Do you like rock music?

This video is kind of old (via 2005) but it's for the band Federation X, for their song "the Hatchet Man" and it's like a late 70s horror movie. Or something (the band sounds like a punk rock band sometimes and a blues rock band sometimes).

Things on the internet: Mr Oizo the director

One of the things on the internet is the knowledge that Mr Oizo is an electronic performer. His latest album, Lambs Anger, is fun experimental house music, or maybe something simpler than that, like bloghouse. There is an abstract making of for this record, the Making of Lambs Anger, and here it is presented, via youtube. [note: Mr Oizo is not a woman, IRL]

why?: White Williams

So, pretty much obsessed with White Williams? And I pretty much don't know why? Not a big deal, just someting that's happened.

Peaches: "More"

Here's one of those slideshow-type youtube vids set to the newish Peaches song "more." I like the song and this is the easiest way to post it without feeling like a pirate, so here. It's good, especially when it finally lets go.

In whatevers: Nine inch nails concerts, while you're young

I feel like I just wrote about them, but they are coming to my area, and I want to go to them. I just have to figure out which town to see them and also not get lynched, so I have a lot of researching to do, y'all.

They tend to have authentic, Pitchfork-approved opening bands, but this time they have some up-and-coming group called the Janes Addictions. NEVER HEARD OF IT.

In videos: The Golden Filter

This is a band I discovered via the Hype Machine, while at work, trying to assuage my ADD. They are called the Golden Filter.

In videos: Trent Rezbro

So, does it say something negative about your psyche if you're going through a Nine Inch Nails phase in your twenties? Cuz I kind of am, but I kind of also don't really feel bad about it. I went through my electronic phase recently (am still in it, mostly) and so NIN comes as a darker side of that, not so much as a reason to feel goth and shit. Whatever, here is the last-last incarnation of some semblance of the band playing some jurnts with a dude from New Order. This is a cover of a song by the band the Normal. This version is better?

Do you smoke reefer?

Not that you need to in order to enjoy Glass Candy. I'm just asking.

In videos: Zero

So, the YYYs have a new video for an album I'm not sure if I like, but probably will if I get to see them live or whatever. This is that video. If a commercial plays before the song does, just know that that's god punishing me for thinking about sodomy so much.

SebastiAn holding a drink, looking buzzed.

Our newest feature (SebastiAn holding a drink, looking buzzed/blazed) is inspired by the fact that before we loved Ed Banger's flagship band (you know who they are) and the de Rosnay half of that band, in a photogenics way, we liked SebastiAn. He has less songs, but we're predicting his album will be serviceable or more, which is a good thing. Without further adieu, folks:

Thank you. Have a nice day.

---------------------------------------

Also, Brady Quinn's life never gets easier, and neither does Ronaldo's. Poor them? Chuuch!

HAPPY XMASSS

The 25th is my best friend's birthday. Maybe you've met? He is Jesus and I didn't get him a gift, because of the recession and being gay. Amen.

===

That's the dude from MGMT up there. I don't really listen to them because I'm trying to cut back on people telling me to put bands on my iPod or they won't like me, so I only listen to "Electric Feel" because I don't feel like spending cash pounds just to find out that I don't like their record (old argument, yea, we know). The picture is from Hipster Runoffz, and what I learn reading Carles is that it's okay to like Justice more than other musical band groups, because it's just okay to like things that make life fit into functional 4/4 time groupings with cool bass solos dubbed in the center of the mix, toward the end of the track. It's okay, because you say it is, and it's your life.

That said, I finally saw A Cross the Universe and it made me feel, in NPO:

-alone

-happy

-pumped

-excited for the future

-more interested in Justice

-that Kavinsky maybe doesnt have so many songs cuz maybe he parties too hard?

-that SebastiAn doesn't do interviews because he's shy, not cuz ppl don't ask

-scared

-jealous

-like being there for my friends

-sober

-like I'm wasting my life

Smiles are contagious.

In the news: The Song Remains the Same

No, the picture has nothing to do with the posts. It's just for artistic purposes? Whatever, read the news instead, if you like:

Sean Penn thinks making a movie where he's a big icon of some movement or other means he can admire any icon, represnting any movement he damn well pleases, and that is NOT cool, bro. [LAT]

A dude was walking arm-in-arm with his bro, as in, his real brother, and they got beat up, and the thing might be that the attackers thought they were h to the omos, so let them have it. [ap]

Gay people might get some gay rights (those are regular rights, sculpted to look gay) in Ohio of all places. [plain dealer]

Some dudes in the UK are being Police Style looked for because they made phobic chants at a soccer match, and guess what? DOING THAT IS ILLEGAL THERE! [pinknews]

Somebody wrote the movie Milk, and is capable of conducting interviews, which he has done. [SBIndependent]

Those people who wear scarves indoors and watch Project Runway took off of work yesterday so that their coworkers could get a day free of fuckin' nancies. The impact is discussed (I went to work). [ChiTrib]

Theater, Judy Garland, rainbow-colored advert font. [broadway.com]

FINALLY: Here is Led Zeppelin being awesomer than most, playing Dazed and Confused, because that's just how it is.

In the media: the Jonas Brothers

I find it very difficult to hate the Jonas Brothers. And I hate everyONE and everyTHING. Seriously, think of a noun, and I probably have something awful to say about it. People ask me why I'm so quiet, and that's why: I am brimming with vitriol, people. But, with the JBz, AS I CHOOSE TO CALL THEM, they are so fundamentally opposite everything I strive for (except money) that I have no choice but to embrace them, you know? Sure, they love Jesus and I blaspheme and spit in god's face at every chance I get. They are upbeat and my heart is blacker than the crudest of fossil fuels. The only thing we have in common is how much we likely touch ourselves, and yet they probably have more buttsecks than me (because they are Pure and buttsecks doesn't count in the eyes of Jesus).

I love bands that let seep through some semblance of honesty, but I am open to like most anything (the newish song "Kill the Lights" by Britney Spears is appreciated by me these days as much as the bulk of Mr. Oizo's Lamb's Anger lp, as much as Ten Kens, a band I am recently digging), yet cannot find an angle from which to fully embrace the Bro-bros music, or to not feel weird even listening to it (there's something about it that says Stay Away). Someone on some board somewhere today pointed out how these guys have a full band that plays along with them, and I think this speaks of the larger problem: they are controlled by Disney, and Disney is a money-hungry, brand-spewing monster. Britney Spears' life is a crudely-polished turd right now, and if the JBz suffer the same fate, I'll be kind of annoyed at the world, because there are three of them, and they're brothers, and they should be looking out for each other, and not getting brainwashed by big corpos or even their 'rents, as kids say these days, right?? So maybe they'll be okay. But, I dunno. Nick, the youngest, has been in show bizness THE LONGEST. His parents (and I'm speculating here) have to be scumbags on some level--smart, bizness savvy, sure, but they are loving the money coming in, and who wouldn't?? But still, I find myself constantly defending them. I dunno--with the aforemention Ms. Spears, I basically coveted her downfall since I was in high school. I just wanted that bitch (sorry) to go down, just bein honest. But now that she has, it sucks and now I know I was a jerk.

So, Jonases? Please, if management starts crushing up vikes handing out lines after the show, or offers you their scrip of addies shaped like Flinstones vitamens before a Regis and Kelly taping, SAY NO. Life is long, and it's tremendous, and as long as your goal, growing up, is to be cool™, and understanding™, and to learn as much as possible, you'll be fine. But if evangelicalism (?) proves to be the Titanic I think it might be (I am wrong a lot, though, guys, and I care, really sorta I guess) then promise me that you won't go down with the ship. I will continue to defend you, and I apologize if this came across as condescending.

NOTE: I think I am only interested because (a) whoever styles them has wicked sense of style and I want anything Nick wears and (b) I am fully down with raising Joe's kids.

Just say the word, bro. [pictures via Variety]

In stores: A Cross the Universe

I would never suggest someone spend money, especially during the Global Economic Collapse of 2008/end of the world as we know it. But something I want to see is the Justice short documentary A Cross the Universe. I'm kind of afraid to watch it, because they are kind of my favorite "band" right now (of Ed Bangers, they tie with SebastiAn for my fondness, with Mr Oizo and Uffie tied for second), and I'm scared watching this will change my image of them. Of course, though, I have no idea what that image is. I don't know what they can say or do to make me respect their music less, but sometimes it just pays to not know so much about yr idols (although after learning they kiss before each show, I can't imagine there's some terrible thing they do to cancel out such novel idiosyncracy). Whatever, all of this is to say that Exclaim dot ca has an interview with them here. Wocka-wocka...

On Teevee: The American Music Awards

CHAPTER ONE: AMAs

After a certain age, human animals should be able to give up a couple fantasies they've used to protect themselves growing up, Lord Space Santa might be the ticket for some people. What I had to give up was the idea that American award shows actually mean anything. They don't. I mean, some of the film ones do, like the Oscars. The Oscars are classy, and also they are comptetitive, so it kind of means something if you win (unless you are Diablo Cody), kind of like getting into an Ivy League school, or having an iPhone. In that way, the Spirit Awards probably kind of mean something too, as many of those awards overlap anyway (the jury is still out on the Golden Globes). But anybody with the maturity level of an American 17-year-old should know that the Grammys mean nothing. When there are awesome indie bands that get totally ignored because they don't get rotation on old-school venues (broadcast radio, mtv), but Alicia Keys sweeps or Timbaland sweeps (while Justice has to settle for making out with each other)...let's just say that most people watch these things for the pretty pictures of Miley, or to see if Xtina humps her mic stand or fellates a bible or something. Y'know, American music type stuff!


It's also fun to see who wins, then get outraged because it's inconsequential, esp. after the Nov 4th election, right? Well, whatever, ABC dot com has your full list of winners, BUT, I have to warn you, Alvin and the Chipmunks is among them. Investigate at your own peril, bros.

On the websites: Slash isn't evil

So, Guns N Roses is awesome, largely because of Appetite for Destruction and maybe, like, six or seven songs from the Use Your Illusions, but mostly because of Slash and Izzy (Axl's cool too, but is a douche; he's cool on rock star terms only, which are significantly different (almost useless), when compared with real world terms). Anyway, Slash is more valuable than Axl, as we already knew, but MusicRadar reminds us:

In a new YouTube video, Slash appears in the background playing the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. Meanwhile, his wife Perla Hudson speaks out on behalf of same-sex unions.

She says: "I married my sweetheart, you should be able to marry yours too.
Say no to hate, and yes to equal rights. Keep up the fight."

During Slash's time in Guns N' Roses, accusations of homophobia were
levelled at the band, in particular frontman Axl Rose. This was in no small part
down to the song One In A Million in which Rose uses the term "faggots", who are
said to "spread some fucking disease". [musicradar]

So, Slash, who was in one of the most badass hardrock bands ever formed, is cool with himself and others, yet Prince, a professional Tinkerbell impersonator (Purple Rain was great, I know), has his ice-skating uni in a twist? I wonder what the youtube commenter intelligentsia is going to have to say about this.

#5: Being Rappers*

Because rappers scare people. Not their fans, but hopefully their enemies. Hip-hop is, at any given moment, up to its knees in machismo, braggadocio, and this observation is by no means a new one. Rap had a hard enough time rising to prominence, nobody would bother mentioning this about NWA (the debate hovered around censoring angry blackness) unless they were totally square, or had the time for a violence in art debate--rowdy music made by black people had to first deal with the question of whether it was okay for white people to even like it. Of course it was; it was good for the rappers as brands, as part of a business and as music hippies at heart who just want to be accepted like everbody else--it was good for the white fans because it meant they could openly celebrate this music without social repricussions; it was good for black fans because this lessened the chance that someone was going to take this away from them. Everybody wins, like we said.

This acceptance, however, does not change the environment of rap music. Especially in the 90s, all some of our favorite rappers talked about (Big Pun, Nas, Biggie, Jay-Z, Tupac, DMX, MOP, Puffy(!)) was killing (at one point, at least, in every song) someone or something. This is hardass behavior! Nobody is going to truly fuck with someone who puts that out there and surrounds himself with other people who, silently or verbally, put that out there, unless they actually do kill people, because they're not used to being scared either. This is the perfect facade for a closet-case to don.

Not only, as a rapper, are you suddenly unfuckwitable, but, if you're good, you should have boys for life who are either giving you props or becoming you're colleagues in the business (if you're that lucky, which many are not, sadly). This means guys to horde pussy for you; girl-pussy for you to fuck, that is. Things will always come down to that fundamental: hooking up with girls makes other guys think you are cool. You don't have to like doing it, you just have to do it; talking about it would help, too, probably. Especially in your music. So what if you cringe everytime you deliver a line like "get in more pussy than Tampax?" The point is you are safe from having to reveal the truth, which is you've been in love with Peter (your dj) since the first time you met him, and that every time he accidentally touches you, or brushes against you, it gives meaning to life and you are forced to close your eyes in order to savor it, every time. And that is what life's about--not having to say that to anyone (wheter you're friend is in love with you back is irrelevant, because America hates gay rappers and black people hate that they find dicks kind of intriguing).

*If you live in a low-income area, you don't actually have to become a rapper to use these points to your advantage, as hip-hop culture is pervasive in American cities of this type, and the rules of the 'hood (neighborhood) are pretty much the same as the rules for rappers.