It!

Well, if you remember the original TV version of IT as being sacred and how dare they re-make it, you clearly haven't watched it lately. I rented it 6 or so years ago and was aghast at how "television" it was. I mean, I'm a huge Night Court fan but Harry Anderson in this role? John Ritter? JOHN BOY? No, the only great thing about that version of IT is Tim Curry - who is amazing - but who is not nearly enough to make it good. So this? Yeah, I'll give it a whirl.

*How many times can I say 'it' in a post about IT?

Zeal & Ardor

Zeal & Ardor

Holy smokes. Where have you been all my life? I get shades of Algiers here until the black metal influence rears its head and I'm in LOVE. Thanks to Jacob for sharing and then reminding me to actually listen to his link while I was off in submersion. Heading to Zeal & Ardor's bandcamp in a bit as they are bound to be a staple in 2017.

New Mastodon Video is Hysterically Awesome

I haven't posted any new Mastodon here yet because I only surfaced the other day for that Whigs and caught wind of some of the stuff coming down the pipes. This is one. With Show Yourself and the only other song I've heard thus far, Andromeda, new album Emperor of Sand - due March 31st -  sounds right in line with Once More Round the Sun, which I loved.

New Afghan Whigs

I've been so consumed by work lately that I've not had the time or gumption to do much other than come home at night, write for an hour or two and then watch Bates Motel, which despite my initial knee-jerk assumption would be drivel is actually quite amazing. Aside from Bates in the visual medium, musically I've been cycling back through a lot of stuff I already have but haven't listened to in a while. Celebration, older TV on the Radio and Underworld to name but a few. But new music... I've just not been there right now (gotta get that Crystal Fairy record I'd been looking forward to for so long). Then Brown sends me this link and I just gush.

Can't wait until the new album's release on May 5th via Sub Pop.

Live Annabelle Doll Stream

Over on Dan Rivera's FB page RIGHT NOW you can stream two men move the real Annabelle from one case to another. Will anything happen? Probably not, but Ihaving read the story of Annabelle years ago, it has long fascinated me (even if the Annabelle movie blew).

The Return...

"It's been a while..."

Drab Majesty Dot in the Sky

From the bad news of Miguel Ferrer's passing to good news: The Demonstration, the new album by Drab Majesty, drops tomorrow. You can still pre-order the vinyl (or CD) on Dais Records's website HERE. The full album is streaming on Brooklyn Vegan now and I recommend it very much. "Dot in the Sky" is the second track on the album and an immediate indication that The Demonstration - the follow-up to 2015's BRILLIANT album Careless  - will get just as much play from me in 2017 as Careless did last year.

I can't wait!

RIP Miguel Ferrer

Alright 2017, don't you fucking start...

Seriously, possibly my favorite character from Twin Peaks and an all-around great actor. You will be missed.

Agent Cooper's Return - Teaser

Torture! Torture! Torture!

David Bowie - We Prick You

One of my favorites from 1995's excellent Outside, another reinvention for the Starman.

May 21st

Being that this announcement came Monday I'm pretty late. Rough week. That said, I've waited over twenty-five years so, you know, what's four extra days to publicly proclaim how insanely happy this has made me? Like anyone that has seen this blog more than once needs a reminder how happy the return of Twin Peaks has made me.

Reunion will be the sweetest of wines, the most welcome of triumphs. I Love You David Lynch.

1 Year, 2 Days

I still remember it in crystal clear replay. Sleeping on the couch downstairs, ex and her parents up in the bedrooms. The last time I'd see her. The welcome end of an era. Phone alarm sounds at 4:30 AM. My hand strikes out, snatches the device and silences the annoying klaxon that heralds another week of work. Not a complaint exactly. Text message from Tori. I hardly hear from Tori anymore. No bullshit, just the erosion of time, distance. These six words:

Holy shit. David Bowie is dead.

Holy shit indeed. Maybe I've belabored the point; don't care. Read this if you want to understand my possibly overly dramatic reaction, which still resounds like the after image of a film you wish you hadn't watched and are afraid you can never unsee.

We need you David Bowie. The world's gone Phillip Jefferies in your absence.

The Neon Demon

Finally watched this last night and it might just be my movie of 2016. Beautiful is an understatement; the visuals are equally hallucinatory, mesmerizing, magnificent and scandalous. And the score - once again Mr. Cliff Martinez hits it out of the park when pairing sounds to Mr. Refn's images. I will own this eventually, and I will order it in the equally mesmerizing double vinyl set on the Milan Records website.

The Neon Demon only strengths my resolve that Nicolas Winding Refn, along with Fede Alvarez and Denis Villeneuve, is at the top of my "modern directors I would follow to hell" list.

Oh Yeah! New Soviet Soviet Is OUT!

December was a crazy month at the old Biorepository where I spend my days, and in the clusterfuck of work, buying gifts and get-togethers I completely overlooked the fact that Italy's Soviet Soviet released a new record on Felte at the beginning of the month. I'll be ordering this one soon enough over on bandcamp, in the meantime, here's something to wet your aural whistle!

Damn You Mezco Exclusives

Seriously. Just take my money.

My Favorite Records of 2016

A couple of days ago I published the list of my favorite albums of 2016. This song is from one of them. You can see them over on Joup.

RIP George Michael

Literally just dusted off George Michael's greatest hits about a week ago and overplayed it one day in the office at work. Had people singing along and tapping their feet, it reminded me how great George Michael is. Then my friend Black Philip posted Wham!'s Last Christmas as a kind of warm-up song this past Friday for his Christmas edition of the Joup Friday Album. Then earlier today I grab my phone to message Tommy from Heaven is an Incubator with some Christmas cheer and what do I see?

2016 has claimed another victim. I watched Desperately Seeking Susan last night and now feel like maybe Madonna should lock herself in a panic room for the next week (that has a selfish backend to it as well - Madonna has done anything non-embarrassing in years; this would keep her safe while putting her out of our misery at the same time).

Anyway, Careless Whisper was the obvious go-to for all its forlorn reverie, but a bit too much on the nose me thinks. Instead I thought I'd do something different; another Wham! song I really dig. Rest in Peace GM. You were pretty awesome.

Alien: Covenant Trailer

Now please. First Blade Runner and now the new Alien (which I still kinda wish was Prometheus 2, but oh well, a new, good Alien film is not something I'm gonna complain about. Either way, 2017 is shaping up to be the year of Ridley Scott.

New Perturbator! Uncanny Valley - Bonus

You know what I love? When I am able to post the words "New Perturbator!"

Buy it here and name your price!

Godflesh - Carrion

'Tis the season...

For GODFLESH

Gordon Cole Eating Donuts

Is really all it takes to make me happy these days. I've got one big bee in my bonnet for 2017 and it's Twin Peaks!!!

Dictionary

I invent a lot of terminology for very specific reasons. Here's a dictionary.

Fan Inertia - when your fandom of anything shuts down your better judgment and/or critical analysis in blind obeisance to your fandom. Example: After seeing Tim Burton's latest film, I realized I haven't liked the last several he has made, despite saying I did for years. My fan inertia took over and blindly accepted these films despite realizing now I didn't really like them at all.

Deep Horror Intoxication - That feeling a Horror movie instills in you upon first viewing; the regular world dissipates and you are fully submerged in the experience the filmmaker has set out to bestow upon you.

Blade Runner 2049

Denis Villeneuve is easily one of the only 'newer' directors who are on my "Must See Their New Film Right Now" list,* so it's his name in the director column that almost trumps the Blade Runner franchise.

Almost. However, I looooove me some Blade Runner and based on this trailer they're a perfect match. I know, I know, you can't base much on a trailer - especially one this length, but I have fan inertia with both franchise and director so allow me the indulgence. Please. And seriously, just based on the imagery contained in these first, guarded glimpses I'm pretty sure this is going to hit the same sweet spot as the first. I mean, yes this is basically another "Harrison Ford passing the mantle to someone else, a la last year's The Force Awakens, but that worked out pretty good and I have a hunch this will work out better, even if I do sense a bit of a ham on his face as he emerges, gun-first, from the shadows. Still, move him out and bring the new guy up front, 'cuz what a new guy. What can I say?  I'm quite the fan of Ryan Gosling - his acting and his music (haven't seen Lost River yet so can't comment on his directing), so even in spite of j. leto's presence (which, as Chester Whelk's pointed out to me recently, may indeed be tolerable due to the most likely unintentional irony of him playing a replicunt) I can't wait for this one.




...............

* Nicolas Winding Refn and Fede Alvarez being the others on the list.

Heaven's Endless Loop

Tommy, the man behind the always wonderful Heaven is an Incubator, also writes a lot of great stuff for an online magazine my friends and I contribute to called Joup. If you've been here before you probably know about it. Anyway, one of my favorite things to come out of Joup is Tommy's Endless Loop column; a weekly jaunt into the substance of those songs he confesses to be able to listen to endlessly. I can relate; at some point in my early thirties I developed a habit of looping tracks over and over again when I become obsessed with the mood they create in me. My point is I know Tommy's taste from reading his writing and I know when he says he can loop something then I'm in for a great track, whether I loop it or not. And this has bore out - I've picked up some absolute GEMS from Endless Loop. This week though, this week he hits it outta the park.

Tommy has a way of really summing things up succinctly and nowhere is that more evident than in his brief piece about Pulp's This is Hardcore, from the album of the same name - arguably the group's best - released in 1998. Follow the link below and then go seek out Heaven is an Incubator and book mark it. I guarantee you Tommy will turn you on to some amazing music if you do.

Well played Tommy. Well played...



>

Crystal Fairy - Chiseler

The upcoming Crystal Fairy record, out Feb 24th on Ipecac is quickly becoming my most anticipated record of early 2017. This new song, which the band dropped a couple of days ago, is not only fantastic, but I swear I can hear all or most of the individual musicians's signature sounds mixed up in this potpourri of awesomeness.

New At the Drive-In!

Wow. Didn't see that coming. If new ATDI was in the works I was completely in the dark about it. And I'm glad, because this is a fantastic surprise for a dour Thursday evening. Read more about it from my source, Brooklyn Vegan.

Them Are Us Too

Let me take you to hell before I take you to heaven.

This afternoon, as is my Thursday custom while navigating home from work on the dreaded 405 I tuned my radio dial to 88.9 FM for Michael Stock's always brilliant Part Time Punks radio show. If was a fairly normal day and my mood was even keel. At about 3:00 PM the show's appropriated theme song kicked in and I readied myself for awesomeness. After Heavenisanincubator, Mr. Stock is about the best damn musical curator/gatekeeper I know of and I value the music he introduces me to more than I can ever say. Today however, as the Television Personalities's ebbed out and Michael came on the mic something was amiss. You could immediately tell he was fighting back tears. I became tense; this was raw and unexpected and I tend to empathize strongly with people I care for, whether they are of the variety that I know personally or not. My weekly guide into music delivered a heartfelt and very emotional explanation for his state: a friend of his, Cash Askew, had died last weekend in the Oakland, CA fire that has peppered national news reports since. My heart went out to this man who has given so much to me from such a distance; as I listened to him describe his affection for Cash's band, Them Are Us Too I felt his loss, a loss no doubt shared by many others. He closed his opening in distress and began to play the band's music.

And I fell in love with yet another band Michael Stock has played on his radio show.

I did not know the people involved in this drama but this music, like so much of what Mr. Stock has turned me on to, is beautiful, amazing, and worth a lifetime of attention. I ordered a copy of Them Are Us Too's album Remain on vinyl (if you dig this and wish to follow suit you can do so on their record label Dais Record's website HERE) and said a silent salutation to the Universe on behalf of this lovely, fallen artist. I can think of no better way to honor her memory than by listening and sharing her music and donating to the Oakland Fire Relief Fund.

Below I've embedded Them Are Us Too's Part Time Punks Session. Follow this bandcamp link to hear Remain.

Night Jacket

I went to LA's The Echo this past Friday night to see The Bernard Lakes. They were amazing, as always. Also amazing was the band NightJacket, who played directly before them. Here's their band camp. Check it out. They're recording a new album after the first of the year and after hearing this one it's going right to the top of my 'can't wait for' list in 2017.

RIP Sharon Jones

Well 2016, I hope you're fucking happy. Jesus, can we just fast forward to 2017 already? Oh wait, that might not be the best solution...

Damn. This sucks. Here's one'a my favorites:

Sister Hymns - American Nightmare

How appropriate, eh? Great new Doom/Stoner rock band from LA that kinda takes me back to the Kyuss days. And at $3 you really can't lose. Features Joey, the drummer formerly from Quiet.

The Secret History of Twin Peaks

Last week I finished Mark Frost's The Secret History of Twin Peaks and, while I almost never go for expanded universe type stuff, this book, written in the guise of a secret document Chief Inspector Gordon Cole assigns to an FBI Agent investigating a crime that has ties to the now twenty-five year passed Laura Palmer case, is a MUST for Peaks fans. There's so many ways that an in-continuity novel could have gone wrong, but instead The Secret History of Twin Peaks does everything right.

Here's a clip Mr. Brown sent me of Mark Frost reading from the book (apparently the audio book version has some of the original cast members reading sections. Way to prompt me to get my first audio book Mr. Frost).

Trainspotting Two Trailer

I am a HUGE fan of Irvine Welsh's fiction, so it was a little disappointing to hear that T2 would not move the characters down the paths outlined in all the subsequent novels that follow Mark, Simon, Spud and Franco. That said, this looks AWESOME! (plus of course in order to do the sequel to Transporting, Porno, they'd have to introduce the characters from Glue - my favorite Welsh novel - and that would really just move everything further down the timeline. I'm content letting film continuity be its own thing. As long as they work in some of my favorite Begbie moments and maybe throw in a cameo by Juice Terry somewhere along the way.

Thanks again to Mr. Brown for hitting me with this:

Public Service Announcement

Not going to get political here. For a great be-all, end-all Op-ed that pretty much sums up how I feel (although I think I dislike the candidate I'm forced to vote for infinitely more than Tommy does) read THIS. Otherwise, I just wanted to post this to say the OTHER offices, props and measures are actually considerably MORE important than the, ahem, highest office of the land. And this awesome little skit wherein you'll see plenty of people you'll recognize (especially if you were a fan of Whedon's tv stuff) is a great reminder of that.

Crystal Fairy - Drugs on the Bus

What do you get when you take Buzz and Dale from the Melvins, Omar from Mars Volta/ATDI/Antemasque and Teri Gender Bender from Le Butcherettes?

Fucking magic, that's what.

New record by this left-of-center super group out February 24th on Ipecac.

Bohren & der Club of Gore - Der Angler

Via Mr. Brown. I first heard Bohren thanks to a posting on Warren Ellis's Whitechapel community board back in 2006 or 2007. It had a huge impact on me and Sunset Mission is still a record I listen to hundreds of times a year. It's great for late night writing, drinking or romance and sounds a bit - if I had to elevator pitch it - as Angelo Badalamenti Thought Gang if they died, went to hell and opened a swanky, downtempo jazz night club. If you're unfamiliar the post Mr. Brown sent me goes on to pimp a new anthology that comes out on Record Store Day this year. Bohren for Beginners looks as though it touches most if not all of their records and is available for pre-order on the band's bandcamp here.

Halloween Music Playlist

Image by the amazing Dark Town Sally. Link to her store below

Same as the movies but with the tightly curated music I've filled my October with. I'm album-oriented, especially in regards to this particular season, but for sheer pragmatism I'll simply post one song of each in a little playlist I made. All this stuff is from fantastic records though, and I urge you to seek them out!

And note - the image I used above is artwork by the INCREDIBLE Dark Town Sally. I strongly encourage anyone who loves Halloween to seek out her website and order some of her work!

Halloween Movie Playlist

Happy Halloween!

I've been so inspired by Tommy over at Heaven is an Incubator, who has been celebrating all month by posting a horror movie trailer a day, that I thought I'd do something something similar today. So, below are the trailers for every movie I've watched in the last two weeks or so. Most of these are every year October watches, but a few were fleeting dalliances. Enjoy.

Note: First flick I'll mention is the one on the list I refuse to post the trailer to, so I used the movie poster as my lead image. I do this because when I saw May I knew nothing about it and it completely floored me. The trailer gives too much away.















And finishing it up tonight with, of course:

Steve Dillon, 1962-2016

What a fucking shite day. Steve Dillon is responsible for the visual end of two of my top three comics of all times, Preacher and his run on Hellblazer, both with Garth Ennis. These are two books that made me laugh and, more rarely and importantly I'd say in comics, made me cry. His characters were so human, so fragile and - at times - so awful that, well, it reminds me now why this is so hard.

Rest in Peace Mr. Dillon. Thank you for making my life and the field of comics so much better than it would have been without you. Say hello to Bill Hicks and know there will be many raising a pint in your honor tonight.

#RIPSTEVEDILLON

Ghost Tonight at the Wiltern!!!

And I cannot wait! Also, intrigued as to who is opening the show. Last night's was Deafheaven and although I would have loved to see them I have a pretty good feeling about the fact that they haven't announced anything yet (at least that I have seen).

I'm not quite as rabidly into the new Popestar E.P. as I am the group's previous recordings, but this particular song I LOVE (the rest I'm warming to and, really, any Ghost is good in my book).

Chasms Opened for Ritual Howls the other night...

... and I had a profound experience hearing/seeing their music for the first time. It was a magickal night; rain in Los Angeles - so rare - timed perfectly to coincide with this band's music. I've been high on the vibe ever since.

Tickets just went on sale for Chasms's next LA show went on sale today. Saturday December 10th at the Echo. I will absolutely be there and recommend that if you dig this, you should go here and buy their album and seriously consider going to the show.

Felte Records does it again.

A Pretty Cool Interview with Jason Newsted

Stumbled onto this earlier tonight and ended up getting fairly absorbed in it. Gonna have to break Justice out sometime soon. Been a minute.

Ritual Howls - No Witnesses

one of my favorite album covers in recent memory

Spurred by seeing them live this past Sunday (review of the show is coming soon) I finally ordered Ritual Howl's 2014 album Turkish Leather. It is fantastic. This right here is one of my favorite tracks and if you follow this link you can read a great interview with Paul Bancell over at Seventh Hex. Mr. Bancell discusses all sorts of interesting ideas pertaining to the group's writing process, including the origin of this particular song.

If you dig the track I'd strongly recommend heading over to the group's bandcamp where you can pick up Turkish Leather and the Howl's newest album Into the Water for a steal.

New Twin Peaks Promo

Image by @austinshaddix

Courtesy of Mr. Brown.

Odonis Odonis Interview NOW Magazine

Can you tell I'm obsessed with this band? Here's a great interview.



Post Plague has been my 'album of the year' since about five seconds into Needs the first time I heard it back in the spring. Hasn't been topped yet (though label mates Ritual Howls come pretty close) specially after seeing them live at the Echoplex last Thursday, when not only did they do every song I would have asked to hear had I realized they were opening the bill and thus playing a shorter set, but closed with a perfect cover of this old classic:

Odonis Odonis - Vanta Black

After twice being denied seeing Odonis Odonis tonight is the night.

Vanta Black!

Dawn of the Dead 3D at Beyond Fest 2016

I will admit that while I have extremely low tolerance for the Zombie film as a genre there are several Zombie-related stories in popular culture that inspire an allegiance in me that little else receives. My Zombie list goes like this, not in any order of preference:

Night of the Living Dead

Dawn of the Dead

Day of the Dead

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

The Walking Dead (comic)

That's it. I don't hate everything else Zombie-related by I dislike most of it*. Or rather, maybe it's just that I don't have time for most of the rest of it. All that said, if asked what I think is the absolute pinnacle of films on the subject I would answer without hesitation George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead. I feel as though Dawn does everything a Zombie story should do, from chronicle the dismemberment of social/political and economic structures amidst the ensuing chaos to addressing the modern human psyche's reaction to not only the stresses resultant from those structures ending but to themes of isolation, agoraphobia and, ultimately, the Lord of the Flies survival mechanism that would no doubt cause other humans to become an even bigger threat than those shambling monstrosities waiting to eat your flesh.

Thanks to the labors of original Dawn of the Dead** Producer Richard P. Rubenstein Dawn of the Dead has now been converted to a BEAUTIFULLY rendered 3D experience and while I generally take 3D with a grain of salt, if you are a Dawn fan this is a MUST SEE.

Saturday, 10/08/16 I was fortunate enough to attend the premiere of this newly converted film thanks once again to the fine folks at Beyond Fest and The Egyptian Theatre. To say it was one of my favorite theatrical experiences from over my 40 years on this Earth is not hyperbolic. Mr. Rubenstein spoke before and after the film, going out of his way to not only explain the conversion impetus and process, but also to assure everyone that "This is 100% George's film - I did not alter it at all". Mr. Rubenstein also went on to talk about his plans to get this version of the film into Cinemas across the country and finally to assure everyone that the 2D version is not going anywhere.

Also, if you're a fan of The Walking Dead but have not seen this film before I can't recommend it enough, in either 3D or 2D. As the first Zombie film to address the above-mentioned themes of extinction, isolation and inter-species betrayal Dawn is quite literally where The Walking Dead comes from - its part of TWD's DNA. In fact, Robert Kirkman has stated in interviews that the original title for TWD was Night of the Living Dead and that it would continue the "Universe" that Mr. Romero began. Obviously that title did not happen, but the plot absolutely did; I've always read TWD with the idea firmly in place that this was the further evolution of Romero's world.

To further celebrate this historic piece of horror cinema I'm going to embed a making of I found on youtube while searching for a trailer to post. Enjoy.

..........................

*I should also clarify that I am most definitely a fan of 28 Days/Weeks later but do not consider those Zombie flicks

** Mr. Rubenstein also produced the remake, as well as most of Mr. Romero's classic canon of films

Phantasm 4K and Part V at Beyond Fest

Last Saturday, October 1st I attended a double bill comprised of the Bad Robot 4k, 5.1 surround re-mastered version of the original Phantasm and the premiere of the looooong awaited Phantasm V: Ravager, thanks to the good folks that hold Beyond Fest every year at the Egyptian Theatre.

Dining beforehand right next door to the Egyptian at the Pig and Whistle, my better half, best friend and I almost missed the fact that fans began to line up about two hours before the admittance time. We made it inside in time to find seats and shortly thereafter the guys from Beyond Fest took the stage in Angus Scrimm wigs and full-fan fervor. They pumped the crowd up for what was to many their umpteenth dozen time watching Don Coscarelli's 1977 classic. And you know, I'm one of them repeat viewers (not as many as some but perhaps more than most) and I have to tell you, no hyperbole here, seeing the restoration on a big screen as awesome as the one in the Egyptian, with their massive sound system cranked, it was almost like I had never seen it before. There is so much more color, texture and detail, so many more layers to the sound mix that many of those profound 'WTF?' moments in Phantasm struck me again, as if for the first time. It was magical.

Afterward Coscarelli himself, along with Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester, Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury and a whole host of other folks involved in the franchise took the stage or stood for acknowledgement and we were treated to an awesome interview that touched on the early ideas, process and legacy of the Tall Man and his jawa-dwarves.

It was awesome.

Afterward we were treated to the Los Angeles premiere of Phantasm V: Ravager and although I didn't really care for it - Phantasm kinda ends with number two for me - it was still cool to see it on the big screen, surrounded by a huge room of other fans.

Beyond Fest, how I love you...

And this Saturday we're returning to Beyond Fest to see another classic - George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, in 3D no less! Honestly, the 3D will be cool but it's unnecessary to me; I've just always wanted to see what I consider probably the best Zombie movie ever on the big screen.

If you want to see what else is playing/played at Beyond Fest this year here's the link to their schedule. I wish I could make more screenings than I have, but you know, bloody work and all.

Viva La Beyond Fest!

Trapped Within Burning Machinery

Wow. Had never heard of this band before today. Fell immediately in love with their new record The Fifth Element. They are playing the first night of Midnight Communion in LB. Might just have to go, if only to see them.

Steve Moore's ST for Joe Bego's The Mind's Eye...

... is being released on December 2nd by Relapse Records! I am PSYCHED! Just received my copy of the Blu Ray for The Mind's Eye, one of my favorite flicks from last year and one that I saw premiere last October at the 2015 Beyond Fest. Now, almost a year later to the day, I get news of the awesome, synth-ridden nightmare score from Zombi's Steve Moore as well!

The final months of 2016 are proving to be ripe with awesomeness! (and bloody expensive).

Thanks be to Heavenisanincubator for turning me onto Begos in the first place with this write-up of his first film, Almost Human, on Joup!