Dancing On a Friday Night

Holy crap, this city will be busy Friday night! It seems like Detroit's got it going on this weekend. First off, the brand spankin' new Pure Detroit Design Lab will have it's grand opening this Friday. Here's the explanation from Kari Buzewski:

The location of the boutique is 156 Congress, just west of Woodward, in the business
district. It's an amazing space and concept for a boutique, and the opening is from 7pm-11pm. There will be drinks and a DJ, and a lot of cool local artist/designer stuff to check out! I will also be the "featured designer" there from Sept. 25-Nov. 5, and I will be making/selling hand painted garments and fashion illustrations. Hopefully you can check it out! The Detroit Design Lab will also be represented at the Taste Fest in
Detroit, which is coming up.

Next up, we have a charity screening at the DFC. Check this link for the address and phone number. Here is the explanation from the director of this week's film, Kristine Trever:

The wait is over! You can now check out all 3 episodes of my hilarious diabolical soap opera parody "As the Lights Dim", screening at the Detroit Film Center, Friday, June 25th, at 7:30 pm!! This is a fundraiser event, all proceeds benefit the DFC, a $5 donation at the door. There will be complimentary Motor City Beer as well! Total running time of the show (all 3 episodes) is only 25 minutes, so we'll be showing them twice in the evening.


Finally, Friday's other big event is the Bang Bang record release show at the Magic Stick. Doors are at 9pm, cost is $5, and the opening acts are Man Inc., Amino Acids, and the Stare. This is top-quality rock 'n' roll, and it's cheap, so get your ass out to the Stick after going to the aforementioned art opening type things. Go and see Bang Bang while it's still easy to catch them locally. They're quickly becoming one of the best punk rock 'n' roll bands in the city. The picture below is of an early free show that was at the Garden Bowl. I know it wasn't their first, but it was one of the first, and I was totally blown away. They've only gotten better since then, so I suggest you do yourself a favor and get out to this show.

Systems/Layers*

I guess it's about time I wrote about the Rock City Festival from this past weekend. After all, I was there for almost all of it. Crap, it was hot on Saturday. I have to admit, I was bored. A lot. The expectations for this event were so high. The promoters were expecting 20 to 25 thousand people over the course of two days and 30 bands. I don't know the real numbers, but I can tell you they're nowhere near what I just said. At times, it was busy enough to fill the areas in front of the stages, but the rest of the area was just so wide open and empty. As far as the music is concerned, I would've expected that due to the nature of the festival (almost all the bands are Detroit bands or honorary Detroit bands) there would be more collaboration or 'unexpected' guest appearances. Sadly, there was none of that. There were however, some rockin' sets. Unfortunately, due to the many distractions (okay, I was just drunk or working, okay?), I missed the Grande Nationals, The Detroit Cobras, The Dirtbombs, The Elevations, and Saturday Looks Good to Me (absolutely no idea where I was when they were playing). But, I did catch a few of the bands I was hoping to see. Audra Kubat opened the whole thing, and she was folky, but good as always. The Witches' Troy Gregory started off their set with a word-for-word recitation of the emcee's opening to "Doing It To Death" from The JB's. I was talking to someone, and I heard it, and I said, "how do I know that? What is that? Who is that? What's going on?" Then I realized what he was quoting. Sadly, they didn't kick into an actual JB's cover, but they did put on a rockin' set nonetheless. Southpaw are a newer act from John Linardos, owner of the Motor City Brewing Works. I only caught a few songs, but it was quite bluesy. Ex-Clone Defect Tim Lampinen's Human Eye was probably the most unusual act all weekend. Most of the songs had Tim singing with effects on his vocals, and I'm not just talkin' about reverb, I'm sayin' he sounded like some sort of robot banshee from hell (in a good way). Musically, their sound is rooted in tribute to art-damaged punks like Chrome, the Weirdos, and the Urinals. And this...is a good sound. I like it. After Human Eye, Easy Action came on. I've probably seen Easy Action play about twenty shows in the past five years or so that they've been around. This was without a doubt, one of the best. The singer, Jon Brannon, is a veteran of the Detroit punk scene. When he was a teenager, he was playing hardcore punk that was still just a dream for Ian Mackaye. At some point, during a mid-tempo song, he kept hitting the mic up against his lips to sing. By the time the song was done, his lips were bleeding. This isn't self-mutilation for the sake of punk rock, this is just fucking punk rock. Hell, it's pure rock fury, to be precise. It was a rockin' set, let's just leave it at that. One of their best, and the new drummer, Matt, is a great addition (although the last drummer was good, too). After that, I skipped a few acts that I didn't care to see...from afar, I could hear The Go covering "Hey Ya" from Outkast. I wish they hadn't. Awhile later, I stumbled back outside into the heat to see the Greenhornes. Those guys always put on a good show. No matter what. Even when everyone else starts talkin' shit about them droppin' down to just a trio, I don't fuckin' care. There is so much care for the music welled up inside of Craig, Jack, and Patrick, you would be crazy not to hunt down all of their records. And you know what? They were great when they had two guitars and an organ, too, but that was then, get over it. Their sound is great garage rock that doesn't make you think of garage rock, in fact, it makes you think of The Animals, and that ain't a bad thing. The Sights came on after the Greenhornes, and I'm always happy to see these guys and their Sloan meets Supergrass meets Traffic meets Blind Faith vibe. From the first time I saw them play, and Eddie and Mark were only 17, and they were covering songs from Creation and the Jam to right here and now, I will always support what they do. Now, they're back with original drummer Mike Trombley, and all seems to be right with their world. They'll be rock stars one day, I just know it. The Dirtbombs played after the Sights, but I had to go inside to DJ. So, I missed that, but they put on a good set from what I heard. I guess they opened with an intro that was basically a cover of Warpigs from Black Sabbath (or was it The Wizard? I don't know, I wasn't there). Either way, I wish I could've seen it. That was the end of Saturday. Unfortunately, not for me, I got to DJ all night. I apologize to anyone who was there and may have felt cheated when I kept playing two or three or in one case five songs in a row from an album. I was tired as shit that night. Round two on Sunday was a bit better as far as the weather is concerned. The sun was still out, but it wasn't as hot. The Tiny Steps' power pop was as sugary as always (but always with a bite). The Avatars are a newer band that I don't know much about, but they were good. A little garagey, a little soulful, a little pop, and maybe even a little bit of dirty rock 'n' roll. I liked it, I can see what the buzz is all about. That, and the band consists of three hot women. That always helps. I missed most of Gold Cash Gold, but the little bit I saw was interesting. I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting what I saw. They seemed like a bit of a jam-band with keyboards and spacey guitars. I'd like to see it again, I'm curious. Ex Clone Defects and ex Murder City Wrecks (mostly) make up the Valentinos, who played next. When they started out almost two years ago, they were poppy. Very poppy, almost cold and stiff. But, over time, their mutual interests have finally gelled. Eric, the lead guitarist is starting to look like Bob Quine (Robert Quine died last week, he was in the pioneering art-damage punk band Television, involved in the Voidoids, and played with Matthew Sweet for the past ten years or so), and it's truly ironic, considering how much he's playing like our dear departed guitar genius. They've also added more keyboards. Before, Eddie (the drummer) was playing the keyboards on occasion, but now they have George (courtesy of Bisou Bisou) playing keyboards full time, and occasionally filling in on guitar when they all change positions from time to time. They were all wearing dark suits, and just sounded slick. Not boring over-produced slick, but Roxy Music casanova don't trust these guys slick. Maybe sick is a better word. Oh, and Eric had his three little boys dressed up in grey suits and hanging out at the back of the stage. Cute. Back in Spades came up next, and I think if you've been reading my site for awhile now, you have an idea of their sound. This show wasn't especially exceptional, but it wasn't bad, either. Definte up-and-comers. Former Dirtbomb Tom Potter's new revue, the Detroit City Council came up next with their Meters/early Funkadelic funk. Their new bassist, Spoon really adds a lot to the mix. I have no idea who the previous bassist was (it seemed to change a lot for awhile there), but this one is hott. Yes, that's hot with two 'Ts'. This man knows his shit. He sounds like all he's ever heard is the Meters. I was lovin' it. The drums were tight (current drummer was the previous one in Easy Actions - see above), the guitar was light like early JBs, Potter's occasional vocals weren't too much or too little, just right. Plus, Blackman from Soul Clique provides vocal support - occasionally lead, occasionally backup, and occasionally just there to have a good time. Unfortunately, their set was a little overshadowed by bad sound. I know most people don't notice these things, but I do, so it bothered me. Oh well, the set was tight. For the next hour or so, I disappeared. Oh, I was hanging out by the dunk tank. It seemed like it was just an endless line of "the men of the Majestic" getting up there. They offered me money to do it, and I refused. I think the next band I saw was PAS/CAL. I was doing something else, but I was able to hear them and they sounded good. Poppy, but good. I think the last time they were playing somewhere, and it coincided with me being in the same room, I stuck around for about one minute, then turned around and walked out. It just sounded so boring, but they really sounded good on Sunday. Maybe I just walked in on a particularly slow song that time. Whatever. The Hentchmen were tight as always, but they've been slowly pulling their old shit out of their setlists. The new stuff is good, but they have something like five or six albums out. They really need to represent a little more. After the Hentchmen, I disappeared again - I think I went inside. Somehow I ended up with a half-slab of barbecue ribs that I don't recall paying for. I honestly wasn't that drunk...as I was finishing the ribs, I could hear Wendy Case singing "Real Black Girl," so I got off my ass and went back to the Festival. If you're unaware, the Paybacks sound like this: imagine what would happen if Joan Jett had Janis Joplin's voice. Then, imagine that she grew up listening to Cheap Trick. Then, think about what would happen if this woman fronted AC/DC. Is there a smile on your face? There should be. I think I have to agree with my friend Andy, The Paybacks are the best rock 'n' roll band in Detroit. Hands down. It's also no coincidence that the Paybacks' set was the loudest of the ENTIRE Festival. Seriously. Even if you're just the guy who runs the soundboard, you can't help wanting to turn it up to '11' when they come on. You have to, it's required by law. This is Detroit, is it not? Brendan Benson played after the Paybacks, and he's good, he's talented, he sings/writes incredible pop music, but I thought it was a very poor choice for a closing act. The Paybacks should've played last in my opinion. Oh, well, hopefully, they do this next year, and there are twice as many people, and the bands get more into it, and maybe we'll see some special guest appearances.


*listen to Rachel's

An Open Letter to NYC

Everyone wants to talk shit about this record. They have their reasons. It's been six years since the Beastie Boys released a record of new material. When I heard they had a new album coming out, even I said that they have to do something big if they want to stay relevant, hip, and not get laughed at. At first listen, it's decent, but after listening to "To the Five Boroughs" several times in it's entirety, I have to say I think they've done what I said they had to do. This isn't the best B-Boys album ever. But, it may be their most interesting album since "Paul's Boutique."

When Def Jam records released "Licensed to Ill" in 1986, hip hop critics had a lot to say about it. All negative. They accused the Boys of pirating rap culture and mocking it. I think in their eyes, their joking attitude was just in line with that of De La Soul or the rest of the Native Tongues crew. However, unlike their influences, there was no politics. They were three white kids from wealthy Jewish families. Their lyrics were about what they knew. Black politics weren't all that relevant to them. So they went the other direction. The New York City rap scene in 1986 was busy: EPMD, Gang Starr, Boogie Down Productions, Run DMC, the entire Native Tongues crew, Afrika Bambaataa. There was a lot going on. But, "Licensed to Ill" sounded like none of that. Even the music was nothing like what was going on with the rest of New York hip hop.

Now, in 2004, the Beastie Boys have come full circle. The jokes are light, but they've gone political. I've read a few other reviews in other publications, and it sounds like some people are upset that they've chosen to inject politics into their music. How could you not look around and want to talk about it? No one complained when Adam Yauch (MCA) started rallying to free Tibet. That situation is all politics, but I think the majority of Beastie Boys fans have no idea why Tibet is under the tyrannical rule of China, and don't care. These people hear about Dubya every day on the news, and don't want to hear about him from their favorite rap group. Fuck them. This shit is relevant. Using music as a political platform is rooted deep in the origins of hip hop. Especially New York in the '80s. This record is about them paying tribute to the city that made them. The music, the lyrics, the references are all New York.

This brings me to another point, the music. I've also read some reviews where people are complaining about the music. They're upset because the Boys aren't playing real instruments this time around. They're upset because DJ Hurricane isn't involved, and Mario Caldato Jr.? They've moved on, people. Deal with it. This record's beats are all about Mix Master Mike, who comes to us from Invisbl Skratch Picklz, who practically invented the word 'turntablism'. Oh, wait, no, they were the first ones to say it and define it at the same time. This is a man who knows his shit. He's possibly the only DJ who could sample "Sonic Reducer" from the Dead Boys ('70s punk band from Cleveland who re-located to NYC and made it their home) and make it the basis for a hip hop track (An Open Letter to NYC)that doesn't actually sound like any kind of punk/rap hybrid. Most of the samples on "To the 5 Boroughs" are used sparingly, most are fairly obscure, or at least they're tweaked so much that you can't tell where they're from. Either way, this doesn't sound like a sample-heavy record. Nothing like "Paul's Boutique," which was almost entirely samples.

This may not be the best album from the Beastie Boys, but it is damned impressive. In an attempt to pay tribute to the city that made them, they've made a record that sounds like NYC in 1986. They chose innovation over the status quo in 1986, and now in 2004, they acknowledge the influence of that 1986 hip hop mindset. Buy this record. Seriously. Unless you're really closed-minded and can't accept change, then don't bother.

Arts In the City

(from Kerri)



DETROIT ARTISTS MARKET JOINS DETROIT SYNERGY
TO PRESENT THIRD ANNUAL“ARTS IN THE CITY”



DETROIT, (June 5, 2004) – The Detroit Artists Market joins Detroit Synergy to present “Arts in the City,” an event designed to showcases emerging and well-established artists who use a wide variety of mediums including dance, fashion design, film, painting, music, photography, poetry and sculpture to express their ideas and visions. It will take place Saturday, June 19 at the Detroit Club, 712 Cass Avenue in downtown Detroit.

“This is the third time in as many years we have presented ‘Arts in the City’,” said Peter Marsh, Detroit Synergy Project Coordinator. “We were honored when the Detroit Artists Market agreed to be the event’s co-presenter. We believe this will be the best Arts in the City yet.”

“Arts in the City” will begin with a Patrons Preview from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Tickets to the Preview cost $50 and include complimentary valet, chef’s signature dish, and an opportunity to meet the artists and performers. Doors open to the general public beginning at 8:00 p.m. Tickets cost $15 and include light hors d’oeuvres. All tickets can be purchased in advance at Detroit Synergy, or they can be purchased at the door the night of the event. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit both the Detroit Artists Market and Detroit Synergy.

“We have put together a very talented lineup of more than 60 artists and exciting performers to keep our guests entertained well into the early morning,” said Aaron Timlin, Executive Director of the Detroit Artists Market.

The program’s entertainers, performers and artists include: Audra Kubat, Joiya, the Bluelake Singers, Tina Tomicic, The Hardcore Detroit Breakin’ Crew, and other Detroit artists, dancers, filmmakers, fashion designers, musicians, and poets.

Compuware sponsors the evening of Arts in the City.

The Detroit Artists Market is located in the Detroit Cultural Center at 4719 Woodward Avenue, Detroit MI 48201, three blocks south of The Detroit Institute of Arts, and one block east of Wayne State University. You may contact the Detroit Artists Market by phone at 313.832.8540 or via electronic mail at info@detroitartistsmarket.org. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. Free on-the-street parking is available. Visit online at: DAM.

Detroit Synergy is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to injecting positive energy into the city and creating a stronger community through volunteer-driven projects. For more information visit online at Detroit Synergy or e-mail info@detroitsynergy.org.

Click here for participating artists!

Get involved!

Just Flesh*

October of this year will be my ten-year high school reunion. First of all, I want to say, yes, holy shit, I can't believe it's been ten years since I graduated from high school. Second, I want to say that I honestly believe that the only people I actually want to see will not go to the reunion. Hell, I may not go. The woman who was supposed to organize it, our Class President, isn't even involved. She's just too busy. She was also too busy for the five-year reunion she promised. Plus, this class reunion is being held nowhere near our hometown of Marysville, MI (near Port Huron). It's at some restaurant in Clinton Township, fifty miles from our high school. On one hand, I'm happy that it's somewhere around the Detroit area, because I hate Marysville, but on the other, I have to wonder what the fuck they're thinking. My friend Lori (who's very excited about this event) pointed out to me recently that our graduating class had 200 people in it. I know I don't know even half of those people. With my luck, they will be the ones who show up. Them and the popular kids and the jocks and the cheerleaders. I guess I just have to hope that the people I went to high school with have evolved like I have and maybe they aren't a bunch of superficial idiots anymore. Maybe they've learned to see the forest for the trees and the book for what's between the covers. Right. I just keep seein scenes from the film "Grosse Pointe Blank" in my head. I think I'm probably the Jeremy Piven character, except I got out, I didn't stay. "Ten years! Ten! Ten ye-ars!


*listen to Turbonegro

To Susan On the West Coast Waiting*

I figured it out. You know why the questions below bother me so much? Because I haven't been completely convinced of why I should feel patriotism for this country. Don't get me wrong, I love living in Detroit, but I also hate it. This place is a shithole, but I've had some of the best times of my life here, and I'll stand by this city 'til the day I die. On the other hand, I've seen a lot of this country, at least 3/4 of the states. I love Central Park in New York City and the Art Institute of Chicago and the subway in DC. I love the Sunshine Causeway in Tampa, and the fields of wind-energy propellers in the Palm Desert (CA). But, I hated our neighbors when I was five years old and lived in Banning, CA. I hate the extreme and seemingly self-proliferating racial polarization in the neighborhoods of Detroit. I hate that I'm assumed to be a racist simply because I'm caucasian. I hate the gunshots I'm hearing right now in my neighborhood (from the city-wide celebration of the Pistons winning the Championship). I hate that the popular vote doesn't truly elect our 'leader'. I hate that I live in a country whose government is currently saying "fuck the world" just to win a war started under false pretenses so they can win back the popular vote (which is a misnomer anyway). I don't care how hippy it makes me sound, I hate war and the fact that almost every war or international conflict that the US has been involved in since WWII has been a creation of the government - created with the intention of stirring up a recessed economy and gaining the popular vote in the (usually) upcoming elections. I know I won't get caught up in any jingoist emotion when the time comes to place my vote (using a machine created by a man who contributed to Dubya's campaign, by the way).

*listen to Donovan

I, Fuzzbot*

All is not right with the world. It never will be. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with all of this news about how fucked up our government is. I'm usually not one to get so vocal about these kinds of things. Do I want to know that our Vice President (Tricky Dick part II, electric boogaloo) lied about being involved in the decision to choose Halliburton Inc, the company he ran for five years before being veep to rebuild Iraq? It was a no-bid contract! No one else was able to try to get the contract. What do you think he's gonna do when he's not vice president? He's going to go back to running Halli-fucking-burton, that's what! He just made himself 8,000,000,000 dollars! Okay, so I'm sure that even if he did go back to the company, he wouldn't personally make all that money. But...it's just too much. Do I need to know that we live in a country that's saying "up yours" to the UN? Do I need to know that freedom of speech in this country doesn't apply to speaking against the gubbamint? Why is there a movement of shit-ass conservatives fighting to stop the release of Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11" from being shown? And, while I'm on the subject, why, oh, why would some Young Republican idiot think that a website about being a "Conservative Punk" is a good idea? Oh, right, 'we're here to educate young punks to make their own decisions and not be biased by the majority of punk sites which are almost always liberal or leftist leaning'. Uh huh. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I would think that if your goal is to encourage young people to educate themselves and learn more about politics and to make decisions for themselves, then presenting yourself as conservative right up front just seems like a bad idea. By calling your site "Conservative Punk," you're not encouraging people to think for themselves, you're letting them know that you're a Republican and all of your articles and ideas are going to be skewed that way (whether they are or not). Matt Drudge, creator of The Drudge Report is an outspoken and well-known conservative, but you would only know it by reading the articles he writes himself. I'd say maybe 99% of the articles he links to every day are not written by him, they're a balanced view of what's going on. Why do politics bother me? I have bills and a messy room and dinner and my job and women and my music to worry about. I ain't got no time to be worried 'bout all this shit. It's consuming me too much. If I had the time, this site would probably be almost entirely political. Instead, I post articles after I get out of work, and I'm not so riled up anymore. Lucky you.

*listen to Brainiac

The Aristocratic Swells*

Found something else interesting today. This is a sight that lists info, pics, and a general listing of every soldier who has died in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It's really kinda disturbing. The site is a news outlet for the US military, although not an official one. Faces of Valor is a section of MilitaryCity.com.

*listen to Beulah

Theme for an American TV Show*

So, today I was bored at work, something that happens all too often, and I was reading an article on CNN. It was something about the International Council of the Red Cross demanding that the US either charge Saddam, or let him go by June 30th. They said that under international law, a prisoner of war cannot be held once an occupation is ended, unless the prisoner has been charged with a crime. By the way, that date, June 30th is the day that the US is supposed to hand over control of Iraq to their 'new democracy', but I'll only believe that when I see it (the man who was supposed to take over, Chilabi, has been accused of spying for Iran, so who knows what'll happen now). Anyway, I started thinking about international law, and how I've always wondered about the Geneva Convention and the World Court and all that. The idea of 'war crimes' and 'laws of war' has always sounded odd to me. It's always made me think of how there used to be so much etiquette to war, like the way they would line up across from each other in a field. It just seems weird. So, I looked up international law on Google, and of course, the first link that came up was from the United Nations website. I didn't have to search very far to find some interesting items. There's one in particular that really kept my interest. It's the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Drafted in 1948, this declaration has been in place for well over 50 years. If you click on that link and check it out, you'll start to wonder if the US bothers to acknowledge the United Nations anymore. It's fucking ridiculous. I think the Patriot Act, in it's entirety is a violation of international law. There are so many rights that we're supposed to be afforded by the UN that we may lose if the Patriot Act becomes permanent. Most of the Declaration is very similar to the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence, but it's on a much bigger scale. We're talking about the entire world. The Declaration basically makes fascism illegal. It also makes the holding of prisoners at Guantanamo illegal (because they're being held in limbo with many Geneva Convention violations stacking up). There are 30 articles to the Declaration, and I could go through every fucking one and find an example of a well-known violation in this world, many of them American.

*listen to the Residents

South of Heaven

NOTE TO SELF: Drinking six Über-margaritas (half pint of tequila per drink), three or so beers, and not really eating much of anything besides an omelet, then some hot wings is not a good idea. I don't care what anyone says. The hot wings were good, though. So were the margaritas...and the omelet (loaded with alouette and Black Forest ham)...and the beer, that was good, too. It's getting harder and harder to party like a rock-star, I guess. Maybe that's why I never do it anymore.

still hungover...

Unbrand America

Exhibit A

Right here, right now is the debut of a new feature of rock|n|roll|scientist: weekly record reviews. Okay, so it may be more often than weekly, but fuck it, it's something interesting. These will not necessarily be new records, just whatever I feel other people should give a chance. This week's record is "Edutainment," from Boogie Down Productions.

In 1990, Boogie Down Productions was merely KRS-One (Chris Parker) and Kenny Parker. KRS-One's original DJ, Scott La Rock was shot dead while trying to break up a fight at a party in the Bronx. BDP were always based in the Bronx, lending a very 'east-coast' sound to their music. Keep in mind that this was before the differences between west coast and east coast hip hop had been played up. They were gangsta but intelligent (conscious), and paved the way for the Native Tongues crew in the early '90s (Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Afrika Bambaata, Black Sheep, Queen Latifah, Common, Leaders of the New School, and even Black Star). No other rap act can hold that claim.

I was 14 in 1990. I subscribed to Rolling Stone and SPIN magazine, back when both were actually still interesting. They were my only pipeline to the outside world, outside of the cultural vacuum in Port Huron, MI. I read all the music reviews and articles, and here and there a name stuck out because it kept being referenced. One of those names was Boogie Down Productions. My only source of income at the time was a paper route. Unfortunately, I didn't get an allowance, so that tiny bit of money had to be saved for weeks so I could afford to actually buy something. One day, I was at the local Wal-Mart (shiver of disgust)with my mom, and I was wandering around looking for something to do while waiting for her to find whatever she was looking for. The music section at Wal-Mart was always a big let-down, but I checked it out anyway. There it was: the new album from BDP, "Edutainment." I went to see where my mom was at, and luckily in the 'big box' stores someone can easily be ten minutes away if you take into account walking time, and browsing. So, I took a quick look around the corner, and went to the cashier to buy the tape. I asked for it in a small bag, and shoved it in my coat. My mom would've killed me if she knew I had bought a rap tape. Before this, I had never heard any rap or hip-hop beyond what was on the radio. What was on the radio was crap, with the exception of an occasional Tribe Called Quest or Public Enemy track.

KRS-One is nicknamed "the Teacher" for a reason. Holy crap, I had never heard anything like it. I had never been challenged to question how and why people were racist. I had never heard much of anything about Islam or Buddhism or vegetarianism. Tales of African-American history, smuggling guns, tales of the streets, and a seemingly out of place, but good track about the dangers of eating beef. "Edutainment" was the key, the beats were tight (not just tight as in slang, but tight as in solid, simple and good), the samples were rare but appropriate, and the rhymes just blew me away. I got served, and I got served good.

Ya Strugglin'

My Baby Shot Me Down

Tonight. Lager House. Detroit. Cheap show, only $5. The Holy Fire and Bang! Bang!. See how drunk Bang! Bang! can get in 15 minutes onstage...

El Scorcho

I know I keep talking about it, but you're gonna hear about it again anyway. Last night was the second show for local band The Whiskey Diaries. The show was free, you shoulda been there, it was solid. Very solid. Broken beer bottles, wobbly bar furniture being used as a stage, and one helluva rockin' show. On the surface, these guys could sound like your garden-variety punk rock 'n' roll band, but then you hear the vocals, and whatever you thought is turned on it's head. Then you see them live, and you start to struggle to pigeonhole them, but you just can't do it. Obviously, that's a good thing. They think that what they're doing isn't being done in Detroit, and they're right. The range of influences between these five guys is staggering, but it all gels in the end: the '70s rock that comes through in the occasional short guitar solo, the pop angst crossed with "Rise Above" era Black Flag vocals, and the metal. Yes, the metal. I'm not talking about these newer crappy pop bands that people call metal. Nothing like Staind, or any of that crap. The bass brings to mind AC/DC, and that's no accident. All the important facets of punk rock and rock 'n' roll are well-represented here, and the band-members' thorough appreciation of the music is coming through in their own music. Oh, and they finished with a smokin' cover of "Search & Destroy" from the Stooges. Jason, the singer didn't have to do much to try and imitate Iggy, in fact, I'm starting to think that if you really feel it, you're not trying to imitate him, it just happens.

I'm a streetwalkin' cheetah with a heart fulla napalm...

Detroit Rock City

Just a reminder: June 19th and 20th, the Majestic Theater Center (Magic Stick, Garden Bowl, Majestic Cafe, Majestic Theater) will be hosting the first annual Rock City Festival. This is big, kiddies. Bigger than most of the other local summer festivals, because this one is almost exclusively about the music, and it's completely free! There are over 30 bands on 2 stages and over 7 artist booths. All of the artists are Detroit-based or Detroit-related. You can see hard-working locals like the Dirtbombs and the Hentchmen and the Sights, pop geniuses like Brendan Benson and Saturday Looks Good to Me, up-and-comers like PAS/CAL and the Avatars and Back in Spades. There's just so much. The artist booths will feature local "rock 'n' roll" artists as Glenn Barr and Mark Arminski. The Dirty Show will be featuring artwork. There'll be drinks and food available at a cost. All of this will be in the back lot of the Majestic. That night, all of the Majestic will be open for business as normal, and you can come and see yours truly DJ inside in the Garden Bowl from 9pm to 2am. The Festival runs from 2pm to 11pm on Saturday and Sunday. The organizers are expecting 15 to 20,000 people to attend this first-ever event. Each and every Detroiter who knows what rock and roll is all about should be there.

A dog that knows no boundaries vs. my can of PBR

Last night, I was at a barbecue at my friends Janna and Laura's house. I was drinking a can of PBR, and standing on the grass next to the deck. Other friends, Cheryl and Brett were there with their dog Loki, a 7-month old Great Dane puppy. If you're familiar with Great Danes, then you'll know that even at 7-months, he's the size of a small car. This is a very large dog. So, I'm standing there talking to the dog like he's a regular person, it's a weird habit from when I was little. I have my face right up to his, and I was talking to him about the weather. I backed up for a minute, and he swatted my beer right out of my hand. I guess he felt that if he couldn't have a beer, I couldn't either. Keep in mind that he was named after the Norse god Loki, who stood for a world without boundaries. Yeah, exactly.

dogs have feelings, too

Oh! Sweet Nothing

(I first encountered Robert Quine when I first bought a Matthew Sweet CD in the early '90s. I soon found out his importance in the New York art damage/punk scene of the late '70s/early '80s. Then I got into Television, and the Patti Smith Group, and everything relevant that followed. He will be missed. RIP)

Guitarist Robert Quine, one of punk rock's most daring soloists, was found dead Saturday (June 5) in his New York apartment. He was 61. According to close friend and guitar maker Rick Kelly, who discovered Quine's body, the musician died of a heroin overdose Memorial Day weekend. He had been despondent over the recent death of his wife. Born in Akron, Ohio, Quine was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground, whose music he recorded obsessively while living in San Francisco. He moved to New York in 1971 and became the lead guitarist for bassist Richard Hell's important group the Voidoids, with whom he recorded two albums. His skittering, unpredictable work with Hell defined the possibilities of punk guitar. During the '80s, he recorded and toured frequently with Lou Reed and played on saxophonist/composer John Zorn's best-known albums. Quine made key guest appearances on Tom Waits' "Rain Dogs" (1985) and Marianne Faithfull's "Strange Weather" (1987). In 1989, he began a long association with Matthew Sweet; he also worked regularly with Lloyd Cole. In 2001, Universal released a three-CD box of Quine's live 1969 recordings of the Velvet Underground, "The Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes." "He was a marvelous guitarist, a soulful music lover with high standards and had an eviscerating wit," Patti Smith Band drummer Jay Dee Daugherty said. "He did not suffer fools gladly, but made up for it with a thinly disguised generosity of spirit."

RIP

She Said She'd Never Loved Me

You're hungry, aren't you? You need more. I want to give you more, but I just don't have it in me right now. Maybe tomorrow, I'll be able to write something more when I'm on my lunch break at work. I don't want to work tomorrow. Underpaid, overworked.

Bourbon is good for you

Tuesday, June 8th will be the second ever show for Detroit's very own Whiskey Diaries. The band includes a former member of the Gutterpunx, who is currently also i Back in Spades, a former member of Confiskated and Fourth Ward, and a few others. I can't fully explain their sound beyond it being good punk rock 'n' roll. Think MC5 meets Murder City Devils. That comes a little close, but not quite. They're playing a free show at the Garden Bowl (in lovely downtown Detroit) with two other bands. The WD will be playing third around 11pm. Did I say it was free?

Liberte

Tonight. Friday night. Detroit. The Magic Stick. Free show. Auf Der Maur. Melissa Auf Der Maur is a former member of Hole and the Smashing Pumpkins. Her new rock and/or roll band is playing a free show at the Magic Stick tonight. Doors are early at 7pm, and your humble narrator (aka DJ Gutterball) will be DJing all night after the show.

I wanna rock like it's 1995

Grand Theft Autumn

Also this weekend, Braid played at St. Andrew's on Sunday evening. Okay, it was more like Sunday afternoon, doors were at 4:30pm. Got there just in time to miss the opening bands, because we weren't going to sit on the floor in front of the stage and cry with all the emo kids. Andy and I both really wanted to see this show, even though all we have are their two compilations of singles. They were probably halfway into their set before I heard a song I knew, but it was still all good nonetheless. People say these guys are an emo band, but I don't know. I heard time signatures that reminded me of early Sonic Youth, and shout-along choruses that sounded as anthemic as Pegboy. Hardly emo. I'm sure there are a million bands out there who try to sound like Braid, and they might sound whiny and annoying, but that's not what I heard on Sunday. Also, I don't know if Andy and I influenced it, but at some point, they asked the crowd what song they should play next. When most bands do that, they have no intention of taking a cue from the kids in the audience, they already know what they're going to play (you can see the setlist if you can get close enough). Both of us wanted to hear "Roses in the Car," and they actually played it. Couldn't see the setlist, don't know if they planned on playing it, but we were happy.

Clark Kent is Superman

Beeps and Boops

The Movement Festival is definitely something I have no room to talk about. I was only there for maybe an hour on Monday and it blew. I know, a lot of you out there hate electronic music anyway, but I do like it, so bite me. It's not the band I hate, it's their fans. We walked around a bit, and I didn't see anyone performing whom I particularly wanted to see. Unfortunately, I was a hungover mess from Friday night (see below), so I didn't get to catch my friend Greg at noon on Saturday (it takes an awful lot to get me going by noon on a Saturday on a holiday weekend, lemme tell ya), so I didn't get to see that. I also missed the Translocation show at Submerge, but I've seen some of the work elsewhere, and I have to say, I wish I hadn't missed it. I think the festival itself just wasn't as big as I've seen it in the past. It's been maybe two years since I've gone, but it just seemed...lame. I know, all of you out there who hate this stuff are thinking, "well, yeah, of course it was lame, it's techno!" Whatever, the festival itself isn't even about the music anymore, it's about all the people who come out for it. Even that facet was boring on Monday. There were people there, but it wasn't so crowded that you couldn't move (like it's been in the past). It seemed like there were less stages, too. I also noticed that less local labels were represented by vendor booths. In fact, the whole thing felt like a circus, complete with idiots wearing Dr. Seuss hats and suckin' on pacifiers. They even had those little trailers with all the lights that sell funnel cakes and elephant ears! It's Detrot's amazing techno circus! Come one, come all, give us your money, suckers! By the way, I spelled Detroit incorrectly on purpose because that's the way it was spelled on the marquee at Hart Plaza. And ya know what, it was noticed on Friday (I know because I saw it on Detroit Luv), yet it still wasn't fixed through the entire event. Nice. They didn't even have a complete schedule available until days before the event, and if you wanted to buy a program complete with a schedule, it cost $5. Totally ridiculous. I think next year, I'm just going to avoid this thing altogether.

my glowsticks aren't glowing anymore

Fulfilling the Prophecy

As previously promised, the rock 'n' roll show this past Friday was truly rockin'. Would I ever lie to you? I admit, I didn't see all of the bands, and I took the road less taken earlier in the evening, so I wasn't right as rain for most of the night. This just means that I went on a brief detour before the show, and said detour involved a very large double shot of ridiculously overpriced bourbon, as well as another double shot that was Dewar's, and people wearing suits and ties and a piano bar. I, however, was not wearing a suit or a tie, and in fact enjoyed being at this upscale restaurant without looking upscale. It's fun, you all should try it sometime. It's called The Whitney, and it's located on Woodward at Canfield in Detroit. The bar upstairs has no dress code, and it's fun freakin' out the bourgeoisie once in awhile. Anyway, back to the show. I did manage to catch The Sights, The Hentchmen, and a too-short duet between Eugene Strobel and Marty (the musician who was being benefitted by the show). Unfortunately, I didn't catch their whole set, but I think they only played a handful of songs, and they were all covers. What I did hear was the last song, and I think it was a Simon and Garfunkel cover. It's good to see that just because you're used to seeing these people rock out, they actually can play softly and sing well and play in a different context than normal. The Hentchmen put on a stand-up show as always. I didn't hear many of the 'hits', but hey, what can ya do? Any time the Sights play, they're almost always my favorite band in the lineup, and Friday night was no exception. They opened with their cover of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson's "Every Day I Live the Life I Sing About in My Song," and closed with Ray Charles' "Sticks and Stones." Both songs seem to have become a regular part of their setlist. It also sounds like they've been re-working some of their older stuff. Those songs sounded good, too. Impressive, in fact. Some of 'em sounded like totally new and different songs. Also good to see is their original drummer Mike Trombley back in the fold. I don't know the particulars of why they've been through more drummers than Spinal Tap (they've all been good), but it is good to see Mike back up there.

I've been abused...right from the start

The Devil's Work Day

Just a reminder, scroll down here and take a look at what's going on this weekend. It's very important that you don't forget. If you're a Detroiter, or a semi-Detroiter, you need to take advantage of what this city of the arts has to offer you this weekend. Oh, there's another show besides the rock show tonight and the festival this weekend. Braid is playing St. Andrew's on Sunday. Check out info on that here. Doors are early (4:30pm), so get there early! If anyone wants to hang sometime this weekend, lemme know. I have Saturday through Tuesday off. Also, the folks at Movement have finally posted a schedule, so now you know what's going on when (in theory, the schedule for that thing never ends up being right). If any of you have ever been to Eph Mcnally's, the deli in Corktown, you've probably encountered Greg Mudge. Greg will be DJing at Movement at noon on Saturday on the Music Institute stage. You should check that out. Also, on Saturday, there's another Movement afterparty at the Detroit Artist's Market. Doors are at 10pm for that and the feature is Mike Dearborn. You can view a flyer for that show here. It'll be a busy weekend, kids, don't load up on barbecue and beer...

25 cent giraffes

All By Ourselves

On the flip side of Detroit music, this weekend has a pretty freakin' big event to offer. Friday night, at the Magic Stick, there will be a show titled the Detroit Rock n Roll Revival. The show is a benefit for Isaac 'Marty' Morris, the singer/guitarist from local band the Cyril Lords. Marty was hospitalized recently, but he's doing better now, unfortunately, musicians still don't get any kind of health insurance, so he's hurtin', ya know? The show is also benefitting Scott from the Grande Nationals. A few weeks ago, he was attacked and mugged while leaving Alvin's in the Cass Corridor after a show. I know, you're waitin' with baited breath. Here's the lineup: THE HENTCHMEN, THE SIGHTS, FAITH GAZIC (of TERROR AT THE OPERA), THE GO, ESQUIRE, and BACK IN SPADES. Yeah, all of those bands. Cover is $10 (more if you're able, this is a benefit, remember?), doors are at 9pm. I think I can guarantee that this show will sell out, and the Magic Stick will be packed to it's 500-or-so capacity. Be there.

city slang

Delivering Maybes

Detroit is a city divided. In many ways, but this weekend, the division will be based in music. Bleeps and bloops versus pick slides and power chords. Being a fan of many kinds of music, it's all good to me. This weekend will be the Movement Festival in downtown Detroit. The original festival a few years ago was called the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF), but they had to change the name for legal reasons. The festival has always been on Memorial Day weekend and is located in Hart Plaza downtown. I went the first year, and the year after that, but I soon lost interest. It's always been plagued by bad organization and scheduling issues. The list of acts this year is impressive enough, but it's not enough to get me out there for anything other than people watching. The show is free and it's in a large civic park on the water on a holiday weekend. Why not go and hang out for a little while, ya know? Don't get me wrong, the show is worthwhile, if electronic music is your bag. But, it seems that these days, it's the afterparties that have become more interesting than the festival itself (which is usually the case with any kind of electro-music event like this over time). I know that Plastikman is having a party, of course the location and exact date haven't been released yet, but in the past, his afterparties for the DEMF have been multi-day events running continuously. Paxahau Promotions will be putting on a party on the 29th at St. Andrew's Hall, and that one features several groundbreaking performances including live sets mixed with DJ sets and internet based collaborations. See, this is what makes the weekend so interesting. The actual event itself is less interesting than the peripheral parties spawned from it. I know there will also be events at Foran's (downtown on Woodward) all weekend, info for that can be found at artist Greg Mudge's site. There are all kinds of events going on all over town this weekend in relation to the festival. All you have to do is look. Or, go down to Hart Plaza, there will be hundreds (literally) of people handing out flyers for afterparties. Also, Submerge Records will be hosting an art show in conjunction with the festival. Info on that can be found on the Submerge site. Let me know if any of you have any questions. I might be able to answer them!

I ran out of glow sticks - dammit!

Evil lurking on the outskirts of town

I'm sure by now most of you are aware that Wal-Mart is the world's biggest retailer. They're bigger than god, and they make more money than General Motors. There are two problems with Wal-Mart, (a) the stores are ugly, and attract more similar big-box retailers and crappy bar and grill restaurants, and (b) they take away business from the small shops that make up a small town or a city. This is a problem. A huge problem, in fact. Small towns are disappearing in America because of this suburban sprawl/blight. I know, this is a topic I've visited before, but there's a new reason to be concerned. The National Trust for Historical Preservation has placed the entire state of Vermont on their 2004 list of most endangered places. This isn't just a town or an historic district, this is a whole freakin' state! You wanna know why? Wal-Mart, that's why. Her's what the National Trust has to say about it:

History: Big-box development typically occurs on the outskirts of town, consuming farmland and open space, fueling sprawl and other problems associated with insensitive expansion. Communities often welcome these large stores in the hope that they will bring economic benefits. Too often, however, the stores bring hidden costs and cause significant economic and social harm.

Threat: The distinctive characteristics that define Vermont – historic towns, villages and rural landscapes – could be lost if sprawl-type development is allowed to occur in a haphazard, out-of-scale, land-consuming manner. The one-size-fits-all big-box “template” has proven to be detrimental to communities across the United States because of its negative economic and environmental impact on historic downtowns and local businesses. The size and design of these stores often overwhelm their surroundings, and impersonal corporate identity too often trumps community character.

Solution: The arrival of big-box sprawl often fostered by retailers such as Wal-Mart has been resisted by increasing numbers of communities that are determined to prevent or minimize the loss of their open space and the erosion of the economic vitality of their traditional business districts. People want and should have easy access to basic goods at low prices – but they also have the right to determine how their communities should grow and what they want to preserve and protect. At the very least, communities should accept big-box development with their eyes open and understand its long-term costs. Some big-box stores have adapted to local standards and worked to fit in gracefully with existing commercial districts. Some have even located in recycled vacant properties in existing downtowns. Vermonters should learn from what has happened elsewhere and persuade Wal-Mart and other large retailers to adapt the way they do business so as to enhance existing communities. Wal-Mart should change to accommodate Vermont, not the other way around.


beware of the box

I Feel Dirty

I do, really. I feel so dirty right now. My hair is soaking wet, and it's turned into a 'white-boy-fro'. The temporary auditory fatigue is deep. I won't be able to hear very well until sometime tomorrow afternoon. Picture it: St. Andrew's Hall, Detroit, May 23rd, 2004. The weekend has been full of apocalyptic weather complete with lightning, hail, serious dripping wet humidity, and rain. A thousand faces glistening with sweat, but every one of them is happy. They're seeing Sloan, the A-number-one import from Halifax, Nova Scotia. You don't know Sloan? How could you not? This was my fourth time seeing the band in seven years. They never fail to satisfy. It wasn't until tonight, approximately ten minutes before Chris Murphy (guitar/vocals/occasionally drums) turned his guitar and pointed at the KISS sticker on the back that I realized how much Sloan has in common with Kiss. Think about it: ridiculously hooky pop songs that are seriously rockin'. It's just like Kiss. Except Sloan hasn't cultivated an image that involves sci-fi costumes, fake blood, or five-foot platform shoes. If you take all of that away from Kiss, they were just another great rockin' pop band from the '70s. There's one problem with Kiss. Not all of their albums have been solid. These guys have put out eight albums since 1991, starting with "Smeared" (big hit: "Underwhelmed") and most recently, "Action Pact," which was just released in America. The band has always had a problem finding American distributors/labels regardless of all the good press and awards they get from their homeland. This makes no sense considering the thousand voices I heard singing along to EVERY song tonight, and I know this goes on at every one of their shows. It's not just a Detroit thing. They've always been big here, but I know that all of their shows do well. There are always at least a few hundred kids who know every single word, and they live to see the band.

So, I was reading in Rolling Stone that Detroit audiences are the best audiences in the world. I thought "hell, I've known that for years!"

I don't know what's wrong with me. Why have I not brought this up before? There's a site that's based here in the Detroit area that's more specific than mine. I make mine sound like it's all about Detroit music, but obviously, it's not, it's just whatever I feel like spewing forth into the void of HTML. The site, Motor City Rocks, is completely dedicated to the current Detroit music scene. Unlike a few others that I've seen, this one is constantly updated (at least once daily, it seems), and is very thorough and up-to-date. So, if you come here looking for Detroit rock 'n' roll, and feel unfulfilled, check out Motor City Rocks. Then come back here.

Who Cares About Honor?

There are thousands, no millions of sites like this one that you're reading right now. Some are compelete banality, rife with the meanderings of teenage girls. Or men in their 50s who wish they were teenage girls. Some are serious and updated on an hourly basis. Some are just silly and fun and good for wasting time while you're bored at work. I came across an especially interesting blog the other day. It's called Wonkette. A 31-year old self-described "failed-journalist", Ana Marie Cox is a gossip columnist at the heart of Capitol Hill. Her site is very entertaining. While you have people like Matt Drudge (Drudge Report) and the purveyors of Slate Magazine trying hard to be gossips, when in reality, they're serious journalists, Cox is able to go further, because she has nothing to lose. Her site is independantly financed, and not affiliated with any Big Media, so she can do what she wants. She even admits that some of it is made up. She also has an affinity for penis jokes, which I don't quite get, but whatever. Cox admits that she thinks it's more important to be funny than to be accurate. Her site's entertaining as hell, check it out.

Anarchy in the Home Row

Holy crap, I have to hype this. You all must be made aware. This is the full info on the Rock City Festival, courtesy of Greg Baise, the promoter at the Majestic Theater Center:

On SAT JUNE 19 & SUN JUNE 20 2004
Outdoors Behind the Majestic Theater Center
4140 Woodward, Detroit
All Ages---FREE
Doors at 2PM
Music to 11PM on Two Stages
30 Nationally-Recognized And Up-And-Coming DETROIT Area Acts
Artist Booths
Food & Beverage Booths
www.rockcityfestival.com

Rock City Festival organizers have updated the lineup for the first
annual
Rock City Festival. Already confirmed were artists such as Brendan
Benson,
Detroit Cobras, The Dirtbombs, and the Paybacks. Added to the bill are
renowned Detroit acts Blanche, The Greenhornes, Witches, The Hentchmen,
Pas/Cal, Saturday Looks Good To Me, The Go, Back in Spades, Gold Cash
Gold,
and MAN Inc, et al. The current list follows below. The festival will
take
place outdoors behind the Majestic Theater Center on June 19 and 20,
2004.

Artist booths have also begun to fill, and will include such celebrated
Detroit artists as Niagara, Glenn Barr, Mark Arminski, Rachel Reed,
Carl
Lundgren, Bryan Cunningham, and artists from the Dirty Show. Also
involved
in the festival are local sponsors; these include, among others, Pure
Detroit, WDET, 89X, Majestic Theater, Magic Stick, Small’s, the Lager
House,
Sgt. Pepperoni’s, Times Beach Records, and Metro Times.

The Rock City festival is the product of a team of great Detroit minds
who
have been promoting and organizing shows for years. They realized with
all
the great music in the city, there were no true large-scale rock
festivals.
With such an obvious void to fill, bands and businesses were contacted,
and
the first annual Rock City Festival fell into place.

This event is a free, outdoor, all-ages affair. During the two-day
festival
bands will alternate between two stages; doors each day are at 2 PM.
Woodward Avenue is sure to be crowded, as the festival will be held
behind
the Majestic Theater Center, which is in the heart of Detroit’s
Cultural
Center, eight blocks south of the Detroit Institute of the Arts, and
ten
blocks north of Comerica Park. The expected turnout for the Rock City
Festival is between fifteen and twenty thousand a day.

Band List

Brendan Benson
The Paybacks
Blanche
The Dirtbombs
Detroit Cobras
The Sights
The Greenhornes
The Sirens
The Go
Saturday Looks Good To Me
The Valentinos
Nice Device
Gold Cash Gold
The Avatars
Tranzistors
Thread Counts
The Hentchmen
Pas/Cal
Midwest Product
Outrageous Cherry
The Fondas
Back in Spades
Tiny Steps
MAN Incorporated
Shipwreck Union

Yes, you read that correctly, it's free! Entirely free. This is why they expect thousands of people to swoop down upon midtown Detroit. Get there early to get a decent parking spot or take a shuttle/cab from somewhere else (trust me on this one). Later on that Saturday, your humble narrator, the rock|n|roll|scientist will be DJing in the Garden Bowl, so stop inside and say hi.


I...wanna rock and roll all night...and party every day!

Brian Wilson's Wet Dream Vs the Funk Brothers

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Saturday Looks Good To Me. Hell, Saturday always looks good to me. They're a different band every time. They're starting to look like a bunch of marching band kids who said "fuck it, there has to be something more..." So, there's this band from Ann Arbor called Saturday Looks Good To Me. The ring leader is a Mr. Fred Thomas. Fred is a fucking genius, first of all. Second, he's managed to create a sound in the studio and onstage that sounds like "Pet Sounds" meets Motown (hence the title of this post). I don't know how he does it, but he does. I've seen this band maybe five times, and it's always different people. Tonight, at the Magic Stick (in Detroit), there were ten people onstage. Ten people! What, you may ask, were these ten people all doing up there? There was the guitarist/singer (Fred), the female lead singer, the drummer, the bassist, the keyboard player (looked like a Farfisa), the trumpet, the trombone, the alto sax, the tenor sax, and the kid playin' the tambourine and the sleigh bells. Yes, ten people. Now, if you've ever heard their second album "All Your Summer Songs" (quite an appropriate title, I might add), you will know that their sound involves many, many contributors. Getting all of the people from the album up onstage at once may prove to be difficult. However, this particular incarnation of the band worked very well. Even the song where it was just Fred and his guitar ("The Girls' Distracted" - genius, by the way) was amazing. SLGTM is by no means a one-man-band, regardless of what I write. No matter who is playing the instruments, they're all there because they understand Fred's vision of hooky pop music that makes you think of the Beach Boys and the Ronettes at the same time. This is serious good stuff, and I highly recommend that you all go out and buy their new album when it comes out on September 14th (I know, it's a long time away, but I'll remind you again, don't worry).

I'm not concerned with your new boyfriend or your thrift store finds

I Can Feel It

One of the best rock 'n' roll/pop bands since 'college rock' came to mean an actual style, and not just distinctive music, Sloan will be playing Detroit's St. Andrew's Hall on Sunday, May 23rd. I think one of the best rock shows I've ever seen was Sloan at the Detroit Taste Fest a few years back. They played for at least two hours, and it was completely free! Check out the Canadians.




I told her affection had two 'f's, especially when you're dealing with me

$25 lasts me for about a week if I'm lucky...

So, this morning someone forwarded something to me. It was a short article about an effort to have a 'gas-out' on May 19th. The idea is that everyone should not buy any gasoline on this day in an effort to somehow screw the government or the oil companies or someone, I don't know. Here's the article:

IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES DID NOT
PURCHASE A DROP OF GASOLINE FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL
COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES.

AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OF OVER
4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES.

THEREFORE MAY 19TH HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT TO THEM DAY" AND
THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF GASOLINE THAT DAY.

THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY
PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.

WAITING ON THIS ADMINISTRATION TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT
GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THAT
THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED TWO WEEKS AGO?

REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE GOING UP BUT AT THE
SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING COMPANIES ARE
FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH EFFECTS PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS
SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING MATERIALS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES
ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO!

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY, WE
WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU
KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE MAY 19TH A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE
UNITED STATES SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Sounds a little compelling, right? Well, I admit, I usually research these kinds of things to find the truth of the matter. This morning, I didn't. I went and forwarded the email to a bunch of my friends who I thought might find it interesting. Almost instantly, my friend Greg emailed me back with a link to a Snopes article concerning the oil article. For those unfamiliar, Snopes is a site dedicated to debunking urban myths. They're very good at it, too. I suggest checking it out. So, I read the article on Snopes, forwarded it everyone I just sent the article to originally, and went about my day. Then, another friend, Adawndria, who just happens to live in Texas, and has lots of friends who work in the oil industry emailed me even more refutation of the original article. Here's what her friend had to say about the whole thing:

First, this wouldn't work. A one day dramatic trough in gasoline
purchases
would be offset by a corresponding spike a few days later when everyone
realized they had no way to get to work.

For those concerned about price gouging by oil companies, keep in mind
they
only make around $.05 per gallon of gas purchased, one of the lowest
profit
margins per measurable unit in the market today. How much do you think
it
costs starbucks to make a cup of coffee or Coca-Cola to fill a Dasani
bottle
with what they admit is only tap water?

If you checked the price of gasoline in 1953 the average price per
gallon
was 27 cents. If you take what the $1.00 bill was worth then and figure
in
51 years of inflation, that gallon of gas would sell for $1.89. Don't
blame
oil companies, blame inflation. What causes inflation? Lack of
supply.
Surely everyone remembers that from basic high school macro-economics.
Remember when people only paid a nickel for a fountain drink?

No oil company has been allowed to build a new refinery in the United
States
since 1982. The current refineries in operation operate at around 99%
capacity every day. The environmentalists and the NIMBYist (Not In My
Back
Yard) have effectively blocked off any move to expand the nation's
ability
to lower fuel prices.

In recent years, the distribution costs of gasoline have risen. Prior
to
January of this year, refiners had to manufacture 16 different mixtures
of
gasoline to supply to different parts of the country in order to comply
with
the EPA regs under the Clean Air Act. In January, that problem
multiplied,
as EPA raised the number of different mixtures to something over 25.
Many
of the required additives are the result of pork-barrel politics,
requiring
distributors to add a certain mixture of ethanol or other organic
alcohols
to gasoline.

So, there ya have it, kiddies. You really can't trust what you read on the interweb.

...wishing I woulda bought a hybrid car...

The City at Night

Here are some events to keep you busy this weekend. Tonight (Friday) at the Detroit Artists Market is the show "Concrete Zen." Here are the details of the show, provided by Kerri:

friday May 14, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Detroit Artists Market

Concrete Zen CZn
presented by the protoculture group

experience an atmosphere filled with new forms of _expression and thinking designed to leave a lasting impression and stretch your concept of what art is

sushi, lounge, kimonos, grass, art, fashion

hope to see you all there... the current sound show Sacred and Profane will be taking a short break for that evening. do try to visit that show as well another day. and thank you to the tons of you who already did.

Also tonight, DJ Greg Mudge will be spinning at Foran's Irish Pub in downtown Detroit. His set goes from 10pm to 2am, and features his own recordings as well as others' work. Rolando is spinning at Center Street Pub down in the Harmony Park area (downtown as well). If you're not familiar, Rolando is Detroit's very own star of Underground Resistance records. Good shit.

On the rock and/or roll side of things, the Brides of Destruction are playin' the Majestic Theater, which consists of Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue, and Traci Guns from LA Guns (and originally G'N'R). That will be an interesting show. In the Magic Stick (same building, same website), Holger Czukay, from the pioneering band Can will be performing. His set promises to be different from what you'd probably expect. Saturday night, The Reverend Horton Heat are playing the Majestic Theater, and the Cardigans are playing the Magic Stick. Yes, they're still together, and still making good records besides that song "Lovefool" that was all over college radio 10 years ago.

...and party every day

Send Me Your Money

I recently received this email in my Yahoo! account. The link (omitted) does go to a site that looks like it's a Citibank site, but I think it's a mirror of some sort. Either way, this person is attempting electronic fraud to obtain private account information from me. Funny, considering I'm not even a member of Citibank. Anyway, here it is. Do not send them any information if you get this message in your email. I think more than anything it's funny due to all of the spelling and grammar errors. Who would really believe this is from a bank?


DEAR CITI_bank Member_,

_This e-mail was sent_ by the_ Citibank _server to veerify your_ Email adress_.
You must complete this process by clicking on the link bellow and enteering
in the smmall _window your Citibank _ATM_ card number and _PIN that
you use_ in the local Atm machine. That_is done for your protection -K- becouse some of our
membres no longer_ have access to their E-mail _address_es and we must verify it.

What kind of idiot expects people to fall for this?


My money saved the prince of Nigeria

Readers Fight Back

Here is a comment to my post "From Her to Eternity." Keep in mind that the author may have been intoxicated when typing this:

if you ever include the devils, the hearts, or especially the buzzcocks in any of your rants that are remotely related to "emo" again, i will cut your throat in your sleep. i gots keys to your house, bitch. and by the way, i don't like to categorize music either, but the label "emo" is there to warn us all of how gay the shit is. it is quite useful, in a way. so suck it, bitch.

have another, Lex

From Her to Eternity

I've noticed something weird lately. First of all, I want to say that while I think they are a necessary evil, I don't like the idea of placing music in to categories. It just isn't fair. However, it makes things easy sometimes.

This is what I've noticed: bands and acts that could be called "Post-Emo." I know, I know, people mostly cringe when they hear the word 'emo', but I'm totally serious here. Some of them are obvious like the Firebird Band which includes Chris Broach from Braid (emo pioneers who probably should have never been called emo), or the Postal Service (Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie and Jimmy Tamborello from Dntel). Both bands use keyboards and drum machines in their 'emotional' music. But, they also use real instrumentation as well. Another similar example would be The Faint, who were making records as far back as 1999. The Faint actually sound more like Duran Duran than the Get Up Kids. And it's a good sound. These are just a few of the current post-emo bands who happen to use electronic elements in their sound. Chris Broach from the Firebird Band is not only a helluva nice guy, but he's also the owner and operator of Lucid Records, who happen to be at the forefront of this genre. Not all of the bands have electronic elements, but the ghost of emo lingers on in all of them.

On the flip side of things, there are some older bands re-gaining interest in these post-emo days. A great example would be Murder City Devils. The Devils are no longer together, but their influence is felt all throughout hard indie-rock and punk or whatever you want to call it. Locally, that influence can be heard in the Whisky Diaries (website forthcoming when I have time - no, I'm not in the band). Another relevant band finding popularity posthumously is Brainiac. Their fame is literally posthumous since the singer Tim Taylor died in a car wreck in Ohio in 1997. Since then, the members have gone on to numerous other projects including Enon. Brainiac and Enon definitely fit into the electro-punk-wave side of things. Oh, another good one is The Exploding Hearts. Also posthumous because 3/4 of the band died in a van wreck while touring last summer. These guys sounded like the Cars crossed with the Buzzcocks. They would've been huge stars. This brings me to another point: the progression past emo seems to be new wave. Almost all of these bands can be related to new wave. Even the aggression of the Murder City Devils has the new wave sound thanks to the Farfisa organ that runs throughout all of their records (courtesy of Detroit native Leslie Hardy). I don't know where I'm going with all of this, it was just something interesting that I wanted to point out. That's all. If yr interested in any more bands like these that I haven't listed, let me know. Post a comment. Get involved.

*NOTE: It seems that I've irked a few people with this post. You've merely misinterpreted my words. I'm not saying that the Murder City Devils, Firebird Band, The Faint, The Buzzocks, the Exploding Hearts, or Enon are emo bands. I was merely stating that they are relevant and influential in these days of post-emo punk and rock 'n' roll.

guitar romantic

I hate HTML and CSS

Okay, so I know I've got some formatting issues going on here. I'm working on it, but I am at work right now, so it ain't that easy.

Who knows anything about CSS or a good tutorial site? Help.


bleah

Summer Babe (Winter Version)

It's been raining in Detroit on and off since yesterday afternoon. People in Detroit are not accustomed to actually experiencing a full four seasons. Usually, summer and winter last for six months each, and then spring and fall last about two weeks if that. I think this year will be different. I think that the effects of global warming are more apparent than ever before. A lot of people seem to not understand how winter can be so cold due to global warming. Well, kiddies, the rock|n|roll|scientist is here to explain. Get out your notebooks and pencils. First of all, global warming is a combination of two problems both caused by humans. Up until the Industrial Revolution, humans didn't emit very many gases into the air, but now through population growth, fossil fuel burning, and deforestation, we are affecting the mixture of gases in the atmosphere. Naturally occuring greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Certain human activities, however, add to the levels of most of these naturally occurring gases:

Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), and wood and wood products are burned.

Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from the decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid waste landfills, and the raising of livestock.

Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels.

Very powerful greenhouse gases that are not naturally occurring include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which are generated in a variety of industrial processes.

These 'extra' greenhouse gases present a problem, and lead to the depletion of the ozone layer in the stratosphere. The ozone layer holds in these gases. So, (a) we have too much of the greenhouse gases, and (b) the gases that we do have are being let out through a massive hole over Antarctica. So, when the earth is closest to the sun (summer), these gases are heated and result in higher and dryer temperatures. When the earth is farthest from the sun, the gases are not getting enough heat which causes extreme cold. Unfortunately, the climate is still just a little bit of a mystery when it comes to things like this and atmospheric scientists aren't really sure what could happen. They do know that the earth's surface temperature has risen by 1 degree in the past century with the most accelerated increase occuring in the past two decades. It doesn't sound like it, but this is actually very significant, and could lead to the next ice age (in over a hundred years, so don't hold your breath).

So, this is the dumbed-down version, if you really want to know the full story on this and how it affects you, go check out the EPA's site on global warming, which is where I obtained all factual information for this article.

stupid human tricks

Do the Robot

Some announcements for today. First of all, I'd like to thank my friends at Grace & Wild studios for checkin' out the site. Second, I wanted to say that I'm killin' the message-board. No one's really using it, plus Blogger has a new feature that allows you to post comments to a post if you want. If you want to comment on an older post, you can just email me. Also, I'll be changing the look of the site soon, possibly tonight (Monday), so if you come to here, and it suddenly looks different, you know why. More to come. I have lots of new stuff to put up as soon as I have more time.

Zero Tolerance

This morning, while checking out Fark, I came across something interesting: a new site. Zero Intelligence is all about the inanity of zero tolerance laws and policies at our nation's schools. Here's a blurb on what they're all about:

Zero Intelligence is a play on "Zero Tolerance", the knee jerk reactionary policies that plague our school systems. The implementation of a zero tolerance policy is the equivalent of giving up on common sense, reasonability and intellect. All infractions are grouped into types with uniform punishments regardless of the individual facts of the incident. Posession of Advil is treated as if it were equivalent to pushing crack. An honor student with the wrong type of pencil sharpener is punished the same as a known delinquent with a switchblade would be. Improper use of an inhaler leads to arrest as assault with a weapon. It is easy to see why we call these "Zero Intelligence Policies".

The most frightening part of the above paragraph is that all of the examples cited are real. They are not hyperbole or fiction for effect. They all actually happened in various school systems in the United States. These and countless other incidents show just how badly zero tolerance policies fail our children.

* This is a group website dedicated to keeping an eye on, and pointing out the excesses of, bad school policies and actions. We will keep a particular focus on zero tolerance policies but will also report on abuses outside of these.
* We will hold these policies up for discussion when possible and ridicule when deserved.
* We do not in any way suggest an abrogation of rules and regulations, only that the punishment should fit the crime and that each incident should be evaluated on its own merits.
* This is a fairly partisan site and the contributors share a genuine abhorrence for the subject policies but we are always interested in hearing opposing views. Vitriol and defamation will not be tolerated in posts or comments.
* Discussion is always encouraged. To this end we have installed a subscription plug-in for comments on the site. Although not as effective as a discussion forum, this will allow readers to be informed when comments are posted to items they wish to follow.
* When possible and practical we will give space for rebuttal from the school systems that we report on.
* We reserve the right to use any material that is sent to zerointelligence.net email addresses and contributor contact email addresses as quoted content on this website.

Shame of the Nation

It's strange isn't it? American and British soldiers were initially sent to Iraq to find the mysterious weapons of mass destruction and to take down the brutal leader Saddam Hussein. No significant evidence of WMDs have been found. However, the tyrant is done. That's a good thing, but are Iraqis any safer? Recent pictures taken by British and American soldiers show that any insolent Iraqis have all kinds of fun to look forward to: no right to an attorney of any kind, indefinite detainment, cruel and unusual torture by their captors, and a complete lack of regard for the Geneva Convention. Apparently, it's true, there is no law in war. The US has fallen silent on several UN committees, the prisoners at Guantanamo will probably never get a just trial, and the rest of the captives who are still in Iraq will probably die in prison as a result of excessive torture. Isn't torture something we were trying to save the Iraqis from? I'm getting confused now. A British tabloid, the Daily Mirror printed some photos of torture last week that are being heavily disputed. Okay, I'll accept that those photos have been faked, but what about the other ones? There are plenty of photos supplied by American troops. This isn't about what nation's soldiers are responsible, this is about the military command losing sight of why they're there. It's about a complete lack of regard for human rights and the Geneva Convention. There really are laws in war. Seriously. Here's a fun example of a statement from the Geneva Convention in 1949: "To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever...Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment." So...parading naked prisoners around on leashes or making them lie on the floor naked and bound together probably violates that particular part of the Convention. You can read all of it right here, courtesy of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, which is a division of the UN. The US is currently ignoring the UN, by the way.

What does all of this come from? I understand the outrage and personal anger that stems from the 9-11 attacks, but does that justify all of this? On a simpler level, do the soldiers act this way because it's just so easy? The last 20 years or so of mass media has provided a serious culture of violence. Violent crime in this country gets stranger and stranger every day, and it's not because people are getting weirder, it's just what they grew up with. I'm not blaming TV, I'm not blaming anyone, really, because the whole thing is just too complicated. What concerns me is that these soldiers don't seem to think they're doing anything wrong. They are not untouchable. The Iraqi men they torture and urinate on and the women they're raping were not personally responsible for acts of terrorism against this country. In fact, any real terrorists are hunted down (mostly) by intelligence concerns like the CIA or special forces. Do the British and US soldiers know that? Are they just torturing people because they like it? What's going on?

Here's a relevant article from the Guardian.

*NOTE: I want to add that my friend Mark is in the Army. He felt that he needed to join to get some discipline and to get his life together. I've been talking to him through email. A month ago, his unit was in the United Arab Emirates. He said they were getting ready for a month-long mission in Iraq. He told me that most of his fellow soldiers have no idea why they're in the Middle East, including himself. All they want is to come home.

Disturbed to be an American

Vijfde van Kan

May 4
Things that happened on this day that you never had to memorize in school:

1886: During a demonstration protesting the previous day's murders, a bomb explodes in Haymarket Square, Chicago. Between the bomb and the indiscriminate police firing that followed, eight police are killed and 60 wounded. The "Haymarket Massacre" results in the arrest of eight leading anarchists for conspiracy to commit murder; four are later executed, one dies in prison and three are pardoned.
*note: the murders referred to above, happened at a pro-labor demonstration. May day (the first of May) is celebrated in memory of the Haymarket Massacre and it's significance in the labor movement. If it wasn't for this demonstration and the drama surrounding it, we probably wouldn't have the 8 hour workday, 40 hour work-week, and overtime pay. Now, 118 years later, Dubya will probably take all that away because he 'won' the Iraqi war and most Americans are dumb motherfuckers.

1912: Great parade of women suffragists in New York City.

1938: Gestapo imprison (and later murder) Carl von Ossietzky, pacifist, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Ossietzky died in a Nazi concentration camp.

1961: Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) begins organizing "Freedom Rides" to desegregate bus terminals in U.S. South.

1969: Several thousand march in the Arboretum to protest construction of a freeway that would have followed the Lake Washington shoreline throughout Seattle. Partially built ramps which would have connected the freeway to the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge (Route 520) are still visible.

1970: Four students killed, 15 others wounded when National Guard opens fire on anti-war demonstration at Kent State Univ., Ohio.

1970: The city of Chicago unveils a new monument to policemen killed in Haymarket Square.

1983: Nuclear freeze resolution approved by U.S. House of Representatives.

1989: Thirty thousand students march for democracy to Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China.

1989: Oliver North is convicted in the Iran-Contra Affair.

1993: Dhammayietra, walk for peace, to Phnom Penh, begins, Siem Reap, Kampuchea (Cambodia).

1996: Six arrested in New York City museum of U.S.S. Intrepid in honor of Fr. Daniel Berrigan's 75th birthday.
*note: Daniel Berrigan and his brother Phillip are well-noted pacifists, priests, and outspoken lifelong protesters of war

May 5
Things that happened on this day that you never had to memorize in school:

1780: Units in George Washington's Revolutionary War Camp in New Jersey mutinied, but the rebellion was put down by Pennsylvania troops.

1818: Karl Marx born.

1821: Wycomb, England issues order that all unemployed shall be whipped.

1862: Battle of La Puebla marks Mexican Army victory over imperial France.

1865: First train robbery occurs.

1918: Maiju Lassila, Finnish author, journalist, and revolutionist, arrested and was shot and killed while trying to escape imprisonment.

1920: Arrest of Sacco and Vanzetti on alleged murder charges climaxes postwar anti-radical and anti-immigrant hysteria, Boston.

1920: Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian-American anarchists, are arrested in Boston for murder and payroll robbery. Eventually they are executed for a crime they did not commit. Climaxes postwar anti-radical hysteria of the Wilson-Mitchell period.

1925: In Scopes Trial, John T. Scopes is tried for violating a Tennessee law that forbids the teaching of evolution in schools.
*note: George W. Bush is an avid Creationist, i.e. he believes that the first humans were Adam and Eve, and that all evolution is God's will.

1960: A government spokesman announces that the plane shot down by the Russians on May 1 was a "weather research plane" and that Francis Gary Powers was a "civilian employed by Lockheed."

1969: Draft resisters burn 231 military induction orders, Los Angeles.

1970: In response to Kent State killings, protests engulf campuses across United States. The first protest occupation of I-5 occurs in Seattle as 1,000 U.W. marchers spontaneously seize the freeway.

1971: Last of 14,000 arrests in Washington D.C. anti-war May Day protests. 18 are arrested in Seattle during a 2,000 person anti-war march downtown.
*note: during last year's anti-war/pro-labor rights May Day protests, HUNDREDS of thousands of people were arrested around the world.

1979: Fifteen hundred gather in Livermore, Calif. to protest nuclear research laboratory run by the Univ. of California. Livermore becomes the focus of numerous rallies and direct actions in subsequent years.

1980: Bobby Sands, Irish political prisoner and member of Parliament, dies of hunger strike.

1982: Basque separatist group ETA murders nuclear engineer, Bilbao.

1991: Last U.S. cruise missile leaves Greenham Common Air Base, Britain, site of a decade of strident women's anti-nuclear protests.

1992: Mothers of soldiers demand return of sons from extra-territorial fronts, Belgrade, Serbia.

2000: Conjunction of Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Moon. And we all know what that means.
*note: I have no idea what that means, could someone please enlighten me?

Hamburger Lady

I started this blog back in December because I felt that I needed some sort of literary outlet. I felt that my voice had to be heard. I quickly found that I couldn't get too personal because the other involved parties would not be happy. I found that writing on demand does not come easy for me. Now, I've found that people go to this site daily looking for something new, and it isn't always there. Sorry. When I started this blog, I was drinking a lot more often than I do now. I was a bit goofier. I also had a lot of drama in my life which sparked a lot of things in me, and made me want to write more. Most of that drama is gone, and the wine doesn't flow so freely. Sorry. For today, I can tell you this: Apples in Stereo suck live. Okay, they don't suck, they just don't live up to their studio sound. I can tell you that you should spend your Cinco de Mayo at the Magic Stick watchin' the Oxes tear it up. I can tell you that in the end, it's so hard to know who to trust with your emotions, and sometimes it's worth the risk, but in the end you might regret it. I can tell you that it doesn't matter what your major is in college, you'll end up doing something unrelated anyway, unless you're lucky in today's job market. You could major in Art History, but you'll probably end up working in marketing. You could major in Fine Arts, but you'll end up drivin' a tow truck. I can tell you that the band Throbbing Gristle put out a record back in 1979 called "20 Jazz-Funk Greats." It didn't have 20 songs on it, and it certainly wasn't jazz-funk. But it had a song on it called "The Hamburger Lady." Enjoy.

Hot on the heels of love in the six six sixties

We'll drift through it all, it's the modern age

I need something, and I just don't know what it is. My artistic needs are met. Money's not bad, but not spectacular, either. I just leased a new car (first time I'll ever be driving a car that was made in the decade I'm driving it!). I need to feel that I can trust my friends, and that they won't take advantage of me*. I'm not feeling that right now. All is not right with my world. How do I rectify this?

*NOTE: This probably isn't about you so stop worrying about it.

If there is something that I might find

Hang 'Em High

I feel a need to post something informative, or political, or music-oriented, or something, but I just don't have it in me. I don't like going too long without posting something - so here it is. Now that I know there are quite a few people reading this, I feel like I have to keep up the pace. Here's something, some interesting lines heard last night 'round the firepit amongst friends and lots of beer and a cake decorated with Tums: "sharks and whales are gay!" and "minestrone is for assholes!" Of course, both came from the same person, Lex Luthor. No, Gene Hackman wasn't at my house last night, but Superman dropped by. Even he doesn't know what Superman ice cream is made out of. How can anyone really know?

see ya later, ya sack o' shit!