31.1.05

Progress Report

On the music front, communications have arrived through the day from Bryan Black and a newcomer called Deadliner that contained attachments that officially close the book on one album you've read about on this blog and officially marks the start of a new album that you will be reading about (and has been hinted about) on this blog as well...check the various websites associated with yours truly over the next few weeks...

Needless to say, I'm very excited.


F

By George!

I've been called "musically gay" for many years. As a child who loved Duran Duran, I was regularly beaten up by lovers of Twisted Sister and Van Halen. Later, I became a big fan of WHAM as well and later, George Michael's solo career (I saw the FAITH tour at MSG). How I went on to be in something called "the aggression" might have been a response to this...

Anyhow, when while bantering back and forth with my friend TODD RYAN, he, always questiong my sexuality, made the following joke: "oh come on man, I know you sit around all day listening to WHAM!" and what do you fucking know, at that VERY moment I was listening to guess what, WHAM! Fucked up. Anyway, this incident has led me to re-address Wham and their work, which I remain very fond of.

I think George gets a bum rap, but I think his ego did get a little outta control for awhile with the whole suing of Sony, the not appearing in videos, etc. He's gay, big fucking whoop, but sadly, the dumb fuckers known as the public and the music industry seem to ignore the fact that he is a brilliant songwriter who played the bulk of the instruments on all of his records. He's the real deal, the total package. And he's Greek.

Anyhow, this came across my way this morning:

"A documentary which takes a candid look at the life of chart-topping singer George Michael will be shown at this year's Berlin Film Festival. A Different Story will screen in the Panorama section of the festival, which runs from 10-20 February.
It features the singer talking about both his career and his personal life, from his days in Wham! through to more recent events. Michael will attend the festival to introduce the screening on 16 February. Director Southan Morris and executive producer Andy Stephens will also attend the festival. The 93 minute film will see Michael discussing his early days in Wham! along with his later career, including his legal battles with record label Sony and his stance against the Iraq war and American politics. It will also touch upon his turbulent personal life, including his arrest in a Beverly Hills park toilet in 1998 for "lewd behaviour", and the death of his boyfriend Anselmo Feleppa from Aids. The film, which includes previously unseen footage of the singer also features contributions from Michael's former Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley, as well as ex-Wham! backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie. Other contributors include Sting, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Noel Gallagher, Geri Halliwell and Simon Cowell."

The fact that NOEL would be in this documentary speaks volumes to me in a good way and justifies my respect for the man. George Michael is a rare animal in that he really is a genius who can write, sing, play and perform. And he's a helluva showman. And he's greek

In other news, Cochella's line up is so fucking insane this year that it might have to be seen. Have you seen this shit? NIN, New Order, Coldplay, Prodigy, a reunited fucking BAUHAUS (!) and Kasabian and like dozens of other really good bands. Fuck that, I think we're down. We'll discuss in depth.

F

30.1.05

To Russia with Love


Young Love
Originally uploaded by Hypefactor.
Russia seems to be on the brain of the MOGpac this week. At a party thrown by my lovely significant other in our home last night (that Ash didn't attend but was invited to as was Robin, Charles, Peter and Matt), I gave G and the Kidd their housewarming gifts for their new pad in QUEENS.

For G, I gave him a photo of the MOGpac on the last night in Moscow (the first time) posing for a group photo at dinner in a deserted and large eating establishment. I think I broke a chair that night. the photo was placed in a PURPLE frame and had "BEST FRIENDS" engraved on the bottom, just to keep it as gay as possible.

For The Kidd, I also gave him a framed photo (though not in a gay frame): it is a photo of him at a place called Milk on the last night in Moscow (the second time). With him in the photo is the young lady Dan Hamill brought back to the hotel for the kidd to sleep with. They look extremely happy. Young lovers. Next to them in the picture is Tom Whitfleet.

Trust me when I say to my fellow MOGpackers that you would have paid millions to see this moment. His reaction to this photo is priceless.

Here it is...

F


Addendum: My assistant, who also attended to the party last night, just sent me this via text "thanks for having us last night. That was funny as shit when you gave 'The kidd' the framed photo of that chick he slept with. He did a double take when he saw the actual picture!"

I collect...

Tasche went to the gym, so I decided to run some errands solo around Park Slope. Upon walking outside, one of the tracks from Johnny Marr's album came on the pod, and that track combined with the weather (sunny, cold but not cold enough to prevent thawing and melting) brought back REALLY strong memories of the MOGPac trip to Russia, specifically the last few days we were in St. Petersburg. Those who were on the trip might remember that I finally accepted (for what it is) the Marr album as great while we were there, though I think I've grown attached to anything we listened to while we were staying at the Swiss Consulate! Anyway, I played the rest of the 7 tunes I like from that album as I did what I had to do. If any of you are reading this at some point this afternoon, go outside RIGHT NOW and see if it doesn't remind of St. Pete's.

What a trip.


This one's for you Angry Ellie,

Ash.

27.1.05

The Crawl

As I'm sure you all know, I am very excited for the new STAR WARS movie. No shit, right? Anyway, when I saw this go live last night on the official site, the 8 year old in me started jumping up and down.

Episode III

REVENGE OF THE SITH

War! The Republic is crumbling
under attacks by the ruthless
Sith Lord, Count Dooku.
There are heroes on both sides.
Evil is everywhere.

In a stunning move, the
fiendish droid leader, General
Grievous, has swept into the
Republic capital and kidnapped
Chancellor Palpatine, leader of
the Galactic Senate.

As the Separatist Droid Army
attempts to flee the besieged
capital with their valuble
hostage, two Jedi Knights lead a
desperate mission to rescue the
captive Chancellor...


We're mere months away!

F

History...Revised and Otherwise

As some of you may or may not know, despite the lack of attention the aggression (or as Ash and I call it, "The Big A") gets on this blog, they DO have a new album coming out soon called (at last) REVISIONIST HISTORY, featuring remixes that span their entire career as a signed band (meaning, from 1997 on). There is some great stuff on here and I'm really excited that a lot of people's hard work, not just our own, will see the light of day properly. I just finished the artwork for the record (We FINALLY get to use a 10pm shot of the Icelandic "sunset" for the cover) and barring a remix or two (HELLO SEAN!), the music is good to go. This album is a fucking winner and a half and closes the chapter known as the Tinman years for good. It's a nice feeling.

Anyhow, to that effect, I was recently approached by a fanzine to discuss the entire run of the aggression to date, my work with Chemlab and other bands, and of course, the future with Hypefactor. The girls who did the interview really did their homework and asked some very in depth questions. It's not every day you get to do this kind of thing, so it was very important to me to do it right. I might not ever get another chance and as you know, I certainly enjoy boviating as much as possible.

Anyway, O.D. on all things Frank here: http://www.rockstarjournalism.com/

This interview stirred a lot of good emotions for me. I was really flattered to be asked to do this. Like the aggression, it means the world to me.

F

26.1.05

Dig it.

http://www.the-sisters-of-mercy.com/gen/rrr6/rrr6.html

Lemme Educate You

bloviate \BLOH-vee-ayt\, intransitive verb:
To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner.

That sounds appropriate, yeah?

F

25.1.05

The Belated "Best Of" For 2005

People who love music have an unhealthy obsession with lists, and I am no exception. So without further adieu here are my "best of" nominations for all things musical in 2005. This is not meant to be comprehensive (because even I can't purchase that much), nor is it meant to be gospel (because even I can't bloviate that much). It is what it is: A snapshot in time and, to a larger extent, the music that keeps me excited about music.

And yes, it's two weeks late. Why? Ask my bosses, who won't let me listen to music at work. Or FJ, who's crawling up my ass about completing the hypefactor record.

BEST ALBUMS OF 2004:
1. Morrissey: You Are The Quarry (Attack)
2. Manic Street Preachers: Lifeblood (Sony)
3. Kasabian: Kasabian (BMG)
4. The Magnetic Fields: I (Nonesuch)
5. Chris Connelly: Night Of Your Life (Underground Inc.)
6. The Twilight Singers: She Loves You (One Little Indian)
7. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds: Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus (Anti)
8. TV On The Radio: Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes (Touch And Go)
9. Various: DFA Compilation No. Two (DFA)
10. Xiu Xiu: Fabulous Muscles (Five Rue Christie)

BEST SINGLES OF 2004:
1. Kasabian: Club Foot (BMG)
2. Morrissey: Let Me Kiss You (Attack)
3. Johnny Boy: You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve (Universal)
4. The Magnetic Fields: I Thought You Were My Boyfriend (Extended Mix) (Nonesuch)
5. Kasabian: LSF (Lost Souls Forever) (BMG)
6. Ian Brown: Keep What Ya Got (Universal)
7. !!!: Hello? Is This Thing On? (Touch And Go)
8. Telefon Tel Aviv: My Week Beats Your Year (Hefty)
9. UNKLE: Reign (Global Underground)
10. The Beta Band: Assessment (EMI)

BEST REISSUES/LIVE SETS/GREATEST HITS OF 2004:
1. New Order: In Session (Strange Fruit)
2. Peter Murphy: Deep (Teichiku)
3. Gustavo Cerati: Canciones Elegidas '93-'04 (Sum)
4. Curve: The Way Of Curve 1990/2004 (BMG)
5. The Clash: London Calling - Deluxe Edition (Sony)
6. Revenge: One True Passion V2.0/Be Careful What You Wish For (LTM)
7. The Revolting Cocks: Beers, Steers And Queers (Rykodisc)
8. Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral - Deluxe Edition (Nothing/Interscope)
9. Slowdive: Catch The Breeze (Sanctuary)
10. Various: Produced By Trevor Horn (ZTT)

MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS OF 2005:
1. New Order: Waiting For The Sirens' Call (Warner Brothers)
2. Halloween, Alaska: TBA (TBA)
3. Oasis: Don't Believe The Truth (Sony)
4. Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth (Interscope)
5. Morrissey: Live From Earl's Court (Attack)
6. Out Hud: Let Us Never Speak Of It Again (Kranky)
7. Doves: Some Cities (Capitol)
8. The Tears: TBA (TBA)
9. Saintface: Apartment Stories (TBA)
10. Xiu Xiu: Le Foret (Five Rue Christine)

Coming this weekend, the resurrection of a challenge proposed last Christmas by Ash: The year-end best of "mix." The goal is to sequence the year's best tracks in an order akin to a successful mix tape or DJ set. Any song released in 2004 is fair game, as long as the total length of the mix does not exceed 80 minutes. I may be the only challenger this year (Ash's 2003 setlist, which I have sadly lost, was great), but expect that list this weekend.

For some context, here is a link to my best of 2003 mix.

21.1.05

Dead Roses

Read this and come back:

http://www.nme.com/news/111127.htm

Did you read it? OK. I could do 20 pages on the impact of the Stone Roses on me and British music in general. Simply put, without the Roses, we'd have nothing. Flat out nothing. I will speak of many bands on this blog, but very few, if any, will touch the Roses. They were one of the bands that were truly a myth, and deservedly so. Untouchable. Incredible. But sadly, not indestructible. Dan Hamill and I saw them the ONLY time they ever played New York (this was post Reni, but you take what you can get), and they completely lived up to it. But this isn't the point.

Here IS the point: I don't ever want to see The Stone Roses reform. Bury it. Let it die. Let me enjoy the Ian Brown gig next month and his solo album. Let me mark out every time I see Mani step onstage with the Primals and make them the band they probably never should have been. Let me ponder the mysterious Reni and his alleged genius, and above all, let me hate John Squire, not because he's the douche that broke up the Roses, but because Ian Brown is right: John Squire broke the band up for nothing. Oh yes, he has albums, they are fucking terrible, and The Seahorses, in retrospect, were a joke (Dan Hamill and I saw them the ONLY time they ever played New Yotk).

Squire's recent comments in Q, which has triggered this recent round of the former Roses trading insults, are totally unjust. Squire comes across as the snobby asshole I guess he always was. I would think one should shut the fuck up and respect the legacy one has on this planet. The following is my prescription for Mr. Squire's troubles. Buy a guitarists dictionary. Look up the word "class". Find the picture of Johnny Marr next to the word and then read how to be a guitar hero. Douche.

Anyhow, Ian Brown plays arenas. John Squire does nothing. Never reform please. Thanks.

F

20.1.05

OK, Let's Have It...

I just caught up on the Razorfight. Finally, Anon has posted something interesting (if it is indeed thee Anon).

Here's the thing: Do you not listen to punk anymore because it is no longer relevant? Either way, there's a problem: If you don't, that adds fuel to side that states that music-as-social_commentary, no matter how fantastic, is finite. If you DO still listen to punk or other "period-music", then that most likely suggests that though it was inspired by then-current_events, the quality of the music is what lasts, and not the lyrical content primarily.

Related to all of this in some way: We all listen to non-English lyricists to some extent, yes? Well, except for Pat. I mean Matt. Would it be nice if every lyricist was on a mission, especially a mission that we could decipher? I don't know. I don't want every author to embed socio-poilitical leanings in their texts. It's nice to just to hear a non-interlaced story SOMETIMES. Regarding the foreign language thing, there's this protest singer (who doesn't play acoustic) from Zimbabwe who's music is almost entirely in major keys, yet lyrically it's supposed to be extremely dire and powerful. I would't know, I can't speak the language. His message is not intended for non-Zimbabwean ears primarily, yet he has a large cult following here.

Here's the OTHER thing: We are talking about a crew in which more people like Oasis than don't. To most people here, the tune (whether live or Memorex) in a "vacuum" is what truly matters - did the melodies/harmonies/rhythms do it for you or not? That's what it all comes down to. Anyway, with the Kasabian comment alone, Anon is contradicting itself. Unless of course it was a joke.

OH, all y'all who diss "jamming" - at the end of the day it's improvising. Some of the most critically-lauded music is based around improvisation: Jazz, Krautrock, etc. Can, one of my favs, improvised (I believe) almost all of their live shows, perhaps referencing previously conceived tracks, but mostly just winged it, and used those shows as fodder for albums, and so on. So, don't use the words "Snob" and "Jam" if you are inversely relating them.

Ash.

19.1.05

Uncle Kieran?

While we are freezing our asses off here in the big city, I thought I would take this moment to just throw some recent events your way.

*Movies have been seen. SIDEWAYS is very enjoyable yet slightly overrated. I like to call the film THE ADVENTURES OF LINK AND KRUGER IF THEY NEVER MET THEIR WIVES. Don't tell them that, please. I doubt they read this drivel anyway. They're too busy making babies. Anyhow, Paul Giamatti, a very nice man, is either a genius or has some very good agents, because he is constantly matched with characters that suit his talents perfectly and because of that, he's going from supporting shlub to leading indie man. Incredible. I don't see all the fuss about Virginia Madsen though. She has one great scene and seems rather bland beyond that. In both GARDEN STATE and CLOSER, our Nat is miles ahead.

*I might be the only person here who loves Jennifer Garner. A certain Dan Hamill might recall our watching FELICITY very early on and me saying "The chick with the weird face and the glasses is the best thing on the show". A certain father of 2 in Chicago might recall being drunk watching DUDE WHERE'S MY CAR and me slurring "oh thats the fucking hot chick from FELICITY" in between sips of booze and his usual complaining. And lastly, my dad was asleep during PEARL HARBOR when I turned to him and said "oh this movie sucks but there's the chick with the cheekbones". Anyhow, I thought she was mega fine. Chris Link must love her because she looks like she could be his wife's sister. ANYHOW, despite her cuteness in 13 GOING ON 30, her recent choices in film and love puzzle me. Affleck? What the fuck is that about? I can't speculate, but at least Michael Douglas gave us WALL STREET and some other great movies before he sold his soul to the devil to get a hot chick he doesn't at all deserve. Affleck has given us nothing. ANYWAY, I should on paper love ELEKTRA. Sadly, it's about as exciting as Madge in Manhattan. It has very little to do with the source material, the movie has too many holes and frankly, it's boring. However, Terrence Stamp makes me laugh uncontrollably and gave me ample room to make ZOD jokes out loud. Anyhow, back to Ms. Affleck. Why must this poor girl cry in every production she's in? Fire Ben. Fire your agents. drop a line to Gutterball@Hamill.com and get your shit together. Girl, you'll be a woman soon, and by then it might be too late.

*Who was the HOTTEST at the Golden Globes? Not Nat. Not Byalick, Not Shatner...it was PHEOBE FUCKING CATES. Did you SEE Mrs. Kevin Kline? SO FINE. Her kids all have to be in college by now, so why not a comeback?

*A webzine has approached me to discuss the history of the aggression and my musical adventures at length. Feeling that this might be the first and only interview I ever do of this nature, I will try to go into as much detail as possible. When it's posted, I'll make mention of it here.

*Yesterday, like clockwork, I received my quarterly E-mail from former aggression member and current babymaker Mark Mohtashemi, or as he is known to a certain few, Phingers. His E-mail was titled "your blog = my pain", which I found unusually clever for him. In his E-mail he was candid about how he has been reading this blog and is hurt by certain derogatory references that have been made regarding "former guitarists" and their alleged lack of talent. As I assured the talented yet unambitious aggression co-founder, and I assure you all now, none of these not so subtle jabs are pointed at the future father of a child that will soon call ANOTHER former guitarist "uncle". I'll try to be less subtle next time. Mark, if you see the words "bored", "unenthusiastic", or "lazy", in regards to a guitarist, that should be your cue to E-mail me.

*Brandt The Soul Man ate Bob's Donuts this week. That is not code. He actually was in Los Angeles, so I directed him to the proper locations to work on music and eat the very best donuts on the planet. He now gets it. I almost now forgive him for the Razorfight. I'm kidding. However, he was smart to wait for me for C'brea. I'm sure we'll hit LA on the Hypefactor tour when the album comes out in 12 years. Anyhow, he stayed with Leo and came back to New York quite ill. Do the math.

*I learned this week that you are all nice people. Everyone was really cool in the Razorfight and the discussion was that of adults. I tried to bring it down a few levels, but sadly you are all better people than I am.

*Dan Hamill and The Kidd live with each other now. IN QUEENS. With a lease on a new apartment comes a new lease on life for these MOGpackers. They have a dream. It is to build their own Dojo. I will be the first to sign up. They live one half hour from my house. I went to their new home and drank Russian Beer while listening to Pulp. I also bought them lunch, but not from the very close Wendy's. I think this was avoided on purpose to actually get me to visit again. For the record, until this week, I have never visited Dan Hamill's home since I lived with him in the (now) legendary 33 Gold Street. For the record, I think this new apartment is a good thing. Also, I bought lunch. IN QUEENS.

*My copy of the live Revenge album, called NO PAIN NO GAIN, arrived and it is a wonderful snapshot of the amazing Peter Hook and his band in the year 1991. I think I saw this band in 1990 and it changed me forever. This disc is an essential and I already hear the live Hypefactor.

*24 is fucking awesome. It is the best. I actually watch it over wrestling. Thank fuck for DVR

*I debate Matt Gentile's trip to Amsterdam actually happening. It just seemed too short. He could be too fucked up to realize he didn't actually go. This would not shock me. I think he's taking Danny Boyle's decision not to film a TRAINSPOTTING sequel way too hard.

*My girlfriend, a very attractive, intelligent and normally reasonable young lady is insane to be going out in this weather right now.

F

15.1.05

What am I missing?

In response to FJs previous post about the disagreement over Razorlight, I am going to print verbatim an e-mail I sent to Ash when he asked for my thoughts on the gig:

"Well, hate is probably a much stronger word than is required. I didn't loathe anything. They're a decent band and the songs are OK (though not compelling enough to make me buy the CD).

The real issue is that I don't get it. I understand why they are popular with the citizens (he has a baby face and they're charismatic as hell), but I don't understand why critics or DJs or any serious consumers of music would regard the band as ingenious or exciting or whatever have you. Swaggering rock 'n' rollers nicking blues and punk gimmicks and jumping around shirtless while playing "off the cuff" are a dime a dozen. And while I occasionally like bands that do just that, I don't think Razorlight pulls off this gimmick with any more precision, style or verve than the hundreds of rock quartets slugging it out on the club circuit here. I also found the jamming to be quite irritating because I expect most bands (and especially the young upstarts) to deliver performances with brevity and force. It was all just too casual.

Now maybe I'm out of touch with this kind of music or the "youth" scene that buys it (wouldn't that be sad), but if that guy Johnny really does have some gift as a modern songsmith and performer I don't see it.

Personally, the strangest part of this gig is that it's the first time I've truly disliked a band that FJ wholly endorsed. With the exception of the Smiths, NewOrder and the industrial stuff, most of the bands I listen to now are groups he played for me first. We're 99% on the same page about whether a group is good or bad and why. But Razorlight is the first time I've found myself thinking, 'I don't know what you see in this.'"

That's all.

Razorfight!

A gang of us, including the long-missed Ash, got together the other night to check out Razorlight at the Bowery Ballroom. I've gone on in previous entries how much I like this band and how I think frontman/guitarist/songwriter Johnny Borrell, is a really important new talent in British rock. Much to Peter Saintface's anti NME chagrin I'm sure, Borrell is a good, funny and cocky interview. Thus expectations were high, especially in light on their metoric rise across the pond (far moreso than our beloved Kasabian).

I am the first to admit that the first couple of songs, I felt something was off. I'm not sure what it was, maybe it was just me. But I later learned that Ash felt the same way. The band were playing very well, though the sound seemed a bit muted to me. And then suddenly, about 3 songs in, it got good. REALLY good. What impressed me the most was that Borrell's vocals live are much stronger than on record. Irene thinks he could be a great blues singer one day. He's a great frontman, he's into it, he feels it and you feel it with him. His band is also very good. They're raw, sharp and have a great deal of energy. What was surprising (and this is where what I call the Razorfight begins) was how they would often go off into jams and expand on the current songs from UP ALL NIGHT. Brandt, who is a BIG soul fan (all of a sudden), hated this. I don't get why, I don't feel like asking, because I enjoyed the gig way too much. New songs, such as the upcoming single FIT THE RIGHT PROFILE, show that this guy is growing as a songwriter. All and all, we got our money's worth and it's nice to see bands that you read about actually living up to the press they're getting. Like Kasabian, they deserve to be huge, though who the hell knows what kind of impact they will make here in the states (and who the fuck would want that in this day and age anyway?). Anyway, I'm sure Brandt will post something about why he hated this gig, but I don't see how. Despite my tired and crankitude, we had a few nice drinks at Lucky Jacks post gig with B and Three of the Ladies of Poon. Killer.

In other news, before the gig, Ash spun us a new Ass Cobra song that has some long ass title that starts with "Ah, You were thinking.." or something. It's fucking phenomenal and goes to show that boiled down to its core, the Cobra's can kick it big time. Like their previous new song DRIVER'S SIDE, their diversity is emerging and I for one, am very excited. Without distractions, restrictions or poorly tuned guitars holding them back, I think that the Cobra THREE can make music beyond anything they are currently thinking of. Once they get the right vocalist they're gonna be my favourite band even more so. I have massive love for the music, especially the new material.

F

12.1.05

Begbie!?!?

It's been an insane week here...but the machine seems to be back in full-swing post holiday. Mr. B swung by MOGworld for the first time in ages to swap tunes, talk shit, discuss the announcement of a new album from New Order (this is highly anticipated as you can imagine), and plot our immediate musical future. B picked up the tab for dinner and for his trouble was able to hear my masterplan for the next year or so, including some ideas I have for the band along with what we'd be playing live, how we'd be playing live, etc. He's been hard at work on the album, and some strides have been made. Real life has made things, as always, difficult for us to get things done as quickly as we want it, but we seem to be slowly (very slowly) on course. This record is going to own. I swear. We gotta get the MOGcollective together for a big ass musical summit, so we can take some more pix for the album (we've been very inspired by the new manics video for EMPTY SOULS), and see where the Factors and the Cobras are at in their respective musical realms.

Speaking of which, EMPTY SOULS, the best song from the best album of last year is this years first great single and is number 2 in the UK charts. It's exciting to see. With the release of this excellent song, which has an even better video (see it on the Manics official site (http://www.manics.co.uk/04/) even the youth-oriented NME is starting to come around and has started to show this excellent album, LIFEBLOOD, the respect it deserves. I will champion this record to my grave.The B-Sides from this album are also worth seeking out.

Also charting in the UK Top Ten is the smooth single mix of the song CUTT OFF by Kasabian. They've just been nominated for many prestigious Brit awards and are due back in the states next month, opening for fellow Brits The Music, who are good, but have a very annoying singer who sounds like the Canadian douche in Rush. if they suck, we can walk out. One the road with Kasabian means The Music will have to pull off no small miracle every night to try and top the mental Kasabians. Hopefully, Ash will make it to this one, though I'm not sure if one's exposure should be to them as an opening act. Regardless, with the gang we have going (Minus DAN HAMILL aka SISSY WHO WONT GO CAUSE OF THE MUSIC), it's EVENT.

Ash IS in to see the OTHER great new UK band, Razorlight, as they return to NYC tomorrow night at The Bowery. Lot riding on here. They're fresh off of opening for the Manics arena tour and have a buzz that is shaking down the rafters. I hope they can live up to it. Irene and I saw them on Letterman last night and musically they were great (Johnny Borrell's voice is MUCH better live), but they seemed nervous and out of place on the show. I expect them to be quite good at least. I will of course, report back.

Say goodbye to the desperate housewife himself, Matt Gentile, who is off to Amsterdaam tomorrow supposedly on Holiday. Some of you may have read Irvine Welsh's PORNO (the sequel to TRAINSPOTTING) and you'll get what I'm thinking. Club superstar? Probably!

Now I must finish a remix.

F

10.1.05

"I Shall Do What I Must!"

24 was fucking MENTAL again tonight and we have been VERY spoiled by the 4 hours of episodes in 2 nights. I can't handle it. Jack Bauer holding up a gas station was PRICELESS.

Speaking of which, USA Today reports:

Star Wars alums Neeson and Jackson both offered hints that George Lucas has shot a top-secret cameo of Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn's ghost, à la Alec Guinness, for May's Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. "I can't speak about it," Neeson joked. "Jedi code of ethics."

You know I love STAR WARS, but what you don't know is that my second favourite character in the whole series, behind Han Solo, is Qui Gon Jinn. I'm really hoping he pops up in some form (Listen closely and you can hear him ATTACK OF THE CLONES). Four more months!

F

"Wait, That's It?"

After a weekend of MORE family Christmas madness (all the relatives we hadn't seen), we rushed back for the Season Premiere of 24. Expectations were high, especially after seeing the first half hour sneak preview recently. I have to say that the hour and a half AFTER that was even better. Don't get me wrong, I thought Season 3 was great, but this premiere kicked the ass of that entire season. I was literally screaming at the TV. I tip my hat to the filmmakers for the fantastic set up and the excellent re-introduction of Jack Bauer as a total Bad-Ass (this time a controlled Bad-Ass). Excellent. And there's two MORE hours tomorrow! Ace.

F

7.1.05

CONTROL

The NME has just reported that an Ian Curtis bio pic, possibly titled CONTROL, has been announced with Tony Wilson (genius who signed Joy Division and lauched Factory Records and subject of the excellent film 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE), Executive Producing with Ian Curtis' widow. My all time favourite photogapher, Anton Corbjin, will direct (this is his first feature). I am very uncertain about this film. It needs to have an excellent script and honestly, I have avoided all of the biographies on Curtis (Brandt is more expert). Admittedly, I am more a New Order guy (shock! horror!) and even moreso a Peter Hook guy (no shock there, kids), but I feel very strong about Joy Division as something sacred and untouchable (and thats perhaps while I always, ahem, keep them at a distance). I thought 24 HOUR, as a film respected that legacy and with Wilson in charge of this film, I feel Ian will be treated respectfully. A lot of those also rides on who they have play Curtis, cause going with a Jude Law, (despite the erection Ash5000 will have), could be a mistake. The guy who played him in 24 HOUR was scary good and should be cast. A star will take away from it.

On a lighter note, on LIFE AS WE KNOW IT last night (an excellent episode by the way), one of the kids, Dino, trades Ipods with his guidence counsellor (played to great effect by the midget from STATION AGENT). When the counseller hears what's on the Ipod, he asks WHO IS THIS? Dino responds with "Interpol". The Counsellor counters with "God, theyre a second rate Joy Divsion rip off" and makes the kid LISTEN to Joy Division..and of course, Dino loves it. Cheers to the writers

F

4.1.05

Will Eisner R.I.P

I'm really upset to hear about this today. I don't talk about my "other life" too much, but I've been working on THE SPIRIT movie for many years, and recently became a co-producer on the project. I had met Mr. Eisner (I never called him Will, as I was too in awe) several times, most recently spending time with him in San Diego at the Con this past Summer discussing the plans for the feature. Will was a talented artist, a brilliant creator, an intelligent businessman, and all around nice man, this is a huge loss for the comic book and art community. The following is from the website www.newsarama.com

Newsarama has learned that comic legend Will Eisner died Monday evening, due to complications from heart surgery performed on December 22nd. Eisner had undergone quadruple bypass surgery, and was last reported to be recovering well.

Eisner was 87 years old, and was still actively working. His latest graphic novel, The Plot is due to be released later this year by W.W. Norton.

Newsarama will relay more information as it becomes available.

Eisner's biography from www.willeisner.com reads:

Will Eisner was born March 6, 1917 in Brooklyn, NY. The son of Jewish immigrants, his early life and experiences growing up in New York tenements would become the inspiration for much of his graphic novel work. At De Witt Clinton High School in the Bronx, Eisner's budding interest in art was fostered, and it was in the school newspaper that his first work was published.

Eisner's first comic work appeared 1936 in WOW What a Magazine! He created two features for WOW—Harry Karry and The Flame. When the magazine folded after only four issues, Eisner formed a partnership with friend Jerry Iger, and the Eisner-Iger studio was born.

The studio was a veritable comics factory, churning out strips in a variety of genres in the hopes of placing them with American newspapers. Towards this end, Eisner-Iger recruited a number of young artists who would go on to become comics' legends in their own right: Bob Kane, Lou Fine, and Jack Kirby. The most enduring of Eisner's work to come out of this period is Hawks of the Seas, the high-seas adventure strip that had begun as The Flame.

The partnership ended in 1939 when Eisner joined the Quality Comics Group to produce a syndicated 16-page newspaper supplement. It was for this supplement that he created his most famous character, The Spirit.

Creating the Comic Book Section for Quality gave Eisner the opportunity to reach a wide audience in papers across the country. The supplement contained three four-color features developed by Eisner. The lead feature, The Spirit , was a detective adventure script entirely scripted and drawn by Eisner. This story of a masked detective who protects Central City from the criminal element with no more than fists, cunning, and an unbelievable tolerance for punishment quickly became the most popular feature of the section. The supplement was renamed The Spirit Section, and became Eisner's proving ground for some of the most innovative work in the genre. Even in these early stories, the presence of cinematic camera angles, atmospheric lighting effects and creative storytelling techniques distinguished The Spirit.

Eisner's work on the Spirit was interrupted in 1942 when he was drafted into the Army for service in World War II. The Army took advantage of his skills as a cartoonist, and during the war he was engaged in producing posters, illustrations and strips for the education and entertainment of the troops.

After the War, Eisner returned to a much diminished Spirit, who had faltered in less able hands during his absence. In December of 1945 he reintroduced the strip with a retelling of the Spirit's origin, and the Spirit was quickly back on track. Now with the support of other artists such as a young Jules Feiffer and later Wally Wood, Eisner continued the weekly installments of the Spirit until 1952. Never content to stay within the narrow confines of the detective genre, Eisner used the Spirit to explore a wide variety of stories, from simple tales of ordinary people to wild flights of fancy verging on science fiction.

During this period, Eisner attempted to foster several other projects for publication as newspaper strips or newsstand comics, including Kewpies, Baseball, Nubbin the Shoeshine Boy and John Law. None of these were successful, but some of the material created for them ended up in The Spirit.

While still producing the Spirit, Eisner founded the American Visuals Corporation, which was a commercial art company dedicated to creating comics, cartoons, and illustrations for educational and commercial purposes. Eisner resurrected Joe Dope, a bumbling soldier he had created during the War, for feature in P*S Magazine, a publication he produced for the Army. His other clients included RCA Records, an Oil Filter company, the Baltimore Colts, and New York Telephone. This work soon occupied most of Eisner's time, and The Spirit was abandoned in favor of this more profitable work, which continued until the late 70s.

In the mid-60s several articles renewed popular interest in the Spirit, and the strips were reprinted in a variety of forms that continues to this day. Eisner was persuaded to create a small amount of new Spirit material at this time, but despite a growing fan insistence for more, Eisner did not have much taste for revisiting what he saw as the heroic fantasies of his youth. Seeking for a more mature expression of the comics' form, Eisner spent two years creating four short stories of "sequential art" that became A Contract With God, first published by Baronet Books in 1978. In this book, with its 1930s Bronx tenements and slice of life moral tales, Eisner returned to his roots and discovered new potential for the comics form—the graphic novel.

Eisner followed A Contract With God with a series of graphic novels published by the alternative comics publisher Kitchen Sink Press. With subject matter ranging from semi-autobiographical (The Dreamer and To the Heart of the Storm), keen observations of modern life (The Building and Invisible People) and science fiction parable (Life on Another Planet ) Eisner helped to break comics from the juvenile ghetto of superheroes and "funny books."

In addition to producing a continuing legacy of great work, Eisner taught cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and is the author of two definitive works examining the creative process, Comics and Sequential Art and Graphic Storytelling. Each year he presides over the Eisner Awards, established in 1988, one of prestigious two comics industry awards, presented each year at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Recently, his work was gained wider recognition when it was showcased in the Whitney Museum's 1996 "NYNY: City of Ambition" show.

Eisner has been cited as an inspiration by comics' creators from all corners of the genre, and his influence is seen as widely. He remains one of the most active, vital, and prolific forces in the comics' field today.

Bob Andleman, author of the upcoming Eisner biography, Will Eisner: A Spirited Life has written the following obituary via the Will Eisner: A SPirited Life eNewsletter:

Legendary comics and graphic novel artist and writer Will Eisner died last night, Monday, January 3, 2005, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the age of 87, following complications from quadruple heart bypass surgery.

Will Eisner didn't create Superman, Batman, Spider-Man or even Archie and Jughead. Some comic book fans may scratch their heads when asked to describe his work. But every artist and writer in comic books, as well as graphic artists across the entire spectrum of modern illustration, television and film, owes a debt to him.

In 1941, Eisner created a goofball detective named Denny Colt who died (not really) and was reborn as "The Spirit," the cemetery-dwelling protector of the public - and pretty girls in particular. The Spirit possessed no superpowers. He couldn ' t see through his girlfriend ' s clothing the way a curious alien like the Man of Steel might scientifically investigate Lois Lane. And he wasn't a brilliant technologist like Batman, imagineering hokey gadgets and psychedelic compounds for all-night parties with the Joker.

The Spirit broke so many molds:

- Eisner was the strip's artist and writer, a feat that is still rare today.

- The Spirit was published and distributed as an insert in Sunday newspapers, ala Parade magazine. It was seen weekly by as many as 5-million people from 1941 to 1952.

- No two Spirit sections looked alike. Although most commercial operations - from Superman to Pepsi-Cola - spend millions of dollars testing, proving and marketing their logos, Eisner thought it was more challenging to change The Spirit's masthead every week - for 12 years.

- The Spirit was a fun, mature read, aimed at adults but accessible to kids.

For all of these reasons, The Spirit was published and reissued in various forms almost uninterrupted for 60 years. Its look, feel and smartass humor is timeless, which accounts for the countless revivals.

Eisner, who went to high school with "Batman" creator Bob Kane, provided first jobs in the comics business to everyone from Jack Kirby (co-creator of " Captain America " and the " Fantastic Four " ) to Pulitzer-winning writer and artist Jules Feiffer.

If not for Eisner ' s influence, Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman might never have published his graphic novel Maus: A Survivor ' s Tale (Eisner is credited with popularizing - if not inventing - the medium of the graphic novel with the 1978 publication of his graphic story collection, A Contract With God) and fellow Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Chabon ' s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay would have been missing quite a few Eisner-inspired tales.

For comic book professionals, the highest honor in the industry is either an Eisner Award, named for Eisner and given out every summer at Comic-Con International in San Diego, or a Harvey Award, named for Eisner ' s late friend Harvey Kurtzman, the creator of Mad magazine and Playboy ' s " Little Annie Fanny, " given every April in Pittsburgh. Kurtzman, who discovered talents as diverse as R. Crumb and Gloria Steinem, passed away in 1993, making Eisner the last man standing.

Literally.

At every Eisner Awards ceremony, each recipient was handed his or her award by the man himself.

Several years ago, a big red velvet chair was put on stage for Eisner. The Eisner Awards promoters said, " Come on, Will, you shouldn ' t have to stand up all this time; here, have a seat. " Eisner sat on it briefly, got a laugh out of it, but then he stood up again, and stayed on his feet the rest of the night. Eisner demonstrated his strength of character and enduring physical wherewithal by standing on stage throughout the entire presentation, shaking hands and personally congratulating the winners. Because there is a different presenter for each award, no one else stood for as long as Eisner.

That's why, when Eisner handed the 2002 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story (Amazing Spider-Man #30-35: " Coming Home " ) to writer J. Michael Straczynski and artists John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna, Straczynski thrust the award in the air and remarked, " You know, you get the Emmy, you don ' t get it from ' Emmy. ' You win the Oscar, you don ' t get it from ' Oscar. ' How freakin ' cool is this? "

Published in November 2004, DC Comics ' The Will Eisner Companion is the first comprehensive, critical overview of the work of this legendary writer/artist. Divided into two sections - his Spirit work and his graphic novels - this authorized companion features all-new critical and historical essays by noted comics historians N.C. Christopher Couch and Stephen Weiner, as well as alphabetical indexes relating to all aspects and characters in his oeuvre. Also includes a chronology, a bibliography and suggested reading lists, as well as an introduction by Dennis O'Neil.

A new generation of comics fans learned about the man in the 1970s when underground comix publisher Denis Kitchen began reprinting " The Spirit " stories and eventually produced new stories of the character by top comic book talent including Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and Neil Gaiman. Kitchen became one of Eisner ' s closest friends and confidants, as well as his personal representative and literary agent (with Judith Hansen).

More recently, " John Law, " a 56-year- old Will Eisner character, was given fresh life and adventures in 2002 by Australian artist and writer Gary Chaloner as an online comic book hero at ModernTales.com. In December 2004, Law returned to print in IDW Publishing ' s " Will Eisner's John Law " hardcover trade paperback. These stories were the first original John Law adventures published since Eisner worked on the character in 1948. This edition includes both new material and classic John Law tales by Eisner himself.

And Eisner ' s final - and likely most controversial - graphic novel, The Plot, finished last summer, will be published this spring by W.W. Norton.

Will Eisner was the wizard behind the curtain, except in his case, the magic was real.

There will be no funeral service, per Will ' s wishes. " Will and I hated funerals, " his wife, Ann, said the morning after his death. " We made plans long ago to avoid having them ourselves. " He will be buried next to his late daughter, Alice, who died in 1969. Surviving Will are his wife, Ann, and his son, John.

Cards may be sent to:
Will Eisner Studios
8333 W. McNab Road
Tamarac, FL 33321

Unofficially, in lieu of flowers, you might consider a donation in Will ' s name to the American Cancer Society - his daughter died of cancer - or the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which Will was known to have supported.

3.1.05

THE BEST OF 2004!

Last year I was too tired to do it, but now this year, being home sick and all, I have been able to review the past year of Blog entries to pull together my 2004 "Best Of". The format is very loose. Basically, I would be here till 2008 if I tried to put my choices in some kind of order, so what this will be is my choosing my top movie, dvd or gig of the year and then just listing the other choices in no particular order. I was going to write a little bit about each thing, but you can go back on the Blog and read my thoughts on each. Anyway, I may have missed some stuff, please remind me if I did. Here goes:

ALBUMS:

1. MANIC STREET PREACHERS "Lifeblood" (*ALBUM OF THE YEAR*)
2. KASABIAN s/t
3. RAZORLIGHT "Up all Night"
4. IAN BROWN "Solarized"
5. THE LIBERTINES s/t
6. SAINTFACE "Apartment Stories"
7. COLDER "Again"
8. MORRISSEY "You are the Quarry"
9. TWILIGHT SINGERS "Blackberry Belle" and "She Loves You"
10.RYAN ADAMS "LOVE IS HELL"
11. DIE WARZAU "Convenience"
12. GUSTAVO CERATI "Canciones Elegiadas 93-04
13. GWEN STEFANI "Love Angel Music Baby"
14. U2 "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"
15. DURAN DURAN "Astronaut"

Special Mention: REVENGE "One True Passion V2.0", quite possibly my favourite reissue ever.

Looking forward to albums in 2005 from: Oasis, Nine Inch Nails, In Loving Memory, Nick Cave Box Set, Revenge Live Album, New Order, The Damage Manual, Razorlight (New Single), Home Video...

GIGS:

1. KASABIAN at Bowery (*GIG OF THE YEAR*)
2. MUSE at Curiosa
3. AM PACIFIC in someone's house in Los Feliz
4. Various SAINTFACE performances, though gigs at Piano's comes to mind
5. MORRISSEY at Radio City
6. MORRISSEY at The Apollo
7. JOHN CALE at Limelight
8. MUSE at Webster Hall
9. SKINNY PUPPY at Irving
10. MINISTRY at BB King's
11. TWILIGHT SINGERS at London Scala (Best of of the Dulli gigs we saw this year)
12. BLUES EXPLOSION at Irving
13. PRIMAL SCREAM at Shepherds Bush, London (close second for Gig Of The Year)
14. ASH DJ set
15. TWILIGHT SINGERS at Irving Plaza

Looking forward to gigs in 2005 from: Duran Duran, Ian Brown, Kasabian, Nine Inch Nails, Oasis, Razorlight...

FILM (Im having trouble choosing which was my fave movie of the year, so this is just a list of the stuff I loved):

1. FINDING NEVERLAND
2. GARDEN STATE
3. HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
4. GIRL NEXT DOOR (Best Movie No One Saw)
5. BREAKING NEWS
6. OCEANS TWELVE
7. SHREK 2
8. SPIDER-MAN 2
9. RUNNING ON KARMA
10. THROWDOWN (*HK MOVIE OF THE YEAR*)
11. NEW POLICE STORY
12. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE
13. ONE NIGHT IN MONGKOK
14. HUCKABEES
15. LIFE AQUATIC
16. THE INCREDIBLES
17. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

Looking forward in 2005 to: BATMAN BEGINS, CONSTNATINE, and, like you have to guess it, REVENGE OF THE SITH!

TV:

1. JACK AND BOBBY (*TV SHOW OF THE YEAR*)
2. 24
3. LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
4. NYPD BLUE
5. SMALLVILLE
6. SOUTH PARK
7. CLONE WARS
8. BOSTON LEGAL
9. WILL AND GRACE
10. THE APPRENTICE

Looking forward in 2005 to: 24 Season 4, the end of NYPD BLUE, CLONE WARS Season 3.

DVDS:

1. STAR WARS ORIGINAL TRILOGY COLLECTION (*DVD OF THE YEAR*)
2. FREAKS AND GEEKS
3. 24 SEASON 3
4. TRAINSPOTTING ULTIMATE EDITION
5. THE OFFICE
6. 21 JUMPSTREET SEASON 1
7. RIC FLAIR
8. RISE AND FALL OF ECW
9. DURAN DURAN Reissues
10. THE STONE ROSES

Fun events of the year (in no order):

1. Wrestlemania at the Garden (thanks Matt)
2. Brithday in London/Paris (thanks Irene)
3. Being at the announcement of Episode 3 title REVENGE OF THE SITH in San Diego (Thanks George)
4. Ro-Ro, Lulu and Izzy (Thanks to respective parents of said children)
5. Michael Saintface at Morrissey Apollo show (Thanks Michael)
6. Harry Potter Premiere (Thanks Matt)
7. Dodgeball (the first round I was at, everything after sucked)
8. Charles joins band(s) (Thanks Charles)
9. Irene V. Dad in Pizza Off (Thanks Irene and Dad)
10. MOG-Quiz
11. G's almost bar Fight (Thanks to douche who started shit)
12. Sneaking past thousands of STAR WARS maniacs to buy a SITH shirt at San Diego (Thanks lucas cash register chick)
13. Watching THE BROWN BUNNY with G and Lurch (Thanks Gallo)
14. Ben gets Rock Star treatment for me at Apple and fixes semi destroyed laptop (Thanks Ben)
15. Seeing Mani of the Roses/Primals and Pete Doherty arrive at Shephers Bush before The Primals gig (Thanks Jared for being late)
16. Eurorail to Paris (Thanks Chad)
17. Dovemeadows Wedding (Thanks Liz and Peter)
18. First time at Darkroom (F&G Bday) (thanks all)
19. Mrs. Louche sending me old school Chemlab shirt (Thanks Maja)
20. GTA (Thanks Evan)
21. Getting into STAR WARS DVD press event (thanks Evan!)
22. Booster Gold on Justice League cartoon.
23. Doug the Coward in Glamour (Thanks Lurch)
24. G calls to tell me about IAN BROWN gig next year (Thanks G)

Apologies to all who attended the Twilight Singers show at Warsaw. Sorry.

Thanks to all who made 2004 awesome and thanks in advance to everyone who is going to make 2005 even better.

F

VACATION DIARY: FINAL ENTRY

Wake up, Finally finish GTA (this takes forever). Story Missions are all done. Ponder next step. Eat Ramen. Lawyer/Agent/Advisor calls: catch up for 2 hours. Go uptown. Find G and Lurch sitting with random men in a bar watching footbal. Stop in for 10 min. Go to Irene's store. Hang out with Russ (good guy). Home. Whole Foods. Stock up. G, Lurch, Anna and Fuss all come over. Watch WAKE UP RON BURGENDY, the bonus "sequel" to ANCHORMAN (gift from Lurch). Hilarious. Irene makes awesome meal. Watch JUMPSTREET episode. Get rid of Christmas tree. Cookies. GTA. BLOG. Bed. Fun Vacation. Back to business....

1.1.05

VACATION DIARY NOT SURE WHICH DAY

Wake up. New Year. Still ill, though not as bad. Lounge around. Finish watching the whole run of THE OFFICE (Brilliant). Shower, at last. Taking it slow. Chinatown. Wonton Garden. Pick up INFERNAL AFFAIRS 8 DVD Ultimate Edition set (complete with box, posters, book, calender, etc), which was the centerpiece of the Irene Christmas gifts to me (it was on order). Awesome. Soho. Shop. Attempt trip to Bead Papa (Cream Puff place), but it's closed. Home. Chill. Snacks. Work on best of 04 list. Try to make plans with the ladies of Internationalpoontang. Doesn't pan out but dinner tomorrow is discussed. Go see LEMONY SNICKET (Didn't like it, but the actors were all good). Domino's Pizza. Watch NAPOLEON DYMANITE DVD. Hilarious. GTA nonstop. Reach final mission. Can't beat it. Pissed. Samuel Jackson taunts me. Asshole. Bed

Vacation Diary New Years Eve

Wake up massively Ill. Laid out. Watch the rest of the OFFICE. Try to eat. Fever. Sweats. Chills. Even more Sith photos can't keep me awake. Bed for many hours. Texts, phone calls all go missed. Irene plays nurse. Sleep for 4 hours. No good. Irene goes shopping with Fuss while I sleep. Try go get up, fall (thats more cause I was clumsy than ill). More sleep. Wake up. Try to watch movies. Can't. Try to eat some Korean food (very good) Irene has made. Watch Jumpstreet, first half of season 1 (so 80's it hurts). Take meds. Zone out. New Years at home. Not a bad thing. Watch 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE again. My apologies to friends, family and Saintface for missing New Years and kudos to Irene for dealing with the 6 year old Frank Jeffrey.

In the New Year, I can only wish you all the best (except Anonymous, who is a massive douche). Good things are gonna happen. (sorry this isn't wittier, I'm still out of it). Asshole.

F