The Greatest State

Since hell has decided to visit Seattle for the week, I've taken inside to my semi-cool basement to relax with a coke float and the complete series of The State. For those of you who don't know, it was a bunch of college kids like Michael Ian Black/Showalter, Tom Lennon, Kerry Kenney, David Wain etc. Who ended up being people like Dangle and Junior from Reno 911! and both Michaels from Michael and Michael Have Issues, the new series for Comedy Central. Meeting on the fringes of New York University's art scene, these kids collected and formed what became the New Group, which became the State. In the vain of the greats before them--Monty Python, Carol Burnett etc.--the show consisted of a bunch of hilariously bizarre skits, with the show (for the most part) linked from random skit to the next...somehow. It's a shock that this played on MTV for more than one season, the show consisted of four very short ones, with the obscure references to Bogart movies and the plays of Tennessee Williams and Odets. They they did their fair share of sticking it to the powers that be through their rants and sarcastic use of catchphrases. Catchphrases that ended up catching on a little too well. Unlike most sketch comedies, and MTV shows for that matter (I'm looking at you, MAD TV, SNL and, well...all of MTV) most to all of these sketches have aged well. However, it seems that the network was somewhat shortsighted, cancelling the show after two years, though, it was in decline anyway. Though no matter, most have turned into successful comedians, writers, directors and actors, with resumes including: Wet Hot American Summer, Reno 911, Best Week Ever, Role Models, Stella, Viva Variety and even professors of theater and direction at NYU. When I look at the shows, and then again with the commentary, I can see the perfectionist and the genius in all of the players. It's a miracle that these egos were able to come together for that long and create what may be one of the greatest comedy shows of all time.

Afrika Bambaataa!

Just this last Wednesday I got to have an intimate Q&A with one of hip-hop's fathers, the one and only Afrika Bambaataa. The session was held in a small club on the north side of San Antonio, Texas and hosted by the Red Bull Music Academy. the whole time I was just blown away by the fact that a bona-fied legend was sitting less than 10 feet away from me. Nonetheless the session was informative and kind of unforgettable, delving into the origins of the genre, as well as the rising popularity which then evolved into the biggest cultural phenonomon of the past quarter century.

Book Review: Double Nickels on the Dime by the Minutemen

The Continuum publishing house took on a very interesting and untouched subject as far as I'm concerned--analyzing the greatest albums of the last half century. The first book in the series, Dusty Springfield's 'Dusty in Memphis' was published a few years ago and since then there have been over 50 books published, with more on the way and no intention of stopping. The focus of these books is to deconstruct what made these great albums great. Other works include Jimi Hendrix's 'Electric Ladyland', Bob Dylan's 'Highway 61 Revisited', and Nas' 'Illmatic'. I just recently finished a book about the DIY/punk icon's the Minutemen.

The band starting playing together in late 1979 in San Pedro, a working class suburb of Los Angeles. Their first incarnation was a four piece, D. Boon on guitar, Mike Watt on bass, George Hurley on drums and Martin Tambourovich on vocals. However, Martin left shortly thereafter and the three remaining guys went on to record their first EP, 'Paranoid Time', and the story just goes from there. They become staples in the LA hardcore punk scene, befriend local legends Black Flag on their SST label, and tour the country, especially other punk hotspots (Washington D.C., New York, Boston) and the world. Their 1984 masterpiece 'Double Nickels on the Dime' won them significant praise, both with the hardcore scene and prominent rock critics. To this day it stands in the eyes of many the pinnacle of the hardcore genre, as well as its downfall.

Inspired by their Boston counter parts Husker Du, the Minutemen set out to create and ambitious double album as well, going as far as to mention the band in their liner notes. This and more is revealed in Michael T. Fournier's brilliant and fastidious analysis of the album and the band itself. He introduces the reader with the necessary background for anyone to truly enjoy the album and the book. In this section of the book we are introduced to what the Minutemen really were, just a bunch of working class guys from a suburb of L.A. that is anything but glamorous. The drummer, Hurley, wrote a fair portion of the album's lyrics while cutting steel at a local factory.

Then, of course, we delve into the album itself, with each of the forty-four songs getting its own mini essay. This section is split into four "chapters" signifying the sides of vinyl that were cut for the original double album. Each side, except for the last, affectionately named "Side Chaff" contains songs chosen by the particular member. For example, the first side is 'Side D.' for D. Boon. Once all the songs were recorded, the band members drew straws to decide which tunes go where, adding another layer to the already complex album. Since each song is analyzed in painstaking detail, we become more intimate with its form and genesis. We discover their foundations and inspirations, ranging from James Joyce's 'Ulysses' to the note of a disgruntled landlord. My little review could do neither the book nor the album yourself. If you are even the slightest fan of the Minutemen, you will find this a great read.

First Podcast!

A bit too formal and rudimentary for my tastes, but I'm still refining, soon enough I'm going to get my stuff on iTunes, and have the actual music playing in the background, but for now this is just a trial.

In case the link in the title doesn't work, here it is: http://speedbrake.com/kindofnew/kindofnew1-launch.mp3.