the power of e...

audio:



there's not a whole heck of a lot i know about Phoenix, AZ's Emperors Of Japan, other than that their high-volume, space rock a la The Pixies, Aloha, or a more laid back Seam, is good. damn good. it doesn't hurt that there's something in the vocalist's style that reminds me of Solea-era Garrett Klahn (also x-Texas Is The Reason).

and they must be big fans of Christmas, cos they offer both of their albums, "Your Freak Majesty (2006)" & "Activator (2008)", for free download on their website.

go get yourself some.

EmperorsOfJapan.COM
MySpace

"The Perfectionist"
"Good Night, Good Night"
"Cadillactation"


visual:

"The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)"



IMDb

"Pale Rider (1985)"



IMDb

through three decades no one made a western like Clint Eastwood. there have been a couple stabs at it over the last few years, but i doubt it'll ever come close to the beauty, style, and depth of these.

newsish:



election season is mostly over.

although, i'm sure we'll all be happy to be free of the constant barrage of thoroughly nasty politicking, i myself will remember the contest of 2008 fondly.

after nearly a decade of folks devouring entirely too much of what was being shoved down their hungry little throats in the form of political misinformation and corporate propaganda, people finally saw through it all enough to stand up and scream for change. anyone who still refuses to see or to admit the disparity between the candidates when it came to message vs. mockery, hope vs. zealotry, and a true call for change vs. the same old bait and switch... anyone who still can't see the difference may be beyond hope and help.

but fear not, this revolution is still for you as well, whether you believe in it or not.

bread & circus...

audio:



i'm honestly embarrassed by how long it took me to give Asheville, NC's Archers Of Loaf a good listen. in fact, by the time i got my act together, their act had just broken up.

i know, dumb.

anywho, these quirky alt/indie rockers left behind four proper LPs "Icky Mettle (1994)", "Vee Vee (1995)", "All the Nations Airports (1996)", & "White Trash Heroes (1998)", an amazing EP "Vs. The Greatest Of All Time (1994)", two live discs "Vitus Tinnitus (1997)" & "Seconds Before The Accident (2000)", and a rarities roundup LP "The Speed Of Cattle (1996)" to remember them by.

go buy them all now. do it. now.

Alias Records Site
MySpace
WebInFront.com(Fan Archive Site)

"Death In The Park"
"Lowest Part Is Free!"
"Harnessed In Slums"

visual:

"Carnivale (HBO 2003-05)"



i'm not aware that there's ever been a show like HBO's "Carnivale", and there may not be another like it again. it proved too dark and slow for most viewers, and was therefore canceled, and left unresolved for the most part, after two seasons.

if you like your tv to always follow the rules and to lay everything out for you real quick so you don't have to pay attention much or decipher anything, this show's not for you either. but if you don't mind something deep and resonant, that perhaps takes it's time in the fashion of an old western, then definitely check this out.

IMDb

newsish:



happy 80th birthday to the amazing Clu Gulager!!! whether it's an old western or a ball-busting horror flick ("Return Of The Living Dead", "Feast (I & II)"), Clu is as cool as they come.

talkin' bout a revolution...

audio:



there's always been just one band who's albums i could pop into my walkman, cd deck, or mp3 player whenever i felt anything less than %100, and instantly find myself again grounded.

never fails.

formed in 1980, while they were still in high school, Bad Religion came out tongues blazing, so to speak. they've had their ups, downs, line-up changes, and change-backs, but fourteen proper albums and numerous EPs, 7inches and complilations later, they're still that band for me.

BadReligion.com
MySpace

American Jesus
Against The Grain
All There Is
Give You Nothing


visual:

"Dog Day Afternoon (1975)"



IMDb

"Five Easy Pieces (1970)"



IMDb

couple of trips in the wayback machine today. if you haven't seen either of these movies yet, you should probably just go watch Jackass one more time and fuck yourself.

asshole.

i'm mostly kidding.


newsish:





the revolution will be Olberized.

dirt, blood, & oil...

audio:



a few years back, Brooklyn's Pilot To Gunner played here in Portland at a hot little club called Dante's, and i missed it for some stupid reason.

they went on "hiatus" shortly thereafter and my pants still have yet to recover from me kicking myself in them.

fucking pants.

anyway.

taking a cue from mid-nineties post-punk a la Jawbox these guys do some serious pant kicking of their own. currently, all signs point to them working on finishing a new album, maybe some touring.

hell if i know.

go pick up some of their old stuff in preparation for their proud return, i say: "Hit The Ground & Hum (1999)", "Games At High Speeds (2000, re-released in 2003)", and "Get Saved (2004)".

Action Items
Metropolitans

ARRCO Page
MySpace


visual:

"Ravenous (1999)"



Guy Pearce. Robert Carlyle. Jeremy Davies.

in featuring three of my favorite male actors all in one beautifully disgusting dark tale based on the Native American myth of the Wendigo, this flick will always hold a special place at the top of my list of the horror greats.

i recommend you try it medium rare.

IMDb


newsish:

finally, the return of the old John "Straight Talk" McCain...





there are a few folks out there talking about this. the question is, why aren't WE ALL?

oh, and some douchebag on YouTube just posted this comment:

"I am not for bush, but nor Clinton nor Obama can just pull out of a war, you'd end up going back, the Military Provides jobs. and if theres no war, more people loose their jobs."

so we're in Iraq to save jobs now? interesting idea.. you fucking moron.


in other news, Mr. White turns 69 today.




happy fucking birthday, Harvey.

ABCs...

audio:



A is for Avery.

some will recognize Mr. Eric Avery as the amazing bassist and a founding member of Jane's Addiction.

a few might be familiar with his one-off studio project Deconstruction, which again paired him with Jane's guitarman Dave Navarro.

almost no one will have any idea that he fronted the phenomenal, and indescribable outfit Polar Bear for quite a few years.

well now you know.

today marks the release of his first official solo effort on Dangerbird Records and, allow me to assure you, it's nothing short of awesome.

"all remote and no control"


Eric A @ Blogspot
MySpace


Visual:

B is for Burn to Shine.

the concept, brought together by filmmaker Christoph Green and Brendan Canty (Fugazi), is simple enough: find a house set to be destroyed, gather a unique group of musicians from the surrounding community, set them to perform one tune each, film the whole thing, including the demolition, and put it out on DVD.

well, it's a little more complicated than that, but the results are simply wonderful:









BTS @ Trixie DVD
MySpace


newsish:

C is for Christians... the insane, fascist variety to be exact.

article at the Chicago Tribune online.

real, real, real...

audio:



grunge killed Bell Biv Devoe.

this was good.

grunge killed Wilson Phillips.

this was also good.

grunge killed Warrant.

now, that was fucking amazing.

unfortunately, the loud, flannel-colored steamroller that was grunge also killed a few electro-punk pioneers in the process.

one of them was London's Jesus Jones.

now i know what you're thinking, "the 'Right Here Right Now' band, are you kidding Mr. Pink??"... no, not in the slightest.

some of you may not be aware of this, but, a long time ago, bands used to put out entire albums worth of songs at once, instead of just the "new hot singles" you might hear across the airwaves. many of these tunes were as good or better than those singles you were beaten incessantly across the face with.

no joke.

anyway, Jesus Jones, along with EMF, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, and a few others, were pretty much the electronic equivalent of grunge... just instead of mixing punk and pop with old school heavy metal, they utilized industrial and underground dance.

i'm done trying to convince you, listen for yourself:

Zeroes and Ones
One For The Money
Real, Real, Real

JesusJones.com
MySpace


visual:

"All The Real Girls (2003)"



amazing movie by David Gordon Green ("George Washington") featuring some of the most painfully realistic dialog you never thought you'd want to see in a movie.



"Real Genius (1985)"



the original "Van Wilder".



"Lars and the Real Girl (2007)"



boy meets girl... sorta.


newsish:

the pros and the cons...

audio:



i first heard Toronto's Constantines around 2002 through a DVD for the MichiganFest of the same year and fell instantly in love.

any band that can blend the rugged intensity of Fugazi or NoMeansNo with startling wit and beauty just fucking needs to be recognized, and, at least in indie circles, they have.

look for their new record "Kensington Heights" out later this month on Arts & Crafts.

Love In Fear
Arizona
On To You
Nighttime, Anytime (It's Alright)

Constantines.ca
MySpace


visual:

"Brazil (1985)"



if this isn't my favorite movie ever, it's definitely at the upper half of my top five.

Terry Gilliam has a vision and humor like no other.. and perhaps it's the way so many of his stories end up reminiscent of another of my favorites, Cervantes' masterpiece "Don Quixote".

who knows what makes any man tick, really?

IMDb


newsish:



an addendum to the above, check out this article on Gilliam at Cineleet.

ghosts & goblins...

audio:



calling on his inner old black man, Sam Coomes of Quasi, Motorgoat, Heatmiser (as well as Elliott Smith's backing band) and Donner Party, took it upon himself to re-imagine a couple handfuls of blues tunes under the banner Blues Goblins in 2003.

i can't call to mind many folks who could have done a better job either.

somehow, although not what most might imagine, Sam's earnest yelp pays perfect homage to rock 'n rolls soulful past while lending it a new edge like only he can.

check it out..

Black Snake Moan
Born to Die

Fan Page @ Quasi2x2


Visual:

"Ghost World (2001)"



this movie was really hard on me...

seriously, after watching, an epic struggle much like that of Perseus in "Clash of the Titans" waged within me... who's the more awesome chica: Scarlett Johansson or Thora Birch??

this great question remains unanswered to this day.

IMDb


Newsish:

the guy who invented the Egg McMuffin bit it tuesday.

oh, and...



...Quentin Tarantino turns 45 today!!

all you need is love...

Audio:



the specifics of the formation of For Love Not Lisa are vague at best, but one thing's for sure: if Miles hadn't hit on Mike Lewis' girlfriend, there probably wouldn't be anything to talk about.

seriously, that was how one pivotal member of this Oklahoma/Los Angeles group first met the other, translating into a relationship between these men that would span two bands and produce a few outstanding, if overlooked, albums.

their closest brush with fame, and the break which financed a home studio, would be with their single "Slip Slide Melting" appearing on the soundtrack to "The Crow".

eventually, after two proper albums "Merge (1993)", "Information Superdriveway (1995)", the posthumous collection "The Lost Elephant (1999)", and too many shows to count, FLNL wound down.

barely a year later, Lewis got right back up on that horse and rebooted with Puller. continuing on with the heavier sound displayed on FLNL's final record, and with a little added mathrock to boot, the first record "Sugarless (1996)" went mostly unnoticed, partially due to a lack of press, mostly to the "colder" feel of the tunes... folks were used to the Mike Lewis who sung his heart out AND brought the rawk.

with their second effort "Closer Than You Think (1998)", that's what they got.

unfortunately, line-up and location changes, as well as new families and an overall exhaustion with the music biz, led to the dissolution of this band as well shortly after the release of "What's Mine at Twilight (2001)".

Miles is still in LA, playing with The Echo Division, Lewis moved to Nashville and set up a merchandising company Zambooie and a shop called Nashville Clothing Co. to sell it in.

FLNL - "Slip Slide Melting"
FLNL - "Daydream"
Puller - "Bring Me In"
Puller - "Man On the Move"

FLNL Mypace
Puller Myspace


Visual:

"Dedication (2007)"



what impresses you about a movie?

a great soundtrack? Cat Power, Lightning Bolt, Deerhoof

oustanding cast? Tom Wilkinson, Billy Crudup, Amy Sedaris, Dianne Wiest

indierock street cred? directed by one time Fugazi roadie Justin Theroux

seen and heard enough?


Newsish:




two big birthdays today... Steven "fucking" McQueen (RIP) & Robert "yes, i was in 'Revenge of the Nerds', would you go to hell already" Carradine.

turns out Star Jones was also born March 24th, but fuck her.

finger lickin' good...

Audio:



be sure Skiploader won't be the last 90's Portland band that finds it's way onto this blog, as i remember those days fondly... what i remember, anyway.

somewhere around '93 bassist Craig Koozer and vox/guitarist Tom Ackerman formed the group with drummer Jeff Turner as a trio. at least a couple of raspy little demos were recorded and shows played, but they really didn't come into their full sound until the addition of Kevin Higgins on second guitar.

during the big major label push that came trouncing itself through the northwest post-Nevermind, they were picked up by Geffen and went on tour supporting the Foo Fighters.

unfortunately, the struggles of being young and full of shit in front of thousands of people proved to be too much for the guys and they went their separate ways shortly after the release of "From Can Through String".

Craig, Jeff and Kevin continued on for a short time under the moniker Jack Dempsey before being strong-armed into changing it to Contraption.

Tom moved back to SoCal and formed Neighborly, as well as moving behind the kit for future Polyvinyl Records superstars Sunday's Best, both of which having long since fallen apart, and later The Kite-Eating Tree.

they are survived by two full length LPs ("Sprainy (1994)", "From Can Through String (1996)") and an EP ("Anxious, Restless (1995)"), which you can still find here in Portland at record shops, but most likely nowhere else as they're long out of print.

i say check ebay/amazon.

King of the Hill
Trademark
King Regret
Entropy Anthem

Myspace


Visual:

"Near Dark (1987)"


probably my fave vampire movie ever, Near Dark was the cool, dark & gritty bloodsucker flick that nobody saw... because it came out in the wake of "Lost Boys".

and, stay with me here, i love "Lost Boys", i really do... but where that movie played on the melodrama and teen angst, "Near Dark" just kicked you in the teeth.

AND it never used the word "vampire".

anyway, i guess posting entire movies on Youtube is fairly common these days, cos this one's there too.

IMDb
YouTube


Newsish:



eat at restaurants??

if you have ever, are at this very moment, or forecast yourself doing so anytime in the future, please go here and friggin' pay attention!!

gutter mouth...

Audio:



for those yet unfamiliar with the ass-kicking that is The Gutter Twins, prepare to be schooled...

some might recognized Mr. Greg Dulli as the mastermind behind Ohio's Afghan Whigs or the more recent and current Twilight Singers, either of which will, no doubt, knock you down and stomp on your face if you're not careful.

Mark Lanegan fronted Seattle stalwarts Screaming Trees and was a founding member of Queens of the Stone Age, as well as releasing a steady stream of amazing solo records over the last 15 or so years.

anyway, so these guys, who reputedly hated each other during the early nineties, eventually became great friends and collaborators.

this project has been long rumored, but didn't actually come to fruition until just recently, with the release of "Saturnalia" on SubPop.

go get yourself some.

"idle hands" on letterman


Idle Hands

Myspace
TheGutterTwins.com


Visual:

"I Love Your Work (2003)"


director: Adam Goldberg
starring: Franka Potente, Giovanni Ribisi, Jared Harris, Jason Lee, Christina Ricci, Vince Vaughn, Elvis Costello
verdict: nuff said

IMDb


Newsish:



a very happy birthday to Mr. William Shatner, who today turns 77.

head over to his myspace and give him that vulcan hand thingy...

Myspace
WilliamShatner.com
IMDb


oh, and i'm not what one would call a "fan" of Twisted Sister, but MAN is this awesome or what!!?!:

welcome to the a/v club...

Audio:



although i'd heard the name around previously, i owe my introduction to the wonderment that is Evansville, Indiana's Mock Orange to Mt. Dew...

that's right, the soda.

more specifically, it was a promotional hook-up they did with MTV, where a number of unsigned (major label, anyway) groups would compete for the affection of viewers... kind of like an indie rock American Idol, but entirely less annoying.

anyway, they didn't win, but i immediately hit up my local record store and bought all i could find.

thanks Mt. Dew!!

Payroll
Stuck In
Beauty of a Scar

Myspace
MockOrange.net



Visual:

"Roger Dodger (2002)"


i imagine most of you have never even heard of this movie... shame on you!

if you're not sold on the trailer alone, i think some fan, slightly uneducated on the Ins and Outs of "legal matters", posted the whole damn movie on Youtube in parts...

YouTube

IMDb


Newsish:

Barack Obama spoke today in Portland.

unfortunately, i missed it due to work and the fact that the tickets were gone in minutes.. i'm sure the whole thing'll turn up eventually on the internet.

until then, this is Bill Richardson's introduction and endorsement: