I’m going to start posting weekly links to some of my favorite lesser-known jams every Monday. Personally, I enjoy discovering new or new-to-me old music, and I assume there are others out there who do as well, so here goes: This week’s installment is Prince’s The Ballad of Dorothy Parker off 1987’s Sign O the Times. On the surface, the track sounds so sparse and … Continue reading Song of the week 11/16/20
I’m not one to keep up with current pop culture events but I’m thoroughly enjoying Eminem’s roasting of rappers he views as mediocre or just plain terrible. This current crop of smelly-looking brain dead auto-tuned mumblers look like lunch to a lion like eminem awakening from a deep slumber to find a bunch of sickly hyenas stumbling around his territory and pissing on the genre … Continue reading Fish in a barrel
“Just ’cause you don’t understand what’s goin’ on, don’t mean it don’t make no sense. And just ’cause you like it, don’t mean it ain’t no good!” That’s a quote from one of my all-time favorite songs, “You Can’t Bring Me Down” by Suicidal Tendencies from their 1990 masterpiece “Lights…Camera…Revolution!” It’s my go-to anthem of choice when I’m feeling particularly downtrodden or persecuted. That line … Continue reading Opinions Are Not Facts
I recently watched a YouTube vid in which an obnoxious metalhead rants and raves about how horrible Darkthrone’s latter day punk and nwobhm-infused records are. He seems genuinely angered by the band’s decision not to craft albums suited to his specific tastes. The thing is, artists are under no obligation to please fans. If they’re not pleasing themselves and following their respective muses, they aren’t … Continue reading Artists don’t owe you anything
Long before the Holst-inspired opening riff of “Black Sabbath” erupted forth from Tony Iommi’s Gibson SG, there was METAL. Long before Vikings raided and conquered foreign lands, there was METAL. Before giant reptiles ruled the earth, there was METAL. METAL is a powerful force emanating from the center of the earth. It heaves, it cracks, it boils, it explodes. It does this constantly. It’s beautiful … Continue reading EVERYTHING IS METAL
I’ve been listening to heavy metal since 1989, which was probably at the tail end of all that “satanic panic” nonsense that ruled the 80s. Nevertheless, I still caught quite a bit of shit over the issue of my musical tastes. Metal was and still is cathartic for me. It’s always been there, and sometimes it’s been the only thing there. It resonates with me … Continue reading “Evil” Music
Almost everything we consume is “brought to us by” some major corporation looking to hawk its product by shoving it in our faces. You want music? Movies? Your favorite tv show? A book? A funny vid someone posted online? Well, you’re going to have to go through them. It’s a necessary evil, especially in these days of people being entirely unwilling to pay for anything … Continue reading The corporate filter between the artist and the fan
When I was a teenager, I’d eat, breathe, sleep, sweat, and piss a new cassette tape from a band I was into for weeks. I’d carry it with me on the go and play it on my Walkman, and when I got home I’d pop it into the stereo and crank it up. I suppose it’s the extremely short attention span I’ve cultivated over the … Continue reading I’ve gotten away from listening to full albums.
Fast Eddie Clarke, the last surviving member of (arguably)the definitive Motörhead lineup and the founder of Fastway has died. The Ramones are dead. Motörhead is dead. The beastie boys, for all practical purposes, are dead. Prince is dead. David Bowie is dead. Ronnie James Dio is dead. Malcom Young is dead. Jeff Hanneman is dead. Everybody’s gonna die. But the body of work they’ve left … Continue reading Another legend has left us.
