The Effigies - Below the Drop

Continuing the "Old School" theme. This is such a fucking classic that it instantly pulls me back in time to 1992. Back then this was just incidental music at the house where my degenerate friends and I hung out, a backdrop to suburban debauchery. However, it came to mean so much more to me as I grew and learned to place it in the proper historical context.

New Pixies Video - Greens and Blues

With both this song and the video, I kind of feel like it's 1992 and I'm watching 120 Minutes. The new Pixies stuff is getting some hate but I just don't see it - everything I've heard thus far sounds exactly like its picking up where the band left off - and I'm the guy that didn't want Frank Black to deviate from his constant succession of amazing solo records to go back to this band.

Youth Code

I posted something about this band early last year and never really followed up. My journey's tonight have led me back around again. There is an obvious comparison to old Skinny Puppy, but there's enough of a new perspective that it feels of this moment, not a re-hash. Which is cool, because I didn't really know if people still made music in this vein.

Skinny Puppy Live Footage 1986

Currently going through a Skinny Puppy thing, so yeah, it's been a bit dark of late. Bearing this in mind I sat down to hammer a newer chapter of the book into shape with Too Dark Park as the soundtrack and Last Rites close at hand. This particular part of the book is pretty dark, the darkest segment I've written for the project thus far. SP seemed like the right vehicle to help inspire the tone.

Chapter finished I rewarded myself by scouting around online for this home video I remember from high school. It was a live concert, late 80's/early 90's. Ogre was tearing apart a stuffed dog in front of the microphone. I spent some time looking for this video tonight but have absolutely NO idea what it was named, or if it was maybe even a bootleg. In the absence of that which I sought, this does quite nicely.

Trailer: Nick Cave's 20,000 Days on Earth

Recently my wife worked the Berlin film fest for the old Industry magazine she used to be employed by - no, she did not have the benefit of going to Berlin. A lot of the trades apparently stopped actually sending anyone but their critics to the actual fests about a year after she was lucky enough to go to Cannes. But she went in everyday at 5 AM to assemble the thing. Anyway, one of the still she sent me was from Nick Cave's forthcoming 20,000 Days on Earth. To say I am excited for this film is an understatement.

Nothing - Guilty of Everything

Can I get a Hell Yes! Brothers and Sisters, the new album by Nothing is out today on Relapse Records! Go to your local record store - if you're lucky to have one - or over to their bandcamp and buy Guilty of Everything.

This band really grabbed me with their 2013 E.P. Downward Years to Come and I've been waiting for this record since it was announced several months ago.

Chester Whelks and the Sunday Song Poem

image courtesy of bostonphoenix.com

Okay, for my money this is the strangest, most interesting and actually kind of downright frightening column I've been reading lately. Over on Joup Chester delves into the art and history of the Song Poem. If you - like I - don't know what that is then go here to the inaugural edition of the column and read Mr. Whelks' description, then go through the other four posts (thus far) and acquaint yourselves with... well, madness.

Column 2 Non Violent Taekwondo Troopers

Column 3 Octopus Woman Please Let Me Go

Column 4 The Crime Shows

Magazine - The Light Pours Out of Me

From their 2009 reunion circuit, live on Jools Holland. Barry Adamson back on bass! Awesome. For good measure, here's the cover version Ministry did of this song, from 2003's Animositisomina:



For the record, I love both versions, and the Magazine record this song originally appeared on, 1978's Real Life, is just a fantastic example of Post Punk.

Garth Ennis & Phil Winslade's Goddess...

image courtesy of trav73.wordpress.com

...is the topic on tap in this week's Thee Comic Column over on Joup. Read it HERE.

Bret Easton Ellis & Rob Zombie Designing Manson Murder Series

image courtesy of untitledbooks.com

image courtesy of Halloweenmovie.wiki

A good friend just rocked my world on Twitter when she through this article at me. Holy smokes!

Now, I'm a fan of Zombie's first two flicks for sure. Halloween I'd have to see again - it's no original and definitely overdid the 'cause and effect' of Michael Myers, which really was better left unexplained, but seeing it in the theatre I have to admit that both visually and sonically I was blown away with the film. The sequel however, despite being a beautifully shot film, really only works with the sound turned off, as every line of dialogue and plot point just frustrates the hell out of me.

Then came Lords of Salem, which I really wanted to like and just plain could not make it through. Again and even more so, visually the film was fantastic, but I could not get through it.

Ellis on the other hand has never let me down and the idea of Zombie visualizing his script fills me with absolute joy! Especially if the subject they are helming is based on Charles Manson. I'm not one of those Manson aficionados like Zombie is, but its an area of American history that very much interests me - the shadow cousin of the Peace and Love 60's that left its initials tattooed across the decade - and I think both auteurs will turn out an amazing project, especially as it is apparently NOT an adapted work but an original take.

Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer

It's been just under 24 hours and I know everyone has already seen this, however I like it so much I felt I had to post it.

YES! New Afghan Whigs Single - Algiers

A little hot under the collar after dealing with american airlines - don't fly them folks, trust me, just don't - but this is helping smooth out those rough edges. A few weeks ago Bob Odenkirk of all people let slip that his good friend Greg Dulli informed me the Whigs have an album coming out on April 15th. We all knew there had to be a new record on the horizon after the Whigs' come back tour last year and the two free-download singles on their website, we just didn't know when. Well, since news of the record left good ol' Saul Goodman's mouth I've had to keep myself busy as the almost infinite stretch of time between life in the moment and 4/15/14 has, on more than one occasion thus far, nearly driven me mad. Of course when news like this comes down the wire I run straight to my CD's and pull out all my Whigs, along with anything I have by the Twilight Singers and The Gutter Twins, but all that really does is further add to the frustration - frustration that makes waiting for the fabled date is more akin to watching a kettle boil that is on a burner that continually goes out. And now today the band, as if sensing its fans' madness ("Sixteen bloody years and NO I can't wait another two months") has released the first single/video from the forthcoming Do To the Beast.

Thank you Greg Dulli and fellow Whigs. You've helped sooth an otherwise frustrating day.

Penny Dreadful Trailer

via Bloody Disgusting, and there's a lot more info on this new Showtime series (cast, creators, etc.) if you read their article here. This looks to be Showtime's answer to American Horror Story so hopefully the quality is on par. I don't know much about this other than what I read tonight but based on this trailer I'm excited. Now as long as this doesn't pull a Hemlock Grove and end up being... less than what I'd expected (though a good friend has told me to give HG another chance, as all I watched was the pilot).

Thee Comic Column #72 - Wicker

I had a fantastic interview with Darker Sho today via email. You may remember Mr. Sho as one of the creators of the forthcoming comic RUIN, which I interviewed him about back a few months ago (read it here). Today's topic of discussion was the next project his company Darker and June Entertainment has coming up, another comic of his creation called Wicker. This one looks absolutely amazing and right up my alley: HORROR. Read all about it in this week's edition of Thee Comic Column.

POLIÇA - "I Need $" // "So Leave"

Via Brooklyn Vegan. This is an interesting video in that I don't necessarily love the "story" but I quite like the way it is shot and assembled. The song is good too - as is most Polica - kind of stoic and removed. The "So Leave" part, while the shorter segment, is a nice outro a la older Massive Attack, in concept if not entirely in sound.

Ransom Riggs - Scar Beneath My Sleeve

Wow.

Death (70's Detroit) Releasing New "Lost" Record

Via Brooklyn Vegan. How many lost records can they have? Hopefully a LOT.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Some Kind of Ghost Official Video

BRMC have always had a hint of Mazzy Star influence but here it comes roaring - or perhaps more accurately quietly ebbing - out. The video is a perfect accompaniment to the track. I love that this band has honed their flare for the cinematic, it really sets them apart - moreso.

A Field In England Trailer

I've been waiting for this film for quite a while now. There's a great review of it that just went up on Latino Review.

The Horrors - Changing the Rain

Speaking of The Horrors, how the heck did I ever miss this?