Sonar Deceit

 

Thanks once again to Mr. Brown, I once again found an album that has immediately made my entire life better. The Damned's 2018 Evil Spirits is so good it's helped keep me afloat while I suffer from mild insomnia this first week in L.A. The Damned is a band I missed altogether when I was younger. Hell, it wasn't until sometime around 10 years ago that Mr. Brown came out to visit me, we hit Amoeba, and he picked up a three-disc set that included the first album, Damned Damned Damned, and I'm not really sure what else. This is the only Damned I knew until Sunday when, on the way to Cold Waves in Mr. Brown's car, he popped this in. I was blown away from the opening track, "Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow," all the way through to the last track, and I've listened to it almost every day since, sometimes multiple times. "Sonar Deceit" is, I believe, my favorite track, but the entire album is just so damn good, pun intended. The thing that

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Watch:

I had two nights to just kind of chill in my hotel room, despite the fact that doing so was exactly what I didn't want to happen (for a fairly heavy account of my pontifications walking the street of West L.A./Santa Monica, check out the most recent Every Day (Is Halloween) newsletter, which you can sub to HERE and comes complete with a playlist). I'm okay, though, and despite suffering from mild insomnia this last week, I'm maintaining and actually welcomed the respite. Here's what I watched while vegging in bed, NOT sleeping:

First up, Jeff Lieberman's 1977 weirdo slasher(?) Blue Sunshine. Here's the trailer:

 

This one is such a strange film; there's a fairly large scope to Blue Sunshine that kind of peters out at the end, but I love it nonetheless. The opening has stayed with me since the first time I watched it. Blue Sunshine is available on Blu-Ray from the fine folks at Film Centrix. 

 Next, I caught Mark Rosman's The House on Sorority Row on Shudder TV:

 

Not great, but then, it doesn't try to be. The House on Sorority Row knows exactly what it is - a film made to cash in on the early 80s Slasher craze, and in those terms, it does its job in a pretty entertaining way. There are elements of this that I really like to think were lifted from Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1966 film Diabolique, and that actually makes me like Sorority Row more than I probably should. 

Finally, in anticipation of seeing Demián Rugna's new film When Evil Lurks tomorrow at Beyondfest, I rewatched his 2017 film Terrified.

Another film that sets up a larger incident than it resolves, I dig this film quite a  bit but have never understood the proclamations that it's one of the scariest films of all time.  Terrified definitely hits a bunch of the "scariest scenarios ever" checklist (something under the bed you're sleeping in; dead child back from the grave, malevolent spirits watching you while you sleep, etc.), but I guess because I've seen all those before, it doesn't move the fear needle. That's not a criticism because most movies don't scare me. Not because I'm tough, but, you know, it's 2023 - we've seen a lot scarier shit in the real world. Still, a great film I recommend to all. 

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Playlist:

T. Rex - The Slider

Fvnerals - Let the Earth Be Silent

Bell Witch - Future's Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate

Joy Division - Substance 1977-1980

The Damned - Evil Spirits

Witchskull - The Serpent Tide

Godflesh - Purge

Dio - The Last In Line

Various - Every Day (Is Halloween) Playlist #7

The Damned - Phantasmagoria

Nerver & Chat Pile - Brothers in Christ split EP

Chat Pile - God's Country

IDLES - Joy as an Act of Rebellion

Wytch Finger - The Dance EP

FFS - Eponymous

Screaming Females - Desire Pathway

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Card:

I'm on the road, so all my Pulls will be from my mini Thoth deck for the next two weeks. Not a bad thing, but wanted to put up a reminder that Grimm's new Tarot Deck, The Hand of Doom Tarot, is both gorgeous and live on Kickstarter until Tuesday, October 3rd. Here's the LINK.

• Six of Swords: Science

• Five of Swords: Defeat

• Three of Disks: Work

Wow. Really easy to read this one: The changes I'm trying to inspire being back at work on-site are just not going to happen and are not worth fighting about. That actually takes a lot of stress off me. 

It's Beyond Me, the Way That We Use it

If you know me, you will be surprised to see me posting an Eric Clapton track here. Outside of "Layla", I am NOT a fan. But a few days ago, Mr. Brown showed me Rick and Morty's "The Vat of Acid Episode," where they use this track from Clapton's 1986 album August for a hilarious montage sequence. This is full-blown, mid-80s, mid-life crisis EC, and it's... well, I can't really talk all that much shit about it at the moment because a combination of R&M and nostalgia for the world as it was in 1986 (to a degree) has it in regular rotation inside my head. This has made me question something about myself: my cynicism. I'll write more about this soon - I'm running on 12 hours of sleep TOTAL over the previous 72 hours, and I just don't have the mental capacity to explain my thoughts because, you know, it's in the way that you... yeah. 

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Beyond:

Tuesday night, running on next to no sleep, my friend Jesus, Horror Vision Ray and I attended the opening night of Beyondfest with Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's new film Kill. There's no trailer yet, so here's a poster:

This one BLEW ME AWAY. I’m fairly certain I won’t see a movie I like more over the next two weeks, maybe not for the rest of the year. Kill provoked a standing ovation and a whole lot of encouraging "fuck yeahs" from this guy right here. I felt like I was at a freakin' metal show it pumped me up so much.

Kill instantly became my third favorite action movie ever (Predator and Die Hard being one and two). Also, though I don't want to give too much away, Kill becomes something of a “reverse slasher” in the last half and is apparently the "bloodiest film to ever come out of India." Of that, I have no doubt. If you are lucky enough to get a chance and see this on the big screen whenever it comes out, do yourself a favor and do just that. Outstanding!!!

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NCBD:

Here's an amalgam of what will be waiting for me at Rick's Comic City when I return to Clarksville, as well as what I'm planning on picking up while I'm on the road:

Probably the book I am most anticipating this week. I really dug the previous arc of The Stuff of Nightmares, and from the brief synopsis I saw months ago that stated this is a Horror story that takes place at a Horror Convention - not to mention this Barbarian-homage cover - Red Murder really has me excited. Funny then, that when I first heard the creator Goosebumps had a Horror Comic on the way, I wrongfully dismissed it; I grew up a voracious reader, but born in '76, I was too old for that kid-driven series, and honestly, I was reading Horror novels from the Worth Library's paperback spinner racks that were probably way advanced for me at the time, subject matter-wise.

Not super sure what to make of Jean Grey number one, other than A) Louise Simonson has returned to B) Whatever happens after Fall of X, pretty sure Jean will be returning from beyond the grave as the Phoenix.

Newburn! That is all. 

LOVING this new Garth Ennis/Jacen Burrows Horror series. 

I know something about issue four of Robert Kirkman's Void Rivals that shocks me into almost placing it above Red Murder #1 on the anticipation scale.

Not going to lie - I need a full-series re-read to reestablish where we're at in What's the Furthest Place From Here. That doesn't lessen my fervor for the book; just makes it difficult to say very much about picking this up today. But pick it up, I shall.

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Watch:

Somehow, I missed the fact that a teaser for Issa Lopez's True Detective Season Four dropped a couple of months ago. I didn't miss this one, though:

So, you know my recent aversion to trailers? I couldn't help but hit "Play" on this; however, I cut out after about half. I mean, I didn't need to see anything at all ahead of time to know I was going to be all-in. I mean, have you seen Tigers Are Not Afraid? Set in Alaska and... well, that's about all I know about this one at this point, other than the fact that it stars Kali Davis, Jodie Foster, John Hawkes and Destro - I mean Christopher Eccleston, and has something to do with the operators of a research station disappearing. Sound familiar? Chances are this won't resemble John Carpenter's The Thing at all, and the comparison I'm actually referencing is the work of Laird Barron, which would fit right in with what I originally thought this show was going to be in Season One. Based on the appearance of a certain symbol, this season is apparently going to tie into one and three. Fine by me - world-build True Detective. Please! 

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Playlist:

Umberto - Prophecy of the Black Widow

Screaming Females - Desire Pathway

Le Butcherettes - A Raw Youth

Mastodon - Leviathan

Eric Clapton - It's In the Way That You Use It (single)

The Damned - Evil Spirits

Danko Jones - We Sweat Blood

Sandrider - Godhead

Blackbraid - Blackbraid II

Pale Dian - Feral Birth

Godflesh - Songs of Love and Hate

Trust Obey - Fear and Bullets (1994 Edition)

Two Minutes to Late Night: Serpents of Christ

Johnny Marr - Somewhere (single)

Mutoid Man - Mutants

Feuerbahn - The Fire Dance EP

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Card:

I'm on the road, so all my Pulls will be from my mini Thoth deck for the next two weeks. Not a bad thing, but wanted to put up a reminder that Grimm's new Tarot Deck, The Hand of Doom Tarot, is both gorgeous and live on Kickstarter until Tuesday, October 3rd. Here's the LINK.

• Eight of Swords - Interference

• X - Fortune

• Ace of Wands

Again, I'm probably too tired at the moment of Pulling and writing this, however, pretty sure this is a work-related issue. The 8 of Swords, combined with Fortune (The Wheel in other decks) which denotes change, and the Willful breakthrough intimated by the Ace of Wands leads me to believe there will be somewhat of a confrontation tomorrow and this is a reminder to handle myself with tact and professionalism.

Weird being on the job site again. 

Godflesh @ Cold Waves 2023!!!

 

This past Sunday, Mr. Brown, Missi Raven and I attended the 2023 Chicago Metro edition of Cold Waves. As with last year - the first one of these I'd managed to make it out to after almost a decade of wanting to - the event was fantastic. We arrived late, so missed several bands, which sucks, but I've been a bit worn down, so it is what it is. We did manage to see Sierra, who was fantastic, Paul Barker's Lead Into Gold, also fantastic and closer Godflesh.

Godflesh closed with"Spite," the opening track from their 31-year-old masterpiece Pure, arguably my favorite Godflesh album (depending on the day, I suppose, but it's up there). 

Here's a recent setlist from Montreal; Chicago's set was identical, except for the two encore tracks, which they didn't have time to play. No complaints - a fantastic sampling of their illustriously pummeling career.

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Holy smokes. I did not know this was on the way:  

I've cooled on pretty much everything Mr. Cave has put out since Push the Sky Away. However, I still think he's a genius. And that genius began in a completely raw, primordial form with The Birthday Party, easily one of my all-time favorite bands. Seeing there's a documentary on the immediate horizon makes me insanely happy, even though it plays at my local arthouse theatre in Nashville, The Belacourt, from October 4th through the 8th, and I return from my trip on the 9th. 

Agghh!!!

More information - including all upcoming screenings - is on the movie's website HERE.

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Playlist:

Boards of Canada - Geogaddi

Boards of Canada - A Beautiful Place Out in the Country EP

Canyon - Empty Rooms

Nabihah Iqbal - Dreamer

Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire

The Damned - Evil Spirits

Damone - From The Attic

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Card:

I'm on the road, so all my Pulls will be from my mini Thoth deck for the next two weeks. Not a bad thing, but wanted to put up a reminder that Grimm's new Tarot Deck, The Hand of Doom Tarot, is both gorgeous and live on Kickstarter until Tuesday, October 3rd. Here's the LINK.

• Eight of Disks - Prudence

• Ten of Cups - Satiety

• Three of Cups - Abundance

Seriously sleep deprived out here for my first full day in LaLaLand, I'll take this as a reminder to know when enough is enough. Prudence + Satiety = Plenty; have the sense to know when you're done and retire with that. I'd say that's letting me know that I should not work past my 8 hours today but rather return promptly to my hotel and catch a nap, as I'll be attending a 10:00 PM screening of Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's new film Kill tonight at Beyondfest!!!

New Music From The Dandy Warhols!!!

 

From the forthcoming album ROCKMAKER. No pre-order information up yet, so I'm not sure when this is coming out, but I'll definitely have my eyes open for more. In the meantime, digging the new track.

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Watch:

Thursday evening K and I went to the local theatre to see Bishal Dutta's debut feature film It Lives Inside. Here's a trailer:

I adored this flick. It doesn't reinvent the wheel; however, I'm all for seeing more culturally diverse Horror on the big screen, and this is where It Lives Inside offers a welcome new perspective for Horror fans. It also offers a really cool practical FX monster, one of my favorites in a while. 

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Read:

I was finally able to sit down and read Jeremy Haun & Jason A. Hurley's five-issue The Approach in one sitting yesterday. I'd been buying it monthly but had some trouble finding the last two issues. My good friends at Amazing Fantasy Books and Comics in Frankfort took care of that, though, and I started from the beginning and burned through this snowbound powder keg in less than an hour.

Fantastic series with art by J. Hervas, The Approach is a fantastic series that sets everything up in issue one, then just blows through to the end in an escalating storm of Terror and Violence, and I mean that in the BEST possible way. 

The TPB recently went on sale, collecting all five issues - you can grab it directly from Jeremy's website HERE.

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Playlist:

Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me OST

The Coup - Your Parents' Cocaine (single)

Lead Into Gold - The Eternal Present

Godflesh - Recent Setlist Spotify Playlist

WYTCH FINGER - The Dance EP

Godflesh - Songs of Love and Hate

Blut Aus Nord: Disharmonium: Nahab

Lustmord - The Others (Lustmord Deconstructed)

QOTSA - In Times New Roman

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Card:

Well, I'm on the road, so all my Pulls will be from my mini Thoth deck for the next two weeks. Not a bad thing, but wanted to put up a reminder that Grimm's new Tarot Deck, The Hand of Doom Tarot, is both gorgeous and live on Kickstarter until Tuesday, October 3rd. Here's the LINK.

• 0: The Fool

• Princess of Cups

• Nine of Swords

A new journey begins; it will be difficult and emotional, but ultimately I remind myself any new journey is a good thing. Pattern Interrupt is a phrase I've been thinking of/talking about a lot lately. Fitting since I'll be on a plane to LaLaLand for two weeks, a few hours after this Post goes up. 

New Music from Chelsea Wolfe

It's unclear at this point if this new single is a harbinger for a new full-length Chelsea Wolfe album, but any new Chelsea Wolfe is fine by me.  

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One of the features my friends and I scored tickets to for this year's Beyondfest is V/H/S/85. Here's the trailer:

While I've made no bones about the fact that I find these anthology series a mixed bag at best, to quote Nick Chaney from the Projexploitation Podcast, "Like it or not, I'm on its side." I love that these exist, and I actually became fairly excited for this entry when I saw that Gigi Saul Guerrero, David Bruckner and Scott Derrickson are among the Directors attached. 

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Playlist:

Ritual Howls - Virtue Falters

Baroness - Stone

bunsenburner - Rituals

Bluekarma - The Friction, the Pain

Stuck - Freak Frequency

Zeal and Ardor - Eponymous

Godflesh - Purge

Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - Twin Peaks: Season Two

Angelo Badalmenti - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me OST

Various - Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series OST

Various - Twin Peaks (Music from the Limited Event Series)

Joseph LoDuca - Evil Dead 2 OST

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.  Just a reminder that Grimm's new Tarot Deck, The Hand of Doom Tarot, is both gorgeous and live on Kickstarter right now. Here's the LINK.

• Knight of Cups

• Nine of Swords

• Ace of Cups

Pretty straightforward this morning: quite your bellyaching, toughen up and get on with it. I'm feeling a bit morose about heading out this afternoon for two-and-a-half weeks away from home. I'll be working in LaLaLand for most of that time, and despite being able to see my friends there and attending Beyondfest, a large part of me just doesn't want to go. I'll miss K, I'll miss our two cats and I'll miss our home. The cards remind me instantly that Pattern Interrupts are always good things, and I will return stronger than when I left. 

Jade Bird - Trick Mirror

 

I'd never heard of Jade Bird until yesterday, as finding this record proved pure happenstance, in the best possible way. During my afternoon writing session at the coffee shop, the music on my earbuds stopped just long enough for me to catch a snippet of "Trick Mirror." This track reminds me of something I can't yet place; the up-front bassline, Bird's soft vocals accentuated by a rhythmic cadence that soars at times with lush double tracking, and that ghostly reverb return that's pinned in the depths of the right channel of the mix. It adds up to a pretty compelling tune. 

"Trick Mirror" is taken from the 2021 album Different Kinds of Light, available on Ms. Bird's Website HERE.

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NCBD:

Here are my picks for NCBD today:

Saga! Like TMNT below, I'm behind on this one. Still, just seeing a new issue of Saga hit the stands brings a smile to my face. Still gotta make that twice-aborted re-read happen!

If this is only Part Three of "Showdown at the Easy Creek Corral," that means this issue is really just going to continue to crank the tension between Erica and Cutter, which is INSANE because it's already almost at the point of being unbearable! NOT a complaint, mind you, I'm just way more invested in this book than ever before - a feat for sure - and the creative team have set up a massive payoff. Talk about great serialized writing!

So far, Lemire and Sorrentino's Tenement is vying for my favorite spot out of all their Bone Orchard Mythos titles. Can't wait to read this and see where the new issue takes our band of trepidatiously misplaced travelers.

I'm behind on this series again, and I doubt I'll be catching up before my trip, so by the time I get back, I should only have to wait a week or so before I can read  TMNT 143, 144 and 145 in a burst. 

The first issue of Gerry Duggan and Javier Garron's new iteration of Uncanny Avengers was a pleasant surprise, so I'm hanging in for the foreseeable future. This might be the book where I felt the ramifications of the Hellfire Massacre the most. 

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Listen:

It was a great pleasure indeed for me to be asked on as a guest of John Trafton and Miles' Fortune's This Movie Saved My Life podcast. 

 

John, Miles and I talk all things Horror, with a particular emphasis on 90s Horror and 1998's Fallen, which I had never seen before. Here's the trailer:

Fallen is by no means a 'must-see' film, however, I definitely liked it better than most of those late 90s, post-Se7en serial killer movies. 

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Playlist:

QOTSA - In Times New Roman

Godflesh - Purge

Zeal and Ardor - Eponymous

Madlove - White With Foam

Lead Into Gold - The Sun Behind the Sun

Jade Bird - Trick Mirror (single)

Ash Borer - The Irrepassable Gate

WYTCH FINGER - The Dance EP

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.  Just a reminder that Grimm's new Tarot Deck, The Hand of Doom Tarot, is both gorgeous and live on Kickstarter right now. Here's the LINK.

• Six of Wands

• Ace of Pentacles

• Ten of Cups

I inadvertently upset a delicate balance last night and can see my hard-fought plans - which have taken a few weeks to solidify - are in jeopardy. That's a bit of a hyperbolic statement: I'm trying to watch what I spend pre-LaLaLand, and I went ahead and bought a record on eBay. Nothing crazy expensive, however, finances are a delicate balance at the moment simply because we've depleted a lot of our 'home fund', and I really want to build it back up. The trip is going to have its financial footprint - work pays for all the travel and my meals, but I'm planning on being out and about as possible. So I'm reading this Pull as a gentle warning: No more late-night record buying for a while. 

I couldn't very well pass up Prince's Sign O'the Times, though. I used to have that, but it went out the door in my divorce.

C.O.F.F.I.N. - Give Me a Bite

Early last week, my good friend and former Schlitz Family Robinson bandmate Sonny V. sent Mr. Brown and I this track from Australia's Children Of Finland Fighting In Norway, or, C.O.F.F.I.N. The album, Australia Stops, dropped this past Friday, and I have to tell you, the whole thing freakin' kicks some serious face in. Give this one a listen on your favorite music streaming service, and if you dig like I do, you can head over to the C.O.F.F.I.N. Bandcamp page and pick up the album for a pretty easy $18.99 with a mere $5.00 shipping for U.S. Pretty sweet, right? Now, prepare to have your faces kicked!

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Bring this on right freakin' now, please!

Last week I scored tickets to a handful of Beyondfest screenings, with more of the RSVP to follow. I'm in Chicago this Friday through Sunday, seeing Godflesh for Coldwaves on Sunday, then boots on the ground for work and debauchery in LaLaLand for two weeks. writer/director Kristoffer Borgli's Dream Scenario is, unfortunately, this year's festival closer on 10/10, so I'll miss it there. That said, this  should be hitting theatres nationwide. 

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Playlist:

Baroness - Stone

C.O.F.F.I.N. - Australia Stops

High on Fire - The Art of Self Defense

Goatsnake - Black Age Blues

Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium: Nahab

Perturbator - The Uncanny Valley

Lord Huron - Long Lost

Ritual Howls - Virtue Filters

Belong - October Language

Boy Harsher - Careful

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.  Just a reminder that Grimm's new Tarot Deck, The Hand of Doom Tarot, is both gorgeous and live on Kickstarter right now. Here's the LINK.

• XVIII: The Moon

• King of Pentacles

• Ten of Wands

Hidden Aspects of Earthly concerns will require a perfectly harmonized application of Will to harness/overcome. 

I'm not in a headspace to properly decode this today. I'm scattered, and that in and of itself may be where I need to apply that Will in order to make any progress. There's a slowly increasing hum of anxiety surrounding my upcoming 17-day trip away from home, 14 of those in LaLaLand. The last two trips have instilled in me a rising sense of unease when residing in L.A., and that's something I'm dreading.

That said, this trip will not be like the one last March; Beyondfest is back, my good friend and Horror Vision Co-Host Ray is taking a week off work to hang out, and I get to meet frequent Horror Vision collaborator and all-around awesome new friend John Trafton in person! Not to mention, all the other friends I will see. I've spoken here before about the importance of populating your life with Events, and that's definitely how these fall trips are set up, so there should be considerably less time spent sad and lonely in my hotel room, surrounded by the trash-littered landscape of West L.A., basically a post-apocalyptic city at this point.