Today I went to the Stumptown Comics Convention here in Portland. It was my first Comic Con of any sort. There was lots of cool stuff and a lot of the people were very friendly also. I saw a lot that I liked, but nothing that truly made a huge impression. Except for this. This was easily my favorite thing there. The guy who produces this web-comic is named Trevor Kellogg and he is from Albany, Oregon, almost a few hours south of here. He was friendly as hell and more than happy to answer all my questions. He had an anthology book for sale, which I badly wanted to buy, but stupidly came to the convention sans cash. Luckily you can buy the book through the site. Anyway, here is the synopsis of what this comic is about, ripped straight from the website:
Knights of Nine to Five is a fantasy webcomic that follows the life of Gary, an employee in the quest management division of QAADR (Quest Amelioration and Dispute Resolution). Maybe you’d think a business streamlined for handling the public’s questing needs would be fun, but you’ll soon find out, as Gary has, that even in the world of fantasy, work is work. Read along as Gary fights to stay relevant in a job that has shifted from slaying monsters in the field, to pushing papers behind a desk.
I really like the illustrations and the stories are filled with imagination. Im a big fan! Trevor is quite a talented fella. Check it out and spread the word.
A few days ago on April 17, 2010, it was Record Store Day. This means that independent record stores get a ton of special limited releases in the name of celebrating and supporting independent record store. My roommate and I did our parts by getting up at 7:30 am (on a saturday too) and rushing down to Everyday Music in downtown Portland. I usually prefer to go to other music stores in town (with my roommate and I being fans of Exiled Records, 4628 SE Hawthorne in Portland), as Everyday Music tends to employ assholes, but upon perusing the list of the releases each store was getting, they were the only store that was getting everything both my roommate and I wanted. He was after the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Song Vinyl Box Set, while I was after Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power" and Tom Wait's "Mule Variations". A strange combination you might say? Well, whatever dude...
Anyway, we got there and it was a madhouse as expected. But the folks that were working there on Record Store Day were very friendly and helpful, so that was nice. They even had donuts from Voodoo Donuts! FOR FREE! I decided against buying the Pantera upon the realization that it wouldnt be money well spent (because of how I probably wouldnt actually listen to it on vinyl very often, not because of any issue with how good the album is, because its FUCKING AMAZING). Anyway, we got our stuff I ended up also picking up a Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings/Budos Band 45 and a Rodriguez 7" that comes with other cool stuff. Then we stopped by the Jackpot Records by our house on Hawthorne and I picked up the Queens of the Stone Age "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" 10" Picture disc.
Anyway, onto the main point of this post. "Mule Variations" is probably one of the most popular albums by Tom Waits. Its also on of my favorites. It was released in 1999. The album features plenty of guest musicians that dont take any spotlight, including every member of Primus at the time. Anyway, the wikipedia for it is here, but I wanted to post as much music as I could from it here so that if you are one of the unfortunate souls still a virgin to this lovely listening experience, you can now be enlightened. When possible I included live footage or audio as well and sometimes with little personal notes about each song from me, cuz you know, this is my blog. On a related note, the vinyl sounds great and came with a really nice picture of Tom taken by the always-awesome-besides-that-limits-of-control-bullshit Jim Jarmusch.
There is a video of him performing HOUSE WHERE NOBODY LIVES on the Tonight Show with a short interview afterward, but I FUCKING HATE Jay Leno, so you get this bootleg instead.
6. "Cold Water" No live footage on youtube unfortunately.
This is my favorite track on the album. I want to drink and shout this song from hilltops. The embedded video is an interesting early version of the song that didnt make it onto the Bone Machine album.
15. "Take It with Me" The piano tone in this one kills me. No live footage on youtube unfortunately.
As a special bonus for coming to my really cool blog, here is the HOLD ON EP that was released as a special limited promotional offer after the album was out. Its out-of-print so I dont feel bad about sharing it since its the only way to get your hands on it these days.
HOLD ON EP 1. "Hold On" 2. "Buzz Fledderjon" 3. "Big in Japan" 4. "Big Face Money"
Eric Wareheim, the "Eric" from "Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!", is putting together quite a portfolio of memorable music videos. I find that he is very talented at coming up with imagery that matches the sound, feel, and mood of a song, along with making it entertaining. The newest from him is "We Are Water" by one of my favorite newer bands, HEALTH. I really enjoyed this video when I first saw it, and it was only upon further viewings did I notice that Eric Wareheim directed it. It seems like a departure from what he usually does visually, with a far darker tone, but some dark humor thrown in. When do people like this sleep!?! So down below are my favorite videos of his. Here is his youtube channel if you would like to check out everything he has up.
"We Are Water" by HEALTH
"Dancefloor Dale", the video for Flying Lotus's "Parisian Goldfish". This is one of my favorite videos of all time. Its an edited version because youtube keeps ripping it down, but you can see the whole, amazing thing at dancefloordale.com
This is perfectly weird. Video for Major Lazer's "Keep It Getting Louder". On his youtube channel there is also an unembedable video for "Pon de Floor" by Major Lazer, that I highly recommend as well.
There is so much more on his youtube channel, just check it the hell out!
Ive always felt that listening to Brotha Lynch Hung was funny, because he tends to be gratuitously gross and "hardcore" with his lyrics, and people often call his type of rap "Crackhead Rap" because of the rawness of it.
I cant claim to be very knowledgable of his whole catalog, but I do have a couple albums and there are some gems on them. My favorite has always been this tune, which features some fantastic samples. And Ive always felt that even though the song is almost ten (!) minutes, it has never felt too long to me. Im not sure why, but it could have something to do with the sweet sample from the great Grover Washington Jr. song "Knucklehead", off of his "Feel So Good" album, which if you are even somewhat knowledgeable of 90's rap, you will see is the source for many rap samples upon even the first listen. Here is the song, "Knucklehead", and since I am full of useless information, it just so happens to be the song which plays over the end credits of the surprisingly watchable John Singleton directed film "Four Brothers"
And here is the Funkadelic song where the "For the Funk of it" part came from, "One Nation Under a Groove", from the album of the same name:
And for just a little bit of an autobiographical touch, the source for where I first gained an interest in Funkadelic, The song "Bop Gun" by Ice Cube, which also samples or sort of recreates the chorus of "One Nation Under a Groove". Its gonna be one sad day when George Clinton kicks the bucket, man.
This mix has taken far too long to complete. 7 Months. Hence the dramatic name. But the title also is about how the mix is roughly and loosely based on the ups and downs of the search for love. This is the first volume, with an EP and a Vol.2 coming up soon. I put A LOT of work into these mixes so hopefully you enjoy.
Tracklist:
Trials & Tribulations Vol.1: Trials by sledgbrainerd
1. Clark Vs. The Mighty Boosh - Rattlesnake Creme 2. Air - Remember 3. John Frusciante - Song to Sing When I'm Lonely 4. Beat Happening - Jamboree 5. Yellow Magic Orchestra Vs. Sifl & Olly - Chester's Bridge Over Troubled Pick-up Music 6. Health - Triceratops (CFCF Remix) 7. -ONE TRACK LOVER- 8. The Dutchess and The Duke - Sunrise/Sunset 9. Nervous Breakdown - I Dig Your Mind 10. The Electric Prunes - Sold to the Highest Bidder 11. The Residents - Weight-Lifting LuLu 12. The Gris Gris - Plain Vanilla 13. Jandek - Honey 14. BEAK> - Ears Have Ears 15. Faust - Meadow Meal (edit) 16. Dead Man's Bones - Lose Your Soul 17. Gonja Sufi - She Gone 18. Boris - Tokyo Wonder Land 19. -WATCH MENU- 20. Stereolab vs. Neil Strauss - Les Yper Yper Game 21. MLIOTTA - Sign3113 22. Liars - Scissor 23. Gil Scott-Heron - Me and the Devil 24. John Carpenter & Shirley Walker - Main Theme (Escape from LA)
I first heard this band when I had a radio show at Southern Oregon University's radio station. They had their debut album "Mono" (Buddyhead Records, buddyhead.com). I thought it was pretty cool at the time. A few months later I went to see Queens of the Stone Age in support of their Songs for the Deaf album (meaning Nick Oliveri was still their bass player, which was when they were best), and The Icarus Line were there as an unannounced opener (along with Dillinger Escape Plan, we also met EVERYONE from Mr. Show at the show as well. Needless to say that show was pretty epic all away around). The Icarus Line were fantastic even though their sound was all fucked up. Been a fan ever since. I will always recommend their second album "Penance Soiree". The CD and Vinyl versions of the album are different from one another! A few years later, I would be at another show in Portland, Oregon, this time seeing Big Business/Red Sparowes/Pelican and we would run into these LA dudes just hangin out in the crowd! Turns out the drummer of this band lives in Portland and is also in a pretty bitchin band called Black Elk.
This is a video for one of my favorite Icarus Line songs, "Slayer". The video is weak as fuck and it appears the director of it is a hack, but the song is great.
This is the video for the opening song off of my favorite Icarus Line album and one of my favorite albums of all time, "Penance Soiree"
This is a video for a song off of their pretty fierce debut LP "Mono".
I have just started to delve into this guy's back catalog. Its a real shame that the music world will be losing such a talented and strange musician at such a young age. He was much respected among both music-listeners and among his peers. He will be missed.
I feel like the above song is appropriate, and it is actually on my upcoming mixtape.
