Album Review: Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications

To me, there is but one voice that marries the slink of super sexy seduction with droll, wry realism. That voice, my loves, belongs to Jarvis Cocker, the lanky and exceedingly droll frontman for the divine band Pulp, one of the best of the Britpop bunch, the band that made you drink and dance and screw while Blur and Oasis were waging war in the charts with their Wonderwalls and their Country Houses. Having steered Pulp for over two decades, Cocker took advantage of a lengthy lull in Pulp relations and released a rather excellent solo record, succinctly titled Jarvis. Full of the razor-sharp, sarcastic pragmatism that made Pulp so great, Jarvis was a wonderful listen (particularly the glorious songs “Black Magic” and “Tonite”). And so with the news of a second solo record, I was rather pleased and excited to see what Jarvis had to offer up the second time around.

Further Complications begins with the snappy little title track, a rollicking romp through the banalities and tribulations of modernity. As you might expect, Jarvis and his voice are the star attractions, the combination of his lyrics and that voice always proving to be a winning one. “Angela” is a dancefloor gem, not quite up to par with “Common People” or “Disco 2000” of the heydays of Pulp, but pretty fine nonetheless with its handclaps and fuzzy riffs. “I wanna love you/whilst we both still have flesh upon our bones,” Jarvis offers in his dry, no-frills delivery, “before we both become extinct,” touching upon a few of his favorite themes, sex and aging and death. But as ever, Cocker makes his dark, brooding frankness ever so appealing with the overflowing bounty of his wit and that knack for clever, engaging lyrics.

“If every relationship is a two-way street/I have been screwing in the back whilst you drive”, comes the sardonic line in “I Never Said I Was Deep”, one of the best of the best on Further Complications. It’s not exactly breaking news, but I’ll just go ahead and reiterate the fact that nobody does cynical self-deprecation better than Mister Cocker. “Hold Still” shows off Cocker’s penchant for the sexy sidle of 70s-influenced lounge, and it’s not hard to imagine Jarvis holding one of those thin microphones while swaying around a plush set on some retro pop music program, bright lights reflecting in those thick specs that have become his trademark over the years as he come hithers for the folks at home.

It was initially a bit hard for me to let go of the Jarvis from Pulp thing, given how smitten I was for that wonderful band. However, given this second solo recording, the ties are easily cut. Further Complications is a great record, and leaves no doubt as to who’s behind it. Be it in Pulp or on his own, Jarvis Cocker is a force to be reckoned with. And I think it’s a fairly safe thing to say that anything he touches will be pretty bloody fantastic.

mp3: Further Complications (Jarvis Cocker from Further Complications)

100 Shows of 2010 - #56: A Place To Bury Strangers @ Rittenhouse Square, 8/25/10

I went to Philly’s Rittenhouse Square expecting nothing more than my second fantastic A Place To Bury Strangers gig. I left town a little shorter of hearing and pretty convinced that I’d just experienced the best gig of the year thus far (and that’s even taking into account the small group of juvenile delinquents intent on moshing). But those three boys of APTBS seemed hell-bent for leather on making this one seriously killer show, and succeed they did.

MINI RECAP: A Place To Bury Strangers = Deafeningly Diabolical! Overall score: A+.

Sure, driving to Philly the night before one has to be at work around 7:30 in the morning might, on the surface, seem like not such a good idea. But missing A Place To Bury Strangers for the second time this year was too unacceptable a notion for me, so up to Philadelphialand went I, with my bestie Laura, my most favorite of show companions. We strolled to the park and nabbed spots right near the stage in the middle of the greenery just in time, as the band was already setting up and testing the sonic barriers of the Square. Initially I wasn’t sure how the chaotic, intense sound of APTBS would translate to the open air, but when it was all said and done I felt silly for ever questioning.

I’m pretty sure this band could sound amazing just about anywhere you asked them to play. Taking the stage right as the sun had said farewell for the night, the trio pounced on their instruments and proceeded to tear their set apart for nearly an hour. It was a riotous set, nearly sixty minutes of blistering, beautiful aural ferocity. Think this band is fierce on record? You ain’t heard nothin’, my friends, til you’ve seen ‘em live. It was raw and powerful and violent and absolutely breathtaking. They chose four of my favorite songs from their gorgeous, must-own record Exploding Head (“I Lived My Life to Stand in The Shadow of Your Heart”, “In Your Heart”, “Deadbeat”, and my uberfave “Ego Death”), along with a bevy of first album tracks to boot. Each and every song was given the same careful attention to destruction, the band seemingly overtaken with a maniacal force driving them every onwards in their demolition. Every stake was raised, and they all delivered time and time again.

Singer and guitarist (and Virginia boy) Oliver Ackermann was particularly possessed, at times prone to a slightly deranged glint in his eyes just before he launched into a thrashing near-ruination of his guitar. Jerking around the stage almost as if in fits, he and his compatriots blew me away minute after minute. To quote a friend of mine, it was as if they had bellies full of hell. The guitar was searing, the vocals sneered menacingly, the bass inspired with its brutality, and the drums pounded without mercy. This was a band on the edge, and it was magnificent.

It all ended with a nearly incomprehensible wall of noise, as the boys turned things up to 11 and made with the never-ending waves of distortion that barraged the crowd for quite a while. I made the mistake of de-ear plugging a little too soon, and a few days later my hearing is still not quite right. The one real fly in the ointment? The smoke, which had been so effective when I had seen the band many moons ago at DC9, didn’t quite work as well in the great urban outdoors. But when a lackluster smoke machine is the biggest issue, you know it’s been a goddam good set. I felt the earth literally move more than once, and that can’t all be chalked up to my spot right near one of the speakers.

I’ve never been so happy to be experiencing some hearing loss. Ok, so there’s a few more months left in 2010, and plenty more shows where this one came from. But as of right now, this is it, folks. Show of the year thus far. No doubt about it.


mp3: Ego Death (A Place To Bury Strangers from Exploding Head)

More Star Tunes

Seriously, i freaking love the Interwebs.

While trying to find the exact wording for this quote (which clearly is the world's greatest response when anyone asks you what you want), i googled "speak Bocce" and somehow stumbled upon this gem. Though it came out more than a decade ago, apparently no one had bothered to tell me that some geeks had gone all out, writing and performing Star Wars: The Musical. Well, as a fellow geek, i say, well done, ladies and gents! Whereas a lot of these types of projects merely use existing music and throw in some silly lyrics, these cats went all out. Except for where they use original source music, this entire thing is completely the work of the writers, music, lyrics and all.

Not only does the website have downloads of the entire score, but they've also got the Fan Film award-winning "One Season More" video, lyric sheets AND, I SHIT YOU NOT, A KARAOKE INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF THE SCORE FOR YOUR NEXT STAR WARS THEMED PARTY!!!

Honest to Slave Leia, i love geek love.

mp3: Do You Speak Bocce? (Star Wars: The Musical Cast from Star Wars: The Musical)

mp3: Let's Blow This Thing (Star Wars: The Musical Cast from Star Wars: The Musical)

Work and Spirituality

I read a post today on Catholic Spiritual Direction, a wonderful blog, listed on my blogroll in the right sidebar, to which I would refer anyone interested in very insightful posts on living a godly life in today's world. The question a reader had posed was "how do I deal with issues of advancement and self-promotion at work?" The answer was splendid, and I suggest you wander over there to read it.

I have often commented on work issues on 100th Lamb, and its predecessor blog, Blest Atheist. As with anything else, if one lets go and lets God, as the saying goes, work goes better. One does not need to tout one's accomplishments. God will ensure that they become known and noticed when that is important, and otherwise it is not important. Among the things that I have noticed when it comes to inviting God to take over my work life are the following (far from a full litany of benefits and blessings):

(1) Servant leaders become powerful leaders even though that is not their intention. Jesus showed us the way to be good servant leaders when he washed the feet of his disciples. I ask of those managers who work for me that they think constantly of when the feet of their employees need washing and to tend to that task with alacrity. Recently, a would-be leader who had run into some complications with his team members asked me as someone he considers his mentor how to handle the situation, and I told him he needed more humility, to throw his inflated ego in the trash because it was doing him no good, and forgive those who were creating problems for him. Oh, he found that hard, but he tried all of it. He even sent me a self-learning plan for developing humility, at which point I called him to my office to explain that one does not achieve humility; humility simply comes as a result of something that is so easy that is almost impossible for some people: always put others first. Others can say whether or not our actions are examples of our humility; we cannot begin to measure our own level of humility without being arrogant about it. A strange characteristic this humility! But so desirable!

(2) Power grows the more you give it away. This fact is one of the most counter-intuitive realities with which immature managers must cope. Most new managers want to hang onto power. They want their employees to defer to them, even sometimes to call them "sir" and "ma'am." They want overt respect. As a result, they get the titles, the overt behavior, and the public respect. What they don't get is the implicit respect that is not demanded but freely given, the love and support that comes with it, and the willingness to go the extra nine or ninety yards, as needed. I am tickled pink with employees who point out some shortcoming or inconsistency in my behavior. It means that we are working as a team, and teams are more powerful than individuals. I also notice that when both responsibility and authority are delegated to them, employees are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the tasking. In turn, if the manager asks them to do something that they would prefer not to do, they do it anyway, without grumbling, because of the bond between them. That is real power. The power that comes with position is multiplied a thousandfold when it is bestowed upon a manager not by his/her superiors but by his/her subordinates.

(3) Dealing with difficult people becomes easy, fun, and rewarding. I have said it often, and I truly mean it. I love difficult people. They are my greatest reward for being a manager. Watching a disaffected employee become a contributing team member produces one of the warmest fuzzies that any manager could ever want. I have very few difficult people among the 400 or so who work for me although four years ago when I began this position the division was considered riddled with difficult people. Now the division is called the "black hole" of our organization by the EEO office and by the Union because even people who used to practically live in those places, complaining about their supervisors and work conditions, no longer visit. They are happy contributors to their teams' work. Once a senior manager, who no longer works for me, asked how to deal with difficult people. I told him that the key was so simple that most managers won't use it: genuinely love them. He told me sorrowfully that he could not do that and not long after resigned. I replaced him with someone who could do that, and the 30 or more chronic complainers in that particular subdivision now appear in the corridors and at group meetings with big smiles. When the new manager first appeared, many stopped me in the hallway to thank me for the change in leadership. Now when they are unhappy about work conditions, they do not run to the Union or the EEO officials for help; they come to their supervisor.

(4) The workplace becomes a place of worship as well, a place where people are inexorably drawn and from which they do not wish to depart. Many a night I have chased people home with the words, "we work to live; we don't live to work." Actually, it is not the living to work that compels people to stay in the office after hours. It is the palpable presence of God in our workplace. Who would want to leave that? Once I had a manpower team from headquarters visit for a week for the purpose of determining staffing needs -- were we understaffed (yep), overstaffed (nope), or staffed just right (not that, either). After spending a week of visiting and talking to employees, during which the visitors had open access to everyone, thanks to a building schematic and names/titles of employees that I gave them with the invitation to go wherever they wanted whenever they wanted and talk to whomever they wanted. They did. The head of the visiting team came to my office at the end of the week, ostensibly, I thought, to talk to me about staffing levels. Instead, she told me that she wanted to talk about the atmosphere in the work place. "I have read about places like this," she said, "but I have never actually seen one -- where people love to come to work, support each other, and willingly remain to make sure that all tasks are completed and everything is ready for the next day. I wish I could work here." There is nothing to my credit in what she found. Rather, that is what happens when one lets God into the workplace.

(5) Moreover, once God is in the workplace, God does what God does best. Miracles happen. Chestnuts get pulled out of the fire by unseen hands. Cutting-edge and seemingly-impossible-because-no-one-has-ever-done-it-before work gets done with amazing ease. Where task and mission require, 48 hours of work finishes itself in eight hours. Pride in the accomplishment of the division and not in the accomplishments of individuals appears; employees give credit to each other, supervisors to employees, and employees to supervisors. People talk about God and even pray together -- in an institution where separation of Church and State is the norm, the expected, the required. The most amazing, though, are the real miracles. We have had several people literally on the brink of death who have reappeared in our midst. I have blogged before about some of them, among these being Jackie, who ended up with a blog clot in her lung and comatose after surgery but survived and will be returning to work, and Tareq, an Iraqi immigrant to the United States who suffered from cancer and heart failure and did eventually die but not before a miraculous post-surgery recovery that gave him an additional year at work and at home, a year he desperately needed to put his family matters straight and save the life of his son who had to be rescued from Iraq when he was personally targeted by insurgents. For all these people, we have had employees of several faiths praying together, our own little ecumenical world, where religious flavor and fervor come second and God and each other come first.

Well, this is not at all the post I had planned to write today, but the writing of it took on a life of its own, inspired by my reading of Fr. Todd's response to the questioner on Catholic Spiritual Direction, and here it now is. So, I shall post it. Tomorrow I will post what I had planned to put up today.

(Note: I know that the image is not entirely appropriate, but it is also not entirely inappropriate. I found it on the web and could not resist including it!)

It's Covered: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear

i've got a big review of yesterday's DC stop for the Rock the Bells tour coming soon, but what's the point of co-owning a blog if you can't take time out to wish The Missus a happy second wedding anniversary? A lot of people lost money on that bet, i tell you what.

In honor of two years of wedded bliss, a quick It's Covered on the Randy Newman classic, "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear." The Missus and i have a running joke about getting eaten by bears, which probably isn't that funny if you were friends with this guy, but it's a laugh riot to us regardless. You go hang out in Alaska meeting your in-laws, and tell me the thought doesn't cross your mind. Then have your father-to-be draw a pistol on what turns out to be a leafy stump swaying in the breeze. It's a knee slapper, i tell you what.

While Newman penned it, it was first performed by Harpers Bizarre and, with the change of an article, was made classic overseas by Alan Price (though if you're from the States and about my age, you might credit its true international success to Scooter, Rowlf and Fozzie).

i'll let you decide for yourself.

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Randy Newman from Sail Away)

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Harpers Bizarre from The Platinum Collection)

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Harry Nilsson from Harry)

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Okkervil River from Golden Opportunities mixtape)

mp3: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (The Muppets from The Muppet Show - The 25th Anniversary Collection)

mp3: Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear (Alan Price from The Best Of)

mp3: Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear (The Animals from Perform Price)

(Ed. Note: Today's Blog-on-Blog love gets you sticky from She'll Grow Back, who longtime readers will remember inspired this column in the first place, thereby giving you the correct answer to the upcoming LET version of Trivial Pursuit.)

Monday Morning Meditation #54: Praise the Lord

This week I made it as far as the next psalm, Psalm 9. At this rate, it will take me a couple of years to make it through the Psalms. Actually, that does not seem to be a problem at all. Each psalm is so rich that a week to consider it is well within reason. I am really enjoying the opportunity to work my way through the Psalms. Psalm 9 turns away from the themes of the first eight psalms and turns toward praising God -- for an entire litany of things: protection against enemies, support, righteous judgment & justice, wonders, help, succor for the oppressed, never being forsaken, and "a stronghold in times of trouble," among others.

Reading: Psalm 9

Meditation: Reading through David's list of reasons to praise God makes one realize how little the world has changed in all this passage of an incredible number of years and centuries. We still look to God for help in time of trouble, and He does not forsake us. We still need Him to protect us against our enemies, and He does not fail us. We still look to Him for justice and righteous judgment, and He does not disappoint us. We still look for Him for succor when we are oppressed, and He does not deny us a deep emotional relief. And still today we wonder at His wonders. How often, though, do we remember to praise Him for all these things?

I have upon occasion noticed in our prayer group that we tend to have an imbalance in our prayer mixture. Prayers of petition come easily; oh, we have quite a list of petitions. We actually do not do too poorly at identifying our own failings, regrets, and things for which we truly repent. We have, over the few years we have been together, seen wonders in the ways in which prayers have been answered, people have been helped, and even life-threatening medical (and financial) problems have been overcome -- and for these, it has been easy to express our gratitude. When it comes to praise, however, we sometimes forget and sometimes simply lack the words. I don't know why that is, but in talking to others, I realize that we are not alone. We need David's enthusiasm in praising God for everything that David lists and more and more and more. We need David's words and more words. I wonder if David felt at times that he did not have all the words he needed to express the kinds of praise God deserves to hear from us. Praise the Lord! We say it so often in passing to each other. Maybe we need to say it more often to God.

Contemplation: That is far as I can go with you this Monday morning. I must retire to private prayer and this week, this time, I believe I shall spend it entirely in praising God, praising that is overdue. Then I will spend as much time as I can in contemplation, my favorite part of the day, letting God take over the direction in which my relationship with Him moves, something for which I should -- and will -- express greater gratitude and praise.

I will leave you to your prayer and contemplation. First, though, I would like to bring to your attention a Monday morning prayer post that you might enjoy:

Fr. Austin Fleming, priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and pastor in Concord, Massachusetts, posts a prayer each Monday morning that he calls "Monday Morning Offering." I enjoy his prayers very much. I hope you also will find them inspirational. He has graciously given me permission to include a link to his blog on my Monday Morning Meditation posts. (During the week, he also posts great homilies and other thoughtful discussions. I enjoy reading those, too.)

For additional inspiration throughout the week, I would point out two sets of blogs: (1) the list of devotional blogs on my sidebar and (2) my blogroll, where I am following a number of inspirational priests and writers about spiritual matters. I learn so very much from all these people. I highly recommend them to you.

Album Review: Gringo Star – All Y’all

Ever wondered what might happen if you took four dudes with a serious love of the British Invasion and stuck ‘em smack dab in the capital of the Dirty South? Well, you can stop wondering and get yourself a copy of this here record if you wanna know, ladies and gents. Gringo Star has taken their cues from the cream of the British crop and given the skinny pantsuits and bowl cuts the Atlanta treatment, the end result of which is an album of tail feather-shakers and other fine musical treats.

It begins with the oh-so Kinks-ian jangle of title track “All Y’all,” full of vim, vigor, and cracklingly good guitars (think “All Day & All Of The Night” with a drawl). Gringo Star proves early on that next to nobody can shimmy and shake their way around a studio quite like they can. “Ask Me Why” is among the exhibits I submit to the jury for confirmation of said opinion. You can feel the sass from here, my friends. “You don’t even know what you done”, sing they, as the guitars wail sultrily away. “Come On Now” is just the cutest thing, sweet like those old ditties used to be, but with an ever-present undercurrent of naughtiness lurking just under the bounce. Much like those rapscallion Rod Stewart-led Faces, I wonder if perhaps the adage “good boys when they’re asleep” also applies to los Gringos.

“TransMission” offers a dreamy swirl of a breather from the madcap danceability of the songs before it. And yes, the Gringos also do near-ballads very well. But they’re undoubtedly at their best when gettin’ down, as in the dirty little “Holding On To Hate” and its scorching little guitar riffs. It’s a big bastard of a song, and it’s damn fine. “Don’t Go” calls to mind The Hollies (circa “Bus Stop”), with the jauntiness of the instrumentation and the synchronized vocal acrobatics. Hell’s bells, the whole dang record is sizzlin’.

The record has been out for a little while now, but it still sounds as fresh as a daisy if you ask me. Now, loving the Brit Invasion as much as I do, I might have been slightly inclined to love Gringo Star anyway. But I ask you, friends, does it really get better than a band that tends to sound like an early Kinks/Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs/Zombies/Herman’s Hermits hybrid? I’m gonna go ahead and say no, it most certainly does not. So in closing, friends, all y’all really need to give All Y’all a listen or several.

mp3: All Y’all (Gringo Star from All Y’all)

100 Shows of 2010 - #55: Thieving Irons @ DC9, 8/23/10

It’s rather amusing that of all the t-shirts in my closet, the Pela shirt is the one I ended up wearing today. You see, friends, this here #55 show involves ¼ of Pela, pets emeritus of LET. After the band’s demise, guitarist Nate Martinez (otherwise known as one of my most favorite people around) couldn’t shake the itch, and continued work on stuff he’d had floating around in his head. The result was an album’s worth of awesome, also known as This Midnight Hum (which you should definitely buy). And to properly welcome the record into the world, Nate and his conglomeration of rad cohorts got themselves down to DC for their first ever live show. And what a show it was. Thieving Irons has definitely adapted the Pela tradition of great music, great live performances, and just being plain ole great.

MINI RECAP: Thieving Irons = First-time Charmers! Overall score: A.

Lee Hazelwood was soundtracking the soundcheck, so I knew that obviously good things were to come. It didn’t take long to prove me right. Starting with “Ashes On The Riverbank”, which reminded me how much I’d missed Nate’s deft guitar playing and ever-so likeable stage presence. I didn’t expect the comparison that began to form in my mind during this first song, but Nate’s voice kinda sorta reminded me of The Boss, minus the Jersey and a lot of the gravel. But the earnestness, the emotion, that’s the crux. So Boss Junior he shall be. The songs, with their scope and composition, dove into E Street Band territory here and there. It all felt rather special, I must say.

“I Can Hear a Pin Drop” was next, another fine musical display that really showed off Nate’s songwriting chops (a particular favorite: “I am a coward in my own skin”). The goodness lasted for the entire set, the songs given added weight and depth by the multi-awesome Mike Brown, who took turns on banjo, guitar, lap steel, and the occasional note on the keys. The ethereal shimmer of the steel, for instance, added even more of a dream-like quality to the sensational “Wave’s Gonna Break”. Nate’s voice proved endearingly vulnerable during several songs, but this one in particular. “On The Horizon” featured one of my favorite lines by just about anyone in “It’s too cold to shiver,” and it was during this song that I noted that this could very well be on of those shows I gloat about having been present at years from now.

“Pale Blue Dots” for some reason conjured up Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”, though less obviously hormonal. To me, it was the sound of sultry nights, fire escapes, and hazy rings surrounding a muggy moon. It was during “Babylon Is Burning” that I realized my foot hadn’t stopped tapping all night, and that was the set’s tenth song. And it should be noted that while a shout-out from the stage doesn’t automatically guarantee a good review, it sure doesn’t hurt. “These Shaking Walls” and “Tow The Line” finished up the show, and both were splendid.

It’s a good thing I didn’t envision doing anything other than totally loving the Thieving Irons live experience. I hereby decree that Thieving Irons should be recommended listening as a part of your musical diet, and that seeing this band live will do wonders for your soul. Come on in, y’all, the bandwagon’s fine. Pull up a seat right here next to me.

mp3: Ashes On The Riverbank (Thieving Irons from This Midnight Hum)

Sabbath Sunday #34: Friends Are God's Way of Taking Care of Us

Fr. Christian Mathis (Blessed Is the Kingdom) has made the suggestion that we "rest" on the Sabbath by taking a break from our normal blogging and sharing an older post of which we are particularly fond. Rest? Gladly! I don't get to do that very often, but now, thanks to Fr. Christian, I get to do it at least once a week -- and it gives me more time to spend with God, which is a wonderful gift.

For this week, I selected a heartwarming story that was shared with me some time ago: Friends Are God's Way of Taking Care of Us. I am always appreciative of the opportunity to be a "friend" in this way.

Spiritual Sunday #2: Awe

I have joined the Spiritual Sunday meme, hosted by Charlotte and Ginger. However, because I do not blog on Sundays -- keeping it as the sabbath -- I will post my Spiritual Sunday blogs on Saturday evenings, and I will use older posts (forgotten perhaps but hopefully still good enough) from one or another of my blogs that seem appropriate for this meme.

For this week, I chose an early post from my blog, Modern Mysticism: Awe. It relates some not-so-common experiences with the Divine. At the time, I was seeking others who had had similar experiences, but in not finding them even until now, I have come to realize that God interacts with each of us differently and surely for that God has reasons even if those reasons are beyond our ability to understand more often than not.

The Good Ship Rediscovery: Mcluskyism

We all forget about the older stuff from time to time, in our quest to stay up to speed with the latest and greatest. But one should always respect their elders. So don’t forget about them, y’hear?

Of all the bands I’ve ever loved like fury and lost, Mclusky is one of the ones I miss the most. Ok, so they’re not really all that “old”, but they’ve been defunct for a little while now so I’m throwing ‘em into the Rediscovery circus. Sure, Andy Falkous is busy these days with the phenomenal Future Of The Left, but it’s not quite the same. Mclusky was a really special band to me. It was a perfect storm of savagery, each of the three members bring their own special brand of spitfire to the band to create a truly severe, raging sound. Falkous was the driving force with his teeth-baring voice, the kind that could peel paint with its vitriol and the kind of voice that just screams spittle, not to mention that whole Frank Black comparison thing. Coupled with his sawtooth, razor-sharp guitar, Falkous in Mclusky was unstoppable. Bassist Jon Chapple brought an unbalanced, unstable fire, with backing vocals as bratty as the day is long to compliment the fearsome snarl of Falco. And then there were the drums. Mat Harding, original drummer for Mclusky, not only got his kicks beating the living daylights out of his poor drums, but was also responsible for my love of drummers. The first song I ever heard was called “Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues”, and it just got better from there.

Mcluskyism, the 3-disc retrospective of the band’s repertoire, is a great little compendium of the Mclusky sound and perfect for a neophyte. You of course should already own the band’s full-length records, covered by the A-sides on the first disc. However, the B-sides disc has a wealth of gems, filthy and furious and fantastic. The C-sides disc is all live, all the time, and gives just a hint of the intense hellfire rage of the Mclusky live experience. I was lucky enough to see the band three times, and I can definitely tell you that this band was one of the best I’ve ever seen in the flesh. In person and on record, they had It.

Mclusky, may they rest in peace, had bite. Lots and lots of bite. Their songs were searingly clever, shatteringly loud, and incandescently killer. And I miss them like crazy.

mp3: whiteliberalonwhiteliberalaction (Mclusky from Mcluskyism)

mp3: No Covers (Mclusky from Mcluskyism)

mp3: The Salt Water Solution (Mclusky from Mcluskyism)

100 Shows of 2010 - #54: Admiral Radley/Hooray For Earth @ DC9, 8/21/10

It’s a blue moon rare kinda thing when you get both of us Terribles in one room at one time, my little darlings. Given our mad crazy constantly conflicting schedules it had been many a month since we got together, and as you probably already noticed, Chris and I joined forces for what I’d call easily one of the best shows of the year. Put together an emerging band from the Big Apple and a supergroup of sorts and you’ve got a recipe for one heck of a night. And that’s exactly what it was.

MINI RECAP: Admiral Radley = California Love! Hooray For Earth = NYC Love! Overall score: A.

Hooray For Earth was up first. I was so very happy to see them, because I had managed to miss the vast majority of their set a couple months back. They sounded totally different than what I remembered, and I could have sworn they lost a few band members in the interlude between the last show and this one. And if that’s the case, it was a change for the better. Or it could just be my horrible memory. Either way, I was totally impressed with HFE, their live set more torn and frayed than they are on record, a little bit Pavement and a little bit shoegaze and a little bit dreampop (or, as I wrote in my notes, think of it like that kinda spacey vibe of Steve Miller meets synth meets the Jesus & Mary Chain). Their songs proved rather punchy and rather enjoyable, and I just can’t resist a band that successfully juxtaposes totally chaotic guitar distortion and bouncy, bubbly basslines. Apart from the vocals being a little muddy, their set was totally great. And I can’t not give a shoutout to the drummer for drumming with one hand and banging the tambourine with the other. Now that, friends, is skill. Definitely watch this space, because I really dig me some Hooray For Earth.

Up next was the awesome of Admiral Radley. And let me just go ahead and get my bad pun out of the way, but you really can’t spell Radley without rad. Think of it, won’t you? You take two members of the fantastic Earlimart and fuse them to two members of the equally fantastic Grandaddy. It’s a surefire formula for success if ever there was one. I loved them immediately, their sound pulling from both bands but not as such that it seemed like a crutch. The guitar play reminded me of the Grandaddy record The Sophtware Slump a whole lot, and the sound was very bouncy and atmospheric. The projections flanking the band on either side of natural and cosmic elements totally fit their overall vibe. “How come you’re so far away back there and I’m up here like Bono,” a cheeky Aaron Espinoza asked Jason Lyttle, causing ripples of giggles throughout the crowd. Their banter was even great. At one point Espinoza adapted the lyrics to fit his frame of mind, singing, “I forgot the words/but it doesn’t matter now/cuz I’m all fucked up on beer/I’m fucked up on beer”. It was, hands down, the best drunk lyric forgettal recovery ever. They might heart California, but I heart me some Admiral Radley.

And that was all she wrote. It was a doozy of a dandy show, and not even the late start or late finish could put a damper on the displays of musical prowess. If you’re not already smitten with both of these bands, I suggest you give it some serious consideration.

mp3: Surrounded By Your Friends (Hooray For Earth from Momo)

Happy Birthday, Mama Said Knock You Out!

Guess who just turned 20? No, not that young'un you keep trying to sneak into bars, but none other than the seminal rap album, Mama Said Knock You Out, by hip hop icon LL Cool J. Now, i plan on doing an old skool review of Ladies Love Cool James sooner than later, but today is just to wish many happy returns of the day to the album that spawned the line, "Don't call it a comeback," which you and everyone you know has abused ad nauseum ever since.

In an increasingly more common move, a bunch of up and comers have put together their own homage to the classic album. The tracks have been tweaked quite noticeably, but the sentiment still is there.

Of course, i'd be remiss without mentioning the landmark MTV Unplugged that followed the album, wherein the world found out that LL really needed to change deodorants. Yipes, that was some chunky pit action going on right there.

mp3: Mama Said Knock You Out (LL Cool J from Mama Said Knock You Out)

mp3: Mama Said Knock You Out (BLCTXT, Lyrikill, Monsta X, Mecca Godzilla, Jun Classic from Mama Said Knock You Out 20th Anniversary Remix Album)

7 Quick Takes Friday #38

See more 7 Quick Takes Contributions at Jennifer Fulwiler's Conversion Diary.

For this week's quick takes, I am moving back from a concatenation of themes to a litany of days. From Friday through Thursday, each day was different in some way even though my work week calendar was a wall of meeting times.

1. Friday. The day began a little unusually but in a fun way. One of the gurus in our profession was conducting some training for us, and the head of the training division brought her to meet me. We have known each other by name for decades but had never met. That was fun. Then I walked her upstairs to our training center. Walking through the halls with her, I was greeted by the usual hugs, handshakes, and hellos in many languages. I love it when I can mingle a little more closely with employees than my typical daily schedule allows. (It is also good practice in keeping my language knowledge fresh for unused languages become rusty and then disappear.)

2. Saturday was Doah's day, and as soon as I get a chance I will post about it in detail on Clan of Mahlou. Donnie and I drove to Santa Clara, where he lives in a group home. We all went to lunch; then he and I took a walk for exercise around the little shopping area where we had lunch. Each of us has lost one pound this week. It may not sound like much, but one needs to lose one pound in order to lose ten. (One pound ten times adds up.) After that, I gave him $20, and he immediately spent nearly all of it on food for his co-workers. Then, he wanted to buy a fishing pole and tent for his next outdoor adventure, planned by his group home leader. The fishing pole was easy, but the only affordable tent had been sold out. Doah was not to be daunted. He approached the store manager, all by himself, and in his limited language somehow convinced the manager to take down the tent in front of the store and sell it to us at discount! (And they call him retarded!!)

3. Sunday was one of those "stuffed" days -- too many activities and too much food, beginning with breakfast in Monterey and ending with a late lunch at our favorite restaurant, Jardines, in San Ignatio, the latter with visiting friends from Maryland. We managed to squeeze in a quick trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (you may have seen it on Star Trek IV), but not to visit the exhibits -- just to use the bathroom and renew our membership because Shane and family were planning to visit in the afternoon and use our guest cards. (Sort of like what Doah used to do when he was living here -- go to the Aquarium not to look at the fish but to eat them; there is a great cafeteria there.) I also squeezed in noon Mass, which is in Spanish, so it was a Spanish-speaking afternoon: Mass, Jardines (the waiters there are more comfortable in Spanish), and our friends from Maryland (one is originally from Mexico and the other from Panama). Later in the day our neighbor dropped by; she is also Latina. Gotta love San Ignatio for keeping my Spanish fresh.

4. Monday. Monday is usually a boring, difficult day at work with one meeting after another, so I look forward to our evening prayer group. We are reading Things Hidden by Richard Rohr (great book), sharing our reflections on the various chapters, and often the needs for prayers that they elicit. Typically, we begin with singing hymns; sometimes Johnny or Anne bring their guitar as background music (Johnny is a professional singer and guitar player so that makes for a nice singalong). More often than not, I end up pounding out the notes on the piano. Whatever works... We also discussed the girl who wants a blessing from the pope about whom I posted yesterday. It was a member of our prayer group who first brought her to my attention. After singing, talking about our lives (and prayer lives) for a few minutes, and discussing the book, we spend some time in prayer, to which we bring our own requests and requests that have been sent our way. We have seen some wonderful answers to prayers in this group. It is always an "up" way to end the day.

5. Tuesday. For some reason (the reason being simply that I did not look at my calendar before going to work), I mixed up my schedule on Tuesday, thinking that it was a day without any outside interaction, so I dressed comfortably in one of my Jordanian dish-dashas, rather than wearing a suit. After I got to work (a good half-hour from home), I discovered that we had a visitor being escorted by my boss's boss's boss, and I was scheduled to brief him -- in my dishdasha (long, ethnic dress). Oh, well! The deed was done; I had no way to change. I had forgotten, however, that the big boss spent some of his youth in Saudi Arabia; instead of being put off, he was very taken with my attire. Whew! (It was reminiscent of the time that I chose not to spend a fortune on a ball gown and wore an ethnic outfit to that event.)

6. Wednesday. I had such a rough morning! First, I had an employee who had been fired come to me for relief, but I could not provide it because she simply did not have the skills we needed. She was unwilling to try to learn them. She kept telling me how much smarter she was than her boss, so I finally had to be very frank with her and explained that she would have the same kind of problem in her next job if she did not begin to view herself more realistically, acquire the skills she needed, and ask for help instead of being defensive and pushing away attempts at helping her. I was able to let her resign instead of being fired, which seemed to take some of the bitterness out of the situation, but it is always difficult being this frank with people. On the other hand, one does them no service to let them walk away thinking that the firing was just a personality conflict when it was really a lack of skills. The latter can be fixed and make the person a better candidate for another job. Then I had to cancel a program review because the program manager was not ready. Well, he thought he was, but he was not. He argued with me about needing to discuss specific aspects of his program, about the need to document, and about the need to show measures of effectiveness and account for the effectiveness of the program. He bristled against anything I said that smacked of standardization. He explained that he was unique and exempt from doing things like others did them. Finally, I had to tell him flat out, "I am the boss; this is what I want; this is what you must give to me. So, go back and do it, and I will reschedule the review when you are ready." Two unhappy campers in one morning. Then I had to leave for our other office. "Bitchy Bethie is leaving the building," I told my admin assistants as I signed out. They laughed, and one said, "Hey, we're shocked! You never talk that way." Goodness, I don't usually feel this way, but it was not a usual morning.

7. Thursday. I arrived knowing that I had a calendar wall for the day: back-to-back meetings without a break, not even for lunch. My admin assistant noted that she probably should schedule a bathroom break, but there was no time for that, either. As bad luck would have it, every meeting ran late. One ran so late that I missed graduation for one of our training courses -- and I was supposed to give the closing words. Fortunately, one of the senior managers was there and could do that for me on no notice. We are used to no notice around the office. Then, my boss's boss arrived early for a meeting, and I missed the first 20 minutes. I walked in with an armful of water bottles to find everyone seated around the conference table and deep in discussion. Again, three of my senior managers had taken over. (It is nice that I can count on this.) All I was needed for, as it turned out, was to be the water girl. I handed out the water, which my boss's boss immediately spilled all over himself and the table, then joined the discussion. Well, maybe I was needed for a little more than just water since some decisions had to be made. It tickled me, though, to see how closely by boss's boss was working with my senior managers, without me there. One team! That makes for a productive and happy work place.

As for the weather, yesterday it reached 116 degrees: my ice-cream-on-a-stick turned immediately to soup-on-a-stick, and I was eating fast food whether I liked it or not. Clothes quickly became optional, and all three cats were lying on their backs, exposing their bellies to the fan. Pretty funny picture -- I should have taken one! Today the weather took a mad swing, starting off at 50% of yesterday's temperature: 58 degrees! I put on a sweater. I wonder what the dawn will bring!

Have a great weekend! Watch that weather! I hope yours will be more consistent than ours and that you will not have to be eating soup-on-a-stick.

(Remaining pictures and links are coming later -- I have to tumble into bed for a three-hour rest before leaving for work.)

More Mixtape Love: Tyler, the Creator and the OFWGKTA Crew

Did i tell you that the We Did It Collective brings the noise or did i tell you the We Did It Collective brings the noise? Damn right, i did.

Hell, even when it's apparently not one of their own, they're still pointing readers in the direction of some of the dopest underground shit out there today.

Which brings me to Tyler, the Creator and his crew, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWKTA, for short). Melonious Drunk over at We Did It recently posted the clip for "French," and i was immediately captivated. Who the hell was this young'un with all that bass and gravel in his voice? Fortunately, the end of the clip points one towards the Odd Future website, and guess what i found? Multiple mixtapes, videos, singles, pictures and more swagger than you could shake a pimp at.

i've got to be honest, i'm still getting through a lot of this so-far-excellent material, but i can tell you this. These homeboys have skills, plain and simple. Sure, the lyrics are dark, often homophobic, sometimes childish, but the delivery is crisp, and i hear an underlying sense of humor that's three dope. It's largely what you'd expect from some L.A. native teens from possibly the not best section of town. i read an excellent review comparing Tyler to some other dimensional bastard offspring of DOOM, and i'd say that's a pretty fair cop. Young boy isn't wearing a mask just yet, but that doesn't mean he can't hold his own. Much respect.

mp3: French (ft. Hodgy Beats) (Tyler, the Creator from Bastard)

mp3: Splatter (ft. Tyler, the Creator) (OFWGKTA from Radical)

Does Anyone Know the Pope?

I was contacted by someone who seems to think I have contacts everywhere -- I do not -- and can convince anyone -- I cannot -- to do anything -- I would not. However, in this case, the request is as simple as it is difficult.

I am writing on behalf of my 16 year old daughter, Ariana Argueta, who, a year ago, on September of 2009, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme, also known as GBM. To provide you with some context about Ariana’s condition, GBM is is the most common and most aggressive type of primary brain tumor in humans and has a very poor prognosis. As a result of this diagnosis, we were put in touch with the Make A Wish Foundation in hopes that the organization could grant Ari a wish. Ari has asked to meet Pope Benedict XVI and receive an individual blessing from his Excellency.
As of today, the Foundation has graciously been able to arrange for Ariana to attend a papal mass on October 20, 2010, however, she will not be receiving a personal blessing from his Excellency, which is her wish. Ariana is so excited and grateful for this opportunity, but as you can imagine, receiving a personal blessing would mean so much to Ariana because of her strong Catholic faith and her belief that God is with her during every step of her journey and that her wellness is in God’s hands. Despite this difficult journey, Ari has never once asked “why me,” complained about her predicament or even questioned her faith. Ariana is a 16 year old Mexican American young lady who has been raised in a traditional Mexican family whose Catholic roots stem from multiple generations. She has been enrolled in Catholic schools since Kindergarten and is currently a student at Santa Catalina School.

Our bishop has not been able to help. Do any of you know anyone who can help? I do have two friends in Italy (neither in Rome, but one is not far from Rome), and I will see if either happens to know a journalist in the Rome area who would at least be willing to write a story that might capture public and Papal attention. Other ideas? Contacts of any sort?

Wish You Were Here #1: Hammer No More The Fingers

Hammer No More The Fingers has rapidly become one of my favoritest new bands. I love their raw, rambunctious energy and their sound that's been compared by many to the glory days of 90s college radio rock. Not to mention that these three dudes are three of my favorite North Carolinians of all time. They'll be playing the Churchkey Records showcase at BiMA Friday night, and I'll be there with bells on.

mp3: Shutterbug (Hammer No More The Fingers from Looking for Bruce)

Beat Meet

i really need to come up a name for this recurring column. "Beat Meet" seems to be both truthful, as we're here to discuss the latest i've dug up from the beat music scene, plus the double entendre in the name is just childish enough to work for me. i'll gladly accept other suggestions should any of you care to post in the comments, but we may just have a winner here.

Anyway, as luck would have it, we have a particularly good haul this week.

From one of my all-time favorite labels out there today, the folks over at Project:Mooncircle have remained busy. Hell, Robot Koch apparently is working on the Madlib model and will drop his Songs for Trees and Cyborgs this October. The LP comes essentially on the heels of his phenomenal Listen to Them Fade EP, which came out just a few months back. This time around, the Mad German Maestro teams up with the likes of Boxcutter, 1000 Names, Doshy, RQM and Graciela Maria, amongst others. Koch happens to be one of my favorites in the game right now. His stuff demonstrates a bit more of the European sensibilities you don't always find in U.S. beat scene, more structured and textured than a lot of the other players out there. Just to get you pumped, we've got an early listening treat for your ear holes.

mp3: Brujeria (robot koch vs graciela alatorre) (Robot Koch from Songs for Trees and Cyborgs)

The other main reason this week is so good is that i finally got off my ass and downloaded a new browser, thereby allowing me the ability to download from the fantastic XLR8R site. Holy Christ, it's like a freakin' treasure trove of grooves over there! And guess what? They had even more Robot Koch, remixed by my hero, Alex B.

mp3: Devil Drums (Alex B Remix) (Robot Koch from Friends of Friends Volume 3)

What's more, Alex B just released a brand new podcast mixtape for XLR8R, thereby bringing perfect symmetry to where we are. And thus, it all returns to foot wear.

mp3: XLR8R Podcast: Alex B - August 24, 2010 (Alex B from XLR8R website)

Hell, while we're at, i dug up a boatload of remixes over there that need to be shared with you lucky bastards. Truth be told, i don't know too much about the first two actual artists, but you know of my love for Shigeto and Flying Lotus. Of course, the last one is just the opposite; i'm way down with Baths (thanks, Ernie and Bert!), but couldn't tell you too much about the One AM Radio or the Los Feliz Ladies Choir. All share one thing in common, however, and that's that they're all bad mama jammas.

mp3: Lost Where I Belong (Flying Lotus Remix) (Andreya Triana from Lost Where I Belong)

mp3: Black Canyon (Shigeto's As I Inhale Mix) (Ana Caravelle from XLR8R site)

mp3: Hall (The One AM Radio Remix feat. The Los Feliz Ladies Choir) (Baths from XLR8R site)

Since i'm feeling so generous today, i've got to also throw love towards We Did It Collective yet again for these two new gems from jonwayne, both from his upcoming Doodles CD. Sounds like that's only going to be available at shows, so pick up these tracks and say you got there first.

mp3: Big Like Curby (jonwayne from Doodles)

mp3: Infinite (jonwayne from Doodles)

The Pro~Ef camp just sent us over a sample of their upcoming adventure score series, Compression Chamber, due out September 21st 2010. Stuttering beats over hazy grooves. Me likey. If you've read this far, i'm guessing you will, too.

mp3: Paper Trail Exerpt (Pro~Ef from Compression Chamber - Episode One: Paper Trail)

Kill Only When You Are Hungry

Here is another of the goodies that my sister sends to me from the Internet:

The law of the wild says kill only when you are hungry!!!

Photographer Michel Denis-Huot, who captured these amazing pictures on safari in Kenya 's Masai Mara in October last year, said he was astounded by what he saw:
"These three cheetah brothers have been living together since they left their mother at about 18 months old," he said. "On the morning we saw them, they seemed not to be hungry, walking quickly but stopping sometimes to play together. At one point, they met a group of impala who ran away. But one youngster was not quick enough and the brothers caught it easily".

These extraordinary scenes followed.