We Have Met The Alien and They are Punks!!! Finland's Hundred Million Martians--Martian Arts

I bought this little album a while back by Hundred Million Martians, a punk pop group from Turku, Finland.

I forgot how enjoyable this disc was. Choppy guitar, huge hooks and harmonies, a lot of adrenaline here on Martian Arts, their 1997 debut full length album on Hiljaiset Levyt. Kind of like Green Day/Ramones meets The Jam, with some Buzzcocks and Undertones thrown in. If I had to do a blind guess, I would probably say that this was a punk group from California.

No profound statements on this album, just great music to rock to from a rocking country. It isn't accidental that the World Capital of Air Guitar is Oulu, Finland in the land of my ancestors (at least some of them).(August 24-27, 2011) And that is a part of the world that takes its Air Guitar seriously, before they started hooking up fake guitars to TVs.

I was in Stockholm in an ice cold November a while back, with my friend, the real world's most interesting man. He talked me into seeing an old stomping boogie band The Status Quo that was playing at some arena near the water. We were up in the nosebleed seats and it was simply amazing. There were these two drunken knuckleheads in our general jumping around like maniacs playing air guitar, jumping in the air, tongues out, falling on the floor, throwing Townshend-like windmills all over the place. They were having the time of their lives playing along with the band--taking pictures of each other with the band in the distant background. They even had us take pictures of them rocking out. It was ridiculous and great at the same time. They weren't bothering anyone, these guys were just enjoying the moment. Of course with all the alcohol they might not remember any of it. At least they have the photos as evidence.

Albums like Martian Arts never fail to amaze me. You would think someone would put this music out beyond Finland. It's not a question of language barrier, as the songs are sung in English. The songs are as good as any in the genre and they aren't particularly political or crude. The themes are girls, boredom, being a tortured artist, universal themes that would appeal to the broad base of music fans. If you don't enjoy this music, check yourself into a nursing home now, or maybe a funeral home.

Jyrki Makela: Vocals
Seppo Lehdonkivi: Guitars
Tuomas Pelttari: Guitars and Vocals
Pasi Hjerppe: Bass and Vocals
Jarkko Lehti: Drums

Mikko Kangasjarvi: Accordian cameo on Track 13.

Misery for Misery's Sake is the first track, which gives you a strong indication of the band's style and also how good their songs are. After the first tune it's a continuous bombardment of great pop punk. The next two tunes, A Perfect Pop Song and Difference are equally excellent. One of the highlights here is the quick pop burst of Brighter Days, 2.5 minutes that deserves a place of honor in the Punk-Pop Hall of Fame.

As befitting Martians, there are the marginally space-themed Buzz Aldrin and Beam Me Up. But stylistically they sound 100% terrestrial. Other decent songs are I Wanna Hate You and Dreams To Happen. And these guys are still out there rocking. Their 4th album Marseille came out in 2008 on the Plastic Passion label. So if you are into tuneful punk rock I would recommend giving these guys a listen. You won't regret it.

Happy Easter from Chicago!! In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up for Ministry

I thought that today it would be appropriate to give a brief scream out to one of the most unrelenting live records out there, Alain Jourgensen and Ministry's In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up.

Just like a car crash

Ostensibly a six song ep, it is nonetheless 40 vitriolic minutes, and a lot angrier than most live albums. There isn't a lot more to say about this except that it captures the band during their 1989-90 tour. This is early in their career, not that long after they metamorphosized from a synth dance group to the sonic behemoths that we know and love. There was quite a scene in Chicago then, with great bands like Big Black, The Effigies, Naked Raygun, The Didjits (from Champaign), to name a few.

Being an old fart, and seeing so many bands follow in the wake of these trailblazers, I find that I have gotten too inured to this and the music seems samey. It must be fun to be up on stage strutting around with a bullhorn, but as a spectator the overwhelming angst makes me feel as though I'm the band's bartender, listening to all their problems, commiserating with them in their white hot rage. And I'm not as angry as I used to be, just saving it up for special occasions.

But I still give these guys credit--they really put it out there on this one. Alain is in raspy wicked form. And the band purees you down to hamburger with their vicious musical assault. And Jello Biafra is a special guest.

That's what friends are for. Another round of Trivial Pursuit.

"Alien" Jourgensen: Vocs, guitar

Paul Barker: Bass, Keys

William Rieflin: Drums

Chris Connelly: Keys, vocs

Mike Scaccia: Guitar

Martin Atkins: Drums

Terry Roberts: Guitar

Nivek Ogre: Keys, Guitar, vocs

William Tucker: Guitar

Joe Kelly: Background Vocals

Jello Biafra: Flag Pledge

The main reason I put this post together is because of the final song on the ep, the absolutely crushing 9 and a half minutes of Stigmata. It just reminds me of Spring and rebirth. I recall listening to this version of the song and it seemed like the noise kept ratcheting higher throughout the song, and of course the vocals are a giant furious middle finger to organized society.

So what better theme music to orchestrate your Easter Egg hunt to?

Trenchtown Comes to Bluff City: Toots Hibbert in Memphis!!!

Love and Happiness

I learned about Toots and the Maytals originally because of the Clash's stunning take on Pressure Drop, which can be found on "Black Market Clash", which contains a ton of great Clash material that never made an album. Pressure Drop was so amazing that I had to hear the original. The Clash knew what they were doing--not only were they performing a tremendous song, they had to know that they were also promoting some deserving artists. And Toots and the Maytals, they could and did make John Denver's Country Roads transcendent, changing West Virginia to West Jamaica.

And of course, it took about a minute for me to understand that Toots Hibbert is one of the great singers, and not just within the world of Reggae. So when I heard that he took a recording junket to Memphis with Sly & Robbie, I knew I had to get my hands on the record. Sometimes these collaborative sessions fall flat.
Music is quickly hashed together, egos clash. In the end, the finished product speaks for itself. And in the case of Toots In Memphis, things work out to great effect. It doesn't hurt having Jim Dickinson producing this little opus at Ardent Studios. We all know that the King called Memphis his home town, but when visiting Royalty comes from the Caribbean, it's time to roll out the red carpet and celebrate!

You have Toots performing with some serious Memphis session guys, with a Reggae rhythm session, covering a series of Soul classics. Though the first place to go is the classic Toots and the Maytals recordings, this is very very good stuff, extremely enjoyable. Everything works seamlessly. Of course Toots Hibbert is in fine voice here, because that's what he does, and that why he is so often compared to soul legends like Otis Redding. And the horns are a joy. If you can't appreciate the horn section here you should listen some more.

Here are the people behind the voice...
Sly Dunbar: Drums
Robbie Shakespeare: Bass
Mikey Chung: Guitar and Electric Piano
Teenie Hodges: Guitar
Eddie Hinton: Guitar
Larry McDonald: Percussion
Jim Dickinson: Hammond M100 and Roland D50
Andrew Love: Alto and Tenor Sax Solos
Joe Mulherin: Trumpet
Jim Spake: Saxophone
Gary Topper: Baritone Saxophone
William Brown: Background Vocals
Zabu: Background Vocals
Debra Hall: Background Vocals

Whew! Well sometimes it really does take a village...

The music is a bit of a hybrid, though overall it is more to the soul side than traditional reggae--with the beats it almost has a Neville Brothers edge to it. The bottom line is the sort of album that is guaranteed to put you in a happy mood. The album starts out with Otis Redding's I've Got Dreams To Remember, and then goes into a superb take on Knock On Wood (Eddie Floyd). One of my favorite cuts here.



He does a wonderful emotional take on James Carr's ballad Love Attack, another memorable vocal performance. Toots has an exuberant turn with The Spinner's It's A Shame. But my favorite moment is his high octane rendition of Redding's Hard To Handle. He sounds like he's really enjoying himself here, maybe almost as much as the listener. Another stellar cut here is Precious, Precious by Jackie Moore--I just loves the way he bends the notes like the master singer he is.



Of course I can't omit his Freedom Train, another great one of James Carr. An anthem for anyone who believes in human rights and justice. What more can I say? You've got to love this record.

Toots and the Maytals are still active today, and are on tour as I type, performing down in the Antipodes right now, and then its off to the US. If you can do it, make the effort and go see a legendary singer do his thing while you still can. If you love the punk rock, you should figure out quickly why so many British punk
bands loved Reggae.

Even if the stars go out and the moon bleeds out...--Pernice Brothers--The World Won't End

The World Won't End is a bona fide American classic my friends. Without all that hype and publicity that tends to sell music these days. You might remember Joe Pernice from his duet with Fergie at last years Grammy awards. Then again, as hell has not frozen over quite yet, if do you remember this you are even more delusional than I am. I don't think the deserved popularity of the Pernices, Scud Mountain Boys or any of Joe Pernice's side projects will stray very far outside the critics' circle any time soon. Which is something I don't have any rational answer for. The Pernice Brothers have made some of the best music of the last ten years, and on top of that, all of their music has been consistently great throughout their career.

I was first introduced to the band's music with their first album, Overcome By Happiness, an album that was a simply beautifully and mournful string-drenched piece of chamber pop. An absolutely awesome album that was stuck in my Cd player for a month.

But today I would like to talk a little about their second album, which might be my favorite album of the previous decade, The World Won't End. For me, this album goes beyond greatness and is an essential recording that should be in any respectable music collection with your Kinks, Beatles, Rolling Stones discs. Every time I listen to the album I hear something new, and I am just awed with the level of quality--one stunning song follows another. I was hoping for an album approximating the level of their first, and they ratcheted it up a few significant notches. It's a better album than most artist's greatest hits collections. The strings from the debut album are still there, but The World Won't End album is more diverse and uptempo.

In a lot of ways the album is insidious, as Pernice exploits my childhood love of A.M. radio, pounded into my eardrums as I sat quietly in my parents car strapped down by a seat belt (Seasons in the Sun,Up, Up & Away, Hooked on a Feeling). Listening to "Magic" by Pilot being blasted out of 8-track players as I rode around the neighborhood on my spider bike.Hearing "Listen What The Man Say" & "Silly Love Songs" everywhere one teenage summer. Trying to sing Beach Boys harmonies (and failing) with my best friend for years and years.But the shiny pop is a trap, a sonic roach motel. The beautiful music belies the beautifully grim brutal lyricism. You could play this for your grandma and she'd have no clue as to the underlying Joy Division-esque calibre of darkness. I say bring on the night!

The first guitar strum of Working Girls (Sunlight Shines), the first song, is almost a statement of purpose here. From the guitar rhythm, the bass kicks in, and suddenly the strings burst across the horizon.  A sad joyous vindication of the day-to-day drag of everyday life. An exemplary start here.



But 7:30 is where this album really gets going, three minutes of stomping masterly pop bliss. But the lyrics.

It would have been nice to be someone
To have and to hold the only one
But when 7:30 comes around
There's nothing there, just bitterness.

There's a fantastic bridge, and just when you think that it couldn't get better, the band goes into a Beach Boy's harmony break that would make Brian Wilson smile.

But choose a track randomly from this album and you will not be disappointed. Take She Heightened Everything, which takes a page from the Buddy Holly songbook but updated with a chorus where Pernice pleads to "keep loving me to death". I have to ask myself how I can enjoy a song with the title "Shaken Baby", but I do. Hey, it's just a metaphor, not a homage to child abuse. I love Joe's whispery voice when it's amplified up to that level--it has an unusual effect on the music, power in fragility. And ending goes on and on and on most memorably.

The think the emotional core of this album is the quietly incendiary Flaming Wreck, where the narrator is sitting calmly as the world is crashing around him. In his words, "sitting stoned, like a jewel eyed baby".

Five miles high
falling down, in a bloody mary
I was all right,
never knew it would be the perfect
last, word I spoke
As the cabin filled with smoke....Did you know I would die for something new?

But I love just as much the segue between the end of 7:30 and Our Time Has Passed's electric piano introduction. Glorious bittersweet string pop with a spectacular bridge. The band makes everything seem so easy. This version of the Pernices is brother Bob on guitar, along with the amazing Peyton Pinkerton. Thom Monahan is on bass, guitars, keys, Laura Stein is on keyboards and piano, and Mike Belitsky on drums. I saw these guys only once, as a warm-up act at the Knitting Factory years ago. They only played for about half an hour but they were a great live band. Joe reminded me of Elvis Costello for some reason--it was either his mannerisms or maybe the beard. I remember he referred to their song Monkey Suit as their prom song. I wish they had played for two hours.

One of the lighter moments on the album is Let That Show, which has a bit of Big Star flavor to it, mixing Radio City guitar twang with Sister Lovers string surges. But behind the levity....

It feels like I'm dying
as I watch you go..
I never let that show.

I would be remiss not to mention the wonderful piano and string pop of Bryte Side which is sublimely visceral bliss with a great string break in the middle. Then there is the lovely cinematic pacing of The Ballad of Bjorn Borg, a great metaphor for moments passing by, here today, gone tomorrow, "killing the endless summer." One of his very best songs, in my opinion, with the great tempo changes and crescendos.

The album ends on a Brazilian note, with the pristinely languid Cronulla Breakdown, with Pernice going bossa nova on us for a track, like an stripped back aperitif to cleanse our palates. The profound lyrics make me jealous; stylistically they evoke the depth of sentiment found in a Brazilian love song. Another Pernice classic.



Even if the stars go out on me tonight
Even if the moon bleeds out its blood for light
I know I can't, take her love
as your memory drifts in, like a samba
It's hard to be true
I'm still in love with you...

Whew!! So if you haven't figured it out by now, I really like this album. But the only album of theirs that I can't recommend yet is their latest, because I haven't bought it or heard it yet. Just before I began this post, I took a look at the Pernice Brothers on-line store, and I noticed that almost their whole discography is available at ridiculously cheap prices, in many cases between $3-5 dollars. I don't know what that means exactly (gulp), but I think that patronizing a great passionate intelligent artist who actually puts his music out on his own label (Ashmont Records) would be a very good thing in these tough economic times. I mean, you could own this amazing album for 5 friggin bucks!! It's record store weekend, so go out and support the arts!!!

It's Hockey Playoff Time (and we're all a little wobbly off skates, even sober)--Hanson Brothers---Sudden Death

Yeah, I like hockey. If not for financial reasons, I'd still be playing in a glorified beer league. But, hey, it's my beer-addled glory, dammit. I've been hit in the head enough times not to know when to quit. I've had some great times playing in tournaments in Canada--we only had problems when we had to face real Canadians. It's like trying to beat a fish in a swimming contest. Since the playoffs have started (my Rangers just lost a hard fought battle against the Caps in OT.) I thought it would be appropriate to do a posting on my favorite hockey punk album. Yes the mighty mighty Hanson Brothers.



My other band is sniffin' glue



Everybody likes a good homage.

The Hansons are a spin-off of No Means No, a Vancouver Punk institution if there ever was one. It was an opportunity to indulge themselves in a three chord orgy of loud fast punk pop. If they had a Smurfs on Ice, why not a Ramones on Ice? I think in my dotage I would like to just form a side band and skip the real band altogether. The Hansons have few albums out, but this one is my favorite, as it is more hockey centric than their first album. Connecticut's Zambonis are a cool band and are wittier, but these guys have a visceral edge on the other Puck rockers.

So much to applaud on this album--for those Americans who love hockey, you know how normal people get when you start talking about the sport--they get that scared look in their eyes and start looking around for a fire exit, or an open window. Listen to their wonderful rendition of Stompin' Tom Connors The Hockey Song that is the start of this punk rock juggernaut. You'll never look back.

Next up is Stick Boy, about a bench warmer who's itching to show the world what he can do. Another fine fine tune is a tribute to hockey mania, namely Rink Rat. Other Hockeyesque numbers are Danielle (She Don't Care About Hockey) (you might even know a woman or two who are in the same boat) and Third Man In.

Of course, you are saying, that's all well and good, but this album needs more hockey tunes. I didn't mention the mainly instrumental album ending stomp Sudden Death. But I waited till the end to mention the hockey grail, the Stairway To Heaven of all hockey songs. That's right folks. He Looked A Lot Like Tiger Williams.
It's all you need to know. If you love hockey and Ramones like you love chocolate mixed with peanut butter, you need this in your arsenal, especially at times like this, when your obviously crazy girlfriend is trying to get you to shave your playoff beard. I often cry when I listen to this inspiring song.

If there is a God above,
I know that he must be
The kind of guy who's tough enough
To deal with punks like me

He won't take no excuses
He'll be tough but he'll be fair
And when I go to my reward
I hope to see him there

I'll bet he looks like Tiger Williams
He'll be brave and strong and true
But if you try to cross him
He will put a hurt on you.

I bet if you didn't know where this came from, you would assume it was an unfamiliar psalm.

Now get out there and clear the crease, ya pencil necks!!

This post is for my friend and #1 hockey hating homeboy

Martiros Saryan--Great Armenian Artist and my trip to the USSR plus Djivan Gasparyan

The first time I traveled outside the US, it was to the USSR, a few years after I graduated from college. Most of the time I was in Russia, but I spent about a week in the Southern republics, including Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Eastern Ukraine, namely Donetsk. Originally the tour included Kiev, but travelers then were noticeably leery of being anywhere near Chernobyl.

Having studied Russian language and culture in college, I had an idea of what Moscow and Leningrad would be like, but these republics to the south were a revelation, uncharted territory. And I really enjoyed my time in Georgia and Armenia, aside from certain problems with my digestive system.

Yerevan with a backdrop of Ararat. It really is there.

After visiting Moscow, Yerevan was another world, more like the Middle East. I had some trepidation--I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore. 95 degrees every day,  but no humidity. Believe me if all you know about Armenia is Kardashians hawking diet pills, you are only scratching the tip of the iceberg. I was introduced to a very interesting and unique culture back then. They struck me as sharp industrious proud people, who at that time were making the best of a bad situation. I eventually figured out that was a place where men don't wear shorts, no matter how hot it gets. Yerevan was a big city that seemed to spring up fast and unfortunately there were all too many of the typical high rise flats constructed soviet style there. Because of industrial pollution I could not see Mt Ararat in the distance. I remember fountains being all over the place, and I was told that was an important symbol to the culture. I absolutely loved the food there, the lavash flatbread, the stuffed vegetables, the licorice made of walnuts and grape juice, the best melon I've ever eaten and the insanely delicious hot dog shaped grilled lamb burgers.

Probably the place that affected me the most was the Armenian Genocide Memorial, with the music of the Armenian composer Komitas Vardapet playing as we stood within in the Modernist structure. The man was a witness to this shameful tragedy and lost his sanity. There simply are no words, you blank out in such a setting. I remember that an elderly woman was following us during the tour. At some point she came over and detailed to us how during World War II her children starved to death (all of them) because all the food from Armenia was being confiscated and sent to the troops. These are things that a lot of us simply do not know about.

Tragic but Resilient

Yerevan definitely had some good museums. I'm pretty sure we saw the national gallery and also a museum of modern art. Americans are very familiar with works like The Book of Kells from Ireland, but I would bet that most people do not know that Armenia has an equally rich tradition of illuminated manuscripts going back to ancient times, which I was fortunate enough to see. But I was most impressed with the Modern Art. There was a painting that will forever be in my consciousness--it was a picture of proud painting of an Armenian man. With an actual bullet hole through the forehead. I mean literally, a bullet hole in the canvas. It was so blunt and shocking, and I can never forget it. But I don't recall who the artist was.

I do remember the name of Martiros Saryan (1880-1972) however, for his vivid use of color and distinctive style. I bought a thin book of his artwork in the Victor Kamkin store in NYC a few years later. When I see his paintings I feel like I am back in Armenia once again breathing the dry air and feeling the sunshine. Here's a nice quote from him I saw on wikipedia.

Life is an island. People come out of the sea, cross the island, and return to the sea. But this short life is long and beautiful. In getting to know nature man exalts the wonder and beauty of life.

Nice quote. I couldn't resist.

Finding the unexpected (in a good way) is one of my favorite experiences of traveling. Certainly there are reasons why we decide to visit some places and not others. But for me it is more than merely striking things off of a checklist. And I visited Armenia without a checklist at all. Going to Geghard and visiting the church carved out of the side of a mountain and then actually witnessing an heady incense filled mass with singing was very special to me, as was swimming in the buoyant waters of Lake Sevan. I can't believe how fortunate I was to visit there for a while.

Here's a little Duduk music to wrap thing up from the master himself, Djivan Gasparyan.

The Pub is Burning Down! Kitchens of Distinction--Love is Hell

About twenty years ago my friend, the real World's Most Interesting Man asked me if I wanted to go see some new band that was really good. The Kitchens of Distinction. Being me, I said sure, though I didn't know anything about them. I picked up their first album Love is Hell and was pleasantly surprised. They were somewhat like Echo and the Bunnymen, one of my favorite bands. Very strong album.

We danced the Mamushka at CBGB's

So a few weeks later we drove down to see them. I drove down to his apartment in the Bronx and then he drove his van into downtown New York. We drove up to the club and....

Something obviously was wrong. I went up to the door where there was a message posted. The concert was cancelled due to illness and would be rescheduled!! Damn.

So we wound up going to CBGB's that night and got to see The Poster Children and Bailter Space (whose tour was probably sponsored by a hearing aid company) for $6. A not too shabby Plan B.

Ultimately we did see Kitchens of Distinction live a few months later. And it was worth the wait, believe me.
They are undoubtedly one of the best bands of the 90's, in my estimation. Julian Swales takes a back seat to no one on guitar, and Patrick Fitzgerald is a magnificent singer and lyricist. Dan Goodwin is a fine drummer. But when we got to the show we were in for a small surprise.

When we got to the show, it seemed as though half the people in the audience were wearing kilts! We felt a little bit out of place there, like we were supposed to have known this was a costume party. You don't see that many kilts in a day in Edinburgh! Well, it turns out that these people were part of some gay rights organization like Act Up!, though I couldn't tell you who they were conclusively. My friend was baffled, saying I had know idea... Well Patrick Fitzgerald was openly gay, something that was not that common back then and this group came en masse to see the show. Well I do have to admit I should have been a little curious about the band when I saw the album cover. Boy, I was pretty dumb. A Corndog from Westchester.

That being said, the show was amazing. And don't get me wrong, I don't care about what people wear or the sexual orientation of the bands I listen to. It is something that matters, its a very important thing, but great music is always welcome in my home. Once I was just as surprised when I saw Julian Cope on stage wearing a dog costume during Reynard the Fox. But Kitchens of Distinction was an awesome live band. The guitar of Swales literally smothered us in a warm glow, and Fitzgerald was a charismatic force and in fine voice. I consider myself very fortunate to have been in the audience that night. If we stopped for felafel later it was probably perfect.

I actually hadn't listened to the band in a while, but I had their greatest hits in my ipod. At some random point one of their alternate stripped down versions of one of their songs played, and I was blown away. I had to check to see who it was. But I was like... oh, yeah, these guys were great!

Though all of their albums are pretty damned wonderful, I decided to go with my first impressions of the band. In A Cave is the first song and it is superb start to the album. The beautifully textured guitar and heartfelt vocals on this one are all you need to know. Another winning song is Margaret's Injection a necessary inclusion on any "I hate Margaret Thatcher" mix tape.

In an album filled with gems, probably the highlight is the euphoric Prize, a song filled with simultaneous joy, worldly cynicism and melancholy. In the song he gets asked about his first time and reacts with indignation. However, the truth of the matter is, he can't even remember his name.



Other great ones are the tuneful pop of Elephantine and Courage, Mother, the Irish balladeering of Her Last Day in Bed, the upbeat Mainly Mornings, and the dreamy 1001st Fault. Hammer is a towering, powerful, sing-a-long tune, definitely a live favorite and another one of the highlights of this album. I would be negligent not to mention the spectacular atmospheric The 3rd Time We Opened The Capsule which is probably me second favorite song on this album. Killer.



So sometimes I wonder what people think when they hearken back nostalgically to the 80's and early 90's and think of crappy MTV new wave bands and one hit wonders and think about how bad music was then.
But there were great bands then as there are today, and it would be pretty awful if bands like Kitchen of Distinction were forgotten, and new generations of music fans went about their business blissfully unaware of bands of this calibre. It's one of the reasons I decided to start this site.

KOD is God

Incidentally, Patrick Fitzgerald is still in the business, fronting a band with the moniker Stephenhero. I don't have any of their records, but he has two albums available at CD Baby at reasonable prices, Apparition in the Woods and 57 Stars of the Air Almanac (which has been very favorably reviewed). Or check out their UK website if you are interested in learning more.

"The Soul is a Verb. Not a Noun." The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell

I just finished a terrific novel by one my favorite contemporary writers, David Mitchell. I've read all of his novels, and this, his most recent, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet is a simply astonishing historical novel, which has recently been released as a paperback. He is best known for his experimental novel Cloud Atlas 2004, which has been adapted for a  big budget theatrical release in mid-2012. More recently I read his previous novel, Black Swan Green, a coming of age novel set in rural England which is equally great. He is definitely a gifted writer, and his latest novel aptly demonstrates how hard he works at his craft.

I can only speculate as to how much research went into the creation of this novel. Clearly he has done a lot. That this book is not more celebrated may be because the story is something people at least in the US don't care to read about, a Dutch trading outpost in Japan at the end of the 18th Century. I'm very aware of his abilities so I trust his judgement. If this was being plugged as a movie perhaps someone would say, "Yeah, it's good..., but why not set it just before World War II, or why not make the title character American?". Which of course would be a silly notion to anyone who has read this book. So many themes are interwoven here, contact between two cultures, prejudice, modernization versus tradition, love and survival, honor and betrayal, language and worldviews. Intellectual ideas are bandied about in an authentic way--sometimes writers overdo this and it becomes more about them than actually furthering the story.

So it is 1799, and the capable young clerk Jacob De Zoet is arriving at Dejima, an artificial island just off the coast of Nagasaki created for Dutch traders to prevent them from having contact with the mainland. He arrives with Vorstenbosch, the new head of Dejima, sent to ferret out the evident corruption and irregularities discovered at this outpost. De Zoet is out to make a fortune for himself so that he can return to Holland and marry. You are then quickly introduced to the world of the Dutch East India Company, the people who have chosen this maritime mercantile life and who managed to survive its rigors. But early on in his tenure he becomes enchanted with a young Japanese woman who is studying medicine with Dr Marinus, the company doctor who DeZoet forms an intellectual bond with.

The setting of the novel is fascinating, Japan a few generations before its modernization phase. The Japanese obviously want some of the things that the Dutch have to offer, but they don't want them  to have any significant contact or influence on their society, ideas, mannerisms, dress. In a way Dejima is a prison, albeit a potentially lucrative one for the Dutch traders. The Dutch obviously want to trade with the Japanese, but this is not the Colonial period when the terms of trade were dictated by the West unilaterally. Human nature is funny, and in order to trade there has to be some contact. And it is natural for people to be curious. Technology, ideas about governance, and modern medicine are of interest to some of the Japanese officials and certainly Japanese society is of great interest to DeZoet and Dr Marinus. But like anything else it took a period of time and intervening events before there was a sea change in Japanese society away from cultural introspection.

I don't want to go too far with explaining this story. It is a masterfully rendered piece of historical fiction, a thumbnail sketch in some ways, but in other ways universalic. You gain a good understanding of the mercantile world and the new colonial mindset and life in pre-Modern Japan. The amazing thing is that he has created a real world here, plausible from both a European and Japanese perspective. And he uses a variety of narrators to illuminate us with different perspectives, both from the mindsets of different characters, but also from characters regaling us with their tales of how they wound up in Dejima.

So it is a love story, but it is also a bit of a horror story. I don't want to disclose the details. But the story is all so seamlessly integrated. And once you are introduced to the main characters and you are brought up to speed to Nagasaki life in 1799, the narrative takes off, and the novel quickly becomes a page turner. And there are numerous moments in this novel when the prose is simply vivid, breathtaking and transcendent. The attention to detail is similarly striking.

So do yourself a favor and read this interesting novel. It was a fascinating story and I learned some new things in the process. Then you'll want to read his back catalogue.

Sonic Super Friends Showdown!!!! Gibby Haynes & Johnny Depp and Project "P"

You and Me

Ain't no Movie Stars....

Diarrhoea For The Soul

Here's a little tidbit from the bowels of the alternative rock world. P is a little known collaboration between the world of film and the rock world. Imagine a band containing both Gibby Haynes of the infamous Butthole Surfers and Johnny Depp. Not many people know that Johnny Depp plays guitar, and prior to his fame on the silver screen, he played in a number of bands, most notably The Kids. But turnabout is fair play. I'm still waiting to see the two collaborate on a movie.

With Mr Haynes leading the charge on lead vocals, it is somewhat of a Butthole Surfers lite album. Crazed and inane, the album is actually pretty entertaining. If you have an interest in Capt. Sparrow and know little about the Buttholes you might be a little stunned by this album. On some songs you may do a double take, and say to yourself "did he just say what I think he said?" The best way to describe the Buttholes is this--imagine if The Grateful Dead and the Manson Family had demon spawn together. But it's all good fun to me. There is a lot of genre bending, name checking and satire here, and also plenty of deranged self indulgence, from the spacey reggae dub treatments of John Glenn (mega mix), to the gut bucket country drivel of Mr. Officer. Depp trades off on bass and guitar on this album with Bill Carter, while on drums is Sal Jenco.

The album begins with the strange but head scratchingly radio-ready I Save Cigarette Butts, a nice bit of sonic folk art done up Beck-style. And then you have your White Man Sings The Blues where Gibby shows off one of his great contributions to modern music--he trailblazed his way into legend by trading in the harmonica for a megaphone. I thank him deeply for this, though ultimately it did pave the way for a lot of knuckleheads.

Hilarity ensues throughout this album--check out the bands wonderfully incoherent mumbly take on ZZ Top, Oklahoma. Absolutely perfect. I could play this on repeat for hours. If nothing else though, you will want to own this album for the fairly creepy but uncannily reverent take on Abba's Dancing Queen. It's actually a better idea than mashing the tune into a wood chipper, much more unexpected. It's pretty good--but I think most importantly that knowing that such a version of Dancing Queen exists fills me with evil warmth. Even funnier is that this album came out on Columbia Records. Those guys let these guys make these songs.



Even more fun!! Flea of the Chili Peppers and Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols are guests on the album!! Hear Gibby channel Elvis Presley on the grim ballad Die Anne. It's his Can't Help Falling in Love! Marvel at their amazing REM parody Michael Stipe!!! Gibby fondly reminisces about that magical time when he touched President Jimmy Carter's suitcase with a certain part of his anatomy........



What are you waiting for? Buy this today and amaze your friends, punish normal people for the cowards they are. Send the born again into a temporal purgatory. How many albums do you have that have a song that name-checks Martin Landau? If this is too tame, another weird side project of The Buttholes is Gibby's descent into electronic music with Jeff Pinkus, The Jackofficers. Aside from that, I guess I have to be content saying a prayer each night for a sequel to P, adding that to my nightly prayers for a release of  "Police Academy Part 9".

The Moon is a Blabbermouth... Trash Can Sinatras; Still Making Beautiful Music--Fez

Rio Rico

I saw the Trash Can Sinatras about twenty years ago at CBGB's with my friend, the real "world's most interesting man", aka, the 10th Yankee--i.e., the only guy who gets away with calling Derek Jeter "pretty boy". It was a different world back then for them. They were a real sensation at the time--their first album had been released to positive acclaim and these young lads from Kilmarnock Scotland had crossed the pond to tour the US for the first time.

One thing I remembered was the audience. There were many interested musicians in the audience that night. This band had piqued the interest of more than the American listening public. Of course I didn't notice these guys at all, but my friend  quickly clued me in. Apparently there were some Buzzcocks and Replacements there in the crowd. And I briefly met David J of Love and Rockets/Bauhaus fame, basically saying hi. I would not have done that except that one of the guys I went to the show with saw him and basically grabbed him by the collar and would not let him get away. David seemed to be a nice chap, and definitely politer than he should have been. In his career I suppose he has dealt with overexcited fans.

Frankly I thought the Sinatras were decent, but they didn't bowl me over live. But I did love that first album--Obscurity Knocks is an absolutely beautiful pop song, a song that still makes me smile when I hear it. I thought that they were surely destined for greatness. Unfortunately, the band has had its share of troubles, one of which was its record label going out of business shortly after the release of their third album. Though they are not household names, they are still out and about, putting out occasional albums and touring. I tried to seem again them in the past, but usually by the time I found out about a gig at a small venue like Maxwell's in Hoboken, it had long been sold out. In places like the US and Japan they have a fiercely loyal fan base. I know one of their fans basically ran a web site and selling their merch for them during their leaner times when they were an unsigned band. In more recent years I can only attribute missing out on their shows to my own sloth. I believe they just completed an acoustic tour as I speak.

The Band (on Fez)
John Douglas: Guitar
Stephen Douglas: Drums
Davy Hughes: Bass
Paul Livingston: Guitar
Francis Reader: Vocals

So tonight I am discussing the lovely live album from 2004, recorded by the band at the now defunct club Fez. The official title is Fez: Acoustic Performances from New York City--December 2004. The album is a beautiful piece of mellow gold, beautifully recorded, so intimate that you feel like they are playing in your living room. Francis Reader has the voice of an angel, and in this unadorned setting his vocals and the group harmonies are out front and center. In these stripped back renditions of their catalogue (including songs from their then new album Weightlifting) you can understand what great songs this band has written. You hear the first few cuts here and you truly wish that you had been there that night. It was a good night. Obscurity Knocks may not be performed in the set, but don't let that deter you from this heavenly, romantic recording. It's the perfect starting point to discover this band.



Because it is a nice career survey. You have songs like All The Dark Horses and Freetime from Weightlifting. But you have tunes from their other three albums, like How Can I Apply..., Hayfever, Best Man's Fall, or Got Carried Away. One of my favorites is the sublime ballad Safecracker, though Only Tongue Can Tell and Leave Me Alone are not far behind.




If you check out the band's website, there are a pile of recordings for sale, which are only available there, in addition to DVD's, shirts, etc. There are also tabs and chords for many of the bands songs and all the latest news and gossip. In 2010 they released their most recent album, entitled In The Music,their first in 5 years. I haven't picked it up yet, but I've seen some very positive reviews. Hopefully they will be able to put albums out with more frequency in the future.