METALween 2008

Off to Slim's this Halloween night to check out Doom legends Corrupted, who I believe make their first return appearance to the Bay Area after 11 long years. I've been anxiously awaiting this show for a while now–I'm sure these guys won't disappoint. Ludicra and Asunder open, making for one hell of a bill.

Album of the Week

Sunn O))), Black One

My favorite of all their albums, by far. The Dronelords' distinctive sound is touched by the cold hand of Black Metal on this record, and the result is an album of bleak, harrowing soundscapes fit for a grim and frigid night, like the one we had just yesterday. This sounds amazing on vinyl, by the way. Below is Sunn O))) live, with voKILList Attila Csihar holding court center stage.

Sunn O))) • Slim's • October 31, 2005

Three Days Of Darkness (Day 1) • Elbo Room • October 29, 2005

This was the first time I ever saw Graves–they ruled that night. Also the last time I'd see Exhumed before they broke up. The 'Three Days...' festival only lasted 2 years, 2004 and 2005. I wish someone would get it going again.

Rollins Band • Slim's • October 29, 1993

This show was sick. The band was on tour supporting Pearl Jam for their 'VS' tour. I couldn't score a ticket to see them play the Warfield (which would be the last time PJ would perform in theatre sized venues), but luckily Rollins Band, being the relentless road dogs they are, decided to play a headlining show on their day off in SF. Andrew had been freshly kicked out of the band so this was the first time I saw Melvin Gibbs on bass. And having just joined, Rollins had told the audience they would only be performing new material since the bassist didn't know any of the old stuff. They commenced to play songs off of what would become the 'Weight' album. For a bunch of songs nobody had ever heard before, people were sure losing their shit over them. And it was good stuff. Fools kept getting on stage and leaping into the audience. One guy launched himself off Henry's shoulder, and dude got pissed. He grabbed another guy that managed to crawl onstage and held him down while security escorted the poor sap off the premises. I remember Henry threatened bodily harm on the next person to try anything onstage. Nobody got up for the rest of the show. It was great fun.

A Perfect Circle • The Warfield Theatre • October 27, 1999

FONTastique

Font mongers T.26 out of Chicago have been fairly consistent at cranking out some of the most rockinest typefaces on the planet. Behold the latest, fools...

Múm • The Palace of Fine Arts • October 25, 2007

With the departure of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Kristin Ana (I won't even begin to spell out her last name), the kids from Iceland regrouped and eventually reconvened at the Palace for their Bay Area appearance in support of their latest effort, complete with a brand new line-up of like-minded noise-niks. I miss Kristin's girlish little voice, and even the tone of their previous albums, with their purveying sense of melancholy and sadness juxtaposed over skittery, loopy electronic beats & blips, but I must say I enjoyed this new energized version of the band. Hopefully they can keep it up for their next album.

Lucinda Williams • The Fillmore • October 25, 2006

Miles Ahead

A sampling of album covers designed by Reid Miles during Blue Note Record's 'golden years' (1950s-early 60s). Some 50 plus years on, these works remain a standard of excellence in the field of graphic design. His skillful use of space and creative typography cannot be touched. And have you heard the music?!

Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man • The Warfield Theatre • October 24, 2003

Boris • Slim's • October 18, 2006

B52's • Shoreline Amphitheatre • October 17, 1992

16 years ago. Damn.

Album of the Week

Jolie Holland, The Living And The Dead

The obvious choice this week. Picked up the LP at her show on Wednesday, and it's been on heavy rotation on the iPod and turntable since. My favs are the opener, 'Mexico City', and 'Your Big Hands.' Gotta love the Rolling Stones guitar wafting in and out of the latter song. This is a great album for hitting the road on long drives through dusty desert highways and winding country roads, or just lounging around the house on a sunny afternoon, with the windows open and the curtains flowing in the gentle breeze, dancing barefoot on the kitchen floor.

Jolie Holland • Bimbo's 365 Club • October 15, 2008


It took a while for me to warm up to Jolie Holland's music, but the release of her album Springtime Can Kill You a couple years back made me a fan. So I finally got to see her tonight fronting her new band, and she was radiant. She played cuts off her last 3 albums and a bunch of new ones off her just released The Living And The Dead record. The new material sounded wonderful. There were a few older songs I wish she had played but it didn't happen. Among them is my absolute favorite song of hers, called 'Mexican Blue.' The thoughtful, heartfelt lyrics move me every time I play it.

You're like a saint's song to me
I'll try to sing it pure and easily
You're like a Mexican blue
So bright and clear and pale in the afternoon
I saw you riding on your bike
In a corduroy jacket in the night
Past the hydrangeas that were blooming in the alley
With a galloping dog by your side
When I was hungry you fed me
I don't mean to suggest that I'm like Jesus Christ
Your light overwhelmed me
When I lay beside you sleepless in the night
And when you dreamed my guardian spirits appeared
And the moon stretched out across your little bed
They said they'd started to get worried about me
They were happy we had finally met
We had finally met

A mysterious bird flies away
Seemed to be calling your name
And bounced off the top of a towering pine
And vanished in the drizzling rain
There's a mockingbird behind my house
Who is a magician of the highest degree
And I swear I heard him rip the world apart
And sew it back again with his fiery melody, melody

When you were mad at me I didn't care
And I just loved you all the same
And I waited for the wind to push the hurricane
Out to sea, and the sun could shine again
Oh I don't mean to give you advice
Its just like Delia said, "Oh, Jesus Christ"
Just don't get so high you leave the ground
Everything is so much better when you're around
Just don't float so high you drift away
Stand tall, with your feet on the ground
I love your songs, I love your sound
Everything is so much better when you're around

When the moon is as clear as an opal
And the amethyst river sings a song
I'll remember all the dreams and the mysteries
You have borne in your crystalline soul
That you sing from your golden throat
That you shine from your sparkling eyes
That you feel from the goddess in your thighs

You're like a saint's song to me
I'll try to sing it pure and easily
You're like a Mexican blue
So bright and clear and pale in the afternoon
In the afternoon

I've Got A Surprise for YOU, Cracker Jack...

...your 'secret toy surprises' suck donkey balls, brah. Seriously. The last time I picked up a box of Cracker Jacks was about 2 years ago, just because I was curious to see what kind of toy surprises kids get these days. I fish out the familiar white packet from the box, eagerly tear it open and what do I get? A shitty photo of a dog, printed in wrapping paper type stock, maybe a little bigger than a postage stamp. It's not even a fucking toy! My friends open their 'prizes' and are the unfortunate recipients of the same lousy mutt. Actually I think one of them got a different pooch, but you get the idea. I remember reading somewhere on the photo 'collect all 5!' Uh, no thanks morons. I guess sometime between 1979 and the present day the douche bags at Borden just stopped giving a shit. What a travesty. Below are TRUE Cracker Jack prizes from the late 70s that kids today have regrettably missed out on.

Nine Inch Nails • Henry J. Kaiser Arena • October 14, 1994


This is one of my favorite shows ever: NIN touring in support of The Downward Spiral album, which is one of my favorite records of the 90s. They opened with 'Mr. Self-Destruct' and pretty much tore the roof off the house with that first number alone. The rest was just fucking phenomenal. 'March Of The Pigs' was about a million times better live, as were older songs like 'Sin', and 'Hurt' was a beautiful, tortuous disaster-piece (that's a good thing).
This was also one the of loudest shows I've attended. I had ear plugs but I swear I could still feel the decibels pounding my poor eardrums. I've never felt anything like that before or since, and I don't ever want to!

Opeth • The Fillmore • October 11, 2005

Album(s) of the Week

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Will The Circle Be Unbroken
The classic 1972 collaborative album between then young Southern rock upstarts Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and a bevy of country western legends including Doc Watson, Earle Scruggs and Maybelle Carter. I saw a used vinyl copy the other week, and I'd never heard of it before. I just saw some of the great names on the cover and quickly scooped it up. This is simply an amazing piece of work.



Baroness, Red Album

That's The Way The (Mother's) Cookie Crumbles

Alas, a childhood favorite is no more. Read it on sfgate yesterday that the Oakland CA based company, founded in 1914, is bankrupt and has ceased production of their sugary treats forever. We used to gorge ourselves on Mother's chocolate chip cookies, usually while sitting in front of the T.V. watching cartoons. Actually, I think my brother still eats the stuff to this day. I imagine he's at the local supermarket now, frantically buying up their entire stock of Mother's cookies. Damn, I'm probably going to pick up a bag myself after work, just for old time's sake!

Massive Attack

Picked up a used copy of this Bergman classic–the 5 disc Criterion edition no less, which has the original version of the movie (a 5 hour film made for Swedish television) as well as the shorter theatrical version. I thought the theatrical cut was amazing; I can't wait to dig in to the fully realized uncut version.


And if that wasn't epic enough, I've also committed myself to reading this 5 volume Chinese saga, the first book of which I'm about a quarter of the way through. Despite the fact that there have already been at least 35 to 40 characters introduced just this far into the novel, I'm finding it to be thoroughly engaging and fairly easy to follow nonetheless.


The 33 1/3 series of books are awesome–The perfect quick read for the bus/train. Almost finished with this one on Slayer's seminal 'Reign In Blood' album.

Faith No More • The Warfield Theatre • October 6, 1997


This was the first and only time I got to see these guys, as this would be their final tour before they broke up. I was only a casual fan of the band, but I was glad to see them perform. They all seemed really in to it, literally playing like it was their last show. It was odd, seeing Mike Patton up there fronting the band pretty much everyone knew him for. I'd seen him play with John Zorn a few times, and had already thought of him a solo artist and a musical genius in his own right.