7.31.2013

End of the Month Music Bitchfest - July 2013

Nine Inch Nails

On the 17th of the month, the cover art for Hesitation Marks was revealed...all four of them.
I finally have a "valid" reason for buying four copies of a Nine Inch Nails album!
While Russell Mills offered a fascinating and thought-provoking insight into his artwork and how it connects with the album...all I heard while reading it was the bass line from "Came Back Haunted".
Maybe once my head is a bit clearer and the excitement has worn off...

Here's his thing:
The artworks, (30 mixed media pieces) that I eventually produced towards uses in the Hesitation Marks releases, evolved out of lengthy exchanges between myself and Trent and in response to the conceptual ideas that thread through the tracks and to the sonic territory that the album explores. I’ve tried to lock into the album’s prevailing mood and echo the album’s essence. The ideas are not communicated in a literal or easily digested form, as this would be boring for me and would insult the intelligence of a potential audience. I’ve tried to make works that obliquely allude to the essence of the subject matter, to its emotional core. 
As with my self-initiated works - the paintings, assemblages, collages and multimedia installations - personal ideas and obsessions seep into these works. The organic, the natural, prevailing over or feeding into the industrial, the man made, is a common theme in my work generally and in this instance was particularly apt for the art required.
The works explore ideas of catharsis, of being into dissolution into being, both on a personal and sociological level. They allude to ideas about chaos and order. They deal with ways of suggesting presence in absence. They are a cross between the forensic and a pathology of the personal in which only fragments remain, in which minimal clues can suggest events that may have occurred. They attempt to harness the chaos of a situation, of now, of the personal trauma, of the human condition, into a form that is coherent, a form that accommodates the mess without disguising it as something else. It attempts to capture the essence of these ideas by implication and exclusion. Beneath the form lies the uncertainty and ceaseless flux of the mess, of the chaos.    
An amalgam of the contextually-anchored and the process-driven, they are hopefully powerful, arresting, seductive, suggestive and resonant. I hope that they will invite multiple readings.
Or, if you are as adept at reading subtext as I am:
After reading last month's Bitchfest, I decided to stop fucking around with feathers and paint and to up my game.
Well done, Russell.

Seriously though, these things are absolute works of art.
Do yourself a favor and check them out in all their horrible, haunted glory over at nin.com.

Digital cover: "Turn and Burn"
(Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, bitumen, burning, rusted linen, blood, spent matches, on wood)


Deluxe CD cover: "Cargo In The Blood"
(Burning, Polaroid frame, copper wire, mica, on velvet, on wood)



Standard CD cover: "Time And Again"
(Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, rusted linen, blood, microscope slides, on wood)



Vinyl cover: "Other Murmurs"
(Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, collage, on canvas, on wood)


Guys, I don't even have something snarky to say. These are amazing. I especially like the simplicity and menace of "Cargo In The Blood". That image of something crooked and alien invading and infecting a host...the name itself feels sinister. It also reminds me of something else I can't quite put my finger on...

The Downward Spiral cover art: "Wound"
(Plaster, acrylics, oils, rusted metals, insects, moths, blood, wax, varnishes, surgical bandages, on wood)


Since With Teeth, I've feel like the quality (or at least the depth) of Nine Inch Nails artwork has taken a bit of a dip. I love glitch art and Rob Sheridan and his ability to manipulate images, but, honestly, aside from some of Carson's work on The Fragile, nothing has ever surpassed Mills' art for Downward Spiral.
And now he's back, and has completely outdone himself.
Whoever steered Reznor back towards Mills after almost two decades, thank you.
I had a chance to correspond with Mills recently and he informed me that, after a well needed and long overdue redesign of his official site, he will release a book of prints of the photographs taken of the huge, iron NIN logo he had created and then attempted to destroy by exposing it to the elements.
Can. Not. Wait.

Aside from this marvelous little revelation; on July 27th, Nine Inch Nails officially started their 2013 festival tour with their first show in almost four years at the Fuji Rock Festival.
What this means for you: I don't care.
What this means for me: the rekindling of the eternal struggle...do I or do I not spoil the stage set up and setlist for myself.
This was a big concern for me because I'm seeing them (twice) in October and the idea of keeping away from pictures and setlists and BRAND NEW NINE INCH NAILS MUSIC for that long might, literally, kill me.
Luckily, I was freed from all accountability when Reznor commented that this run of a dozen or so festival shows would be its own thing, and that, when it comes to an end in Philly on September 1st, the band is going to go back into rehearsals and learn a whole new stage set up for the nine inch nails: tension tour...which I still think is a very silly name.
Let freedom ring...yes...let freedom ring...
With this announcement, I was now allowed to trawl the messages boards of Echoing The Sound and the Twitter feeds of Reflecting In The Chrome and, since the first show was in Japan, some random Japanese dude's Instagram, looking for shaky, blown out video and bassless, treble heavy audio...ah, the joys of being a Nine Inch Nails fan boy...
But.
But.
Someone must love us sweaty, pale bastards because, as it turns out, the first Nine Inch Nails show in four years was streamed live!
That means pro-shot, HD footage and sweet, succulent soundboard audio!
So!
After the longest two days of my entire fucking life EVAR, the glorious godkings at RITC posted that soundboard audio and a link to the video of the entire concert. A concert that I watched with no sense of guilt or regret or anything.
Well...except for the massive erection...
But (of course), I took detailed notes and have quite a bit of stuff to complain about.

UNDERSTAND THIS: I would not bitch if I weren't such a huge, insatiable fan.
I know that does not make anything better, but, perhaps it will grant some insight.

Anyway, here we go:

Major spoilers are about to happen.

I liked that, by the end of the very first song (a new track from Hesitation Marks called "Copy Of A"...and that's "uh", not "ay"), the visual set pieces had been introduced as opposed to how things have been for years before, i.e. here is the band and some white lights -> here is the band and some colored lights -> here is a tiny peek at what is going to blow your mind -> here is your mind blown etc. Instead of that typical ramp up, they introduce the mobile light panels and then simply play around with them; showing what they can do and how many different ways they can be utilized.
Really bold, excellent choice.
The reinvention of "Sanctified" is fantastic. Aside from that uber-80's drum programming, nothing remains from the original version, the absolute definition of reinvention. Two songs in and Reznor's fulfilling that promise like a BAWS.
Along with the first live performance of "Came Back Haunted" (which, everyone seems to agree, is better than the album version), Reznor debuted a second never-before-heard track from the upcoming Hesitation Marks, a quiet song steeped in regret and determination, "Find My Way" (sounds a bit like Depeche Mode at times).
A quick aside: thus far, we've heard three tracks from the new album (four, if you count the moderately good copy of "Disappointed" from the second night of the tour) and two things are staring to coalesce for me: the first, that the lyrics all seem a bit vague and generic, and, second, although Reznor himself stated that this album was sparse, I'm beginning to worry that it might be too sparse. More than the sparseness though, it's the lack of texture; everything I've heard sounds too smooth...
However, these are live versions and there is no cause for panic...I hope.
Returning to the show: sadly, aside from the three new tracks and some truly effective additions like a new synth line in "Terrible Lie" and "Closer", some absolutely fantastic piano incorporated into "The Way Out Is Through" (one of my favorite NIN live songs, made even more so after hearing this version), and a warm, empathic, tearjerkingly beautiful sonic wash in "Hurt", I feel as if the show ended for me after TWOIT. The last quarter of the show is as predictable as ever ("Only" into "The Hand That Feeds" into "Head Like A Hole" into "Hurt"). Again, to be clear, I enjoy these songs and the band is still enthusiastically carrying them out, but, come on...this isn't "reinvention".
Back in the plus column: it was great to see "Reptile" again, Ilan is adding a lot to the songs he hasn't played before, the visuals in general are amazing, but stand out most for me on "Closer" and "Me, I'm Not", "Gave Up" as always, looks amazing draped in its trademark red and blue, and I really enjoyed the evolution of the static theme in "Only".
Overall, the way these new lights and light panels are used to create boundaries in space is something I've not seen before.
Plus, Reznor is screaming less, which allows him more vocal control, i.e. less breathlessness and more falsetto, which I dig, even if his performance feels a bit less raw than usual.

To summarize: as usual for NIN, the new visuals are just stunning, the new songs, while they sound great, lack distinction when it comes to the lyrics and, thus far, Reznor's claim of "reinvention" just isn't there yet. It's weird: it seems as if he picks one song to "reinvent" per tour.
For Fragility it was "The Day The World Went Away", for With Teeth it was "Closer" (if you consider adding that little piece of "The Only Time" a reinvention), for Lights In The Sky is was "Piggy" and, now, it's "Sanctified". Although it's debatable with "Closer", all these other instances are true reinventions and work perfectly in the framework of whatever tour for which they are reinvented. So...why aren't there more? Am I just being greedy?
Hm.
I suppose we'll see as this festival run and then the main Nine Inch Nails tour unfold.

One last thing: major delightful surprise at the inclusion of "What If We Could?" from the GWTDT soundtrack.
One track down, thirty-eight to go...

And here it is, the first Nine Inch Nails live performance since September 2009.
Enjoy.

In less than a month, we're going to have a new Nine Inch Nails album.



Beck

The afternoon after I posted last month's Bitchfest, I received my "Defriended" vinyl and, that evening, had a chance to listen to the full, fourteen minute and one second version.
And, yes, I have a thing or two to say.

Nothing happens here that could not have happened in a five minute version of this song.

I had hoped this was going to be like Gorillaz' "Do Ya Thing", where the "radio edit", for lack of a better term, was actually just the first four minutes of a longer, more insane song that went to some really interesting places...but, no, it was not, it was the four minute version stretched into a fourteen minute version.

Afterwards, I reflected that this was probably, hopefully, a one time thing, that Beck just needed to blow off some steam since he hadn't released anything in a while, and that this would be the end of such indulgence...and then I saw this.
In case you didn't click on the above link*, I'll just go ahead and spoil it for you: it is another 12" single for a new Beck song called "I Won't Be Long". On side A, the normal version of the song, on side B, a fourteen minute and forty nine second version of the same song.
The edit sounds good, a bit Rick Springfield-y, but not in a bad way. I was pensive about the extended version being the same drawn out, pointless expansion that was featured on the first 12", but was pleasantly surprised.

Here's a blow by blow from my first listen:

After two and a half minutes of mostly melodic noise, the song just starts...with 11 minutes left to go.
Things take off and get really good around seven minutes with an extended bridge containing new lyrics and harmonies and melodies.
Really beautiful, sounding a bit like U2.
What're the next seven minutes going to be???
A bit reminiscent of "Spiral Staircase"**.
Whoa. Then the bass kicks in...and things get grungy...
...for like a minute before they open up again at the ten miute mark.
Very summery.
Guitar screeches peppered throughout.
The song comes back to itself with that high, watery guitar that feels a bit like "Goodbye Horses".
Then the synthy flood from the beginning washes back in and the song ends.

I feel...not OKAY paying ten bucks for this, but at least I'm not as bummed as I was when I heard the fourteen minute version of "Defriended".
Beck.
BECK.
You are off to a good start: you are releasing new music!
But.
Beck.
You need to focus on completing and releasing an album.
NO more 12" records for one song! BAD!
No more uninteresting songs that last a quarter of a hour (more "Defriended", than "I Won't Be Long"; I kind of like the extended version).
BAD BAD NO!
Ugh, why do I even bother?
Motherfucker wants to release a book of sheet music, he's going to release a book of sheet music.
Motherfucker wants to design some sunglasses, he's going to design some sunglasses.
Whatever.
How about this, Beckles, you put out ten more of these 12" singles and (after spending around $120) I'll finally have a new Beck album and stop shouting so much.
Deal?
Hello?
Beck?
Ah fuck, he's wandered off into a corn field...

And, going back to the idea of spending $120 for a new Beck album: you know, at this point, after this long?
I just might be okay with that arrangement.

Is that loyalty or stupidity?
Yes.

And, now, somehow, I have to get my head in a Beck space, as I'm seeing him in concert in four days, but unless he's giving out copies of the new Nine Inch Nails album and performing Nine Inch Nails covers and is being replaced on stage by Nine Inch Nails...well, you get the idea.


They Might Be Giants

Flans has just informed the members of the 2012 IFC that the "finyl vinyls" will be arriving...in August  of 2013.
Whatever, time is but a window, death is but a door, progress is progress.
He's also announced plans for the 2014 IFC and that they will involve "master tapes of historic interest".
**CHEWING BITE**
I shall be seeing them in Brooklyn on August 10th.
You should come.
It's going to be rock.



And, finally, something that has been piquing my interest over the past few months is Alessandro Cortini's Forse project. In a nutshell, it's three releases spread over various formats (including, apparently, cassette, something I'm a bit puzzled by; vinyl is supposed to have the clearest and best sound quality, digital works best for portability and cassette...is obsolete...and sounds bad) all composed live on the Buchla Music Easel. For anyone that's heard any of Alessandro Cortini's SONOIO, you'll have an idea of what some of this sounds like.
But, if you have no clue what SONOIO is and just want to hear something cool and electronic and amneotic, here's the first volume, Forse 1.
I also reviewed it.
But you don't have to read it if you don't want to.***

See you next month, whine drinkers.





* You dick.

** A great interactive sound experiment Beck contributed to the 2012 PS Vita and PS3 game Sound Shapes.

*** You massive dick.






7.25.2013

A review of Alessandro Cortini's "Forse 1"


























Forse 1 is the aural tour of a huge, lost planet; one replete with mountains and oceans and caverns, each with their own sonic resonance. While nothing here has what would traditionally be referred to as a climax, neither does the sky nor the sea. The creator, Alessandro Cortini, is best known for his work as a multi-instrumentalist with Nine Inch Nails and How to destroy angels as well as the sole member of the electronic project SONOIO. Forse 1 is the first in a series of three album which Cortini composed and created using only the Buchla Music Easel.

The album opens with "Basta", a massive crystal cathedral which slowly fills with solemn light, so bright that it blinds. While the evolution here is subtle, there's beauty in its depths, a reward for the patient and perceptive listener. One can almost hear breathing in the empty spaces...
From the blinding light, we are plunged, blinking, into the cool gloom of "Carta", as expansive as it is subterranean, deep but wide. Even though it's currently the height of summer, one can't help but feel a chill while listening to this.
The journey continues, making stops at the cold, glowing nightscape of "Festa", the dark, restless, troubled shores of "Gira", where something is using that darkness as a shield, hiding just out of view, and at "Resta", which sounds the most like a reference to one of Cortini's SONOIO tracks.
The two tracks that stand out the furthest are "Nebbia" (galactic in scope and regal in tone, a light in the frozen darkness, much like Cortini's music in general) and "Gloria" (the warmest and most nostalgic piece here. Like reliving a memory as it dissolves around you, until you're left standing in the staticy echo of a beautiful day, a shadow with color, tint and hue).
The album ends when, while exploring the lunar plains of "Sera", the moon in question becomes sentient then either eats you or explodes.
Or both.

Cortini's inherent warmth is present throughout the album, quite an accomplishment given the tools with which he has to work.
The BME has that unique the-future-envisioned-by-the-past vibe to it, conveying, at the same time, a sound both dated and futuristic, add that specific sound to Cortini's uncanny ability for taking something buzzing, cold and lifeless, like the BME, and making it sound comforting, optimistic and nostalgic, and you have something strange and wonderful; something big and sweeping and alien and pointy...like being embraced by a robot.
Forse 1 is more than just Alessandro Cortini expertly wielding the Buchla Music Easel, it's him giving it a heartbeat and a soul.

7.23.2013

I got to see The Wolverine tonight. And here's how it went.

Remember how X-Men: Last Stand was garbage and Wolverine: Origins was mostly garbage and ruined Deadpool and how X-Men: First Class was pretty good, but, since it was set in the 60's it sort of didn't really have anything to do with the trilogy and also how awful January Jones was?

Never mind.
I just saw The Wolverine and it was fucking awesome.

In a nutshell: Wolverine fights ninjas.

But there is more to this movie than Wolverine fighting ninjas...

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!




The intro was fantastic, opening with Logan in a prison camp at Nagasaki, minutes before the bomb dropped.
Very dramatic stuff, although Logan still has those magic pants we first saw in Last Stand, you know, the ones that can withstand the Phoenix fire?
Turns out they can also withstand A FUCKING ATOMIC BLAST.

After executing her in Last Stand, it seems that Jean Grey is still with Logan, in his mind.
This is done well and I'm glad of it, as the "haunted by the interactive memory of my dead love" trope can get pretty boring and cheese.

Logan's reintroduction to society is pretty great also: it involves a bar fight.

Then, Yukio, the super tight Japanese badass, brings him to Japan and things get...well, Japanese.

Wolvie is offered a chance to lose his healing factor and live the rest of his life like a human and, thankfully, this whole thing isn't the focus of the entire movie. Plus, he doesn't become a totally normal human, the efficacy of his healing factor is just greatly reduced. He can still take a bullet (or a thousand fucking arrows*), but he feels it.

Once Wolverine gets his mojo back, we learn that one of the villains is Viper.
Now, I do not know a lot about Viper; I always thought she was the chick with the green hair who worked under Red Skull and lead...Hydra...later? But, in this world (unless there is a different Viper) she is a hot blonde mutant chemist who is immune to all poisons and also able to spit acid, steal peoples' life force and shed her skin.
Yeah, it was weird, but not bad weird.

The big showdown is between Wolverine and the Silver Samurai, who looks fucking awesome, almost  combination between the Silver Samurai we all know and love and Shiva, and, at the end of it, Wolverine has lost his adamantium claws...and grows the bone claws.

Loved what they did with Yukio (who can now see how people die...) and Mariko, specifically how Mariko wasn't just a kidnap victim the whole time...although she did get kidnapped...twice.
They made her a competent fighter, just not that competent.

It was also nice to see a comic book movie where the stakes weren't so high, as with Iron Man 3 and Man Of Steel.

So.
I dug The Wolverine.
Very well made, satisfying movie.
But.
After the credits...
You know how, in all the recent Avengers movies they'll have a cute little teaser at the end?
Oh, look, Thor's hammer! Hey hey, Loki is controlling that dude!
This time around...

We see Logan in an airport, about to go through a metal detector.
A title appears and lets us know it is two years later.
As he is walking towards the checkpoint, he notices a commercial for a company called Trask Industries.
As he is about to walk through, he notices that things are acting weirdly; the metal detector is freaking out, coins are vibrating, keys rattling in their trays...his eyes widen, he pops his claws and swings behind him...but is stopped...by Magneto.

Magneto: There are dark forces gathering that seek to destroy our kind
Wolverine: How can I trust you?
Magneto: You can't.

At this point, you notice that time has apparently stopped moving behind the two of them.
And up rolls Charles Xavier.

Wolverine: How is this possible?
Xavier: As I told you long ago, my friend...there are others out there with gifts.

In the span of twenty seconds we get Sentinels, Magneto and Professor fucking X!

Fucking take that, shawarmas!





* Effectively becoming The Porcupine.

7.16.2013

Pacific Rim: New Breed

After being bullied into it, and, because I love the guy, I saw Pacific Rim with Pacific Jim last Sunday night at 11 or so.

And, while I thought it was big and dumb and fun and summer and action and etc, I don't really get why the internet is all grinding up on it.
I also don't understand how del Toro made something so...easy.

However, my opinions mean nothing (as do yours) and, after seeing the movie, I had a dream that night.
When I awoke, I used elements of said dream to create the plot line for the sequel to Pacific Rim.

Here it is:

Some years have passed and the Breach has been silent. It's been a time of celebration for the people of the world and exploration and discovery for its scientific community, who have been studying the findings of Dr. Geiszler and Dr. Gottlieb, trying to learn more about the kaiju and the world from which they originate.
In the aftermath of the events of Pacific Rim, the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. has promoted the two doctors, who have retired the old jaegers in favor of creating kaiju/jaeger hybrids by integrating Hannibal Chau's black market kaiju collection business and also by discovering a means to clone certain kaiju organs*. These hybrids are stronger, faster and more maneuverable than the old jaegers and are able to utilize organic weaponry, like the acid spray and EMP.

As for the conflict, that comes from two sides; both a militant group of ex-jaeger pilots and technicians (consisting of Raleigh Becket, Mako Mori, Herc Hansen and Tendo Choi) who think using kaiju to enhance jaegers is abhorrent and an insult to the memories of their fallen comrades, and who are concerned about the kaiju infecting/corrupting/controlling the minds of the human pilots that drift with them, and creatures from another Breach that opens in the sky above where the first Breach opened on the ocean floor.
The militants use jaegers cobbled together from pieces of the old metal jaegers (called "scrap jaegers" or "scrappers") to attack and destroy the new hybrid factories*, but always do what they can to not harm civilians or the new crop of hybrid pilots; although they are vehemently against what is happening, some of the pilots are still their friends and they aren't interested in killing, merely stopping the creation of the hybrids.

The second Breach opens and, although people are freaked out, they are also confident that these new hybrids will be able to handle whatever comes through. What does come through are a different type of kaiju, not the same as those that came from the ocean floor Breach (Alpha Breach).
While the hybrids are able to fend off the creatures from the new Breach, they are only barely holding on. The doctors contact the leaders of the scrappers and they agree to work together to vanquish the threat.
The scrappers arrive and, with the hybrids, barely, and after a spectacular battle in which the different types of jaegers work in tandem, showing off a multi-jaeger drift**, thwart the invasion of the new kaiju.
Once this battle has ended, the pilots of the jaegers begin to patch things up with one another while the doctors send out teams to retrieve the leftover body parts for analysis; was this the first wave in another attack? A fluke? Creatures from yet another dimension looking to colonize the Earth? Must they start the clock again?

So.
The big twist.
As drifting with kaiju has become much easier thanks to the doctors' continued research, they are able to link up with a part of a new kaiju's brain and more clearly understand its thoughts and intentions.***
They realize that these new kaiju have been following the original kaiju, trying to stop them from breaching other dimensions and destroying them. They've always been one step behind them until the humans managed to close the first Breach, thus giving the neo kaiju enough time to catch up and offer assistance...assistance which the hybrid jaegers and scrappers just destroyed.
"But why would we need assistance? It's been years since the kaiju've attacked us..." asks Dr. Geiszler.
As the last word leaves his mouth, an alarm sounds: the Alpha Breach has reopened...along with three other identical Breaches scattered across the ocean floor.
Each one registering a triple signature.

Boom.

To be continued.

The third and final Pacific Rim movie (Pacific Rim: Into The Breach), focuses on the jaegers working with the neo kaiju to push back the oncoming invasion enough so that they can get operatives into their dimension in order to destroy it once and for all.
At some point in the second act, Dr. Geiszler and Dr. Gottlieb fall under the control of the old kaiju (turns out that too much drifting with them does allow mind control/corruption, like a build up of some poisonous substance) and they totally fuck things up by introducing a techno-organic virus that affects both the hybrids and the scrappers, making things more harrowing. Somehow, the doctors regain their own minds long enough to expose some sort of weakness that prolonged exposure to the kaiju has revealed to them, dying in the process.
There you go Hollywood, no need to thank me Guillermo, just a guy who saw your film and had a dream about it.

You're welcome.





* The "scrappers" and hybrids provide an excellent opportunity for del Toro to go crazy designing more walking awesome for fans to enjoy; the former looking less humanoid, more animalistic or with extra limbs and scar and so forth, while the latter might look more humanoid, but with organic kaiju appendages and such.

** One of the myriad advantages to the hybrids.

*** Though some might say this is too specific, I would love to throw in some Lovecraft here. Yes, yes, I know they all but had Cthulhu rise at the end of the first movie, but something simple, like having the new kaiju called the old kaiju the Great Old Ones or something like that. "There's no exact translation..." or "They have names, but they're just gibberish, unpronounceable...'Cu-hool-hoo'?"

7.03.2013

Media Ga Ga

Chris and I have finally finished the long-awaited fourth season of Arrested Development!!!!!
And I'm ready to complain now.

Everything was just too disconnected.
While I did enjoy at the stuff occurring simultaneously, the parts were just too detached from the whole.
When the very first episode was "Michael's Arrested Development", I thought, okay, cool, good idea, let's give each of the family members an episode to catch us up and then, after all nine of them have been reintroduced, boom, make me smile. But, when every single episode focused only on one character, sometimes not even featuring the other actors...man, was that shitty.
And then there's the lack of anyone getting any resolution...
I know that there were only two days when all nine actors were together and I think that is fucking ridiculous. Every interview these guys have done from the last decade has included a question about the Arrested Development movie or a reunion special or whatever and each one of them said something along the lines of, "Yeah, I would love to."
Well, shit, guys, if you really wanted to do it so badly, was there honestly no way to shift something to make a brand new season of one of the best television shows in recent memory work better?
Two days?!
Now that everyone has accepted this new season into their hearts we can get everybody in the same room for a whole week next time.
An ensemble piece without an ensemble is pointless.
Set some time aside and make this as amazing as we all know it can be.
Two more seasons and then you can all disband for another ten years.

And, having finished Batman: The Brave and The Bold (which was a singular pleasure; actually got a little choked up during that last episode), I have jumped right into Young Justice.
And I am loving the hell out of it.
The writers don't rely on the Justice League to solve all their problems nor do they ignore the fact that Batman and Superman exist in this world.
And the voice actors?
Peter MacNicol as Professor Ivo, Danny Trejo as Bane, Alan Tudyk as Green Arrow,  Nolan North as everybody and Rob Lowe doing a perfect Captain Marvel, capturing that adult child so well.
Tight.
The storylines have all been pretty solid thus far as well (didn't dig the one with the smart animals and the Brain. I just can't fear this guy. Probably the outrageous accent...), although I'm only about three quarters through the first season. They're doing an excellent job of forming a greater narrative with the Light and I can't wait to see what crazy shit is about to happen.
Plus, aside from the usual superhero punching thing, I haven't ever seen an abandoned son storyline like this, and with Superman? Way to take him off a pedestal.
And then, after its second season, Cartoon Network cancelled it.
Yes, it was in favor of the new, dark Batman, but, based on what I've seen of Beware The Batman, it appears as if they've gone the direction of "Batman is an alien in a Playstation One game".
Slow.
Clap.
Who has ever been impressed by those shitty, late 90's POV graphics?
OTHER than someone from the late 90's?

Just ignore me.
I'm ornery.

After Young Justice, I plan to launch right into Arrow, although I don't really know anything about it except that it was pretty well received.

And, speaking of superhero things, I got my ass to see Man of Steel this afternoon.
WHO WANTS TO HEAR WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT????

Here's the short version.

Loved dude as Superman and Clark Kent, plus, I would kill one child a day for the rest of my life if it meant I'd be that ripped.
And not just ugly children, like, really cute children begging for me not to kill them.

I didn't love Amy Adams as Lois Lane. She just doesn't seem ballsy enough, you know?
Crazy or not, Margot Kidder had balls 'til Tuesday.
And pink underwear.

Loved Zod. Shannon did exactly what I thought he was going to do, namely, be awesome.
As an addendum, I would like to state that I would be happy happy happy if I never saw another Kryptonian in another Superman movie ever again.
Except for Kara Zor El.
As long as we don't have to sit through her fucking origin as well.

"Needs more flashbacks."
That was me being facetious.
And witty.
And handsome.

Now, I had heard a lot of negative stuff about the superstrong guy punch up that takes place at the end of the movie, but, you know? I was okay with it.
It wasn't original or interesting, but, plotwise, it made sense. There are two crazy superstrong guys brawling with one another and they happen to be in a city.
What?
If they do this ever again though...then you have a perfectly valid reason to get upset.

I'm done with origin stories.
I am very happy with where the Marvel movies are because we no longer have to spend the first half of the movie learning about the character's fucking parents.

I love the hints of things to come, such as introducing S.T.A.R. Labs, Dr. Hamilton and Carol Ferris, as well as those well placed Wayne Enterprises and Lexcorp logos. Plus, if they decide to count the shitty Green Lantern movie in this universe, then we've got Amanda Waller as well...which means we've got potential for Cadmus.
But.
I will never see an Aquaman movie*, nor will I ever be afraid of someone called Ocean Master.

All in all, yes, it was a disappointment, but you can't have The Dark Knight without Batman Begins.
If they fuck this next one up though...then...Lenny...you....will have saved the lives of millions of registered voters.





* Unless he's played by Alexander Skarsgard...and then he and Superman have an ab contest.**

** Everybody wins.

7.02.2013

Things With Which I Am Currently Involved

Not bragging, I'm honestly losing track.

digressive_obscenity
The second wave of my podcast (which has been nominated for a Geekie Award) begins this Friday when episode eleven goes live. This time around, I'm not going with my original plan of "wait until ten episodes are recorded and edited" before releasing them, as there was a lot of down time between the recording of the first episode (early October) and its posting (late January). This time around, I'm going to interview, edit and release the episodes as soon as I'm able.
At this moment, three episodes have been recorded, three more are scheduled and then there are some wild cards which might or might not come to fruition.
You can head over to the tumblr site, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
You can also follow digressive_obscenity on Twitter at @digress_obscene .

The Electromagnetic Theater
This is another podcast I'm doing, although it's more fitting to call it a radio play, I suppose. There are six episodes, each a different, fully dramatized short story/play and all but two feature me, sometimes as a main character, sometimes as a supporting character, always as the goddamned sexiest voice you've ever heard.
Always.
The website is here, where you can like and follow and snuggle and etc.
And, if you don't give a fuck about the website and just want the money Lebowski, you can skip the bullshit and go straight to iTunes.
There are a lot of talented people* involved in this and I hope you take a minute and check it out.

Just Super
Thanks to the wonderful that is Becca Kopec, I'll be starring alongside her, Jesi Mullins and Karen Bray in an original web series written by Mary Beth Walsh and Alan Kistler called Just Super. In a few weeks, we're going to shoot a trailer with One Glass Productions and then, soon after, a pilot. Then, it's your problem: we are going to be posting what we've got on Indie Go Go or Kickstarter in order to make this thing a reality.
It's going to be hot, sweaty, amazing stuff.
At the moment, you can follow us for updates on Twitter at @JustSuperSeries.

Target's "The Everyday Collection" radio spots
A while back, I did three radio spots for Mono's award-winning ad campaign and, lo and behold, they had me back in to do three more.
Just today, I booked two more spots for Canadian radio; recording next week and hitting the aiewaves sometime in August.

Zantac's new TV and radio campaign
Starting in August, I will be the voice of the new Zantac campaign. Not sure how much I can share at the moment, but I'll post stuff as soon as it's available.

Too Tall
Back in May, Philip Maniaci invited Ray Zablocki, Chris and myself to participate in the 24 Hour Film Race. After a crazy night of brainstorming and writing and not nearly enough sleep, we returned to the set and created something...epic. It's called Too Tall and he been selected as one of the top 24 films in the film race. It will not win because, frankly, the world is not ready to see what we have wrought.
You can have your mind blown here.
I also wrote the song (entitled "Egg Party") for the 80's party section.

Speakaboos
The iPhone and iPad apps are about to launch and I am all over this thing. I can't wait to share all the fun I've had doing these; this is the reason I got into the business in the first place: to do funny voices while people hand me money.
Just today, a new story that I narrated was posted, it is tender and sweet and all about sleep...just like me.
Check out "Night Boy".

NYSE
A whole bunch of commercials for the New York Stock Exchange just hit the more grown-up TV channels like CNN and Bloomberg and other things my father might actually see. And I voice them all. There might be more to come and, while they aren't the most fun...shut the fuck up and eat the corn.

McGladrey & CSX
I auditioned for both of these on the same day and in the same place. The original breakdown stated that "these scripts are tongue-twisters" and that "actors that can't handle that shouldn't waste their time". I was thrilled at the idea of actually doing tongue-twisters and was more than a little disappointed when I found out that the "tongue-twisters" were just grown-up words that I'd never said before. Financial stuff, intermodal railroad stuff. Yag. These kinds of VOs are pretty much just for the money. I'm not saying the people involved aren't all cool, because they are, I'm just saying that these aren't the fun ones I love.

AIA
Just recorded this this morning. Look, this isn't going to make sense to anyone who isn't a voice actor and I know my job isn't difficult in the traditional sense of the word; but this was a fucking tough one. The script was about 8 lines, none more than four words each and the clients, all six of them calling in at 11 am our time, 11 pm their time from Hong Kong, had me do the script fifty-five times.
In the end? They went with take ten. Look, we all have good days and bad days, and this was just exhausting.

Two more things
The first, I'm sad to say, probably is not happening and that is SUCH a huge bummer that you have no idea, but, the second one should be coming to light very soon; don't worry, I won't let you miss it.

Whew.
Okay, think that's it.
Now, here's some inner psyche shit: Chris thinks that I am doing well and that I should revel in that fact, but I know that one is only as good as their last job and I know how fast things can just stop.
So, while she is telling me to focus on the positives, I'm focusing on the dark patches between the sunshine.
I guess that's just me.
I don't like it, but, yeah, I guess that's just me.
Does that make me a pragmatist or a pessimist?





* Aside from just me, you guys!!!

7.01.2013

End of the Month Music Bitchfest - June 2013

Nine Inch Nails

Time for some overanalysis!
BITE.
  • The album title
Hesitation Marks is a weird one. Then again, so were With Teeth, The Slip and Pretty Hate Machine. However, none of those other album titles refer to noises that an orator makes when they are thinking of what to say next. Yeah. That's what "hesitation marks" are. "Uh", "um", "like", stuttering, long pauses, etc. all those are hesitation marks. So, I'm kinda looking forward to / not looking forward to a song on the album that features Reznor making a lot of those noises. Kinda.
  • The album artwork
Russell motherfucking Mills. The sick, beautiful bastard responsible for the legendary Downward Spiral artwork is back to put more feathers in paint on canvases. The return of both Mills and the same font used on The Downward Spiral plus the fact that we're about nine months out from the 20th anniversary of The Downward Spiral makes me think...something...is going to happen...yes.
Honestly, I have no idea what I'm talking about, I just think it's a very interesting choice to return to the artist and font from Nine Inch Nails' seminal album which just so happened to come out almost twenty years before this new album.
Take note...of something.
  • The first single
Very first thought was that it sounded like Nine Inch Nails' "Discipline", Garbage's "Hammering In My Head" and Manson's "Burning Flag". While my initial listen left me a bit unimpressed, "Came Back Hunted" grew on my right quick...like, within the next three or four listens. Am I out of my mind in love with it? No. I think it walks a very, very thin line between fill-in-the-blank Nine Inch Nails lyrics and a sense of an encounter with some huge, horrible thing, almost Lovecraftian in nature, which the narrator is now struggling to deal with. Although this is waaaay too early to tell, I'd like to think that there's going to be some theme to Hesitation Marks, rather than just a collection of songs, and, if it happens to mention the Elder Gods...well, I'm probably okay with that as well. I also dig those classic NIN jagged, sloppy synths towards the end.

  • The pre-order offerings
Three new shirts, plus four versions of the album: digital (in every format you might want), CD (14 tracks, in my opinion the perfect number of tracks...unless the first track is only a minute and consists mostly of ambient noises that swell into track two...and yes, "999,999" I'm looking at you...), deluxe CD (second disc with a paltry three remixes and a 28-page hardcover book...most likely containing pictures of canvases with paint and feathers on them) and a 180 gram 2-LP set. Although I did enjoy the crazy, $75 version of Ghosts I-IV with the Blu-Ray disc and multi-tracks and coffee table book, I'm very happy with these offerings.
And, yes, I bought two shirts along with the deluxe CD and the vinyl.
Because if I don't, this whole Nine Inch Nails thing might not take off and Trent'll have to go back to being a janitor at the Right Track! And we can't let that happen, you guys!!!
  • The new logo
When I first saw David Carson's treatment of the classic ('89 to '99) Nine Inch Nails logo...I was actually stunned.



Just the idea that a logo that I had known and grown attached to could be altered in any way was...seriously, unthinkable. I fucking loved it. Fast forward to today, as in this morning*, when, after returning to the core logo for almost a decade, they've gone ahead and drastically altered the logo once again. I think, just like before, that I'm loving it, but I'll need some time.


Hm.
I just realized how...I don't know...weird...that sounds, but, think of it this way: you've known someone for ten years. Every time you've seen them, they have the same beard. Sometimes it's a little longer or shorter, but they always have it. And then, one day? They don't.
Boom.
There's your perspective, you fucking dick.
  • The name of the tour
I think it's very silly. And, yes, I've already spent $200 on tickets.

  • David Lynch's "Came Back Haunted" music video
I've been a fan of David Lynch for decades, and I was extremely excited.
But.
There is also this to consider.
I'd made an off handed comment about how this was either going to be the weirdest shit in the universe or one, static shot of Trent reciting the lyrics. Pretty bummed that I was almost right about the latter.
Yes, there is a ballerina tick and a wiggly Trent, but, at this point (I've only watched it a few times) my favorite part is the epilepsy warming.
This is NOT the Nine Inch Nails / David Lynch collaboration I have been waiting for since 1997.
Nine Inch Nails' "Came Back Haunted" music video, directed by David Lynch.
  • Song titles
As much as I hate to be a guy who judges a book by its cover (...or, I guess, in this case, judges a book by its chapter titles?**), I am that guy. At least with music. Not, actually, so much with books. But, whatever the case, I have, indeed formulated opinions about these song titles and what I imagine / hope / fear the corresponding songs to sound like.
To word the above sentiment differently:
LET'S PLAY IMAGINATION FUN TIME WITH THE NEW NINE INCH NAILS ALBUM!!!!

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT TRENT REZNOR GIVING AWAY HINTS TO MY OWN ALBUM. I ALSO MAKE NO PROMISES THAT ANYTHING I SAY HERE WILL HAVE ANY BEARING ON THE ACTUAL CONTNT OF THESE SONGS; BASED ON THEIR TITLES, I THOUGHT BOTH "WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER" AND "DEEP" WERE GOING TO BE SLOW AND QUIET AND REFLECTIVE.

1) “The Eater of Dreams” - You can't tell, but I'm throwing up metal horns and chanting in Cthuvian. Remember a moment ago when I said there was some Lovercraft feelings in "Came Back Haunted"? Boom. Nyarlathotep. I only hope this isn't a 90 second intro-mental. Oh, and, for anyone who thinks this sounds like a silly name for a song, "Mr. Self Destruct" is a pretty silly name too until you hear it and your jaw falls off. What.

2) “Copy of A” - I like the cold, binary sound of this (song title). It makes me think of ProTools. For some reason, I'm picturing something that sounds like "Me, I'm Not"...but more...copy-y.

3) “Came Back Haunted” - Old news, moving on.***

4) “Find My Way” - As this could also be a Maroon 5 or Mariah Carey song title...I'm just going to cross my fingers and hope.

5) “All Time Low” - Very first thoughts: "Low" by Cracker. Pretty sure this is not going to be that. Pretty sure.

6) “Disappointed” - Nothing coming to mind. Although it would be massively disappointing if this song were, actually, disappointing. In fact, knowing how insecure Reznor can be, I have a feeling that this is one of the better tracks on the album (or at least he thinks so); this may even end up being a single.

7) “Everything” - Such a huge title...this could end up being something small, intimate...sparse...just a piano and some scraps of programming maybe?

8) “Satellite” - Hopefully not a cover of the Dave Matthews song.

9) “Various Methods of Escape” - I sense that this is going to be hard. And an instrumental.

10) “Running” - A song for running. Maybe. Perhaps something in the vein of "Driver Down"?

11) “I Would for You” - Got a feeling this is going to be amazing; something akin to "Lights In The Sky", but fuller, richer.

12) “In Two” - Perhaps a continuation of "I Would for You" or an instrumental bridge between it and the next track.

13) “While I’m Still Here” - Aaaand also amazing. I think this and the two before it are going to be slow and epic and form a whole, sort of like TLBTB->BYIT->RWIB.

14) “Black Noise” - I'm thinking of a long, deep instrumental. And, although it seems like such an easy title (you know, the opposite of "white noise"?) I trust Reznor to do something great here.

O-kay! How's that for some in-depth, based-on-nothing-at-all psychobabble bullshit?
WOO!!!!
I feel like a weatherman / news anchor / palm reader / sportscaster!!!!!
WOOOOO!!!!

The new Nine Inch Nails album, Hesitation Marks, will be in stores and available for digital download on Tuesday, September 3th, and, in lower quality on a myriad of torrent sites about five days before that.


Beck

Holy fucking fuck fucking balls.
Okay, hold on, breathe, calm down...yes, this says that Beck is working on two new albums, but...release date? Album title(s)? Release year?! Anything other than "he's working on two new albums"?
No.
So, since this empty-eyed boygod of a songsmith has broken and shit into my heart before, I'm just going to lean back into the shadows on this one until I see something concrete. I mean, Beck has had an album (called Rococo) finished for, what, two years now, but he was afraid to put it out after Arcade Fire put out a song by the same name.
Let me see some numbers, Hansen, then you'll get my juice.

As for the new song, "Defriended"? I like it just fine, but, as it's not actually on any album, I'm not going to lose my shit, however, I ask myself: is Beck putting out a 12" record containing one song**** (and a 14:01 extended version of that same song) better than nothing?
Yes, yes it is.
A little better.


Cake

So, if Beck does decide to release one of his three finished albums this year, that will mean that four of my five favorite bands will have put something out in one calendar year, something that hasn't happened since...2005 (although I don't really like Here Come The ABC's). The only thing missing...will be Cake.
Cake, who are endlessly touring.
Cake, who seem to hate everything on this planet that isn't a tree.
Cake, who, after this year, are getting dropped from this list entirely.
I'm done with bands that don't create music.


Along with all the Nine Inch Nails excitement and postulation and rumor-mongering, I've been soaking in the not-quite-serious-but-not-really-sure-if-it's-not-really-quite-serious-or-not music of Matt Berry's Opium. I have also discovered that I do a really spot-on Matt Berry impersonation; so good, in fact, that my wife doesn't like me to do it, because she has a crush on this British badger-resembling fellow and it's "weird".

Touching back on Nine Inch Nails; toward the end of the month, a soundboard recording of NIN's 2009 performance at Germany's Hurricane Festival was sent in to the folks at Reflecting In The Chrome, a Nine Inch Nails live archiving site. Oh man, is this the hot, wet freshness. Soundboard recordings are ridiculously rare and super mucho sought after. Turns out some anonymous NIN crew member recorded and submitted this little gem and I'll happily shake his hand and buy him a sandwich.
Reznor's voice is in distress from the start of the show, but it adds to everything except for one or two squeaky instances. Great performance of "Somewhat Damaged",  the best version of "The Becoming" I've heard since Still, a totally clean and fucking mind-blowing copy of "The Downward Spiral", and that scream on "Burn"?
Yes.
Yes.
Not to mention that delicious crispness one gets with soundboard; that bass synth on "Burn", the distorted frenzy in "Gave Up" and that sloppy, spacey fuzz at the end of "I'm Afraid Of Americans"...and this was when there were only four guys on stage.
And, while I wish they had done "The Way Out Is Through", I also wish that I were listening to the new NIN album...no, not Hesitation Marks, the other new, secret NIN album...the one Reznor was working on while working on that one...the one not even Alan Moulder and Atticus Ross know about.
Here's a link to the whole thing in 320kbps mp3.
Enjoy.
Nine Inch Nails at Hurricane Festival, June 21st, 2009

Finally, there's the last batch of reviews of the music Chris and I picked up on our honeymoon in London and Totnes, specifically:

Melt by Young Magic
Shrines by Purity Ring
Water Park OST by Dirty Beaches
I Hear A New World by Joe Meek and the Blue Men
and
Life After Defo by Deptford Goth

Goodness what a flurry of excitement!
And it only looks to get more flurrisome!!!
ONWARD TO THE FLURRIES!!!!
FFFLLLLUUURRRRRRIIIEESSSS!!!!!





* 6.6.13

** Although that seems a little more fair...you can totally figure out the plot of the Harry Potter books that way.

*** Unless there is a lot more Lovecraft on this album and this is just a part of it...

**** Which is not indicative of any more forthcoming new music.