Past the Fascination

We Thank You

2007-01-19T23:17:00.000-08:00

We would like to thank Hobbs von Wackamole for inviting us to join Past the Fascination. Hobbs has been so generous. He is a busy man, planning for 2012 and the coming tide, and does not have enough time to keep up with this particularly wonderful blog. We are taking over. After all, We are Helpful Critic.

Autolux - Future Perfect

2007-01-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

From First Listen: so far, not a record to fall in love with, but a good record (as I finished, I will say the second half of this album is much better). good for fans of SY, certainly. nice and noisy guitar rock without being your usual 'indie' 70's rock ripoff. Why is everything today a 70's rock ripoff? The more I listen to the Kinks, the more invalid so many of today's (and the last 15 years) indie rock bands are. Christ, do something different. I'm bored. And leave led zepellin alone. You'll never be them. move on.

Its like punk rock. Pure punk rock, a la ramones and sex pistols, lasted for 5 minutes, and that was plenty. Everyone of the time with a clue knew that and evolved. Its called a foundation. Punk rock in its essence was and is not the skeleton, the frame. Its the foundation. People should have realized this and moved on. Siouxsie, the Cure, Joy Division, Talking Heads. Built upon punk rock, used it as the base, and that is it. Hundreds of artists realize this. Sadly, hundreds of thousands of kids don't, and start bands. pop punk, green day, go fuck yourself. Rancid, have an original idea, or get out of the way. I knew you sucked when I was 14 and you didn't even exist yet.

In an era of too much music, too many bands, and the elusive originality, one can't blame a band for wearing its influences on its sleeve. If you know music well enough, you know how hard it is to find a song that doesn't make you think of at least one or two other bands. But this doesn't mean you can lack originality, as so much of today's music does. There is still plenty of originality out there. Its called devouring what you love and translating it through your own filter. Most people can't do this, they just regurgitate. But those who truly digest can make a great sound, regardless of what you hear inside of it (yes, i'm thinking of interpol, the knife, et al). I can absolutely hear other bands in there, but i'm not just hearing a ripoff. I'm hearing something interesting.

I will say Autolux has a nice filtered sound. I'm hearing what is in there, at least my interpretation of it, but i'm not hearing ripoff. These guys should continue, keep at it, and I can see great things. And the Production is nice too. Not too polished. Could be a bit more raw, but its still nice and noisy. Good job, T-bone.

On First Listen

track 1 Turnstyle Blues 4-stars. giving this a second listen, now that I've heard the rest of the album. and i didn't really write about it. Its got a nice headnod to it. A good album opener. Nice dirge guitar and bass, good droning layers on that, that shoegazer vocal that comes up later. Great droning end. Still 4 stars.

track 2 Angry Candy - 2.5 stars, lame title, pretty boring, gets better, loves SY. Second listen. Nice dissonance, great vibrating sound in back a la Lee Ranaldo or YLT. Pretty basic vocal structure. Distorted guitars come in and stop. He's got a pretty good voice. Not overly impressed with some of the lyrics, but the song structure ain't bad. The dreaded 'doo doo da doo.' vocal filler. does have a nice fey quality to it, and it does have its moments. then it becomes a direct Sugar kane (SY) ripoff for about 20 seconds.

3. Subzero Fun - again, loves SY, bit of mbv in the vocal. nice sound. 3 stars

track 4 Sugarless - nice and noisy, poppy, still not amazing, but good. 4 stars.

track 5 Blanket - some good rock on track 5. reminds me of a huggy bear song. only mellower. poppy edge, noisy guitars, catchy hook, you can bobblehead to it. nice use of distortion too. This band should make an album that blows you away. This ain't it, but i see potential.

track 6 Great Days for the Passenger Element - is the obligatory slower track. Really enjoying the droning end, but overall, i can live without this song. 2 stars.

Nice, track 7, Robots in the Garden - get right into it. a quick 2 minute power pop, nice and simple, moves well. a bit hokey riff wise, especially the chorus, but bobblehead. nice noise. heavy drums. good rock. 4 stars. silence for the last 20 seconds? oh, churchbell like distortion leading into the next song. good touch. i approve.

track 8 Here Comes Everybody - jangly guitar with droney noise. good start. slower, unrest-y, hmmm. I like the other bands i'm hearing here. Ooop, 'sha la la,' i could live without, but its brief. I'm enjoying this track. 4 stars

track 9 Asleep at the Trigger - starts out with little kiddie piano and noise, thankfully they didn't go too long here. then, a slower thumping drum line straight outta 80's cheese poprap. And then the slow song begins, and brings to mind Cay songs from Nature Creates Freaks. A great record there. Asleep at the Trigger is a great title, I must say. The falsetto voice of the drummer is quite nice. I like the fact that if you didn't read who's in the band, you aren't sure if these guys have great falsettos of if a lady takes the helm. nice. This song is simple, pure, sweet, nice. great swelling feedback bass and guitar layers nicely. I could rest happy here. I didn't think a slower track would stand out, but this really hits nicely. 5 stars.

track 10 Plantlife - Great job using the whale sound to transition to the next sweet riff of plantlife. again i hear unrest, mbv, and a nice thumping stereolab guitarline a lo peng. Then the noise jam, again with peng and noisy yo la tengo, very autumn. lovely shoegazer vocals. this album has grown on me a lot. 4.5 stars

track 11 certainly reminiscent of Cay again, didn't really stand out too strong, but I did get a phone call too. But I don't think its going to Wow me.

reminds me of: Sonic Youth, Cay, Huggy Bear, My Bloody Valentine, Yo La Tengo, Unrest

The Government actually agrees with me on something..

2006-04-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

..musical, anyways
Sonic Youth Honored by Library of Congress

Kati Llewellyn and Amy Phillips report:
The Library of Congress' National Recording Registry documents America's history in sound. Its mission is to preserve recordings "that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." For the past six years, the library has annually inducted a number of new additions to the registry, including "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "The Lord's Prayer", the first-ever recording of "Stars and Stripes Forever", pioneering folk, jazz, and blues works, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Public Enemy, and Nirvana. So basically, this thing is, like, a big deal.

This week, the Library of Congress announced the 50 inductees to its 2006 class. Mamie Smith's "Crazy Blues", President Calvin Coolidge's inauguration, the first trans-Atlantic telephone conversation, Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill", Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day", Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street", the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Are You Experienced, Frank Zappa's We're Only in it for the Money, Wendy Carlos' Switched-On Bach, Gil Scott-Heron's The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, and Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life were among those that made the cut.

And so was Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. Whoa. Was somebody in Washington reading Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1980s list?

Here's what the National Recording Registry's website had to say about the album:
"Pioneer members of New York City's clangorous early 1980s No Wave scene, Sonic Youth are renowned for a glorious form of noise-based chaos. Guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo had previously performed with Glenn Branca's large guitar ensembles, and their alternative guitar tunings and ringing harmonies attest to this apprenticeship. On Daydream Nation, their third album, the group's forays into outright noise always return to melodic songs that employ hypnotic arpeggios, driving punk rock rhythmic figures and furious gales of guitar-based noise. Bassist Kim Gordon's haunting vocals and edgy lyrics add additional depth to the numbers she sings."

Dude! The Library of Congress wrote that! The Library of frickin' Congress! Do we live in a great country or what?

Of course, the thrill of being honored by one of our nation's highest institutions will pale in comparison to Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon's previously-reported appearance on the May 9 season finale of the WB's hit series "Gilmore Girls". Along with their daughter Coco, the pair will perform an acoustic version of the song "What a Waste", from the forthcoming Sonic Youth album Rather Ripped (due June 13 on Geffen).

Joe Pernice, Yo La Tengo, Sparks, Sam Phillips, and actress/singer/comedienne Mary Lynn Rajskub will also make guest appearances on the show. It's likely that Lane will have a heart attack...and we'll have to wait until next season to see if she pulls through.

And what would a Sonic Youth news story be without information on some side project or other?

If the Gilmore gals are really on top of it, they'll reference the new Perfect Partner box set, released by Electra Productions this week. A souvenir from a music/film performance that toured across Europe in 2005, the set includes music, art, and other show-related artifacts. Perfect Partner, dreamed up by Gordon, artist Tony Oursler, and filmmaker Phil Morrison, featured Gordon, Moore, Jim O'Rourke, Ikue Mori, DJ Olive, and Tim Barnes improvising music to a film projection starring Michael Pitt (hot guy from The Dreamers and Last Days; his band Pagoda is on Moore's Ecstatic Peace label).
Included in the package are a vinyl 12" with a recording of the project on its A side and an etching by Gordon and JD Walsh on its B side, autographed prints by Gordon and Oursler, a Perfect Partner poster with artwork by Gordon, Oursler, and Walsh, a script of the film, and, best of all, a glitter bumper sticker.
Only 500 were made, so they're pretty expensive (£75, which is about $130). Still, a glitter bumper sticker!
Also on the market right now from Important Records are a 7" and book/CD by Sonic Youth six-stringer Lee Ranaldo. The 7", Vancouver Ambients 1-4, is the sixth installment in the label's Arts & Crafts series. Pressed on clear vinyl and packaged with a screen print designed and signed by the man himself, it was recorded with the all-star lineup of Alan Licht on guitar, Christian Marclay on turntables, and William Hooker on drums.
The book/CD is a combination mail-order exclusive featuring an autographed copy of Ranaldo's tome Road Movies (featuring photos by his wife, Leah Singer) and the disc Ambient Loop for Vancouver.
Both the single and the combo pack are limited to 500 copies.
Fiiiiiinally, we'd like to remind you that Sonic Youth have a bunch of shows coming up, including a mini-tour with Pearl Jam, sets at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and All Tomorrow's Parties' "Nightmare Before Christmas" in December, curated by Moore.
Daydream nations:
04-19 Paris, France - "Le Mouv" on Radio France04-20 Paris, France - Nouveau Casino06-14 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom06-17 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel * 06-18 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Festival $07-06 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand #07-07 San Diego, CA - Cox Arena #07-09 Los Angeles, CA - Forum #07-10 Los Angeles, CA - Forum #07-13 Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl #07-16 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium #07-18 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium #07-29 Yuzawa-machi, Japan - Naeba Ski Resort (Fuji Rock Festival) ^08-03 Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center (92.3 K-ROCK Presents Kuyahoga) +08-05 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza) +%12-08-10 Somerset, England - Butlins Minehead (ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas) &
* with Be Your Own Pet$ with Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Ben Folds, Common, My Morning Jacket, Cat Power, Atmosphere, Amadou & Mariam, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Magic Numbers, Dungen, Andrew Bird, et al# with Pearl Jam^ with Broken Social Scene, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Franz Ferdinand, the Hives, Mogwai, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scissor Sisters, Snow Patrol, Super Furry Animals, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wolfmother, the Zutons, et al+ with Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, Secret Machines, the Hold Steady, She Wants Revenge, Wolfmother, the Go! Team% with Kanye West, Wilco, the Raconteurs, Queens of the Stone Age, the Shins, Sleater-Kinney, the New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene, Built to Spill, Gnarls Barkley, Feist, Iron & Wine, Ryan Adams, Andrew Bird, Common, et al& with Iggy & the Stooges
* Pitchfork Review: Sonic Youth/Thurston Moore Reissues* Pitchfork News: Sonic Youth Tour with Pearl Jam, Rock "Gilmore Girls"* Pitchfork Feature: Interview: Sonic Youth* Sonic Youth: http://www.sonicyouth.com/* National Recording Registry: http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/nrpb-nrr.html* Important Records: http://www.importantrecords.com/* Electra Productions: http://www.electra-productions.com/

a note from the sex pistols

2006-03-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

Finally....

2006-02-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

ahh...i finally got my buddha machine today.

I heard about the machine a few months ago: A friend of mine that i used to work with at a record shoppe showed it to me. he had a green one. brilliant!

Then, I read an article with the lead singer of Low, and it was mentioned. So, I googled it, read up, and ordered one from Forced Exposure.

I saw Low a few weeks later. During the Encore, they were taking requests, and someone yelled out "Buddha Machine!" And of course Alan went into his suitcase, pulled it out, held it up to the mike for a minute, and we all applauded. All the people around me asked what the hell it was. All I said was, I have one coming.

Sadly, mine is hot pink! Guess I'll keep trying!

I'm driving everyone in my office crazy with it.The best idea I've had in the 3 hours since I got it - I went into the bathroom, into one of the stalls, and let it play. Great acoustics, and at least 3 people came in and out while I was there. I'm sure they are very confused.

New Arrivals!

2006-01-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

...I've officially become obsessed with Lost. Someone lent us season 1, and we watched it in a weeks time. I'm hooked. Nice job. Not much good on TV right now, so Lost it is. Now, using iTunes and my dwindling bank accound, I can catch up and start watching Season 2 with everyone else. Anyways, I've just received some new arrivals to my collection in the mail today. One for history, one for collecting, one a new album by someone i like, one a recommendation I've not heard yet. And, they are:

1. for History: OHM+: the early gurus of electronic music 1948-1980

2. for Collecting: MF Doom presents Special Herbs the Box Set (limited release, too)

3. new album: Cat Power - The Greatest

4. Recommendation: Animal Collective - feels

I'll let you know.

Currently hearing: A Secret Life - Brian Eno and David Byrne on My Life in the Bush with Ghosts.

best confirmation ever...

2006-01-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

..a friend of mine bought a CD from an online company called CDBABY.com. He received this confirmation of shipping email, which he shared with me. CDBABY is now my favorite online music retailer. Read on, Baby!

Your CD has been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.

A team of 50 employees inspected your CD and polished it to make sure it was in the best possible condition before mailing.

Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CD into the finest gold-lined box that moneycan buy.

We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved 'Bon Voyage!' to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day, Thursday, January 12th.

I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. We sure did. Your picture is on our wall as 'Customer of the Year'. We're all exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!

'tis the time....

2006-01-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

.....2005 is officially over. And in the land of music, that means it's time for the top 10 lists. You know, those lists us geeks put together of our favorite albums of the year, stuff that sucked, so on and so forth. I got involved in a lovely top 10 email chain, which prompted me to get on my itunes, figure out which albums actually came out this year that i bought (since i listen to more old than new, lately), and which ones were the best. I'll tell you this, 2005 was not an impressive year for music as far as I can tell. Not a whole lot came out worth listening to that i've heard. But, here is the list. Feel free to email me or comment with your own list, if you'd like, and I'll post em!

Hobb's top albums of 2005
1. Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase
2. The Books - Lost and Safe
3. Caribou - The Milk of Human Kindness
4. Caribou - Tour only CD
5. Dangerdoom - The Mouse and the Mask (its got aquateen hunger force on it, yo!)
6. The Free Design - The Now Sound Redesigned (classic 60's redone by modernists)
7. Edan - Beauty and the Beat (The Best Damn HipHop Record I've heard in a WHILE)
8. Fischerspooner - Odyssey
9. Koushik - Be With
10. Lali Puna - I thought I was over that (Collected remixes)

I'd have to put my top 3 as Edan, Caribou tour cd, and The Books.

HONORABLE MENTION:
Billy "Prince" Bonny & Matt Sweeney-Superwolf
M.I.A.-Arular
Annie - Anniemal
Adult. - D.U.M.E. / Gimmee Trouble

Most OVERRATED
LCD Soundsystem (would make a great 5 song ep, but 2 discs. Lotsa filler, kiddies!)

THANK GOD FOR REMASTERING:
Siouxsie & The Banshees - The Scream
Dead Kennedy's - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
The first four Cure albums
Patti Smith - HorsesEcho & the Bunnymen albums
Neutral Milk Hotel - The Aeroplane Over the Sea (well, just reissued for those sucka's abroad)
Stooges - 1st Self Titled album
Television - Marquee Moon

Albums I'm kicking myself for not hearing yet!
Low - Destroyer
Sigur Ros-Takk...
Sujfan Stevens-Illinois
Clap Your Hands Say Year - self-titled

Albums I just bought, so can't really rate yet:
The Gris Gris.

now that's comedy

2006-01-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

i'm not a fan of saturday night live
but some friends forced me to watch this sketch
its called Lazy Sunday: The Chronicles of Narnia
and it is damn funny

enjoy

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=314439751336170262&q=Chronicles+of+Narnia

ipod time...

2005-12-10T21:29:00.000-08:00

Testing out my new photobucket with the blog stuff. they link up. how nice.
I'm gonna be keeping you all posted on the albums I upload to the ipod,
just because I love them and I think they are worth listening to.
So, here is the Dead Kennedy's Give Me Convenience or Give me
Death. I have owned this CD for 15 years. It is a beautiful
illustration of how punk evolved in America during the 80's and staying
underground, while being very political and influencial. This
album is actually a bit of a retrospective that sums up the DK's
career. If you don't know the DK's, this is a great introduction,
as it spans most of the albums, and includes such classics as Holiday
in Cambodia and Too Drunk to Fuck. Kinda like me right now.
Hence the bad writing. Drunk. Goodnight.

Damn...

2005-12-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

Godspeed, little doodle.

Let's talk Dumbass...

2005-12-06T11:27:00.000-08:00

yeah, the international language that all dumbasses share. Let's talk serious dumbass with this here article:

LONDON - An Eminem impersonator who beat a woman to death and stuffed her body in a suitcase _ a scene reminiscent of the rapper's "Stan" video _ is facing life in prison.

Christopher Duncan, 21, the shitbag you see on the right, has the same hair color, style and tattoos as the rapper. Did you get that? This fucking dumbass actually mimiced the rap star, right down to the tattoo's. How motherfucking stupid can a person be?
Duncan pleaded guilty Thursday to killing Jagdip Najran, 26, a law student and aspiring singer.
They met at a karaoke bar last year (which should tell you something), where Najran was smitten after watching Duncan perform, a prosecutor said. Duncan took Najran back to his apartment and beat her over the head with an iron baseball bat until she fell unconscious, then stuffed her body into a suitcase. Ah, first dates are so special.
Medical experts testified she stayed alive for at least an hour after being struck. Duncan reportedly told police he was high on Ecstasy and LSD at the time. Police told him he shoulda taken more drugs, all of them, at once, and then gotten into the bathtub with his mutha fuckin microphone. Why don't you rap on that one a bit, white boy.
In the video for "Stan," an obsessive fan ties up his girlfriend, throws her in the trunk of his car and drives it over a bridge. And, get this, its FICTION! Got it. No? Then go burn your face, make a glove outta knives, and haunt my dreams, asshole.
Duncan was to be sentenced Monday. A call to Eminem's publicist in Los Angeles was not immediately returned. And I don't blame him.

Ah, the border patrol.....

2005-12-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

And one time, I caught me this mexican fella, and he was THIS BIG!!

Say it Ain't so..

2005-12-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

Actress Wendie Jo Sperber, who starred opposite Tom Hanks on TV's "Bosom Buddies," and who in his words became "a walking inspiration" after she contracted breast cancer, died on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005, at her home. She was 46. We already missed her, now we miss her more.

ooh goody, a music quiz

2005-11-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

I figured, why not post it here instead!

1. Of all the bands/artists in your cd/record collection, which one do you own the most albums by? Sonic Youth, David Bowie, St. Etienne, Pavement, MF Doom,

2. What was the last song you listened to: "Nothing of the Kind" by Adult. on Anxiety Always

3. What's in your record/CD player right now? Nada, I'm sticking to the Ipod! and right now there is 10 days of music on shuffle

4. What song pretty much sums you up? I don't know if I can answer that off hand.

5. What's your favourite local band? My band? I don't know many local bands anymore. Their either too big to be local (pixies), but i don't go see shows of local acts anymore. Except for Duresse.

6. What was the last show you attended? Duresse, coincidentally. Before that, Adult.

7. What was the greatest show you've ever been to? Many Sonic Youth shows, Adult., Manitoba are absolutely amazing

8. What's the worst band you've ever seen in concert? ohh, what were they called. i got dragged to see them. well, i saw Rasputina recently and fell asleep. Oh Yeah, they were called Rustic Overtones. A friend brought me to check it out. i felt bad since he loved them, but i thought they were just aweful

9. What band do you like musically but dislike the members of? hmm...Wheat, except for Ricky. Those guys are dicks!

10. What is the most musically involved you have ever been? HA. I own about 4000 CD's, I've been in about 5 bands, sang, drums, keyboards, and bass, and currently drum machines and bass.

11. What shows are you looking forward to? hmm, the Books are playing in Northampton in March. Playing a show with the new band will be fun.

12. What is your favorite band shirt? My old sonic youth goo shirt, my adult. shirt, my mf doom shirt

What happened to question .. 13? there is no spoon

14.What musician would you like to be in love with for a day? You mean, and interact with them? Britney, until i found out how dumb she is. Courtney, if she were clean and not stupid. Nicola from Adult. she's hot

15. Pat Benatar or Cyndi Lauper? Cyndi! thats a toughy, but def Cyndi!

16. Sabbath or solo Ozzy? Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

17. Commodores or solo Lionel Ritchie? Solo. Dance on the ceiling baby

18. Punk rock, hip hop or heavy metal? I love old punk rock, not new. I love good hip hop, of which there is few. Heavy metal, i love Tool, but not much makes me drool

19. Doesn't Primus suck? If you know primus, and love them as I once did, you know the anwer is PRIMUS SUCKS. I do still enjoy them occasionally

20. Did you know that filling out this survey makes you a music geek? It can't make me what I already was.

21. What was the greatest decade for music? Hmm, well, the late 60's had the good Beatles, the Velvet Underground, and the beginning of the Stooges. All through the 70's were great. Actually, all through the 80's were great too. I particularly love 88 and 89, so many good records. The 90's were fair, some great stuff, too much crap. not much going on in the aught's. So, I don't know.

22. How many music-related videos/dvds do you own: at least 20, probably more

3. Do you like Journey? sure, for cheesy music, journey was great.

24. Don't try to pretend you don't!! its crap, but great crap!

25. What is your favourite movie soundtrack? hmm, Fear and Loathing is great, Pump up the volume was pivotal, although most of the best music in that movie isn't on the soundtrack, so, i'm not sure. Rushmore, that one is fantastic. ok.

26. What was your last musical phase? hmm. I guess hip hop. I was big in that for a while, but most of it got old, except MF Doom and Madlib. Currently its some electro some IDM mostly electronic music Boards of Canada stuff, plus some no wave and stuff.

Where is question 27?

28. What's the crappiest CD/record/etc. you own? probably Britney's albums! HA

29. Do you prefer vinyl or CDs? vinyl actually does sound better (its scientific!) as analogue recording keeps the frequencies that we can't hear. but i don't have a record player, and i have way more CD's. love the 60 gig ipod though!

30. All totalled, how much do you spend on music a month? a month? Way too much. depends on the month. some months, only like 50 bucks. others go way higher!

I'm ripping off..

2005-11-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

the RnR hall of fame here, but i thought this was a nice little write up of the Velvet Underground, a band which, if you don't know them, then you need to change that RIGHT FUCKING NOW. They are in some way responsible for most of the good music that exists today!

Inductees: John Cale (viola, bass, keyboards, vocals; born March 9, 1942), Sterling Morrison (guitar; born August 29, 1942, died August 30, 1995), Lou Reed (vocals, guitar; born March 2, 1944), Maureen “Moe” Tucker (drums; born August 26, 1944)

The influence of the Velvet Underground on rock greatly exceeds their sales figures and chart numbers. They are one of the most important rock and roll bands of all time, laying the groundwork in the Sixties for many tangents rock music would take in ensuing decades. Yet just two of their four original studio albums ever even made Billboard’s Top 200, and that pair – The Velvet Underground and Nico (#171) and White Light/White Heat (#199) – only barely did so. If ever a band was “ahead of its time,” it was the Velvet Underground. Brian Eno, cofounder of Roxy Music and producer of U2 and others, put it best when he said that although the Velvet Underground didn’t sell many albums, everyone who bought one went on to form a band. The New York Dolls, Patti Smith, the Sex Pistols, Talking Heads, U2, R.E.M., Roxy Music and Sonic Youth have all cited the Velvet Underground as a major influence.

The Velvets' addressed such taboo subjects as sexual deviancy (“Venus in Furs”), drug addiction (“Heroin,” “White Light/White Heat”), paranoia (“Sunday Morning”) and the urban demimonde (“All Tomorrow’s Parties”). In so doing, they brought rock and roll into theretofore unexplored experiential realms with a literary and unabashedly adult voice. Musically, the group ranged from droning, avant-garde improvisations (“Sister Ray”) to songs built upon time-tested rock and R&B foundations (“I’m Waiting for the Man”). The Velvet Underground managed to be both arty and earthy, reflecting the duality within the college-educated but streetwise Lou Reed, who wrote most of the material.

The group—vocalist/guitarist Reed, keyboardist and viola player John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Maureen “Moe” Tucker - played their first show together in 1965. The following year they were taken under the wing of artist Andy Warhol, who saw them perform at Cafe Bizarre in Greenwich Village. The Velvets soon became the house band at Warhol's studio, the Factory, and the centerpiece of his multimedia extravaganza, the “Exploding Plastic Inevitable.” Their debut album, The Velvet Underground and Nico, featured a classic Warhol-designed pop-art jacket that depicted a big yellow banana. Inside were 11 songs that radically revised the rock and roll sensibility - especially two songs about drug addiction, one despondent and sobering (“Heroin”) and another a ribald slice of Harlem street life (“I’m Waiting for the Man”). Several songs, notably “Femme Fatale” and “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” featured the heavily accented vocals of cool German chanteuse Nico.

The Velvet Underground’s second album, White Light/White Heat was more sonically radical. Filled with leakage and distortion, its chaotic centerpiece was the 17-minute “Sister Ray.” The group’s self-titled third album was, by comparison, quiet and introspective, defined more by cautious optimism (“Beginning to See the Light”) and soul-searching (“Jesus”). By then, John Cale had left at the insistence of Reed, with whom he clashed, and was replaced by Doug Yule. Between the releases of The Velvet Underground and Loaded – officially, their fourth album – the group recorded enough unreleased material to fill two albums. Indeed, two albums of archival unearthings from 1969 were issued in the mid-Eighties as VU and Another View.
When Loaded appeared in late 1970, only Reed and Morrison remained from the original lineup. The group had switched record labels, from MGM/Verve to Atlantic/Cotillion, and adapted a more pop-oriented approach. Loaded contained some of Lou Reed’s most accessible compositions, many of them sung by the pop-voiced Doug Yule. Yet though Reed felt the album was “loaded” with hits, it was their second in a row not to chart at all. That seems inconceivable today, given its high quality and enduring influence. The album’s ten tracks were hooky and melodic, yet informed by Reed’s literary intellect, and two of them – “Sweet Jane” and “Rock and Roll” – have become acknowledged classics. Of Loaded’s anthem to the power of popular music, Reed explained, “’Rock and Roll’ is about me. If I hadn’t heard rock and roll on the radio, I would have had no idea there was life on this planet.”

Prior to the release of Loaded, Reed left the Velvet Underground to embark on a solo career. And though a Yule-led Velvet Underground briefly kept the name alive, that was essentially the end of the story: four brilliant albums that formed a blueprint for the next three decades of rock and roll. The founding members reunited in 1993 for a brief European tour; it had been 25 years since they’d shared a stage. A double-disc documentary, Live MCMXCIII, appeared later that year. There was talk of a new studio album, but the reunion turned out to be short-lived. A new wave of interest in the Velvet Underground was stirred by the 1995 release of Peel Slowly & See, a five-CD box set that included their first four albums and numerous rarities. At their 1996 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Velvet Underground sang a new song, “Last Night I Said Goodbye to My Friend,” a tribute to guitarist Sterling Morrison, who’d died of cancer the previous year.

didja ever watch Dr. Who when you were a kid...

2005-11-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

if so, did you ever wonder how the Dalek's, uhh, you know, how they get it on? No? Me neither, but apparently someone did!!!

BBC pulls plug on Dalek lesbian romp flick
Those readers who have ever wondered in an idle moment how a couple of Daleks would respond to the presence of three naked lesbians romping in their Mothership might recently have found the answer in the shape of a sci-fi smutfest entitled "Abducted by the Daleks".
Sadly, however, you'll have to wonder on because the BBC and the estate of Dalek creator Terry Nation have moved swiftly to pull the plug on the the trundling salt-cellars' intergalactic rumpy-pumpy.

The story centers around three sexy young disco babes who have met the mysterious Anna. As they journey through the woods they discuss the legend of The Serial Skinner not knowing that they are already being observed by a more ambitious and ruthless species of Alien.... the daleks!!!
To cut to the chase - literally - here's how UK tabloid the Sun describes it: "Dr Who's foes capture three naked 'disco babes' in the 18-rated DVD. They chase the girls around their spaceship and grope them with their plungers."
Oh dear, oh dear. The director of Terry Nation's estate, Tim Hancock, told the paper: "The reason the Daleks are still the most sinister thing in the universe is because they do not make things like porn. They weren't ever intended to be sexual creatures. It's simple, Daleks do not do porn."
Well they do down at the Sun which has stills from the offending film here. (don't do it at work, though. there are naughty photos here!)

In related news, if you hadn't heard, a while back someone kidnapped a Dalek that was situated outside a museum in Britain. Damn hilarious, if you ask me. They even left this ransome note:

Apparently, it was recoved after all, at the Tor in Glastonbury. King Arthur was unavailable for comment.

Ranting....

2005-11-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

I have a best friend. He's an asshole and a worse music snob then me. And he always rants. I should post em, since they're about music.

Email #1:
Hey did you hear about this teenage girl that kissed
her boyfriend and because he just ate peanut butter
had an allergic reaction and DIED FROM BEING KISSED?
What are you allergic to that we can send for
Takeout? Let us know it's VERY important.

My Response:
> i'm allergic to you
> but luckily, its not fatal
> i just vomit everytime i think of you
>
> P Control (Prince) is on my ipod right now

Email #2
Cool. If you're allergic to me, then EAT ME! It's a
good joke, but the incest part makes it not as
funny...
"WWWWWAAAAAAAAAAH, Poosay cuntroll!! OHHH!"
Saw the new order live at the brit music hall of fame
induction last night. TERRIBLE--as I said to Moth,
banging two rocks together would have more melody than
Bernard singing....they butchered Regret and Love Will
Tear Us Apart. All infront of a lot of very important
but annoying musicians like Eric Clapton and his
clones that will look at it like it justifies them
making shitty music.
"You're face....is flat...la la la...flatface....like
I hit it with a shovel...flat....tra la la..."
(Hobbs Note: This guy LOVES New Order, {odd, that's whats on the ipod right now})

My Response:
> the pistols are finally getting inducted into the
> RnR hall of Fame
> along with Blondie, Black Sabbath, Miles davis, and,
> uh, hwack (vomit in the mouth sound) Skynyrd

Email #3:
So skynyrd get inducted for ONE SONG. Stupid. Typical
placating to the South so they THINK they mean
something in the grand scheme of things. Let's induct
Bobby McFerrin for his ONE song too, such a good one
and it has such a powerful message to everyone, just
like freebird. Until they induct Kraftwerk or ANY of
my late 80s alternative favorites that are still
influenza-ing people 20 years later, I have no respect
for them and call it all marketing for sheep. They
NEED to induct The Smiths and get over pretending they
didn't change everything before the masses caught on.
As the years go by the foolish pretending of the early
90s crowd gets more and more ridiculous for them to
defend as factual....
Sometimes I wonder if alternative metal is actually
Thurston's fault for liking Alice Cooper so
much....but then I just remind myself they all grew up
on metal instead of Thurston, and they were not
alternative but wanted to be trendy and that's how it
really happened. The only band I know that did it
right was Janes'. Got I hate the Chillipeppers....
Speaking of f*cking poseurs, has Pretty Hate Machine
been reissued or something? I see it on my newb comix
email as a new release for $11.88....So stupid we
don't have it but have all his other BS and the
downward spiral I respect but don't like on the
whole....
So F-ing what if I'm babbling! Get over it!

My Response:

well, its gotta be 25 years since their first album release, so, the 80's bands may have to wait
why hasn't the cure been inducted, is my question?????
funny rant on alternametal.
yes, hate chili's
faith no more, though, that was dandy

Email #4
The Cure don't even get nominated--to do so would mean
they were paying attention to actual music history. So
since Rolling Stone never put them on the cover even
when Disintegration was out and they were on the cover
of Spin twice that year, they don't actually exist.
Both Lovesong and Friday I'm Puking only exist if
Jessica Simpson covers them. YOU know that!
One more time: Linda Perry is MADE FROM THE DEVIL.
Just thought I'd remind you.
XOXOXOXOOXXOXOXOXOOXOXOOOXXOWalmartBabyOnCrack

My response:

yar yar. Please tell me simpson didn't cover those
> songs, and yr just using that for alliteration.
> its sad but true. at least the talking heads are in
> there
> i bet, the way there going, the cure could happen,
> just not yet
> Velvets in 96
> Talking heads a few years ago
> pretenders last year
> sex pistols, finally
> i mean
> the beatles were in 88, 2 years after it started,
> since they did some old timey crap
> rolling stones in 89
> doors in 93
> ramones and theads in 2002
> the clash (ugh) and the police, elvis c and ac/dc in
> 03
> prince in 04
> they are wicked slow
> but i think they're catching up
> hmmm...
> the better prove us wrong, and not give a metal
> award to jethro tull

Email #5
Still, Kraftwerk is a HUGE oversight--the biggest one
I can think of.
WHY do people call me when I'm only going to be here
for 10 more minutes? You'd have to be stupid to think
I'm going to pick up the phone--oh yeah, most people
that call me ARE stupid. Maybe it's just XXX
telling me the Nintendo DS was FINALLY delivered, but
most likely if anything he's calling to tell me UPS
has thier heads up all their asses. I JUST WANT TO
ORDER THINGS BY MAIL AND HAVE THEM DELIVERED. WHY IS
IT SUCH A PROBLEM FOR YOU TO DO YOUR JOB!?!??!?! I
hate UPS.
Pretenders have NO BUSINESS being in the hall of fame.
NONE. I love them, but NONE AT ALL. Typical women
pandering. Sonic Youth deserve it so much more than
she does--and it's all for Chryssie Hynde (sp? brain
fart) they could care less who else was in the band.
They have two good albums: the 1st one, and Learning
to Crawl. They have three times that of bad albums so
WHY are they in there!? Bananarama have more reason to
be in there, or the go-gos even if you want women in
rock with top ten hits--they did it more than the
pretenders ever did. I just don't understand this
country's obsession with making marketing trends into
facts. It's just so stupid.
"I almost married Sid Vicious and was there for the
first punk revulsion!"
"OH yeah Chryssie, what did you write about it then?"
"Oh some drivel about Ohio instead, but I have INDIE
CREDIBILITY!"
Vomit.
XOXOOXOXOOOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXXOIAmTheHallofFame

It's that time of year again...

2005-11-28T08:11:00.000-08:00

Time for the inductees of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame to be announced!!!
And this year, I'm happy with almost all of them.
Here is the list:

Black Sabbath
Miles Davis
The Sex Pistols
Blondie
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Also, Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, who founded A&M records in 1962, will receive a lifetime achievement award in the non-performer category.

Now, I really can't understand Skynyrd. I mean, sure, they did Freebird, but that is not a good thing, at least in my opinion! What else did they do for music. Help promote Southern Rock? Is that Good? Well, whatever. I just don't agree.

Sabbath is a given, absolutely. Miles, no question, even though this isn't the Jazz hall of fame, let's be realistic. It's more the Modern Music hall of fame, and by modern, i'm talking the last 60 years. So, yeah, Miles. Great. Blondie? Abso-fucking-lutely. If you haven't considered Blondie seriously as a band, just thought of them as fluffy 80's new wave, go listen to X-Offender or Hanging on the Telephone. Blondie kicked ass! (note the past tense!). And of course, our lovely Sex Pistols. I finally put Bollocks on my ipod last night. The Pistols most certainly made a huge dent in the music industry that reverberates to this day. No, kids, they didn't invent Punk Rock (go see Iggy Pop for that!). They simply used their antics and offensive banter to bring it to the forefront, without going Pop like the Clash (sorry, but they really were the first pop act of Punk! I love songs like White Riot, but I just don't see the value of the Clash nearly as much as others. Sue me). The Pistols short lived career brought a new activism and individuality to music. It showed the kids that they could say Fuck You to the system without peace and love. Showed kids that you didn't need to play well, or at all, to make music (of course, we are now seeing the Negative effects of that). In a time of bloated prog rock bands, the Pistols helped bring back pure rock and roll, and added a much needed dose of social commentary to it! So, I am happy to see them finally inducted. Better late than never.

FYI: Musicians, industry professionals and journalists vote on the nominations. Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall after at least 25 years have passed since their first record was released.

FYI: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation will hold its induction ceremony March 13 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, the organization announced Monday.

awwww...

2005-11-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

who got cancelled?

HAHA, Nobody likes you, yr show, yr bad comic book movie, or yr boyfriend!

Now, piss off

Gloomy

2005-11-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

We are dark and Gloomy. We take ourselves too seriously. So much so, in fact, that people like Hobbs won't even bother to listen to our music. And that makes us sad. We are sad, We are dark and Gloomy.

And what is with the freak on the right. CUT YOUR HAIR, permboy! Trim that Goat. And if you're not headed to a renaissance fair, change your shirt. You know what you are asking for?

I'm thankful

2005-11-25T07:39:00.000-08:00

that these two assholes are over, and hopefully I'll never hear anything about them again.

In sad news, MR. MIYAGI IS DEAD. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Here's to you, Big Guy. Shine on!

BUY THIS NOW!

2005-11-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

If you like to dance, and you like angry music, dark sarcastic music, kinda evil sounding music, but still music you can dance to, well, this collection of 12 inches is the best thing ever! Adult. Resuscitation, on Ersatz Audio. Soo Good.

In other news, Sinead O'Connor has made a record of Reggae Covers with Sly and Robbie. While I do like some of her work, and I have not yet heard this album, I did see her perfom a song from this record on a late night talk show, and I have one thing to say about it: AAAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHA
HAHAHAHAAHAAAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAAA
HAAHAAHAAAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAAHAH
IT SUCKED!

Better Luck Next Time....

2005-11-23T06:05:00.000-08:00

Bret Michaels Dodges Bullet....
Somebody's gunning for Bret Michaels. Can you believe it???
The Poison frontman literally dodged a bullet, or at least a pellet, escaping injury after someone fired a single shot into his tour bus Monday night.
In a statement, Michaels' manager says the rocker was not hit by the projectile, but he "was struck in the face by flying broken glass." Not that face, that beautiful beautiful face!!!
The release goes on to say that "this was not a random drive-by shooting due to the shots being fired directly into the living quarters at the rear of the bus." It also claims that "throughout his career, Michaels has been the target of numerous death threats investigated by the FBI." Are you surprised?
Michaels himself says in the statement that he will soldier on.
"I want to thank all 12 of my fans in the Chicopee area for staying out last night, and I will be back."
But local authorities are downplaying the seriousness of the incident. "It appears to be a simple case of vandalism," says Sergeant Christopher Lareau of the Chicopee Police Department.
Speaking by phone Tuesday, Lareau confirmed that the left rear window of the bus had been shot out, but that he believed the weapon involved was a "pellet gun." He added that there were currently no suspects. Other FBI agents and Police officers snickered in the background.
In his statement, Michaels asks that any tips be sent to his Website, bretmichaels.com, or the police.
"Hopefully, with the help of many people, we will catch the person who did this and they will be brought to justice," the rocker says. "And if so, I will personally flog them with my huge penis."
The tour bus tagging caps a rough year for members of one of the biggest hair metal bands of the late 1980s. Last month, a Los Angeles judge sentenced Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille to 80 days in jail after he pleaded no contest to driving under the influence and causing injury.
As for Michaels, he is due in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for a show Tuesday followed by a Thursday concert in Cincinnati. Be afraid!

WHY?

2005-11-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

why didn't I have teachers like this when I was 14?

I mean, I never had teachers that good looking, and willing to get naughty with a 14 year old!

Debra Lafave, 25, pleaded guilty Tuesday to having sex with a 14-year-old student, avoiding prison as part of a plea agreement. The boy told investigators the two had sex in a classroom at the Greco school, located in Temple Terrace near Tampa, in her Riverview town house and once in a vehicle while his 15-year-old cousin drove them around Marion County. The boy told investigators Lafave told him her marriage was in trouble and that she was aroused by the fact that having sex with him was not allowed. He said he and Lafave, a newlywed at the time, got to know each other on their way back from a class trip to SeaWorld Orlando in May 2004. Fitzgibbons said in July that plea negotiations had broken off because prosecutors insisted on prison time, which he said would be too dangerous for someone as attractive as Lafave (Hell Yeah!). He said then that she planned to plead insanity at trial, claiming emotional stress kept her from knowing right from wrong.

NO LONGER ALLOWED

2005-11-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

MY GOD I HATE THIS CREATURE, HER LAME FALSE ENERGY

AND EVERYTHING THAT SHE DOES.

PLEASE, BRING ME HER HEAD ON A PIKE

THANK YOU

SPAM report

2005-11-22T06:21:00.000-08:00

..ok, again, not music related. While this blog is mostly centered around music, it will also be my catch-all for things i don't really need to include in 7 Years to Go....
Generally, i get some great spam, with great subject lines, and some are just so fantastically written, how could I resist but to read them. Well, I did resist, but I wanted to share those fabulous subject lines with you.

I anorexia nor crummy grandiose
Re: I betroth your quaff stepwise
Re: Ricky My New Life
Don't be inadequate anymore!
Don't be left behing- the enlargement revolution!
It will help you
Re: I'd nutmeg not burl immediacy
Make her worship you!
Re: I'd workbench that attenuate floodlit

Good God..

2005-11-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

Please, stop existing!

Dolly Parton and Elton John, performing together. So, that is what Vomit tastes like.

Dead at 76...

2005-11-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

The man responsible for popularizing the now-ubiquitous power chord, legendary guitarist Link Wray, passed away at his home in Copenhagen, Denmark on November 5. He was 76 years old.
Wray is perhaps best known for his convention-shattering rock instrumental "Rumble", which landed in the U.S. Top 20 in 1958 despite being banned in several radio markets for its violent evocations. A banned instrumental? How's that for punk rock?

17 years later

2005-11-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

this is still my favorite album, ever...

and, if yr interested, there is a really nice interview with Lee Ranaldo of SY on pitchfork right now, talking about 1990, just before everything broke, and signing to a major label, and all that jazz. It was a good read!

Sony still sucks balls...

2005-11-15T06:50:00.000-08:00

..but tries to fix their image. Not very successfully.
a la pitchfork:

Sony Discontinues Controversial Anti-Piracy Software
Amy Phillips reports:Sony, you got served.
Just days after an uproar erupted over the revelation that several new Sony BMG Music releases contain anti-piracy software that embeds hidden spyware and malware into consumers' computers, the company has agreed to stop manufacturing the offending discs. But a California class-action lawsuit against the record label conglomerate still stands, and the public relations fallout has only just begun.
As previously reported, discs containing the stealth XCP technology install nasty little buggers called "rootkits" on Windows computers (Macs are safe), slowing down operating systems, leaving hard drives open to virus infection, and, perhaps worst of all, transmitting information about the user back to Sony HQ. As if that wasn't bad enough, the anti-piracy software prevents the disc's tunes from being transferred to iPods (once again, Macs are safe). So basically, you're better off downloading the stuff from Soulseek.
Of course, Sony refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing. The XCP discontinuation is only temporary for now, and encrypted CDs already on store shelves will stay there. According to the New York Times, 4.7 million CDs featuring the technology have been shipped, and about 2.1 million have been sold.
While Sony has posted a patch on its website that reveals the rootkit, the patch does not remove the copy-protection software. To do that, you must follow a complicated procedure that involves giving Sony even more information about yourself, including an email address. And experts are warning that the process can do more harm than good, causing system crashes and other problems.
In a statement released on Friday, the company said, "We deeply regret any possible inconvenience this may cause. We stand by content protection technology as an important tool to protect our intellectual property rights and those of our artists." Right, because Trey Anastasio is sooo against people sharing his music.
Surprisingly, one of music consumers' biggest allies in this situation might turn out to be Microsoft. The company announced that it intends to include a Sony patch in its next update of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, so look out for some corporate Godzilla vs. Mothra action soon.
Freedom-fighting digital rights organization the Electronic Frontier Foundation has compiled a list of dangerous CDs, which we have copied and pasted below from their website. The list isn't complete, and the EFF offers tips on how to check if a CD contains XCP or not.
If you own a PC, save yourself a lot of hassle and don't upload any of these discs onto your hard drive. Because isn't listening to the new Santana album punishment enough?
The blacklist:
Trey Anastasio - Shine Celine Dion - On ne Change Pas Neil Diamond - 12 Songs Our Lady Peace - Healthy in Paranoid Times Chris Botti - To Love Again Van Zant - Get Right With the Man Switchfoot - Nothing Is Sound The Coral - The Invisible Invasion Acceptance - Phantoms Susie Suh - Susie Suh Amerie - Touch Life of Agony - Broken Valley Horace Silver Quintet - Silver's Blue Gerry Mulligan - Jeru Dexter Gordon - Manhattan Symphonie The Bad Plus - Suspicious Activity The Dead 60s - The Dead 60s Dion - The Essential Dion Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten Ricky Martin - Life My Morning Jacket - Z *Santana - All That I Am *Sarah McLachlan - Bloom Remix Album *
* features copy-protection technology that is not XCP, but still suspect
* Pitchfork News: Sony Music Sued Over Anti-Piracy Software* Sony Music: www.sonymusic.com

non music related humor..

2005-11-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, this isn't music related, but...another thing i hate about the world and that makes me hate the world is the rampant insanity that big business has grown into. How salaried employees can be raped of their personal lives and made to work for 20 hour days, and are treated like and paid crap!

Here is a wonderful Exit Questionairre that someone I know filled out when leaving a company that I know I have immense hatred for. I wish I wrote this:

Please complete the rest of the questionnaire and bring it with you for your exit interview. The information that you provide will be shared with Shitbag Co.'s executives.
What did you like most about your job at Shitbag co?
The people I have met. And my manager Angel Face has been an extraordinary leader.

What improvements do you think could be made at Shitbag co.?
The company might want to consider two things. Increasing the pay since they have decided to situate their building in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. the wages might want to be in sync with the actual cost of living. Also that Christmas bonus is an insult to all the employees that bust their ass' for this company. $50.00? Are you kidding me? And then you want to tax it and ask us to sit through a speech at the Christmas party where the shareholders bragg about how much money they have made this year. We see the value of the stock on the SVC we know we're getting screwed . Another thing I'd like to express is that the content of the work here is not the most exciting but I do not understand why my fellow employees would express such comments to me when they find out I'm leaving as; "You finally got out, I wish I were you." Like I were escaping a concentration camp or being released on furlow from a low security prison. Does the company really feel that is the attitude that they want the people that do their work to have. To be underpaid, under appreciated, under promoted and victims of dead end jobs that are blocked by outsourcing to people from other companies. This company has become a factory which treats it's employees like expendable objects that are only here to keep the wheels moving and can be replaced at any time. I suggest that upper management and ownership spend some of this profit they are making and not paying us on some management course books to find out how to properly show their employees that they are appreicated and valued and I know it will sound strange to them but maybe they will even become happy here at their jobs.

Additional comments:
I have enjoyed working here for several reasons in the last few years have made some good friends and contact over the years also. But I think that I would rather drink an entire gallon of bleach on the rocks than spend one more day in this building

Hobbs note: The writer of this sent it in on the first day of his 2 weeks notice. He was promptly escorted out of the building. Lucky him

Sony sucks balls...

2005-11-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

I was going to rewrite this, but I haven't got the time.....

Sony Music Sued Over Anti-Piracy Software
Jonah Flicker and Amy Phillips report:In the slow and perhaps inevitable movement towards microchip implantation of the entire human race, Sony BMG Music just took the lead. According to the Washington Post, a class action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court November 1 alleges that the label's anti-piracy software, installed in several recently released CDs, is harmful to computers.
The suit claims that when a copy-protected CD is loaded onto a hard drive, it installs a hidden program known as a "rootkit," which not only keeps track of the computer's activity, but depletes the drive's resources in the process. So Sony is basically eating up your hard drive space while keeping track of all the porn you watch, just because you actually spent money on a My Morning Jacket CD.
Thanks, guys. This is even better than getting the RIAA to sue us.
The rootkit also makes the computer more susceptible to viruses. Sony falsely states that its copy-protection software can be easily removed, when in reality, getting rid of a rootkit can be damaging.
Here's the crux of the suit, straight from the legal papers: "As a result of Sony's failure to disclose the true nature of the digital rights management (‘DRM') system it uses on its CDs, thousands of computer users have unknowingly infected their computers, and the computers of others, with this surreptitious rootkit. This rootkit has been responsible for conflicts within computer systems, crashes of systems, and other damage."
The suit, which accuses Sony of "fraud, false advertising, trespass, and violation of state and federal statues prohibiting malware, and unauthorized computer tampering," claims that the suspect software has been included on certain Sony BMG Music CDs since this spring. Albums to watch out for include Amerie's Touch, My Morning Jacket's Z Kasabian's Kasabian, Neil Diamond's 12 Songs, Cassidy's I'm a Hustla, Kings of Leon's Aha Shake Heartbreak, and, appropriately, the Bad Plus' Suspicious Activity and the Coral's Invisible Invasion, among others.
In short: if you're about to load that new My Morning Jacket disc onto your hard drive, STOP. Sell the album back to the record store and buy something on Dischord.

Here's a review I wrote over a year ago...

2005-11-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

But I'd say it still applies......

Artist of the Week: Prefuse 73

All I've been rocking on my Ipod for the past month or so is Prefuse's entire catalogue, on shuffle, and let me tell you, it's bliss. Prefuse falls anywhere between the Hip Hop and Electronic genre's (I've seen it referred to as "GlitchHop" if that means anything), so if you like either, you'll be happy with Prefuse. It's predominantly instrumental beats, but way beyond your basic instrumental hip hop. Super abstract and artistic. But this is no protools cutup job (as I recently heard on the new Interpol single with the remix by New Order producer Arthur Baker - such high hopes, so disappointed!). Prefuse uses all sorts of different machines and devices to make wonderful sounds, and some of the best uses of sampling I've ever heard. There are occasional guest spots with actual spitting on the discs; most notably to me is MF Dooms track on the first album, Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives.
The music is real earthy and natural sounding with some wonderful jazzy horns in the background (hell, this one even has bird sounds. Any song with bird sounds is great in my book. Well, almost any song...). Doom's gravelly voice and amazing rhyme skills are always excellent, and over Prefuse's beats they reach perfection! But more importantly are the aforementioned beats.

On Prefuse's second disc, an ep called The 92 vs. 02 Collection, the beats are subtle, the tempo changes flow like water, and Prefuse includes one major musical quality missing from a lot of hip hop today: Actual Interesting Melody!!!! Whether it's the sound of bottles being tapped or a sweeping keyboard sound, Prefuse weaves the sounds together in a way that is downright RELAXING. Yes, that's right, this is hip hop to sooth as well as to groove. You can bump it loud in your car stereo to provide just the right ratio of headnoddin', or you can put it in the background of a candlelit dinner. Hell, you could meditate to it if you have the right mindset. The beats are consistent yet interesting, and one of the best parts of this 4 song ep are the vocal samples. Prefuse has a way of taking a breathy female vocal track, cutting it up and mixing it back in so eloquently it feels like a warm blanket on a cold night (or a dark twisted His Name is Alive song!). If there are words, you rarely hear them. The importance is put on the Vocal As Instrument! Too many music listeners seem to think that the vocal is separate from the music, even more important. But it is only one part of the overall picture, and should contribute equally without overpowering the song. (Remember Prodigy? Keith Flint I think his name is. Everyone got so mad at the live shows after Firestarter because the 'vocalist' did nothing but dance. Hello Folks, he wasn't the vocalist. He was a DANCER!!! This just illustrates my point - the music is just wallpaper for some pappy words. Remember Beethoven??? No vocals there!!!! Sorry, I digress into rant!) Prefuse knows this and acts accordingly. The final results are 4 amazing tracks that all work together perfectly. (note: this was the first Prefuse cd I bought, and I recommend doing the same!)

Speaking of Flow, one point I'd like to make is that the entire Prefuse catalogue works excellently together. As I said before, I put them all together and on shuffle, and it works seamlessly. I've even found songs flowing together as if they were on an album together, only to look and see that they were from two separate cd's. Not to say that there is no evolution in the music, because there most certainly is. But Prefuse's methods follow him through in a most satisfying way.

His third album, One Word Extinguisher does nothing to disappoint! The beats have only gotten better, the samples and scratches only more well placed. And the transitions, either between or within songs, go from hard-core hip hop into classical into anything you might imagine. And with 23 tracks on the album, there is a lot of room for possibility. I would almost go so far as to call this album flawless, but there are a few things that I could live without:
First, and Foremost, and this message should go out to all hip hop artists: NO MORE ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGES IN HIP HOP!!!!!
Not only is there a bit of an over usage of answering machine messages as transitions here, but he even dedicates a whole track to a mix of at least 20 messages. On another track he takes an utterly annoying imbecile, plays the message, then cuts it up and turns it into a song. Its fun the first time around, but on repeated listens, I wish he had either left it out, or put it in the companion piece Extinguished Outtakes. Other than that, the all too brief cameo by Mr. Lif could be better, and probably would be if it were longer. Lif isn't the best MC I've heard, but he's damn good, and the first time I saw Prefuse, Lif guest-starred through the whole set. It was fantastic!

At the time of this rant/review, I have not digested the Extinguished Outtakes yet, but I hear they are fantastic and well worth getting. But, in summary, Prefuse 73 is more than worth checking out. His music is crossing boundaries that many who were either too afraid or too ignorant of other forms of music outside of their general spheres to attempt are now jumping over and mixing it up (see MF Dooms new release as Viktor Vaughn, with some excellent electronic beats behind him). Prefuse does things I've never heard before: merging the two camps of full on electronic music with full on hip hop. He does it well, and you all should know his work. It's worth the trip!

(NOTE: This article was written well before Surrounded by Silence was released. I won't even dignify that record with a paragraph, I'll just say that when I finally decide to bother listening to it again to find the 2 or 3 good songs that it contains, I’ll add that in)

Today's Good news...

2005-11-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

One of the most important bands in the post-punk punk world, one of the only successful (in terms of the craft, not the dollars) punk bands that came AFTER punk's demise, who successfully kept the musical and conceptual ideals of punk alive and true (NOTE TO GREEN DAY AND RANCID - the 3 chord FORMULA - YES, FORMULA - of punk rock doesn't make YOU punk rock. Just sad imitators who missed the point), are finally seeing the remaster reissue treatment.

The Dead Kennedys 1980 debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, has finally been reissued, released on October 25, 2005.

This is the album that contains many of the DK's finest songs, despite the typical debut roadblocks of somewhat amateurish production and instrumentation. Such classics include Holiday in Cambodia, Kill the Poor, the everpresent California Uber Alles, and the odd cover of Viva Las Vegas.

The reissue sadly doesn't include any bonus tracks, but does come with a DVD that I'm sure will be interesting. I'll be heading out to the record store within the next week to purchase this, the remastered reissue of Siouxsie & the Banshee's debut, The Scream, the remastered reissue of Patti Smith's Horses, and hopefully the Manitoba (ne, Caribou) DVD Marino, which was unavailble at the Gov't Center Newbury comics when i went a few days ago.

Thanks to Pitchfork for the heads up!

...here's a reason...

2005-11-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

....on the HATE side of things. This asshole STILL HAS A CAREER?

...pretentious assholes like this are a major cancer on the music world. Sorry children, but Creed suck. There was nothing of substance in their music. Its a total act. LOOK AT HIM! if this isn't a teenage archetype of sensitive bohunk, i don't know what is. Leather jacket - check. white t shirt - check. slightly long hair for the badboy look - check. deep sad moody puppydog vomit eyes that show a deep and tortured soul - check! lameass hoop earrings in each ear - check. THIS IS A FORMULA. HE DID NOT THINK OF THIS HIMSELF. As for the music, with its pseudo-christian imagery and soul searching jargon, well, its just pathetic. If you want to listen to a tortured soul who is searching for truth and light, while actually hearing some interesting and original music being played, you want someone really tortured - go listen to Tool. There, you get your metal fix too. Creed are as Metal as Pearl Jam or Poison. They are as Formula as any number of weak grunge bands that came out between 1991 - the present (Goo Goo Dolls, I'm looking at you!). His deep sensitive crooning is not sincere, its product placement. Its iconography that gets little 14 year olds wet in the panties. And those wet panties sell records. Without these staples, they're nothing more than a bad bar band. Shit, speaking of the Goo Goo Dolls, look back at their career. They actually started early on as an honest to goodness rock band (not that they were good), but couldn't sell barely any records, at least not enough to fill the never ending void of their greedy pockets. So, what did they do. They consulted Wet Panties 101, cut their hair, started wearing make-up, dressed a little nicer than ripped jeans and Tshirts, stopped showing the ugly bass player in the videos, and writing lame ass ballads. And yes, then they made it.

Who's fault is this? THE CONSUMER! You teenyboppers fall for it, and throw your damn wet panties at the record store clerk for all the bullshit they make just for you, well, just for your buckaroo's!

Music has 2 faces. One is art, one is entertainment. Rarely do these faces meet. Capitalism took its plastic surgeon and sewed that damn second face on an art form, because it saw a market, it saw a population of idiots and figured out how to sap their parents hard earned dollars away from them.

In the immortal words of Fugazi - "Never mind what they're selling, it's what you're buying."

...Welcome!

2005-11-10T05:54:00.000-08:00

...welcome, my friends, welcome. Outside of my love and obsession with the end of the world (as we know it), Maya, 2012, the secrets of the universe, etc, I have one other obsession that I am truly passionate about.......MUSIC. So, I thought it would only be right that I actually wrote more about music. So, welcome, welcome, and i hope you enjoy my ranting.