Subvocalized...

Author: Henry Rollins

Title: Smile, You’re Traveling

Publisher: 2.13.61

‘Smile, You’re Traveling’ is the third instalment of a series of works by Rollins; ‘Black Coffee Blues’.

Preceded by ‘Black Coffee Blues’ and ’Do I Come Here Often?;  this volume documents both his lonesome travels, and the 1997 world tour with the band in support of their new record ‘Come in And Burn’ . 

Rollins continues to write, with subjective fervour, about loneliness and the human condition; finding his tolerance for others waning, and his need for self imposed solitude increasing. 

From his tour diaries, to his expeditions in Africa, Rollins finds solace, almost enjoyment in his antagonistic sarcasm; a perfect foil for his all consuming passive aggressiveness.

There is sadness throughout, as the realisation that the Rollins Band are no longer a force slowly dawning on Rollins; with dwindling sales and poorly attended concerts.

Rollins has often dismissed this MTV led level of fame and fortune as fickle, and derides others for their open desire to become part of the cycle. However, hidden between the abject cynicism and bitterness, there is a tenderness as he subtly alludes to the impending dissolution of this incarnation of Rollins Band.

A band which experienced commercial and critical success only 4 or 5 years earlier were now fast approaching the end of the curve, with Rollins asserting that he has perhaps now become too old and jaded for the music industry.

Delivered with humour, his confrontational and forthright prose echoes Fante, or Hemmingway at his least romantic.  

Hard Volume...Musings

Artist: Liberteer

Album: Better To Die On Your Feet Than Live On Your Knees

Label: Relapse

Release: 2012

 This is not a stereotypical grindcore record.  

Anarcho-grind; a relatively accurate description of the music presented to us by multi-instrumentalist Matthew Widener, but arguably simplistic to the point of insulting.

The cornerstones of the genre are here, distorted guitars, shrieked vocals, blast beats, socio-political lyrics. However, Liberteer introduce of a plethora of instruments previously alien to a genre so closely linked with a specific sound, and dare I say ethos.

Drawing inspiration from classical composition and worldwide national anthems, Liberteer’s driving distortion and furious blast beats vie for position with banjo, horns, and martial drumming, creating the most unique grindcore album that I have ever encountered. 

Avoiding the urge to shroud his lyrics in poetic mysticism, Widener ensures that every syllable of every word is definitive and clear; no room for misinterpretation of the message he is seeking to deliver.

The sound is huge, almost awe-inspiring. It’s a rallying call. A soundtrack to march. This is propaganda music. Grass roots anarchism is the true sense of the term. An ideal of freedom from oppression of state, religion, perhaps even self.

In spite of the aggression, it’s clear that this evokes optimism, not self-destructive alienation.

This is not merely some crusty powerviolence types repeatedly preaching about what is wrong with our society – Widener is providing the alternative; how to make it better. It’s not going to be easy. And by the sound of Liberteer; it’s going to be messy.

Ask me again in November - but this could be in contention for my album of the year.

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The Procrastinator

Despite all of my mitigating circumstances (posh for excuses), I am suspended without pay from 27^th February 2012.

This will be ongoing until my professional registration has been processed by some cordial people based in a call centre in Dundee. 

I failed to fill a form that required filling.

This fact highlights the dangers of procrastination.

Not as dangerous as throwing water on a chip pan fire – but it does make life more difficult than it was on the 26^th February 2012.

I intend to utilise this newly found spare time completing the rest of my thoroughly depressing pseudo-management qualifications. I need to complete these soon, as I have found that I have not progressed as much as had been projected.

This is due largely to procrastination.

Procrastination is a a cycle no one should be trapped in. It’s like a disease.

Sometimes I wish I was like HR from Bad Brains. 

I am envious of his P.M.A

But not his latent homophobia

The Iron - Volume 1

Found it near impossible to drag myself to the gym yesterday morning.

I still find it an intimidating place. Too self conscious. Always feeling awkward.

Not overweight enough to be acknowledged and embraced by the cake crowd; not lifting heavy enough to be embraced by the mirror posers. Stuck in the middle. Like being back at school again.

Anyway. I went.

A twelve hour night shift followed by a session in the gym. Despite the stinging eyes, I find that this is when I am at my sharpest. More focused. Falling asleep on the treadmill, while humorous, is rarely a good look for anyone.

I’m going to have to be more dedicated. Try harder. Push myself that bit more.

One more minute.

One more rep.

One more slice of pizza?

Anyway. I have just finished night shift, and I am about to leave to go to the gym. More updates when I’ve stopped breathing out of my arse.

Weight: 86kg

Death By: 60 minutes Elliptical Cross Trainer

Playlist: Rollins Band, ‘Weight’

Hard Volume...Musings

Artist: Restorations

Album: Restorations

Label: Tiny Engines

Release: 2011

Hailing from Philadelphia, Restorations produce the kind of music that deeply resonates; by the end of the third track, ‘Neighborhood Song’ consecutive plays of the record were clearly inevitable.

I laughed when I heard that this band had somewhat been accused of making music for old punks. Mainly because that’s exactly what I am and Restorations make exactly the kind of music I want to listen to. Every day.

Restorations seem to blend punk rock, roots Americana, elements of post rock, and yet wouldn’t sound out of place on some mid 90s Mid-West indie label compilation.

With their debut full length, Restorations have given us something truly original, which defies the current obsession of genre classification. None of your post-industrial-crabcore-dubstep metal here.

To try and classify or pigeonhole this band would be doing them an absolute disservice. Sure, if I was pushed to pick out a handful of bands as reference points then I suppose I could (Richmond Fontaine, Hot Water Music, Fugazi, and The Replacements), but this would simply serve as a distraction from the well honed and crafted songs which make up this wonderfully paced album.

Restorations are Restorations

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Weak

I am weak.

I don’t believe that there is any other way to articulate that sentence.

No other adjective will hammer home the point.

Weak.

I am weak.

I have allowed my home life to soften me.

Contentment breeds resentment.

I take no responsibility.

I have allowed my job soften me.

Greed. Excess. Complacency.

I take no responsibility.

I chose to live this way.

I chose to manoeuvre my wide ass into narrow jeans.

I need to make better choices.

I am not getting any younger.

You’d have thought I’d have grown up by now.

I take no responsibility.

I am passive. I am aggressive. I am angry

The fire always being stoked.

Make a change.

Weakness is crippling

But when it’s all you know

How do you make that change

Watch With Mother...

Dir: David Lynch

It would be churlish at this stage to fail to acknowledge that David Lynch repertoire was brought to my attention later into my twenties.

I remember the Richard Greig, the brother of my good friend Alan, being quite the fan of Twin Peaks – however, I think I was a bit too young to appreciate (understand) it at the time.

I owned Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, and Wild At Heart (which I have still never watched) on VHS when I was at university. I somehow believed that by having these videos on my shelf, that I would appear to be cool and women would find me attractive.

Neither of these ploys brought success on any level.

Over the last 6 or 7 years, I have become a fan of David Lynch – ruing the fact that I owned the aforementioned VHS but never actually watched them; appreciating them now for the fine cinema they are.

Written and directed by David Lynch,  Inland Empire tells the story of an actress (Laura Dern) who has landed her biggest role yet but through a strange turn of events (it is Lynch after all) it would appear that her life is all too similar to that of the character she is portraying.

After assuming the lead role in the movie, Laura Dern learns that the script is based on an unfinished Polish film – due to both lead actors being murdered.

The film then takes its Lynchian cues as expected, with talking rabbits, pimps, people with funny accents....but yet somehow remains cohesive and watchable.