"Suppose you're thinking about a plate of shrimp..."

In any list of favorite movies, I’ll always stick Alex Cox’s “REPO MAN” in there somewhere. It’s one of the few movies I can watch over and over. After stumbling across this NY Times article via Running the Voodoo Down, I dug a little deeper into the mysterious (and intense) world of the repo man. Through diligent journalism (Wikipedia) and some copy and pasting, I now know more than I ever thought I would about 1) the movie and 2) the career.

“I shall not cause harm to any vehicle nor the personal contents thereof, nor through inaction let that vehicle or the personal contents thereof come to harm. It's what I call the Repo Code.”

“One of the most important skills a recovery agent learns is to read the potential pop. You have to know in your heart what the worst case scenario could be. You have to be able to visualize what it is gonna take for you to get your unit and get clear. You have to be prepared for potential confrontation by someone bigger than you or uglier than you or just plain out someone that is having a worse day than you.”

Can you guess which quote is from the movie and which comes from the article “I Want to be a Repoman…” found at, you guessed it – www.repoman.com?

Voyerism at its best...

...Forget porn. Hipster Runoff offers up some truly entertaining reads to pass the time. For example, ever asked yourself:

"Is it still cool to assume that European women have hairy arm pits, or is that stereotype dead? Did hairy armpits die when EuroDisney invaded France? I know hairy pits used to be a widely accepted generalization, but I just want to make sure to update my stereotype files if things have changed. I would feel comfortable thinking that '20 year old vegan bisexual females who listen to a lot of feminist Icelandic freak folk' are the new girls with hairy arm pits, or whatever other subgenre of females. I just want to be true to myself and be true to our evolving world."

It's also got a ton of pictures of young folk looking very unique and individual. See pic above.

But seriously, the folks who add the words 'n stuff are funny as hell.

Why, you ask?

In this business-centric socio-capitalistic playground we call the here and now, I sometimes get asked why I still bother with the whole “music thing.” As if it were an adolescent phase that should have been outgrown long ago.

Unlike seemingly most of the “serious” musicians out there, I did not come from a home in which music and the arts played a fundamental role. I was not a prodigy. No one in my family played an instrument or took more than a passing interest in music. The first concert I attended was a punk rock show at an Elks Lodge when I was 16.

In many ways, I’m still in there at the Elks, watching the Combat Hamsters furiously mangle their instruments before a sparse but enthusiastic crowd. Though I joke about how I’ve “tried to give it up” it’s pretty clear (to me) that music is what I do - and possibly what I do best. Bank accounts be damned.

So… why? Why do I bother? Well… I recently came across a quote that sums it up well enough. Take it however you want and for whatever it’s worth…

…to be faced with unclothed art is a somewhat frightening proposition, even for the most astute critics and constituents, but all any artist asks is what drummer Ted Robinson said to Amiri Baraka in 1965: “Since God has bestowed me with the want to execute the sound that I feel, I shall proceed.” *

Enough said and amen.

*From: Bill Dixon: The Morality of Improvisation
By Clifford Allen
Published: August 20, 2005

What’s in a Name?

Just like the inevitable spring thaw or adolescent hair growth, there comes a time in every collaborative musical endeavor when a decision must be made. This phenomena seems to be a seminal part of the true Rock and Roll experience. Yes, I’m talking about the band naming process. There’s a fine line between clever and stupid…

I can’t tell you the levels of both mirth and frustration I have felt during this rite of passage. There is a definite pattern and it happens almost every time. From my own experience, it’s as follows…

1. It is agreed that it is time for a name to be chosen. Band mates will suggest names. Generally, these have accumulated over time. Each member has a handy list they’ve been collecting over the years.

2. Phase one is squashed. No one can agree. You hate my favorite as I do yours. I start to doubt your taste and creative prowess.

3. Rapid fire suggestions, stream of consciousness creativity. Session quickly degenerates into the ridiculous, obscene and stupid. This third stage can last anywhere from an hour up to many months.

4. The dangerous forth stage is entered usually unknowingly. Worn and down and exhausted, judgment becomes impaired. This is where 90% of names happen, out complete fatigue.

5. The band is named. Everyone is lukewarm if not completely turned off. You will begin to hate the name roughly three weeks after your website is finished.

If none of the above sounds appetizing, you can go a different route. Let’s explore some of the recent trends that have been used in the naming process.

The Combo – combine two or three random and/or opposite names into one. Adds a bit of irony and is just esoteric enough to be considered “arty.” Example: the Brian Jonestown Massacre. My old friend Brent (of Wholphin fame) was a master at this technique. Some classic examples of his work include: Scott Beowulf, JFKFC and the John Cougar Concentration Camp (wait, that one might be real) He kept a running list but that’s all I can remember.

Another technique that has been steadily gaining popularity is the Complete Sentence. Don’t worry if it’s grammatically correct, just make sure its long. Examples: And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower and This Bike is a Pipe Bomb.

If you’re still having trouble finding that perfect name, try this. Sent my way by Roland of Rol’s Rants, it will quickly give you thousands of terrible band names. It could take years to think up so many.

What Does "Drummer" Mean to You?

From my friend Tom - who happens to be slapping the thud stick* for King Black Acid these days...



Kind of gives a whole new perspective don't it?




*for those who don't speak Watt, 'thud stick' means bass

The Gift of Totally Random and Difficult Music

As I continue to learn and grow and expand my horizons using nothing but a internet connection on the company dime, I have found a bunch a great blogs dedicated to sharing rare and out-of-print recordings, for free. It is sites like these that give me hope for the future…Although there are literally hundreds (if not more) out there, the following are a few of the cool ones I have stumbled over recently.

Dinosaur Gardens – Excavating the tar pits of popular culture – their words, not mine. Has all kinds of cool audio – not just music. Currently has an excellent Trojan Records compilation from 1972 up with a ton of classic reggae, rock steady and ska from waaay back…

Crud Crud – the man behind the site says “I have no impulse control when I walk into a record store.” I totally believe him. Here you will find anything that you never thought you’d need, or want to hear, but are happy to do so, and find yourself spending hours checking out. Everything from kids records to ‘60s French almost-hits and just good old out-of-print, small release recordings from all over. It’s so random and ever so cool.

Nothing Is – This is the jazz that your parents warned you about. Totally out. A+++++

Last but not least, I recently came across a blog named Punk + Free Jazz + Dub = ? Since I don’t read Spanish very well, I’m not totally sure of the entirety of what this site has to offer. But the name alone… fucking perfect.

May 1, 2008

In honor of some friends of the crimson variety, and because it looks like tough times lie ahead, I’d like to wish everyone a very happy May Day.

Although the musician tends to be forgotten in most economic conversations, there are many out there struggling to make ends meet while perusing their art. What does the future look like? Will there be any room for art and/or entertainment?

I’m sure people will always need music in their lives, but when there is so much out there for free, who will pay for it? Especially when folks are living paycheck to paycheck and trying to feed a family.

These are questions I ask myself, not because I have any hopes of paying my mortgage through gigs, I just want to understand how it all works. Our economy, which can no longer be thought of in terms of national borders, is incredibility diverse with systems and pressures so complicated (at least for me) that I can’t begin to imagine how it all ties together.

I have a hard time identifying with those who are comfortable with a world view in which national boundaries, socio-economic classes and political parties build a tidy framework of “how things are and ought to be” (in the US, we sometimes refer to these folks as Republicans).

I was recently in Central America. Read the history of countries like Nicaragua or El Salvador and learn what a negative impact US foreign policy has had upon the lives of its people. You can call me a liberal apologist if you want, but pick up any travel guide and you’ll quickly see what havoc we have sown. It doesn't make me very proud.

I use this metaphor too much, but the Chaos Theory in which the butterfly flapping its wings in Singapore causes a tornado in Kansas seems to work pretty well in illustrating modern global interdependence. We are all in this together.

So what does this have to do with May Day and/or music? I dunno, just some random and somewhat disjointed thoughts as we trudge steadily on towards the unforeseen. Maybe a little solidarity would do wonders. As they say, spread the wealth.