Jimbo in Purgatory

Gary Panter just released a new comic featuring Jimbo called Jimbo in Purgatory. It looks excellent. Gary Panter always impresses me because, although he comes out with a new comic every year or two, his comics always have a different theme to them. His first comics were centered upon weird, sketchy creatures in a bizzare punk-themed world. I do not know if it was on purpose on not, but with each consecutive issue of Jimbo, Panter improved his drawing technique little by little.

And now he has come out with his greatest work to date. Jimbo in Purgatory looks like Panter spent countless months slaving away at this comic. There are tons of details, the book is quite large, and the cover is also very impressive.
Apprently it is based off of Dante's Pergitorio (the little brother of Dante's Inferno?)
I do not really know how he applied something by Dante to a comic, but it sounds very intriguing, so I hope to read the graphic novel soon.

In this spectacular graphic novel, Panter has transformed his protean punk hero Jimbo into the protagonist of a reinterpretation of Dante’s Purgatorio. After years of comparing Dante and Boccaccio to find commonalities between the two, Panter developed a narrative of his own that includes literary and pop references regularly injected throughout the captions of the reinterpreted cantos. In Panter’s adaptation, Jimbo traverses a vast infotainment-testing center built in the shape of Dante’s Mount Purgatory. Within its borders every man or robot stands in for a character in the Divine Comedy. In this version all the participants in the drama must respond to one another within a lunatic logic wherein each quotes a literary fragment that demonstrates their respective knowledge of a particular passage and its import to the specific location in a poem.

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Locas

In my opinion, Jamie Hernandez was (and still is to an extent) one of the greatest comic creators of the 80s and 90s, in fact, he may have been the best for overall achievement and consistancy of high grade work.
He recently released a huge hard bound book called Locas which contains all of the stories he wrote and drew involving my two favorite characters of his, Maggie and Hopie.
There are eseveral reasons for why I think that Love and Rockets was one of the greatest comics of all time. First off, they had excellent pacing and construction. Although the first few issues were almost completely narrative, the two Hernandez brothers (yes, sometimes the third one, Mario, would write/draw something ... ) eventually grew out of the more simplistically-based narration technique and moved to an almost completely dialogue driven story telling method. For this alone they deserve a tremendous amount of credit (especially Jamie, AKA Xamie).

Secondly, the Maggie and Hopie comics were the best overall because they were so centralized in plot. They were so realistic and so fantastically laid out and drawn. I love the stories because they focued on things that interest me like New Wave/Punk music of the 80s and all the things that came hand in hand with the movement. Also, the two women had such a great relationship. I, as the reader, really got the sense of love in the comics. That both characters really cared for each other.
In addition to all of that, I liked how the characters were incredibly dynamic. They were always chaning, which usually meant they were maturing. Although I liked the skinnier Maggie more, I understood the fatter one better.
It is almost too difficult to put into words how fantasitc a comic series Love and Rockets was, so I definately advise everyone to go and buy the book immediately. It is 710 pages and $50.

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Yukari Shimamura

This new TAB artist, Yukari Shimamura looks really good. Not only does she share her name with the wonderful Yukari Fresh, but she also has incredible talent of her own! I like how simple her drawings are. And I also like how she combines pictures of things like leaves with her pencil line drawings. There is something so wonderfully innocent about her cats and birds. Something that seems like a child's doodle, but something that she has obviously worked to perfection over the span of her life.


I wish I was in Tokyo right now so that I would be able to attend her show at pinpoint gallery in Aoyama. If anyone does end up going, please tell me if it was good as I am suspecting it will be!

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Tokyo Fragments

Giles Murray, apparently a famous and talented translator of Japanese literature, has recently translated a book that looks absolutely fantastic. It is called Tokyo Frangments and it is a collection of 5 short stories written by several renowned Japanese writers. All the stories are loosely based around Tokyo. I am not really quite sure how to actually purchase the book, but I am going to look into it more. If anyone knows how I could get my hands on this tome, I would love to have your help.

The book introduces English readers to a new breed of innovative Japanese writers: Ryuji Morita, Tomomo Muramatsu, Mariko Hayashi, Makoto Shiina and Chiya Fujino.

And this story sounds interesting:

the last story, "The Housewife and the Police Box," takes place in [a] nondescript suburb of Tokyo.

I cannot wait to read it ...

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Taiko Drum Master

The addictive game, dubbed Taiko Drum Master in the US, is finally going to be released here. I played that game too much while I was in Tokyo, but it is addictive, I must say. It kind of reminded me of Samba de Amigo, except I like Taiko more.




I was really surprised to see all the weird video games in Tokyo. I knew that they had weird ones already (like Samba de Amigo and the Tour Bus Driver game), but I never knew that musically themed games had become so prominent. The also had a video game in Shibuya in which you would play that traditional Japanese stringed instrument and the ever popular guitar rock star game.
Not only did they have weird musical games, they had weird everything games. There was a firefighting game (with a hose and everything) and a slapstick comdian game (you had to smack your stuffed slapstick partner at the right times in order to get the crowd to cheer more). Another game that really helps release any stress was the boxing game I played. You had to put on these boxing gloves and then punch a punching bag as hard as you could. If you could reach a set limit (say 150 kg of force) in 3 rounds, you would continue on to the next stage. Very addictive, but I was fortunately able to withdraw myself from it before I completely emptied my pockets.
Lastly, I was surprised to see the number of RPG and horse race simulator games. These varities of games were usually isolated on another floor so the kids were never around all the salarymen and their fake horses, but I was still surprised to see how popular the things appeared to be.
I like to look at the pictures of arcade games at this website. And here is a picture of the horse racing game!

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Tokyo Pictures

I always love looking at pictures of nightime Tokyo. Each area of town seems to have a different flavor to it. Shinjuku is really big and bright while Harajuku and Shibuya have lots of crowded building, but still have tons of lights. I have trouble, of course, distinguishing most parts of Tokyo from aerial shots, but I still enjoy looking at them. I found this website that has a lot of cool pictures taken from the skies of Tokyo.

I especially like the pictures of Shinjuku at night. I have never liked Shinjuku the most out of all the parts of Tokyo, but to me, it looks really beautiful at night.

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Takora

This Kyoto native, Takora is one more excellent Japanese artist that has been added to my favorites list. Although his big show was made last year, I just discovered him today.
But I think his style is so fantastic. It reminds me a little bit of Tim Biskup and a little bit of Charles Schultz. A very strange mix indeed.
All of his pieces are incredibly vibrant and lively. I especially like how some of them are very cluttered with ideas while others are very focused on one idea. Also, his sense of color is very interesting. He seems to really like bold colors, but with a very 70s or 80s theme. Everything he does has either a forest green, neon blue, or dark yellow in it, and all of the colors remind me of 70s and 80s childrens' toys and books.
Maybe my response is unique, but at least it's a positive one ...

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Giant Robot 35

The newest issue of Giant Robot is out! I have not yet read the whole volume, but it looks pretty good this quarter. The cover story is about the graphic designer/artist, Kaws, of whom I have I never been a huge fan, but is still always fun to see.
They also wrote a little about Money Mark and what's up with him these days, and, yes ... Bob Sapp!


Apprently, Bob Sapp is sort of popular in Japan of all places ...
I do not really know how or why it happened, but they have made action figures of him, and he has even released a Japan-only "rap album." Wow - I never understood what drew Japanese people to Momus, but I sure cannot even comprehend what is drawing some small portion of the population to Mr. Sapp.

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Rika Noguchi

Still in the theme of photography, I recently discovered Rika Noguchi's work. And it is spectacular (the little that I have seen). The trend I wrote about here definately applies. Rika perks from a distant tree simply watching people. The pictures are so simple, but also so meaningful ...

Could this be the viewpoint of a very curious alien? This photography collection stands at a distance and hints at how it might feel to see planet earth, and the creatures - human beings - living on it, for the very first time. Consciously or not, the three themes contained in the book, "To Dive", "Seeing Birds", and "A Prime", bring to light the "wonder" of human behavior.

I would love to get my hands on Rika's book, Seeing Birds or 鳥を見る.

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Stars - Set Yourself on Fire

Stars, another band loosely involved with the whole Broken Social Scene scene in Montreal, has come out with a new, not-as-good-as-the-last CD called Set Yourself on Fire. I already listened to most of the CD at their website. And I definately know this CD is not as good as the last (even though the sound quality on the site is absolutely dreadful). I guess paqrt of it is that I am just getting tired of the whole Broken Social Scene and Arts and Crafts Records thing in general. I loved You Forgot it in People (by BSS) and Stars' last album, Heart for their incredibly setimental content. Not just lyrically sentimental, but also melodically. Both bands did an excellent job of compressing millions of complex ideas and feelings into 3-5 minute pop-ish songs. And because of this, both bands deserve a great deal of recognition.

But ... I am not so impressed with the new album. I guess it is because I already heard it last year. And I already heard BSS do their version of it. Bands like Stars just cannot keep the high standard of their output up for more than one good album because it will never have the same affect on the listener. The audience will never feel the sensation of hearing something great by them for the first time again. So, although hearing that they had a new album out made me happy, I knew it would never have the same affect on me. And I supposed that is also why I am scared about the new BSS CD that is to come out next year.
But I must agree with Pitchfork here - the bass playing on Set Yourself on Fire is really good. I have always thought that good songs are made from the bass up. If you have a good bass melody, the whole song fits together. So the album is very appealing in that regard, but it will never be the same ...

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ifoot, iunit, and iwalk

This is weird. Really weird, actually.
Toyota has this show that is being performed by The Toyota Group and here is the website that says what exactly is going on at Toyota.

The richly entertaining show, based on the theme “The Dream, Joy and Inspiration of Mobility in the 21st Century,” will introduce the concepts of “Mobility in Harmony with the Earth” and “Achieving the Dream and Joy of Worldwide Movement ” in its presentation of possibilities for a bright and fulfilling future.

Based on these themes, performance content will feature Toyota’s efforts toward achieving “optimal mobility,” “harmony with society” and “meeting the needs of individuals,” and the future technologies and vehicle possibilities that form part of the company’s vision for the society of tomorrow.

Yes - it appears that the hippy side in Toyota is finally showing ... and after all these years!
Even if the thing does look too conceptual and wacky for some, I think the bots that they are using are very cool indeed. Plus - it's produced by some Canadian guy, I think, so I guess it isn't all Toyota's doing here ...

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Fan Modine

What is one to think of Pitchforkmedia?
The hyper critical online alt rock review magazine is so hard for me to judge. Are they God? Are they the Devil? Sometimes I just hate them and their incredibly mean reviews! But then again, I refer to their website everyday for new music and music news. It is certainly the worst case of a love/hate situation I have ever been in!
Today, they reviewed a new band called Fan Modine which I almost immediately was interested in ...

Fan Modine mastermind Gordon Zacharias draws from the elegance of early Magnetic Fields and the groove-based intimacy of The Folk Implosion more than, say, Beat Happening, the original exception to the Scotophiliac rule. But where 69 Love Songs often focused on love's ironies ("Love Is Like a Bottle of Gin"), Homeland is an unabashed paean to its peaks.

I do agree with the connection made to Magnetic Fields. In fact, the arrangement of Pageantry (the MP3 from their website) sounds like it was taken right out of Merritt's songbook. Except not as good. There is something more than Merritt in these songs. On Pageantry, for example, I hear some things that sound almost Orange Juice-esque. I guess it is all the guitar in the song, which is something that Merritt has never really used.
Certainly a good band, so check them out!

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The Night Views of Seto

Japanese photographers are my newest fanscination. I really love a lof of their works. Naoya Hatakeyama is one of my favorites. There is something very bold about his work, but also something so distant and removed. The photos always have a very poignant feel to me, even when the subject matter is something as obscure as a baseball stadium filled with model houses.
(*unless I am mistaken, this is a real event in Japan ... model houses are displayed in stadiums by realestate agencies ... )
I have been going to M. Murakami's website for several weeks now, but I never really realized how good this guy is until recently.
I am very impressed by Murakami's dedication to photography. He has traveled Japan, taking pictures of night scenes of cities. But that's not all. The pictures are not normal pictures ... they are 360 degrees (usually), so you can see the whole scene.




I am totally taken with these night scenes. They make every city look beautiful and like a fun place to go to, even though I am sure that not every city is as interesting as it appears.
I really enjoy Seto Bridge.
I would like to see more of Murakami's work, but I am not sure of his name's spelling in Japanese, so I cannot successfully look him up on Google.

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Akitoshi Akamatsu

I am still not 100% sure what TAB is. I subscribe to the RSS feeds, I go to the TAB beta website a lot, and I enjoy reading about everything they post, but I am still not positive I understand what TAB is. I think it notifies people of art shows and events that are going on in Tokyo.
So - today I saw a new artist listed. She unfortunately has no website or contact information, and all I was able to find was this one picture. But I like her work very much.

The one small picture I have seen by her is quite impressive. It reminds me a little of Ai Yamaguchi and a little of some more recent Nara works. She has a very delicate style that incorporates a very subtle boldness. Very attractive.
All I was able to gather is that the show is in Ginza somewhere and it is only open for several days. Unfortunate, definately, but maybe I will be able to see some of her work next year ...

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Escalator Records XMas & New Year Box Special

Escalator Recors is releasing a box set of stuff for the Holidays. I would like to buy it. Here is what is included:

1.T-SHIRTS FOR TWO VER.
Desgined by HKH(for "FOGA"'s jkt)from JPN, and SYRUP HELSINKI(for "WE ARE ESCALATOR RECORDS"' jkt) from FINLAND.
2.VINYL
It's the NEVER released special 12" only for this box, maden by ESCALATOR RECORDS' artists(CUBISMO GRAFICO, YUKARI FRESH(=ROTTEN), TGMX,YUGO☆, AND HARVARD).
The number is the cover ver. of ROYKSOPP'S "EPLE", and well known "GLORIA".
3.CD
Including the tune from the 12" above and treasured movie of ESCALATOR RECORDS' fellow. We assure you you'll never see such a movie anywhere else. Also you may find there a secret track of "CLUB ESC AT WEB".
4.MUFFLER
You shall need a cute muffler only with T-shirts...
5.CANDY
Maybe you'll get a sore throat with light wear. Just have some candy.

It is going to be 12000 JPY or about $120. Ah - I have always wanted an Escalator Records T-shirt, but that price is a little too high for me ...

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The Fall

British eccentric, Mark E. Smith, has done it again.
Yes - he has relased a CD, but it seems to not be up to his normal standards ...
It is called Interim and is apprently just a bunch of live tracks, outtakes, and rehearsals from things he has been involved in lately. I think the name is fitting since this CD is unfortunately more of a holding period for the Fall than anything else.




The CD, although it has good tracks, they are all pretty poorly recorded, produced, etc.

the sound is terrible, with volume fluctuations and a disengaged vocal from MES sinks it further. "All Clasp Hands" sounds recorded by an audience member, and the crowd noise is irritating, though not quite as irritating as the odd and nearly constant clapping that sabotages "What About Us?" Why does the promising "I'm Ronney the Oney" cut off suddenly after a minute and a half?

If Pitchfork wasn't very pleased with it (and the reviewer is a big Fall fan), I do not know how much I would like this CD either.

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Tokyo Sewers

Apparently the Tokyo sewers are the new hang out for certain photographers involved with the G-Cans Project. I am not sure what the project is - I didn't look too much into it today - but I do really like the pictures of the sewers that they have posted. I was really surprised to see how futuristic Tokyo's sewage system looks!

Some of the shots look straight out of Akira or something!
If anyone knows more about this G-Cans Project, I would love to hear more about it.

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Tokyo Style

I was reminded of the book/magazine, Fruits when I saw this website, Style-Arena. Although they only update it once every week or two, I like the selection of photos they put up on the site. They usually take 6 pictures of people/couples from 4 or 5 places in Tokyo, including Harajuku and Shibuya - some of my favorite areas of Tokyo.




Although the Shibuya kids are still very colorful and creative, I am always a little disappointed to see that everyone from Ginza, Omotesando, and Daikanyama (all of which are very ritzy, I know) seem to exclusively wear beige, grey, white, and black. Always a little disheartening ...

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Yori-soi ifbot

Japan has a problem with an aging population.
So, in order to appeal to elderly people, they have created this new robot called the Yori-soi ifbot. It seems like a pretty cool concept, even if it is for old people. It will apparently be able to converse, play puzzle games with you, calculate things, and do a "medical check." I am not quite sure what is meant by the latter, but it sounds a little strange regardless.
I think it has a pretty nice, futuristic kind of style to it. Dfinately the hand of a Japanese person.


And it doesn't sound too expensive. It looks like Dream Supply will be selling it in Japan for ￥604800 (about $6050, now with the 102 ￥ = 1 USD) starting tomorrow, December 1st!
It seems to me that "renting" things like robots is a popular thing for companies to do in Japan. I certainly have not seen it in the USA ...
but apparently that is also an option for people interested in trying the new gadget out! I've always wanted a cute little robot, and now I can finally get one ...

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Tezuka

One of my favorite things about Japan is how they have national treaures. And how they actually call them that. In America and many other countries, we have people that everyone loves and respects, but I do not think that we have ever really collectively named them something like "national treasures."
Tezuka Osamu just happens to be one of those national treasures. Although I am not much of a manga fan (but I do really like the Poguri manga that Jean Snow wrote about and a couple others), there is a special place in my heart for Tezuka.
So - this weekend, I picked up Tezuka's last piece, created before his death in 1989, Adolf. And I was not incredibly impressed with the story to be quite honest ...




Tezuka obviously had an very limited idea of Nazi Germany during WWII. Nonetheless, I was drawn to his comic. Maybe it is because Tezuka was a good storyteller, maybe it is because he is a creative and original cartoonist, or maybe it is because of something that only Japanese cartoonists are able to obtain. Regardless, the semi-lame story was more than semi-appealing, and certinaly worth a skim to anyone who ever sees it.
(I always liked the Buddha comics more ... )

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Autolux

I have been listening to a band called Autolux for a while now, and I really enjoy the album, Future Perfect. It is a pretty good combination of noise pop/punk kind of stuff with a little synthesizer here and there. A lot of the songs are pretty poppy, but they have something really rough about them all the time. I think part of this can be credited to the fact that they are from LA and have apparently been working the club scene there for a while, and I am sure that that scene has had a lot of influence over their style.


Definately a band worth looking into.
So - some things that make Autolux a very good band:
1. The woman's voice. It sounds almost folky sometime, but definately has a punk flavor.
2. A lot of people have been comparing them to Sonic Youth. I agree. The song structure and general feel of the songs all seem a little Sonic Youth-ish. A nice touch indeed.
3. I like how their songs are all pretty slow. Usually, I like stuff that has more apparent energy, but whenever I listen to the slower songs by Autolux, I always feel a lot of potential energy. Like they are trying to break out or something. I can tell from this that their live shows are also probably really good.

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Unicorns Update

As the Unicorns' biggest fan on my block, it is officially my duty to update the world on any news I hear of their future. So - here it is. The Unicorns will be doing three things (they say) within in the next 2 years (I say, but I think 2 years sounds about right).

1. New album to come out next year something
2. A rap album produced by the Unicorns under the name
The Unicorns are Th' Corn Gangg
3. A split 7" with some person who is unknown as of now (but he/she is a
"noise artist.")
4. Three 3" CDs to be played on 3 CD players at the same time (and no,
this does not sound the Flamin Lips' attempt at doing something
similar ... )

Sounds good - I'm excited!

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Tujiko Noriko

I recently got into a huge Tujiko Noriko craze. I relistened to/bought From Tokyo to Naiagara and Make Me Hard (ハードにさせて). And I was really impressed with them all. It isn't really glitch, and it isn't really IDM, but she uses a lot of laptop stuff anyway. When I listen to From Tokyo to Naiagara especially, I feel like I am in a sort of dream world that Tujiko has created. I imagine her singing in this world with her beautifully clear and unprocessed voice, and playing with her laptop. It is hard to describe the music because the listener feels emotionally attached to the music instead of having a strong feeling of dislike or enjoyment (or that's how I feel at least).





Make Me Hard is rougher than From Tokyo to Naiagara, but has a similar feel. Noriko kind of nararates this time, and her music is more cut up than in FTtN, but it is still definately worth a listen.
I know she's old news, but Tujiko is so good that she always deserves another review.

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Takino Suzuran Hillside National Government Park

I just read in the NY Times Magazine this morning about this park in Sapporo Japan by some design firm called the Takino Suzuran Hillside National Park. And it looks beautiful. It has a fantastic looking children's park - tons of playsets that are all designed in incredibly creative ways, an excellent "country garden" (as the website says) with dozens of varaities of flowers and tree etc. And then it also has these magnificent waterfalls. But the children's park is definately the coolest part. Read more to see pictures ...


I wish I had gone to Sapporo ...

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DFA #2

Yes, I know that the DFA #2 compilation disc has been out for a couple weeks now, but I just finished listening to all three CDs five minutes ago. And I decided to report on it.
I like this comp a lot. Even if you only moderately like it, $20 for 3 CDs is a really good deal!
I really like the DFA. I think it is good to have a new production duo like the DFA on the scene again. There are lots of people in NYC especially that seem really averse to the DFA because they make everyone sound like them. And I agree - eveyone on their roster does have a similar sound. Punk, rock, disco, and something else all mixed into one. I like the sound so I am obviously biased, but I still think that it is a good thing that they exist, and not a bad thing.
Think about it. In the 80s there were lots of producers who made the stuff they worked on sound similar. The one that comes to mind immediately is Martin Hannet. I find it difficult to distinguish the first New Order LP from the Joy Division records. And he also made the first Durutti Column record similar to Joy Division also. Granted, Mr. Hannet did work with the Buzzcocks and the Happy Mondays, but his "main works" all had a distinct style.
And I think it is the same with the DFA.


I love most of the songs on the comp. I like how the DFA did not really only concentrate on their big named (i.e. Black Dice, LCD Soundsytem, and The Rapture. They gave everyone a fair chance! Very cool indeed. Anyway, I highly reccommend the record. A good Christmas present, too!



Here is the tracklist:

Disc: 1
1. Black Leotard Front - Casual Friday
2. J.O.Y. - Sunplus (DFA Remix)
3. The Juan Maclean - I Robot
4. The Rapture - Alabama Sunshine
5. Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom - Rise (DFA Remix)
6. The Juan Maclean - Dance Hall Modulator Dub
7. Pixeltan - Get Up / Say What
8. Black Dice - Wasted
9. LCD Soundsystem - Yeah (Pretentious Mix)

Disc: 2
1. LCD Soundsystem - Yeah (Crass Version)
2. Black Dice - Endless Happiness (Eye Remix)
3. J.O.Y. - Sunplus
4. LCD Soundsystem - Beat Connection
5. Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom - El Monte
6. Liquid Liquid - Bellhead
7. Pixeltan - That痴 The Way I Like It
8. The Rapture - Sister Saviour (DFA Dub)
9. The Juan Maclean - Less Than Human

Disc: 3
1. Pixeltan - Get Up / Say What
2. The Rapture - Echoes
3. Liquid Liquid - Bellhead
4. J.O.Y. - Sunplus (DFA Remix)
5. Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom - El Monte
6. The Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing
7. The Rapture - Sister Saviour (DFA Dub)
8. Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom - Rise
9. The Juan Maclean - I Robot
10. Black Dice - Endless Happiness (Eye Remix)
11. LCD Soundsystem - On Repeat (Dub)
12. LCD Soundsystem - Yeah (Crass Version) / Beat Connection

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食べたものを淡々と記録するよ

I read about this website at midori's blog and I immediately took a liking to it. This guy has a really cool blog. Basically, the centerpiece is what he eats for his meals every day. He takes really nice pictures of everything, and it is all designed very nicely. I think his name is something like Kenji Oshima, but I could be wrong.


Also, he gets points for having a link to the Oh! Mikey website.

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Anekawa

I have found yet another cool [Japanese] artist who goes by anekawa. He uses really simple characters, but also incorporates a tremendous amount of color and detail into each piece, making it look like much more than just a child's doodle (which is what his work kind of reminds me of sometimes). I do really like the one stiched piece that he did, and I would love to see more stuff by this artist.




I think he has something showing at Tokyo Designers Block. I can't really figure out how he is involved (if at all) with MELT METAL TOONS, but it is a pretty cool animation regardless. And the site has pretty neat flash animation! Plus - he did something at Office in Aoyama, which, according to Jean Snow, is a pretty nice place to go to ...

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Naoto Fukazawa

I read at moco loco that some Japanese designer has made these increibly cool items, including a fantastic clock/CD player. Very impressive.

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Ouch

When did Tylenol become the cool thing? Why have they created this incredibly cool advertising campaign to promote Tylenol!? I don't get it? Everyone uses Tylenol, so why do they need to revamp their image and appeal to the Giant Robot croud?
I still don't get what's going on.
But I want a free toy by Ron Rege.



The Ouch campaign also makes "'Zines" ... or that's what they call the little magazine inserts they make. Not that they aren't cool. I got the first and third issues! I like the third one called The Cave of Pain by some guy named Floyd Eces. Pretty cool comic-ish stuff. So - I advise everyone to keep an eye out for the free 'zines!

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Laundry

I have found another impressive T-Shirt compant called Laundry. I love the simplicity of their shirts and characters. Some of it looks almost 60s-ish, but they definately have a style of their own. I emailed the company, and they told me a store in California, {The LAB} is going to be selling their stuff soon. I cannot wait to get my hands on some of the awesome shirts! Read more to see more pictures of their designs.

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Beck

It is quite a coincidence, I know, but I decided to re-listen to my old Beck CDs today, the same day that I decided to watch 10 Years of Mellow Gold, Beck's documentary. It is really fantastic! You can watch it here. I always thought he was a strange kind of guy, but I never knew he was so weird! I've always thought Beck was one of the most influencial and creative artists of the 90s, but this documentary put it all in a different perspective for me. Much more intimate and personal, I guess.
I believe that Beck's greatest album, however, was Odelay. Mellow Gold was really good, but I think his true creative genius was really shown with '96's Odelay. The album seems like such a mish-mash of genres. Some alternative rock, some hip hope stuff, so metal-ish songs ... everything! But unlike other unfocused albums, Odelay seemed to have some centralizing element even though it was by no means apparent on the surface.
I picked up the Stereopathetic Soulmanure CD of his just today also. It's a pretty cool disk. Sort of a compilation of stuff Beck did before Mellow Gold, so a lot of it is real rough, but definately fun and interesting to listen to.
Perhaps one of the most interesting things about Beck is his whole aura. As the documentary says, he was called "Farmer Boy" in his early days, but his music obviously contradicted his name a lot of the time. He has been heavily influenced by hip hop and punk and rock and some heavy metal and definately country, but his music can never be really summed up as "Farmer Boy"'s music.
I am really looking forward to his new record. It is supposed to be a return to his roots, so it sounds like it will be an improvement over Sea Change if nothing else. It is supposed to be

"a much more aggressive, guitar-focused affair with tracks produced by the esteemed Nigel Godrich and long-time collaborators The Dust Brothers."

Sound good? Good.

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