DMX – It’s Dark and Hell is Hot (1998)

Vs.

50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003)

The Game is simple… if only one could exist which would it be? What’s more important… personal relevance, cultural significance, or simply being the better album all other things aside? Choice is yours…

Crook’s post (below) reminded me of this link I had sitting in my ‘to blog’ file. In name only, but still. I had originally stumbled across it via the Titty City twitter feed (extraordinary, btw) who found it from The World’s Best Ever, who apparently came across it via Nippon Cinema.

Either way, I think it’s amazing. I shall attempt to transcribe the opening voiceover, as it is—arguably, I know—the best part:

Kyonyu Dragon
Onsen Zombie v. Strippers 5

The boobs to die for.
The big titty dragons.

Strippers 5 vs. Zombies

Nyotai Mori Zombie!
Ping Pong Zombie!
Sushi Zombie!
Geisya Zombie!
Samurai Zombie!

And more!

Money!, Money!, Money!
Cash!, Cash!, Cash!

And more!

Banzai! Fujyama!

Indeed. Indeed.

Finally a special event where we can all interact as the extended family that we are. Thanks to Rugged Sole, one of our premium Manhattan accounts, and Toms Shoes, you will be able to personalize your own pair of Toms Shoes!

To help you out, renowned Мишка illustrators Lamour Supreme, Dennis Chow (Glamnation) and Twerps! (Мишка co-owner, Greg Rivera) will be showing you the tricks of the trade. Hell, maybe your design will even catch the eye of Toms and one day, who knows… be added it to its variety of styles?

Wednesday June 30th, 7-9pm
Rugged Sole
360 6th Avenue
New York, NY
RSVP at ruggedsole360@gmail.com

YESSSSSSSS, IT HAS BEGUN!!! ℑ⊇≥◊≤⊆ℜ’s Zombie Rave 3 some time in July… this is the opening salvo! Anyone know what film the clips for this video are from?

Wavves - King of the Beach (2010) [Fat Possum] // Grade: A

I don’t know about you, but I was a little taken aback when Wavves first let “Post Acid” slip. This was not the sort of song I expected from Wavves. Sure it was jubilant and bursting with youthful exuberance, but it was the sort of slick song that seemed more akin to Pop-Punk than Nathan William’s sloppy and endearing brand of bratty Skater Punk that I’d grown to love from his past two releases. But you know what? Surrounded by the rest of King of the Beach, it all makes so much sense.

In a short span, Wavves had gone from toast of the resurgent Lo-Fi scene to very public stage meltdowns, band on band feuds, broken wrists and, of course, the eventual backlash that comes with it all. That’s got to be a lot to handle for a kid who’s just a few years past turning the legal age to drink. I’m sure there were plenty of naysayers watching everything unfold, salivating for a flame-out as the pressure mounted on penning the 3rd album. Nathan Williams probably could have just recorded another album in his bedroom, satiated his fans, kept Wavves in the blogs and even keep the wolves at bay until maybe he was deemed ready for a grander stage, but he took a gamble that paid off gloriously, detractors be damned.

Upon repeated listening, I can’t help but be struck by how similar King of the Beach is to Nirvana’s Nevermind. I don’t say that in anyway to compare Nathan Williams to Kurt Cobain, because, well the two and these albums are nothing alike*. But the comparison I refer to is more about the jump from Bleach to Nevermind and a band so willing to embrace a producer, a vision for their music and willingness to go from point A to point B without compromising what made them who they are to begin with. We all now where point B was for Nevermind, so discount the impact of King of the Beach at your own discretion and read on.

(more…)

Damian’s been going on about his morbid fascination with Brokencyde via Twitter and even IM for a little while now, so I knew that Damian he was going to be interviewing for Canadian website Exclaim. What I didn’t know is that he’d fall head over heels in love for them and that Brokencyde are more DIY than Fucked Up.

It’s a little hard to hear the dudes from Brokencyde but Damian is his usual charismatic self and just begs the question why he doesn’t have his own weekly web show?

The good thing about being EMO is that no matter how late in the day it is, you can always be emotional. OK, that made no sense but how about I was sooo EMO today, that it took me all day to make this post. Better? Good, so lets begin…

Evergreen was a lesser known Emotional hardcore band from the late 90s. They only had a few releases to their name including the “These Last Days” 7-inch on Gravity Records. I actually played the A side of this record so often that it was eventually unplayable. The clip above is for the B side, “Prainer the VIII”. You can download the entire Evergreen discography HERE.

Well, not actually into paralysis, but I did walk out of the theater truly impressed with Stiller’s performance in Noah Bambach‘s latest film, Greenberg. I’ve never been a fan of Stiller’s tamer roles; I prefer his…dare I say “zany” characters? I’ll take Derek Zoolander, Tony Perkis, and White Goodman over Gaylord Focker any day of the week. That’s why I was apprehensive to see Greenberg, but it’s a Baumbach joint so I couldn’t resist when my local theater got it.

Stiller plays 40-year-old carpenter Roger Greenberg. Fresh out of a voluntary stay in a mental hospital, Greenberg travels from NYC to LA to house-sit for his highly successful brother. His goal is to “do nothing” for a while and decompress. He essentially hates the world, lives in the past, and hates himself. He spends his time sipping whiskey and writing complaint letters to Starbucks and American Airlines. Then he meets Florence (Greta Gerwig – the blonde from House of the Devil!!!), his brother’s personal assistant and swiftly his goal of a peaceful reflection is impeded. What could be a great relationship from the start is obstructed by both Greenberg and Florence’s demons.

I apologize for glazing over the standard movie review nooks and crannies here, but I wanted to speak on how deeply I related to this movie. Other than Stiller’s amazing hair and some cocaine, it was scary how much I saw myself in the character of Greenberg. To be more specific, how I used to be in my relationships with women. I’ve since grown to love the world and love myself, but I used to be in some serious doldrums which made it impossible to maintain any kind of relationship – romantic or otherwise. When you’re a giant ball of self-loathing, paranoia takes over and it’s impossible to think that anything good could come your way.

So yeah, Greenberg hit close to home. Stiller fans will be overjoyed by his dramatic turn here and Stiller-haters may have to put their foot in their mouth after viewing. I did.

Also, I’d like to thank my therapist…

Despite the introduction of werewolves and the potentially awesome vamp Franklin, True Blood‘s third season so far has failed to hold my interest. The only aspect that I have been truly enjoying are the flashbacks. First it was the one with WWII Eric and Bill encountering that female werewolf and last night there were a few great ones which focused on Bill’s late 19th century wife and child. I know there were some flashbacks in season 2 concerning Bill’s past relationships, but I can’t for the life of me remember what year or even decade they were set in. They did manage to one-up last season’s blood-bath fucking scene with one of the craziest sex scenes I have ever seen. 180-head-spinning-blood-drooling fun! There’s an interview with actress Mariana Klaveno over at E! in which she discusses the scene in question:

“[They said] ‘Here’s your script, pray that your parents will be okay when they watch this episode. They may not want to.’ It was a little uncomfortable, but we got through it.”

Ah well. The flashbacks here dealt with the struggle of an immortal being continuing in a relationship with a mortal. My mind drifts to the classic Highlander conflict of mortal/immortal love. Conner MacLeod couldn’t change his sweethearts into immortals, but vampires can. Bill could “turn” Sookie (who is still gung-ho enough about finding him that she’ll tart herself up and waltz into a “were-bar”), but chooses not to.

I can never get enough of William Sanderson; in film and television I feel he’s one of the most distinctive character actors of all time. That’s why I wished they would use him more on True Blood. My heart skipped when he quit the police force last night, but some IMDB research confirmed that he will still appear on the show. Phew

Is Jason’s plot going anywhere? He’s trying to become a cop, but is too retarded to pass the written exam. The one-liners he delivered concerning this were funny, but where the hell is this going? I don’t care. It hurts to say that because I love Jason after last season. But it also hurts to squirm through boring plots.

Emeralds - Does It Look Like I’m Here (2010) [Editions Mego] // Grade: A

Cleveland’s Emeralds have thus far been an evasive act, releasing a large catalog through limited means. Since their inception in 2006, the drone trio have primarily kept to cassette, CD-R and limited vinyl pressings, but last year’s self-titled LP saw Emeralds turn a corner towards larger recognition, an avenue taken again with the release of Does It Look Like I’m Here?

Not completely drone rock but not quite electronica, Does It Look Like I’m Here? is a cathartic merging of guitar washes and analog synthesizers that resurrect krautrock and the early pioneers of ambient sounds (Steve Reich, Tangerine Dream). A long-player at over an hour in length, the collection of meandering soundscapes never feel forced nor tiresome, kept alive by guitarist Mark McGuire’s languid strums that act as an engine propelling the compositions outward. McGuire leads through soft afternoon clouds on “Goes By”, parting the fluff with the gentle whisper of his encircling notes.

The synths complement the drone provided by McGuire’s guitar, taking on individual personalities and acting as cinematic mood building. The title track careens dead into the eye of an approaching storm, whirring noises dancing in panicked anticipation. On the opposing side of the spectrum, opener “Candy Shoppe” is delicately pensive, a tone poem of New Age notions.

Emeralds have crafted an incredibly nostalgic release that thrusts the ear backwards in time, landing inside a laserium in 1973. My only complaint with the inward psychedelia of Does It Look Like I’m Here? is that it’s so immersive it’s disorienting. Don’t attempt anything productive during, or immediately after, listening to this album.