I had never heard of Glass Beams before the incomparable KEXP put them in my feed. Kind of akin to Thievery Corporation's The Mirror Conspiracy if Spoon wrote it. Check out their Bandcamp HERE. Also, I have to say if you're not following KEXP on YouTube, you're missing out.
Watch:
I caught the trailer for Heart Eyes before Smile 2, and I'm definitely giving this one a chance.
Love that f*cking mask!
NCBD:
Light week this week.
Astrotrain! I love how they've made this character a big deal in the Energon Universe and I'm curious how he ties into the second part of the Starscream's origin arc.
I have to say, I am far less excited about this than I thought I'd be. Still, I'm sure good things are coming that I just can't quite see at the moment.
Playlist:
Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja
Oranssi Pazuzu - Live at Roadburn 2017
Oranssit Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi
Ministry - HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES
FACS - Still Life in Decay
Mr. Bungle - California
Spoon - They Want My Soul
Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She
Yesterday would have been Ennio Morricone's 95th birthday. Sadly, the legend left us back in 2020, but here at the onset of Noirvember, I couldn't pass up posting the title theme from his score for Sergio Sollima's 1970 Città Violenta, AKA Violent City.
Watch:
So yeah, I have so much fun with 31 Days of Horror every year that I've decided to pick up on another month-long theme for viewing. That's right - Noirvember is officially underway!
This is the first time I remember hearing about this one, courtesy of an article on Bloody Disgusting last week. It sounds perfect for the early darkness of November (which is totally f**king with me this year, for some reason). We kicked this off last Friday night with a screening of The Cohen Brothers' stunning debut, Blood Simple!
I love this film. So stark, brutal and just dark, man. DARK! Every performance is a gem; so many little Cohen Brothers flourishes help endear this one. Perfect example - the incinerator out back of Julian's bar. I would argue this is as much a Horror film as it is Noir, but there's no need to argue because no matter how you classify Blood Simple, it's a powerhouse and a classic, perfect for kicking off Noirvember! (Also, I love how much this poster reminds me of my favorite poster for Lucio Fulci's House By the Cemetery).
Next up, Billy Wilder's 1944 seminal classic Double Indemnity!
Nothing I can say about this film that hasn't been said a million times by people far smarter than me. A masterpiece and seminal Noir that sits right up alongside Sunset Blvd. Stanwyck really brings it; she's seductive, cold and evil. And MacMurray - it's hard to believe he was largely known for comedies up to this point. He's just perfect (if a skosh overcooked). Plus, Edward G. Robinson as Keyes - one of my favorite characters in film history.
Doc:
I absolutely love Drug Church's new record, Prude, so when a short making-of documentary popped up in my YouTube feed, I cracked a beer and hit play.
Prud is a serious contender for my favorite album of the year, and although I only recently learned that Patrick Kindlon - who I was familiar with from writing comics - is also the singer of the group, I know very little else. Sometimes, learning anything about a band is a bad thing. With Drug Church, however, you can just tell by their lyrics that these guys walk it like they talk it. And filmmaker Dookie Meno did a helluva a job with this. Highly recommended.
Playlist:
The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
Melvins - Tarantula Heart
Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Data Doom
Dreamkid - Chrissy (single)
Melvins - (A) Senile Animal
Morphine - The Night
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Blood Lust
The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World
Swans - The Seer
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot!
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
John Carpenter - Lost Themes IV: Noir
Card:
Today's card:
From the Grimoire:
"Break the cycle! Pattern interrupt (is) a definite counter to this card's presence. Physically write down the object/cause of anxiety."
That's a HUGE part of this card for me. It's not just a meaning; it's a tactic. Not a lot of how I have learned to interpret the Tarot gets that pragmatic, but I'd like to get there. Beyond that, in The Book of Thoth, Crowley says, "instability in the very foundations of Matter. This reminds us of the 'intense strain' of physical existence.
It's November, and one of the films that came in the new All the Haunts Be Ours, Vol. 2 Box Set is Rainer Sarnet's 2017 November. This one enchanted the hell out of me a few years ago when I caught it on Shudder TV, so I thought, "Hey, it's November; why not?"
I will now watch this film every November.
Gorgeous beyond words, this is the best example of modern authentic Folk Horror I can think of. Of Folk Traditions, the palimpsest of the old world rubbing against the new and the friction - of the "Horror" that causes. Beautifully executed and more than a little comical at times without breaking the tone, primarily because this one has such a strong, unique vision guiding it. I'm definitely interested in seeing what else Sarnet does.
Playlist:
Antibalas - Where the Gods Are in Peace
Fela Kuti - Opposite People
Fela Kuti - Sorrow Tears & Blood EP
Pearl Jam - Vs.
John Carpenter - Lost Themes IV: Noir
The Devil's Blood - The Thousandfold Epicentre
Neon Nightmare - Faded Dream
Dreamkid - All Thriller, No Filler
Dreamkid - Daggers
The Cure - Songs of a Lost World
Drug Church - Prude
Spoon - They Want My Soul
PJ Harvey - Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea
During my recent jaunt to Chicago's Southside, Mr. Brown and I once again did a record swap, and one of the records he loaned me that I cannot stop playing is Antibalas' 2017 Where the Gods Are in Peace. Sounds like Fela Kuti reincarnated! So many parallels to my favorite Fela record, Opposite People/Sorrow, Tears and Blood (might actually be two albums, but I had them on a joint CD Sonny D burned for me ages ago).
Watch:
I did some homework last night for the next episode of The Horror Vision Presents: Elements of Horror. 1926's A Page of Madness
It's been a while since I watched a B & W silent film, so I figured the best course of action would be to isolate myself, turn off all the lights and get stoned. Check, check and check. Maybe too stoned, though. A large part of this played like I was back in High School at a friend's watching "Beyond the Mind's Eye" or something. You don't realize how much dialogue drives a film until you remove it. When I say there's no dialogue here, there aren't even subtitles. That's because the film does indeed share something with those stoner videos of the 90s. It's largely a succession of arresting images, so I just kind of sat back and let them wash over me. This was pleasurable; I can't say much about the 'story' other than it ends up, I think, having something of a twist.
NCBD:
This week's pull:
The inevitable "0" issue. I assume this rounds out the "Road Stories" arc that has taken us strolling through Erica's past. It also marks the start of another hiatus, which bums me out. Still,
This is a new title for me, and I'm hoping to also grab issues 1-3 if they're still floating around the shop. Cruel Universe is the sister title to Epitaphs From the Abyss, which I professed my love for a few entries past. Both titles are part of Oni Press's revived EC Comics line, and I figured since I'm digging Epitaphs so much, I should give this a whirl as well. Plus, Oni Press is one of the oldest, most independent publishers I know of, so it's cool to support them here as well.
Final issue! I've enjoyed this anthology quite a bit and will continue to be on the lookout for these B, W &B series. Or, for that matter, any Spider-Man mini-series I can get my hands on. I miss the ol' Webhead, but still not going to engage in the core books that come out like, every three days or whatever.
Saga is heating up again! Didn't I just post something about how this book kinda lost something after the years-long hiatus? I might be eating my words real soon...
Playlist:
Antibalas - Where the Gods Are in Peace
Spoon - They Want My Soul
John Carpenter - Lost Themes IV: Noir
John Carpenter - Lost Themes III: Life After Death
John Carpenter - Lost Themes II
John Carpenter - Lost Themes
16 - Dream Squasher
Melvins - Tarantula Heart
John Carpenter and Alan Howarth - Halloween III: Season of the Witch OST
Genghis Tron - Board Up the House
Card:
Today's card for study is the 8 of Wands, Swiftness:
Yeah, I know I said I was going to stick with the sevens, but I need to go back and draw up a map of what I've already done for this 'tarot study' segment that I feel has become another daily pull. When I picked up my Thoth to flip to the next Seven, Valour came up again right away (and yes, I had already shuffled since yesterday's). When I put that aside, Swiftness came up. Seeing this, I figured, what the hell?
This is a Hob card, and Hod immediately brings to mind Splendour, but in The Book of Thoth, Crowley reminds us that being of Hod, the Eights share the same difficulties as the Sevens. Quoting directly from page 182:
"The position is doubly unbalanced; off the middle pillar, and very low down on the Tree. It is taking a very great risk to descend so far into illusion, and, above all, to do it by frantic struggle. Netzach pertains to Venus; Netzach pertains to Earth; and the greatest catastrophe that can befall Venus is to lose her Heavenly origin. The four Sevens are not capable of bringing any comfort; each one represents the degeneration of the element. Its utmost weakness is exposed in every case."
I've begun to read these weaknesses in Splendour and Victory as the weakness of the material world. The Earth is beautiful, and we can build Earthly victories, but all of it is a distraction from returning upward into the non-physical realms. Tiphareth has always been, to me, the pinnacle of what we can achieve and still be a part of the world. Maybe it's just the news this morning, but I feel like, as a species, we've left that behind for victories of common treasures. Fame, money, power, etc.
New Doves' album releases February 14! Not sure if anyone else knew this was coming, but it was a total surprise to me when I saw this pop up online in the middle of the night Sunday, and in keeping to form, I'm instantly smitten.
Peacock's Hysteria! is a show I read about and thought, "Sounds great, but I'll bet the execution will put me off."
Nope. I am happy to report that halfway through the series and I'm really digging this one.
Bruce Campbell is a huge plus here. He's just so likable, and yeah, we all know that, but honestly, he's never been enough to get me to watch something that seems like I won't take to it (I still haven't seen Black Friday). Here, though, he anchors an otherwise fantastic cast of characters, and while I'm pretty sure I can see what's coming a mile away, hey, I might very well be wrong. In the meantime, this 80s tale of Heavy Metal and Satanic Panic takes me back to my youth, and what's more, nostalgia is not all Hysteria! has to offer. I'm genuinely curious where this is going and I'm enjoying the road there, so this is a full recommend.
Read:
Pretty sure I just read what will be my favorite comic of the year, and that's the seven-issue FISHFLIES by Jeff Lemire.
While I've become a fan of Lemire's work as a writer ever since Gideon Falls, reading much of what he puts out with other artists, but ever since 2022's Maze Book, I've really developed an appreciation for the books he writes and does the art for. That's Fishflies, and it is really something. I'd read the first four or five issues back a few months ago (this was the book I subscribed to via my Chicago store, Amazing Fantasy, so picking it up was sporadic at best), then decided to wait until I had the entire run before rereading.
First, I LOVE how this was released as seven perfect-bound, 64-page issues. I adore that format, and it definitely helped create a great reading experience. Perfect-bound always does. It reminds me of old-school prestige-format books like Batman: The Cult andThe Punisher: No Escape. Second, this book starts one place and then really veers into some strange territory. That's all I'll say, as I wouldn't want to ruin anyone else's experience, just let it be said if you dig Lemire's work, I think you'll love FISHFLIES.
Playlist:
Doves - Renegade (Pre-release single)
Nachtmystium - Survivor's Remorse (single)
Dr. John - Gris Gris
Melvins - Tarantula Heart
Antibalas - Where the Gods Are in Peace
John Carpenter - Lost Themes IV: Noir
Chrystabell & David Lynch - Cellophane Memories
Card:
Today's card for study is the 7 of Wands, Valour:
Unintentionally drew two of the four Sevens in a row, so I'll continue on that path for the remainder. Netzach has always been the Sephiroth that drew me most (outside of Tipareth).
From the Grimoire, "A positive result dependent on the actions of the Querent."
Man, 2024 will be the toughest year to whittle out a Top Ten list since I started doing Top Ten lists. There are quite a few albums that feel like my favorite of the year, and the new Drug Church is the chief among them. Never mind that I love Patrick Kindlon as a comic writer; I like him even more as the singer of this awesome f@cking band!
Pick up the record or some merch from Pure Noise Records HERE.
Watch:
My copy of Severin Film's All the Haunts Be Ours, Volume 2, arrived late last week, and Saturday night I sat down and chose a first offering to watch from it. If you haven't seen the 'track listing,' it's too verbose for me to reiterate here, so follow THIS LINK.
Anyway, I chose Don Sharp's 1973's Psychomania. This was on Shudder for what felt like forever a few years ago, and while I think I caught some of it on a late-night Shudder TV jag, it made no impression other than the film looked like the era of its origin. Flash Forward to last night and the first thing I noticed upon hitting 'Play' was the pristine remastering Severin performed on this one. This comes as no surprise - the inaugural edition of All the Haunts Be Ours showed how serious Severin's approach is to applying their staunch approach to film preservation in the hallowed halls of Folk Horror. So, restoration-wise, picture and sound, this presentation of Psychomania is a pure pleasure to behold. That said, how's the film? Solid. There's a Hammer affectation here without all the trappings that come with Hammer Horror, which I am generally only a fan of for about a month every four to five years.*
My favorite part of this film, though? The opening credit sequence. I watched it three times before moving on to the rest of the film. It's spooky and gorgeous, and the wah guitar-driven score is perfect for capturing the mood and era of the film. Here it is below, albeit culled from YouTube, not Severin's pristine version.
Courtesy of The Other Side of Music's YouTube channel, wdzr. Check out the channel HERE or the blog HERE or HERE. A very interesting little corner of the web for Audio explorers.
* I appreciate what they do; it's just not my jam.
Playlist:
Cocteau Twins - Garlands
The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World
Dr. John - Gris Gris
Matt Cameron - Gory Scorch Cretins
Soundgarden - Superunknown
Soundgarden - Down on the Upside
Michael Jackson - Thriller (single; video)
Goblin - Fearless (37513 Zombie Ave)
Replicas - Gary Numan + Tubeway Army
Roxy Music - Eponymous
Drug Church - Prude
The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out
Better Lovers - Highly Irresponsible
Turnstile - GLOW ON
Baroness - Stone
Card:
Today's card for study is the 7 of Disks, Failure:
My only entry in the Grimoire is a sparse and foreboding, "A difficult period in material life," so let's see what Mr. Crowley has to say, shall we?
In opening the Book of Thoth, I'm reminded how little time is spent on the "pip" cards*. Here's the entire entry on the card:
"The number Seven, Netzach, has its customary enfeebling effect, and this is
made worse by the influence of Saturn in Taurus. The disks are arranged in the
shape of the geomantic figure Rubeus, the most ugly and menacing of the
Sixteen. (See Five of Cups.) The atmosphere of the card is that of Blight. On
the background, which represents vegetation and cultivation, everything is
spoiled. The four colours of Netzach appear, but they are blotched with angry
indigo and reddish orange. The disks themselves are the leaden disks of Saturn.
They suggest bad money."
The general sentiment here is to keep your wits about you; something today could go wrong.
Even though I'm pretty sure many of us in 2024 harbor suspicions that our world is winding down, I usually cut the temptation to give that idea any credence by reminding myself that every generation up through time has probably thought the same thing. Blame that on all the fearmongering the Christians used a mentally ill poet named Enoch's writings for. That said, when Robert Smith starts singing about the world ending, I tend to ruminate on the idea with a little more consideration.
"I know, I know my world has grown old..."
Fucking chills, mate. Fucking chills.
Spending my post-Halloween morning with the new album from The Cure. You can order a copy HERE.
31 Days of Halloween:
Once again, I closed the season with George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead. I picked this ritual up from my good friend/Horror Vision cohost Anthony a few years back, and it has stuck! I can't think of a more meaningful way to close 31 Days of Halloween and Sam Hain than with the movie that birthed the entire modern era of the genre I love. And NoTLD is Public Domain, so it's all over YouTube and I thought I'd post it here today.
1) The Killing of a Sacred Deer
2) The Houses October Built (2011)/Texas Chainsaw Massacre (50th-anniversary theatrical screening)
3) Loop Track
4) It's What's Inside/LONGLEGS
5) The Babysitter/Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
6) The Hitcher/Lost Highway
7) GDT's Cabinet of Curiosities: Graveyard Rats
8) V/H/S Beyond
9) Killer Klowns from Outer Space
10) Terrifier 3
11) Summer of '84
12) Rosemary's Baby/Suspiria ('77)
13) Daddy's Head
14) Undead
15) Moloch/Tea Cup (episode 1)/ Evil Dead 2
16) Smile
17) Laura Hasn't Slept/Smile 2
18) Terrifier
19) The House of the Devil - Last Drive-in Presentation (original air date April 26, 2019)
20) The Woods
21) Rob Zombie's 31
22) Carrie 2: The Rage
23) The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
24) Planet Terror
25) Baron Blood
26) The Blob ('88)/ The Thing/Tremors/Abigail
27) Halloween Kills
28) Over the Garden Wall
29) Hereditary
30) House By the Cemetery - The Last Drive-in Presentation (original air date April 16, 2021)
31) Dog Soldiers/The Exorcist (Theatrical cut)/Halloween (78)/ Don't Go in the House/Pizza Panic Party/Night of the Living Dead
Playlist:
Type O Negative - Origin of the Feces
Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses (Suspended In Dusk version)
Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja
John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Prince of Darkness OST
Enlightenment. Suppressed desires, or perhaps in my case, ideas. The Lightbringer. Also, a warning against following the answers others may offer to you. A good card for a new year. Raising a glass to the idea perhaps most associated with this card, "Worship Thyself!!!"
