Tag: #Import 2025-04-25 15:23

Direct from the mouth of the have-not

‘What does it say when the politically charged punk band X still continues to tour to packed houses more than 25 years after its inception?

“It could say that we’re foolish, for one, or that we’re committed,” joked X frontman John Doe.

Actually, Doe cites a number of reasons for X to continue to pack up the van and hit the road: a steady demand from audiences and venues, the fact that it’s still fun and profitable for them to be touring, and because they no longer have to deal with the pressure of writing songs or touring to support a newly released album. Instead, they’re playing material off of their first four records and having a good time doing it.

But it’s not all fun and games. Doe takes the activist political messages of X’s songs just as seriously as the music itself.

“Artists have a duty and right to voice their opinion so that there is a balance,” he said. “People in government are always going to be saying, ‘Let’s go to war.’ Artists are going to say, ‘That’s bullshit.’

“I’m shocked and dismayed that people are surprised by that. It’s been that way, probably, since the [ancient] Greeks. The Greek artists didn’t stop writing plays and decide to go to war. That’s the role that artists play.”

As an artist, Doe plays many roles. When he’s not on tour with X, he tours with his band The John Doe Thing. Their latest album, Dim Stars, Bright Sky, was released by the label Artist Direct last year. In addition, Doe has had a reoccurring role in the television show Roswell, and has appeared in more than 40 movies, including The Good Girl, Boogie Nights and Roadside Prophets. He is also currently working on an HBO series called Carnivale, “about a traveling carnival in the era of the Dust Bowl.”

Doe says he finds himself switching constantly from the set to the stage, also from punk rock venues to quieter, more intimate settings for his solo material.

“I once heard a great quote from Kristin Hersh (of the bands Throwing Muses and The Grotto) that ‘Quiet is the new loud,’” said Doe.

And Doe, like so many musicians, has followed suit as his interests led him to form The Knitters — an “old-time country tribute band” — in the mid-1980s, and more recently with his roots-rock solo project, The John Doe Thing.

Since Doe first made the switch from writing politically motivated, loud and angst-ridden punk to mellow, acoustic-driven songs with folk leanings, numerous prominent musicians in the independent scene have followed suit. Punkers, including Hot Water Music’s alter-ego band Rumbleseat and Blake Schwarzenbach’s switch from the seminal punk outfit Jawbreaker to his current singer/songwriter styled project Jets to Brazil, have cited Doe as a reason for turning the amps way down.

“It’s the yin and yang of music,” said Doe. “As long as you have loud, people will also make quiet. As long as there is shitty rap/rock, there will be people out there who continue to make good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.”

Funny Movie Clips

‘Macromedia’s release of the Flash program revolutionized the way we see the Internet. It gave fluid motion to otherwise static pictures and allowed web design to pull its skin taut and heighten itself to previously unforeseeable levels.

The program’s uses did not stop there, though. Flash unexpectedly turned a wave of slackers into amateur animators and lackadaisical visionaries into hopeful auteur directors and game designers. Within months, after cracks were created and serials distributed, visual autobiographies and comic shorts began popping up all over the place.

These movie files have been shared and celebrated through email links and away messages on various messaging clients. There are few, if any, formal collections or ratings of these files. So, we have decided to establish our collection of favorites to serve as a visual precedent for all future comic Flash files to be judged by.

Slackers and visionaries, we salute you.

1. Tales for the L33t: Romeo and Juliet

http://no-effort.50megs.com/tftl.htm

Baz Luhrman was holding back. Oh, his movie may have been set in a hip modern world, but his characters do not speak “in the parlance of our times.” Chris Coutts has decided to set the record straight by fully updating this Shakespearian classic for a generation of illiterate and anti-social computer junkies.

“Tales for the L33t: Romeo and Juliet” is a black-and-white film created entirely with stick figures. There are no spoken lines of dialogue, only written text appearing above the characters’ heads. The film is lengthy but hilarious. What could possibly be the source of hilarity in any rendition of “Romeo and Juliet,” you may ask? Well, it’s the dialogue. The script has been shortened and entirely rewritten in instant messaging shorthand. Completely (in)accurate with misspellings and slang phrases, the “Tales” will soon be a classic.

2. Star Warz Gangsta Rap Music Video

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/starwarz.php

“A Jedi’s gotta do what a Jedi’s gotta do,” exclaims a cartoon Luke Skywalker halfway through this original rap song. Including numerous characters from the movie and rapped plot summary, this music video is nothing if it is not pure comic genius.

This song parodies the Star Wars movies but does not use any immediately recognizable sound bytes. The graphic work is high definition and succeeds in impressing its viewers. The lyrics are well written and extremely funny. The only thing that kept this Flash file out of first place is the audio quality. It slips and becomes barely audible at points. Outside of that, “Star Warz” is a near perfect production.

3. “Bang Bang Bang”

http://www.starterupsteve.com/swf/Group_X_video.html

This Flash file is a visual companion to the song “Bang Bang Bang” by Group X. The video itself is horrendous. There are two stick figures that basically “Bang Bang Bang” every time the chorus comes around. It doesn’t take any more effort than this first-grade quality drawing to add just enough to the song to cause unbearable laughing stomach pains, though.

4. I Work at Burger King

http://sherm.20megsfree.com/burgerking.swf

As the disclaimer alludes to, the purpose of this Flash file is for entertainment only. There are no derogatory or degrading statements made. No one is insulted. It serves its purpose and serves it well. Like “Bang Bang Bang,” “I Work at Burger King” consists of simple animation to accompany the Burger King song. It’s contagious. You may find yourself operatically singing “ding fries are done” unconsciously.

5. Dancing George Bush/George Bush Aerobics

http://www.miniclip.com/dancingbush.htm

http://www.miniclip.com/bushaerobics.htm

The George W. Bush Flash files were bound to happen. It’s too easy a target. These two Dancing and Aerobics files are similar in content. They are more interactive than the rest of our winners. You control George Bush and can either make him dance or workout, depending upon which link you follow. Simply having virtual control over his actions is enough to keep you occupied for a while.

…burn, piano island, burn

‘Why is there so much hype surrounding this band right now? Everywhere you turn, there is something new about the Blood Brothers popping up, as if they are the reincarnated form of the Messiah, back to save us all. Heed the wise words of Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav and “Don’t believe the hype.”

fight test

‘Anyone who bought the album “Transmissions from the Satellite Heart” for the single “She Don’t Use Jelly” learned quickly that the one thing you can expect from The Flaming Lips is that you don’t know what to expect next.

After the release of “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” one of the most talked-about albums of this toddler of a century, Wayne Coyne and company are moving into uncharted territory once again.

“Fight Test” is part lighthearted techno and dance beats and part easy listening. Then it ends with a country song. Unlike all of these styles, though, this EP has substance to it. Even if it’s not immediately visible, a lot of work and effort goes into each Flaming Lips song.

This EP consists of a few previously released tracks, two new songs and a few covers. The oddest (yet morbidly intriguing) song on the EP is the final track, “Thank You Jack White (For the Fiber-Optic Jesus That You Gave Me).” Maybe they are ahead of their time, but they are definitely over many people’s heads.

The cover songs include Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” (written by Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis), Beck’s “The Golden Age,” and Radiohead’s “Knives Out.” The Beck and Radiohead covers are serious and well done. The Kylie Minogue cover is worthy of a laugh or two. If for no other reason, hearing these covers is reason enough to warrant listening to this record.

“Fight Test” is not earth shattering but it is on par, at the very least, with other releases by the Flaming Lips. It’s a new direction and a positive sign for the next full-length to come.

go slowly all the way round the outside

‘This is probably what it would sound like if you made love to a Macintosh computer. Now, I’m not suggesting that you kick it laptop-style with your G4 but, in this instance, the result of such a union sounds pretty good. Acoustic gone wild: Recording studio fantasies!!!

Sure, Blusom co-creator Mike Behrenhausen may have been screaming out his computer’s name or operating system as he tooled with buttons in the studio but his eyes were closed, thinking about Wayne Coyne and Thom Yorke. His efforts were not in vain, either. Behrenhausen, and someone known only as Jme, have channeled the two musical savants. Consequently, their influences weigh heavy upon these songs.

The tracks typically begin with acoustic progressions that routinely spiral off into ambient tangents. Blusom strips off the layers of structure in exchange for noises that, had they been used to begin the songs, would classify this band as psychedelic or even New Age. Instead, the record has a Brit noise-pop feel to it, minus the Brits.

This Denver-based band has created something both unique and inspired while still a fraction derivative. Ironically, this seems to be the fate of those who stray from the norm. Too many bands head in similar “different” directions. Still, it’s a criticism worth receiving when the options are considered. It’s better than being compared to Staind, Trapt, or any of the other in the mass of illiterate bands plaguing the airwaves.

“Go Slowly All the Way Round the Outside,” a title that seems to suggest a set of instructions on how to bypass copy-protected records, is guaranteed to pique the curiosity of its audience. It is a satisfying listen that may have the listener thinking The Flaming Lips.

attention! blah blah blah

‘Attention! Blah Blah Blah” is, without a doubt, Atom?s most poignant release to date. tThat is not to say that it his best, though. It would be near impossible to top the pre-eminent release, ?Making Love.? “Attention” is running a close race for second with “A Society of People Named Elihu.”

Although still boyishly humorous, ?Attention? is all grown up. The silly giggling humor is more sophisticated, as are the songs and the recording itself.

For the past few releases, Atom has been making a switch from ?his package,? a Yamaha QY700 music sequencer, to guitar-based songs. The result is a new sound for a new generation of fans to appreciate.

If you are unfamiliar with the quirky Adam Goren, who has been loosely compared to They Might Be Giants and Weird Al, then you are missing out. As Adam states, the latter of the two comparisons do not make much sense. He is a much better musician and songwriter, but the comparison is noticeable, though.

Adam is a Philadelphia punk who was originally in the old school punk band Fracture. After their breakup, Adam began writing music on his keyboard with a half-serious intent. The music blew up bigger than anyone could have predicted, and a new niche was created in the punk scene that has yet to be duplicated. See the graphic on page B? for a description of some of the songs that built the shape into this niche.

If the Shel Silverstein reminiscent cover is not enticing enough, the song titles should do the job. They are hopeful promises of clever songs that the album tracks fulfill. Coincidentally, it follows that the most interesting song titles are also the most interesting songs as well. Here is a sample of a few of the best songs/song titles: “The Palestinians are not the Same Thing as the Rebel Alliance, Jackass,” Does Anyone Else In This Room Want to Marry His or Her Own Grandmother?,” “I’m Downright Amazed at What I can Destroy With Just a Hammer,” and “Dear Atom, You Do Not Want Children. Love, Atom.”

Don’t be cast aside the songs as being novel or frivolous. Atom may funny and quirky, but the song writing ability behind it all is undervalued.

On the whole, the album is impressive. The album will pay for itself after the countless listens that it is worth.rn

light up

‘It’s about time there’s a band out there with some balls. It’s reassuring to see someone stray from the trend and go the proven method of straight-up ass-kicking music. Just A Fire, your music is much anticipated and much welcomed.

Yes, Just A Fire. They’re the most recent musical endeavor that features members of Sweep the Leg Johnny, Hoover, Abilene as well as the long lineage of other bands that have spawned from artists Chris Daly and Fred Erskine.

This has got hints of both mid-’90s D.C. core and Asian Man Records in it. It’s part punk but also sways a bit towards that Police-influenced reggae side like many Asian Man bands do. Whatever, reggae can be cool – especially when it’s infused with screechy vocals and hard guitar rhythms. Conveniently, “Light Up” does that. What luck!

A handful of songs, like the catchy “Snake In That Bush,” – yes, it’s safe to assume that Bush is a reference to G.W., seeing as how the band is rooted in politics – sound directly ripped off of “Regatta de Blanc.” Fortunately, the band does not draw any of its influences from Sting’s solo work.

As you may already have guessed, Just A Fire sounds nothing like June of 44, Hoover, Sweep the Leg Johnny or Abilene. It’s a completely new route that these musicians are traversing together. Sure, the influences of those bands will always stay with them but that link is a bit obscure here. In a sense, this is something more timeless; something that is difficult to assign to a particular decade or scene. As a result, it is equally difficult to say who this album is for. It’s certainly not something intended to entertain adamant Republicans and strong supporters of the man we’ve sort of chosen to represent our country. Anyone else is fair game.

hail to the thief

‘The rumors from downloading and pirating enthusiasts may be true: It is time for Radiohead to bend over and grab their ankles.

Radiohead’s contract with the devil expired just shy of the “Hail to the Thief” recording sessions and renegotiations must still be in the process of being worked out. It’s a shame this matter could not be resolved a bit earlier. No one wants to hear that a Radiohead record is bad.

If a poorly written computer program was designed to randomly generate music based on the patterns of previous Radiohead songs, it very well could have anticipated the tracks on “Hail to the Thief.” To say the least, they have once again been unpredictable but, this time, they did it by doing what no one could have expected; by being completely predictable.

The band has hit a wall and hopefully that lofty airbag of accrued credits to their name will save their lives. (God, that was a horrible play on Radiohead lyrics.)

Of course any judgment of “Hail to the Thief,” the band’s sixth full-length studio album, is going to be a bit askew. What unit of measurement do you use to gauge the quality of such an album? They have been known to consistently raise the benchmark of musical innovation with each subsequent release. Now, they can easily limbo underneath that bar.

Will a top-of-the-line shortsightedness doom the mediocre to be viewed as minimal in terms of effort and, at points, downright lazy?

In the grand scheme of things, this album is decent. It surpasses the ranks of the generic and makes it to the low-end cut of the medium-quality showroom. If this was a freshman product, it would show great promise and potential. Many artists would even kill to write an album such as this. For the weathered veterans of Radiohead, “Hail” flies dangerously low under the radar they established. With any luck, it will go undetected, leaving hope for any future productions.

Especially at the head of the class, there is no excuse for the senior slide, or for a band to just get by every once in a while.

http://www.thelonelyisland.com

‘All right people, HM is back and we’re done with that “worst of” shit. Who thought of that idea anyway? Like anyone wants to see a bunch of awful Web sites that are just a waste of time.

Well, the joke is on you, suckers. You read the articles and visited the sites. Don’t lie, we know you did. We’re tracking your IP addresses and know where you’ve been surfing, which reminds us, goat porn is disgusting. Stop looking at it.

OK, OK, to make up for the crappy Web sites we’ve thrown your way over the past, umm, month or so, we’re going to present to you a content-heavy comical site that is bound to keep you laughing for seconds to hours, depending upon your attention span and enjoyment of dry humor – or if you have a sense of humor at all.

This week, fine folks, we give to you The Lonely Island. TLI is made up of three filmmakers, although it seems more accurate to say film students, based in Los Angeles, CA. As listed on the site, they are Jorm! Kiv! and Ardy! Their short but explosive (sometimes literally) clips are hit or miss, but more often a hit than not.

For those of you who are in their 30s and up or are Boulder natives, think back to when Trey Parker and Matt Stone got their start in Colorado. Remember watching their first clip that eventually became a cult classic on the Internet, “The Spirit of Christmas.”

Or, remember packing into the Flatiron Theater to watch the hilarious but underappreciated and soon renamed “Alferd Packer: The Musical.” You knew these guys were going to make it and it felt good to know them before the Comedy Central debut of “South Park.”

These three exclamation-punctuated folks probably won’t enjoy that kind of success. Still, thanks to the Internet, such dry wit as theirs can be appreciated from home, regardless of where the filmmakers call home.

Best clip: “Nintendo.” It’ll have you laughing out loud and quoting lines like, “I’m glad I wore these pants” and “That was awkward” until the people around you tell you to stop and that you’re being annoying.

Dalley does Denver

‘In the face of adversity and a long-term indefinite hiatus from his one-time main musical project, Desaparecidos, Denver Dalley has taken a liking to his newfound motto of self-reliance. Standing by a personal declaration of independence for his current one-man band, Statistics, is the only way to he knows he will definitely get things done.

Dalley admits that he intended for Desaparecidos to be his full-time gig but the different schedules of the band members have made it difficult for them to find time to play together, let alone record their supposed follow-up to “Read Music Speak Spanish.”

The big problem: the media and pop culture’s obsession with Conor Oberst. He simply will not be let out of the limelight. So, the rest of Desa has had more than their fair share of downtime while he focused on his other band, Bright Eyes.

Originally, Desa had plans to spend this January and February in the studio recording their new album. Now, it’s uncertain if and when that may happen. Fortunately, Dalley – who admits that he has never been to Denver – is no longer waiting around. He’s got his own band and a packed touring schedule to boot.

“As an artist, you may be happy with what you’ve done but you’ve always got to look ahead to the future,” Dalley began. “You’ve got to think of what to do next.”

About a year and a half ago, he decided to focus on synth-pop, a new genre for him. Citing musicians who have a different take on the traditional elements they use, like Rage Against the Machine and The White Stripes as examples, he attempts to redefine the way he uses the instruments at his disposal. With a highly touted EP and newly released full-length under his belt already, his intentions appear to be working out.

“It just feels so rewarding because I did it all on my own,” he said. “It’s difficult when you don’t have anyone else to rely on but the payoff is greater. It’s not like I did all these things and I’m so great. It’s just that I did it all on my own, you know?”

As part of his current sovereign stance, he decided to seek out a new label with whom he could work. Saddle Creek and Jade Tree have been known to produce his favorite bands and albums. Since he has already worked with Saddle Creek, Jade Tree was the only logical choice for his Statistics project.

Not knowing what to expect, he sent them a demo. A week later, the label flew him up to Delaware and signed him. Neither party ever looked back.

Statistics has afforded him the opportunity to test his limits and, possibly, provide a friendly rival to Oberst’s confessional songwriting in Bright Eyes.

“Conor and I literally grew up together,” he said. “I’ve known him since we were in the fourth grade. He put out his first tape when he was like 13. He’s been working on music for over a decade now and I think that his work has paid off, big-time.”

He shows no sign of being bitter. He believes that Oberst is very likeable and it’s just odd to think about someone you know becoming so popular. To him, “Conor’s always been the same guy.”

The true question at hand has little to do with Bright Eyes, Statistics or any of the musicians involved. The inevitable occurred when the question arose about whether or not Oberst groupie Winona Ryder is as attractive in person as she is on screen.

Sadly, he has not accompanied Bright Eyes on any of their tours and, now that Oberst lives in New York, he did not have the opportunity to meet Miss Ryder.

On the other hand, he did discuss the matter with the Bright Eyes tour manager who “managed all these big acts back in the day.”

“In sports, when you do something really great, the President gives you a call,” said the tour manager to Dalley. “In music, when you do something really great, Winona Ryder gives you a call.”

Well, folks, if there ever was a reason to be a rock star, this is it.