Hi, I am a bit late for my semi-weekly update.
A few things going on lately, some good, and some of the most terrible news I have heard in a while.
Let's start at the top, we had some visitors from home, and everyone had a good time. I am glad I could show some friends around, and they enjoyed the city. We managed to catch an open air movie. The open air cinema is a great thing, you get to watch a movie for free, outside, on a huge screen.
We have been taking advantage of the movies in the park. The selection is usually eclectic and slightly offbeat. We managed to catch "The Devil-Doll" which is a strange type of suspense/horror movie, featuring minature dogs and people, doing evil. And it also features Lionel Barrymore in drag.
The week before was Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train," and later we watched "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" which also had a live band playing the soundtrack. Very cool. Getting caught up on all those movies that people seem to have heard of, but never actually seen. (Everyone seems to know the "SHE'S ALIVE!" Scene from Bride of Frankenstien, but no one seems to have actually seen the movie all the way through, likewise for the "Merry Go-Round" scene in Strangers on a Train.
Lastly, I've heard the terrible news that Michael Dahlquist, drummer for Silkworm, was killed in a car accident last week. I have enjoyed Silkworm's unique style of rock and roll for a long time. Silkworm played a really raw and stripped-down kind of rock music, yet, their music was surprisingly hummable.
I never really knew Michael, I met him a few times, and he seemed to be a really nice guy, and he was a fantastic drummer. The last time I saw Silkworm, he was just going off, I've never seen a drummer break so many sticks. I think he broke four sticks in the first song alone.
He was also the band's web-honcho, and he handled all the band's updates, as well as their thouroughly enjoyable tour diaries. You can really tell that he just enjoyed playing music in strange and foreign places, no complaining about the accomodations or lack of red m&m's in their rider.
Most recently, Michael was the editor on a very interesting ducumentary, "Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music?" Which was an objective look at the Christian Music Scene. I haven't had the opportunity to see the film, but ALL the reviews are glowing. Apparently, he took to the task of editing a documentary with great gusto, much like he played drums.
Goodbye, Michael.
silkworm
Why Does the Devil Have all the Good Music?
Monday, July 25, 2005
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
rotten rotten rotten
One thing the interent taught us is that there are some fucked up people out there.
I have put up a link to Rotten.com, I have a link to the Rotten library, on my sidebar, because it's THAT interesting.
If you go to the Rotten.com homepage, you get links to all kinds of fucked up shit, and I mean fucked up. Some of you may have seen the motorcycle guy picture, the guy with half of his face missing. Yeuccch.
I'm not really a fan of suicide pictures, autopsy photos, faces of death, etc...
BUT, the Rotten library is a pretty amazing hyper-text. Detailing all kinds of information about all kinds of interesting stuff, you can waste all day at work.
Here is a link to rotten.com, my sidebar is a link to the rotten library.
You have been warned.
rotten.com
I have put up a link to Rotten.com, I have a link to the Rotten library, on my sidebar, because it's THAT interesting.
If you go to the Rotten.com homepage, you get links to all kinds of fucked up shit, and I mean fucked up. Some of you may have seen the motorcycle guy picture, the guy with half of his face missing. Yeuccch.
I'm not really a fan of suicide pictures, autopsy photos, faces of death, etc...
BUT, the Rotten library is a pretty amazing hyper-text. Detailing all kinds of information about all kinds of interesting stuff, you can waste all day at work.
Here is a link to rotten.com, my sidebar is a link to the rotten library.
You have been warned.
rotten.com
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
weiners
This is just a quick update, not too much to report.
The last week was just overtaken by events, big and small.
We did a quick trip to Northern Italy, to Merano in South Tyrol. I was shocked and bummed out at how much neo-nazi graffitti there was, yeucch. I saw a few swastikas, but I saw a lot of celtic crosses, which looks like a target and crosshairs, and is more popular with the skinheads, because the swastika is illegal in most of Europe.
I think most people don't realize what's going on in their own back yard, whether it's in Northern Italy or Elohim City, Oklahoma. Welcome to the 21st century.
Lately, I am becoming really put off by a certain type of Viennese rudeness. It's bumming me out.
First: Our building manager, wouldn't let a friend of ours take some granite siding, because of some lame reason, but then he had the construction workers haul it off! (WTF?, maybe the guy is just a dick, I don't know.)
Second: A while ago I found someone's wallet, while we were moving into our new studio/shop, the wallet got lost in the shuffle, and then after we got settled, the wallet turned up again. So I stopped by the police station, and the cop was so rude and asked me a million questions, and took down my information, like I did something wrong. Geez, no good deed goes unpunished.
The last week was just overtaken by events, big and small.
We did a quick trip to Northern Italy, to Merano in South Tyrol. I was shocked and bummed out at how much neo-nazi graffitti there was, yeucch. I saw a few swastikas, but I saw a lot of celtic crosses, which looks like a target and crosshairs, and is more popular with the skinheads, because the swastika is illegal in most of Europe.
I think most people don't realize what's going on in their own back yard, whether it's in Northern Italy or Elohim City, Oklahoma. Welcome to the 21st century.
Lately, I am becoming really put off by a certain type of Viennese rudeness. It's bumming me out.
First: Our building manager, wouldn't let a friend of ours take some granite siding, because of some lame reason, but then he had the construction workers haul it off! (WTF?, maybe the guy is just a dick, I don't know.)
Second: A while ago I found someone's wallet, while we were moving into our new studio/shop, the wallet got lost in the shuffle, and then after we got settled, the wallet turned up again. So I stopped by the police station, and the cop was so rude and asked me a million questions, and took down my information, like I did something wrong. Geez, no good deed goes unpunished.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Oh Canaduh
Nomeansno, holy !@$#!! Oh my god!
I was a huge Nomeansno fan when their masterpiece "Wrong" came out in 1990, it's become a sort of cult* punk classic, but it's just a classic punk record, period. I'm sure Nomeansno's twisted existential punk sensibilities had an effect during my formative years. They were wildly experimental, they played jazz-prog-funk-hyphenated-punk (in a good way, I swear!) and even did a few acapella numbers, yes, punk-acapella.
They could play the hell out of their instruments, and their lyrics read like some sort of twisted existential poetry, and they were punk as hell. If you have any interest in (good) punk rock, go get WRONG, now!
Well, time passes, tastes change, bands put out mediocre records, etc.. Then, more time passes, tastes change back, bands start putting out good records again, etc...
Nomeansno have had a renaissance of sorts in the last few years, their newer material fit seamlessly with their old songs, and what I've heard of their last two records is pretty damn good.
I remember missing them last year, and regretting it. Then I talked to a friend at home and he mentioned that he saw them and they were as good as always. And then I got an e-mail from another friend who was driving from L.A. to S.F. to see them. SO, something must be going on, and I was not going to miss them this time around, no way. I was happy to see that a good number of people showed up to see them, I had always heard that they were (relatively) popular in Europe, and I guess that's true.
How Fucken old are Nomeansno, anyway? I guess because they were always noticably older, (Rob Wright, had grey hair back in their early days, he's 51 now!) the subject of their age has always seemed to come up. First it was how much older and wise they were, then, that they were old geezers, and now a new image has come up, the idea that one can rock well into their 40's and 50's and NOT age gracefully. They look as old and crusty as you could imagine and they rock out even harder than you could imagine, a fine example of the old guys putting the young whippersnappers in their place. They put their years of experience to good use, and John Wright has just gotten better and better as a drummer, he was just going off, some of the most incredible drumming I have seen in a long time.
Yes, they rocked out, totally.
Here's a link to a newer song of theirs at epitonic.com. There's a lot of other good music at epitonic.
Graveyard Shift
*I've always wondered about the concept of the "cult" band, apparently, when a band refuses to stop playing past their peak in popularity, e.g, Nomeansno, Camper Van Beethoven, The Go-Betweens, Shellac, Wedding Present, etc..they get labeled a "cult" band. I've always found this term somewhat puzzling, and a bit offensive. If one's taste in music falls out of the mainstream, or is not trendy, hip, or up-to-date, then you have joined a cult of fellow musical obscurists. For a band to be labeled a "cult" band is also pretty bad, i.e., you are a cult band, and you will not make any new fans you will only have your old fans who are too old to count and do not fit in our marketing demographic blah blah blah.
I was a huge Nomeansno fan when their masterpiece "Wrong" came out in 1990, it's become a sort of cult* punk classic, but it's just a classic punk record, period. I'm sure Nomeansno's twisted existential punk sensibilities had an effect during my formative years. They were wildly experimental, they played jazz-prog-funk-hyphenated-punk (in a good way, I swear!) and even did a few acapella numbers, yes, punk-acapella.
They could play the hell out of their instruments, and their lyrics read like some sort of twisted existential poetry, and they were punk as hell. If you have any interest in (good) punk rock, go get WRONG, now!
Well, time passes, tastes change, bands put out mediocre records, etc.. Then, more time passes, tastes change back, bands start putting out good records again, etc...
Nomeansno have had a renaissance of sorts in the last few years, their newer material fit seamlessly with their old songs, and what I've heard of their last two records is pretty damn good.
I remember missing them last year, and regretting it. Then I talked to a friend at home and he mentioned that he saw them and they were as good as always. And then I got an e-mail from another friend who was driving from L.A. to S.F. to see them. SO, something must be going on, and I was not going to miss them this time around, no way. I was happy to see that a good number of people showed up to see them, I had always heard that they were (relatively) popular in Europe, and I guess that's true.
How Fucken old are Nomeansno, anyway? I guess because they were always noticably older, (Rob Wright, had grey hair back in their early days, he's 51 now!) the subject of their age has always seemed to come up. First it was how much older and wise they were, then, that they were old geezers, and now a new image has come up, the idea that one can rock well into their 40's and 50's and NOT age gracefully. They look as old and crusty as you could imagine and they rock out even harder than you could imagine, a fine example of the old guys putting the young whippersnappers in their place. They put their years of experience to good use, and John Wright has just gotten better and better as a drummer, he was just going off, some of the most incredible drumming I have seen in a long time.
Yes, they rocked out, totally.
Here's a link to a newer song of theirs at epitonic.com. There's a lot of other good music at epitonic.
Graveyard Shift
*I've always wondered about the concept of the "cult" band, apparently, when a band refuses to stop playing past their peak in popularity, e.g, Nomeansno, Camper Van Beethoven, The Go-Betweens, Shellac, Wedding Present, etc..they get labeled a "cult" band. I've always found this term somewhat puzzling, and a bit offensive. If one's taste in music falls out of the mainstream, or is not trendy, hip, or up-to-date, then you have joined a cult of fellow musical obscurists. For a band to be labeled a "cult" band is also pretty bad, i.e., you are a cult band, and you will not make any new fans you will only have your old fans who are too old to count and do not fit in our marketing demographic blah blah blah.
some holiday reading
Here's an update of a few things.
There is a great series of articles about Scientology at Salon.com. They ran a series as part of their summer of Scientology. I have always found Scientology strangely fascinating, I suppose driving past the L.Ron Hubbard museum on Hollywood Blvd. at 2:00 AM and seeing a group of their "navy" recruits getting into a bus is what sparked my interest. The group of people were all dressed in a similar manner; white shirts, with blue pants for the boys, and blue skirts for the girls. And they were all getting into a bus to who knows where. I do find it interesting that a "religion" would sue anybody that publishes anything critical of them, and the amount of secrecy they employ is somewhat distubing.
I suppose it really just coincides with my interest in religious weirdness, but Scientology is pretty fucked up, and seems to have few redeeming qualities, unlike more respectable religions, such as Satanism, Voodoo, or Lawsonomy.
salon.com's gonna get sued fer sure
And in the bad news department, my favorite band, the best band rocking the free world, THE HOT SNAKES, have decided to call it a day. It's too bad because they're too fucking good. I'm glad I was able to see them many times, and perform my melodica duties on those rare occasions. I wonder if they are really calling it quits or are taking an extended hiatus? But technically, Drive Like Jehu, never called it quits, they just went on a hiatus, that got longer and longer and longer and longer (and longer!) But I will really be looking forward to whatever those crazy guys do next.
I will always hate the kids
There is a great series of articles about Scientology at Salon.com. They ran a series as part of their summer of Scientology. I have always found Scientology strangely fascinating, I suppose driving past the L.Ron Hubbard museum on Hollywood Blvd. at 2:00 AM and seeing a group of their "navy" recruits getting into a bus is what sparked my interest. The group of people were all dressed in a similar manner; white shirts, with blue pants for the boys, and blue skirts for the girls. And they were all getting into a bus to who knows where. I do find it interesting that a "religion" would sue anybody that publishes anything critical of them, and the amount of secrecy they employ is somewhat distubing.
I suppose it really just coincides with my interest in religious weirdness, but Scientology is pretty fucked up, and seems to have few redeeming qualities, unlike more respectable religions, such as Satanism, Voodoo, or Lawsonomy.
salon.com's gonna get sued fer sure
And in the bad news department, my favorite band, the best band rocking the free world, THE HOT SNAKES, have decided to call it a day. It's too bad because they're too fucking good. I'm glad I was able to see them many times, and perform my melodica duties on those rare occasions. I wonder if they are really calling it quits or are taking an extended hiatus? But technically, Drive Like Jehu, never called it quits, they just went on a hiatus, that got longer and longer and longer and longer (and longer!) But I will really be looking forward to whatever those crazy guys do next.
I will always hate the kids
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