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!
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....
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.
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:
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.
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!
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!
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 #).
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 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:
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.
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.
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.
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..
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.
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