Eagulls - Soulless Youth

I am absolutely in LOVE with Eagulls debut 2014 record. Oh my. As Mr. Brown said after sending this my way, they'd make a great double bill with Savages.

Grant Morrison & Frazer Irving's Annihilator...

...is the topic of discussion in this week's Thee Comic Column over there on Joup. Published monthly by Legendary Comics (that's the comics arm of Legendary Pictures, the fine folks who endeared themselves to me forever by releasing The Dark Knight Rises and Pacific Rim) Annihilator's first issue sets up what I'm thinking is going to be one hell of a unique tale by mind-fuck master Grant Morrison, with beautiful art by Frazer Irving, who did some of the creepiest art I've ever seen in both Morrison's Klarion the Witch Boy and the penultimate arc of his Batman and Robin series.

Drinking with Comics Half-Pint

New Half-Pint entry into our 'micro-series' where we discuss Eric Powell's The Goon, his collaboration with John Carpenter on the Big Trouble In Little China sequel book from BOOM! Studios and, er, social ills and how pouring beer on yourself can help them...?

Trailer: David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars

This looks nuts, but in a very restrained, new Cronenberg kind of way. Which is good.

My Suggestions for the Top 5 Graphic Novels Everyone Should Read

This week's Thee Comic Column over on Joup is the 100th edition! To celebrate I've compiled this list - it's not necessarily a list of my favorite five - though it's probably close - but the suggestions I would give to anyone - my mom, your sister, Sister Ray, Billy Joel - whoever on how to break in to comics. Because honestly, I feel these books transcend whatever anyone could expect of them and could all shatter whatever misconceptions keep people from giving the comics/GN's a fair shake.

Scratch Acid - Live Set in Austin, 1985

The sound quality isn't spectacular but it's from 19-freakin'-85 so what could we expect, eh? Mr. Brown sent this to me some time ago and I'm (criminally) just getting around to watching it now. Yow is in good form, although he doesn't seem quite as insane as his Lizard days. I should add I never had the chance to see Scratch Acid live but became a fan after reverse engineering from The Jesus Lizard. This is pure musical archeology here; for the record, as it were.

Serengeti - The Whip

Okay, I kind of feel as though I'm doing this song a disservice pulling it out of the context of Serengeti's breathtaking 2011 record Family and Friends but I just have to. If the album's a masterpiece - which it most assuredly is - then this song is the pinnacle of that masterpiece; the facet in which every theme reaches a harmonic crescendo of skill and emotion that vibrates at an occult frequency that affects the listener - or at least this listener - in a way that feels as though it confirms and encapsulates life and all its highs and lows in their entirety. This track makes me straight up cry.

Good show Serengeti. Once, long ago I was foolishly afraid you would always be Kenny Dennis, the "Dennehy" guy. You're not that guy anymore; by my count your just about the only person making rap music left that is still worth a damn and Family and Friends is a hip hop masterpiece that completely transforms and transcends the genre.
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I interviewed Serengeti back in 2010. You can find both parts to that here and here.