Wu-Tang Clan-"The Heart Gently Weeps"(2007)

Look, i know this shit is soooo 2007, but sometimes i can be late in the game with music released in the last few years, especially with Wu-Tang. I mean, The W had a few songs on it that were solid, but they just fell off as a group after their first 2 albums.

This video is missing my favorite (alternate) chorus sung by Ghostface that goes like: "This is bitch crazy- she brought her baby...." to the tune of the original chorus("I don't know why nobody told you- how to unfold you, love.....")



Here's a clip of Rza talking about the song:

Drake vs Joy Division

Shit has been so wack lately- ranging from a friend of mine finding a dead body to another bro getting arrested on trumped up misdemeanor charges. Hopefully this weekend will be better for everyone.

This is all i got....

Maybe i'm listening too hard, or maybe i just want to hear a connection between these 2 songs. I just don't know. I think 97.9 the beat and k 1-0-fiz-0 have finally corrupted my brain like too many hits of ectasy or acid (luckily i've never done either of those illicit drugs or i'd really be damaged).

Don't these synthesizer lines sound familiar?:


"Money to Blow" (2009)-i wish the youtube video didn't have embedding disabled


Music by Singersroom.com | More on Birdman

"Decades" (1980)-listen for when the synth comes in at about 25 second mark

Misfits-"Bullet" (1978)

RIP John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy

(May 29, 1917- November 22, 1963)



Here's a live version (sorry no footage, just audio) with Henry Rollins (Black Flag) singing along from 1982:

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1979)

I had never seen this flick before which made it hard to pass up for only $3.99 while bargain shopping at Ross recently. It took me a few sittings to finish watching this one in its entirety, but i am glad i did. My life just seems more complete now.

Director John Boorman (Deliverance) provides a visually impressive feature with striking special effects for 1979. The music composed by accomplished soundtrack virtuoso, Ennio Morricone, add both eerieness and suspense and sometimes even sound ethereal. James Earl Jones keeps it real as an African who was formerly possessed by the same demon, Pazuzu, that got Regan in the first Exorcist film (and still has a hold on her). Now the heat is on Father Lamont (R.I.P Father Merrin played by Max von Sydow) to exercise Regan again. Good luck.



This movie is generally panned by my horror-head friends and respected film critics alike, however Martin Scorsese went against the grain in saying, "The Heretic surpasses [the original]....the film deserved better than it got." (Maybe he said that after his The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) was banned in some states...)

This film is not as terrifying as William Friedkin's original and my mom probably wouldn't be as traumatized by watching it with me as she was that one. I might have to give this one another go with her.

Death at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin 11/7/09

I saw a lot of acts over the weekend. Some bands that i had seen before met my expectations like GZA(wait, he totally exceeded my expectations) and Melt Banana. Some other acts bored me to death (no pun intended) like Crystal Antlers, and i had to sit through a few WHY? songs again, ugh. I even got some (poppier) punk in like Face to Face, (old school) Youth Brigade and Fucked Up (maybe if i was fucked up i would've enjoyed them). I could hear Danzig's performance while watching the Whitest Kids You Know. I saw (and wanted to dance to)Vega and Neon Indian. I skipped out on Crystal Castles but heard from a well known devil's advocate that "hey, their show was really good". Unfortunately, I had to miss HEALTH to catch Mission of Burma (duh). I had never heard Broadcast before and they did something for me. I was curious about Neurot's Red Sparrows and thought they sounded heavy and good. Times New Vikings sounded raw just like they did last time i watched them play at the much more intimate Strawberry Fields in Denton. Saturday night's closers, the Jesus Lizard, killed it in front of an excited crowd. Their extended encore was fucking amazing.

As bummed as i was about not being able to see Flipper, i got the pleasant surprise (and my mind got blown) by an unexpected band that i didn't even realize was playing: legendary Detroit proto-punkers Death ( not to be confused with the legendary death metal act, Death).

Some of my friends had told me about them, but their music had never actually made it to my ears. What a blast these brothers were to see live. Their set started at dusk and they appeared on stage in secret society-like robes. As soon as they disrobed and started rocking, one could tell that they shared the spirit of fellow motor city rockers MC5 and the Stooges but managed to have more soul and technical prowess. Not that those other 2 renowned acts couldn't play (Wayne Kramer is fucking amazing and so is Ron Asheton R.I.P.) , they're just not black so they have a handicap, comparatively speaking.

I was intrigued to read that "the trio started out as an R&B band but switched to rock after seeing an Alice Cooper show." SICK!

These guys were definitely one of the major highlights of the weekend for me (and at least one other person i know). After i see how much money i have left over from a long overdue breakjob, I'm gonna order their re-released album ...For the World to See ASAP from Drag City.

The Jesus Lizard-"Mouth Breather" (1991)

I saw Scratch Acid when they reunited at the Touch and Go 25th anniversary festival in Chicago, September 2006. Shit was sooooo tight. In 2007, I saw David Yow sing for Qui. Shit was prettttt-y tight. But i have NEVER seen the Jesus Lizard. Everyone i know who has seen these dudes before speaks very highly of their live shows. Mr. Yow's vocal stylings and stage theatrics were very entertaining both times i had the pleasure of seeing him in the flesh. Add to that Duane Denison's unique guitar "riffs", David William Sims' gain-heavy bass lines combined with Mac's tough drumming, and you got yourself something incomparable to any other rock band around these days. Oh wait, maybe TOOL. (jk, totally jk).

Anyways, fucking Flipper CANCELED according to this site so it looks like i'll only be seeing 2 legendary acts at FFF instead of 3 this weekend. bummer.

Oh well, there will be plenty of other contemporary and current acts i'll be able to see. Just like with anything, though-they just don't make 'em like they used to....

Ziggy, Iggy, and Lou

I can't tell when this is from, but it sure is a classic photo.
T. Rex t-shirt is a nice touch.

Mission of Burma-"This is Not a Photograph" (1980)

Next on my list of legendary and influential bands to see at the aforementioned Fun Fun Fun Fest is Boston's Mission of Burma. I missed these guys a few years ago when they played nearby Austin, TX because i had to work an overnight shift on a Friday night, and i have always regretted it.

[Let me go ahead and mention that i have a good friend (like a brother, really) that tried to introduce me to MOB by letting me borrow a couple of their CDs around 2001 . I hate to admit that i regrettably did NOT listen to these CDs (probably because i was a younger, more arrogant asshole/douche and this was an unsolicited move on his part). Anyways, he always holds this over my head, but i think i should at least get points for admitting to him that i didn't even listen to them. AND, hey- i didn't ask to borrow them. I ended up getting down to them later anyways. It was inevitable.]

I thought it was great how Signals, Calls & Marches predated a lot of similar sounding current music i was listening to (i.e. Sonic Youth and Trail of Dead). Once i really started enjoying that EP i could NOT stop listening to it. Martin Swoop's tape manipulation/operation adds such textured layer of sound. (I understand that Bob Weston of Shellac has taken over the tape-op role in the band since their reunion.) Peter Prescott's drumming is so tight, and their racket always sounds so controlled that i can't wait to see what they can do live.


In addition to never seeing these post-punkers perform live, I still haven't even seen the 2006 documentary Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story. I need a Netflix account. (I can only watch this stack of DePalma movies so many times....). Seeing these dudes live (i'm sure) will prove to be a much better use of my (limited) free time. I can't wait.

Serengeti & Polyphonic at Hailey's in Denton 10/26/09

As disappointed as I was to only get to see two songs by Serengeti (neither of which were Dennehy!) I was equally excited to hear Superbligged shout out "You wanna take a shot with Serengeti?!?" The thought "Hell ya" ran threw my mind as I headed to the bar for what turned out to be a shot of Jagermeister, artist's choice. Superbligged had a coke back and Serengeti and I hit it raw dog. I suggested he should have had an O'Douls chaser which earned a "Douls" from Serengeti. We asked him how to keep the juices in the brats which yielded a quick three line personal performance of "Dennehy": "Keep your juices in the chops, keep your juices in the brats. Serve 'em on paper plates, potato salad and grape pop." Just when I thought the moment couldn't get any doper Superbligged held an impromptu one question interview in which Serengeti revealed the inspiration behind "Dennehy". Apparently during the LLWS (Little League World Series for those not in the know) they interviewed the kids and asked them questions like "Who's your favorite actor?" Which lead him to ponder "What if your favorite actor was Brian Dennehy?" Thus was born a masterpiece

Flipper-"Sacrifice" (1983)

This is one of the bands i'm most eager to see at Fun Fun Fun Fest in a few weeks, but i am apprehensive about a band whose line-ups have been plagued with hard drug overdoses.

A good friend of mine and i used to always listen to the Flipper album Gone Fishin' at his apartment and get super bligged. It wasn't like any other punk we were listening to, but i think it helped us to broaden our horizons.

Of course we all know they were a big influence on Kurt Cobain, so i was intrigued to find out that Krist Novoselic (Nirvana, duh) had filled in and toured with Flipper not that long ago. They even covered "Scentless Apprentice". sick!



I've read that singer Bruce Loose was in a bad car accident a while back and when he (rarely) performs he must use a cane on stage. geez. However this show turns out to be, i'll be glad i finally get to see such influential, sludged -out punk heavyweights.

Alice Cooper at the Palladium in Dallas 10/12/09

$25 to see this living legend proved to be well w0rth it. The 2009 Theater of Death tour was macabre without being campy, and his well written tunes added substance to his morbid style.

During his hour and a half set, Alice was decapitated by a huge guillotine, stuck with a huge syringe filled with poison, put into an iron maiden-type death device, and hanged (while in a nurses uniform that he had just offed). What a performance!

I was excited with anticipation for "Dead Babies" when i saw a dummy baby on the stage, but soon realized the prop was for the much more popular title track "Billion Dollar Babies". Oh, well.

He reprised his set opener "Schools Out" for his one song encore. It was a blast to see Alice in his glittery sequined suit with a matching top hat, running around the stage like he was in his twenties (not 61). I just wished i would've been doing a j during this encore like Wooderson or something.

scope how hardcore Alice used to be:

Funkadelic-"Cosmic Slop" (1978)

My friend threw on my Hardcore Jollies(1976) LP the other night and i always love crankin' it up on this one. With two lead guitars, a nasty bassline, and some amazing drumming- this track gets so funked out and psychedelic it makes my brain tingle. Bernie Worrell, who would go on to play with the Talking Heads, is just as impressive on keyboards.

This version is live from Houston, Texas in 1978. Maybe they're so tight because by this time they had been playing the above song for approximately 5 years. It originally appeared on the album Cosmic Slop(1973) which i still yearn for to this day. (The first track off that album is titled "Nappy Dugout".) Yuh!

Serengeti & Polyphonic-"Sunrise" (2009)

I'm pretty excited about seeing the Chicagoan that penned "Dennehy" perform his unique style of hip-hop live. He's opening for Anticon label-mate WHY? at the end of the month, performing and promoting a new album with rapper Polyphonic.

The bare-bones production on "Sunrise" sounds great and the vocals remind me of Tricky meets the Michrophones/Mt. Eerie.

The show is only $12 which sounds worth it. I'm not sure what to expect of the headliners after reading a description that read "pop-inflected psychedelic folk-hop". I remember hearing cLOUDEAD years ago and thinking it was pretty good. hmmm.....who knows?

The show is on Monday October 26th at Hailey's in Denton.

Its probably gonna leave me aching for a juicy brat.

The Fury (1978)

Holy shit does this movie go hard. From the action-packed opening shootout set in the middle east all the way to the 'explosive' ending. This paranormal thriller gets a helping hand setting the mood with John Williams' excellent score. His use of a theramin in some scenes add a real sense of eeriness. And to think he did this a year after making the Star Wars soundtrack.

Kirk Douglas plays Peter, the protaganist pitted against a former colleague Childress, played by John Cassavettes. Childress kidnaps Peter's son, Robin, and wants to use his supernatural powers for some unpleasant top secret government agency's use. The exposition in this movie is so fun to watch with DePalma at the helm (some great mall shots a la Body Double).

Peter uses his handsome good looks (and hard body) to infiltrate the curious Paragon Institute to find a young psychic reciever, Gilian, who also has great telepathic and destructive powers. Together they set out to find Robin.

John Cassavettes sure is great at playing a villian. He doesn't let his wife sleep with the devil in this one but his character is so sinister you know he would if he had the chance.

Near the end things really get out of control. When Robin's veins pop, people drop. This movie is a step up from DePalma's previous film, Carrie, which is also based around supernatural mind powers (pyrokinesis/telekinesis). Alls I can say is I wouldn't want to suffer from 'the fury' of Gilian or Robin. No thanks.

Health-"Die Slow" (2009)

This video is pretty. And fun to watch.

From their recently released album Get Color (Lovepump United).

Lou Reed & Pavarotti-"Perfect Day" (2001)

Does anyone else think this is nuts? I wish i had this version on my I-touch.

I love reminiscing about how i didn't even realize how cool and ahead of my time i was listening to the Bowie produced Transformer in middle school. Sometimes (and especially in the case of music) it really pays to have older brothers (i still have that CD, thanks Marc!).

"You're going to reap just what you sow" - one of my favorite lines ever.

Danny Boyle was on point in 1996 when he included this in Trainspotting set to a nasty overdose scene. That soundtrack starts at 9 cents on amazon.com, but i don't think anyone else besides me actually buys CDs anymore. That's cheaper than downloading the best of that soundtrack- "Lust for Life", "Nightclubbing", "Temptation" , "Born Slippy"and this track from itunes, fyi.

Bruce Springsteen-"Dream Baby Dream" (2005)

"If Springsteen is the Boss then I quit."

That may be how many people feel and i can understand. This working man's schtick isn't for everyone. Here he is covering what would have to be classified as the closest pop tune New York's Suicide ever got. The Boss ended his Devils and Dust tour sets with this number each night which might have left the crowds a little befuddled. It really is an interesting choice to cover such a no wave electronic classic like this coming from the man who brought us "Glory Days".

This isn't the first time Bruce has displayed his"indie cred". He appeared (and reprised some lyrics from Born to Run) on Lou Reed's "Street Hassle" (1978). Weird, huh? That song garnered mild attention for being on the soundtrack to The Squid and the Whale (and its appropriate placement in the final scene/end credits).

Still need more credentials? Here they are: Brian DePalma worked with him to direct the "Dancing in the Dark" music video. Electrelane did a great cover of "I'm on Fire" a fews years back that i still really enjoy. His album Nebraska(1982) was recorded on a Tascam cassette 4-track. And you can't forget how he showed up for a quick cameo in High Fidelity. yuh!

suck on that Springsteen haters....

here's Suicide's version:

Slaughter (1972)

What can I say about "Slaughter" that isn't said by the word "blaxploitation" across this trailer? Jim Brown acts...capably, in this film as the title character, whose family is killed in a car-bombing. Naturally Slaughter responds by whooping a whole lot of ass and cracking wise while pursuing the target of his rage: The bitterly racist Hoffo, played by a young Rip Torn (who manages to look drunk throughout the entire movie). When the dust settles and the blood clots only one question remains: Is Jim Brown more irresistible to white women than white women are to Jim Brown?

David Bowie gets a spider named after him

I didn't realize how cool it is to name spiders and beetles after celebrities. Naming one after David Bowie makes sense seeing as he actually had a backing band called the "Spiders from Mars" in the 70s.

Here is the news article about this new spider Heteropoda davidbowie.

Neil Young had the honor as well last year. Read more about his spider here.

After reading that article I learned Roy Orbison has a beetle named after him! Read here.

And in case you haven't totally lost interest in this arachnid related post there was also a spider named after Stephen Colbert last year. geez. Scientists really are dorks.

Vulgar Fashion, Neon Indian, Kashioboy at Rubber Gloves in Denton 9/9/09

What a fun first show this must have been for Neon Indian. According to another review there were over 200 + young people attending this Wednesday night event. (I use the word 'young' because the bartenders would only let me buy one beer or drink at a time-probably because of all the X's on the audiences' hands). I still can't figure out whether younger audiences are more closed minded than older people or if its the other way around. I guess it just depends...

So Kashioboy was up first with his 8 bit modified Nintendo , Game Boy, plus an array of other various chip-tune production gadgets. My friend chuckled to me that this dude must have rummaged through Treewave's yard sale recently. I agreed. Earlier in the evening, (at said friends house) i heard similar sounding music from his PSP- so i just wasn't too impressed by such an easily accomplished performance. Seems like an effortless gimmick: as if the unconventional use of old gaming systems to make music seems cooler than the music itself. Maybe i would've liked it more if he had just been more into it (maybe he was nervous, off night?). He finished his 30 minute set around 11:30.

Up next were Vulgar Fashion. What an appropriate name. They took a full thirty minutes to set up a smoke machine, reel-to-reel tape player, synthesizer, and a TV among other electronics. Julie's sexed up vocals reminded me of Lydia Lunch on "Stained Sheets" by James Chance. Andrew Michael was busting out lots of noises through his various devices while mixing in pretty yet simple melodies on his synthesizer. He would wash in straight noise into these songs intermittently and that probably tested this audience's patience. I mean, everyone there was probably ready to hear some sugary electro-pop, right? They did a fantastic job for their second show. I can't wait to catch these 2 agitators again.

Speaking of James Chance, what a wonderful idea it was to have Time Bandits spin records in between sets instead of the usual garbage that is played while bands set up. They played the aforementioned James Chance to Fela Kuti, some Can, and even The Pop Group (deep cut!) plus lots of other sweet tunes. Props to them for sure. I am glad they have reopened as well.

Then around 1:15am came the headliners, Neon Indian. They played a short set. I wish i could've heard more of Leanne's guitar in the mix, but i'm sure they'll get that all worked out. It was a fun performance that i think everyone enjoyed. I don't wanna get too involved in this "hype" so you can read more about their show here and here. Buenos noches y buena suerte....

(btw total bummer that Darktown Strutters had to drop off this bill at the last minute)

Dead Boys-"Sonic Reducer" (1977)

Man, talk about a punk anthem. I picked up the reissued 180 gram vinyl of Young, Loud and Snotty from Strawberry Fields back at its first location a while back. It was worth every penny.

These dudes are so bad ass. I wish i had gone to see Rocket From the Tombs back in 2003 when they played Dallas (featuring members of Dead Boys, Pere Ubu, and Richard Lloyd from Television). oh well.

Alice Cooper-"Dead Babies" (1973)

I can still remember the first time i heard this song and instantly became an Alice fan. I was in my friend's Mitsubishi around '99 or '00. The bassline along with the rest of this Beatles-like arrangement really roped me in. (Back then the album Killer was out-of-print on CD, so i was fortunate to have a chance to listen to this masterpiece). I 'm glad i got to hear this album before ever hearing Million Dollar Babies, because although MDB is good, Killer really is a killer album. John Lydon(PIL) agrees with me so much so he has even declared it the best rock album of all time.

I might have to go ahead and buy some $25 tickets to see Alice Cooper perform at the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas on October 12th.

Maybe i can even get backstage and learn about the origins of the state name of Texas....

OMD-"So in Love" (1985)

Man, I'm 'so in love' with this song. My friend and I didn't even realize this was OMD.(Don't tell anyone!) He was going around with a shitty recording on his phone (from our work PA) and asking people if they knew who it was. I'm like, "Ever heard of Shazaam?" duh. His luddite tactics paid off when our coworker uncovered the mystery for us. OMD. duh.

Depeche Mode at Superpages.com Center 8/29/09

I am an overworked, underpaid college student, who on a whim had the unique opportunity to see Depeche Mode with out doing any planning; only procrastinating. Seeing any great band at a large venue like The SuperPages.Com Center is precisely what you make it, because the experience is not in the performance, it then becomes truly about the music and why you decided to see this band with way too many people in the first place.

First up -and to my surprise- the amazing Peter Bjorn and John: As there were way too many people, not paying attention: my mind drifts to the music and dancing around naked in my apartment over and over again with my now ex-roommate who happens to be sitting right next to me. Nothing more than a spec, and the sound not too great, I enjoyed it - as though I were dancing around my apartment naked with my roommate.

Depeche Mode was all you could expect and more. I had a huge headache, and danced anyway. Growing up with such epics it puts you right back in your aunts living room dancing to the records around her hollow house. Relating to the music, and more the sound it puts you in this elliptical place. One where you are almost hovering amongst the masses as if completely set apart. You don’t need to consume alcohol or smoke weed to get into a fight in the parking lot. Just listen to some cataclysmic beats.

So after the experience and the remembrances and having glass bottles thrown at our car, a few punches thrown around, and someone excreting waist on your tire; ‘its time to call it a night I have to work in the morning.’

This post was written by special contibutor Shleezy. Thanks. I should've gone to this (with someone who didn't get bottles thrown at them).

The Clash-"The Magnificent Seven" (1980)

This is one of the best Clash songs ever. Dancey and groovey, it just makes you feel good. Here's two versions, the original (which unfortunately has no music video) and then a live version from the Tom Snyder Show in 1981. There is quite the tempo difference between the two. (So much so its almost comedic, like when Dewey Cox starts doing coke and plays his song at breakneck speed).

Album version:

Live:

I really like both versions. There's a great

party scene in We Own The Night (2007) set to

this song. I wish i had the Magnificent Dance 12"

single that has an extended dub version. yuh...

Fela Kuti-"Teacher Don't Teach Me No Nonsense" (1986)

I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Fela Kuti/Ginger Baker LIVE! album i ordered from Amazon. There is some footage of Fela filmed by Ginger Baker from 1973 on Youtube but the sound quality is terrible, so i posted this Afro-rock gem from the 80s.

The only place I've ever actually seen a physical copy of a Fela cd for purchase was at Amoeba music in LA (wait.... Good Records has some LPs, but not sure about CDs. probably, though). I picked up only one of his albums there (Opposite People/Sorrow Tears and Blood), but i do regret not getting more these ...

Depeche Mode - Shake the Disease (1985)

D Mode is coming to town this Saturday (gotta score some last minute tickets) so I thought I'd take the opportunity to hype one of my all time favorite groups.
This is the quintessential Depeche song for me. It's all there the defiance, the despair, the rejection, the hope, the longing...all of it. "Here is a plea, from my heart to you..." how catchy are the keyboards here, Gahan's overlaid vocals our sweet, the rhythm--all on point. Love Gore's backups on this track too. I've seen DM twice and both shows were incredible. If you have a bone of 80's nostalgia in your body do yourself a favor and scope this one 8/29.

DJ Tommyboy at Fall Out Lounge 8/22/09

At first I was a little apprehensive about going to Fall Out Lounge. After a rough week, the last humiliation I needed to endure was dancing in public. And for another thing, between some drinks and a cover charge I was gonna dial away the rest of my bank account. I know it's no substantial amount, but between the horse track, alimony and my transmission falling out, I was in no position to enjoy myself.

Anyhow, with such low hopes, I figured I couldn't be too devastated. But the whole thing turned out to be the complete opposite. I mean, I have no grasp of what Tommyboy was playing, but I know all of a sudden I got into a passable mood. It's hard to articulate it was but it was rousing yet not overbearing. It's the sort of thing you wished they'd play a massage parlour. I mean that as a compliment. And out of left field, I started to get a little rhythm, and I moved around discreetly without any paralyzing embarrassment. That was a big step for me to tell you the truth.

So, if you're feeling miserable and you wanna put the world in rational perspective, see Tommyboy. Thanks to John and Jessica for the booze by the way.

'Lil Wayne-A Milli (2008)

I wasn't one of the many people who won tickets to see 'lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and Drake. I knew i should've hopped in my ride to try and win 'em from a K104 scavenger hunt ticket give-away. They were droppin hints on the radio as to where their bus was and if you were smart enough to figure out their location and find them you win. I lost. oh well..

The video for "Gucci Bandana" by Soulja Boy had embedding disabled so this is what's getting posted as my consolation for missing this nasssst-yyy show going down today at Superpages Center aka Starplex.

Keanu Reeves: Greatest Hits

The Matrix was whack. And, no matter what anyone says he is no good in Point Break. He almost ruined Coppola's Dracula. His acting in Devil's Advocate was equally weak (maybe its just hard to star opposite to Pacino?). He should've stuck to roles he was good at. Like these....

River's Edge (1986):

Parenthood (1989):

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1991):

Freaked (1993): this one totally blows my mind. He plays the unrecognizable Ortiz, the dogboy (and is uncredited). This was a favor for his friend Alex Winter (Bill, from Bill and Ted's) who co-wrote and directed this heap of garbage. (Unfortunately, i was unable to find a screen shot or a clip of this character. update: Travis found me a photo but i'm unable to attach it....)

sidenote: I never saw My Own Private Idaho and i've heard that it's great. My mother really liked The Lake House so maybe he's gotten his acting chops back. Not likely.

Van der Graaf Generator-"Darkness" 1970

Something about these vocals remind me a little bit of David Bowie. The double sax attack is amazing and predates Morphine by quite a few years.

Talking Heads-This Must Be The Place(Naive Melody) 1983

Jonathan Demme does a great job of filming this classic performance.

The synthesizer (played by former member of Parliament-Funkadelic, Bernie Worrell) on this version from Stop Making Sense sounds so much fatter than the album version.

The Cove (2009) & Assault in the Ring (2008)

There are parallels to these heavy-hearted documentaries. One is about a misguided Puerto Rican welterweight beating a young Irishman with illegal gloves in a bout (and subsequent demise of both fighters) and the other is about a Japanese town secretly killing thousands of dolphins a year for mercury-laden, toxic meat. yikes. Both are somber yet enlightening stories.

(Thanks to Xavie for tipping me off to these dismal stories.)

R.I.P John Hughes

2/18/50 - 8/6/09

His filmography speaks for itself. Uncle Buck, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off-i can't figure out which one is my favorite. I think people often forget how many classics he wrote, too (Christmas Vacation, Home Alone).

Here's a real news article about the man.

Kraftwerk-"Telephone Call" and/or "Der Telefon Anfruf" 1987

By 1987, the core duo of these electronic pioneers had been making groundbreaking and innovative music for almost twenty years. This is a good one from Electric Cafe which i had been cruelly neglecting to listen to (on wax) until recently rehearing on my friend's Zune.

here's english

here's German

Gang of Four-"To Hell with Poverty" (1981)

I was gonna post a Delta 5 video of "Anticipation" i recently found, but when i googled it (to found out the exact year it was from) i noticed the Kill Rock Stars blog had just put that one up a few weeks ago. I really shouldn't let that effect my posting since i had never been to that blog before and only approx. 15 people read this shit, but i just don't want anyone to think I'm 'biting someone else's shit' (to use the term from one of the best hip-hop intro's ever, Wu-Tang Forever, disc 2). So here's another more well known post-punk band from Leeds.

These guys were so fucking amazing when i saw them perform(original line-up) most of their album Entertainment! live at the Gypsy Tea Room back in October of 2005. Definitely didn't seem like a gimmicky reunion show. man....

Jerry's Records in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Jerry's Record's store is kewl. The only record store i could compare it to is Bill's. Jerry has a vast collection of LP's spanning every genre all over the place, but (unlike Bill's) his records actually have prices on them. Reasonable prices, too. I went to this fine independent record store at the end of April and picked up a few records. Unfortunately, i let one of my friends (Babyvine!) take them home for me on the first leg of the trip. What a mistake. Here we are three months later and i still don't have my rex :(

Here's an article about Jerry's from a while back my friend wrote.

Jamie Foxx

If i was a baller (shit, i sound like Skee-lo), I definitely wouldn't flinch at the $49.95-79.95 (+ service fees) ticket price to see Jamie Foxx at Nokia on September 25th. The "Blame It Tour" boasts comedy performances and singing. (i wonder how serious he takes his music career. He seems to still be doing comedy even when he's singing: check the "Slow Jamz" video or listen to the lyrics in "Blame it"). I'm curious what this show will be like?

Here's a few JF career highlights and reasons i'd like to see this Terrell, Texas native perform:

early career. Wanda was funny as hell, too

with Oliver Stone and Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday

And you can't forget his breakout performance singing the chorus with Kanye and his latest single that cracks me up every time

All Star Local Line-Up at the Chat Room Pub in ft. Worth 7/18/09

*note the likeness between Waingro from Heat to Stefan Gonzalez from Akkolyte

Eat Avery's Bones, Personal Victories, Darktown Strutters, Akkolyte, The Great Tyrant, and Fight Bite

What a fun birthday show for Ben Rogers. I was really looking forward to this all week. Unfortunately, i got there late and missed Eat Avery's Bones and Personal Victories. Bummer. I know Eat Avery's Bones is always great, and all i heard were positive responses to George Quartz and Co.'s new band Personal Victories. Oh well.

I walked in during Darktown Strutters set and was instantly feeling those dark disco grooves. They played a couple songs i had not previously heard and i was surprised by the clear and evenly amplified sound. The Chat Room has always been a super fun, small space to see bands play, but the audio can be lacking sometimes. I suppose booking shows at the Firehouse Gallery (a la Metrognome Collective) instead will improve this aural predicament.

Akkolyte killed the audience with their blasts of metal/grind so hard that it was tough to believe this was their 3rd set of the evening (both earlier shows were in Dallas, one with Yells at Eels and one with Akkolyte). What hard hitting troopers those Gonzalez bros are! After some fun jokes about God in between songs they ended their set by bringing the jovial Ben up and serenading him with a metal as fuck rendition of "Happy Birthday".

Up next were the dirge rockers The Great Tyrant. These guys' thunderous and sludgy sound always get me feeling like i'm watching a bigger balled Nick Cave make love to Bauhaus era Peter Murphy. Yum. Daren has a great sounding voice (i'm surprised he didn't get further along on American Idol) that mixes well with their eerie synthesisers and powerful presence. Glad to see that their bass player Tommy is back in action after i heard he had some health problems. They were a great addition to this show and truly another one of my favorite local acts.

Last up were the omnipresent Fight Bite. It can be bittersweet having to play last out of six local bands but they should have felt somewhat honored to have that slot. I know i wouldn't wanna play after all these other local bands but i do believe FB are well respected and have deservedly earned such peer and audience approval. After seeing Leanne dance around all night, it was nice to see her have her moment to shine. Like Birdman and 'lil Wayne say, girl, "Get your shine on".