Shawn's Favorite Albums of 2017

The list of my favorite albums from 2017, right HERE. Enjoy.

Converge - Murk & Marrow

Converge is new to me, though I've heard of them in an increasing capacity for the last few years. Now I understand why. After listening to the new album, I can say The Dusk in Us is definitely going on my top 10 albums of 2017. Also, a friend scored sold-out tickets for us to see them at LA's The Regent, the venue where I caught Dillinger Escape Plan's farewell LA show last year. Maybe these guys will act as a suitable replacement for seeing DEP live.

Maybe. Either way, great album.

Saturday, Oct 28th DwC Invades Stan Lee's LACC!!!

Drinking with Comics - Giant-Sized Con Edition!

Saturday, October 28th we will be invading Stan Lee's Los Angeles Comic Con and coming at you live to talk comics while knocking back some sweet suds courtesy of King Harbor Brewing Company. It's going down at 2:00 PM in room 306 A/B. More info HERE.

New Odonis Odonis Album Next Friday

No Pop is out on the wonderful Felte Records next Friday. Funds have been a bit tight so I haven't ordered it yet but I'm changing that today and you can too if you go HERE. In the meantime, here's the first track. So good.

Happy F13 - Here's the New Mutants Trailer to Celebrate

I said I wouldn't believe it until I saw it and now I've seen it - well, the first evidence of it anyway. What am I talking about? The fact that fox let director Josh Boone make the New Mutants a fucking HORROR movie! How awesome is that? Now if jump scares can only be kept to a minimum...

Evolution of the Arm: A Twin Peaks Discussion (Ep. 17 & 18)

One week ago tonight it ended. I think it could end here and be perfectly complete. That said, I certainly would love more. As far as arriving at a working interpretation, here are my thoughts.

John Carpenter's The Thing OST - Sterilization (Ennio Morricone)

You ever wanted to know where Boards of Canada came from, here it is. WaxWork put out a fabulous remaster of The Thing earlier this year and it is proving to be my most listened to record of the year.

RIP Walter Becker

My favorite song off Aja, a perfect record. RIP Mr. Becker.

Firewater - Green Light

From one of my all-time favorite albums, Firewater's 1998 The Ponzi Scheme. I saw Tod A. and the line-up for this record perform it in its entirety at the loooong gone but highly fabled Chicago venue Lounge Ax. It was amazing. Ever since The Ponzi Scheme came into my life I've held in the highest regards - to me its one of a handful of records that represent the highwater mark of the 90s indie music era (before "indie" was a, ahem, genre...). Ironically though the albums sonic scope is so extravagant in its influences that I've held it against everything else Tod A. has done under that moniker, i.e. I never listen to any of the other records because hearing his vocals I just want to turn whatever it is off and replace it with The Ponzi Scheme. After laying back into it for two days now I've just completed a fairly engaged morning listen and have The Golden Hour and International Orange! - both of which I have Brown to thank for gifting me - on deck and am going to try to finally broaden my Firewater palate.

Evolution of the Arm: A Twin Peaks Discussion (Ep. 16 No Knock, No Doorbell)

Hectic week and I forgot to post this here Tuesday night when it went up. Tomorrow 27 years of waiting comes to a head. I can't wait but will also, obviously, be sad to see it go.

Living Nudes - My World Exploded

Tommy from Heaven is an Incubator recorded and released an album recently! It's awesome and I suggest you head over to the band camp site HERE and buy it!

Cooper Light Socket/Ruby at the Roadhouse side x side

There's definitely something here. Unbelievable work by youtube Beyond Reason who also did the Sam and Tracy/Naido Cooper side x side from earlier in the season:



The idea of Lynch directing one scene while watching another to pace it is marvelous! The detail in this season is beyond anything he's done before, simply because he's had 18 hours to work with and what amounted to more time to shoot it than a standard film shoot.

2 weeks and 3 episodes left I want the climax but am afraid to get to it.

See you in the trees...

New From The Bronx Coming September 22nd!

Bronx I, II and IV are still among my favorite records from this century. If this first 'single' is any indication, V will join them up there.

Pre-order the album HERE.

Dead Cross - Live in Santa Ana

Monday was Dead Cross at the El Rey in Hollywood. My friend Keller and I hit it the early and caught Secret Chiefs 3 play a killer set; a great surprise as I didn't even realize they were playing. Spruance and Patton in the same building? FNM reunited, might Bungle one day?

I digress.

After more than a 45 minute wait between bands we became concerned. Our concern was justified when Dave Lombardo and Michael Crain ducked out from behind the curtain and told the crowd that Patton had been injured in a car accident and the show would have to be re-scheduled.

Crap.

Keller and I hit another bar, or rather a Mexican Cantina that appeared out of thin air after we found a strange green ring behind a beat-up old RV covered heavily with surveillance. The rest of that experience is foggy to say the least, but I think I ate a Negro Modelo and drank a chicken fajita.

Fast forward to Tuesday and the rescheduled show was announced for... that very night. Bummer, because there was no way I could make it to Hollywood. I had to miss the show.

Very glad Patton is okay and I hope Dead Cross come back to play LA again VERY soon. The album, which came out on Patton's Ipecac label is among my favorite things he's done in years.

Evolution of the Arm: A Twin Peaks Discussion (Ep. 15 'There's Some Fear in Letting Go')

Fifteen tops fourteen as my favorite of the new Season thus far (if you remove 8 from the equation). I think that weekly one-upping will continue unabated until the end.

The Genesis of Preacher (Season 2 Ep. 9)

Forgot to post this last week. First episode this season I had some problems with. Harry Connick, Jr.? Really?