I wish Slayer Bob lived in our hood...
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Merry Christmas
My kids love Christmas lights. We drive around trying to find impressive home displays.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
God Is a Bullet
The wife and I saw Concrete Blonde last night at the Park West.
This was our shared band in college but it had been at least over a decade since we had last seen them perform.
We knew they would perform this song but in light of the recent massacre in Connecticut it was also pretty much a given that its heavy message would be even harder to bear...
Johnette changed many of the words and then she stopped the song midway through and demanded a moment of silence.
Which is a hard thing to instantaneously expect from a concert crowd of about thousand people when they weren't prepared for it.
So it took a second call more along the lines of: "I SAID - A MOMENT OF SILENCE!! DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?!!" to grab everyone's attention.
Still, it seemed like she HAD to do something. And truthfully, the shooting hung over the whole night anyway - whether intentional or not.
They did a cover of Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning" and that seemed suffused with (additional) commentary.
They did that song that Johnette did with all the members of the Talking Heads and that seemed like part of the grieving proccess.
During the encore, Johnette rendered an accapella version of Tomorrow Wendy and that seemed like a eulogy.
Bottomline, they are a band with a wide humanistic streak that explores the darker corners of our nature anyway but on a night like last night the music just suffused the room with a powerful mixture of pathos and anger.
It would have been a cathartic performance on par with the time I saw PJ Harvey just two days after 9/11 if not for the fact that they also played "Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man".
This was our shared band in college but it had been at least over a decade since we had last seen them perform.
We knew they would perform this song but in light of the recent massacre in Connecticut it was also pretty much a given that its heavy message would be even harder to bear...
Johnette changed many of the words and then she stopped the song midway through and demanded a moment of silence.
Which is a hard thing to instantaneously expect from a concert crowd of about thousand people when they weren't prepared for it.
So it took a second call more along the lines of: "I SAID - A MOMENT OF SILENCE!! DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?!!" to grab everyone's attention.
Still, it seemed like she HAD to do something. And truthfully, the shooting hung over the whole night anyway - whether intentional or not.
They did a cover of Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning" and that seemed suffused with (additional) commentary.
They did that song that Johnette did with all the members of the Talking Heads and that seemed like part of the grieving proccess.
During the encore, Johnette rendered an accapella version of Tomorrow Wendy and that seemed like a eulogy.
Bottomline, they are a band with a wide humanistic streak that explores the darker corners of our nature anyway but on a night like last night the music just suffused the room with a powerful mixture of pathos and anger.
It would have been a cathartic performance on par with the time I saw PJ Harvey just two days after 9/11 if not for the fact that they also played "Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man".
Friday, December 21, 2012
New Junk Drawer
We are nearing the end of the first year of this blog. Time to change up the junk in the drawer...
This drawer belongs to my new friend Hank who is a singularly amazing artist and historian.
For me, 2013 will largely be defined by this man and his unique art.
Photo credit goes to another new friend, Jeff - who is a super talented photographer as well as a cool dude.
This drawer belongs to my new friend Hank who is a singularly amazing artist and historian.
For me, 2013 will largely be defined by this man and his unique art.
Photo credit goes to another new friend, Jeff - who is a super talented photographer as well as a cool dude.
****
It turns out I did not roust anyone out for the Tight Phantomz show. Instead I went over to G$'s Chicago address for the last time to listen to records.
For me, 2013 will also be largely defined by adjusting to this out of state move by my good friend. Music is such a big part of our daily conversation that I will probably use this space on the internet to help facilitate that.
I am gonna be alright; I am someone that can make friends easily.
Still, G has been there for me 24/7. He is my champion, my confidante, my go-to guy for practically any need. And I am honored to be that same person for him. I lament that we won't be in close proximity but I am excited to do what I can to support the next chapter in his life.
So - a toast to friends, old AND new! May the bonds that hold us together grow ever stronger.
That is all.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
A Reminder...
So it sounds weird to admit this but I just spent a over month listening to a single cassette in my car. Over and over, over and over.
What is weirder is that the tape was Substance - Joy Division's singles collection.
I don't have anything specific that I need to get across about that tense body of music at the moment, I am just glad to finally be out from under its spell.
The tape that broke the brown study was a mix that was made for me by G$ back in 1994. I was living in Iowa City at the time, and G titled one side of the mix - "A Reminder"
A reminder of what exactly? Well, since many* of the acts got their start in Chicago, my guess is the motif was to remind me to get my ass back to Chicago at my first opportunity.
*I can't confirm 100% of the acts - G$ didn't go to a catholic grade school like I did so his penmanship and spelling suffers.
1) The Stalker - Urge Overkill
2) Out of the Fun (?) - Titanic Love Affair (or maybe Titanic Hoe Affair?)
3) Reap What You Sew (sp) - Otis Rush
4) Walking the Dog - Luther Johnson
5) Crack - Big Black
6) Vanilla Blue - Naked Raygun
7) Emmeline - Urge Overkill
8) Obscured - Smashing Pumpkins
9) Hello Kitty Kat - Smashing Pumpkins
10) Because - Mere Mortals (?)
11) Kids These Days - Phantom Helmsmen
Today, G$ is preparing to move his life to Indianapolis. Much like Iowa City, it is not that far from Chicago BUT I would like to make him "A Reminder" mix -updated for 2012 - as musical encouragement to visit often.
So what current Chicago acts would you put on such a mix?
I know one band I would be most excited to share is one that G$ has already prematurely dismissed as being too self indulgent. He listened to some 30 second snippets on iTunes and came to that snap decision.
This is not unusual for my friend; he sometimes arbitrates his musical taste like he is a judge on The Gong Show. You better Wow him before they have to pause for station identification - G$ is a busy man and we have a lotta vinyl to get through before midnight!
But Tight Phantomz worked on this double album for SEVEN YEARS and to my ears it sounds like a cross between Urge Overkill and Modest Mouse. Lots of beautiful loser swagger as they cross the street from the liquor store back to the home studio for another all night session. These dudes love the 70s cock rock (and maybe secretively some pockets of 80s hair metal) like I do - unabashedly and with a sense of humor.
What is weirder is that the tape was Substance - Joy Division's singles collection.
I don't have anything specific that I need to get across about that tense body of music at the moment, I am just glad to finally be out from under its spell.
The tape that broke the brown study was a mix that was made for me by G$ back in 1994. I was living in Iowa City at the time, and G titled one side of the mix - "A Reminder"
A reminder of what exactly? Well, since many* of the acts got their start in Chicago, my guess is the motif was to remind me to get my ass back to Chicago at my first opportunity.
*I can't confirm 100% of the acts - G$ didn't go to a catholic grade school like I did so his penmanship and spelling suffers.
1) The Stalker - Urge Overkill
2) Out of the Fun (?) - Titanic Love Affair (or maybe Titanic Hoe Affair?)
3) Reap What You Sew (sp) - Otis Rush
4) Walking the Dog - Luther Johnson
5) Crack - Big Black
6) Vanilla Blue - Naked Raygun
7) Emmeline - Urge Overkill
8) Obscured - Smashing Pumpkins
9) Hello Kitty Kat - Smashing Pumpkins
10) Because - Mere Mortals (?)
11) Kids These Days - Phantom Helmsmen
******
Today, G$ is preparing to move his life to Indianapolis. Much like Iowa City, it is not that far from Chicago BUT I would like to make him "A Reminder" mix -updated for 2012 - as musical encouragement to visit often.
So what current Chicago acts would you put on such a mix?
I know one band I would be most excited to share is one that G$ has already prematurely dismissed as being too self indulgent. He listened to some 30 second snippets on iTunes and came to that snap decision.
This is not unusual for my friend; he sometimes arbitrates his musical taste like he is a judge on The Gong Show. You better Wow him before they have to pause for station identification - G$ is a busy man and we have a lotta vinyl to get through before midnight!
But Tight Phantomz worked on this double album for SEVEN YEARS and to my ears it sounds like a cross between Urge Overkill and Modest Mouse. Lots of beautiful loser swagger as they cross the street from the liquor store back to the home studio for another all night session. These dudes love the 70s cock rock (and maybe secretively some pockets of 80s hair metal) like I do - unabashedly and with a sense of humor.
Now granted, 36 songs is a lot to make your way through. Still, I tried to digest it as an album and I am glad that I did.
But if you want to know some of my favorite songs I would have to say the following are good representations of the band working their best mojo - give them more than 30 second snippets and their charms will be revealed:
Part One (aka Sides 1 & 2)
Black Seas at the Crib
Seek Thunder
Kiss Your Way Inside
Waiting For
There Goes My Protege
Kid Crimes
You're The Diamond
Part Two (aka Sides 3 & 4)
She Talks to Fire
Sickening
Silk Prison
Bondo Cred
Nobody Is Inside
Accidental Girl
Someone Believes In Me Somewhere
And HEY! While writing this post I went hunting for the band's website and discovered they are playing TONIGHT at the Empty Bottle.
That is too great of a coincidence - this band is notorious for only playing on average twice a year and they played the Bottle on Black Wednesday less than a month ago.
SO, my loyal readers (all four of you) will be getting a call to see if I can rouse you for a night of merrymaking before G$ leaves us for Indianapolis. I can guarantee it will be more memorable than a night with the Phantom Helmsmen.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Heed My Warning!
Learn from my bad judgement - back up your iTunes library, dude.
A couple of weeks ago my hard drive crashed. Although I am now up and running again, I am looking at rebuilding a library that was many years in the making.
Regardless, I had to make a mix for my good buddy Mitchell. I actually owe him at least three but that is another story. I was meeting him for lunch this week and I was not going in empty handed - dead computer or not.
In a way, it was kind of liberating to go back to the actual CDs (most still packed in boxes!) in my physical collection. The composition of this mix was closer to a feverish mixtape making session than anything I have attempted in a long time.
Here is what I came up with:
1) Huge Bats - Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas snippet
2) Voyeur's Blues - Fifty Tons of Black Terror
3) Muff Control Unit - Evil Beaver
4) Didn't I Know You Once - Surgery
5) The Drug Cache - Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas snippet
6) Move Over I'll Drive - The Family Cat
7) When I Get Back - Handsome Furs
8) Under The God - Tin Machine
9) The Guillotine - The Coup
10) In This City - Enon
11) Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold - Melt Banana
12) Biting My Nails - Renegade Soundwave
13) Christiansands - Tricky
14) Bein' Alive is like Vandalizin' - We Ragazzi
15) Another Ride - The Sexy Girls
16) ABC - Coco Solid
17) Dirt - Neneh Cherry & The Thing
18) Blame You - Edith Frost
When making a mix for Mitchell, I often try to make sure it is grimy, uncouth and sleazy. I want to make sure he can't pop it in the player when he is driving his wife and kids around. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Because I mostly only buy vinyl these days I wasn't able to put many 2012 releases on it. In fact, there are only two and that was in part because they included a cd copy of the record rather than a download card. They both come with my highest recommendations though...
A couple of weeks ago my hard drive crashed. Although I am now up and running again, I am looking at rebuilding a library that was many years in the making.
Regardless, I had to make a mix for my good buddy Mitchell. I actually owe him at least three but that is another story. I was meeting him for lunch this week and I was not going in empty handed - dead computer or not.
In a way, it was kind of liberating to go back to the actual CDs (most still packed in boxes!) in my physical collection. The composition of this mix was closer to a feverish mixtape making session than anything I have attempted in a long time.
Here is what I came up with:
1) Huge Bats - Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas snippet
2) Voyeur's Blues - Fifty Tons of Black Terror
3) Muff Control Unit - Evil Beaver
4) Didn't I Know You Once - Surgery
5) The Drug Cache - Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas snippet
6) Move Over I'll Drive - The Family Cat
7) When I Get Back - Handsome Furs
8) Under The God - Tin Machine
9) The Guillotine - The Coup
10) In This City - Enon
11) Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold - Melt Banana
12) Biting My Nails - Renegade Soundwave
13) Christiansands - Tricky
14) Bein' Alive is like Vandalizin' - We Ragazzi
15) Another Ride - The Sexy Girls
16) ABC - Coco Solid
17) Dirt - Neneh Cherry & The Thing
18) Blame You - Edith Frost
When making a mix for Mitchell, I often try to make sure it is grimy, uncouth and sleazy. I want to make sure he can't pop it in the player when he is driving his wife and kids around. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Because I mostly only buy vinyl these days I wasn't able to put many 2012 releases on it. In fact, there are only two and that was in part because they included a cd copy of the record rather than a download card. They both come with my highest recommendations though...
The Coup - Guillotine, from their new release, "Sorry To Bother You". Saw these guys a couple weeks ago at Mayne Stage where they TORE. IT. UP. Boots Riley was fond of saying "Hello, Chicago! We're The Coup! We're from OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA! And we came for the CLASS WAR!" before playing another blast of funk rock agitprop.
Neneh Cherry & The Thing - Dirt (Stooges Cover) from their 2012 release "The Cherry Thing". This will definitely be the most inspired collaboration from two very diverse artist to make my end of the year list. I doubt they will ever come to the States to play so I make do with videos of live clips on Youtube like this one.
******
After all that noisy nastiness I decided to give Mitchell a bit of a palate cleanser and ended with a stark and pensive tune. Edith Frost's Blame You is as haunting and plaintive today as when she first released it in 1996. There is no good explanation as to why Edith's work is not more widely known and enjoyed.
So imagine my surprise to find that someone had uploaded it to Youtube just earlier this year. I was the 49th person to listen to it and if you haven't heard it I encourage you to check it out!
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