One of the coolest moments in last Sunday's Dillinger Escape Plan show at the Paramount Theatre in Brooklyn was when they played "Tearing" from Rollins Band's 1992 masterpiece The End of Silence.
There's a great write-up on Dillinger and Dead Guy's three-night stand over on Brooklyn Vegan, a site I used to love and frequent a lot more before they succumbed to the same pop-up ad malarky all sites seemingly succumb to now.
Watch:
K and I caught the new Tom Hardy movie The Bikeriders at the theatre. What is it with recent movies that are fantastic but have terrible names? Underwater? Bikeriders? Come on.
Ultimately, I won't give the film too much shit, because it was fantastic. Tom Hardy gives another nuanced performance and Austin Butler just nails the "Brooding, silent bad boy" archetype. Jodie Comer is essentially our lead character as the window into the world of Chicago's Vandals, and she also turns in a great performance. Then, we also have Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus, Emopry Cohen, Karl Glusman, and - maybe the best surprise - Damon Herriman; known to Justified fans as Dewey Crowe! It's an ensemble cast and a lot of damn fun, so I'd say if you can, catch it in a theatre. Plus, you get to see the Robert Eggers' Nosferatu trailer on the big screen.
This is another recent trailer that gives absolutely nothing away but still fills the screen with sounds and images that make me super excited to see this one when it releases this coming December. Now, if I can just manage not to see it more than once or twice before then...
Playlist:
Ghost - Infestissumam
Protomartyr - Under Color of Official Right
USSA - The Spoils
Tubby Hayes Quintet - Down in the Village (Live at Ronnie Scott's Club, London 1962)
Calexico - The Black Light
Forhist - Eponymous
Jim Williams - Possessor OST
Joseph Bishara - Malignant OST
Valkyrie - Fear
The Ravenonettes - Sing
Night Sins - A Silver Blade In The Shadow EP
Thou - Umbilical
Justin Hamline - The House With Dead Leaves
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Four of Cups
• Eight of Cups
• XX: Judgement
Emotional stability through the transformation of emotions during a pivotal sequence. In other words, we choose how we are going to interpret and let things make us feel. You can take things negatively, or you can put some kind of positive spin on it. Obviously, some things are just awful and can't be "spun" any other way.
This is definitely not for me today, but someone I know.
New music from Human Impact! This band's debut hit right around the time the pandemic began, and I remember it quickly became a fairly regular and significant piece of music for me. However, in the last few years, they kind of slipped from my radar. Now, their sophomore album Gone Dark drops October 4th on Ipecac; pre-order HERE.
New music from X as they announce their final album and tour! You can pre-order Smoke & Fiction from X's Bandcamp HERE.
Watch:
GORGAZMA - remember this name because this is a new Horror Production company whose debut short film, Pizza Panic Party, absolutely blew me away.
I love everything about this film, from the lighting, the music (score by Joseph Fucking Bishara!) and of course, the gore and FX. Holy smokes. I'm over the moon at the prospect of getting more from these folks. Talk about coming out of the gates swinging.
NCBD:
Heading out to Rick's Comic City after work today for this week's NCBD. Here's what I'll have waiting for me in my Pull:
Okay, well, this one isn't actually on my pull list yet. This will be the first monthly issue of Department of Truth released since I began reading it last year, shortly after the title went on hiatus. Honestly, I'm not certain I won't just wait for the trade - or at least that's what I keep telling myself.
For the man himself, a silver mask and a stunningly hot terrorist lady. Damn - while all this crazy Cobra shit goes on around Cobra Island and Springfield, with the multiple factions plotting against one another, Destro has his own agenda. Can't wait to see what it is.
The cover of this book is a testament to just how f*cking crazy it is.
"Road Stories" continues, and I'm curious where we'll end up this month. It's been a tiny bit anti-climatic to have this book come back from the insane energy of the previous arc with tales set in Erica's past, however, the character development is huge, and really, I think this is almost down time for her (and us) before shit really goes off the deep end with what comes next.
The solicitation for this issue has me kind of chomping at the bit:
"VOID RIVALS finally puts the "energon" in their corner of the Energon Universe!"
I had not even considered that, while all the other books have been about Energon discovery and acquisition, we haven't had any of it to speak of in Void Rivals. That's interesting, and I think the highly sought-after element is going to make quite a splash within the factions of the Sacred Ring.
Playlist:
Pepper Adams - Encounter!
Coleman Hawkins - Wrapped Tight
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us Is the Killer
Sunday morning I flew into LaGuardia airport and met up with my good friend Dave, who flew in from Chicago. We hired a car into Brooklyn, checked into the Brooklyn Hotel for two nights, and headed out to the Paramount Theatre to see the final of three shows that The Dillinger Escape Plan played here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of 1999's Calculating Infinity. This was the seventh time I've seen the band live since 1999, and the second time with original lead singer Dimitri Minakakis. Almost as big a draw for me was a reunited Deadguy, a band I found in 1995 as a writer for then-Chicago music magazine Subculture (how I miss you!). I had somehow gotten to be the magazine's dedicated reviewer for everything then new label Victory Records released. The problem was that I didn't really like most of what Victory put out. Deadguy was one of the few exceptions to that rule because, holy shit, did I LOVE Fixation on a Coworker from the moment I hit play.
Before the show we grabbed a bite and a few drinks at a local Brewery/Restaurant called Sound + Fury. Great stuff. I started with a Kölsch I didn't love - I think the barrel was low or the lines were off - but found much better results when I switched it up to their Quality Control Pilsner. I ended up drinking way more Pilsners on this trip than I normally do, but it was hot and I was bloated from general travel unease, so a thinner beer seemed the better option. Also, I'm on a total ban of IPAs at the moment, as they've just completely worn out their welcome for me.
The entire bar at Sound + Fury was populated by folks in Mr. Bungle, Ween and Melvins shirts. we struck up a little conversation and briefly met a couple from Chicago who, like us, had jumped on this show the second it was announced, fearing it would be a one-and-done. Doors were set to open at 5:00 PM I think, and by 6:00 PM, pretty much everyone there for the show had cleared out. We stayed behind; I hate to be that guy who only watches the bands I came to see, but also, I'm fucking 48 and I'd been awake since 6:00 AM - standing on a hard floor for four bands' set times felt... intimidating. Eventually, around 6:30 PM we headed over.
There were supposed to be two opening bands, the names of which I will withhold because I don't like to talk shit. But man, I did not like either. I also didn't like the third opener they added. There's something about metal that makes people think they can just base their band around decibels and blast beats, throw up the horns after every song, and the crowd will accept them.
Not this guy. Nope.
A couple hours into the show, the night was not going great. I was happy to be there with my friend, don't get me wrong, but I was getting drunk and I was getting tired. Then Deadguy took the stage. They played fantastic for a band that hasn't been a band in 30 years, however, the sound for them was the worst of the night. I mean, it was "Fire your sound guy now" bad. I was a little crushed.
When Dillinger took the stage the sound continued to be an issue. This was unbelievable; I mean, we're watching Bill Rymer hit his snare and not hearing it. Could hear the fucking kick drum loud and clear, though. Again, I don't like to talk shit, but there is a penchant in the live sound community - especially at metal shows - for sound techs to focus on the drum kit and forget everything else, or at least dial it in slowly. That's pretty much what happened, as the sound did get there eventually, but it took about four songs into Dillinger's set. Fine, whatever. By this point, Dimitri had worked his way to the back of the house and was delivering the refrain from Aphex Twin's "Come to Daddy" from atop the soundboard. I actually found myself wondering if the sound guy thought Dimitri had come back to kick his ass, and that's why the sound suddenly improved.
The show was fantastic, and by the end completely blotted out the travesty from earlier in the evening. Dave and I hung around outside the Paramount for a bit and ran into that Chicago couple again. Rob and Jax. Great folks and it blew my mind to find Rob was also a graduate of Columbia College Chicago's Sound Program. What's more, he's actually using his education - he's the head sound guy at Chicago's United Center! We walked over to a dive someone online had recommended to Dave, The Brooklyn Inn and I instantly fell in love; a long space instead of wide, only a few quiet souls on hand, low lighting and jazz on the speakers. This was the second highlight of the evening. Rob and I talked about Columbia for quite some time, and I was thrilled to find he had studied live sound with one of my favorite teachers there, Jack Alexander. Jack was nuts, one of the most no-bullshit guys I met at the school, and I was bummed to find both he and another favorite, Jim Nudd, had passed away. Rob regaled me by explaining how the year Jack died, the sound crew at Lolapalooza - which he was on - peppered images of their mentor on the giant digital screen during the festival. I raised several glasses to that.
We ended up closing the place, I think. We scored some extremely salty Pastrami sandwiches at a little all-night bodega on the corner, then went back to the hotel and passed out.
On Monday, after a slow-moving morning, I heard Jazz or Hip-Hop everywhere we went in Brooklyn. Without any real destination, we had breakfast at a neighborhood place called Pearl's, then just walked around Brooklyn for a couple of hours. I always feel that's how I get to know a city—by walking. Later, we had dinner at a place called The Canary, then walked across the street to watch a jazz quartet at Drink Lounge. These guys were fantastic: Kit, Upright, Guitar and Alto Sax. Once they wrapped, we hiked a couple blocks down to a Jazz Vinyl Bar we'd passed by on the way to dinner - Kissa Kissa. The wall of vinyl in this place has to be seen to be believed:
We ended up closing this place, too, as the bartender Meno was a damn cool guy and our meandering conversations with him touched on everything from the state of the world to wine to music to Tennessee. The evening just melted away. A half-dozen pints of Night Shift Brewing's Nite Lite helped on this end, as well as the bottle of 2018 Loli Casado Jaun de Alzate Crianza Rioja Dave bought that I nipped at here and there. Wine is largely lost on me, and I'm fairly certain I have a tannin allergy, but it just felt right.
After closing out Kissa Kissa, Dave and I walked back to the hotel, and I realized I was kind of in love with Brooklyn Walking reveals so much of a place; I've been to NY two other times and have never been in a hurry to return. After this trip, Dave and I are already talking about when we can come back, maybe bring our girlfriends for two days and just haunt this wonderful borough.
More new music from Zeal and Ardor's upcoming new record Greif, out August 23rd. You can pre-order HERE.
Watch:
Joe Bob and Darcy did Joe Lynch's Suitable Flesh yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. I had some issues with the flick the first time I watched it, but still gave it a favorable review. This time, I think I understood exactly where Joe Lynch was coming from on this one, and it helped. Kind of an adopt-and-subvert approach to a Skinamax flick, flipping it on its head and injecting it with some real Stuart Gordon-esque Gore/Body Horror.
Afterward, I was stuck in the usual post-Joe Bob funk. I want to watch something, I want to travel back in time and get transgressive, or even just obscure, but I usually just don't know how. I searched around for a while on Shudder, then ended up on YouTube somehow, where I found this:
A total Halloween wanna-be, right down to the music, but it did the trick. I sorted through comics, drank beer and wallowed in the 80s Slasher genre like Jade Daniels would. To invoke the proper mood, I even spun Wild Dogs by The Rods before I started the flick. Needless to say, it was a good Friday night.
Read:
I've kind of fallen out of posting Drinking with Comics here, so I should correct that. The new DwC: Drunk on Energon went up yesterday. Mike and I talk about the three latest entries in Robert Kirkman and Skybound's Energon Universe: Scarlett issue 1, Transformers issue 9 and Destro issue 1!
Destro is the treasure here. In one issue, this book is already giving the recently completed Cobra Commander series a run for its money as my favorite of the Energon books.
Another fantastic new track from The Mysterines' upcoming Afraid of Tomorrows album, out this Friday, June 21st. You can pre-order the album HERE.
Watch:
On Tuesday night, K and I went to see the one-night-only re-release of Ti West's X at our local Regal. This screening was followed by a "sneak peek" of West's upcoming third film in the trilogy, Maxxxine.
The "sneak peek" was basically the opening scene of the film. The real talking point here is seeing X again on the big screen. This is my third or fourth time doing so, but first since watching Pearl. Talk about a prequel shedding some serious light on the original film!
K said it best when she wished for an article that might point to whether these were all written together. My understanding (based on what I remember from an interview West did on the Colours of the Dark Podcast HERE) is that upon arriving in New Zealand to film X, the cast and crew had to quarantine for three or four weeks, and during that time, West and Goth conceived and wrote Pearl. My guess is from there, they had ideas to continue Maxine's story and A24 greenlit it the moment they realized what a good thing they had going.
As I intimated above, watching X again for the first time since seeing the prequel, I have to say that Pearl's character resonates in a completely different and affecting way than when just experienced in the first film. There was already an element of that, thanks to the moments West steals in X to show the character's fragile longing (the "Landslide" scene). Now, however, Pearl becomes at once more frightening and more sympathetic—not an easy task for a filmmaker to achieve.
I've been a fan of Ti West since I first saw 2005's The Roost, thanks to my good friend Dennis' knowledge and knack for curation at the time. From the first mention of House of the Devil until the film's release, I waited for what felt like years, and I've watched the man grow as a filmmaker, always hoping for success on the level he has now experienced. There's a bit of a cultural fever pitch surrounding Maxxxine's release - one that seems to transcend Horror circles - and I can't wait to sit down and watch the end ofthe character's story play out surrounded by what I now assume will be a bit more people than I'm used to seeing at Horror screenings in Clarksville.
Hell yeah.
Read:
I finished FantasticLand several days ago and was pretty much left breathless. This one affected me deeply; I'm seeing shades of the worst humanity has to offer echo in my perception of the world around me, and it's a bit disorienting. Based on that, I decided to switch it up and finally dig into my good friend and Horror Vision cohost John Trafton's latest book, Movie Made Los Angeles.
This is exactly what I need at the moment: a scholarly discourse about the nuances and intangible nature of the Cultural Economy of Los Angeles and how it became the mythic location it is in the world's mind. I'm forced to slow down and really "chew" what I'm reading, which is a good thing. I can feel my brain working in ways fiction just does not utilize.
You can order this one anywhere books are sold. You can also check out John's writing on his website, Johntrafton.com. I recommend starting with one of these two articles right HERE or HERE.
Playlist:
Riz Ortolani Feat. Katyna Ranieri - Oh My Love (single)
Still riding near the top of my favorite albums of 2024 list is Amigo the Devil's Yours Until the War is Over, and what's that? This unstoppable force of storytelling goes and drops another new song at a live show last week. Mr. Brown sent that footage to me, and I'd planned to make it today's musical post; however, this 'Tour Bus Edition" popped up in my feed yesterday, and the choice was clear.
Head over to Liars Club Records to order the album OR the nifty new "My Body is a Dive Bar" T-shirt. I scooped that one up the moment I saw it.
NCBD :
Oh man, a fantastic-looking pull today. Let's not waste any time:
To say I have been waiting for Dan Watters' Destro book is an understatement of the highest order. I cannot wait to see where this takes us in the formation of Cobra, and what kind of relationship develops between the silver-visaged Scottish Laird and our dear, sweet Commander.
As I mentioned previously, I've really been enjoying hanging out with John Constantine again. I'm not sure if Dead in America is coming to its inevitable conclusion, but League of Comic Book Geeks has the series ending at issue 9, which is a weird number of issues for a series. Is it possible this may play out like Tynion's Nightmare Country and come back in a few months? We will see.
Okay, this second issue of Last Ronin II is starting to remind me of Jason Mrowski's older brother in his IROC. You know the type - he offers you a ride, then keeps pulling up just out of reach so you can't actually get into the car? Yeah. How many times have I posted this issue on a Wednesday?
And we come to the end of The One Hand, which really is only half the end of the story, because the final issue of The Six Fingers drops July 24th. I've really enjoyed this Neo Noir by Ram V and the aforementioned Dan Watters, and I'm hoping the books did well enough to warrant more stories set inside Neo Novena's seedy walls.
I caught up on this one over the weekend and am still really digging it. I love the commitment the modern TMNT universe takes to exploring new characters and not just using and reusing the old mainstays. Case in point: Shredder has been out of the picture since issue... what? 100? That's several years they've let Oroku Karai lead the foot and develop into a really cool character that stands on her own. Sure, she doesn't have the gnarly army her Grandfather Oroku Saki had, but like so many of the characters, her look as evolved and is still super sleek. The introduction of a secret sect of the Foot that has survived until now could have been exhausting, but this series is playing it smart and I am intrigued to see where this will go.
Watch:
This just made me incredibly happy:
Way jealous of the "Ceiling of Toys." Talk about living in a surreal environment.
Playlist:
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Mastodon - Once More Round the Sun
Amigo the Devil - Born Against
Amigo the Devil - Yours Until the War is Over
Man Man - Carrot on Stings
Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun
Card:
One card from Missi's Raven Deck for today:
From the Grimoire: "Literally, "What comes next." To me in this moment, this denotes finalizing something I've been flighty on and moving onto the next project.
