On Christmas day of 2006, James Brown died at the age of 73.   The official cause of death was determined to be congestive heart failure, brought on by complications with pneumonia.   To anyone that remembers his haggard mugshot and takes into account the age of this man and the life he lived, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise.  He was an amazing innovator who had a great run and left a stamp on the world forever, but it appeared that “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business” was all worked out.  Although the 3 separate New Years Eve performances/appearances that he was slated to make were canceled due to his demise, that didn’t mean that the spectacle was over. In fact, there was 3 separate memorial services held for him instead.  The first was at the Apollo Theater in NY on Dec. 28th, followed by a private memorial for family and friends in North Augusta, SC on the 29th, and then another large scale event on the 30th at James Brown Theater in Augusta, Ga.  Throughout these various services/presentations, the following was included: a open gold casket, a white glass-encased horse drawn carriage to transport it through the streets of New York, nachos, Michael Jackson, Bootsy Collins, a dance by MC Hammer, costume changes for the body, and more (yes… we’re fucking serious).

As is far too common these days with the deaths of celebrities, and even more-so legends, there was a lot of disputes regarding both Brown’s will and where his final resting place had been.  Much like we witnessed last year with the death of Michael Jackson, family members and others actually argued about where to rest the musician’s body.  They had already transported it all over the goddamn East Coast as it was, so I guess they figured that they could shift it around a bit more.  I’m sure it’s all in keeping with whatever they feel James would have desired because, honestly, who wouldn’t want their lifeless corpse dragged around by horses, redressed constantly, put on display, and then buried and reburied after their death?  First his body was temporarily placed in a temperature controlled room at his estate, before being moved to an “undisclosed location“, as his common-law widow, Tomi Rae Hynie, and his children viciously argued about where it’s permanent resting place should be.  It only took a little over 10 weeks after his death for both sides to come to an agreement “amicably”.  The decision was to build a public mausoleum and, in an effort to keep milking the cash cow, transform the former legends estate into an attraction the likes of Graceland.  Until then, it was chosen for the body to be held temporarily in a crypt at the home of Brown’s daughter Deanna Brown-Thomas.  Another private ceremony was held at Thomas‘ home, which was officiated by Reverend Al Sharpton, just like the previous 3.  Since that date on March 10, 2007, this is where the body has been laid to rest (or rather, “SNOOZE”) for the last 3 years.  Or has it?

As reported by the New York post, a 48 year-old woman by the name of LaRhonda Pettit is actually claiming that JB’s body has gone missing. Although Pettit is not one of James’ 6 children that were listed in his will, she is reported to be “one of 12 people to come forward since Brown’s death claiming to be one of his illegitimate kids“  and she has actually passed a blood test to confirm it.  How she is sure that the body has been removed, we don’t know.  What we do know is that she is convinced that her illegitimate father’s death was actually a result of foul play.  Although she acknowledges that he was a 73 year old man with a history of repeated drug use, by stating, “‘It was common knowledge that my daddy took illegal drugs,” she follows it up by claiming, “He was also hooked on various prescription painkillers.  At the very least there were enablers who helped cause his death.“  Pettit also believes that the removal of the body is a part of an elaborate plot to prevent her from finally getting an autopsy done on the corpse.  Much of her suspicions stem from her claim that one was never officially conducted.

I’d like to believe that, if his body is indeed missing, it’s because James Brown got tired of the bullshit, got up by his own damn self, and simply danced the fuck off.  My other vision is very similar, however it involves a re-animation effort by Dr. Funkenstein.  Wherever zombie James Brown is right now, I hope he’s breaking off some crazy-sweet dance moves like the ones below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

WARNING: Zombie Sex Machine on the Loose

If you see zombie James Brown, we request that you do not try to apprehend him yourself.  Please call authorities.  Please also keep in mind that professionals are the only people who can adequately assess if his speech is of the undead or original James Brown himself.

By now, most people know all about the drama surrounding Conan O’Brien finally getting the Tonight Show spot and then, more or less, slowly being pushed from the position that he had dreamed about obtaining for so long.  Details and opinions can me mixed but, when it’s all said and done, it doesn’t matter.  The Tonight Show has lost their credibility and Conan has gained even more of it throughout this entire fiasco.  Jay Leno still comes across as your parents friend who tells bad jokes like, “Working hard or hardly working?“, as he took his role back entertaining the elderly with insomnia.

Recently there have been many rumors about what would be 8 foot Irishman’s next move.  The rumor with the biggest hype behind it was that the former talkshow host/comedy writer my be going on a multi-city live tour.  Due to legally binding stipulations in his exit contract with NBC, which would prevent him from appearing in a talk show spot with any other station for months, this would be a great way for O’Brien to sustain his momentum and remain in the public eye in the meantime.  Well, this is now officially much more than a rumor, as tickets for the tour went live this morning.

Being marketed as, “A night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence“, the 30 city tour kicks off on April 12th in Eugene, OR and ends on June 14th at the FOX theatre in Atlanta, GA.  Perhaps even more surprising than the tour itself, however,  is the information that it will include a stop at the Bonaroo Music Festival in Manchester, TN.  The press release states that the live comedy/music review “will include longtime sidekick Andy Richter and the former Tonight Show band” however, word is that Max Weinberg will not be part of it.

Get your tickets fast, because these spots are bound to disappear quickly.

Here are the tour dates:

• Eugene, OR Hult Center For the Performing Arts
  April 12

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• Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theatre
  April 13

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• Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theatre
  April 14

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• Spokane, WA INB Performing Arts Center
  April 16

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• Enoch, AB River Cree Resort & Casino
  April 17

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• Seattle, WA Marion Oliver McCaw Hall
  April 18

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• Seattle, WA Marion Oliver McCaw Hall
  April 19

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• San Francisco, CA Nob Hill Masonic Center
  April 22

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• San Francisco, CA Nob Hill Masonic Center
  April 23

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• Universal City, CA Gibson Amphitheater
  April 24

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• Universal City, CA Gibson Amphitheater
  April 25

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• San Diego, CA San Diego Civic Theatre
  April 29

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• Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
  April 30

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• Las Vegas, NV The Pearl Concert Theatre – Palms Casino
  May 01

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• Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort & Casino – Grand Theatre
  May 04

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• San Jose, CA San Jose State University Events Center
  May 05

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• Sacramento, CA Sacramento Memorial Auditorium
  May 06

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• Boulder, CO Mackey Auditorium
  May 09

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• Dallas, TX McFarlin Memorial Auditorium-SMU Campus
  May 13

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• Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
  May 14

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• Tulsa, OK Brady Theater
  May 15

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• Kansas City, MO Midland Theatre
  May 16

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• Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theatre
  May 18

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• Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
  May 19

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• Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
  May 20

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• Toronto, ON Massey Hall
  May 22

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• Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Spa & Resort – Event Center
  May 30

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• New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
  June 01

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• New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
  June 02

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• Boston, MA Wang Theater
  June 04

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• Boston, MA Wang Theater
  June 05

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• Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
  June 06

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• Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre
  June 07

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• Washington, DC Constitution Hall
  June 08

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• Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival
  June 11

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• Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
  June 14

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{More dates are already being added.  Follow Conan on TWITTER.}

“I had a show. Then I had a different show. Now I have a Twitter account“-Conan’s

For more information, visit TeamCoCo.com.
If it’s jammed, go straight to ticketmaster.com

Before going to sleep last night, I heard that another great loss in the music world had taken place.  As reported by Rolling Stone, singer/songwriter/producer, Mark Linkous (aka: Sparklehorse) took his own life yesterday (March 6th, 2010).  According to the magazine, this has been confirmed by the late-artist’s publicist and the following statements have been officially released by Linkous‘ family.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear friend and family member, Mark Linkous, took his own life today,”

“We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts. May his journey be peaceful, happy and free. There’s a heaven and there’s a star for you.”

I laid down with the assumption that I would wake up to endless posts and messages regarding Linkous‘ untimely death, but this doesn’t seem to be the case.  I generally wouldn’t put too much thought into reporting news such as this, but that’s not because I don’t feel that it’s important.  It’s usually because I don’t feel that it’s important for ME to report it, because sites swarm on to the stories of dead celebrities the way that buzzards swarm onto the bodies themselves.  They don’t even wait for them to get cold, “Breaking News is Breaking News!“  People will always get information like this, because it’s posted everywhere.  Today, however, I fear that the loss of  such a vital entity in the music world may risk being overshadowed by something as trivial and worthless as an award show.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When Darby Crash died, the story was buried under the news of the John Lennon shooting.  While I’m sure that Darby would have loved to be the main headline, I’m not as convinced that Linkous would have rather had it any other way than to disappear quietly.  One example to that is how, instead of focusing on his own name, he opted to release music under the moniker of Sparklehorse, which was essentially just a solo project.  He wasn’t the type of artist who came across as demanding attention.  He was the type of unassuming artist whose often subtle and beautiful compositions could make you feel like you noticed them on your own.  Like a 4-leaf clover or an angel sitting in a dimly lit corner during a house party.  He was one of the rare people that created something of such pure emotion that the tools that he was using to do it almost disappeared.  No mixing boards or guitars- it was like sound just sort of flowed out of his chest and head in clouds of antique light.

Click here to view the embedded video.

One of his final masterpieces was last years Dark Night of the Soul, which he created with David Lynch and Danger Mouse.  Next to the two other collaborative monsters, the name “Sparklehorse” was often  lost or even unmentioned in conjunction with them altogether.  I believe that his focus was always on the work and, as someone who has endured a suicide attempt of my own, I have to question if Linkous was even aware of his own worth or contributions to this world.  Whether he ever truly realized it or not, those around him definitely did and his name has popped up repeatedly during the various articles and subject matter that we’ve covered on the site over the last few years.  One of the first times that his name was brought up was during my 2008 interview with Daniel Johnston, when Daniel had mentioned that he had been working with Mark on a follow up to their 2003 collaboration, Fear Yourself.  Linkous was a huge supporter of Daniel’s music and worked as the curator/producer on the tribute album The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered. That album featured a collaboration between Linkous and The Flaming Lips, which carried over from his work with Stephen Drozd (Flaming Lips) on the 2006, Sparklehorse album, Dreamt for Lightyears in the Belly of a Mountain.  Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton also worked on that release and last years DNOTS reunited The Lips, DM, and Linkous together for the last time.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s easy to posthumously examine the work of an artist after a tragedy such as this and, whether accurate or otherwise, it’s also very ease to make some assumptions about the hidden meanings in their work.  While touring in support of the first Sparklehorse album, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, Linkous faced an experience which nearly ended his life back in 1996.  The songwriter, who was on tour with Radiohead, had overdosed in a London hotel room with pills and booze in his system.  While my mom was in nursing school, she had taught me about how too much potassium can actually create cardiac arrest.  From what I remember reading, this may have had something to with this previous situation.  The story goes that his legs were pinned under him for 14 hrs without circulation and, after having them straightened by paramedics, a release of potassium buildup caused his heart to stop.  Linkous has had several surgeries in relation to this incident and was confined to a wheelchair for a 6-month duration immediately following it.  It has even been reported that he had died for 2 whole minutes.  When his sophomore album Good Morning Spider was released in ‘98, there was endless speculation that the album was largely written in reflection of that tragic scenario.  However, Linkous denied much of that, stating that a good deal of the album was already written before that incident ever even occurred.  Then there’s such things as the title of 2001 Sparklehorse album, It’s A Wonderful Life, that may imply the struggles and reassurance that the artist needed to keep him moving forward and to control his reoccurring depression.  Most likely, no one will ever know exactly what many of his work meant from an intellectual level.  Meanings can be found or lost in everything, even the fact that he had a song called “Saturday” (the die he died).  Not everything is a puzzle to be solved, some things are just there to be experienced and, if Linkous accomplished anything, it was to create music which held enough power and emotion to speak to people without the triviality or barriers of human language.

Sean Tillmann (Har Mar Superstar) has mentioned that he and friend/colleague, Adam Green often joke about they are destined to become like Harry Nilson; a prolific artist who was ultimately less famous than everyone that he ever worked with, but who left an amazing catalog of evidence to his accomplishments to be studied after his death.  Now Mark Linkous has left this world and, if you never caught onto his work while he was with us, he has left an amazing collection of gifts for everyone to experience now that he’s gone.

To hear/download Dark Night of the Soul in full, CLICK HERE

Untied States (“un-tied” states) is the musical creation of two childhood friends from Atlanta, GA.  Colin Arnstein and Skip Engelbrecht dropped their first release, Bird of the Blood Feather, as a duo in 2003.   That EP was followed up by the two full-lengths, Ineffable, by Design (2004) and Retail Detail (2006).  Although all three of them were self-recorded/self-released efforts, the latter two found the duo collaborating with a plethora of rotating additional musicians.  The group spun through various incarnations for their live performances until connecting with Darren Tablan in 2001.  With Tablan operating as an engineer/keyboardist/sound-sample manipulator, US released the 7″, Bye Bye Bi-Polar (b/w These Dead Birds) and was subsequently signed to Distille records.  With the addition of drummer Satchell Mallon, Untied States has now released their first large studio recording, Instant Everything, Constant Nothing.

I hadn’t heard the group’s previous releases and I nearly didn’t hear this new one, either.  I had already received an email about the band from Distile, but I paid it little mind.  We receive so many emails these days that I can’t focus on them all and most have little to no connection to anything that we would even be slightly interested in dealing with.  I think that I had even given a quick listen to an album link for IECN but, for whatever reason, I wasn’t immediately impressed and instantly went back to what I was doing.  Maybe I’m just like a toddler and need pictures to get my attention because, after receiving the following video of the guys performing live for the WRAS | indieATL music series, they had captured my full attention.

Click here to view the embedded video.

These cats look disheveled and rough.   At first, it almost appears like they are wrecked-out drunk and don’t really know what they’re doing or how to play their instruments.  Arnstein looks hobbled at best and Mallon’s drumming, somehow comes across as both forced and apathetic.  The crazy thing about this video, as I’m sure that you will notice the more that you view it, is that the sound reflects a very capable and aware combo with some complex, intricate compositions.   They know exactly what they’re doing; aware of every minor bleep, screech and noise and recognizing it’s role in each individual segment.  It’s not quite “Prog“… it’s… um… I’m not quite sure what it is, exactly.  Then again, I’m not quite sure what it’s not either.  The first press release that I received from Distile labeled the group as “Art Rock“.  However, the one-sheet that they sent me with the CD identifies them as “Indie“/”Rock“/”Post-Punk“.  Their Myspace also states that they play “Post-Punk” but adds “Gospel” and “Grime” into their repertoire of defining sounds.  The Untied States Facebook fanpage claims that their music is “Baroque“.  Who knows which of the endless possible terms each individual reviewer or magazine are using?  I’m sure that Rush Limbaugh would probably just identify them as “COMMIES!”   They ARE signed to an independent French label and their name DOES imply a dismantling of our democratic nation.  Then again, I believe that it may actually imply something completely different.  Whatever it is and whatever they are, I’m pretty sure that I really like these guys.

Instant Everything, Constant Nothing is a terribly shitty name for an album.   It sounds like the title of some contrived middle-school spoken-word emo poetry.   It could have easily been used to title a Better Than Ezra LP or a song from Sixteen Stone; something from the Marcy Playground era.  Yeah, it’s true that it’s a terrible name for just about any album.  That is, any album other than this one.  Honestly, I can’t think anything more appropriate for this LP, because, while so many others have taken and slapped corny ass titles on their work for dramatic effect, Untied States has a much simpler intention with their work.  The term Instant Everything, Constant Nothing actually fits perfectly and, after mentally challenging them to support it’s lofty implications, the only conclusion that you’ll inevitably come away with is, “Oh, that wasn’t supposed to be anything other than honesty. I get it.  It just makes sense.  Sorry, to have bothered you. Carry on.”

The band name itself seems like a simple play on words that anyone can enjoy.  “Oh I see, they switched the ‘T’ and the ‘I’ around.  Wonderfully clever.  So instead of being ‘united’ it’s more like the opposite.  Splendid, splendid.  What clever chaps.“  However, I even see that as having a deeper yet simpler meaning to it, which reflects the musical approach of the group, itself.   At first hearing their name, I had a vision of a slowly separating land mass but, after fully listening to the album, I recognized that the “STATES” in their moniker better represented states of being, or consciousness.  Mental states, states of disrepair… state of the art.  Even elemental states; sometimes solid and heavy, other times gaseous and ethereal, at moments melting and fluid.  Untied and distinct as they may be at times, the strength of the Altanta noise wranglers lies in their ability to transition effortlessly between these separate elements and connect them.  At least that is the most undeniable of their strengths.  A bag of bricks smash a clawfoot tub, the standing water rots the floor boards, a bookshelf falls over and catches fire by the heater, alarms go off, there’s some wood crackling, sprinklers activate, there’s some dark smoke, there’s some lighter smoke, some blinking lights shine through each, there’s steam, it’s warm, there’s some poisonous chemical backdraft, some hickory vapor, condensation on the windows, a cool breeze of fresh air blows through the collapsed hole in the wall, there’s a view of a mountain, the smoke dissipates/morphs into the clouds.  It’s like a life-size game of mousetrap, where each result makes perfect sense, with not-quite immediate retrospect, yet they’re always drastic enough to alter the entire dynamic.

The lead off track, “Gorilla The Bull” builds up from an ambient drone until it’s spewing out fragments and heavy chunks like a wood chipper.  It’s easy to use the term “driving“, but the song also utilizes a start-stop-start approach; at moments stalling out in neutral, zipping into reverse, popping the clutch, and then lurching forward again.  Next is the frenzied psychedelic whirlpool of “Not Fences, Mere Mask” (featured in the video above).  “Unsilvered Mirrors” is the first time that the Radiohead and, more specifically, OK Computer similarities really begin to present themselves.  Arnstein’s vocals airily waft in and are buoyed on the deliberate, rust-tinged chords of a haunted organ.  A climbing beat enters in and then quickly ricochets off like a loose sprocket.  The vocals and music grow like rising steam, there’s a quick 8bit-style Megaman/Metroid/Castlevania moment and then the beat winds itself into a knot and quickly unfurls.  Shit is beginning to get weird.  This band likes to set trap doors and drop the bottom out of their songs but, although the descensions may be swift at first, the fall is often cushioned like a stuntman through a series of apartment and marketplace awnings.  Untied States yank the table cloth out like a parlor trick and, if they feel so inclined, they may even still choose to shove the table over, crashing the dishes to the floor regardless.  “Unsilvered Mirrors” ends with a static bug-zapping feedback that bleeds into the next track, “Grey Tangerines“.   A heavy thump is introduced and then more and more ingredients are dumped out and mixed into the thick batter.  Some raisins, walnuts, a broken chair, battery acid… At points, the twinkle of broken electronic toys seeps through.  Other times it’s laser beams or the pulsating sound of what strobe lights look like.

“These Dead Birds” continues with a Radiohead-heavy sound.  To borrow from it’s title, I would liken the buildup and subsequent shift to hand-cranking a dead bird up a tree, notch by notch on a pulley system, only to let it float and glide back down to Earth, with sunlight peaking through the leaves to the twinkling of a music box.  The friendly little sailboat odyssey eventually shorts out, tumbles over a gloomy cliff, and gets frozen mid-air by the tractor beam of a UFO.  US then summons up the drowning, muffled yell of the chorus, which risks being too “Screamo” for my taste, but the track fizzles out admirably with a 30 second outro that includes the slipping thump of a heartbeat.  “Take Time For Always” starts with a 30 second intro of more spooky haunted piano chords until it kicks into the full-on horror circus chaos of a Mr. Bungle track.  It sounds like a demolition derby where everyone is driving Steinways and simmers out at the halfway point with choppy piano keys layered over the crank of ratchets.   The anxiety ascends again, but exits with the aquatic clicks and knocks of of an Atlantean cobbler.  “Bye Bye Bi-Polar” instantly revisits flashes of Radiohead during the buildup of it’s1 minute, 30 second intro.  Ahhs and the sound of a circut-bent Furbee getting it’s teeth drilled are abruptly smoothed out into a brief moment of somber Nirvana, which then shifts to a quick glimpse of unwieldy screams, and back.  This song is all over the fucking place.  “Wrestling With Entropy in the Rehab Factory” couples melodic verses with trashy drums and the subtle screeching tension of steel cable.  Its a pressure cooker of steam, hissing through rivets and popping the top off it’s container like a novelty can of peanut brittle.

It’s difficult not to notice a bit of Thom Yorke in Arnstein’s voice throughout the next track either, but “Delusions Are Grander” also displays glimpses of Experimental Jet Set Sonic Youth and the screech of Kurt Cobain, as well. “Holding up Walls” mixes a pretty straightforward pop-rock, Elliott Smith circa-Heatmiser sound with deconstructed noise and background effects. As the title implies, the bass-line groove and melody in the vocals are fighting to remain upright against the swarm of chaos and glitched-out electronic squawks that threaten to chop them down and derail them. The track ends, buzzing into the heavy warping blur known as “Kowtow The Equalizer” before concluding the entire album.

I’ve gone back and forth about my feelings for Instant Everything, Constant Nothing.  In fact, my feelings change almost as much as the tracks themselves.  Sometimes, I see the music like a triumph of deconstruction.  At other times, it feels like I’m hearing a pretty straightforward and simple rock album.  One moment I can be unimpressed and wonder what happened to the elements that I thought had excited me so much before and then, the next thing I know, I find myself wishing that I was actually in the group, or one exactly like it.  The crazy part is that these conflicting outlooks can shift suddenly and, sometimes even multiple times within the same track.  Some moments its like these guys have no idea what they’re doing and then, in others, it’s clear that it was all by design and that they knew exactly what they were doing the entire time.  Sometimes the amazing bits feel like they were accomplished by complete accident.  Still, they’re sound feels natural and true to who they are as musicians and individuals.  During one listen, I got the impression that, if they were “trying” to do anything at all it was to make a pop album, but that the result of those efforts was that they had failed miserably and came up with something a hell of a lot more interesting.  As if they didn’t know any better and were doomed to inevitably create something more amazing by default.  At their best, Untied States sound like a group of special ed students are peaking on LSD, while they’re driving around in suped-up Power Wheels, and smashing shit up in a factory warehouse with cricket bats.  Their interpretations of sound are crisp and focused, but they are directed in a manner unique enough to demand attention.  Two things that this album is not are boring and unimaginative.  By recognizing the value of their one-of-a-kind structural perspectives, US offers the listener an opportunity to re-examine and question the way that they, themselves, may interpret and understand sound.

One of the major risks that the band takes is handing everything over at face value and letting the listener attempt to pull the pieces apart or figure out what’s going on for themselves.  Whether through sheer ignorance or complete apathy, the musicians have no fear about the preconceived notions or connections to any outside influence that each listener might bring with them.  Maybe they sound a little like Radiohead at times. Actually, they sound a lot like Radiohead at times, but I really don’t think that they are too concerned with that. I’m sure that they are aware of the similarities and, even they weren’t at first, they’ve heard it plenty by now.  Still, I don’t believe that they are “trying” to sound like anyone.  What may be even more commendable about the group is that I don’t think that they are “trying” not to sound like anyone else either.   Most people have a “guilty pleasure” or something that they really enjoy, but may hide it for fear of being berated by the opinions of others.  US provides a mixed bag of influences from everywhere; some that I admire and some that I’m not really that into, but they openly spill everything out on the table without apology.  With all of the comparisons that could be drawn, they manage to maintain a distinct sound and avoid the pitfalls of becoming derivative.  The current quote on their Facebook page reads, “Tomorrow’s cliches today” and, In all honesty, I don’t believe that US gives a fuck what I think.  I’m not even convinced that they are concerned with reviews at all.  It’s as easy to over listen to this album as it is to under listen to it. If you don’t pay attention, the subtle intricacies can just slip by. If you stare too hard, it’s easy to focus on other less important aspects too much.  If IECN is playing long enough, however, something is inevitably bound to force a double take, snap your neck, and make your ears perk up.  It’s like a magic eye photo where, with a soft focus, the clear outline and added dimensions can pronounce themselves on their own.  The image pops out in an instant and can evaporate again just as easily.  It’s ike raising an X-Wing out of a Dagobah swamp. “Do or do not, there is no try.“  Regardless of your feelings about their results, Untied States simply “DO” and that is what I respect the most about them.  No matter how many times I hear the music differently, or how many ways my opinions about it might shift, I believe that my feelings about the people who are creating it will always remain the same.  What matters the most to me with anything that I review is the intention, integrity, soul, and honesty behind it.  That being said, I haven’t the slightest apprehension about providing Untied States and their latest album with my stamp of “LEGIT!“  The point is that these guys are extremely good at what they do and anything beyond that is just a lesser matter of personal taste.

Shit! Christ! This is the problem with using the internet when you have so much to get done.  This is can be an even bigger issue when you need to use the internet to finish what you needed to get done.  SXSW is coming.  Sasquatch! is coming.  I have a record review piling up on my plate.  I have 2 more show reviews… some networking….I need to edit another article… I need to do a lot of shit.  Fuck, I need to get a real job!  Then I come across something else and it catches my attention.  Maybe it’s some  crazy story about a 7 yr old that steals the family car.  Maybe it’s some ridiculous right wing propaganda, insisting that a imprisoned sea mammal get stoned to death (like it says to do in the bible).  Maybe it’s a trailer about a futuristic martial artist/lady of the night/cyborg.  Whatever it is, it threatens to stall me out every time.  “Post this now!  Fuck what you’re doing.“  These things scream at me, but I can usually blow them off.  “This is and/or will be posted to death anyway.“  I tell myself.  Or, perhaps, I just throw it on the “I’ll get to that later” pile.  Sometimes it doesn’t matter.  Sometimes, I have to stop what I’m doing immediately and enjoy something with the rest of the world.  “Then sometimes, just sometimes, the Crow can bring the soul back and put the wrong things right “- [I couldn't help myself].  Sometimes, it’s just a music video.

I’m sure that I won’t be the only one prefacing the following video by stating that I’m not particularly a fan of OK GO’s music, but that I am becoming a fan of their growing catalog of music videos.  By now, most people have witnessed the video for the groups breakout hit “Here It Goes Again“, that features the members performing elaborate choreography on treadmills.  That video helped to show the power that videos, as a whole, could hold, as well as the power that Youtube held as a promotional tool.  Unfortunately, as far as MTV was concerned, videos were on their way out; they’ve even gone so far as to remove “music television” from their station identification logo.  Still, amazing videos seem to surface now and then, continuing to raise question of their relevance with today’s shifting focus and internet age.  3 Months ago, OK GO released a new data mosh-style glitched-out video effort for their song “WTF?“  Innovative?  Sure.  Definitely worth checking out?  Indeed, but it didn’t carry anywhere near the hype of the “Here It Goes Again” video.  It didn’t transcend barriers to the point where it has become embedded forever in popular culture.  Everyone remembers the video for “Take On Me“, but it seems like my girlfriend is the only person that followed A-HA’s career into other albums.  About 2 months ago (Jan. 8th), OK GO released another inventive video for a song called “This Too Shall Pass“.  That effort featured the group performing as a marching band with the surprise of a horn section camouflaged in sniper ghillie suits.

That wasn’t enough to reclaim their titles as kings of the Youtube music video either.  Two days later, the band posted the following video, which mocks their past internet fame and the fear that it may overshadow their futures in the industry:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Just yesterday (Monday, March 1st), the pop group finally located the right formula and unleashed something that is already beginning to spread like Aids-Fire.  One of the most interesting things about this new video is that it’s popularity can, in no way, be solely credited to the music.  This is because it’s just another version for the song “This Too Shall Pass“, creating the argument that the internet may actually be giving second life to the “video star” and that it may be jumping the shark to present an updating reworking of the Buggles classic.  If you don’t like something about this video, I’m just going to assume that you’re just an asshole.

See what all the hype is about:

Click here to view the embedded video.

DETAILS:

Directed by James Frost, OK Go and Syyn Labs.
Produced by Shirley Moyers.
The official video for the recorded version of “This Too Shall Pass” off of the album “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky”.
The video was filmed in a two story warehouse, in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. The “machine” was designed and built by the band, along with members of Syyn Labs ( http://syynlabs.com/ ) over the course of several months.

For those who will be in the Los Angeles area this Friday, March 5th, the group will be making a special appearance at LACMA (the Los Angeles County Art Museum).  The following are the details of the event.

Celebrating the video release for “This Too Shall Pass”, OK Go will perform a rare acoustic set on the terrace of the LACMA West Penthouse. There will be a special screening of “This Too Shall Pass,” along with past OK Go videos, followed by a Q&A with the band. The night will also feature a DJ set by Tim Nordwind and pieces of the Rube Goldberg machine custom built by Syyn Labs for the “This Too Shall Pass” video will be on display. Cash bar.

Whether you knew him as Jay Dee, Jay Dilla, or simply James Dewitt Yancey, when the Detroit native, super-producer/MC died from from the rare blood disorder TTP,  he had already managed to make an incredible impact during his mere 32 years (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006).  Among his family and friends, Dilla left behind an allegiance of fans, admiring colleagues, and an irreplaceable gap in the music industry.  He also left behind endless new fans, imitators who were forced to discover their own sound, and a posthumously ominous swan song entitled DONUTS, which he perfected on his death bed.

On Feb. 13, STUSSY paid tribute to Dilla through collaborations with Yancey’s estate and Stones Throw records.  Stage one involved the clothing company’s release of a limited edition T-shirt, featuring a classic image of the producer take from Raph Rashid’s photography book “Behind the Beat: Hip Hop Home Studios“.  From there, Stones Throw embarked on multi-city in-store release parties for this shirt.  The main project that was birthed through this collaboration, however, was a 3-part documentary, offering insight into Jay Dee’s character and time on this planet.  Each piece has been being released one at a time and, now that the final installment has finally arrived, we’re pleased to provide the documentary to you now with it’s pieces back to back and in it’s entirety.

Enjoy

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Back in October, comedians, Nick Kroll and Jon Daly introduced their characters of “Bobby Bottleservice” and “Peter Papparazzo” (aka: “The Ed Hardy Boyz”) to the world via a video short on FunnyorDie.com.  Taking jabs at gaudy, tanning bed glamor boys and playing off the name of the classic, fictional teenage detectives, the video featured the duo trying to solve the case of a stolen belt buckle.  We liked that video and posted it.  Apparently, Funny or Die became aware that we had, because I just received an email from the site asking if we’d be interested in posting the follow up as well.  We were.

Since the first video, a few things have changed.  Nick Kroll was already a well respected comedian among his peers, however, he was little more than a familiar, yet unplaceable, face to the large majority of Americans.  By the end of the same month that the last video aired, Kroll‘ recognizability began to grow as a cast-member of the FX program The League.  Perhaps even more important to the viability and relevance of The Ed Hardy Boyz is the instant phenomenon of Jersey Shore that hit the world in December.  Kroll took advantage of the hype by sending in an audition tape as Bobby Bottleservice to the reality show and has even been featured on a Jersey Shore related special.

The biggest effect that this popularity has had on the creation of the Ed Hardy Boyz videos themselves involves who’ve they’ve actually been able to convince to star in them.  This sophomore effort, “The Case of When That Hot Filipina Girl Lost Her Tramp Stamp At Mini-Golf,” stars a plethora of pseudo-celebrity talent ,with an open willingness for self-satire that I haven’t seen since Ricky Gervais‘ EXTRAS.  Then again, I’m sure that some of them probably just needed the work/publicity.  The biggest shocker is the inclusion of Ed Hardy designer, Christian Audigier, himself.  With an “If you can’t beat ‘em…” attitude, he not only c0-stars in the film, but is also credited as executive producer.  Also featured as themselves are Pauly Shore, Tom Sizemore, Aubrey O’Day (ex-Danity Kane), Pat O’Brien, Fred Durst, and Ian Ziering (90210).

Tell us what you think…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Created and run by Gio Tonineli from Pondpatrol.com, GI JOE FEST has provided a forum for enthusiasts of both stop motion animation and the classic Hasbro action figures, since 2007.  What the festival entails is fairly simple: each year open-submissions are accepted for anyone (internationally) who has created a stop-motion film, which includes at least one character represented by a GI JOE action figure.  The submissions close around July, when a pre-selection screening for the festival takes place.  In October, the films are judged and screened at the infamous, Alamo Draft House in Austin, TX.  Beginning early the following year, the final selection of films begin their limited city tour as a festival.

Tonight (Feb. 10, 2010) marks the kick off of the 3rd annual GI JOE Stop-Motion Film Festival, and takes place at the Echo Park Film Center in Los Angeles, CA.  In addition to tonight’s showing, the creators of the festival have also offered a stop-motion workshop, which will take place tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 21st at 11am.  To instruct the workshop, the festival will be employing the skills of,  2007 GI JOE FEST winner, Jeff Gurwood.

Description of workshop:

The Stop Motion Workshop will offer the opportunity to develop both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to create a piece of stop-motion animation. The course aims to stimulate students’ abilities to generate an overall perspective of a project – from concept to final product. Tuition is $20 dollars.

Here is a sample of Gurdwood’s work: “LAST RANDY STANDING“

Click here to view the embedded video.

Submission deadlines are on July 20th so, if you’re interested in entering a film for next year’s festival, there is still 150 days left to do it.  Go to gijoefilmfestival.com for information.

First Ever Live Show – TONIGHT 2/19!

Broken Bells has confirmed the details of its first ever live date. The band will perform TONIGHT (February 19) at the Fold In Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles located at 2220 Beverly Boulevard just west of Alvarado (Across the street from Brooklyn Bagel).

Doors are at 8 pm. Free parking available on Roselake Ave. directly behind The Praise Christian Church. A LIMITED number of tickets are available now via http://www.inticketing.com/evlist.php?events=search&v=6117

2 ticket limit.

For anyone who is unaware of the project, Broken Bells is the new collaborative effort between DJ/super-producer, Brian “Dangermouse“ Burton and James Mercer of The Shins.  If you live in the Los Angeles area and act fast, tonight could be your opportunity to see if it it lives up to all of the hype.

Here’s the first video to come out of the project:  “High Road”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Additional Dates:

March 1 -  Nouveau Casino (Paris, France)
March 3 – ICA (London, England)
March 17 – Stubb’s (Austin, TX)*

*Part of NPR MUSIC SHOWCASE
(also feat. Spoon, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, the Walkmen, & Visqueen)

BROKEN BELLS The debut album featuring “The High Road” Free download of the single with every preorder of the Deluxe at Brokenbells.com More Details »

Sam Flores

We at Monster Fresh love The Upper Playground and the crew of incredibly talented artists that regularly collaborate with them.  After the tragedy in Haiti last month, UP stepped up with a 50% Off sale to benefit the disaster victims.  The sale applied to everything, even the fine art prints were 1/2 off, and for every shirt purchased, another shirt was also donated for the cause.  As if that wasn’t enough, now the the folks at UP have teamed up with the likes of Quentin Tarantino, SA Studios Global, and The Weinstein Company in an effort to raise even more money for the Nation in turmoil.  Using Tarantino’s latest Oscar-nominated film, Inglourious Basterds, as their muse, 13 of today’s biggest artists contributed their own rendition of poster art from the film.  Included among the artists are such talents as Munk One, David Choe, Alex Pardee, and Jeremy Fish; each of which brings their own trademark styles and unique approach to their pieces.  However, while some artists’ works are more instantly recognizable, like N8 Van Dyke’s, others display a completely different aspect to their work, (see: Sam Flores‘ print, pictured above).  Each of the 13 prints will run in an extremely limited series only 6 each.  Each print will also be signed by Tarantino himself and will go on sale tonight (Feb. 18)  from 6-9 at the Upper Playground location in Los Angeles.  All profits will be donated to the American Red Cross to aid in the Haiti Earthquake relief effort.  Here’s a great opportunity to contribute to a noble cause, while investing in something that is guaranteed to multiply in value, almost immediately.

Complete details and images of each print, after video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

BENEFIT ART PROGRAM TO HELP RAISE MONEY
FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE

SA Studios Global’s Film Marketing Division has teamed up with Quentin Tarantino, Upper Playground and The Weinstein Company to present, THE LOST ART OF INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS.
On February 18th, 2010 from 6p – 9p the world will get to preview and purchase the “Lost Art of Inglorious Basterds” at The Upper Playground Art Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles. All proceeds from this program will be donated to The American Red Cross to help the victims of the Haiti Earthquake.

This creative team has assembled the following select group of accomplished artists, David Choe, Sam Flores, Estevan Oriol, Grotesk, Jeremy Fish, Patrick Martinez, Alex Pardee, Dora Drimalas, Munk One, N8 Van Dyke, Rene Alamanza, Morning Breath and Skinner Davis, to create their own poster art based off their interpretation of the Oscar Nominated film, “Inglourious Basterds” artwork.

Each print will be numbered and signed by Quentin Tarantino. Only six (6) of each amount will be made.

The gallery will open will be open to the general public from 6p – 9p on Thursday February 18th, 2010 at Upper Playground Los Angeles located at 125 East 6th Street in Downtown LA. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase the limited edition prints for $300. The prints are giclée print and are only available for purchase at Upper Playground, Los Angeles. Phone orders and web orders will not be accepted. Prints will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. The purchase of prints will be limited to one per buyer.

Alex Pardee

David Choe

Skinner

Rene Almanza

N8 Van Dyke

Munk One

Morning Breath

Patrick Martinez

Jeremy Fish

Grotesk

Estevan Oriol

Dora Drimalas