The Fringe Enthusiast

Picks of the Litter 2010

2011-01-07T15:01:00.016-05:00

Once again, my musical choices for the last year, 2010. Hopefully I will get a podcast of the radio show I did up soon as well.

PODCAST HERE!

Best of 2010

Archie Bronson Outift “Coconut” (Domino)
A good 6 am ripper to get you started, an English 3 piece full of noise and overdrive. Not really much more to say about this except this is their third release and boy, be prepared to freak people out with this one Sonic toes tapping and melting blasts from the UK. Driving, otherworldly, bizarrish, and fun.

Ima Robot “Another Man’s Treasure” (Echo park Records)
Which kind of brings me to this band. I bought this thinking it would be much like their first release, a new wave pop blast kind of thing. I have to admit that at first I was a bit disappointed, getting something way more mellow, tribal, subdued. So I put it away for a while. Then I went back to it with a different attitude, and what do you know, not bad at all. This could be considered their “All you need is Love” album because a lot of the tunes address that, very neo hippy, kind of, but it really has a personality that it worth mentioning. An abject lesson in expectation and open-mindedness for me.

Sharon Jones & Dap Kings “I Learned the Hard Way” (Daptone Recordings)

Sharon Jones & Dap Kings are already the best in new soulful funk these days, taking the classic spin and you just can't beat their butt shaking sound. I learned the Hard Way also proves that this woman is not a one trick funky pony, but a great soul artist, I would even wager one of the best around today. You feel every word sung by hear on this one. Talent.

Raw Soul “Rare & Unreleased Funk from Norfolk, VA 1971-1973” (Arcania International)
A great compliation of the backbone band Raw Soul (Barry Saunders, guitar, Maurice Glass, bass, and Grover Everett, drums) and their many releases on singles with singers from the Norfolk area and beyond. A great capturing of some Virginia funk during some peak funky times, and before disco screwed a lot of it up. This album, with some decent liner notes, will school you on the old school, solid. One of my definite favorites this year.

Virginia Rocks (Exhibit & Richmond Folk Festival) (JSP Records)
The exhibit at the Virginia Historical society put together by Don Harrison and Brent Hosier and a research essay for the Blue Ridge Institute & Museum of Ferrum College is resoundingly beautiful and captured the true heart of Virginia Rockabilly from it’s inception. There is a somewhat accompanying compilation of music called Virginia Rocks that gives you great liner notes (some of the best) in case you missed the exhibit and not only that, but we Richmonders also got to enjoy and earful of some of the living legends like The Dazzlers who played a show during the Richmond Folk Festival this year. If you like rockabilly, this exhibit was required viewing, and this cd compliation is necessary for your collection.

Rough Guide to Bhangra (Rough Guide)
Who would have ever thought that a label that churns out so much random world music would give you a doubledose of worth of spectacular Bhangra? Well, that’s not fair, Rough Guides give you choice cuts from bands picked by people that know far more than me about what is going on out there. This one grabbed me by the boo boo and kept my attention and my ipod on repeat a lot. Not only do you get a great compilation of what is out there now, but a bonus cd of a 20 year “Best of” retrospective of one of the hardest working Bhangra bands out there, Achanak. And all for like 12 bucks! A great deal and worth it!

Gogol Bordello “Trans-Continetal Hustle” (American Recordings)
So when I saw that Rick Rubin has his stink all over this cd I was absolutely dubious. He had ruined Gossip’s cd the year before and I was expecting this to be equally compromised. Surprise! It actually feels like he kept his overproduced mitts off of this one, or at least gave merely producing guidance. This is a matured Gogol Bordello, still with the same piss and vinegar of their earlier punkiness but with a more reflective and insightful angle, yet not losing their revolutionary edge. Probably their most approachable work as well. And damn, there is a song that speaks out against this whole immigration thing, Immigraniada; an anthem and probably one of the most politically active and angry and relevant songs of the year. Get this one.

Sleigh Bells “Treats” (Mom & Pop)
Okay, unless this band does something really creative and awesome next record, this will pretty much be it. But wow! It is very unique, strange, interesting and rocking, all in one mouthful. Take a guitarist Derek Miller from the hardcore punk band Poison the Well and the singer from the teen pop group Rubyblue, Alexis Krauss and you get an interesting combo. Sometimes you don’t know if it is some tripish Top 40 attempt that forgot the Autotune, or if it a head swinger from the indie flail circuit. Either way, it keeps you attentive. The thing about this album is that every song, the whole album, sounds like something that would be played at a football or hockey game. Listen to Crown on the Crown and tell me you can’t equate that to some football thing. Anyway, an interesting album and worthy.

The Dead Weather “Sea of Cowards” (Warner)
Sophomore release of the supergroup with members of The Kills (Alison Mosshart), Queens of the Stone Age (Dean Fertita), The Greenhomes (Jack Lawrence) and The White Stripes (Jack White). I would have never really been tuned into to this until one day while I was at the local indie record store. They were cranking this early in the morning, the vocals sounded so familiar and some of the effects on the keyboards were like, WHAT? Man, that is awesome. Completely rad and full of interesting stuff. Definitely a seventies vibe with some super new modern energy and sound and done with such delicious authenticity that you want more. Tracks: I’m Mad, Gasoline, Invisible Man, or Old Mary.

Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine (live)
So to confess, Jello Biafra, Alternative Tentacles label, is basically how I lived most of my 20s and 30s. He was my punk idol. Smart guy, great music with the Dead Kennedys and beyond, and gives a crap. So when I heard his new project with members of various AT bands, particularly Ralph Spite from Victims Family, another AT band, had a cd out AND where coming to Richmond, I had to go. I had never gotten the chance to see the Dead Kennedys and I had heard that they were doing some DK convers during the tour. Jello turned 50 last year and I think this was his last hurrah nationwide tour and let me tell you, YES! It was great. A modest punk crowd, but definitely enough to have a blast. He was in perfect Jello form, belting out some great new tunes and the icing on the cake, like 5 DK songs! In the pit and as smart alecky as ever, it was exactly what I wanted and I have to say my favorite show of the year.

Devo “Something for Everybody” (Warner)
Just when you thought new wave was dead, comes back one of the founding bands and a new album. The Something for Everybody CD really was just that. Midway into the year, the band hosted a website that had what they called a “song study”. This meant that anyone who signed up to the site got to preview all the songs they created for this album, then vote which were to appear on it. Along with brilliant informative deadpan videos to accompany you during your listening process, it was a brilliant concept; completely Devo-ian. So unfortunately the “ballad” made it to the album, but a good solid record just the same. They came to Richmond too but I missed them, I heard they were great though!
Yes, the Devo Internet is made of Cats:

I Heart J-Rock (Complilation)
If you want a fun representation of what Japanese Rock is about, look no further than this one right here. Some familiar groups, like Shonen Knife and TsuShiMaMire, but good American newcomers as well, giving you just enough of a sample of them to want more; like LazyGunsBrisky and Molice. Enjoy!

Dynamic Truths “Understanding is overated” (little black cloud records)
It is SO Great to have this terrific bands material compiled on a cd, limited pressing as well. A great capturing of some of the most talented musicians in Richmond at the time, and does it make me feel old remembering seeing these guys when they played? No way! RVA RULES baby, past present and future!

The Fall “Your Future Our Clutter” (Domino Recordings)
Yeah, the Fall have been around a long time and pretty much the only original member left is the nearing 60 Mark E. Smith. And yeah, there isn’t really much left of what the first few Fall albums were, but that is OK to me. This cd is a challenge for anyone who likes to understand everything they hear, so beware. There is a lot of repetition and grumbling vocals that sometimes bubble up and make sense, but if you are up for it. This puppy rocks in it’s repetition and the grumbling is spectacularly rebellious. Once you crack this nut of an album, you are in and there and enjoying the world of Your Future Our Clutter. Great title that says SO MUCH about our modern world of shopping for crap just for the sake of collecting material goods, dontcha think?

Peelander Z (live @ Camel)
Hey! I got to play Yellow’s guitar during the part where they do human bowling and get audience members to participate by playing all of their instruments! Too bad the guy they picked for drums had NO sense of rhythm, but I still rocked it anyway, and it was the most crowded I had seen a Peelander show (3rd time), rowdy as hell, but those Japanese guys now living in New York City sure can handle the crowd control! A blast!

Cheer Accident (live at the camel)
Another great live show I got to see from another band I had long respected but never got the opportunity till this year, is Cheer Accident, who are still going at it after all these year, they have never stopped. And they are the nicest bunch of people you could meet, very appreciative as they stayed over at my friends Laura and John’s house after the show. I talked to some of them before they played, told them I really liked their stuff, and the only cd I had was Not A Food, and they totally played some of the songs from that for me! YES!!!! Good show too, unique, blending some sing songy pop with hard hitting math rock that will melt you. Thanks for coming to Richmond Cheer Accident!

Twinkranes “Spektrumtheatersnakes” (B-Music)
Okay, this came out late in 09, but we only got it at the beginning of 10, so this counts as a 10 release. So when I first read the review in the studio here of this, penned by Paul G. of Pauls Boutique, and it said “car chase music” I had to give it a spin, so to speak. Damn. This thing is on fire. It is repetitious in notion, but stops there. Each song is a journey in sound, building, developing, rocking your face off. Sure you can feel the kraut rock elements, but there is so much texture as it blends with the fine sonic keyboard tapestries, tightly off kilter rhythms, bass rumblings and brilliantly memorable vocals. This is a band you will sit up when you listen and go, what? What IS this and how can I get MORE. Even more careful listening will realize that this these gents aren’t only rock musicians, but Musical Craftsmen. Every time I go away from this and come back, I learn more, appreciate more, then next thing you know I’ve
listened to the cd three times in a row. This is the kind of band I wish I could be in. This is my pick of the year.

Splork / Parlour Shakedown (Plaza Bowl)
A little selfish here, since it was one of my band Splork’s last show, but damn! It was a good one despite the scrambling we had to do to get bands to play with us, we wound up getting a great surprise in Parlour Shakedown, who brought the crowd honestly, and the stage performance to inspire us and our new drummer, Noell, to bring it too. Loads of fun, a blast and MISS YOU SPLORK! RIP!
Splork:

Parlour Shakedown (RVA Band)
These guys sound like they have been playing for years, but guess what? They only recently graduated from high school!! Smart guys, nice guys, funny guys, talented. If this is how they sound now, imagine the creativity as they age like fine wine! Local band of the year and well deserved of the following they have, they do a great live show, and expect more from them. Local band of the YEAR!

Catnip Dreams (RVA Band)
Super band supergroup with members of the Diamond Center, Hot Lava, The I-Las and Color Kittens, and I am sure I am missing another band of two in their. They were the most anticipated local group of the year to see live, like at the Jonny Z festival. And they bring their cuteness and throwback 60s pop music goodness with sharp teeth to boot. Dig em.

The Catnip Dreams (Scooter Boy) from Todd Raviotta on Vimeo.

Blogging

2010-11-28T10:11:00.002-05:00

Not here so much these days. BUT have taken on a 365 Make Something kick.

Odd, yet entertaining I hope.

Napkin Moustache a Day

365 Napkin Moustaches, One a Day for a Year. Can I do it?

It is turning into a writing blog, dig it.

Hey!

2010-08-06T09:37:00.002-04:00

Nice vacation last week, camped in 100+ degree weather, then spent a few days at our spot in the mountains, then family reunion at the end.

Good stuff.
Oh in August 2010's issue of Richmond Magazine for WRIR!! Sweet!

Getting into a little bit of psychedelic electronic stuff, Bruce Haack was an awesomely weird dude.javascript:void(0)

It's a Star Wars movie

2010-05-22T08:10:00.007-04:00

So for work, we had to create some video footage for this class we were doing. Some of us had huge vision, including myself. While I already knew the movie making program Pinnacle, I took the opportunity to make a movie revolving around the Bookmobile, and make it like Star Wars with a dash of Python and Red Dwarf. Hardly a masterpiece by any means, but it is some of my best film work! Green screen rules!

We have settled into our new house wonderfully, Fungalow living is the BEST!!!

Reading: I just finished a wonderful, haunting novella called The Lord God Bird by Russell Hill, and now am beginning to sludge through the pre-buzzed thicky The Passage by Justin Cronin; not as literate as Hill's book and taking some getting into, but getting there. Also, still waiting for my LibraryThing early reviewer copy of Ryu Murakami's novel Audition.

Listening: Various stuff to make my first ever iPod mix, but recently been digging a lot of the late 80s bands I used to like or was curious about. Is THIS my mid-life crisis? Instead of a red convertible, I buy all the tunes of my youth? The Godfathers, The Sugercubes, The Smiths, Pete Townsend. More recently, The Magnificents and the new Gogol Bordello.

Are you Jake Sully?

2010-01-23T16:33:00.009-05:00

Just came back from the biggest movie of the year, maybe of the 21st Century, Avatar, and ultimately BIG DEAL. SO WHAT?

But am I kidding?
Or kidding myself?

With the exception of a few cornball script moments, this film was absolutely spectacular. A visual feast of colors, creatures, and ideals played to our packed theater and you know, it was the strangest thing; NO one talked, NO babies were around screaming, NO iphones were texted on. Even during the quietest moments of the picture, people were actually doing what the friendly neighborhood voice over asked us to do before the movie started. Silence your cellphones, no talking, take the whiner into the hall. The feature is a dazzling, larger than life epic, and YES, overwrought with message. This isn't the first time Hollywood has given us messages, and I can name a few but won't, but the clear message here is Environmentalism.

I don't have to mention the plot, YES, it has been compared with Dances with Wolves but I swear I also saw elements of A Bug's Life. Also in the message mix is a swirl of combo punches about indigenous people, endangered species, colonialism, industrialism, the list goes on but makes a coherent enough stew of meaning. (spoiler alert) There are clearly haunting, touching, moments in the film; like when our wheel-chaired marine first gets his avatar body and he RUNS like Forrest Gump across the fields of Pandora, the saddened scene of the Chief Scientist (Sigourney Weaver) not being able to BrendleFly with her avatar to save her life, the completely obvious (and gut wrenching) 9-11 moment when the Big Tree gets destroyed and topples like the Twin Towers, complete with aftermath of the horror stricken survivors you would swear were on the street of New York City that day. SERIOUSLY. It is just a movie that tugs at you with meaning and significance, just as it was intended.

I mean, think about it in relation to our planet. Al Gore aside, we ARE of nature, we are part of it, why are we so stubborn to do the right things to protect it?
Industrialism and Capitalism has really fucked us up faster than the Bible or any other religion. We are killing our earth. Yeah yeah, I KNOW, sucks right! (I always think of the Carlin bit on the Earth is fine, it's the people you are concerned about!) And the hypocrisy ain't helping either. Maybe if we all just helped a little, but more importantly, maybe the corporate dogheads we suck nectar from need to take a little more responsibility since they take the biggest piece of pie. Clean up, take what the scientists are telling us seriously. I digress because we all know what needs to get done in order to turn things around.

I can actually get behind the movie's message here, I completely and unequivocally AGREE with this movie's message, totally, great, YES WE CAN! All that...but

The question is will we?
The other question is, will this movie change anyone?
Are you Jake Skully?

Sure, the message is great, but can a movie from Hollywood change the way humans think enough to create action? I wrote a crappy little novel a few years ago that addressed this subject, but it involved people who could MAKE PEOPLE do things because they had these special powers. So they were going to DC to become lobbyists. One of the issues these characters were going to have to deal with in spreading the message of the "new way" was to infiltrate the media with information that would be pleasing to the masses. This was written before the internet exploded into a missive of splinter groups where you could get any information online to support your point of view, whether it was true or not.

Avatar will probably surpass all the movies in history at the box office, millions and millions will see it. Money money money money money money! Where will all this money go? Is there some kind of point share that will go to helping Haiti maybe? I mean Hollywood completely CARED about what was going on enough at the Golden Globes to talk about caring, I wonder if something could actually get DONE? I know, a lot of investors need to get their 5th house in the islands jones taken care of first, but then what?

I paid 20 bucks for my kid and I to go and get the funny 3D glasses and be enamored with the spectacle, I'll admit that, but is this movie's message sincere in the intent or is it merely pandering to my NOW concerns of the guilt and terror of a dead world future?

It just seems these days that the new industry is the Pander Industry. Whether it be the dreams of Obama giving us the Change we need (in a bumper sticker) to the conveniences of fresh food from a farmer's market, to the easy to operate my Digital Converter box for my rabbit ears on the television because we won't get cable, it seems we're still skipping along to the same old beat. Well, maybe not us on a LOCAL level, it seems we can do that (for whatever motivation we do it for, selfish or otherwise), but what we see in our day to day life is NOT what is happening with the powers that be. How's that health care coming? How's that off shore drilling coming along? How about that new nuclear power facility in your backyard? Oh sure, totally safe because we tell you it is, here, have another techno gizzy to purchase to get jizzy online with your buddies with.

Yeah yeah yeah, we are all guilty, it's just a question of your level of hypocrisy in this day and age, but when is something going to be done from the TOP DOWN? Hollywood is not the only target, let's take aim on the banks and the oil barons and the military industry too.

So okay, yes, this movie made me think, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to any and everyone. Spectacular, worthy of film discussion, although probably too heavy handed and transparent for film snobs, but a great afternoon. Will it change the world? It would be nice to think so, but I doubt it. After all, it is just a movie. And I am just a guy that likes to go to Mekong and drink a beer with my wife and friends. But as my enthusiastic kid and I were walking out of the theater, staying for the credits because damn, they needed to be recognized, I realized the greatest irony in watching this film: the 3d Glasses were not recyclable.

Best Music of 2009 - My picks of the Musical Litter

2010-01-07T19:32:00.020-05:00

I do a little radio show on WRIR 97.3 called the Friday Breakfast Blend. It's every Friday 6-8am. Here are my picks of the 2009 Musical Litter. No runts, all healthy and worth your time!

HERE IS A PODCAST OF THE SHOW TOO!

Favorite Live Show:
Shonen Knife
@ the Plaza Bowl (w. Hot Lava, Jeff the Brotherhood and Hex Machine)
http://www.shonenknife.com/

Wow! So yeah yeah yeah, Shonen Knife is classic punk from the 80s on; I was never really much into them besides a few albums. BUT, I do so love bands from Japan, plus also them being punk and classic, I felt the obligation, and was curious to see a band that has been around so long live. After seeing the great local acts Hot Lava & Hex Machine, as well as the fantastic two piece Jeff the Brotherhood, SK took the stage in modest and matching outfit fashion. So tiny and cute, worrying they would get crushed by the crowded of fun-lovingly drunk Richmonders and creepy dudes with cameras, and then DAMN! They took it and blew the crowd away. And let me tell you it was the most crowded I had ever seen the Plaza Bowl and kudos to Community Chest for bring this act to town. The Knife totally converted me that night. I was up front by guitarist Naoko Yamano with Jared (from HL) and some poot butt gal in mock Asian wig drunk as a skunk. She eventually lost her top in a crowd surf. Shonen Knife played their power chord songs, classic and new (they have been constantly going at it for over 25 years now!) and even brought out the old drummer (and sister to Naoko) Atsuko to do a classic Fruits & Vegetables. Here are a couple of the songs they played that night, Jared & I split the play list and to quote SN: Richmond is very ROCK!

Brighton Port Authority
I think we’re gonna need a bigger boat
(Southern Fried Records)
http://www.thebrightonportauthority.com/

Norman Cook, who is better known as Fatboy Slim, creates a diverse album with a host of great and interesting singers, etc. This a terrific collaboration, and one of my favorites of 2009. Starting off with Iggy Pop covering The Monochrome Set’s “He’s Frank” with quirky and a luster that oozes irony and sentiment. Catchphrases of songs you may have heard before be it riff or otherwise really sets the pace of the album. Musical catchphrase redefined in the Fatboy way. You will hum and sing along to the Cd. It jumps the fence like a toad featuring Connan Mockasin is a true booty shaker and repetitive mantra. Or the touching emotional warmth of the song Seattle with Emmy the Great pouring out the lyrics of America in a memorable and quite beautiful way. And then the first song ever by the BPA makes it’s way on here, Toejam, featuring David Byrne (cussing!) and a rap by Dizzee Rascal, fun and funny. An album worthy of party background as well as car cruising.

Luminescent Orchestrii
Neptune’s Daughter
(Nine Mile Records)
http://www.lumii.org/

Wow, talk about feeling the gypsy roots. Luminescent Orchestrii starts their Neptune’s Daughter like gypsies entering a new town with a traditional tune amped in folk punk style, Moldavanian. They are clearly ready to con you with their sexy dirty danceable music. They are like circus musicians tantalizing you with the sauce, the elixir of another, older, mystical world. With Romanian melodies infused with exuberance and hints of funk and jazz in there too. Kombucha Monster . You really can’t go wrong with this one, especially with one of the naughtiest songs you could every play on the air, Nasty Tasty. A true theme and perhaps a classic they will be mostly known for, at least in these parts! Luminescent Orchestrii has a great way of combining the vibe of traditional Gypsy music with modern elements, fervor and style, and one of the best of 2009.

and now......

ROCK YOUR FACE OFF ROCK

Future of the Left
Travels with myself and Another
(4AD)
http://www.futureoftheleft.com/

Loud? Yes, indeed. A lot of strained screams and “yeah”s? Certainly. Dismissible? Hell no! One of the best bands out of the UK with their follow-up to their debut “Curses”, is one of the most vignettes of character oriented albums I have ever heard. Plus it just plain kicks you in the pants. Aggressive, curt in tone and a real scathing of all things, complete with a kind of pirate drunken swagger that will make you want to join in. Right when you think the spiral of wall of sound will never stop, they go all booty shake on you. One of the great, albeit quick tunes that grab you right away is “Stand by your Manatee”, a creative romp of a tune, literate and funny. (play) You find a dead guy and his letter, yet the issue you have with it is the grammer? Funny, dark, poignant. Another example of high brown lyric writing meshing with all out loud rock is “The Hope that House Built”, a political social statement as despairing as you could be, but with a clever bit of humor a la Clash or something. Another song that can’t really be played on the air, but should be heard is “You need satan more than he needs you”, with lyrics like “Yeah sure Satan rules but that doesn’t mean I can’t be practical”. Funny, ironic, a kind of poke fun at part time evilarians, I suppose. Or how evil am I holding the diapers of my child at a walmart or something. Yin/Post-Yin, is an all out assault on the absurdities of men and should be in every home to humble and align human condition positions. This record is saying something, and you should listen.

POP ROCK

The Molice
Doctor Ray
(Velour Voice)
http://www.themolice.com

Okay, so this was release in Japan at the end of last year, however, stateside had yet to see it till a few months ago. The first three songs on the album set the vibe, a hook in the lip and you will be reeled in. Take “Headphone”, gets kind of funky, definitely rocks, and a little bit of singalong-ability. This album is a quintessential pop album and must have for anyone. It is as much about the discovery of how great this band as it is about the music itself. The first one that got me into them I found their video for “Ms. Panic”, cool and sleek. Catchy tunes, immediately hooked into your eardrum. But then something else happens. Layers. Take the opening track, “White Vertigo”. Sure, you can bop your head around to the basic beat, then listen to the bass, the guitar on the backbeat, the male vocals that back Rinko and follow you to the end. Much like The Pixies redefined “pop” in the 90s in the US, The Molice have taken J-Pop back from its cloying, often annoying sugariness and made it into a rawer, more creative and interesting sound. Whether it be the seemingly sweet sound turned noisefest of Dear Change, or the straight ahead groove of Hole, there a lots of songs to love. Best pop-rock cd of the year.

WORLD AWESOMENESS

Mahala Rai Banda
Ghetto Blasters
(Asphalt-Tango Records)
http://www.myspace.com/mahalaraibandaofficial

This is a band truly to behold. The band name means “Noble Band from the Ghetto” just to let you know. Clejani musician Aurel Ionita has gathered a group of players from the Gypsy villages and Bucharest ghettos and mashed an array of delectable styles in an cd worth leaving in the player for a long time. Whether it be Ionita mumbling along emphatically to the horn lines in “Nu Mai Beau” or the emotional groove of the rhythm section at the end of “Avante Me Fante”, there is never a dull moment with Ghetto Blasters. You get a real sense of the musical skill and frolicking int eh streets king of fun with this. The horn section is about as tight as you can get, one of the tightest I have heard from a Balkan style band, take “ Zuki Zuki “ or “Ding Deng Dong” as just two examples of it. One of the greatest things about this album is the sense that you are right *there* and with them, enthralled in their energy, drinking the wine with them; that comes across perfectly here. This cd is musical craftsmanship and jam ability from the Romanian ghettoes and Balkanized for your entertainment. Not likely to be beat. Ghetto Blasters is a sound and solid album though and through, pure enjoyment, pure Gypsy party with this and the best world cd of the year.

LOCAL BAND OF THE YEAR

Color Kittens
http://www.myspace.com/thecolorkittens

Named from the Margaret Wise Brown childrens book, this band is anything but childish…well, okay maybe they don’t want to take out the Trash …. This band brings the garage blues punk flavor straight forward and makes the shoulders and head flail. They work hard as hell too, being show whores and you hafta love them for it. Need a band to play? Chances are, they’ll do it. And do it well! My band Splork played with them at Plaza Bowl last year, and while it wasn’t as packed a show as say…Shonen Knife, they played it out like it was a crowded house. And when we played, they were just as crazy for us as we were with them. Locals of the year, Color Kittens, meowing at a club near you, see them!

SO bad about updating my blog

2009-12-29T17:57:00.002-05:00

Facebook is a bastard. Admit it. Since joining I guess about a year ago, then having everyone I know well, kind of know, have gotten to know better, barely known but glad I have, don't really want to know but somehow know more than I ever wanted, it has been really hard to keep this going. I know it just takes the drive to write, but there again, lazy bastard.

But hey, I've been busy! In between the teenager learning to drive, trying to sell the house AND buy a house, it makes for needing to gel in front of the tv or book or....Facebastard.

So, more will come I am sure, eventually, just down to the wire on the house thing.

*cross fingers*
*wishes luck*

Listening: trying to nail down my top music for 2009 for the radio show (97.3 wrir.org 6-8am Friday Breakfast Blend). The Molice, Mahala Rai Banda, & more more more, hard to say what is number one, they are all so good!

Reading: doing some homework for a trip to Williamsburg to visit my folks who are in town there soon, but on deck is the second half of Edmund Morris Teddy Roosevelt biography. Plus also, got the complete Don Martin MAD 2 Vol. set. Quite fun!

STOP SHOP DAY!

2009-11-27T09:48:00.003-05:00

Black Friday. Listen to the podcast of my show to STOP SHOPPING!
We owe them NOTHING!
BLACK FRIDAY BREAKFAST BLEND PODCAST

Author M.T. Anderson to visit Richmond

2009-10-18T19:36:00.006-04:00

I work in a library under the guise of a Teen Librarian and while I don't really have a degree, and the teens I do serve have not much interest in M.T. Anderson, this guy will be worth every bit of visit. He is arriving Tuesday, and speaking at Hermitage High School Wednesday at 7pm. It's free.

M.T. Anderson is probably the best author of Teen books out there. He is diverse, writing a book called Feed, about a consumer culture in the future run amok and with obscured invented language similar to A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, as well a two volume set of a wonderful and poignant story called Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, set in America during the Revolution and the story of a slave boy educated by a torturous experimental school. His writing is important and deliberate and literate. His work often addresses the issues of today, and maybe a little overkill, but maybe not so much that as with contempt that these issues are around. For anyone who would argue that his books are too much or above teens, he would argue that teens are smart and we shouldn't give them the ride on the short bus home. Anyway, he's coming this Wednesday to speak and I highly recommend you go see him talk damnit.

Here's a sample:

Reading: books by M.T. Anderson: The two mentioned above, plus Thirsty (creepy yet funny teen vampire story), Whales on Stilts (hilarious pun induced world takeover adults are crazy story), Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware (continued story of Whales), Burger Wuss....and many more!

Listening: Great new find of a Japanese Indie Pop band called The Molice. Also, new Polysics on the way!

Mekong & the 14th Anniversary party

2009-08-20T09:16:00.026-04:00

Without a doubt Mekong is widely considered the best Vietnamese restaurant in town. It is also widely considered to be the best place for beer! Last night was the beer event of the year.

I had arranged for L. to pick me up from Mekong, so I could drink and not have to worry about driving home. Of course that meant finding a way to get there. Everyone I thought that would go (and perhaps give me a ride) had canceled; that meant I was flying solo. That's okay, I would "cover" it like a reporter for a magazine would, going back to the days when I used to do that for Throttle and other zines for music. But it also meant Public Transportation. The thing about P.T. in a medium size town is that you are ALWAYS waiting, and often this is your view:

The bus is rarely on time and though a competent system, it is just never when nor where you need it to be.

Anyway, between two buses and mostly standing at the stops, it takes about an hour to get there . As I approached the restaurant just after 6, I could see the cars pulling in and the bodies arriving. I knew this was the beer drinking crowd. Sure there were a few people coming just for a proper dinner, but little did they know that they were about to be outnumbered. For the only room that wasn't dedicated to the party was the front. The rest was ours.

After handing in my ticket I was was funneled to the left where I received my pint glass and tee shirt. The buffet lay in wait just across the room. Mmmm, rocket shrimp, tofu curry, spring rolls, fried rice, dumplings. So much to choose from.

Speaking of choices, I had my hands full; camera bag, camera, umbrella, Me Kong t-shirt and an empty pint glass. I was beer thirsty and ready but had to unload and decide whether to hit the buffet first or fill my beautiful sky blue lettered glass with beverage. Food first, because you know the beer will never run dry if An is running the show. I dropped my umbrella off behind the bar while waiting in the food line, plated up, then head to the banquet room to make the first beer decision of the night; KWAK.

An was back there, talking, shaking hands and all smiles. Here's an aficionado clearly in his element. "Phil," he said, "You haven't put your shirt on yet!" He's referring to shirt that everyone was donning "Mekong is *heart* for beer lovers". "Getting to it!" was my reply, taking a big Kwaky sip.

As the sea of shirts continued to multiply, there was also more friendliness amongst the beer drinkers. That's the thing about avid appreciators of beer. They are all friendly with a bit of jaded humor to give them the edge you need. I first got chummy with a nice knowledgeable couple over a pint of An's homemade brew simply called "The Crazy", which looked like a mad scientist experiment with the beer being filtered through the hops.

Still had yet to see familiar faces, although I was starting to make new friends fast, talking beer and just having a good time. I needed a break from the crowd, so I stole off to the empty corner table near the stage to write some thoughts down, playing reporter role still. While writing an elderly couple came up to me and asked if they could use the table. I said sure, I'm just here writing, feel free to sit down. The husband seemed kind and apologetic for interrupting me, but the wife was on a mission. She was converting their two scotch on the rocks to their new pint glasses. As she dumped the liquor into them she spilled a bit on the tabletop and back end of a chair. Immediately and with quick action she wiped the chair off, right onto my leg. No apology from her and she was off, her husband left to thank me for the table use and once again say sorry. What a bitch was my first thought, but then any hostile emotions melted away with a swig of beer and a "ha ha beer events are funny" attitude.

Grabbing another plate of food, I next went back to the Kwak, finding a place to sit. Two younger alternative looking gals were camping out between two cooler taps and there was a chair open. I reached across the table and plopped down my plate, then worked my way around to sit. The dark haired girl's boobs were about to pop out and the blond was dubious of me from the start. Trying not to seem like creepy guy, I made small talk and we eventually had some nice smattering of conversation, although I feel they probably still felt I was a little weird. Here they are, and doesn't it look like An is dancing?

Back again, this time to the bar where some Chimay was on tap and would be the beer I would roll with most of the night. I took a temporary seat and lo and behold who shows up but the WW2 veteran who spoke of his experiences in the War at the last Mekong Beer Fest called World War Beer. He started talking me and another girl about flying 32 missions over Europe and how after entering the armed forces he had a choice to either fight in Europe or the Pacific. He chose Europe, because "the food was better, the cots were better, the whiskey was better and the women were better!" Cheers to you sir!

After he went back to his table, the girl told me how she loved hearing all those stories from older folks. We got to talking and shared what we were reading, me a Teddy Roosevelt biography, she a biography on Stalin. Then I started getting chummy with her friends and hung out there a while. One of the fellas was covering the event for RVA Magazine, I'd remembered him from the previous Mekong event, and we all toasted glasses several times. Suddenly the Flay Slayer shows up!

Just as quickly, the action was getting faster by this point, a guy from some beer magazine stood on a chair and yells for everyone who is wearing the Mekong shirt to come to the stage for a group photo. Yeah, you know it was bound to happen. The biography girl made a joke that she was going to grab her crotch like a baseball player for the photo and we all chuckled and egged her on. People gathered, laughter and whoops, and this other woman got candid and I took an impromptu snap:

Notice biography girl in the background and her baseball player pose. Hilarious! As people continued to get ready for the photo, all the photographers, amateur or otherwise, clicked and snapped. I yell, "Okay, everyone on the count of three, yell beer!" One, two, three:

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!!!!!!

Time for a bit of Terrapin while chatting with Lian, the first of the 5 brothers, and his wife.

He told me how before Mekong moved in to the building, the place was an electrical store or something. I told him they needed the whole strip mall, knock down some walls and line the place with beer. He laughed and said no, this is good, we're all like family; like everyone here at the party. It was kind of like a big fine beer drinking family! My glass was empty again, Lian led me to the banquet room, where he poured me a fine glass of delicious two year old Brasserie Dupont.

Next on deck was the band Fear no Beer, better known as Modern Groove Syndicate. Funky, jazzy and perfect for the crowd.

As the evening progressed I spent some time with Julia and David of River City Cellars fame. Great people and fun to hang with!

While in the midst of continually good inebriated conversation, I'd missed my phone call. L. was on her way and would be there in 20 minutes. Time for cake silliness, last photos and goodbyes.

Cake fun!

Posing silly.

An entirely sweaty me and An.

If there is something to said about that evening, it is that Mekong is a great place for good beer, good food and a good party. Happy Anniversary and I look forward to many more!

CHEERS and Good Times!

King of Dead ...how much?

2009-07-04T13:45:00.004-04:00

So Michael Jackson is dead, right? Okay, well established. I go to ebay for laughs to see all the overpriced auctions on stuff. Go there and do a search on Michael Jackson. I think the most absurd is the various domain names for like 18 Grand.

Beer of Summer picture:

Vacation photos

2009-07-01T10:51:00.003-04:00

L. has posted some vacation photos of our to Southwest Virginia and the state parks in that area. It was a lot of mountainous fun! More photos:

Wilderness Road State Park

Natural Tunnel State Park

Big Stone Gap, VA (Where there is the SW VA History Museum State Park)

Breaks Interstate Park

Reading: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Listening: The Essential Radio Birdman (1974-1978)

River City Limits

2009-06-13T19:22:00.004-04:00

Ceci & I have a great deal of fun doing River City Limits for Richmond Indie Radio on second Saturdays:

Here we are in our 3-D Glasses...COMIN' AT YA!

Listening: The Cosmopolitans, we had member Jamie K. Sims on for the show, they are having a reunion gig in NC on August 1st.
Reading: Wyatt Earp Speaks ---yeah in a western history phase, even watching Deadwood again.

Port-O-Let Memorial Weekend fun

2009-05-25T19:39:00.006-04:00

A great Splork show last Friday at The Triple for the River City Roller Girls.
Here are a couple of pics:

Then the next day, L & I go to D.C. . We visit my aunt, see Prairie Home Companion, and catch a Nationals game at the new stadium -- they won. A great weekend!

An amusing thing we started to do while traveling through the crazy that is NoVa traffic, is have some fun with the portable toilets that line the endless construction by the highways. The vast army of blue and gray plastic privies are known as Don's Johns and YES, they have a website. In fact, they have NBC coverage from the Obama Inauguration on there too. So my original post was to try and come up with funny slogans for advertisement for this sanitation company, but the obvious winner already speaks for itself: something to the effect of when the government needs to go, they call the best, they call Don's Johns. So anyway, here are the other slogans we came up with after see them at road construction site after road construction site, feel free to join in:

- We won't port-o-let you down.
- Moving your movement, one port-o-let at a time.
- Keeping construction on the go.
- It's everywhere they want to go.
- Slow construction ahead...doesn't mean their behind.
- Because no one like them sitting down on the job.

Reading: A Terrible Glory : Custer and the Little Bighorn by James Donovan
and an amusing urban teen book called The Exorsistah by Claudia Mair Burney.

Watching: Antiques Roadshow.

Plaza Bowl & Triple

2009-05-15T15:27:00.007-04:00

Okay, so we played a fun show at the Plaza Bowl a couple of weeks ago. It was great! Here's a clip:

Next on the Splork-deck, The Triple as part of the River City Roller Girls benefit!

Here's the handbill:
Should be fun I know! We totally get to play with Hot Lava and some other cool bands!

Listening: Juana Molina, some of her back catalog stuff...real good. And some kick ass band called The Beautiful Mothers.

Reading: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith.
Book Club anyone? ha!

Watching: Original Twilight Zone episodes from the Volume III collection. Love when Rod Serling zips in on each episode with clever language smoking a cigarette. Very chock full of awesome-ness.

Robot nerd that I am

2009-04-25T08:34:00.005-04:00

Being a robot collector, as well as a big Ghost in the Shell fan, I could not resist buying this Dennou Chogokin Tachikoma Ver.1.2 from Japan; a great site called Hobby Link Japan. Yes, it is cool. Here is a vid:

I know I know, dorky right? But you have to admit it is pretty kick ass and it looks swell in the display case:

Reading: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. Makes me angry and sad.

Listening: 97.3 WRIR Richmond Independent Radio fund raising time...DONATE!!!!!!

To see it

2009-04-19T18:59:00.010-04:00

You know, it would really be great if the Westhampton or wherever in town would show this:

And speaking of theaters, I am looking forward to going to see Hitchcock's The Birds at the Byrd on April 24th, two showings of the film at a cost of 10 bucks, which includes Wurlitzer fun and some free popcorn. Then I notice that Bow-Tie cinema is also show the Birds for their little movie and mimosa thing. Hmmm...I bet Bow-Tie is trying some sly marketing ploy, taking ideas from our local beautiful theater as well as taking money from the Foundation by offer the same old film at the same time or better yet a week earlier, hardly a coincidence dontcha think? Maybe Bow-Tie is pretty shitty after all... Kind of like Starbucks opening two locations near a local coffee shop to steal the business.... hmmmm.

Reading : Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell.

Listening: lots, but a great German (?) spazzcore band called Chung.

Tripe movie of the past

2009-04-11T07:21:00.011-04:00

So last night, I make everyone in the house watch 1996's space invader movie, Independence Day, thinking it would be a good space action movie that the teen would like and maybe L. would enjoy since it has Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and others. I remember going to the theater to see this with a friend of mine when it first came out and thought it was a two hour wad of spittoon catchings. People cheered when the character playing the president said Nuke 'Em. WTF??!! Oh, but then the same ding dongs that cheered that suggestion also cheered when the President FIRED the slimy character that suggested it to begin with. WTF?!?! Anyway, it was a lot of cheesed out patriotic-ish tripe, though the effects were good for the time. I remember at the time that I had enjoyed Tim Burton's Mars Attacks much better, particularly for the hilarious inclusion of Tom Jones in the final shot of the movie (you know when he is with the animals like Dr. Doolittle?).

Burton's movie took the same 1950s martian invader genre nod and went in a more endearing and lasting direction.

Seeing ID last night, it felt long (I can't believe I watched the whole thing!), pompous, showboaty, and the effects are dated. I mean sure, I guess it is an OK action movie, but it has no way near the lasting great movie element it may have banner waved at the time of its release. Not including the whole "twin towers" foreshadowed reference or whatever you want to bring into it. So the question is: why did I want to watch it and why did I want to make my family watch it? I mean, I didn't really like it at the time it came out. I might have even been vehement about it. So what inspired me to see it again? Maybe it totally feels like a Sunday afternoon lounging around the house type of movie...I am sure it wasn't some kind of attempt at capturing my youth or whatever. Maybe big budget Hollywood flicks like that, even though most suck, create some kind of false pattern of recognition where you picked up on the popularity of it through some kind of consumer collective consciousness. Weird, I know, but marketing does strange things to peoples psyche, any psychologist will tell you that. Or maybe it is as simple as just recalling some of the more impressionable scenes of the movie being interesting and you just blocked out the crappy parts. Anyway, I think I might have seen it for the last time last night --at least as a rental.

So onto some weird video okay?

IMOTO vs Komodo dragon

What would YOU do if being chased by a Komodo Dragon? Damn I love Japanese television!

Reading: Manhunt: the twelve day chase for Lincoln's killer by James L. Swanson

Listening: Feed by M.T. Anderson, read the book already, reviewing for family book club, great audio! Oh, also, ordered some new music from CD Baby!

Shoes.

2009-03-27T10:53:00.004-04:00

I know this is 2 years old, but still funny...you betch.

What I want to read right now: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austin. You heard me!

Twitter Testes

2009-03-25T10:44:00.001-04:00

Could have been funnier, but still amusing.

Fun PSA from the Ad Council

2009-03-17T09:12:00.002-04:00

Cat Magnet!

Reading: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson.

Listening: The BPA "I think we're gonna need a bigger boat", XXTeens "Welcome to Good Island", Bis "Social Dancing".

Anti-snow blog

2009-03-02T15:52:00.007-05:00

Since everyone on facebook, here, and various other social networks keeps chatting and posting about the snow here in town, which I love and also am excited to see, I am going to post a picture of our cat in a box to counterbalance all the snow fervor:

Meow.

Reading: Finishing up The Lost City of Z by David Grann, getting ready for The Kingdom on the Waves: Octavian Nothing, Vol. 2 by M.T. Anderson.

Watched: The Thing from Another World.

Gyral Umbrella

2009-02-19T10:13:00.006-05:00

Clock Work baby. I saw this crazy ass toy at World of Mirth right before the holidays. Obviously a choking hazard to most anyone and I think on the consumer shit list in some countries, yet selling for 45 bucks on ebay in Argentina.

Everything about it stuns me. The crazy name, the weird graphics, the way it works and the funky psycho sound it makes. Here's a vid of it at work, notice how LONG it performs, and that was just from a few cranks!

I KNOW, right, so weird.... anyway, another greatly humorous thing about this toy made in China, is the warning label that it has:

1) Children is misspelled and 2) that sentence ALMOST makes no sense! You gotta think about it a little, ya know? It's almost like the box is PART of the fun! Anyway, I bought the last two (or only) on the shelf, they were like 6 bucks, thinking that I definitely had to have one at the office and I had to share one with someone. Funny how I haven't found the right person yet to give this to!

Let's party!

2009-02-06T09:50:00.005-05:00

I feel like crap today, but am to be the emcee for this great WRIR 97.3 radio party. Four years! Four great bands, Horsehead, RPG, Bio Ritmo and Hot Lava and 2 DJ rooms with some slam poetry thrown in. Yeah!

Hey, listen to Friday's show I posted:
Podcast Here

Listening: The Cramps, Lux Interior R.I.P. I remember seeing them at the Flood Zone I guess about 12 years ago (?) My older punk friend got socked in the mouth by a 20 year girl who didn't appreciate him slam dancing at a punk show (!) near her. I was hypnotized by Poison Ivy, swearing she was staring me down the whole time while playing the guitar, Lux was all over the fucking place; on the speaker, writhing on the stage, on the crowd. It was fantastic....

Reading: Infoquake by David Louis Edelman

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

My Carytown New Year pictures...

2009-01-19T14:25:00.007-05:00

These are photos from the day after, around 11:30am. I live near enough there to call it my neighborhood, and frankly I don't want you dickweeds around trashing my community for the sake of the New Year:

I'm not sure who brought the walking machine to the Street party, but they tore that box open and left it.

This was a huge sheet of glass that we thought fell from a window, we couldn't locate the origin, guessed maybe someone's car window got smashed.

Since there are no cows in the big city for country bumpkin drunk boys to tip over, portable toilets are the next best thing?

This was the remains of a bloody torn shirt on the sidewalk which furthers my thought that there are a lot of drunk dudes at this "celebration" looking for fights.

This is the best shot I could get of the inside of Can-Can, which was very trashy with confetti and stuff that the staff probably said, "This crap can wait till tomorrow." Still, all those suburbanites coming in to the fashionable restaurant would call 12 on your side in a heartbeat if they found a streamer in their soup!

Horse nuggets left by your friendly neighborhood policemen and their trusty steeds that I heard trotted through the crowd minutes after the New Year to clear people out. Guess they forgot the shovel?

Speaking of horse flop, those that couldn't squeeze into Can-Can, had to settle for Asian food on flower boxes. I suppose finishing the rice was too much effort to achieve, kind of like throwing away the plate. I kind of have this image of a group of 22 year old drunk fashionable girls sharing these plates of food, with one totally blowing chunks after eating, while her friend sets the plates down right here to help her friend puke by moving her long $200 haircut out of the flow of barf.

Celebrate the New Year in Carytown, rent an apartment!

I think these photos are reason enough to charge people in the counties taxes for Richmond. You come to the city and trash it! Not saying a lot of the locals do it too but...Or at least if they are going to do this Carytown thing next year, they should charge 20 bucks, so they can afford a quick clean up after wards, and not just the one street, the neighborhoods too. A lot of the surrounding the areas had litter everywhere as a result.

Carytown New Year's is LAME. We went one year and that was enough. The idea of a ball dropping (or raising) needs more of a Square type setting. How about Brown's Island or Shockoe Bottom. Because I suspect that a lot of people that troll the Bottom were probably at this thing. Anyway.

Robot Nerd

2009-01-16T19:59:00.004-05:00

So I collect robots, it was a conscious effort I made a couple of years ago, because I thought it would be kind of unique and well, they are neat. We went to Ikea today, in between radio shows and taking the cat to the vet, where we picked up some new bookshelves for the living room and, magically enough, an awesome display case for some robots!!!
Terribly blurry pic, I know, but look:

Reading: Museum of Terror manga series by Junji Ito.

Preparing to watch: lotta of talk on Wild Zero again. Great movie that stars the kick-ass band Guitar Wolf!

Big Guys like D.O.A.

2009-01-10T15:38:00.004-05:00

Here is a pic of me with Joe Shithead Keithley and the rest of the new crew of D.O.A. about ten years ago, I'm the fatty hairy guy in the back!

It was a great few days being able to hang out with D.O.A. while they stayed at my friend Michele's apt on Grace Street. They were between shows (with Zeke, who were constantly trying to score coke out of their motel, I think), the drummer hurt his back and they needed to recoup. I got to drive Joey to Pleasants hardware to buy some glue for his guitar which he broke at the show here. Plus interview them for Throttle Magazine in a restaurant/band review/interview at Stella's (after it moved to Main Street). Good times!

Reading: Awesome book called "The Terror" by Dan Simmons, fictionalized account (with monster) on the lost Franklin Expedition in the 1840s.

2008 Pick of the Litter Music

2009-01-01T14:31:00.007-05:00

So this Friday, my show will be the Best of 2008! Here it is:

Best of 2008 -- Phil D.
(Friday Breakfast Blend 6-8AM, River City Limits 2nd Saturdays)

Podcast here: http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/30952

Triclops “Out of Africa” (Alternative Tentacles)
Different. Proof that punk is art and just well, damn good! Members of Victims Family, Lower 48 and the vocalist from Fleshies have done a discordantly defiant record in the vein of a Yes album, but way harder, creepier and chock full of fists solidly raised in the air. Musically, it’s a math romp, or noise romp or hardcore romp, it dances along the heavier side of music without the schizophrenia. Vocals are a real gem of oddness here, using studio trickery to squeeze out tones like a baby or add echo to madness ranting. Take the song “Freedom Tickler”, my favorite track, starting as a creeper then going to the straight forward noodle with poignant lyrics written in the form of a comic in the liner notes. “Secret 93” is a dark tale of city in darkness, combining elements of acoustic and throwing it up in the air with some intense sonic angles. Triclops “Out of Africa” is the kind of thematic cd that is bigger than any one song, and is worth repeated listening.

Gogol Bordello live at Toad’s Place.
Plain & simple just read my review HERE.
Best in show in town of the year.

Flight of the Conchords - tv show and Cd (Sub Pop).
Take two comedic guys with panache for dry humor and good musicianship who have been doing the club circuit for a few years, created a fan base, then given an HBO series. Funny. It’s when the show came out, where a lot of the visualizations of their songs were put in focus that people started to flock to the Flight. What could be next but to do a CD with all that comedic Aussie – er uh New Zealand goodness and make it not only the best comedic album of the year, but one of the best musical comedy albums ever. There are at least 5 songs that fans will quote lines to you if you let them. My sad fear is that this is it for them. They’ve peaked and will probably still put out hilarious material, but our gobble and spit out attitude will have “all ready been there, done that”. That’s okay, this is their time, and a great one at that.

Beck “Modern Guilt” (DGC Records).
To me, Beck has never been one to care much about being in the Top 10 of anything with his albums and I personally haven’t gone much beyond the highly regarded Odelay. But when I first heard Modern Guilt, I just had to pick it up. He’s always an obscure, hip poet with colorful songwriting and this album brings that out nicely with balanced grooving tunes co-produced by Danger Mouse. “Orphans” and “Youthless” play like Beatles “Rubber Soul” on funky pills and the lyrics mean SOMETHING, I’m not entirely sure what, but I can identify. Songs like “Gamma Ray” are more obvious in what feels like a take on what modern people are going to do with our pollution and way of living and the environmental concern. Modern Guilt is just a great solid album with some great vibes throughout.

The B-52s “Funplex” (Astralwerks).
Kate Pierson is 60! 60!!!! No member is under 50 in the band now and they are rocking it out better than some boy bands that reformed for the sake of dry humping the cash cow. *AHEM* New Kids on the Block *AHEM* This CD got me through the Jersey Turnpike on a 10 hour trip to South Hadley, Massachusetts, and that my friends, is saying something! The songs are more than their expected party dance stuff, sure there is plenty of that, but they have grown a sharper tongue on the pop culture lifestyle. Take the mall living jab with the title track “Funplex” –a great rip. And although you never really think of the B-52s as being social commentarians on their records, they have plenty to say here, albeit tongue in cheeky. Here is “Keep this party going.” “Comeback” is hardly a word to use here, but works well, just like the B-52s!

Hot Lava “Lavalogy” (Bar/None).
The pop senses tingle with catchiness and the air of lo-fi love just hits you great on this record. Such an album to come out of RVA! Destined for greatness, I say. It reminds me, slightly, of the great moments in The Breeders, but the lava flavor is more satisfying. There is a a subtle 60s pop beach party vibe throughout and the lyrics are wonderful; clever, smart and smart aleck –a great combination that Allison exudes in her distinct vocals. Hot Lava is a band that you will hear on the air and go, “that’s Hot Lava”. This is a distinctive sound that you’re always happy to hear. Local of the year. I heart Hot Lava!

The Ting Tings “We Started Nothing” (Phantom Sound & Vision)
The Kills “Midnight Boom” (Red Meat Heart).
Okay, so here is my theory, The Ting Tings and The Kills are basically the same kind of band, just for different styles of people and a different vibe. Elvis person or Beatles person. Blonde or Brunette. White meat or Dark meat. Old Trek or new Trek. Same thing here. Me? I like em both. Ting Tings definitely offer the best danceable pop around with songs like “That’s not my name” and “Fruit Machine”, sure winners on the circuit. The disco elements of “Shut up and let me go” are perfect for your pop dance floor flavor. At the same time, The Kills offer more for the wallflowers in the dark corner, bobbing heads together in unison, maybe even swaying together. Songs like “Getting down” is unbeatable as a dirty dark dance song. Playing the Ting Tings is like putting Pop Rocks in your mouth, you will move. The Kills are like adding lo-fi cola to the Pop Rocks – providing the element of danger and rawness. Here is my example : both bands (basically each have 2 members; a guy and a gal) have a “fruit” song. Ting Tings is called “Fruit Machine”. Now take the same vibe from that and Kill it and you have “Sour Cherry”. Enough said. Both are great bands and cds so they basically tie for me, depending on the mood.

Polysics LIVE in DC and best vinyl (Karate House/I ate the Machine dbl lp SIGNED!) (Myspace records).
So my pal and fellow BB DJ Anna (Tuesday mornings) head our families up to The Black Cat in Washington D.C. to see the greatest band on the planet Polysics! Here is a crappy video I tried to take with my camera:

Anyway, being the obvious fanboy that I am, I bought the limited edition double album vinyl of Karate House and I ate the Machine, two cds I already own (and the more expensive foreign releases at that), before they even went on stage. Polysics is a band that is huge in Japan, filling the seats and in videos you can see hundred of kids pogo in unison, a sight to behold. Here at the Black Cat in D.C. they play the BACK room full to about 120 people, but 120 dedicated fans that know what the hell they are about and how great they are. Polysics played it out, Hiro, the guitarist/singer started all pressed and nice in his orange uniform jumpsuit but by the end of the show was drenched in sweat. High energy, aggressive without all the jock attitude -- they gave me exactly what I wanted, pure musical HELL YEAH!! Afterwards , I hung around with a few other nerds, gripping my record closely, waiting to see if they would come out and sign it. THEY DID! Every one of them and they were so appreciative of my raining compliments upon them, even though they may not have know much of what I was saying. The music on these records speaks for itself (I play them all the time), amped up new wave, but harder, like Devo times a thousand. Live? Unbeatable! Thank you Polysics, for coming near enough for me to see you live! Come to Richmond!!!

Juana Molina “Un Dia” (Domino recording Co.).
“Un Dia” is such an earthly CD, even though the music is layers and layers of vocals, samples and studio “Magic”. It is a fantastic CD and should be in the collection of anyone who likes the explorative side of music. It’s repetitiveness builds and ebbs and flows like the wind against the trees, touching here and there on loops and and lines that work and well. I know, it sounds kind silly, but it will carry you to other places, spiritually or emotionally. Molina is the ultimate in singer-songwriter ambience. Inspiring songs, like the title track, will carry you through the day with a serene pace that is upbeat and energetic. This is just beautiful music, textured and playful without feeling like the cheese of Enya. It is music for the senses. One of the most talented people out there as far as I am concerned, Juana Molina captures the nature of music to make one of the satisfying albums of 2008.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!” (Mute Records Limited).
Nick Cave and done the world a great literary service with this album. He has given us something to be talked about in hip coffee shops for decades to come. He has a flair for the beat poets, a 60s guru vibe, some punk panache and a dash of T.S. Eliot all rolled into one hell of a fine CD. Themes of religion (Lazarus raised to live in New York City) he has always dealt with, and here he is at his most delightfully twisted, forming new theology in the modern world. Minimalism type songs sprinkled with off kilter noise and rumbles and solos all while coaxing complex sentiment in the lyrics with hip phraseology and deeper references; it’s nearly musical literature. Despite a mostly cynical vibe, there always seems to be a ray of hope, whether it be the chorus in “Albert goes West” or the carnal pleasure that is expressed in reveling in the life of the city; but hey Lazarus never ASKED to be raised from the dead. “We call upon the author to explain” is a perfect representation of this record. Socially conscious, holding the architects of the way of the world on trial, damning them, then gripping them up and dusting them off. Where “Author” tears it all down, others pick you up again, like “Hold onto yourself”, with some hope in the darkness, even if you have to embrace a sick world a little to do it. Nick Cave is always a blues man at the root, take the final track “More new from Nowhere” for instance, but he also embraces the jive and the weird and noisy and has rolled into some genius of a record here. This is the album of the year.

Okay, Local picks of the Year
Hot Lava DJ Williams Trio Gull
I-Las Way of the Sun Lee Harris & Country Sunshine
Amoeba Men Dead Goats Splork!
so many more!

Holiday card

2008-12-21T17:40:00.003-05:00

So we like to do our own neat-o card every year. This year is no different! We titled this one: All Wound up for Santa's Visit.

Listening to swank holiday music.
Just finished reading "Ice Blink" & "Frozen in Time", two books on the lost Franklin expedition in the Arctic.

SPLORK!!!

2008-12-13T11:49:00.004-05:00

...has a self-released CD Holiday single!

Music is here

Merry Splorkmas!

SPLORK!!! show photos

2008-11-21T08:55:00.004-05:00

From the Nara Sushi show 11/19. Go here for the full set:
SPLORK MYSPACE

Polysics video

2008-11-14T12:12:00.003-05:00

I know I know, shaky camera, it's dark, and I'm screaming and dancing and blocking the slam dancers, but damn they were good and this might be a good example of how much butt this band kicks!
Song is "I ate the Machine"

I just can't stand Quicktime format and it's lack of conversion to stuff I can actually edit into a viewable movie. Ah well, perhaps I will work something out. Anyway....
POLYSICS BABY!

Death Clown

2008-11-05T14:37:00.005-05:00

Watch my new demo clip film "Death Clown" below:

Already hailed as "Well done...like a really disturbing Mentos commercial."

Reading: "From Hell" by Alan Moore (again)
Listening: "Un Dia" by Juana Molina and POLYSICS, natch.

Polysics @ the Black Cat in D.C. just a few hours ago

2008-10-31T03:35:00.002-04:00

DAMN! The best band on the freaking planet!! Couple of pix:

Couple of SPLORK! Videos

2008-10-25T17:41:00.002-04:00

from the WRIR 97.3 Maskquerade party at New York Deli 10/24 as part of the Fund Drive kick off!

Lipstick on a Pig
Lipstick on a Pig

Covering L7's "Shove"
Splork! plays L7's "Shove"

Fun and awesome!

Hey, how about you come by?

2008-10-20T18:10:00.009-04:00

Hey, if you're not doing anything Friday night, why not this:

My band SPLORK!!! as well as (Pretend) Pretenders will be playing, and there will also be DJs spinning and general wackiness. It'll be a blast and masks are required! Proceeds go to WRIR 97.3 as the fundraiser gets underway.

And speaking of...

How about supporting the local independent radio station WRIR 97.3 starting this Wednesday? WRIR is a non-profit organization and needs funds in order to bring quality independent news and music to Richmond's airwaves. Plus I do volunteer work there! My show, which is Friday 6AM – 8AM (Breakfast Blend), feel free to call then or that morning! Here are some phone numbers: 804-622-9747 OR 649-9737 (studio #).

DONATE!!!

Listening: BIPPP French Synth Wave 1979 - 1985.

Reading : H.P. Lovecraft

Busy busy busy!

2008-10-18T08:38:00.006-04:00

So Ceci & I are doing the Songs from the Big Hair (80s show) on WRIR 97.3 today, we're making it the sweet n sour edition, with Ceci doing the sugarpop and me doing the angry punk hardcore. Should be interesting. Here's a great album cover from that era:

So, the to do list:

Prep songs for big hair
Go to Plan 9
Go to Guitar Works, get guitar strings
Go to the Festival of India for lunch and browse
Songs from the Big Hair
Band practice

Whew!

The Poet who beat the Twin Towers

2008-09-28T08:00:00.015-04:00

So yesterday, when we bailed on going to the National Book Festival in D.C., we thought of many things to do instead; weather was the factor. How about a movie? Well, nothing really was out, so how about checking the one of two theaters in town that plays the more obscure stuff. At the Westhampton, we see this:

Man on Wire

This is a film every person effected by 9-11 should see.

Yeah, we have all heard about Phillipe Petit wire walking the Twin Towers in 1974 or seen the story in the back of our minds, but this film symbolically "fixes" things. Any anxiousness at the thought of being one of those people in the World Trade Center that terrible day in September is washed over with this film.

Using a combination of interviews, re-enactments and vintage footage, the film is all about how this young French poet and his crew of pranksters plot to wire walk the WTC. The buildings were barely even finished. As you see footage of it being built from a hole in lower Manhattan, you can't help feel the hole that was LEFT after the attacks. That moment, like so many others with this film, creates this weird paradox in your head. Watching Petit in the film is like watching an ocean wave. His movements, his artistic interpretations of the events that he has probably told time and again lose no impact on the viewer. Here were a bunch of artists planning to get fake IDs, ship equipment clandestinely into the building, visit the towers and case the place time and time again, not to crash planes into the buildings, but something far more creative. To string a two inch thick metal wire atop the two buildings for Petit to walk across!

CREATIVE CRIME RULES.

So here is the thing, despite the bombers killing thousands of people in 2001 and leveling the buildings as an act of symbolism against the west, they weren't the first to "beat" the Towers.

Petit had done it decades earlier.

Symbolically speaking, here were these huge intrusive buildings, representing the tallest, biggest things on the earth, the apex of modern man being reduced by a balancing performer, this "poet" of the wire who merely danced above it for 45 minutes, laughing with the seagulls and grinning at the police officers waiting to arrest him when he was finished.

Go see this movie. It has a very therapeutic effect. It's funny, intense and has a kind of emotional charge that means more than any religious or patriotic fervor could hope to induce. In a lot of ways it's what we need in this world of hate, murder and despair; artists. Whether it be painters, poets, musicians --it doesn't matter-- because the artist wins every time in the end.

"Celebrating" September 11th

2008-09-11T10:18:00.010-04:00

It still makes me sick to my stomach to relive that day. But in a weird way it is good to remember that day. I was horrified, angry, sad, disgusted, so many emotions at once, connected to something, someplace I had no connection to. New York City, the World Trade Center, the Middle East, Terrorism, was just a distant place/thing/idea to me. When the shit hit the fan, it became an epiphany, a realization that the U.S. policies and attitude is not exactly loved by everyone in the world. Our modern days of "splendid isolationism", perhaps still in the back of our collective American minds riding on the coattails of saving Europe from Hitler so long ago, were over. You can only ride so long as a superpower.

That whole day I had the urge to go get my kid out of school and just go home and wait for the other shoe to drop. I felt sorrow for the victims and their families. The horror of the "jumpers" - ones that made the desperate decision to fall to their death rather than burn to death- imagining having to make that decision for myself if it were me. *stomach churns* I imagined what people in other countries that have to worry about car bombs daily have to go through every time they see their kid try to get to school. Subways, commuter trains, buses. We are living like the rest of the world now, but with a bigger target on our backs.

Then anger. Find those fuckers that did this. GET THEM.

And then the President W happened.

More anger as we blindly followed the Piper to Iraq, I saw it happening, everyone did. The deception, the lies, the feeding of our residual anger and blood-thirsty craving for justice to be done. We just let it happen.

Then he was reelected.

Shame, embarrassed to have a President like this. Even more embarrassed for our nation of fools that kept him in office. More anger, despair; this is our country?
WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?

So, 7 years later...
Here are the murderers:

Here are the victims:

This is what is effected by our actions since:

Global economy, global consequences. Where are we today? The memories of those people that perished that day haunt our American psyche, even though we still shop, buy, continue to be distracted with our daily lives. Think about it, think about that day, then think if our policies have changed in the world for the better? I know, all those things are still things we have no connection to. It's just a distant place/thing/idea to us. Kind of like New York City, the World Trade Center, the Middle East, Terrorism, everywhere. Business as usual. Everything but for the here and now.

Last day of The Braves

2008-09-01T20:59:00.003-04:00

Sad, but true. 42 years. Last year they won the Governor's Cup. We had good seats and a good time, they won 9 to 3 against Norfolk Tides! Cool double steal, two over the fence homers, and a packed Diamond with over 12 thousand!
Let's hope we get another team soon.

Listening: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Dig Lazarus Dig!!!

Reading: Lone Wolf & Cub graphic novel

Mad Libs for blogs

2008-08-27T10:54:00.003-04:00

Holy Snapping Duck Do! I just got slapped with a wet salmon - really - I have not updated this since they let me out!... You would not believe that I'd been abducted by aliens. Stupid Global Warming!.

I am flat out like a lizard drinking with discovering time doesn't stand still, learning to speak Japanese, just generally being a slave to anyone unfortunate to cross my path, my day sprawls from the second star on the right, straight on to home. I am hoping one day they will call me 'mummy' again. perchance.

I hope that one day I will update you with my nefarious activities as soon as I get a chance. You wanna test me? Cats if you don't..

(from The Lazy Blogger's Generator) and well, my awesome wife, Lisa, posting one first!

Reading: All She was Worth by Miyabe Miyuki

Listening: A punk girl mix I made!

Watching: Madmen Season 1 Disk 1 from Netflix (we finally joined!) and
Ping Pong. Ping pong, you say? Yes! Here's the trailer!

Radio Days & The Bizarre Market

2008-08-10T08:26:00.006-04:00

So yesterday, we had the WRIR 97.3 radio tent at the Bizarre Market on Shields at the Joe's Inn block. This was a dedication to Jonny Z with Art 180, Chop Suey, Books on Wheels and a ton of other people in the mix selling their crafts and things. It turned out to be a great time. Charles Williams (Motherland Influence), Michael Miracle (Lotus Land Show), Melissa (Mercury Falls), Mary Claire (Thursday Breakfast Blend) and myself all took turns DJing in between bands (Gull, Josh Small, Liza Kate, The Antlers, among others) and raffling by Ward. The turnout was swell! What is really great about the Bizarre is that it is kind of like a lot of the other alternative things in Richmond. For the rest of us! There were tattooed pierced freaks, oddballs, THAT guy, and a lot of other people you would call the alternative art scene. Love it. Here are some pics:

BB Thursdays, Lotus Land, Mercury Falls, BB Fridays

Ward the Raffler.

Galaxy Girl & Monkey Dog Studios

So after spending most of the day there, it was time to break down some of the gear and take it back to the station, then get ready for River City Limits with Ceci. Ceci & I make a good pair on the air, cracking jokes, general silliness and we freaking ROCK it too! Good day to be representing the radio station and just plain fun anyway.

Me & Ceci chumming it up.

Listening: Polysics "We Ate the Machine", Beck "Modern Guilt", The Kills "Midnight Boom"
Reading : In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami
Avoiding : Carytown Watermelon Festival

Gull

2008-07-12T17:32:00.004-04:00

This is a picture of the band, Gull, playing at River City Limits today. Nate, the only band member, finger slams the guitar while playing the drums AND singing with microphone skull-mask strapped to his face. Very awesome!

More pix:

Welcome to Richmond on the 4th of July

2008-07-05T08:56:00.005-04:00

This was my view most of the time while waiting forever for the Braves to lose at the Diamond last night so we could watch some fireworks.
Old ladies butts in capris.

Reading: American Sideshow by Marc Hartzman

Listening: Fullmetal Jackoff by Jello Biafra with D.O.A.

Camping & Death

2008-06-27T20:49:00.005-04:00

We went to Kiptopeke State Park on the Eastern Shore for 5 days, it was beautiful. We had a bout of rain Sunday night, but the rest of the week was clear, warm without too much humidity, and awesome. Some friends joined us the first few days, where we took the waters, hiked on some crazy ass boardwalk that deadended, visited Chatham Vineyards on the sly from the owner after he saw our frustration at it being closed, and ate heartily from Dave's cooking and the Machipongo's Clam Shack! Good times. Here are a few pictures:

So we come back, after a week of no tv or radio, a good thing, and I just learn tonight that one of my favorite EVER comedians, George Carlin, had died. That makes me sad. I saw him when I was 19 and under the influence in the third row at the Mosque. A GREAT show. He had a cynicism that seemed to get more curmudgeonly as he grew older but was hilarious and I loved ever bit of it. At his passing, news bites called him the edgy comedian, only quoting the 7 Words you can't say on television, but he was more than that. He was the very representation of Anti-Establishment. He questioned EVERYTHING and it didn't matter what side of the fence it was on. He wrote a few great books, had countless hilarious records and was a messenger for us all. Fuck THEM. God damn we'll miss that man. Bye, you great wise-ass kid from New York City.

"And now a word from The National Apple Institute: FUCK PEARS."
"The following statement is true: the preceding statement was false."

Gypsy-Riffic! Review of Gogol Bordello!

2008-06-20T05:54:00.011-04:00

Quick pic of the Gogol Bordello show at Toad's Place from last night above, now here's the review:

Ichiban is my friend, especially the double deuce ounce size. Polished it off at the sushi restaurant (the summer of sushi kick has begun) and walked down to Toad’s Place for the show. The line was formed and Pedals on Our Pirate Ship was punkin’ it up outside to entertain the line. A great local perky band, hitting the PBR tallboys between songs. I guess the audience could care less, unfortunately, as the line started moving. Toad’s has some charm even if it feels like it is run by out of towner “professionals”. If you have all your stuff in order, you get to go right through, the bartenders are fast and furious so you don’t even notice the price on a beer. It has good lighting, sound and layout, like a polished Flood Zone of sorts.

Bumped into some friends, P.J. had his camera geared up, and Lauren Vincelli who was to do the RVA Magazine review (and I was "competing" against to get the article, I guess) was still trying to land an interview with the headliner. To say she is an adorning fan is an understatement. She tells us how she has been trying and trying to get some Q&A with GGB but their PR person says that they only want “cover” interviews, meaning they want all the attention for whatever rag you got going or no deal. She tells them that RVA will give them all they can online, on the you tube, etc…I don’t think they were biting though. She next came up with the notion to interview the groupie of GGB who had been following them around. A great idea! Lauren is a dedicated fan and rocks!

Anyway, the opener was Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, a band label unity line-up going on with this show. They immediately got the Dexys Midnight Runners reference from me, dashed in with some Rick Wakeman circa “Journey to the Center of the Earth” keyboard wackiness. Despite their best efforts to keep to the odd rock-folk-soul groove thang going, big ape dudes with crooked hats and Eminem posturing started some sort of ghetto slamming. They were funny and noted by one of the guitarists who gave them a shout out: “This one goes to that guy right there that likes the funny mustaches.” I have no idea what that meant but weird mens room stall imagery came to mind. Shudder. So yeah, okay, the band still rocked it in their own way.

After they finished out their set, it was time to walk around some more, look at the smoking section on the second floor balcony and check out the upstairs. See some people, chat chat chat, back downstairs as the headliner approaches and DAMN this place got crowded!

My friend and I made our way as close as we could without probably getting sucked into a sweaty, B.O. ridden pit. We found a solid place between some other friends and two saucer-eyed blondes and then it happened. Pure Gypsy. Gogol Bordello unleashed it’s mighty gypsy punk sound like it was a rabid pit bull just told to “sic em”. The crowd popped up and down like it was on a boat capsizing and if you’ve ever felt the sound of pure pagan soul, this was it. They flopped around, spun around, rallied the crowd and just plain put on show.

It was a good solid show for nearly 2 hours. Frontman Eugene Hütz had a bottle of wine to glug on and sling around like it was the nectar of the gods when he wasn’t strumming the hell out of his acoustic guitar. The old dude on fiddle, Sergey Ryabtsev, held his own, popping the bow strings by the end of the night. The small dude dressed like Pele, Thomas "Tommy T" Gobena , cranked second percussion and rapped to the crowd with dictator style fervor. Then the two gypsy women came out, one on bass drum, the other flailing cymbals, and it was a call to sonic arms. Man, but did the place hop like a gypsy juke on amphetamines.

Then a bit of weirdness happened, Eugene: “Thank you very much Charlottesville!” What?!? Do you even know what town this is! Ha! Well, what should you expect from a guy who had been sucking on a bottle of red table wine for over an hour, I guess. All was forgiven PDQ as they tore out a 45 minute encore that left audience members euphoric and spent from pogo dancing. There was one moment when a group of sweat soakers plowed through us. A girl was passing out and her friends were trying to get her out of the melee. Unfortunately, her pals were worn out too and they could barely carry her off. They fell into a huddled mess, as slamming situations often dictate (the nature of the beast) and at first I thought the girl was getting ready to blow chunks. My friend James told it looked like she was rather punched in the mouth. Bet she had a good time!

Still, it wasn’t all slaps and exhaustion that night, tons of clapping, hollering and dancing in a circle till the finale, a 15 minute romper of a tune you’d think would never end nor want to brought the whole hopping thing to a close. Damn that was the stuff! Looking at my friend Fontaine's cell phone for the time, I had to get home and to bed, for in a few (very few) short hours I had to do the Breakfast Blend show on WRIR 97.3!! So what’s a good nights sleep lost for the show of the year?

Garoge

2008-06-16T19:58:00.002-04:00

Richmond Alley, note the "garoge" indication. Wanna start a band?

Getting ready to read: Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

Listening: Gogol Bordello They are coming to town this Thursday!

Article for RVA MAgazine ONLINE

2008-06-02T16:21:00.001-04:00

Check out the Peelander-Z article I did (with PJ Sykes on photo wizardry) for RVA Magazine!

Human Bowling

2008-05-30T10:07:00.002-04:00

Peelander-Z and human bowling in a quickie video from a cheap camera!

Peelander-Z!

2008-05-30T05:59:00.002-04:00

Again at the Camel. Great show, they are fantastic live, very audience participatory!

Picture:

1100 Miles in 3 Days

2008-05-26T09:59:00.013-04:00

We burned up and back to Massachusetts for L.'s 20th College Reunion at Mount Holyoke. Made good time and put some miles on the new car. Had a great time despite our colds from last week's kayak adventure. Stayed in one of the dorms, witnessed the interesting ritual that this women's college has, met some great people and climbed a mountain with a beautiful view.

Our dorm room! Notice the beds pushed together... ;-)

H. & L. on the way to the Library.

Horse Skeleton in the Science Hall!

View from Mt. Holyoke.

Read: In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman, necessary reading for anyone.
Listening: The B-52s Funplex is actually not a bad cd to listen to through New Jersey!

New robot!

2008-05-18T17:45:00.006-04:00

Picked this one up this weekend. A HaHa Toy, you got to love that name for a Toy Company. Not a great bot, but cheap! (Yeah, I know, I am a freakin' dork!)

Listening: Marianne Nowottny, I have no idea why. And Qui.

Reading: Finishing up The Tattoo Murder Case by Akimitsu Takagi, can't believe that was written in 1948!

On deck: After Dark by Haruki Murakami
Also, reacquired a copy of the fantastic cyberpunk sampler, Storming the Reality Studio having lost my previous one.

New Blog Project

2008-04-28T10:11:00.003-04:00

L. & I have a new blog called

"Damned Dirty Apes"

and we're going to share various pictures we take in parks and such of litter to show how filthy we humans are. Maybe it will inspire people to pick up after themselves or tick people off enough to give someone a hard time when they catch someone littering.

Give a hoot, mothersuckers, don't pollute!

So a bear walks into a box store

2008-04-27T07:56:00.009-04:00

On television, there is a commercial out now that has a bear shopping at one of those home improvement box stores. An employee is helping the bear find just what it needs for home improvement: the paint and the siding and the barbecue grill and the crap and the ceiling fan and and and... What does a bear need at a place like that? Uh, how about the WOODS that you tore down to make your stupid box store? Whenever I think about that commercial I just wanna see the bear maul the hell out of the guy selling him all this junk.

To quote Bill the Cat : ACK!

DJed out representing WRIR for the first time ever at Chop Suey's annual Bizarre Market. A cool event where people bring stuff they made to sell, etc etc. Ward rocks. Nice to see local "crafters" come together. Oh and the Books on Wheels were there, second event I had been with them on. Great people and if I were not involved with other things, I would totally be hanging! Anyway, DJing for a crowd was great fun and I look forward to doing it again. Had a gal hula hoop dancing to some of the world music, had a couple of different people come up to me asking about some punk music I played and I got to talk with fellow WRIR DJs Bob and Christian for a little bit. Then L. walked down from home and met me and we went to Perly's for lunch afterwards. Good times.

Listening: P-Model, Haale, stuff for review for Carbon 14!

Watching: L. & I are finishing up Murder Mystery Movie month. We've been doing themed Sunday night movies off and on since we started back in September with Hitchcock.
This month was:
Murder on the Orient Express
Gaslight
Ten Little Indians
Dial M for Murder
Radioland Murders.
Maybe another blog entry will be some reviews.

Reading: Just finished a couple of quickies:
Snakes & Earrings by Hitomi Kanehara
and
Piercing by Ryu Murakami
Now on to the classic The Tattoo Murder Case by Akimitsu Takagi. Yeah, a lot of Japanese goodness!

Mutants Unite

2008-04-24T14:10:00.003-04:00

GREAT blog on hard to find, rare, bizarre, and great music from around the world.

MUTANT SOUNDS

I totally found that album of P-Model In a Model Room I had been looking for, they linked a download and now I own it on CD!

YES!

Photos of the drive

2008-04-18T21:48:00.002-04:00

So here are some pictures of my long ass shift at the WRIR 97.3 Spring Fund Drive. Had a blast! We raised over a thousand dollars in the morning! Kick ass! And the show is on tomorrow muthatruckas!

Donate!!!!

2008-04-18T06:08:00.003-04:00

It's fundraising time, call me now and make your pledge!

My Public Service Announcement

2008-04-04T10:43:00.006-04:00

Having way to much fun (or free time) at work with a paddle ball game and powerful message, G. and I made this little nugget of humor.

I'm no Mr. T, but still....

Watching David Suchet's masterful rendition of Agatha Christie's Poirot in the classic collection set.

Well!

2008-04-02T10:04:00.005-04:00

So I picked up a copy of this for five bucks:

I knew that 40 episodes of a 50 year old program for five bucks was going to have some shabby quality, but I didn't care. Whimsically, I purchased this because I like Jack Benny. When I was a teenager, my folks bought me two tape sets, stored in hard plastic like old timey radios. One set was mystery, the other comedy, each cassette had two episodes of a show. The mystery was OK, had Hitchcock, The Shadow --those were fine enough, but what I really enjoyed the most was Arch Obler's Lights Out. (It....is...later...than....you...thiiink.) One of the two episodes I had was the Revolt of the Worms, you can stream some eps, including that one, HERE.

Anyway, in the comedy set were also some jewels: Burns & Allen, Abbott & Costello, Roy Rogers (eh, not so much for me), and of course, Jack Benny! This was my fav from the comedy set. The timing and delivery of the cast just cracked me up, still does to hear Benny talk about the "picture" he would do that is "pathos mixed with comedy, where at a certain POINT...(point being high pitched and silly). Great stuff.

So this DVD set, and I am about 17 eps in, is a great one. The cast was spot on: Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Don, Mary, and the various singers in the stables. And also truly a cavalcade of stars, some that have lasted the test of time, others L. & I go, who is that: Marilyn Monroe, Burns & Allen, Mel Blanc (a regular), Eddie Kovacs, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope (zinging one-liners like a fiend!), so many more. It's interesting to compare to what we see on tv today: 24, Lost, Two and a half men, Law & Order, E.R..... our only variety comedy is after 11pm, and these shows seem so canned. Also, the stars on Jack Benny were so...dignified? I dunno, it's a curious observation.

Oh, and another really interesting thing is the advertisements. Lucky Strike was the sponsor and the ways in which they incorporated plugging it is often embarrassing to watch. Sometimes it is fairly charming, in fact, after a few episodes, I had the Lucky Strike tune rattling in my head!
Here is a good one too, manly man Lucky Strike!

Anyway, it is some fine television!

Listening: Ketchup Mania ,
Guitar Wolf
Reading: The Eternal Frontier by Tim Flannery

Today is my birthday

2008-03-04T14:00:00.003-05:00

It really is. I can't believe that I am only 38. I feel like I should be much older for some reason.
Anyway, things that I am thankful for in my life:

My wife and best friend and everything, Lisa.
She is BEST. I am a very very lucky man to have such a great gal. I love her dearly.

My daughter, Hope.
She is smart and funny and just a good kid.

My friends.
I don't have many close friends, but the ones I do are like family to me.

Various jobs.
I love my DJing on the radio and being involved with the station. Didn't think I would, but damn, good music lovin' active people. Also, my paying job at the library, despite what I may say sometimes, is actually okay.

Music: Billy-O from the Japanese band The Climax sent me some burned stuff from Japan after we chatted on email. What a surprise! Got all kinds of goodies like their first CD, stuff by The Telepathys, The Blue Hearts and Sandiest. He also threw in a punk mag from there! Awesome! I recently returned the favor by burning some stuff from town here and throwing in a Carbon 14 magazine to boot. Hope he digs it and we keep up the exchange!

Watching: So many things: The Great Horror Family funny stuff by the Juon director, making fun of himself and other horror genre movies! Anime, Tokko, a blood splatterfest and finishing up the first DVD of Tokyo Majin.

Come on down!

2008-01-29T11:07:00.000-05:00

Hey, why not Friday night come on down to Broad Street for First Fridays and celebrate WRIR's third birthday with me! I will MC-ing it and there should be a lot of greatness going on!

Listening: Fatal Flying Guilloteens and a mix I made for the next radio music meeting called "President Asshole", all songs dealing with our leaders in Washington, tainting the American Dream. Want the song list?

Still reading the William Gibson! Damn I'm slow!

Old Seaboard platform

2008-01-12T16:03:00.000-05:00

Taken around Shockoe Bottom during our Creek investigations. Kind of cool:

Listening: KARATE HOUSE KARATE HOUSE KARATE HOUSE!!!!

New Years Baltimore

2008-01-03T15:45:00.000-05:00

Went to Baltimore, MD for NYE and a great time!
L. explains and had more details on her blog.
Check it out!

2007 Music

2008-01-03T15:43:00.000-05:00

Here was some good stuff last year:
Tops of 2007

Music:
Vivian Boys “Une Fille dans le vent, elle s’appelle Vivian” E.P. (http://www.myspace.com/vivianboys)
Picked this up only a few weeks ago off the internets. Means, “A Girl In The Wind, Her Name Is Vivian". Delicious 60s garage rock amped to the punk level. Two dudes on the bass & guitar and a little drummer girl. 5 songs, no apologies. Raw energetic and necessary. A dedicated line to all things grooving, 60s style and wild. More from this group already please!

Erik Friedlander “Block Ice & Propane”
(http://www.erikfriedlander.com/)
Road Trip music at it’s finest. Take avant-garde cellist EF and let him compose and improv basically his thoughts on childhood summers traveling across the country and you get this fantastic Solo Cello CD. This thing percolates with mood and emotion and just the vibe of being on the road. Combining elements and style, from classical string jerked epiphanies to almost blues or bluegrass backwoods ditties, it keeps a listener busy with imagery and wheels turning. Block Ice & Propane is a roots music odyssey well worth the trip.

Tinariwen “Aman Iman”
(http://www.tinariwen.com/)
I first heard this band playing them here on my Breakfast Blend Friday show, the song, Tamatant Tilay, being a recommended track. It was early, I was kind of awake. It had a great groove, full sound, kept the head bobbing. I played it a few more times over the course of a week or so. But it wasn’t till I was meandering around the local record store one weekend when the song from the album, Imidiwan Winakalin, bubbled throughout the place that I fully appreciated it. The hand clapping, the smooth hammering on the strings of a dusty electric guitar, there is the feeling you are there around some campfire in the Mali desert, the spirituality and rebellion in these words you can’t understand. It’s then I could feel what the music was about : warmth. This is the album of the year.

Polysics “Polysics or Die vista”
(http://www.polysics.com/)
Basically it is a MySpace Records reissue of the Polysics or Die (originally on the Tofu Records label) except with extra songs from their 2007 Japan release “Karate House”. A great introduction not only to Japanese punk pop new wave but also just a fantastic band! Imagine Devo has gone to 11 on the controls…. They’ve reworked some of their older songs too, so older fans won’t be disappointed. And here is another reason it's so damn tasty: a bonus DVD with 8 videos (including live). This CD should put them at the front of the US Invasion force!

Best purchase from the past:
Megababe “Speak Japanese or Die”
(http://www.megababerocks.com)
Wow! If this doesn’t rattle your bones you must be dead. Kind of silly name, but they are damn cute gals! And don’t let the first three pop-punk numbers, which kick butt by the way, fool you. The title track is practically an anthem! They can get almost thrash-nasty. This trio is stripped down old school metal punk 80s sound mixed with some pretty delicious new inspiration. It cannot be beat. Popping bass lines, tight traps, a swell crunchy guitar all fronted with some fine vocals. My favorite CD of the year, but it came out in 2004. This CD will make you do a bit of elbow flailing, happy to be alive and punking out. You'll feel the Ramones-jones inside you for sure. Sometimes you just need to flail and this year; this is the CD to do it to.

Best show in town:
Peelander-Z (http://www.peelander-z.com/)
Seen the Mad Tiger Video (from the SXSW Show) online yet? Well, if you have, you have only scratched the surface of what their live punk show is like. They played only 5 songs, lasting a little over an hour, but EVERYONE in the place was involved. The first song, the moniker “Mad Tiger” ended with them opening a chest full of instruments for the audience to play along with. Moritaka (Peelander Yellow, you see they are color coded) lead the crowd to crouch down real low then jump up in the air. Then...AGAIN! And.....AGAIN! We were putty in their big cartoon gloved hands. Ever seen a whole club of about 40 leather jacket, sideburn punks do a conga line around the inside of the venue? You would have…. The finale was them giving up their jobs on the last song, holding up the signs “Guitarist wanted” “Bassist Wanted”, “Drummer wanted”, letting chosen audience members take over the instrument playing while they set up human bowling in the middle of the pit. There was Yellow again, dressed as a giant bowling pin. Peelander Pink worked the giant portable spotlight on him standing on the table in the back while Peelanders Blue and Red set up the pins near the front of the venue. The first run and slide down and…Gutterball! Ahhh! Perhaps if the crowd did more of the crouch low and jump up for encouragement? Okay! One last shot and…. STRIKE!!!! Let’s all celebrate! What a blast. It was my daughter’s first punk show. She loved it, banging away on instruments on top of the piano on the stage. I loved it. What a pure live band should be and they were so friendly and approachable and just freaking great! Show of the year!

Happy New Stuff

2008-01-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

Went to the Visual Arts Center grand reopening a little while back, H. has a piece there, cool:

Listening: Got the import of Polysics "Karate House" which is way better than the stateside myspace re-release of a greatest hits Polysics or Die Vista (though good for anyone who never heard of em before, has a couple of the new KH songs on there). Karate House is flipping AWESOME!!! Plus this great punk-like swing band from Japan called Pistol Valve.
Reading: Tons of reading stuff to do. Shockoe research, William Gibson, Lovecraft....
Watching: Tons of watching to do. X-Files (1st 2 seasons), Paprika, Witch Hunter Robin...

Holiday Card

2007-12-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

So starting last year, L. and I started coming up with unique holiday card ideas. This year? Robot Manger scene! We spent the better part of a Sunday morning designing the set, and photographing it went on all day. Evening shooting worked best.

We have two:

One with full view and lighting.

The other messing with the lighting a bit to create a more dramatic piece.

Both are great, thus on the blog.

Anyway, enjoy the holiday and Happy New Year!

Listening: Tsushimamire Pregnant Fantasy & Vivian Boys A Girl in the Wind. Excellent stuff!

Reading: The Killer's Tears by Anne-Laure Bondoux & Boogiepop and others by Kouhei Kadono

Build it

2007-11-30T10:25:00.000-05:00

I like robots. Build one here:

American Visionary Art Museum

Cool diversion, minutes of fun.

Doom Generation

2007-11-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

So right now, this moment in time, I surf the public channels. I have no cable so I'm limited (and FREE) in choice. There are a bunch of shaggy haired kids trying to run a town and arguing over who's gonna masterbate the chicken or some such fiddle faddle. The tension is high, another flashing quick shot is a girl crying, and another of a some clueless 7 year old wondering just what the hell is going on. The show?

Kid Nation

What the fuck is wrong with this? Tons. What kind of kid exploitative, emotionally scarring, bullshit is this? Creating a town of William Golding nightmares for entertainment purposes only? Let's get REAL you twits. Let's go to Latin America or some half ass country in Asia and show real exploitation! I wanna see starving bone showing scabby foreign kids making my Christmas toys for pennies a day, not a bunch of snot nosed brats on CBS trying to act like some character from their favorite R rated movie their parents dragged them to see because Mom & Dad couldn't get a babysitter. Shoot, if we're taking a king-asshole-country-of-the-world stance, let's do it right.

I digress...oh, they just had a choice of reward for their "town" that they are building; a library filled with books (comics too) OR free video games....

Reading: Ghost in the Shell : Human Error processor
Listening: Titan Go Kings

Friday, Tune in to my show!

2007-11-20T11:08:00.001-05:00

I am making some themed attempt of anti-capitalism on my Breakfast Blend this Friday on WRIR, 97.3 6-8am. I took a photo from the web and had some photo editing fun with what you see now above. Neat?

Buy Nothing Day

I'm not talking groceries, but please don't go trample some old lady over a 20 dollar DVD Player at a box store, okay? If you suck tit to that kind of thinking then just flail yourself into the corporate pit like a mindless lemming already!

Happy Thanksgiving by the way!

Listening to a lot a great stuff lately:
Megababe, Hang the Box, One Eleven Archer.

Saw Paprika at Univeristy of Richmond's International Film Series last Sunday.
Awesome movie!

Wish What Would Jesus Buy? would come here!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T10:01:00.001-04:00

What am I?

Reading: H.P. Lovecraft
Listening: New Polysics!

Worship the gourd!

2007-10-25T08:44:00.001-04:00

Getting to be that time of year again folks:

http://extremepumpkins.com/

Best website of pumpkin carvings around. I am gonna dress up like a video game for Halloween. Pong, using this shirt.

Don't go stealing my idea now damnit!

Donate to WRIR 97.3!

2007-10-04T09:08:00.000-04:00

Hey all you public radio listeners, how about supporting the local independent radio station WRIR 97.3 .

WRIR is a non-profit organization and needs funds in order to bring quality independent news and music to Richmond's airwaves. We couldn’t do it without supporters of independent radio, so now is your chance!

It would be even more appreciated if you donated during my show, which is Friday 6AM – 8AM (Breakfast Blend).

Here are some phone numbers: 804-622-9747 OR 649-9737 (studio #). So call in this Friday!
Fundraiser is Oct 3rd – Oct 11th.

Prize info on Website, lots of great stuff again this year!
Website: http://www.wrir.org/

I get married in 3 days! WHOOOO!!!

Watching: Serial Experiments: Lain
Blue Seed

Music recommendations...

2007-09-24T17:30:00.000-04:00

So I've recently realized that I have become one of the many who order a lot online. I gotta say there is some serious bennies in it. One website for music that has never failed me is CD Baby. They give a larger percentage to the musicians and are damn good, and the shipping FAST!

Recent purchases, ordered Thursday-received Monday, shipped across the country:

Suphala "Blueprint", a tabla artist with her stunning follow-up to The Now CD also features vocals of Edie Brickell, etc. Just a great moody CD. She was the first female artist to perform in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban.

Peelander-Z Happee Mania, crazy ass Japanese punk touring this Fall in the States! Damnit and OF COURSE no one cool that I wanna see every comes to Richmond. Loserville.

Another most excellent and probably will be one of my picks of the year on my Breakfast Blend show on Fridays will be Tinariwen. Just check out the link and new CD and you will see why. Beautiful music, also touring the US in the Fall.

Just finished reading the first two Flight graphic novels. Good stuff.

Getting married in 12 days! YAY!

Cohorts in the wee hours

2007-09-11T20:25:00.001-04:00

This is the Breakfast Blend / All-Nighter crew for 97.3 WRIR. They are good people who do butt shifts to provide local radio programming for the rest of us.

Local vibes for local times. Proud to be one of 'em!

Nerdin'

2007-09-10T09:51:00.000-04:00

Not to get caught up in some marketing ploy for a movie, but the Golden Compass has a thing where you answer a few questions to find our your Daemon.

Here: http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/

Me? Mine is Antigone:
A flippin' raccoon! So if ya see me routin' through your trash one night, just leave me be!

Listening: The Fall has a new one and is not that bad actually!

Reading: 1491 by Charles C. Mann

Less than a month till we're wed! YAY!!!

Litter this!

2007-08-19T17:31:00.000-04:00

So while driving home from work one day, well to the grocery store, this big ole SUV pulls out in front of me. Yeah, expected, I know. Then, from the passenger side window flies out an empty cigarette pack of Newports. Just like that, like it was nothing. Like all people who get enfuriated at these litterbastards, I wanted to stop my car, pick up the trash and remind them at the next stoplight that they dropped this. Well, maybe throw it at him and cuss, and then probably get shot. Anyway, I have NO RESPECT for fuckers like that. I want them to die. Plain and simple, and YES I know that is drastic but put it like this: since most humans in this day and age know that littering is a bad thing, then why are people still doing it? Because they don't care. And when someone doesn't have sense enough to care about the environment which they live in, do you think that they care enough about you or me? Certainly not. I mean really, WHO litters with such intention and disregard like that? Not anyone I want to give a crap about. So, yes, I wish ill will upon them, but what they really get from me is a lack of sympathy for anything bad that may happen in their lives; bad girlfriend, jail, sickness, etc. --aw, that's TOO BAD. Harsh I know, but times like these call for drastic passive aggressive measures! Ha!

Listening: To a few Japanese compilations I found at Plan 9 for a buck each at the Watermelon Festival last weekend.

Reading: Kathe Koje's Extremities

Getting interested in: Kayaking. No way....really? Well, we'll see...

The revolution will be wind-ups....

2007-07-11T08:14:00.000-04:00

My robots will one day take over the world!!!!

Well, probably some serious shelf space....

Listening to Gogol Bordello to review for the magazine.

I think I know what is wrong...

2007-06-28T19:18:00.000-04:00

Okay, so for a few weeks now I haven't been able to really figure out WHY I enjoy watching the insipid show, America's Got Talent. It's act after act of bad, terrible, acts (I know I like it for that trash aspect, but wait), followed every so often by what the "judges" call stars, I call same old hat of hack singers or magicians, etc (some actually not bad though). The 'judges" being some Brit dirtbag that I think has been fired from many a newspaper, the wife of a drunken washed up metalman, Sharon Osborne (and the most likable of the 3), and then David Hasselhoof er hoff.

[Hasselhoff is an inept talent judge theory: a) he can't act, b) he can't sing, c) germans like him]

Okay, so anyway, the other night I figure out why I like it. Being that I like fringe culture - b-movie, b-music, b-books- the bad acts that flow through are the ones I totally dig. So the the other night, they let this one crazy dude on, wearing a Native American outfit with bells on his legs, playing the violin while he yodels songs created from his own language. His name: Thoth. I knew this before they even said his name. See, in the Outsider music arena, he is fairly well known, featured on the Songs of the Key of Z book and CD written/compiled byIrwin Chusid. Ah, this is why I like it, I KNOW some of these acts. Not KNOW in the literal sense, but know what other music is about, as well as the other freak acts, that have been piping through.

It's like the goddamn Gong Show except a little more controlled and without the talent of Chuck Barris. We do, however, get Jerry Springer being the backstage mom, which is almost as hilariously disturbing. Naturally in the progression of these braincell slaughter programs, they start taking the "talent" they let through WAY too seriously and it gets all fakey drama and then EVERYONE starts taking it way too seriously. Puke.

I should digress and I can't believe I have written this much about this subject.

You know what is cool? Tin Robots.

Just got my Carbon 14 magazine package for review, so listening and listening and listening and listening, liking so far: The Final Solutions

Good link to a good afternoon.

2007-06-14T15:50:00.000-04:00

Check out my buddy Allan's rendition of our filming and having on the radio the strange dealing with "Cotton" Dick Clinton.

Reading: Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross.

Listening: Shellac's new one, it's OK.

Another Picture

2007-06-10T08:12:00.000-04:00

CDC:

On the Air

2007-06-06T18:39:00.000-04:00

Saturday June 9th, starting around 5 Pm or so, last about an hour or so. Please tune in webstream or the old fashioned way; fiddle that dial!

Reading: "Nemesis: the last days of the American Republic" by Chalmers Johnson till I get too angry then "Falling Man" by Don Delillo!

Listening: New Balkan Beat Box , also Chumbawamba's "A Singsong and a Scrap"

Misson Demolished.

2007-05-01T13:15:00.000-04:00

Consider this:

400 years ago, the whole Jamestown thing...
...400 years later, we learn that the fable that was created with Pocahontas & John Smith is a lie.
...we don't care, hell it was 400 years ago.

Today, the President has repeatedly mislead the American people about the war in Iraq thing...
...today, we learn that the fable of WMD, etc etc etc is a lie.
...we don't care, hell it was....oh wait, practically yesterday.

Imagine our apathy in the future....

Mission Accomplished.

Remember he was off the coast of California when that happened too.

If we have to be addicted, at least make your money go to a better cause with Citgo, rather than hungry oil barons with Exxon. So all you idiots out there who hate arabs and are glad we're in Iraq shooting brown people, just remember who you are helping when your stupid selves fuel up at the Exxon.

Oh yeah, and Walmart sucks.

Watching: Inuyasha, seasons 1 & 2
Venture Brothers season 2.

WRIR 97.3 Donate!

2007-04-23T18:30:00.000-04:00

I love this station. I work for this station.
Why don't ya keep this station alive and DONATE some money to it?

Different levels gets you different stuff and you have till April 25th to get that stuff!

WRIR 97.3

I'm still doing my Breakfast Blend show every Friday 6-8AM.

This Saturday I am doing the local River City Limits show and Liza Kate will be playing live in the studio. Listen!

Thanks if ya help.

Monkey See, Monkey Doo

2007-04-19T17:36:00.000-04:00

As if violence at home isn't enough, get ready to armchair quarterback the next big event in the Middle East.

We need drastic, progressive change. Open your mind now people, we are running out of options and sides to be on in this mess.

Don't want to dress in school colors: donate.

Silence.

2007-04-19T08:40:00.000-04:00

Virginia Tech is a terrible, awful, tragedy, yes.
But instead of wearing school colors this Friday, I would rather donate to make a difference in law dealing with Gun Control. Particularly since our state is barely passing the grade.
Maybe more on this subject later, but now is not the time. Thoughts are with the families of the slain, anger goes to our system and way of life that is lost in a void of violent distraction overseas.

Reading : "Out" by Natsuo Kirino

Listening: "War on 45" by D.O.A.

More songs!

2007-04-12T14:02:00.000-04:00

Couple of more "Cotton" Dick Clinton Songs are found.

"Bad 50s Tonto Show"

and

"Potato Wine Entropy"

Check them out HERE.

Spring!

2007-04-07T07:24:00.000-04:00

So, Easter weekend?

Snow!

Ah you can never tire of Virginia weather. I just hope we don't get this stuff when we go camping next weekend. Speaking of camping, why haven't we as good citizens of this country, and stewards of this planet re instituted some new form of the Civilian Conservation Corps? THAT's where I would gladly not mind spending tax dollars instead of the war machine we're feeding now. Let's get all these kids that are geared toward war cleaning up our country instead.
Fix stuff here at home instead of tear down stuff elsewhere.

Speaking of war, I barely tolerated CBS news for a few minutes last night.
Story line up as follows:

--Senator McCain takes some super safe shopping trip to Iraq. We see he like rugs, food and has guys armed to the teeth surrounding him.
-- We see a story about how some National Guard is being called up to duty, but they don't have enough equipment, like guns and armor and night vision goggles.
-- Final bit before I had to turn it off. China has secret christians.

So basically this is what the "liberal" mainstream media is telling me:

--To go around in Iraq these days, you need a shitload of firepower to be safe.
--Our soldiers don't have enough stuff to be safe even though they are going to Iraq.
--And Christianity prevails, even in such oppressive countries as China.

So when all those Senators & Congressmen pass MORE funding to pay for war machine efforts and we lie down and accept it, it is because mainstream media has conditioned us to do so.
We must not let them get away with this....

I think we should support our troops, with tickets HOME. Planes, trains and automobiles, baby. Oh, and more funding should go to the VA Hospitals too. Otherwise, we're gonna have a lot of people running around with all this Iraq warJUNK in their heads. You know, stuff like having to run over little boys with their humvees or shoot them because they MIGHT have bombs strapped to their bodies. Tragic.

This will make you giggle if you like fart jokes.

Listening: VCR , Liza Kate.
Reading: Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough: Three Indian lives changed by Jamestown by Helen Rountree. To balance the last Jamestown book I just read.

New Song!

2007-03-17T08:45:00.000-04:00

I have just discovered a new song by "Cotton" Dick Clinton.

It is called MUDVILLE so check it out!

I'll be doing the River City Limits radio show today, St. Paddy's Day, so tune in to WRIR from 5-7PM today and hear me spin the local sounds.

Watching: Ghost in the Shell Season Two!

Daylight Savings Scam

2007-03-09T14:47:00.000-05:00

Listen to this.

Seriously, stop it.

Listening: "It takes a nation of millions to hold us back" by Public Enemy.
Reading: "Jamestown : the buried truth" by William M. Kelso.

Birthday is tomorrow

2007-03-03T08:58:00.000-05:00

I will be 37.
Good weekend lined up:

Pizza & Beer last night.
Nice restaurant tonight.
Going to Liance's folks farm tomorrow for more food and cake and walking in the woods.

Things I like:

Ghost in the Shell Movie & Television Series
I hope to get Season 2 with my Federal Refund.
I recently bought the reissue of the Manga as well.

Planet of the Apes. Can you tell the nerdness of it all yet?

Also, I am slowly trying to start a metal robot collection.
I have a small bot from Pearl River NYC and a Bender so far...

I am happy and I also like to think I am aging well.

Reading: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville.
Listening: Friend Opportunity by Deerhoof

Quick Post

2007-02-14T09:52:00.000-05:00

Some things to know:

Valentine's Day : Maybe we should start going with old traditions of dipping goat skins in blood? It's only a matter of time being how bloodthirsty Americans seem to be these days.

Great Backyard Birdcount : Geeky, but important to know, especially with all the Global warming problems people STILL want to ignore so they can make $$ and drive their big ass SUVs.

Target: Iran? : So there is alleged evidence that some weapons used by insurgents are coming out of Iran. Guess who supplied the rest of the weapons? US!!!! Sheesh...

We are determined to have a strong foothold in that area. Check out where all your tax dollars are going. It's the Middle East Disney!

Reading : Southern Lady, Yankee Spy by Elizabeth R. Varon

Listening: Rah Bras

War Lies & how Tom Brokaw is a Republican slut...

2007-01-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

Our treasonous leaders want to put more troops into Iraq?

These links are the images of war from the press:

Pulling down the Saddam statue. A big symbolic moment in the war to make us feel good.
IT WAS STAGED.

Jessica Lynch, cutsie pie innocent gal hero? Supposed kidnapped and held hostage.
IT WAS STAGED.

Meanwhile, we are too busy being entertained to a million little pieces by our self-absorbed goddess Oprah who thinks we should be more concerned about her being wronged than our soldiers dying in a fabricated war.

Bush fakes a Thanksgiving Turkey dinner in Iraq. The bird? Decorative. Some even say it was plastic. Soldiers get the same old processed junk they usually get, maybe with some cranberry in a can for treat.

Mission Accomplished? Not really on a ship anywhere NEAR the Middle East like you were lead to believe, but rather California.

Meanwhile, Tom Brokaw, now retired to play golf whenever he wants, comments on the Democrat victorious 2006 election, saying that now is the time to find middle ground and compromise. What? After these past number of years of extreme right thinking, he wants middle ground? I think the pendulum needs to swing a little further the other way than that!

A great Mother Jones timeline of Lies.

Imagine the future images of war from the press we have to come.

OUR LEADERS NEED TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MISREPRESENTED WAR.

If Clinton (whom I'm no real fan of either) can be impeached for lying about some oval oral action, what the HELL is keeping this current Administration from being put to trial? The Congress, though winning a "democrat" majority, has too many corporate whores in there too. Something needs to be done. Tell someone the things you know, open the chatlines...protest.

Reading: George Washington's Mount Vernon: At Home in Revolutionary America by Robert F. Dalzell & Lee Baldwin Dalzell.
On Deck Reading: "Loop" by Koji Suzuki.
Listening religiously: "In the grip of Official Treason" Jello Biafra

The simplest way out is OUT!

Carl Sagan was one of the greatest people of the 20th Century

2006-12-20T16:53:00.000-05:00

I have always felt that.

I remember watching episodes of Cosmos with my stepdad on PBS. Here this nerdy scientist guy drabbed in a brown suit was telling me things like "There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on the earth." and streaming out on scrolled paper as best they could a number so unfathomable that they couldn't even actually do it. Blew my mind. He had a kind of new age vibe but it also made a lot of SENSE. He mathematically predicted life on other planets (borrowed from a colleague at the time) that made it not only probable, but also shed light on the danger WE are in and need to address to sustain the human race. Wow.

Also, he made me think about the world and the worldhood of the world (as such). I believe if there were one pop culture person in my youth that helped me think of things in the world today, it was him.

When we lost Carl, we lost a whole lot more than just a silly "billions and billions" joke.

Yes, I own the DVD set. Yes, I miss him. The world should too.

Link to something cool.
Another cool link.

...and the War on Terrorism put them back a thousand years...

2006-12-03T09:11:00.000-05:00

Antiquation Mechanism. A device that my Liance and I learned about on a program on PBS a few months ago has now gotten more press on Boing Boing and more importantly here. Incredible, proving that Ancient Greece was perhaps the best society humans ever produced. Well, maybe a few slips of the slopes but was more democratic and open to new ideas than our current "free" world. They still don't know how "mass" produced or known this knowledge was or what it was really even used for. A good bet to me would be seafaring. I also bet the schematics were lying in a Library somewhere. Or maybe we need to look toward the East. Still, it is astonishing what history uncovers, when humans were more in touch with the earth and not so driven to not be a part of it. Imagine what is left to discover...

Reading as best I can this holiday season: Hard-boiled Wonderland/End of the World by Haruki Murakami

Spitting sonic rage with: Rio Grande Blood by Ministry

Bopping my holiday head to: Christmas Remixed 1 & 2 from Six Degrees Records

Shameless Music Plugs:

"Cotton" Dick Clinton plays The Mall

Noble Chicken plays Lump of Coal

If voting changed anything

2006-11-06T18:33:00.000-05:00

Jello Biafra did a spoken bit on this a few years ago and some kind person was dedicated enough to transcribe it HERE.
Please please read it, it is quite informative...

Three candidates (only two heard from and in the running) in Virginia:

Gail Parker : her big platform? More trains! It's almost comical, yet ya know what? At least she is making a stand! Ha!

George Allen : please. This man is only a birthright away from Schwarzenegger, so it's frightening that he COULD be president someday...

James Webb : Apparently USED to support Allen 6 years ago!

You know what? Watching all these political debates between the two main players, and I will probably apply this to the last presidential election as well, it is amazing how OUT OF TOUCH they are with the people. Politicians have always had that shade of higher than thou, yes, but these days, man, these days...

How out of touch they are with common every day people? Completely. They have NO IDEA what some person goes through day to day to day to day. One stupid visit to a poor house or VA hospital or line cooks at a Wendys or anything like that don't make em KNOW diddly. It's repulsive to think that unless something is done soon, we will be creating a 2nd (maybe more already, I'm sure) generation of accepting this tripe.

Another thing, it's insulting to listen to them churn this rhetoric butter, making it easy to understand for us fools in the normal world, but when they get to the lawmaking, they use all this complicated and lawyer ridden language. That is just plain WRONG. Make it easy to understand. I guess that's what happens when you get a buncha bored lawyers and businessmen together.

How about one word: NOTA.
None Of The Above.
Let's maybe put THAT into the election mix.

While we're at it NO CORPORATE LOBBYISTS.
No extra election money or a cap on it at least.

Career politicians are NOT representing anyone but themselves.

Okay, get out there an vote?
No on all three amendments, please?

Reading: Kind of waiting for my copy of Crimson Labyrinth by Yusuke Kishi to come in the mail to me...

Listening to: Balkan Beat Box, definitely check it out!

Rebuild this Wall?

2006-10-02T15:25:00.000-04:00

So we work for YEARS in Cold War conditions to "tear down this wall".

Only to build another in our back yard?

I wonder how many of those hired will be from South of the Border?

Excellent places visited or nearly visited by me in the past week:

U.S.S. Shenandoah Airship crash site
Big Muskie Bucket
Used Kids Records
The Blue Danube
Henricus / Dutch Gap
Antique Village

Note: Just when you think all good indie music has died, leave it up to the good bands to prove your ass wrong! Alice Donut, Nomeansno and Uzeda all have new ones out. Buy em!

Movie: Three Extremes
Books: World War Z by Max Brooks
Music, OH MY GOSH, music! Did you not read above??

FUNDRAISER: DONATE TO WRIR!!!! Radio for the rest of us!

George Bush just plain sucks

2006-09-11T21:16:00.000-04:00

I am watching him read off the teleprompter what other people have written right now thinking he is a freaking idiot. I don't think anyone in presidential history has shit on the people he is supposed to represent more than him. You know I don't have to list the problems with this former baseball manager. I watched a little bit of the 9/11 5 year special on NBC, and I feel a sense of rage and anger at what those terrorists did that day, but I have the same feeling toward the Commander in Chief's behavior and his hoodwinked style governing with his neo-conservative bootboys in his hip pocket. But who sould I be angry at the most? The PEOPLE. How can a war in Iraq go from weapons of mass destraction to the The War Against Terror (T.W.A.T.) and we BUY this hindsight 20/20 style action? Shoot first then shoot others later? If so, then WE ARE DOOMED. Oh well, keep smiling!

I'm engaged! Popped the question at Natural Bridge Sept 2 and L. said yes! HAPPY!

Read: Nikki Turner's "Glamorous Life" (hilariously awful, the ghetto Danielle Steel)
Reading: Blood on the River : Jamestown, 1607 by Elisa Carbone
Getting ready to Read: Dark Water by Suzuki

Listening: lotsa stuff! I'm a DJ now damnit!

New York Don'ti

2006-08-27T20:08:00.000-04:00

I am no curmudgeon when it comes to new things, but I have to say that New York Deli has all the charm and enchantment of the Carytown McDonald's redesigned "living room" area. Miserable.

So L. and I decided to give it a try, L. much more wary of the new design and atmosphere than I. The drab interior is a textured orange wall treatment, complete with shiny metal duct work and gee whiz, pictures of New York seemingly bought from the Garden Ridge catalog. There is a pull down screen and power pointish projector on either side of the dining hall and there is a DJ looking booth in the corner. Immediately I am thinking that these tables could be moved away and a rave could bust out at any moment. There is a cross section in the patronage; the west end couple with their teen college kid in flip flops; a young tattooed man with a pair of breasts for women, one with a child who leaves to never return; and old couple still trying to see what this new NYD is all about.

Waitress?

Oh waitress?

Oh here are our menus. L. orders the terriyaki wrap and I order the orange chicken entree for 10 bucks. Probably my first mistake, should have stuck with what the Deli WAS known for, like some stacked meat sandwich, BUT if it's on the menu, it should have some taste.

I order a PBR.

By the time I get the beer the couple next to us has gotten their second sets of drinks. Our waitress, oh waitress, basically ignores us the whole time. Looking across the room, there is another, more competent and pleasant waitress gabbing warmly to some table. Damn, we should have gotten her.

So our food comes, delivered by some lanky fellow from the kitchen, no nonsense in the delivery. I can appreciate that at least. L. says her wrap is okay. Mine? Oh, I'll let you know about it.

It comes in a bowl, stuffed nearly to the brim with rice drown in some nasty tasting orange "flavored" sauce probably from a bottle from Kroger or something. Then there are a few pieces of broccoli and red peppers and like 5 chunks of chicken. This meal is mostly rice and a residual taste that is as appealing as dabbing the terminals of a nine volt on your tongue for 20 minutes.

I order another PBR.

Waitress would rather wipe the table next to us, even though there is no one waiting to be seated, than to get me my second beer to get rid of this rancid taste from my mouth.
I don't finish my food, but the beer is emptied.

"Would you like a box for your meal?"
"Oh no, that will NOT be necessary."

Style magazine has no sense when it pushes a place that for has not even earned a reputation for what is has to offer BESIDES being open late. Don't tell me in some poetic language that this place is the electric keystone of neo Carytown when it can't even produce the goods on a slower evening for a proper meal. What, are they planning on advertising with your paper for a while? For a bar scene, the decor looks a little five years ago already anyway. For a restaurant, I think I will go to Bev's for a tasty grilled cheese, or Mom Siam's or Thai Diner Too, or Farouks, or Double T's or anything else but...

I do plan on a second visit, this time maybe sitting at the bar and ordering a proper sandwich, fingers crossed.

It's not a matter of missing what New York Deli was as so much as unimpressed and disappointed with what it has become.

Come on in, the water is fine!

2006-08-27T10:23:00.000-04:00

Shockoe Creek Strikes Back

I don't care what anyone says about Shockoe Bottom and the flooding problem.

IT IS THE CREEK.

This creek has been around long before us, creating that little gulch in the city known as Shockoe Valley. Heard of it? I have always had a fascination with this historic and largely overlooked body of water. Indian tribes lived on the creek long before Chris Newport decided to plant a cross near the Falls and Poe supposedly learned to swim in it when he was a young lad. If it wasn't used for flinging waste and filth for so many years, ultimately turning into a sewage line, maybe it would have been given the proper respect it deserves. I have always planned on writing a pamphlet on the history of the creek, scouting the areas where it could have exactly been, exploring the valley till I find the source. It still exists, that I am sure, just under asphalt and in the valley (near what was known as Butchertown) and surfacing at it's mouth near the James much to our human dismay for years and years and years...

Funny how in Man Vs. Nature we ultimately lose.

Watching: Battle Royale, again!
Song stuck in the head by: Gogogo Airheart

Monkey Versus Robot

2006-08-26T08:47:00.000-04:00

It's a phenomenon!
Come!
See!
Battle Royale of incidental proportions!

Story as myth
Battle as video
Needling into our culture as we speak!

When's the movie?