Web Video Sandwich: Legends of June

Greetings all! I hope you're hungry for one heavy sandwich today. Again, sorry for those of you who wait with baited breath for me or Richard to post something, but when you think about it....shouldn't you be doing something more productive anyway?

Time for updates: I've decided to enter Script Frenzy for the month of April. The idea is that you spend the month of April to write a 100 page script. There's no prizes or anything, but it will force me to write. I can never work without a deadline. In fact, that's when I do my best work. Plus there's plenty of people who are participating in it so it will be a good chance for me to meet other writers. Even if they are amateurs like myself; the more I'm around it, the better my work will come out. That's been true for me even back in the ol' college days, my best work is always a reflection of those around me working as well. I'll keep you posted with that. Here's the link to Script Frenzy

For those of you on Facebook and happen to my friend on Facebook, I started doing that 30 Day Song Challenge. I won't waste my time with the rules but I'm having fun. Probably because many of my other friends decided to join with me on that game. My favorite way of interacting with my buddies is sitting around pontificating about each others' taste in music/movies/politics whathaveyou. What else if Facebook good for.

And speaking of blowhards: Boruff and I recorded the upcoming Film Concussion Podcast and it's a doozey of an episode. Stay tuned for more information on that.




Today's post will be a reflection of my childlike excitement for the upcoming month of June. I'll have THREE amazing shows in the NYC area and wouldn't ya know it, they sandwich themselves quite nicely. If you ever seen any of these bands listed or just a huge fan, then this explanation will be redundant to you. But for those who have not seen the light, allow me to give you some idea of what is going to be involved.

Let's do this in chronological order:

Starting with the Melvins. Recently, they announced two shows in Brooklyn. June 6th, they'll be playing the albums Lysol, Eggnog, and Houdini and then the very next day on June 7th, they'll be playing Bullhead and Stoner Witch. I decided to go to the first night. Partially because I'm barely familiar with Bullhead or Stoner Witch but mainly because Lysol and Houdini are two out of my three favorite Melvins albums. The last time I saw the Melvins was my first time seeing them back in 2009 during the 25th Anniversary of Houdini. So this will be a fine sequel.

I consider Lysol to be their best album. And by *best*, I mean it's the album that sets this band apart from other bands. It separates classics from legendary. You really need to hear the album all the way through. If you haven't, do so. Turn off the lights. Before you realize 7 minutes of your life has just been squeezed out of you by the crushing, slow and heavy riff of King Buzzo, the song gets new life by the head-smashing rhythm of Dale Crovers toms. And he hits those fucking things hard.

By the time Hung Bunny turns into Roman Bird Dog, it will be worth the trip. The whole album flows like this. Fantastic. I hope I feel it in my guts. I'm sure I will.

So for the video segment, here's an old video of a Melvins show back in 1992 with the mighty Joe Preston on bass. Fuck yeah!


Melvins - Hung Bunny/Roman Bird Dog from 1992



Earth is finally coming back to NYC. I've been waiting over a year to see this band ever since they opened for Sunn O))). This band is the roadmap I've used to find my way to this evolutionary step of my musical taste ever since I heard the first chord progression on Pentastar: In the Style of Demons album. Earth has been talked about on this blog before, but for the laymen out there, they are the drone kings. But, in reality, there's only one king. Dylan Carlson uses harmony in his distortion in ways that trap reality and enhance it that is rivaled by very few in the music world. Sometimes beautiful, some times scary, and always awesome.

Although I do long for those halcyon days of Phase 3: Thrones and Dominions and Pentastar when he was using that distortion pedal with a lot more reverb in the 90's, Earth has changed gears for the new millennium. And they don't show any signs of looking back. Which is good for them. They're more simple, direct and specific. But to the laymen, infinitely more tedious unless you're in to this sort of thing. Which, without a doubt, I am.

It's nice that this show is in between the sandwich because my neck will surely need a rest after the Melvins snap it off. Plus I like shows that are heavy and uber-introspective at the same time because it's rare these days. Earth is one of those bands on my "like to see before I die" list. Barring any unforeseen emergencies, I will shortly be able to cross it off my list.

This video is Earth playing one of their early songs, but updated with their new sensibilities and identity. The trombone is a nice touch too.


Earth - Ouroboros is Broken live



SLEEP. Gods of our time. Legendary riffers of the Weedian realm. What can honestly be said. I caught both shows last fall. If they'd have played a third, I'd have gone for that one. Amazing show. So much to my surprise when I found that they are returning again. Once again with Neurosis drummer Jason Roeder. Too great. I know a good deal of the readers here made it on their last tour. You can now be jealous of the return of the return of the marijuananaut.

This video will brings those who saw back to that moment when the first riff of Dopesmoker drops (y'all know what I mean), and to those who did not, this will make them wish they had.

SLEEP!!!


Sleep intro


So there you have it. Three legendary bands. One great month. I love living in NYC for this. All I'd need is Neurosis to play in June (ha!) and I'd be set and probably wouldn't wake up from the coma. Enjoy and envy me!


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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.


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