOLD and EVOLVE over time as that PROVERBIAL SWORD OF DAMOCLES claims victim after victim, usurper after usurper, pawn after pawn, emperor after emperor. that DRAMATIC tension and edge never ceases and no one CHARACTER dominates as the extended cesspool of UNBRIDLED POLITICAL AMBITION churns and SELF-CANNIBALIZES over generations of those clans at the top of the ROMAN hierarchy. it is all very thematically reminiscent of the recent GAME OF THRONES (HBO, 2011-2019) PROGRAM and that core VOYEURISTIC joy of watching INTERNAL MACHINATIONS of the POWERFUL UNRAVEL and CONSUME one another over time to now end. much in the MODERN conception of ANCIENT ROMAN and GREEK SOCIETY has been MYTHOLOGIZED and WHITEWASHED to no end as the origins of WESTERN CIVILIZATION are often portrayed as some IDYLLIC pre-MODERN situation with seemingly limitless resources and UNADULTERATED POWER, where the PURE MOTIVATIONS of the elite were UNSULLIED by BASE human attributes like GREED and AMBITION. our MODERN CULTURE is so infinitesimally complicated and beyond comprehension that it makes sense that a technologically more PRIMITIVE time seems in comparison to be a more PURE and SIMPLE arrangement. what i love about I, CLAUDIUS is that it dispels with all that and presents a generationally DYSFUNCTIONAL family DRAMA for the ages that directly effected the REAL-WORLD livelihoods and life trajectories of an entire EMPIRE. for me it is all a reminder of how inescapably and irredeemably HUMAN we all, in fact, are. then as now and certainly going strong into the future. I, CLAUDIUS in my opinion is required viewing. plus you get to see a young DASHING PATRICK STEWART and JOHN HURT in action. cant beat that. photo & text by nacrowe
i usually shy away from writing about greatest hits collections since they are usually just CYNICAL cash-grabs with ZERO ARTISTIC VALUE, but i'll make an exception when it comes to 70s FUNK giants in the COMMODORES and their ALL THE GREAT HITS (MOTOWN, 1982) package. it basically has every stone cold CLASSIC and absolutely not-embarrassing LIONEL RICHIE banger in existence. everything from the savagely FUNKY "SLIPPERY WHEN WET," "TOO HOT TA TROT," "MACHINE GUN," "I FEEL SANCTIFIED" and "BRICK HOUSE" to the emotive saccharine sweet ballads of "THREE TIMES A LADY," "STILL" and "EASY." id file this record specifically under 'always makes me smile' since i can listen to it under any MOOD or SITUATION and can't help but nod, laugh and smile. just try.
somewhere along the lines, let's call it the the entire 1980s, RICHIE became popular but got off-track in a critical sense and became something of a PERENNIAL LAUGHING STOCK with ABSURD SCHMALTZ hits like "DANCING ON THE CEILING" and "ENDLESS LOVE." to date i feel like those songs and many others in the same vein obscured his image as one of the great TRADITIONAL POP SONGWRITERS of the MODERN era. my introduction oddly was through the MUCH-REVERED and INNOVATIVE ALTERNATIVE ROCK band FAITH NO MORE who covered "EASY" on their second record ANGEL DUST (REPRISE, 1992), which i assumed was a SEND-UP or a PARODY. nope. it as a straight DOWN-THE-LINE COVER with all the IDIOSYNCRATIC VOCAL INFLECTIONS carried over intact verbatim. the GENERATIONALLY-GIFTED SINGER MIKE PATTON can seemingly sing anything from any genre and he chose to go with UNADULTERATED RICHIE for a reason. i have no doubt its out of an abundance of respect for his SONGWRITING, COMPOSITION and VOCAL TALENTS, which consequently have never been respected up to level they deserve. it is always odd when a cover does that for a certain audience, but that is why FAITH NO MORE is essentially doing GOD'S WORK here. and those HARD-DRIVING 70s FUNK TRACKS rank with anything released by GEORGE CLINTON, ZAPP, EARTH WIND & FIRE, KOOL & THE GANG, CAMEO, THE GAP BAND or LAKESIDE in terms of sheer BOOGIE and downright DACEABILITY. i hold out that STEVIE WONDER, JAMES BROWN and SLY STONE may have him beat at his own game, but that is the case with nearly everyone who ever existed not named LENNON or MCCARTNEY. in practical terms, i sometimes have to catch myself when in the supermarket and "BRICK HOUSE" comes on because i just get transported to a whole DIFFERENT DIMENSION and MENTAL SPACE where things are alright and the GROOVE is everything. and for me that is the true to test of a GREAT ARTIST, how much their MUSIC just sends you off to a different EMOTIONAL sphere instantaneously where you bypass CONSCIOUSNESS and just live-and-die moment-by-moment in that UNDENIABLE GROOVE. that is the COMMODORES to me and RICHIE at his UNQUESTIONABLE peak. photo & text by nacrowe
i first learned about long-time CHICAGO INDIE ROCK band THE SEA AND CAKE from a friend after i got into the ICONIC POST ROCK band TORTOISE. apparently a member (JOHN MCENTIRE) was also in this band, albeit playing a different INSTRUMENT. what was INTRIGUING was how dissimilar the two bands were. THE SEA AND CAKE is INSTRUMENTALLY CONTAINED and COMPOSITIONALLY CONCISE with DYNAMIC ELECTRONIC flourishes whereas TORTOISE is expectedly more of an AMORPHOUS force of nature floating on by irrespective of basic notions of STRUCTURE and FORM.
when i listen to THE SEA AND CAKE i cant help but cinematically conjure up HAZY MENTAL IMAGES of NEW ENGLAND boarding schools and WES ANDERSON films where SOPHISTICATED and overly INTRICATELY-DEVELOPED conversations about UNIMPORTANT matters are the norm. its all very ELEVATED and DISTANT from my lived experience and in a way i find this music more ESCAPIST than listening to OUTRAGEOUS GHOSTFACE KILLAH comic book-inspired diatribes or JELLO BIAFRA screeds about political wrongs and past corrupt acts long lost in the passage of time. THE SEA AND CAKE is definitely worth checking out if you are into that type of thing. very much similar to bands like THE MAGNETIC FIELDS or YO LA TENGO.
parodies by nacrowe
HIP HOP CULTURE is a lot of things to a lot of people, but a genre or venue for aging GRACEFULLY is not one of them. in fact, arguably more than its JAZZ, ROCK N ROLL or POP peers and counterparts, HIP HOP in particular is all about YOUTH CULTURE and maintaining an ear to the NOVEL, UNEXPLORED and CUTTING-EDGE. its the LIFEBLOOD of the genre and historically leaves little to no breathing room for so-called LEGACY acts taking up air space as with other genres (examples being AEROSMITH, BILLY JOEL, KISS, PEARL JAM, MADONNA or U2 still drawing ARENA-SIZED crowds despite being culturally RELEVANT literally decades ago). again, you dont see that with HIP HOP. you dont see veteran groups like WU-TANG CLAN, NAS, EPMD, RAKIM or DE LA SOUL selling out MADISON SQUARE GARDEN multiple dates every few years like their DINOSAUR ROCK N ROLL band compatriots.
so for me the BEASTIE BOYS are a complete OUTLIER. right up until their breakup after the TRAGIC PASSING of ADAM 'MCA' YAUCH from PAROTID CANCER in 2012. with each subsequent release they were given the latitude by their fanbase, and more importantly each other, to truly EXPERIMENT and EVOLVE on wax as musicians as well as individuals. case in point was the conscious mid-career choice to ACKNOWLEDGE their previous MISOGYNY on stage and on record and PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE for such. and not only apologize publicly with mere lip service, but meaningfully ADVOCATE on behalf of charities and groups that work in those AFFECTED arenas. in HIP HOP with its OVERWHELMING FETISHIZING of ANTIQUATED cultural concepts like AUTHENTICITY and SELLING OUT, where one is in disincentivized from ACKNOWLEDGING WEAKNESSES and FAULTS out of FEAR of PUBLIC SHAMING and LOSING FACE, the result of such is ironically a lot of bullshit POSTURING and FRAUDULENT claims of personal hardship. over the years of being a HIP HOP fan, the BRAVERY of the BEASTIE BOYS in celebrating their friends and loved ones and getting that FRAT BOY crap they embodied on the first record and tour just comes off as more and more COURAGEOUS and NECESSARY as they transitioned into EMPATHETIC, QUESTIONING, SELF-REFLECTIVE, THOUGHTFUL adults. likewise when MCA became a BUDDHIST and started bringing that perspective into the music, both lyrically and even sonically on tracks like "BODHISATTVA VOW", both ADAM 'AD-ROCK' HOROVITZ and MICHAEL 'MIKE D' DIAMOND went along with it. rather than feeling threatened by this MAJOR LIFE CHANGE, they openly SUPPORTED and CELEBRATED their friend as he continued to EVOLVE on his own PERSONAL journey. ive long wondered why the BEASTIE BOYS were able to carve out this wide lane while their peers and ARTISTIC compatriots have had to largely compete with their younger selves ad infinitum. was it the fact that the BEASTIE BOYS had a large ALTERNATIVE ROCK following unlike peer groups in CYPRESS HILL or RUN-DMC? one would think that given their race in a black-dominated art form they would be even more prone to being culturally pigeon-holed. i dont know the answer. maybe its just because they did it, damn the consequences. either its a pretty COMPELLING narrative, even in retrospect over a decade after their breakup. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the BEASTIE BOYS. enjoy! photo & text by nacrowe
the legacy of OL' DIRTY BASTARD to me is one of UNBRIDLED ORIGINALITY and FEARLESS EXPERIMENTALISM. it may be APOCRYPHAL, but it has been said that the dude entered the booth and went about his LYRICAL DEXTERITY without even listening to the BEAT itself. which kind of makes sense. much of what makes HIP HOP so INTOXICATING musically is the extent to which a GIFTED MC can layer a set of PERCUSSIVELY-EXECUTED RHYMES over an EXISTING track, creating a series of POLYRHYTHMS much like a WEST AFRICAN drum circle where such ODD TIME SIGNATURES ebb and flow from one another and create a MANTRA-LIKE effect. this is on full display with LYRICAL CRAFTSMEN in the TRADITIONAL school of ARTISTS like RAKIM, NAS, JAY-Z, EMINEM and THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. among others. in contrast, the UNORTHODOX RHYME SCHEMES of OL' DIRTY BASTARD are inherently UNPREDICTABLE and IRREGULAR in NATURE, so any POLYRHYTHMIC effect is entirely RANDOM and CIRCUMSTANTIAL, making his AESTHETIC entirely UNIQUE and AUTHENTIC unto himself. to date, no one sounds like him.
there is also a STREAM-OF-CONSCIOUSNESS vibe to his VOCALS, with much of it seemingly coming from the top of his head in the moment. the effect, especially among first time listeners, is quite MESMERIZING as if this HIGH WIRE ACT is meant to lose balance and topple over. which of course never happens, instead stumbling into the next VERSE with added MOMENTUM and DESTRUCTIVE potential. the absolute CLASSIC tracks off his debut RETURN TO THE 36 CHAMBERS: THE DIRTY VERSION (ELEKTRA, 1995) are "SHIMMY SHIMMY YA" and "BROOKLYN ZOO," which both showcase this invigoratingly ERRATIC sensibility on FULL DISPLAY, with OL' DIRTY BASTARD switching up topics and introducing NON SEQUITURS at a FURIOUS pace. with the WU-TANG CLAN, the only LIKE-MINDED rapper was GHOSTFACE KILLAH who similarly was all over the place with an OFF-KILTER DELIVERY, the difference being his GRITTY LYRICAL NARRATIVES were entirely COHESIVE with an overflowing of MULTIFACETED details shotgunning from his mouth. with OL' DIRTY BASTARD the plot as well as the details were always up for INTERPRETATION, much like an ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST painting. i was in my final year of undergrad when OL' DIRTY BASTARD PASSED AWAY and i took it pretty hard, which was ODD because i am normally quite INDIFFERENT to CELEBRITY DEATHS. with him i felt like there was so much QUALITY WORK left on the table, as he was recently let out of prison (where he was incarcerated on a NONVIOLENT cocaine possession rap) and was in the process of reintegrating with society and getting his LYRICAL BEARINGS back when he PASSED from an ACCIDENTAL overdose of cocaine and an opioid prescription for pain. as an ENGLISH student in college where i was trained to be HYPER-FOCUSED and concerned with things like METER, RHYME SCHEME and CADENCE, OL' DIRTY BASTARD was the prime example of a writer that literally MARCHED TO THE BEAT OF HIS OWN DRUM and created some DIZZYINGLY-EXECUTED GEMS that were HUMOROUS, COMPLEX and highly AFFECTING on an emotional level. still miss the dude twenty years later. RIP RUSSELL TYRONE JONES. WU-TANG FOREVER. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
ive never been able to get a read on JULIAN SCHNABEL. even before watching the recent JULIAN SCHNABEL: A PRIVATE PORTRAIT (BUENA ONDA, 2017) RETROSPECTIVE DOCUMENTARY that serves as a PERSONAL narrative regarding his CREATIVE OUTPUT, as well as the MEANINGFUL relationships he amassed along the way, i knew him through his UNCONVENTIONAL and highly PERSONAL FILMS. namely BASQUIAT (MIRAMAX, 1996), BEFORE NIGHT FALLS (FINE LINE, 2000) and THE DIVINE BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (MIRAMAX, 2007). each being its own UNIQUE CINEMATIC UNIVERSE unto themselves with the through line being his ability to defy audience expectations and invariably impress upon them a highly AFFECTING FOCUS on MOOD and the EMOTIONAL INTERIORITY of his character's PSYCHE. i have walked out all three of his movies with an ELEVATED sense of my own PERCEPTUAL EXPERIENCE as a human and how such affects my relationships and sense of SELF.
but that could all just be me projecting unto his WORK. which i believe might be the point of any TRUE ARTIST. although still INDECIPHERABLE, this documentary showcases a REFLECTIVE PROCESS with his WORK that finds him EVER-AWARE and even HYPER-VIGILANT for new opportunities and avenues of EXPRESSION, whether such be 'mistake' on CANVAS or in the EMOTIONAL pull of a CINEMATIC SCENE. everything is mined for its emotive potential in service of ITSELF. this ability to both improvise as a COMPOSITIONAL COMPONENT to his FILMS is partly what draws such TALENT and ADMIRATION from actors such as WILLEM DAFOE and AL PACINO, both participants in this FILM. arguably the moment in the FILM where these threads of EXPRESSION (MUSIC, ART and CINEMA) come together is in MULTI-MEDIA PRODUCTION surrounding LOU REED's late-career PERFORMANCE of his MUCH-HERALDED but famously DEBAUCHED BERLIN (RCA, 1973) album. what REED does with WORDS and MELODY, EVER-SHIFTING around his catalogue to his latest ARTISTIC PREDILECTIONS irrespective of audience expectation is essentially the model of SCHNABEL on CANVAS and CELLULOID. for me that moment was more INSIGHTFUL and MEANINGFUL than past FAMILY memories of NEW YORK and TEXAS, where he grew up. the SPONTANEOUS act of CREATION and being completely FEARLESS about such is what makes this FILM COMPELLING, if not entirely MYSTIFYING and OPAQUE. im still not sure entirely what i make of SCHNABEL or what i learned given this FILM, but at least it makes me aware of how perplexing the PROCESS of ARTISTIC GENERATION actually is since it comes from a place of INCREDIBLE INTENT, FOCUS and EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY. such a state i'll likely never fully appreciate. JULIAN SCHNABEL: A PRIVATE PORTRAIT is an EVER-INTRIGUING FILM that i will no doubt revisit in the future. photo & text by nacrowe
i always felt INDIGNANT whenever encountering RELIGIOUS ZEALOTS and HOLY ROLLERS growing up and i especially felt for their kids. in a very REAL sense they were innocently trapped in a FANTASY WORLD of bullshit MAGICAL THINKING. case in point, a friend of my brother's lost a FATHER because his mother's HARDCORE CHRISTIAN BELIEFS precluded him from getting brain surgery for an operable tumor. the POWER OF PRAYER or something. dude lost a FAMILY MEMBER over this type of STUPIDITY.
in that sense, reading the RAVE (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 2022) graphic novel by JESSICA CAMPBELL was viscerally PAINFUL to take in due to its NARRATIVE examining that same PSYCHIC TERRAIN of the socially ADVERSE ramifications of AGGRESSIVE RELIGIOSITY on IMPRESSIONABLE minors who are still DEVELOPING and exploring their sense of identity. the plot centers around a young girl in secondary school dealing with the AWKWARD HARDSHIPS of being a NORMAL TEENAGER with the added burden of choosing whether or not to internalize the OUT-OF-TOUCH LESSONS from her nearby EVANGELICAL PASTOR and his EXTREME SERMONS that advocate a DOOMED world full of SINNERS and US-VERSUS-THEM THINKING. the NARRATIVE follows this QUEER girl as she comes to challenge that CLOSETED MINDSET through exploring her own SELF-DETERMINED EXPERIENCES, FEELINGS and SEXUALITY independently from what her FAMILY and COMMUNITY seemingly advocate so forcefully. thankfully i never had to deal with that sort of MENTAL PRISON at the behest of SOCIALLY-ADVOCATED, RELIGIOUS or POLITICALLY-INFORMED MAGICAL THINKING. but i intimately know people that had to deal with such HURDLES and it took much PERSEVERANCE and heartache to transcend such. it meant leaving people behind, including FAMILY MEMBERS. RAVE gets at the very heart of that CENTRAL MANIPULATION at play in CULT-LIKE BEHAVIOR and the social PERILS and outright COURAGEOUSNESS of breaking away from GROUPTHINK and SELF-ADVOCATING your INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVE, SEXUALITY or IDENTITY against an UNSUPPORTIVE BLOB. this story took me right back to the day i found out that this father passed on, the one who coached little large baseball teams i played against growing up overseas and was always WELCOMING and CHARMING. a dude that seemingly did walk in the path of JESUS CHRIST in how he treated others but seemingly took it a few steps too far and DIED for his mistake in not trusting MODERN SCIENCE in the face of FAMILY-imposed MAGICAL THINKING. but he was an adult who made his own DECISIONS and his sons abandoned the FAITH thereafter. and have maintained a STRAINED bond with their MOTHER ever since, whom they personally blame for his PERMANENT ABSENCE from their lives. i think CAMPBELL is very much on to something PROFOUND with RAVE in that all BELIEF SYSTEMS that impose BLIND FAITH are DANGEROUS. it is a form of COERCION and thankfully the main character sees her way out of it when the curtain of her life sheds light on the INSANITY, lack of EMPATHY and outright HYPOCRISY at the heart of her PASTOR's MESSAGE. she moves on. i absolutely adored this graphic novel and will likely seek out other titles by CAMPBELL moving forward. RAVE is definitely worth checking out. nobuyoshi araki photos from yokohama museum of art exhibition taken by nacrowe
so back in 2016 when i was teaching abroad in JAPAN i was lucky enough to be nearby the YOKOHAMA MUSEUM OF ART who was putting on an exhibition curated by the RENOWNED ARTIST TAKASHI MURAKAMI that included wildly ECLECTIC PIECES from the likes of ANSELM KIEFER, KIM GORDON, YOSHITOMO NARA, HENRY DARGER, BARY MCGEE, KAWS, SEONNA HONG and AI HABARA to TERRY RICHARDSON, NAOYA HATAKEYAMA, JAMES JEAN, CLAUS OLDENBURG, RICHARD HAMILTON, ROBERT RAUSCEHNBERG, ANDY WARHOL, ROY LICHTENSTEIN, JAMES ROSENQUIST, BARBARA KRUGER and DR. LAKRA. it was easily one of the CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS of my time living and working in YOKOHAMA.
out of all that SURREAL, vividly colored, ANIME and POP CULTURE-inspired fair from that exhibit (titled TAKASH MURAKAMI's SUPERFLAT COLLECTION: FROM SHOHAKU AND ROSANJIN TO ANSELM KIEFER), the work that hit the hardest were these INTIMATE and UNSETTLING black-and-white photographs by a JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHER i was hitherto UNFAMILIAR with named NOBUYOSHI ARAKI, or ARAKI. the PHOTOS were from an extended three-part series devoted to his wife AOKI YOKO that showcased her at different points in their relationship, from their 1) their honeymoon in 1968 to 2) her demise and ultimately her passing from OVARIAN CANCER in 1990 and 3) the empty apartment she left thereafter. it is INTRIGUING, partly since today ARAKI is NOTORIOUS and internationally celebrated for his TRANSGRESSIVE portfolio of PHOTOGRAPHS related to EROTICISM and KINBAKU, or ROPE BONDAGE. JAPAN is a traditionally an extremely socially CONSERVATIVE place, so this subject matter inherently is regarded as TABOO and incredibly SUBVERSIVE in-country. that his early PHOTOS are these lovingly depicted CHERISHED moments with the love of his life as their relationship was blossoming is as HEART-WARMING as it is emotionally DEVASTATING. even when i didnt know the personal story behind the PHOTOGRAPHS, there seemed to be a MELANCHOLIC aspect to them. as if that documenting of such an INTIMATE moment, now distanced by time, is highly EMOTIVE and BITTERSWEET in its PURITY. i remember being immediately taken by these PHOTOGRAPHS in a similar way to that of other PROVOCATIVE PHOTOGRAPHERS such as DIANE ARBUS and ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE. the SHOCK VALUE in my mind is derived from the unyielding INTIMACY of the subject with that of the PHOTOGRAPHER. ARAKI's WORK, especially those three series centered around his much BELOVED deceased life partner are the epitome of such and are highly AFFECTING and POWERFUL. RIP AOKI YOKO photo & text by nacrowe
seemingly every popular CULTURAL MOVEMENT has their TRANSCENDENT, FRONT-OF-MIND acts that capture the collective imagination of the public such as with THE BEATLES, THE ROLLING STONES and THE WHO with the BRITISH INVASION during the early 1960s and arguably outshine similarly STELLAR acts like THE ANIMALS, THE YARDBIRDS and THE KINKS. alright, maybe THE KINKS should be in the former category and not the latter but you get the idea, the strength and depth of a CULTURAL MOVEMENT is likely the quality of those ALSO-RAN acts as much as the frontrunners. in the 1990s you had the BRITPOP scene that REVITALIZED BRITISH ROCK AND ROLL and undoubtedly was dominated by OASIS and BLUR, and to a lesser extent SUEDE, PULP and ELASTICA. below even that was a tier of bands that id argue were similarly UBER-TALENTED including SLEEPER, SUPERGRASS and THE VERVE.
in the public imagination, THE VERVE was in essence a public front for the gifted SONGWRITER RICHARD ASHCROFT and their third album URBAN HYMNS (HUT, 1997) is his MAGNUM OPUS. the band was primarily known for EARNEST SONGS about COMMON WORKING CLASS life, often delicately strummed on an acoustic with MINIMAL INSTRUMENTATION that put the aural focus on ASHCROFT's voice a la SONGS like "SONNET," "THE DRUGS DON'T WORK" and especially "LULLABY." there are also more SPACEY numbers like "THIS TIME" and "THE ROLLING PEOPLE" but those are less successful than his STRIPPED-BACK fair. with one quite NOTABLE exception. "BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY" is arguably one of the BIGGEST singles from the entire BRITPOP movement, being outshined in comparison to "WONDERWALL" or "DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER" by OASIS, "PARKLIFE" or "SONG 2" by BLUR or "COMMON PEOPLE" by PULP. maybe. whereas those other bands had other NOTEWORTHY singles, "BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY" represents THE VERVE's lone SHINING moment and it was definitely BITTERSWEET, give that its use of a orchestral sample off a ROLLING STONES SONG was not cleared by the COPYRIGHT holder, LEGENDARY manager ALLEN KLEIN, and subsequently the band lost all of its revenue from the single. their BIGGEST HIT was their BIGGEST DEBACLE and is an INFAMOUS CAUTIONARY TALE to date about the risk of not properly clearing all SAMPLES before publication. in 2019, ten years after KLEIN's passing, the bequeathed COPYRIGHT holders passed on the COPYRIGHT to ASHCROFT. but the DAMAGE was done. the SONG itself, with its LILTING STRING SECTION, is an UPLIFTING paean to living one's life to its fullest given the brief time we all have here in this physical realm. the SONG has been included on various greatest-songs-of-all-time lists and seemingly perfectly captured a deeply felt sense of unbridled OPTIMISM that took place during the BRITPOP era and the REVITALIZATION of BRITISH MUSIC and POLITICAL CULTURE during this period. that this career peak became a career low is a testament to the BRUTALITY of the MUSIC INDUSTRY and the need to have a skilled and loyal support team at the ready. URBAN HYMNS is definitely worth checking out, albeit i consider it a lesser album than those put out at the time by their BRITPOP peers in OASIS, BLUR, PULP, ELASTICA and SUEDE. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i tend to have a thing for bands that i have a hard time describing. the ECLECTIC SONGWRITING of GUSTAV EJSTES and his DUNGEN project is a HEADY SONIC mix of FOLK, PROGRESSIVE and PSYCHEDELIC ELEMENTS, almost like an OBSCURE SWEDISH HYBRID of acts like NICK DRAKE, CAN and 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS. but its absolutely LISTENABLE! it is always AURAL TREAT to hear something UNFAMILIAR yet reassuringly MELODIC and MEMORABLE. again, my words are failing me here.
ill just leave it at DUNGEN is most definitely worth checking out.
parody by nacrowe
AMY WINEHOUSE was such a RAW and POWERFUL SONGWRITER.
her passing was DEVASTATING to me in a way that few CELEBRITY DEATHS have ever been. part of that was just the nature of her MUSIC, which was so brutally HONEST and EMOTIVE yet DELICATE and preternaturally MELODIC. that DICHOTOMY pulled you in as a listener and never let go. when CELEBRITIES PASS AWAY, i try to be mindful of the fact that this person had a FAMILY and circle of FRIENDS that loved and cared for them irrespective of their GIFT. i recognize that my appreciation of them is a REFLECTION of me PROJECTING VALUES, AMBITIONS and IDEALS to their ART and PERSONA that is entirely separate from them as a PERSON. that when they PASS ON, that spark they initiated grows dimmer as well. that being said, i can count the amount of CELEBRITY DEATHS that really effected me on one hand, those being that of CHRIS FARLEY, LAYNE STALEY (ALICE IN CHAINS), OL' DIRTY BASTARD (WU-TANG CLAN) and WINEHOUSE. part of it is undoubtedly that sense of PROJECTING i already described, but beyond that there is a clear SELFISH sense (on my part) that they had UNREALIZED potential and FUTURE ART left on the table to the COLLECTIVE LOSS of EVERYONE. their PAIN and their SUFFERING and their LOSS equated to a diminish of my QUALITY OF LIFE is what it comes down to i guess. again, pretty SHALLOW and SELF-CENTERED but TRUE. most CELEBRITY DEATHS we acknowledge as individuals but dont necessarily grieve. these individuals i honestly can say i did so as their ART deeply resonated with me. FARLEY, STALEY, the ODB and WINEHOUSE all had in common the TRAGIC fact that they were immensely TALENTED ARTISTS, that publicly SUFFERED and senselessly succumbed to their ADDICTIONS in spite of much psychic effort to transcend such by them, their FAMILIES and their LOVED ONES. another thread is that WINEHOUSE was only a few months older than me and her PASSING in a very REAL sense was a STARK and PALPABLE reminder of my own MORTALITY. similar markers of such over the years include watching LEBRON JAMES' prolific basketball career or reading about MARK ZUCKERBERG's rise to power (and the TRAGIC unforeseen societal repercussions of such) or witnessing in REAL-TIME the HORROR that is ELISE STEFANIK's CRAVEN political capitulations to one AGENT ORANGE. all are within a year of my age. i didnt know WINEHOUSE other than her MUSIC. i didnt bear witness to her DREAMS, FLAWS, HOPES, INSECURITIES or AMBITIONS outside of what she choset to present to the world on vinyl, on stage or in interviews. being a fan is a PASSIVE activity at heart. you are the receptacle in an UNRECIPROCATED arrangement that clearly only goes one way. yet somewhat counterintuitively the POWER of ART is one of RESONANCE and SELF-IDENTIFICATION where the viewer/listener completes the circuit so to speak. it makes sense that one feels a sense of LOSS when the other link is denied in that bond through the very real and very human process surrounding MORTALITY. the situation surrounding WINEHOUSE is emblematic of such and permanently colors our opinion of her art in a similar manner to other PERSONALITIES and SONGWRITERS that arguably DIED prematurely at their creative peak like KURT COBAIN (NIRVANA), BUDDY HOLLY, TUPAC SHAKUR, HANK WILLIAMS, IAN CURTIS (JOY DIVISION), JANIS JOPLIN (BIG BROTHER & THE HOLDING COMPANY), THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G., DUANE ALLMAN (THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, DEREK & THE DOMINOS), PATSY CLINE, BRAD NOWELL (SUBLIME) or JIMI HENDRIX among way too many others. RIP AMY WINEHOUSE embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating THRASH METAL. enjoy! photo & text by nacrowe
arguably the most universally CELEBRATED METAL album of the 1990s, PANTERA's uncompromisingly BRUTAL second album VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER (ATCO, 1992) defiantly waved the flag for the genre during the height of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK revolution that saw other legacy acts effectively bow down and acquiesce to its will (looking at you METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER). its accomplished predecessor COWBOYS FROM HELL (ATCO, 1990) set the stage for this release with its GUITAR HEROICS via DIMEBAG DARRELL and their ZZ-TOP inspired attention to all things GROOVE, but VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER took it all to another level of INTENSITY and SONG-CRAFT.
UNDENIABLE tracks like "FUCKING HOSTILE," "MOUTH FOR WAR," and "A NEW LEVEL" where live show highlights for the rest of their career and showcase a FOCUS, COHESION and INTERNAL CHEMISTRY that the band built upon with later releases but never equalled again. although decidedly more MELLOW and SLOW-PACED, the ballads "THIS LOVE" and "HOLLOW" likewise showcased a SINGULAR attention to craft with MEMORABLE VOCALS and GUITAR MELODIES that intertwined to HYPNOTIC effect. arguably the STANDOUT track from an absolutely LOADED record is the single "WALK" with its INDELIBLE opening hammer-on, hammer-off GUITAR RIFF and that absolutely CRUSHING CHORUS that comes crashing in with SLEDGEHAMMER FORCE and ABRUPTNESS. that song in particular is a case study in efficiency and how less really can mean more to a track's EFFECTIVENESS. many consider "WALK" PANTERA's finest moment. not sure id go that far [my personal FAVORITE is "FLOODS" off of THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL (ELEKTRA, 1996)], but point taken. the LEGACY of VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER is both its MEMORABLE songs and the context of which it was released. most of the LEGACY THRASH METAL bands turned in SUBPAR records in the 1990s attempting to follow suit with the ALTERNATIVE ROCK predilections for minimizing (if not skipping altogether) GUITAR SOLOS and [from a metalhead's perspective] hiding behind excessive DISTORTION instead of showcasing both TECHNIQUE and MUSICIANSHIP. METALLICA's LOAD (ELEKTRA, 1996), MEGADETH's YOUTHANASIA (CAPITOL, 1994) and later SLAYER's DIVINE INTERVENTION (AMERICAN, 1994) were more STREAMLINED affairs that seemed to capitulate to the MUSICAL AESTHETICS of the era whereas VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER and its successor FAR BEYOND DRIVEN (ELEKTRA, 1994) just came off like a giant MIDDLE FINGER to it all. remember, the PANTERA dude's were close longtime friends with the likes of ALICE IN CHAINS and the FOO FIGHTERS, even shared the stage with them on numerous occasions so there wasnt any personal ANIMOSITY at all. but in terms of the FRACTURED FRATERNITY that is the greater METAL COMMUNITY, PANTERA is nearly universally REVERED since they stood firm against the cultural tide when others patently SAID UNCLE to the music industry. and that BRAZEN STEADFASTNESS is as much a part of the popular lore surrounding VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER as the songs themselves and has singularly stood as a TOUCHSTONE for all METAL bands moving forward, from LAMB OF GOD, DEFTONES and HATEBREED to SYSTEM OF A DOWN, MUDVAYNE, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and beyond. VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER is a LEGENDARY record that continues to live up to and exceed its own hype and is absolutely ESSENTIAL for anyone interested in METAL. end stop. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
it was a bit hard to get a decent read on the intent behind the brief DAMIEN HIRST: MORBID FASCINATION (ENTERTAIN UK, 2022) documentary, which focused on the NOTORIOUS BRITISH PAINTER and CONCEPTUAL ARTIST. the most FAMOUS of the YBAs (Young British Artists) that came out of GOLDSMITH'S COLLEGE in the late 80s and early 90s, which coincidently rose to CULTURAL PROMINENCE around the same time as the BRITPOP movement of young INDIE ROCK bands, DAMIEN HIRST is the embodiment of BRITAIN's return to CULTURAL RELEVANCY in the EUROPEAN ART scene and beyond.
and for that he is much BELOVED and HATED. some see him as an ABSOLUTE CHARLATAN whose WORK is POMPOUS, SUPERFICIAL and highly OVERRATED. others see him as a MODERN conceptual extension of the likes of CONCEPTUAL ARTISTS such as MARCEL DUCHAMP, ANDY WARHOL and JEFF KOONS in how he isolates innately PROVOCATIVE objects and ingeniously RE-CONTEXTUALIZES them to spur popular discussion and critical evaluation of COMPLEX and INTERRELATED EXISTENTIALIST themes such as NATURE, MORTALITY, RELIGION, IMPERMANENCE, BELIEF and CONSUMER CULTURE. like i said before it is difficult to get a sense from where MORBID FASCINATION stands on this issue as it doesnt seem to advocate for either side, more just presenting both sides as equally RELEVANT. this is FRUSTRATING since the fact that there is interest enough in HIRST in the first place to take the necessary TIME and ENERGY to film, edit and manufacture this product proves his INHERENT VALUE enough as an ARTIST to be considered WORTHY of being critically analyzed and dissected. somehow this line of inquiry feels so TRAGICALLY BRITISH, since only they will seemingly go through the effort to produce a documentary about the merits of making said documentary. i dont much care about your reasoning, just get on with the task at hand already. there is an UNFORTUNATE preoccupation in this film about HIRST's MARKETING PROWESS and preternatural ability to PROMOTE and SENSATIONALIZE his WORK in the press and thus draw a SUBSTANTIAL PRICE for such at auction. again, that is a BORING topic since such a discussion doesnt confirm or deny the MERIT of his WORK, just its current MARKET VALUE. my hope when watching this documentary was to get a better sense of his ARTWORK and how its THEMES interplay with the work of his PEERS, both preceding him like FRANCIS BACON or concurrently such as fellow NOTABLE YBA SARAH LUCAS. regrettably most of this short film was dedicated to his NOTORIETY and supposed CONTROVERSIAL STATUS within the ART COMMUNITY without naming names. it all just comes across as SUBPAR and lacking any real DEPTH. not gonna lie, DAMIEN HIRST: MORBID FASCINATION felt like WASTED OPPORTUNITY on a subject that is innately INTRIGUING and whose WORK is demonstrably WORTHY of a critical eye. the never-ending UNCRITICAL focus and SUPERFICIAL preoccupation with MONEY was the TRUE "MORBID FASCINATION" of this film, and not HIRST or his ARTWORK. probably best to search for better fair elsewhere since this film is definitely not worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
at the heart of the long SELF-PERPETUATED national narrative regarding AMERICAN MASCULINITY, there is this CORE BELIEF in HARD WORK, AMBITION and DETERMINATION paying off. that through some INGENUITY and plenty of elbow grease, the AMERICAN DREAM of personal AGENCY and FINANCIAL SECURITY is within reach. if anything, through his LISTLESS, PERIPATETIC and SEMI-AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL alter ego, HENRY CHINASKI, in the PICARESQUE FACTOTUM (BLACK SPARROW PRESS, 1975) novel, CHARLES BUKOWSKI is interested in absolutely none of that.
if anything, BUKOWSKI through CHINASKI is more concerned with addressing the counter-argument of what is left for the rest of us. you know, those NORMAL folk that are LESS INTREPID, GIFTED, EDUCATED, INSPIRED and endowed with the INSTINCT to further their MATERIAL INTERESTS. that majority of the LABOR FORCE who are just stuck as a cog in the grinding gears of CAPITALISM in UNAPPRECIATED roles at DEAD-END jobs with no sense of DIGNITY or real future. to me that is the focus of FACTOTUM. set stateside during the 1940s, including the war years, when available WORK was supposedly PLENTIFUL for any able-bodied person, CHINASKI is an ASPIRING writer who takes on a long series of DISPOSABLE JOBS throughout the country (LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK CITY, NEW ORLEANS, MIAMI, ST. LOUIS, PHILADELPHIA and so on) in order to temporarily fund his DRINKING and attempts at SEXUAL PURSUITS. these TEMPORARY WORK and residential circumstances are always abandoned and the relationships he picks up along with way, both of a PLATONIC and SEXUAL nature, are similarly just as DISPOSABLE. there is no real DEVELOPMENT or AMBITION for CHINASKI throughout FACTOTUM beyond getting DRUNK and attempting to seek a warm body for the evening. and that lack of consolidation or climax in that narrative arc of FACTOTUM is kind of the point for this type of LISTLESS and DIRECTIONLESS figure in AMERICAN SOCIETY. it speaks of a vein of MASCULINITY that has rejected self-identification with past TRADITIONAL markers such as participation in CONSUMER CULTURE or MILITARISTIC GLORY as stand-ins for one's ACCOMPLISHED sense of personal AGENCY and VIRILITY. instead you are left with this apparent husk of a man who has failed on all accounts, succumbing to to his CHEMICAL and SEXUAL INDULGENCES, but yet still comes off as wholly INDEPENDENT, SELF-MADE and SELF-DETERMINED in a WARPED manner. did AMERICA fail him and those like him or is this the path he chose, to reject SOCIETY and abide by his own VALUES and CODE OF CONDUCT. i woudnt call CHINASKI a REBEL or an ANTI-HERO by any stretch of the imagination inasmuch as he isnt consciously against anything specific, more navigating his IDIOSYNCRATIC path on INSTINCT. what i think he is, is an example of someone that falls and is FORGOTTEN between the cracks of the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. it is hard to pin down why such happens (technology, lack of education, entrepreneurial spirit, poor finances, lack of networking opportunities, etc.), but it is not hard to look around currently and see CHINASKI in many aspects of a SILENT, UNDERVALUED and OVERLOOKED majority that dont materially benefit from AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS and TRADITIONS. and in that respect, FACTOTUM is beyond prescient to the TOXIC mindset of our current UNRECOGNIZED WORKING POOR that has metastasized and grown BITTER and has largely REJECTED BEDROCK AMERICAN TRADITIONS in recent years. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i can never get enough of these LIVE PERFORMANCE SERIES that have proliferated ONLINE for the past decade, and COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO's OPENAIR LIVE MUSIC SERIES on INDIE 102.3FM out in the DENVER metropolitan area is no exception. most of the STANDOUT PERFORMANCES i located were of the INDIE ROCK variety with past participants in THE BETHS, LA LUZ, SNAIL MAIL, SHAKEY GRAVES, BOYGENIUS, FRANKIE COSMOS and MURDER BY DEATH.
the locations are SPARSELY DECORATED studios, which visually reinforces the fact that the central focus for the STATION with this project is squarely on the SOUND. these PERFORMANCES on OPENAIR are definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in PUBLIC RADIO and UPCOMING MUSICIANS. |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
March 2024
CATEGORIES
All
|