To Anonymous: A risky message

First of all, I feel really silly posting this right now, but it's happening:

I would like to address a group called Anonymous. Bravo.

I don't know who you are, nor do I wish to. This message is only a result of my bored curiosity of Scientology jokes. Any YouTube search, the name Anonymous pops up.

Here's an example to give people an idea of what I'm talking about. Not only the impact of Anonymous, but Anonymous's gripes against Scientology.






Now, I'm sure that there are a lot of kids out there doing a lot of stupid shit like pirating kids credit cards and putting up Nazi shit on websites (at least so they've been accused of a la wikipedia, so I can't claim if any of this shit is true).

Even if it is true there is an important lesson that the war against Scientology is an important statement of why people want control of the internet for the rest of our significant future. The internet is such a power tool that we, nor they, have really grasped it's power. Our generation and the one behind ours, is just a little a head of the curb to understanding what it can do. Anonymous, while doesn't harbor the tool, is it's greatest protector.

At it's current state the internet is still an amoeba. Unfiltered speech. Free videos. Instant companionship. Information (real and fake). Created by us humans as a way for us to know ourselves at all times. The internet still needs to time to grow. One of the reasons war was declared by Anonymous was the Scientology's attempt to censor or put out false information.




What I love about Anonymous is the idea of Anonymous, its that there is no Anonymous. When you have a group that doesn't exist, any one can join, but only if the whole approves. They make it easy for anyone to fake, but everyone to participate. They've harnessed the energy and the power of the internet by remaining functionless. No real way to communicate. No real way to notice. But more power than any silly cult can stop or understand. There's no point in trying to stop them or try to join them. Because there is no them. It's a true democratic movement that makes any teabagger movement seen pathetic.

A lack of command.

At least it can. The fact that people showed up at these Scientology protests is important. That means there is indeed an Anonymous. Who they are isn't important. It's simply THAT they are. It keeps the internet in it's current form but asks it to evolve beyond it's digital restraints. Making the internet a far more powerful force than simply information recollection, but now we can see that it can have a conscious and not even be aware of it.


So if Anonymous is really watching the internet and I have message for Anonymous:

Watch yourselves. Keep going. People can't have the internet yet. It doesn't have to be owned or controlled, but move by natural courses of time. I don't know how much you power you have or if you have the power that you claim you have, but whatever power you have remember responsibility. Keep fighting I guess. You might end up a paradoy of yourself, or a shell of the former self of whatever the hell the "collective" is. But whats important that you remain an idea. An idea is the only thing that they can't touch. Whatever target you chose, the idea is your saving grace. Blameless, relentless, and anonymous. Remember there are common enemies that everyone has, just make sure you get the right target. Your motives are pure, but power corrupts.

Have fun. Someone will always be watching I guess. Myself included. I just hope knowledge of your existence isn't the cause of your destruction or misuse.


Command Image: War Commands

Why did you resign?

Okay. I will be very very brief. So AMC remade the Prisoner.

Normally, I'm in huge defender of updates and remakes. I generally see nothing wrong with old ideas being reformed for contemporary times as long as it remains true to the original ideas and captures the nature of it's predecessor. Especially with an old show like The Prisoner, which is hard show to watch.



The Prisoner, the original, is about a secret agent (Patrick McGoohan, the brain behind the show) who resigns from his job and then wakes up in a strange place called the Village where is called No. 6. The Village is run by No. 2 who tries to find new ways of getting information out of No. 6, particularly the reason why No. 6 resigned. No. 6 tries to escape and uncover the the mysteries of The Village such as, who do they work for and who is No. 1.

I won't go into how much I love the 1967 show.

The new Prisoner misses. It completely misses of why No. 6 is in the Village. It seems the whole point of the show was just to have No. 6 accept the Village. They never explain why he's a prisoner.

It doesn't bother asking who is No. 1. Nor does it give No. 2 any reason for keeping No. 6 in the Village. There is too much revealed to the audience about No. 2 which is a mistake because No. 2 isn't really supposed to be a person. I was okay with only having one No. 2 (because in the original No. 2 changes every episode). No. 2 is supposed significant and powerful...but not all powerful and certainly not very human. The only aspect of No. 2's humanity should come from his job as No. 2 which is to break No. 6 and the frustrations of No. 2's failure to do so.

Part of the problem is the purpose of No. 6's incarceration and the need for No. 2 to interrogate him. "Why did you resign?"

The new show deals with the metaphor of No. 6's resistance to conformity but doesn't. No. 6 really doesn't struggle with it. What I mean is that, No. 6 represents the epitome of individuality and all of it's flaws and the Village is the crippling comfort of conformity. The new No. 6 doesn't resist, nor toy with the system. He barely tries to escape. In the mini-series, he seems to just do what he is told.

Perhaps it is the way James Caviezel performance felt a little too melancholy and not determined. McGoohan was far from a brilliant actor, but he had a stoic presence that was captivating and charismatic. Caviezel just looked like he was bummed about the whole thing.

All in all, in my opinion, the Village is supposed to make you feel trapped. Not isolated.

While I applaud AMC for it's bravery for giving this a shot, they should have studied the 1967 show and tried to actually update it, rather than try and make the show a gimmick.

My advice. Stick with the 1967 show...if you want. It's a hard enough show to like without watching the remake.

Be seeing you.


Command Image: The Prisoner Commands

In Defense of...Hockey.

We here at Lack of Command are proud debut a new series to our chronicles of insanity entitled "In Defense of..."


Whenever the notion strikes us, we will take an aspect or issue that at best doesn't get the respect it deserves. We will present our subjective love for such things in the most unbiased way possible, dissecting the reasons against, while presenting reasons for. We will also invite you to add your two cents, feel free to comment on this blog or elsewhere, and we just may revisit the defense. Who knows, you might change our minds.


Our inaugural induction will be the defense of America's fourth sport, hockey.


HOCKEY



What’s wrong with hockey, America? Seriously? The other night I watched a game while at the gym (yeah, I go to the gym.) I was quite excited to watch the Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers. A game I have no vested interest in seeing other than to watch some damn good hockey. What inspired me to take up the cause of hockey is that I had to ask the guy to change the channel to hockey.


Now, being in New York in the middle of the World Series, if baseball was on I wouldn’t bother. It is my opinion that early season games of one sport take a back seat to the post season of another, I think any sports fan agrees with this. I wouldn’t like it if someone wanted to switch from the Stanley Cup Playoffs to a pre-season Mets game.


However, what they were playing on ESPN? Poker. Seriously, ESPN was airing a game where the audience watches other people win money in a card game. This got me thinking, why doesn’t hockey get any love here in the states?


I’m not saying that hockey is somehow superior to other sports, I am saying that for my money, hockey is just as good as the other three. In terms of popularity or notoriety in the states, the big four are (in order) football, baseball, basketball and hockey. While I was on the treadmill, hating the fact that I was on a treadmill I asked myself, what about hockey doesn’t resonate with America? Here are a few reasons why Americans might be reluctant to embrace hockey:


1) Hockey isn’t an American sport.

The crux of the issue is that hockey A) was not invented by Americans or B) isn't dominated by American players. I would buy this point if the opposite were true for the other big three, but sadly it is not.


Football is based out of rugby which is about as American as Monty Python. Baseball’s roots have been traced back to England as well. In fact Basketball is the only sport with it’s official origin in America and was developed by a Canadian. Hockey is no less an invention of America than hamburgers and french fries.


In terms of Americans’ dominance of the sport, I truly don’t know where this misconception comes from, since a Canadian team hasn’t won the championship since 1993. For such a Canadian sport, there are only 6 teams out of 30 that call the Great White North home. What’s that? Oh it’s the players that aren’t American, like Yao Ming or David Ortiz right?


Sure the ratio to non-American hockey player to American hockey players is ridiculously in favor of non-American players, but is that legitimate reason to not watch a sport? Is it easier to cheer for a guy named Troy Polamalu over a guy named Sidney Crosby because the latter is not American? A fairly dubious argument.

A side note: With the Olympics coming up this year, Team USA is going to be one of the most exciting things to happen in the 2010 Olympics. It's a young team with a lot of heart and talent. They have the possibility of being the true underdogs of the Olympics. I encourage you all to tune into that.

So the "Un-American" argument doesn’t hold much water, unless you want to hold those same standards to ALL of the Big Four, which I sincerely doubt anybody would. So let’s move on, huh?


2) It’s a low scoring game.

Compared to what? How much different are baseball scores compared to hockey scores? Football has a lot of points sure, but imagine if every touchdown, conversion and field goal was worth one point. I suspect that, unless you’re watching Tom Brady take his frustrations out on the Tennessee Titans, the scores would look quite similar.


Basketball is the only acceptation, but when you think about it, the reason for that is simply because you’re not allowed to touch any player at any time. They call fouls for looking at a guy the wrong way. If that’s your idea of a good sport where a fast moving game screeches to halt because Lebron accidentally face palms Kobe, that’s your right.


3) It’s a game you actually have to pay attention to.

This is a point that hasn’t been presented to me, rather a theory that I conjured up, and it’s one of the reasons why I think that soccer (that’s right, I’m calling it soccer) and hockey are sort of in the same vein in terms of American “watchability.”


Think about watching football and baseball, it’s something you can easily watch at a bar or at a party. They are social sports. You can be engaged in a deep philosophical discussion during a baseball game and you won’t miss any action. You can be at a party playing beer pong, and still catch the big passes of the Superbowl.


In hockey, the big plays happen instantly. Blink and you’ll miss the great goal, the sick pass, or the nasty hip check. Play does not stop very often, certainly not as often as baseball, and when it does the stops are certainly not as long as football. This doesn’t really lend itself to drinking games or involved discussions during play. I seriously doubt however, that any sports fan would take this a knock against the sport.


So now that I’ve shaken you’re initial reluctance to the sport of hockey against your favorite sport, allow me to share with you the reasons why hockey may not deserve your fanatical devotion, but at the very least your respect.



Keep in mind that compilation is just from this past week in the early 2009-10 hockey season. You want finesse goals? Dramatic saves? Dynamic team plays? Brutal checks? Hockey as a sport, has it all.

Do yourself a favor and tune in January 1st for the Winter Classic in Boston. The NHL goes all out for this event as they pick a city to host an outdoor hockey game. The venue is usually something identifiable to the city, last year was at Wrigley Field, with the Chicago Blackhawks taking on Detroit Red Wings. This year, the Boston Bruins will take on the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park. Should be some "old time hockey." What do I mean by "Old Time Hockey?"





So I propose a question to you, loyal follower(s), what does football/baseball/basketball have that hockey doesn't? If you're a sports fan, why not watch hockey?


Command Image: Missile Command

The beginning and the end: A random rant about albums.

I don't know how most people judge a music album when they first plug it in. I know that there are many variables to consider, such as how much do you liked the previous album, if this is their debut, who recommended it, etc... I think what makes people's musical taste differ is expectations. Those expectations are usually drawn from either what you know already or what you have been told. For example, if I were to recommend to a Brian Eno fan the new Sunn O))) album simply because it is "ambient like Eno," someone is going to be surprised (By the way, any Eno fans...check out the new Sunn O))) album). Meaning that, what I told the Eno fan wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth.

I, on the other hand, do take people's word for it a lot of times because I trust their music tastes, or rather I trust their knowledge of my own tastes. But, when I'm searching alone, and by alone I mean flying blindly into an album because it was on some internet Top Ten list, I always feel a little anxious but I think I've discovered my criteria in whether or not I like an album. It's either the first track or the last track.

Now, this standard applies with most albums that I consider to be my all-time favorite. From Pink Floyd to Earth. From Neurosis to Blackalicious. Usually my favorite of those favorite are the albums that connect the beginning from the end (Pink Floyd - Animals, Earth - Pentastar: in the style of demons, Leftover Crack - Fuck World Trade or any Frank Zappa album to name a few). But I wonder if my philosophy is flawed. How many albums have I discarded because the first song didn't do it for me? Note: I'm not including the 30 second intro track that a lot of good albums have.

Not to say that albums with solid beginnings and endings are the only good songs on the album. But I find when I'm new to a band or an album, I typically judge it by the first and last tracks. Harvey Milk, The Arcade Fire and Sonic Youth are good indicators of that.

Music is really the only medium that allows for these kind of lazy techniques. Movies and books can sure be tainted be a shitty beginning or end, but I'm still willing to take the journey with a little more vigor if they don't open strong than with a music album.


Now what so important about the beginning of an album to me is not necessarily to "wow" me. But to set me up for whats to come. Either buckle up or chill. The problem some albums run into is that the albums are too front heavy. I can get half-way through Choking Victims - No Gods, No Managers, and not be bothered with the rest of the album.

The point I want to make is the construction of an album is a delicate art that I don't understand. All I know is if I like the beginning I'm sold. If I don't, you better knock me out with that last track.

Command Image: Pushing command!

Killing of Mailmen

So what I wanted to do is write about sitcoms or the new Shrinebuilder track. But instead I'm going vomit this at you, dear public. I simply can't help it.

Take a look at this video.




Your politics towards health care is not really relevant to me, but what this video shows is that the people who say inspiring words such as: "Abolish all health care" or "expand medicare rather than Obamacare," it makes it difficult for me to take you guys seriously. I wonder, where are you getting all of this? Where in the world is this coming from?

Notice how this name keeps popping up. Glenn Beck.

Okay. You know the guy. Unfortunately if you are a quasi-rational person, you would absolutely know that this guy is a journalist in the same way that I'm a journalist. A guy who reads whatever crazy shit he finds on the internet and present it as fact.

No, he's far worse than your average lazy blogger. He delivers it as more than fact but as warnings. He brings an apocalyptic doom in his rants and demands that people do something about it. He often compares himself as a modern day Howard Beale (our unofficial and *cough* unlicensed mascot here at Lack of Command). He makes this comparison due to his "mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" attitude towards the news Glenn Beck has clearly never seen the whole movie nor clearly has he ever read the full monologue. Beale says things need to change, where as Beck seems to only say things need to stop.

What I don't think he realizes is that a call for things to stop, for some people means a call to go backwards. So he uses the same tactics as McCarthy, getting Czars fired, protests started, and people's fears (whether legitimate or not) to shift to blind anger.

AP posted today that a man in Kentucky was lynched. He was a census worker and according to the report: the word "Fed" was sketched on his body.

So we're back to this are we? I understand the anger, I can even understand the hatred. Lord knows, I called for the head of George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. With some degree of seriousness as well. Not in the sense where I really wanted to see them in the gallows, but I definitely wanted justice. Now, just because I felt anger and hatred, I didn't kill the fucking mail man!

A message to Republicans: to whoever wants to be the leading canidate in the 2012 presidential election needs to stand up now and demonize this kind of behavior. Honestly too. But you won't will you? After all, when George Tiller was killed this summer (in CHURCH of all places), what did you do? You all pretty much said: murder is wrong, but there's a special place in hell for him anyway. Or how about Joe Wilson? Shouting at a joint session of Congress at the President and than touting that line as a battle cry. You allowed it.

This is what happens when hatred meets stupid.

What happened? Where are the smart people on the right? The problem is the religious right has taken over. The only problem is we didn't see this coming but we should have. They've bullied and muscled there way on to the school boards, on to the library boards and community chairs. They did it quietly in some places. So they get to advance and give suction to those who were beneath them and agree with them on "moral standpoints." And used a media system and a "scorched earth" political tactic. Filling people with the idea of: it's us or them.

That mentality has carried over into the nut house.

This is may just be an isolated incident. I hope so. But this one incident to me is one too many. I desperately want there to be "have you decency, sir?" within the Republican party to oust these guys away from the megaphone, like in the McCarthy era. Here's the thing, I don't want it to get to that point. I don't want there to be another McCarthy era. Or another blacklist. Nor another Civil War.

Is it racism? Probably. Is it an irrational fear and anger towards the federal government? Probably. Is it people being poor and not having anyone to blame for that fact? Probably.

I don't know how to fix this. I wish I did. I thought that if someone could only show them that they are incorrect in their conclusions but welcome to the process, we would be done with all of this. All I know is that we as a society have to move past this. We have to grow beyond these all too familiar cycles. We have to be able to trust ourselves and each other. After something like this happens, it damages that trust I have for people and almost destroys any sort of hope I have for a better country or a better human race.

Only time time will tell how this will play out but we've seen this happen before. We need to change it before it gets that bad again. The killing of mailmen just because they are mailmen is the type of hatred that lacks all logic.

Anyway. We now return to our regulary scheduled program. Just pay attention. And remember, keeping your moral high ground is the most important when the stupid and the crazy lose theirs.




Command image: Mailman Command

Doom and Drone, Sludge and Stone Part 4: Stone

The Stone

Josh Homme, guitarist for Queens of the Stone Age and stoner icon band Kyuss, once said that he hates the term Stoner Rock. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of the term because I feel it very much pigeon holes the music into only singing about wizards and harsh pipe hits. However, I think the term “Stoner Rock” should stick because the term was created by the bands and the fans. You see, once a “music scene” begins to turn into some sort of fucking fashion function, or ends up being exploited by greedy artists and even greedier record companies: the control is no longer honest. It’s either you got to stay hip or, for lack of a better term, staying the course on what made you money. Music scenes, especially music scenes that start regionally, are always ripe for the taking. From punk to hip-hop to grunge to indie. They are then usually marketed in the corporate friendly, non-judgemental and non-exclusive term of “alternative.” Alternative. Remember Alternative Rock? College friendly love songs or misguided teenage angst that usually just led to keg-stands and one-night-date-rape-parties. Now, alternative has found another feast for the platter. It’s called “indie.” Indie rock is the new Alternative. And so the cycle continues.

Which is why I find it necessary to maintain the term “Stoner Metal.” It really has nothing to do with the actual act of smoking weed. I mean, it’s part of it I guess, but the idea that you need to do drugs to listen to and enjoy music is absurd. It has more of the fact that this is a style of music that its roots are born from 1990’s (going further back than that I know, relax music historians, but go with me.) In the 1990’s we saw the destruction of crappy hair/opera/cock/butt metal by the hands of grunge sound coming out of Seattle. Meanwhile, a few hundred miles south in various parts of California we had the likes of Kyuss and Sleep. The two bands that many would dispute are the ones that re-defined (due to lack of a better term) Stoner Rock. Or at the very least introduced a new way to play rock and roll. The new way was simple: try the old way again.

Riffs. Cymbals. Low bass. High distortion. Sing (or scream) like you mean it.

So, stoner metal fans should feel fortunate that it has a term that wasn’t “given” to us. It was term that we all created and continue to perpetuate. Because if we can keep our name, we won’ t be fooled again. Until they at least de-criminalize marijuana, there is no really long term way to market stoner metal. So if you can’t market it, you leave it alone. Our name is the last defense. They should have just called punk rock, shit rock; or maybe called hip-hop fuck-hop. Keep it dirty. Keep it off the grid. This way we can stay our own community and we can control our own destiny.

Now, onto the lesson….




Remember these guys from our first lesson? Sleep. No stoner fan is complete without hear every track from "Sleep's Holy Mountain" at least ten times. The album was called the album Black Sabbath never made. Sure the lyrics are goofy, but what Sleep demonstrates is the absolute touchstone of the Stoner Metal Genre, the riff. Stoner, Sludge, Doom and Drone all have that in common. The celebration of the riff. While most metal bands are trying to cram a thousand riffs into a 5 minute song , this genre will take 7 minutes to play 2 or 3.

Or in the case of their hallmark stoner masterpiece, "Dopesmoker," where Sleep took an hour to play 3-4 riffs. It's a head rattling journey into heavy. It was later renamed "Jerusalem" and split into tracks, causing the eventual demise of the band. The members of the band have become stoner metal icons, Al Cisneros, Chris Haikus and the mighty Matt Pike. Like I said with Wino, Matt Pike is one of the most overlooked guitarists in all of metal. See: High on Fire.



It's like Elmore James learned how to play metal.

Now we can't talk about stoner metal without talking about their California counterparts, Kyuss.



If "Sleep's Holy Mountain" was the album that Black Sabbath never made, Kyuss is like Alice Cooper's pissed off, pot smoking little brother. The emphasis is still on simple, fuzzy riffs, but this is not dragon slaying music. This is for getting in your car and driving down miles and miles of desolate desert road. The quartet of guitarist Josh Homme, drummer Brant Bjork, vocalist John Garcia and bassist Nick Oliveri only made two albums, but it was more than enough to make an impact.

To me, what stands out about Kyuss is it's cymbal heavy drumming which would eventually become another characteristic of the genre. Most metal bands are about the pounding double bass, but the emphasis on the cymbal adds to the characteristic fuzz of stoner metal.



Doors-esque tripped out guitar solos, Black Sabbathy riffs, and rough unpolished vocals. This my friends is why we so proudly listen to this style of metal. It's funky. It's bluesy. It's evil. It's trippy. It provides some serious rocking in bulk supply. And for stoner metal, you don't have to wander too far from the these California powerhouses. Enjoy!



Today's Command Image: Commander Riker (you knew it was coming)

Battlestar Galatica or the week of death

So here in moving, things are finally settling down and I would greatly like to apologize to my partner and brother for taking so long to post something here in our refuge called Lack of Command.

In settling here in NY, I've learned to harness the word swear words with eloquence in my daily speech. And while I'm not as comfortable enough to stretch my legs anywhere on the east coast yet, I hold on to the hope that I'll get there some day. But in any case, that's how I would describe my travels halfway around the world: cramped. My time, my energy, my mind and body are cramped.

So, on to Europe. Europe was pleasant enough I suppose. I spent most of the trip drinking or stabbing my notebook wildly with my pen writing out whatever came to my head. But seeing ancient civilizations fascinate me. The more I learn about history, the more I can see around the corner. Also, the heat and the little coffee's get on my nerves.

Back in Pueblo. The less said about the good and the bad there, the more sacred I feel that it will remain.

And back again to New York. Back to work with Richard.

So what a crazy week it has been ladies and gentlemen. The stars are certainly falling. Iran was in upheaval. A governor with a lot of, shall we say, frequent flyer miles. But celebrity deaths seem to hit people the hardest. The biggest of course is Michael Jackson. I won't say much on the subject, but what I will say is that when one is born into fame, one can feel trapped for the rest of his life. That dude could dance though. My jaw still drops when I see him moonwalk.

But what I really want to talk to you folks about is a little show that I've been trying to plow through called Battlestar Galatica. I've just made it to the third season, but I feel I've garnered enough of it to get a real feel for the show. But, before I begin, I was recommended this show by people who I trust and immdiately compared to the Wire.

That is not the case.

Battlestar Galatica is good. But only Sci-fi good. And while it does delve into issues that are more real than we might want to admit (politics, war, religion, etc), one still feels to be stifiled by it's own limitations. It's concept is absolutely addicting. It's execution is commendable (handheld space battles, Russell like). Edward James Olmos excels in his performance.

I have three complaints: The Frak. The Fuck. The Feel.

The Frak needs no explination. I hate it. So many great scenes are completely ruined by this nonsense replacement swearing. I understand it's a throwback to the old show, but out of all the things to old to from the old show, why that? It's so daycare of them. Russell's philosophy on swearing: do it or don't.

The Fuck. There is a lot of sex in this show. Like a whole lot. Now I understand that those who watch Battlestar Galatica (particularly males) could use the jerking material, but I think we should leave that to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

The Feel. Now what do I mean by that? I mean that I don't feel for any of the characters. I'm intrigued to what's going to happen, but none of the characters really grab you. They talk a lot about the struggle of humanity, but I don't get the sense that these characters get a chance to show theirs. I'm not saying it's missing entirely, but because of the complexity of the story, they rush the plot over the characters. Plot only enhances characters. Not the other way around, so when we find out that someone's a robot (in some cases with characters who we just met), I can really care less because I have to throw out anything I knew about them. All I'm saying is that they got it backwards. They flung us into this world and no one to really guide us through the process. It's a major problem. Even the most formulaic sitcoms force you to like the characters. But this show never gets there.

So bottom line. Good. Not great. But interesting enough. I might keep watching, but I might just wait for season 3 of Mad Men.

Okay. Finally got that out of my system.


Command Image: Mac Command (in celebration of Richards new computer)

An Open Letter to Chuck Norris

I’m not going to apologize for this; this is going to be political. Russell and I are pretty politically liberal, by pretty I mean very. While we tend to be more radical than most in our beliefs, we always welcome opposing viewpoints, as long as they’re intelligent and respectful. I’ve become very good friends with folks who vehemently disagree with me, albeit the disagreement is usually followed by a healthy intake of alcohol. The point is, while we here at Lack of Command don’t want this to become a purely political blog, we certainly welcome the element.

That being said, I hate Chuck Norris. This has nothing to do with politics; it has everything to do with taste. He’s awful and I detest his work, whether it’s hawking exercise machines, flying a jet pack wearing cowboy boots, or getting his ass kicked by Bruce Lee, I’ve never liked the guy. I also never understood the worship of the guy. Even books like “Why Chuck Norris is Better Than You and Your Mom,” which are written with a slight tongue in cheek tone, piss me off. Chuck Norris sucks guys, sorry.

The other thing I can’t stand is political hack punditry. If your job is being a pundit for either side of the political aisle, you are not to be taken seriously. People who peddle opinion as fact, telling half-truths and over exaggerations in order to sell books/radio shows/TV shows/image are WAY too powerful for their own good.

So how does my hatred of Chuck Norris and political hacks intertwine? Easily, Chuck Norris is a political hack. He and notorious motivational list maker Lou Pritchett have written an Open Letter (Read: Everybody Else Will Read This BUT You) to President Obama, saying that he scares them. For all the “bad ass” that Chuck Norris is associated with, to be scared by a guy like Obama is pretty sad. I mean I was never scared of Bush (Cheney on the other hand,) and I’m a guy who scared of his own belly button.

So I will provide commentary on Mr. Norris’s letter, which is written in the Pritchett-style of “Writing Lists is Easier.”

President Obama:
You scare me because so many amazing corporate and American leaders, such as Lou Pritchett, are saying you scare them.

You scare me because this guy is telling me I should be scared? Look I love the Wu Tang Clan, but I am not going to be scared of something because Ghostface Killah tells me I should be.

You scare me because after you initiate more government borrowing and bailouts than all presidents combined, you then require Congress to follow a system that is "pay-as-you-go."

And the Iraq War was paid for with what? Stickers? BOTH parties have done the borrowing and bailouts for decades, but when Obama does it, that’s when it becomes frightening? The “pay as you go” system was repealed right before Bush took office, as a result the deficit increased over 400 billion dollars, but you probably missed that part too.

You scare me because you really do believe that going into massive amounts of debt can remedy our economy in the long run.

Right, and cutting spending during in the 30s made the depression disappear right? Oh wait, it got worse. I agree that massive unchecked spending can be a problem, note the key word, unchecked.

You scare me because your actions don't reflect the federal governmental constraints and fiscally prudent principles of our Founding Fathers and Constitution.

Really? Which Founding Father? Jefferson or Adams? Or Washington? Sure Madison and Jefferson were all for constraining the federal government, almost to a psychotic degree, but what about Adams (either of them?)

A little side rant here, this is the exact kind of political hack job I can’t stand, these self important talk show hosts and out of work actors don’t or won’t actually READ history. The Founding Fathers weren’t the Brady Bunch; they got into some real heated debates about over things like the constraints of the federal government. So to say that Obama is not reflecting the “Holy Principles” of the Founding Fathers is a silly over simplification of the Founding Fathers, and it turns what should be a real useful history lesson into just another brainless slogan from people who read backs of books and call it a day. Anyway, back to it.

You scare me because you repeatedly still play the blame game with the Bush administration but never blame the Clinton administration, even though it was responsible for the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sub prime fiasco via the proliferation of loans to unqualified borrowers.

This I do agree with. As I’ve said, this orgy of deregulation didn’t start with Bush, hell it didn’t even start with “The Great Deregulator” Reagan. But again, this scares you why? That a politician is playing the loyalty card with his party? Does it scare you all the time or only when Democrats do it? We can’t all be mavericks.

You scare me because you buy and run the banking, automobile and (soon) health industries with taxpayers' money but refuse to call it socialism.

Probably because it isn’t socialism, the banks aren’t nationalized and Obama doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to do so. Would it stop scaring you if he did call it socialism? Fine, then stop calling people who kill doctors “pro life” and torture “enhanced interrogation techniques.”

You scare me because you claim to be a fighter for minorities and the promises of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness yet do not defend the unborn. What greater minority is there than those in the womb, against whom you already have enacted more pro-abortion laws than anyone since the Roe v. Wade decision?

Did I fall asleep? Are abortions free now? Are they mandatory? Last I checked, abortion is legal, no more/no less. I know abortion is a touchy subject for a lot of people, but the fact of the matter is that Obama hasn’t been president for six months, hardly long enough to make schools teach abortion.

You scare me because you promise to defend the U.S. against all potential enemies yet pacify those harboring terrorists, fight for the rights of combative detainees, and enable the enemies of Israel.

Is Obama funneling money to the PLO? Please. Pacifying harboring terrorists, like hanging out with Musharraf right? Wait that was Bush. Like arming and training combatants to fight the Soviets? Oh wait, that was Reagan. Obama makes a speech in Cairo and you start running for the hills? How are transferring prisoners from some Podunk holding facility to one of the most heavily fortified prisons in the world fighting for their rights?

You scare me because you deny America's Judeo-Christian heritage before other countries of the world, espousing "the promise of a secular nation" during an age in which religious revisionism is on the rise. (Thank God for Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., and others like him, who even now are trying to preserve America's religious history by proposing the passage of a bill that would create "America's Spiritual Heritage Week." Call or write your representative today to support it.)

Whether or not “The Founding Fathers” were religious doesn’t matter, what does matter is that they were all indeed secularists. Just because the population of the country is primarily Judeo-Christian does not change the fact that we are a secular nation. That’s not a bad thing.

You scare me because your media team (including the mainstream media) seeks to label as radical, quarantine socially or in some way penalize any opposing conservative voices (such as conservative talk show hosts, news agencies, columnists and actors, such as Jon Voight).

The Dixie Chicks and Bill Maher send their best. Look I get it, for more than 8 years conservatives hacks have been able to get away with saying any stupid stuff they vomited up the night before without anybody calling you out, but that’s changed. America has changed, and after 8 years of Bush, the public is starting to not buy a lot of the crap that ya’ll have been feeding you, with out comes the mainstream media. There really is no such thing as a liberal media, or a conservative media in the mainstream it is only what makes money. Obama’s hot now, damn hot, so he’s what sells. That’s that..oh whatchamacallems…oh yeah free market thingys that you conservatives are so hot and bothered about.

Sincerely, Chuck Norris


Chuck, seriously, legitimate disagreement is one thing, but fear? Be serious, it’s this sort of idiotic pandering to people’s base emotions that prevents people from engaging in any sort of serious political discussion. You and your ilk are obviously not interested in any sort of serious political discussion, just rehashed talking points. You’d rather find the next slogan to put on a t-shirt than actually provide any sort of coherent argument. Is it really any wonder the whole world is laughing at you?

As I’ve said time and time again, I welcome debate and discussion, what pisses me off is that these idiots on the right (I’m not saying the left is as pure as the driven snow) take what could be a great opportunity to have an actual discussion, but instead would rather be the next “guy” in the party. It’s any wonder why so many people view politics as a no touch subject for conversation, because once people run out of slogans and bumper sticker quotes they are left with a shell that could have been a solid argument.

So be afraid of Obama because he flew to Cairo or is might just actually put some working regulations on things that have long run rampant. One of Lou Pritchett’s biggest gripes was that Obama wants more government control than private control. What the hell have they had for decades, and look what happened, the bottom fell out. The solution may not be rubber banding all the way to the left (like I’d like) but doing nothing is not a solution.

Free market doesn’t mean zero regulations; a small government doesn’t mean ZERO government. Look at that, middle grounds, grey areas, maybe if we stopped trying to think of the next clever way for the powers that be to ignore us and actually started talking to one another, we’d at least know where we’re both coming from, maybe find some common ground.

Right, I promise the politcal rants will be scarce and we can go back to what I KNOW is your favorite topic, Electric Wizard. Coming Soon


Command Image: Novel Command

Doom and Drone, Sludge and Stone Part 3: Wino (and a side tribute to a legend)

Howdy folks, Russell already apologized for the lapse in posts, but it's not like anyone was really aching for them other than he and I, so with that, back the to the lesson.

Wino

Scott "Wino" Weinrich. Very few names are synonymous with a style of music. Aretha Franklin to Soul, Kurt Cobain to Grunge. People who did not invent their style, but they embody it so much that they might as well have. This is no more evident than in the case of Wino. Not even the Ozzman is spoken with such reverence among fans of this style. He's probably one of the few individuals that deserve to be listed as their own chapter in this tome of metal.

What inspired me to write about him now was the fact that while I'm in France, dicking around on the internet while the wife does real work, I've found myself listening to a lot of Wino. I posted this fact on Facebook like any good interwebaphile, and everyone assumed that I was getting drunk on wine.

Granted, I am in France and I have been known to hit the wine in foreign countries, but Wino ought to mean more than a term for an alcoholic.

Why you ask? Well in the year 1987, Wino became the vocalist for the band Saint Vitus. Think about the year 1987 if you can. Fine, wikipedia it if you must. Metal was moving away from the Broadway productions known as hair metal into a much more real, much harder realm headed by thrash masters Metallica, meanwhile Death and Napalm Death dropped the atomic bomb known as death metal on the scene. However, creeping underneath the fast drums and ripping solos was a tune called "Born Too Late."



Think about the title, Born Too Late, these guys were Sabbath boys in an Anthrax world. I can only imagine how these guys would've been received if they came around when Black Sabbath landed on American shores. This is almost a battle cry from the 60s and 70s, it's slow, it's evil and it's heavy. Nothing like this was being played at the time, but listening to this, it's a wonder why people were surprised when grunge destroyed the glam bands.

So Wino has a pretty solid voice right? Far cry from the show tunes-esque wailing of the hair bands, or from the growls and shouts of the emerging thrash and death metal. His voice is without pretension. A blue collar, whiskey coated, almost bluesy metal voice. Another Ozzy? Hardly. Wino is actually a musician. (That's right I said it.)

After Vitus, came The Obsessed, which actually came before Vitus, but now they had a record deal, and Wino dusted off his guitar and showed the world his might on the strings, he did it again with The Hidden Hand and Spirit Caravan.

The Obsessed:


Hidden Hand:


Spirit Caravan:


Metal heads might say they prefer their metal faster with more ripping solos, as if in order to be a good guitarist you must be able to play a million notes a minute. A guitarist like Wino doesn't play a million notes, he plays the correct notes. If I ever hear that there's no good "guitaring" in this sub-genre I simply point to two examples, Wino and Matt Pike (Sleep, High on Fire).

I highly recommend you check out Stoner Rock's Guide to Wino if you're interested in a good introduction to a versatile and hard to pin down guy. To this day, the guy continues to work his ass off, he has his own band now, simply named Wino. He took more time than Ozzy and Dio combined to do that. On top of that, Shrinebuilder. Oh, you haven't heard? Shrine fucking Builder?!? A super group of monumental proportions, Scott Kelly from Neurosis, Wino, Al Cisneros from Om and Sleep, and Dale Crover from the Melvins. The earth will die screaming.

So before I wrap this unusually long post up, I did want to write a bit about someone who passed away.

Koko Taylor, one of the last Chicago blues legends passed away at the age of 80. She had a voice that kill armies, and one of my favorite vocalists of all time. A lot of people don't know, but the blues was more influenced by its' women than any other genre. Guys like Son House and Muddy Waters learned from hearing Ma Rainy and Bessie Smith on the radio and Koko carried their torch for a generation. While Muddy and Wolf battled over who was the King of Chicago Blues, there can be little doubt that Koko Taylor was the queen. Thank you Ms. Taylor, you won't have a movie starring Beyonce about you, but you broke my heart on countless occasions, and you will be sorely missed. I'll send you out with Koko singing her hit "Wang Dang Doodle," with the immortal mouth harpist Little Walter backing her up. Until I next get a free moment.


Command Image: French Command

Short Reflections and Reactions to the movie "Up".

To the regular follows (all four of you), sorry for the long Hiatus from Richard and I. It's been a crazy week of moving, working, and not writing in this blog.

More into what I would like to talk about:

Up.

Pixar rarely disappoints. Each film that they release is not only visually amazing, but also their films are remarkably character based. Characters that are outrageous and fantastical but whole-hearted human and universal. The characters relate to any viewer. Pixar is unique as a company because it isn't a coincidence that all of their movies are like this. They have built a company that's quality over quantity. They'd rather release one great movie a year, than 20 mediocre films in one year. It's a motto that should be applauded and rewarded. They contribute to the young and the old stories that make you laugh, grip with suspense, and look around to make sure no one saw you drop a tear or two.

Up is no exception.

There were several points while watching this movie I wrenched and fought back tears. A friend of my described the plot; About Schmidt meets Indiana Jones.

The theme of the film is adventure. We as kids longed to seek out unexplored territory. We find as we get older that the territory is not only already been explored, but thousands have already been through it. That craving to do new things gets lost on us as we have to go to school and eventually work.

The message of the film is that life is an adventure. Carl (the main character) has never learned to have an adventure. When he finally realizes what a life he has lived and how happy he was is the most touching scene to be animated. I get choked up just thinking about.

It's about a man who desperately needed an adventure on his own. A man who learns it's not the things you had, it's about the memories and the feelings that you share with people that matter. It's about a man who can't cope with a heartbreaking loss.

The story of a man who needs to get back Up.

We all have some element to relate to that. I think half of what makes the human heart, are people we've grown to love. The other half is still 6 years old.

So I'll make this short. Up is a masterful film on all fronts. But when it comes to Pixar, it's almost redundant to say that. It takes more than great graphics, it takes an understanding of an audience and map of the heart. Cheers.


Command Images: Back Up From under water.

Doom and Drone, Sludge and Stone Part 2: The Drone

I wanted to talk about one of the more difficult and least accessible aspects about this genre of music that I love so dear. Last time I alluded to the rockin that most of the bands provide, but now I'm going to bring in the crucial element to the DDSS, one of the cornerstones. Drone. Sounds like a barrel of monkeys huh?

What is Drone? Well take your favorite guitar riff and slow it down by like a lot. No seriously, more than your mind knows how to. There you go, now play that riff over and over again. There. That's it. Sounds easy? Well taste this my cynical friends.



Now just imagine that not screwed up with YouTube. It is it simple? Absolutely. Is it heavy? Baby it doesn't get much heavier than that. So much power from a single note, left to linger in your ears. That was from the Melvins, who were one of the main innovators of drone, but are hardly a drone band. Hell they're not an anything band. Except awesome. But there is no doubt that every note played, every drum beat, every chord change is just as carefully choreographed and timed as any melodic/thrash riff.

What got me talking about it was a recent camping trip with two buddies of mine who are very well versed in music, metal in particular. I began to realize why the DDSS sub genre of metal is for the most part passed over by most "metal heads." It's because of shit like Hung Bunny. Metal heads aren't interested in that. If you listen to Black Dahlia Murder or Faceless, it's a brutal assualt on your senses, and it fucking rocks.

Drone however, focuses your senses, instead of a million notes a minute on a sick solo, there is one riff, one sound, and it's being hammered into your skull. I think it has more in common with hip-hop than metal. When RZA samples "As Long As I've Got You" for "C.R.E.A.M" he simply utilizes the opening piano riff, one riff and makes it one awesome song. Drone accomplishes the same thing.

What I'm trying to get across is that a song doesn't have to be a twenty minute prog epic in order to be complex. No band gets this more than Dylan Carlson and Earth. I wanted to post the original version of Coda Maestroso in F, but couldn't find a video to do it justice and in all actuality, take my word for it Pentastar - In The Style Of Demons, just get it. The entire album is a case study of complexity through simplicity.

Dylan Carlson may not have "invented" drone, but he sure patented it. What's the most fascinating/tragic is that style of drone that he helped popularize with Pentastar, he sort of abandoned it. In fact his next album after Pentastar wasn't until almost a decade later. Probably because his best friend shot himself with a shotgun that Carlson gave him. Enough to fuck with anybody. But his best friend's name was Kurt Cobain.

Now Earth's music is drone, but it's drone if Ennio Morricone was doing it. Seriously, pick up a copy of any Cormac McCarthy book and listen to Hex by Earth and you'll see it's a wonderful marriage in your imagination. Carlson's music is now for the lonesome drifter.



Picture the worst thing you've ever done. Remember the most hurtful, embarrassing thing you've ever done to another living thing, and because of that, you wander the desert. Alone. This is not a Boulevard of Broken Dreams, this is an open field of fallen nightmares.

I'm not trying to get artsy, but drone, more than any other metal, forces introspection. That's right, this is metal my friends. The heaviness isn't in the guitars, it's in your head. So for the command image for this, you do need to hear some early Earth, and while it's not pure drone, it certainly is a thumbnail scratch at the DDSS that Dylan Carlson would master, teach, and eventually leave behind.

High Command

A quick thought since it's so late

A note about the internet.

I recently signed up for Twitter. You can see my little...*sigh*..."tweets" lower on this page. Other than updating photos for this site, I can really find no real purpose for it. But then I thought...Why is Twitter so bad? If it is, it's just as bad as Facebook, MySpace or even this site?

You've got me there. The internet is strange place for a human being. We've been reduced to quick answers and cliff notes. For now, I suppose it'll work for me. Plus...I'm following Larry David! How cool is that?

The whole internet thing got me thinking. Our access to information is no longer limited. The world really IS getting smaller. Which is both good and bad. Art isn't limited to just location. But without direction, lack of location could mean lack of art. "It's on the web and a million people have seen/heard/followed/commented on it." But you can't just go blindly picking up any scent of hilarity or good on your own. You need someone to TELL you where to go. To do that, you truly need a trusted source.

As for me, my source is usually people I know.....

ahem.

....After they've let me down, I look stuff up. Amazon, Myspace, Wiki's....Whatever. It's kind of a cool way of doing it. But there is another way. A better way. A way to listen to things that YOU might never ever hear before. Internet Radio Stations.

For example, there is Combat Music Radio (http://www.combatmusicradio.com/) . They have a radio show called Return to Zero hosted by Scott Kelly of Neurosis. I decided to download the shows unto my ipod while I deliver pizzas to people I hate (more on that later). Not only is the show eclectic (The Terminator Theme) but it's also full of rare demos and bands who I've never heard of.

While working at this job I hate, I heard this song and since I didn't have the playlist in front of me...I had to make a mental note to remember to look up the song that was playing and remember to get it as soon as I get near a computer.

Flash Forward to a few days later when I finally remembered to look it up.

Junior Bruce - Plague of Thieves. (Good southern stoned shit. Mucho potential.)

I couldn't find it. Not on iTunes, not on Amazon, last.fm, or even my torrent sites.

How could this be? You mean I actually have to GOOGLE this freakin' band? What is wrong with the world?

When I found them (Myspace), I realized that they some local band from Florida. I thought: "Wow, that's really cool. I can't buy a CD from them (not even illegally). But here they are. Playing a show in Florida with Mouth of the Architect. In order for me to get anything from this band...I'll have to see them live."

Which sucks. But also cool because I'll have to keep my eyes open.

Anyway, that was a long rant about the usefulness of the internet when we let people run it and not let it be run by machines. A radio show actually hosted and selecting songs to play on their show serves a purpose. I may never be able to hear Junior Bruce again, but at least I did. I'm glad for that.

The world may be getting smaller, but at least it can never replace the ol' fashioned need to buy a CD at a dive bar. It helps to have some guidance in order to keep it real.

But what I will say, as much as a dinosaur MySpace might be nowadays with everyone's need to get just the headlines and not read to full story. MySpace is still pretty cool place to find bands that are local and independent. Which is how I found Junior Brown.



Enough ranting. Time for Richard to find me this band on CD and give it to me!!









Command Image: Radio Commands Dog

Breaking Bad: Television Rarely Gets THIS Good.

So, I don't like to be referred to as a "television junkie." I think somebody who is a television junkie is somebody who likes ALOT of crap. It's like that commercial where the dude reached the end of the internet. What fucked up shit did that guy sift through?

So I am not "television junkie," rather I am television snob. Out of all my interests, TV is the one thing I truly feel I am a holier-than-thou-up-your-own-ass-stuck-up snob. With all of my other interests I have a generally open attitude. I can enjoy a can of Key Light as easily as I can enjoy a delicious double IPA. I like my art movies, but not above an awesome action movie or silly comedy. I'll see BB King (affordability pending, hint hint Mr. King) and have just as good of a time as I would moshing to In Flames.

Not with TV. Oh sure, I used to be hooked on junk, but when it comes to my television, I demand a little bit more. Don't get me wrong, I'll watch silly cartoons and Cops, but I barely enjoy them, they're just on for noise anymore, or yucks if the Cops episode is particularly entertaining. For me to enjoy a television show, to truly be sucked in, I demand a higher standard.

It's not easy to please me with television. If you're not the Wire, than you should be reaching for it. Sorry Entourage, Sorry Heroes, Sorry 24, but if you want me to savor your flavor, don't insult my intelligence, don't lead me down a road with plot holes and questionable shark jumping, and for christ sake, be funny! Looking at you Entourage, get to work.

Which brings me to the inspiration behind this rant, the most recent episode of Breaking Bad.



If you don't know about it, you're truly denying yourself the best that television has to offer right now. That's right, it's not Lost, it's not House, it's not Idol, my friend Breaking Bad is best thing on television right now.

Russell was very astute in describing this show, watching somebody's nightmare. He could not be more correct. The most recent episode left chills with me that I haven't felt since Rear Window, chills that I won't be able to shake for quite a while. I was able to be scared again, be afraid again. The storytelling in Breaking Bad is so patient, yet so fearless.

The premise is that Walter (Bryan Cranston, a name you will hear again come awards time, I promise you) is a very smart chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer and is going to die soon. So he partners up with one of his old students, and begins making and selling meth.

It's a pretty gutsy premise for any network not having the letters "H," "B," or "O," but I suppose after FX treated us with some good old fashioned raunch with shows like Nip/Tuck, a cable network carrying it is not out of the question. Enter AMC. A network who hit out of the ball park with Mad Men, has a real ace in the hole with Breaking Bad, and since they've already renewed for it's third season, AMC has proven to be a network that not only values television quality, but seeks to redefine it. Look out HBO, you don't have The Wire or the Sopranos to cover your ass any more.

I can not stress this enough, all television can be this good. It doesn't have to be Tila Tequila or a 17th incarnation of Law and Order in order to relevant. It doesn't have to be able to show boobs in order to be edgy. Original, groundbreaking television can exist anywhere, whether it's on network*, cable, or premium. So get cracking you purveyors of televised entertainment.



* - Don't believe me? Do yourself a favor and pick up the first season of Friday Night Lights, than kick yourself for not watching it because you though it was going to be a silly, network OC. Yes, a show that good actually exists on a major network!



Today's Command Image: Uncle Sam Command!

A few thoughts after an exhausting Tuesday: Pale Nostalgia riding a Wavering Radiant.

It's going to be a rough couple of weeks folks. While I'm still trying to find my keyhole into the Western Metropolis of Los Angeles by applying for internships. So while I survived my hardest day of classes. So I had some thoughts that I would like to share with you since I'm exhausted and need to oxidize my brain a bit. With that in mind....Away we go.

So in parts of three.

Part one:

Tuesdays are always really hard for me. I'm in go mode from about 10:00am until 10:00pm. Long days. Usually the days where everything happens. At least there are small times for down times and long limes for music...times.

Usually during my downtime I spend time messing around on the Internet and do nothing. But along with sorting out some production work; I continued my quest for the internship to whisk me away to the deserts of California. Some internships mention places, sections, suburbs of LA that I've never heard before. Honestly, my limited experience in California transpires in the north. It was my first love with a big city. I think I was in the 6th grade. The next time I would reach the foggy bay would be well into High School.

Which brings us to part 2: Beyond the Pale

Richard and I had just turned 16. I had gotten my drivers licence literally the day we flew out there. I had worked all summer at the library to save up and go to the first ever Beyond the Pale festival, hosted by Neurosis.

As many of you may or may not know Richard and I are huge fans of Neurosis. I mean huge with a capital HUE. There will be more on that later on this thing I'm positive.

This was to be our first time ever seeing Neurosis live. I'll never forget how cool meeting them was and how remarkable nice they were. And, seemed impressed that we had flown out to see them. The Beyond the Pale festival had a many number of my favorite bands when I was 16. Isis, Tarentel, Michael Gira, Amber Asylum....the list goes on. After the fourth day of the festival, my god worship of Neurosis had only enhanced and grown to epic proportions.

It was also our first time seeing Isis. At the time Isis had only come out with Celestial, so that's what they were known for. Before Isis played, there was Thrones. Not knowing, or ever hearing of Thrones, you could only assume I had no idea who Joe Preston was. Joe Preston! Former bassist for The Melvins and Earth! I was so close to meeting him and had the chance to, but due to my young ignorance, I had never heard of him. Had I known then what I know now, I would have been a lot more receptive and anxious to see him.

Anyway, Isis was not as well known then. I remember after their set Richard and I wanted to meet them. They were pretty cool and demonstrated the same reverence that we had because.....Neurosis was coming.

After Neurosis, we had to step outside and reflect on the experience. I remember looking over and the whole band of Isis was just leaning up against the wall of the Great American Music Hall. Aaron Turner and I made eye contact and had a "whew" moment.

Now Isis has really come into their own. Touring with Tool and building a nice worship crowd of their own. I feel proud of them as musicians and as a fanboy myself that I remember the Celestial days. It's nice observing the ground floor of a future great band.

Link that to my conclusion.

Part 3: Wavering Radiant

Isis's new album had recently been leaked on the Internet. And before I give my thoughts on the album, I want to state with great confidence that I WILL PURCHASE THE CD WHEN IT COMES OUT! I'm not Roger Freidman or anything and revealing any Wolverine pirates or anything; but thanks to whoever leaked it to confirm what I already knew. I am going to buy and love this album.

Okay, that should cover my ass right?

Anyway, Isis's new albums are always a strange experience for me. I never listen to their albums and click right away. It's a slow process. To give you hint, I've only recently realized how brilliant Oceanic (their previous album) is. I always like it, but it can take months to years to LOVE the album.

It's produced clean and complicated. To any of this albums naysayers; I only have this to say. Listen to Isis from Celestial to In the Absence of Truth and you can hear the evolution. So this album really shouldn't have surprised anyone. Melodically tuned with some deep toned riffs. Like Beyond the Pale, their fandom and companionship with Neurosis teaches this band what other bands should learn. There is a difference between selling out or growing up with experimentation and maturity. I'm not saying Isis has never taken themselves seriously, but I can hear them taking it MORE seriously with every album.

Okay, not really a review. But what do you want?!?! I have no command over the thoughts that come out of my head.

It just needed to happen.


Command Image:

Doom and Drone, Sludge and Stone Part 1: Origins

Don't get me wrong, I loves me my speedy, ear bleeding metal. There is some sort of primal satisfaction I get while listening to some fast, harsh, metal. Amon Amarth makes me want to take up arms and join my fellow vikings in arms and have a Ragnorok up in someone's shit.

But for my money, I think that the Doom and Drone of Candlemass or Boris and the Sludge and Stone of Acid Bath and Pentegram are the creme de la creme of metal. So this is the first in a series of posts of why the DDSS (abbreviated for my sake) is the best kind of metal.

Let me provide a quick disclaimer: I am not a musician, I won't be breaking down the intricacies of the G major as opposed to the F Flat or whatever. I am also not a music critic, to be honest I don't understand how one becomes a music critic. I am simply a music fan, I know what I like (which is a lot.)


It is the closest kind of metal to stay true to the roots.

While there are many an argument to who is the greatest metal band of all time, there can be little argument as to the origins of metal, Black Sabbath. The British Invasion is often cited as the birth of modern rock and roll. The Who, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc. have all had profound effects on the rock and roll culture at large, yet for some reason Black Sabbath is rarely mentioned in the same breath. I never really understood that, I mean they came along at around the same time, but what they played was something darker than "I Wanna Hold You Hand," something more epic than "Can't Explain," and something more original than "Satisfaction." And that's just the bass player.

When guitarist Tony Iommi tuned his guitars down to make them looser because of an injured hand, nobody could've predicted that metal would be born. To this day, they're one of only a few bands that are metioned with any sort of reverence from accross the music spectrum (Slayer and Metallica being on that list.) Not even metal godfathers Iron Maiden are taken so seriously (Sorry Maiden heads.) I still defy anyone to name another band that has been covered by almost every metal band in existance. From Cannibal Corpse to Hed(pe) (sure they count) everyone has taken on a Black Sabbath song of some sort.

Yet of all the "different" genres of metal that grew out of the Black Sabbath seed, the metal of DDSS has remained the most true to the sound of Black Sabbath. The slow, methodical, focusing of the drop down guitars, the almost funky riffs.

Here is a standard Black Sabbath favorite amongst the DDSS elite.




I doubt you'll hear a Lamb of God song that sounds anything close to that. Now compare that to the Stoner metal icons of Sleep.



It sounds (and looks) like it could've been played at Black Sabbaths peak in the 70s, but this was made in the mid-90s, and they have inspired a whole new generation of Stoner rockers.

Now this isn't to say that all DDSS bands sound like Black Sabbath, not even close, but the bands that slow it down and pump the bass are closer to the spirit of Black Sabbath, whereas most other metal bands have gone the way of more modern day metal gods. For my money, I'll take bands that have a Master of the Sabbath sound, than a band that can strum as fast as Van Halen.

The Blair Mix Project: an Introduction.

So a few weeks ago some friends and I decided to exchange mixes based on themes that we could come up with. It started out simple enough and we thought it was a good way to hang out with one another without actually having to hang out with one another. Also, it's a great way to get in with certain music taste that I might not be exposed to. It's a nice way to archive your friends emotions during a certain period of time or their feelings towards a particular subject.

Past mix themes have been:
Summer Mix
Shitty Job Mix
Buddy Mix
A movie soundtrack mix (That was interesting)
Political/Religion Mix
Road Mix
and a 2008 Retrospect mix

The Rules:
11 Tracks (although there have been 12)
No repeated artists
No repeated albums

The latest mix is Ian's idea. A water mix. Pretty vague but with mixes I find the vague-er, the better...er.

I'm using this space as an opportunity to share my thoughts on the mixes I make. Specifically why I chose to use a certain track and why I put the mix in the order that it was in.

So here we go. My water mix is titled My Lungs are Fine. A mix in two acts.

The first act: Atmosphere

1. The Who - Quadrophenia
The title track from the Who's rock opera. The whole album deals with beaches and water. I open with this song because it's a nice instrumental kick-off song. It deals with the fears and anxieties that I have about water, but also the beauty and the love I have for being in water. This is the idea.

2. Pelican - March to the Sea
If Quadrophenia was the idea of water, March to the Sea is the actual going to water. It's driving opening riffs play to determination one has when running to the water. For me personally, water means an either ocean, or Lake Powell. This song is an homage to the hardship and brotherhood I feel when camping by water.

3. Explosions in the Sky - Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean
Yet another song that plays my valentine for camping by a lake. I always had a feeling of displacement in water. My body does not belong here and yet I love the feeling I have when I'm in water.

4. Isis - Maritime
Ahhh...The peace. This song reminds me of floating. Isis has a whole album dedicate to the ocean. It was tough chosing this song from the album instead of other songs. To be honest I didn't want a whole lot of screaming for this mix. Somber and soothing was my vocal philosophy. So this instrumental plays to my ears slightly in between air and water. When I come too, I've floated too far and have to swim back to shore.

5. Tribes of Neurot - Sub Aqua
The sounds I hear when I swim under water. It's swimmers ear recorded. Neurosis understands sound at such a technical level, their (lack of a better term) alter ego Tribes of Neurot is their ambient outlet to demonstrate that manipulation skill. It fits for water to me because it's like listening to a seashell from another dimension. It's a nice conclusion to act one.

Act 2: The Beach

6. Simon and Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence
I'm not going to lie. I may have only chosen this song because of The Graduate. But it still fits. It's a soothing introduction into the second act. Not only is this a brillant song, but I like it because it reminds me of a call back to nature. A song looking unto water, wishing the rest of the world was as peaceful as the water.

7. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones
It's a grown up kind of "Under Da Sea." Only if Sebastian the crab sang at a dive bar underwater lamenting about Aerial going to land. Tom Waits is always good sailor music. I put this song here after the Simon and Garfunkel song because it because it's another spin on beach music. The xylophones sound like fishbones.

8. The Arcade Fire - Haiti
Another beach tune. It conjures up visions of dancing by a fire in your swim wear. It brings out of the somberness of the first two beach tracks. Despite the fact of it's not-so-cheery subject matter. This is kind of a transistion to a beach and water party.

9. Sublime - Badfish
Every party has a pooper. I expect this would get some eye-rolls from all you music snobs, and albeit Sublime has become a staple of frat boy parties, but there's a universal-ness to Sublime that brings warm memories to all who hear it. This song is more like the heartbreak at a party. It plays to certain insecurities that one feels at a party and meeting someone. Or those uncomfortable feelings you get when you see someone you like being hit on.

10. Dalek - Tarnished
This is the return to the water. In a drunken or stoned stupor you run to the water in the dark. You swim and you swim. The mixing of the violin and the vocals sound like they are produced underwater. It's an awesome song.

11. The Melvins - Lividity
Alone and floating in the dark. This instrumental bass riff is repeated over and over, but it combines the atmosphere and the physio-sphere. It's a peaceful but eerie tone that speaks to the haunting stillness of water at night. The hacking and weezing at the end explains the title of my mix. "What you mean, my lungs are fine." Even though you might be drowning, you can still choke it out.

The Command Image: Water Command ring from Kings Quest.

First Post to the right and straight on till morning.

Greetings and hello.

There isnt much to report. It is late at night and I just started this becasue I am looking for an outlet to say shit and share some thoughts and uber-servations on stuff that I find interesting. I am staying up late lately and I like to let some of these randomness out of me some time. For example:

Lately I've been SUPER into:
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Sludge, stone, doom and drone (A phrase from my twin Richard, but more on that later I'm sure)
News
My difficult mental states
Bashing Blackjack Pizza

I mean, this list could take me all night. I guess I am trying to make a preview on what I would like to write about. I also feel like this a good place to start new train of thoughts. It's not Penn Station, but it's a lot like the Light Rail stations in Denver. Not exciting or busy as it is sleepy and rigid. It's called lack of command because as you will see, even it's author is not in command. My respect for science is it's need for experimentation. This my experiment on chaotic thought and musings. I hope to do this weekly. But it will vary. Everything. Always. Varies.

Anyway, Larry Sanders is on and I've got to make it to Spanish class.
Enjoy the show.


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