A Leisurely Breakfast.

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Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:16:04 +0000

Oh yeah, for sure! We were just talking about watching some...

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:52:06 +0000

Oh yeah, for sure! We were just talking about watching some kung-fu movies in celebration of Chinese new year, and though it didn’t happen, it planted the thought in my head and reminded me I still need to catch up on that sort of thing (because only watching incredibly weird martial arts films probably makes me a bit like one of those guys who knows every obscure garage 7” but never listens to the Rolling Stones..)

Yeah, something like that. : )

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:47:28 +0000

Yeah, something like that. : )

The Paranoiac.

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:29:14 +0000

The Paranoiac.

mythologyofblue: Caspar David Friedrich, Wreck in the Sea of...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:28:27 +0000

mythologyofblue:

Caspar David Friedrich, Wreck in the Sea of Ice or Ship in the Polar Sea, 1798

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Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:27:58 +0000

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Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:27:25 +0000

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Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:27:12 +0000

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Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:26:57 +0000

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Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:26:29 +0000

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Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:25:37 +0000

This weekend, I drank >20 random beers of assorted sizes, and today I got up and did 12.5 hours...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:23:05 +0000

This weekend, I drank >20 random beers of assorted sizes, and today I got up and did 12.5 hours of office work.

Just in case you were wondering why I’ve posted posted anything on here for a while.

I dunno… It’s a living I suppose.

It’s been so long since I had the opportunity to watch a movie, I’ve forgotten what happens in them.

Are there people in them, moving around, talking? Things like that?

Are there colours and shapes in them, arranged to trigger an emotional response?

A man was telling me that there are some ones called “Invincible Pole Fighters” and “Five Deadly Venoms”, that I might like to watch. I am inclined to believe him.

Now I will reblog some inexplicable things before I go to sleep.

And whilst we’re on the subject of genius cantankerous...

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:40:53 +0000

And whilst we’re on the subject of genius cantankerous beat groups, sad to hear this morning about the death of Reg Presley. He always seemed like a nice fella.

Obit post of some kind coming as soon as I’m home and can dial up some tunes.

DISTORT: LIFE STINKS. I LIKE THE KINKS.

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:26:32 +0000

DISTORT: LIFE STINKS. I LIKE THE KINKS.:

distortmag:

“You know the story behind ‘David Watts’? You want my version? I hope the old boy doesn’t object. We played this concert up at Peterborough, Rutland, and he seemed like a regular old army type. “Look boys, bit of a shithouse out here, why don’t you change at my house?” I said, “Oh, thank you, Mr Watts.” But I did notice he had white socks on! Anyway, we did the gig and after the gig he said, “Would you like to come back for a little celebration?” We said, “Yeah. Why not, we’re not doing anything. Be home in a couple hours.” We had a few glasses of pink champagne and all these men kept arriving. The head of the local constabulary and detectives, all the noted people in Rutland, all men escorted by little boys! And Mick, of course, and Dave homed in on the situation. Mick and Dave were dancing and Mick’s trousers fell down, and I said to David Watts, “Don’t you fancy that big hunky drummer?” He said, “Get lost, sweetie, it’s your brother I’m after.”

“I thought, “This is the chance to get Dave set up.” We had bottles and bottles of champagne and I said, “Dave, lisen. I know you don’t write a lot of songs and you’re a bit worried about the future. Get clued into this, Dave. I think he’s in love with you.” Dave went out to the garden, they had swings in the garden, I said to David Watts, “Well, you might be all right. He’s my brother and I’m very protective of him. If there is a liason with you, friendship, or affair, I want you to ensure Dave gets half of the house!” They were sat on this swing together holding hands! Dave didn’t fancy him. Simple as that. And David Watts was a bit shattered by it. I think Dave should have taken the offer up. But he came to see us in Peterborough and he met us a few times afterwards. Whenever he heard the song he said, “You bums writing that song. You bums!”

(From Jon Savage interview with Ray Davies printed in Ugly Things #30)

Here’s where you get a hint of what kinky associations that band name may have offered those teens just discovering sanity napkins or refined older gents inclined toward dressing in white socks. There’s subtext in a number of Kinks tunes regarding the theme of the British chum that pushes the intimacy of that very male friendship: ‘Do You Remember Walter?’ is the heartache of being abandoned and forgotten by your chum, who’d straightened out and abandoned all commitments you’d made toward an adventurous life together. ‘Lola’ beat Lou Reed to the punch and made a pop hit out of a guy who is man enough to be a woman. ‘David Watts’ offers the tale of a tortured narrator who lies on his pillow at night dreaming of living the life of a successful school chum

The song itself lacks the grit of malice that infects most of Ray’s best tunes until you’re aware of the story behind the name. In that respect, Ray is being malicious twice over. David Watts, the name of an older gent Ray attempted to pimp his younger brother to in exchange for half of his house, certainly didn’t miss that when he called The Kinks “bums” for using his name. Dave wrote some of the best known and loved songs from the Something Else era – ‘Death Of A Clown’, ‘Funny Faces’ and ‘Love Me Til The Sun Shines’, and the single ‘Suzannah’s Still Alive’ – and yet Ray presents the insidious plot as some kind of benevolent act in his Dave’s interest, to provide financial security that wouldn’t come from his own song writing. In other words, Ray suggests to his brother: look, you’ll never write songs of the same caliber as me. Rather than try, why not just sit on the swings with Mr Watts here, and take it from there? And, then, creeping across the party like Iago, to whisper into the ear of Watts: look at that little piece of chicken, that ripe little buttercup, half of your house and he’s yours!

Not only that, but who is singing those beautiful harmonies? Dave himself! As if to punish him for not swinging with Watts, Ray now has him grinning like a gibbon, prancing around while Ray sings a song mocking him: “I wish I could have all he has got”. And, again, the real David Watts hears that in ‘David Watts’, and feels like Withnail & I’s Uncle Monty. Dave didn’t fancy him in real life, he got to first base holding hands but didn’t get to watch Dave removed his white socks (those white socks kill me – I picture, of course, John Waters whenever I read that interview and that particular detail, and believe me, I’ve read it enough times), but now, here’s Dave and his older pimp brother singing a song about him, mocking him. Not good enough for a root, but good enough for a tune.

This song is far from an exemplary exercise in Ray’s seething misanthropy, but it is one of The Kinks most enduring, catchy songs. The glorious back story does reveal yet another layer of Ray acting the cunt toward his bandmates and brother, the simple lesson that within the most touching tribute to friendship and the aspiration toward nobility, Ray can make mockery of intimacy and purity and beauty. Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa!

FROM LIFE STINKS I LIKE THE KINKS #1, WHICH INCLUDES PIECES FROM DISTORT #37, #41, #42 AND A FEW ADDITIONAL SCRAPS. FREE TO SUBSCRIBERS. PRINTING SOON AS THOSE 7”S ARE OUT. IF YOU’D LIKE TO WRITE OR DRAW SOMETHING FOR #2, GET IN TOUCH.

Nice & Smooth.

rockhyrax: My new Poster for The Laughing Women / Femina Ridens...

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:36:51 +0000

rockhyrax:

My new Poster for The Laughing Women / Femina Ridens (Piero Schivazappa, 1969). Playing in February as part of Spectacle’s “Anti-Valentines” series.

Great poster; great movie.

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Sun, 27 Jan 2013 17:20:24 +0000

Absolute perfection.

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 17:19:41 +0000

Absolute perfection.

in case you didn't know: there are 2 different Black Flag reunions happening this year

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 17:17:54 +0000

in case you didn't know: there are 2 different Black Flag reunions happening this year:

suicidewatch:

And none of them feature Kira, so fuck it.

Thoroughly BLAH news, but y’know - if case yr interested.

New Hard Skin LP and another new Hard Skin LP

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 17:14:00 +0000

New Hard Skin LP and another new Hard Skin LP:

afogofideas:

New Hard Skin LP ‘On The Balls’ due in March, nine years since ‘Same Meat, Different Gravy’. To celebrate (?) a version of the new LP is also being released called ‘Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear?’ with some of their female friends and fans taking on the household chores (vocals). Ladies getting busy are Marion and Roxanne from Veronica Falls, Joanna Newsom, Miki from Lush, Manda Rin from Bis, Liela Moss from The Duke Spirit, Mustard Gas from Fucked Up, Debbie Smith from Echobelly, Beth Jeans Houghton, Beki Bondage from Vice Squad, Alela Diane, Beckie Chaos from Chaos UK and Alison Mosshart from The Kills/The Dead Weather

Preorders for blue vinyl of ‘On The Balls’ and pink vinyl of ‘Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear?’ are selling like the proverbial hot cakes

Act fast

Great news!

I’ve just spent about five minutes trying to imagine what Joanna Newsom singing a Hard Skin song might sound like, and it’s really not a concept my mind can deal with…

Yeah, that’s a good one too! I only picked it up quite...

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:58:42 +0000

Yeah, that’s a good one too!

I only picked it up quite recently actually… been kind of curious to hear it ever since reading a really good piece Lester Bangs wrote about it (and seeing the incredible artwork). Pretty challenging stuff for a 1972 “jazz” record… again, creates a really unique headspace. Further listening needed.