Issue xii

Dear Readers,
rock everything from votes to voters. If you’re
Welcome to listen, WMRE’S music
a red-blooded voyeur, anmd we hope you are,
magazine.The time’s come again to fire up
the supernatural styles
the printing presses and
of our featured censpike the cider. In our
credits, issue xi
terfold are tailor-made
minty new eleventh issue,
for you. And if you like
we’ve got something for
editor-in-chief: nalini abhiraman
to read, well, we’ve
everyone: if you’re a polit,
production: rohan kohli, dan
got words, and lots of
you’ll love our special secouyang, laila rubin, matt mithem.
tion on music and politics,
chelsen
featuring such things as
cover: dan ouyang
Stay classy,
the campaign song of the
future, and news about
groups that use music to
nalini
Roula’s List o’
Shows
ROULA ABISAMRA compiles everything’s that’s worth seeing
in Atlanta, for your ticket-buying pleasure.
In this Issue
Tue 10/26 - Dillinger Escape Plan + Every Time
(Contents)
I Die + Misery Signals + Whyoming + Zao @
Masquerade
Letter From the Editor
2
Wed 10/27 - Lake Trout + Pinback @ VinylShow
Listings
2
Atlanta
Feature: Dos and Don’ts of Crowd Surfing
4
Thu 10/28 - Against Me! + Lucero + The Blood
Mini Reviews
4
Brothers + True North @ Masquerade
Zine
Poll:
What’s
Your
Musical
Alarm
Clock?
6
Fri 10/29 - Chomsky + Old 97s @ Variety
Special Section: Music and Politics
8-9
Sat 10/20 - Who’s Bad (Michael Jackson Tribute
Centerfold
12
Band) @ Andrews Upstairs
Thu 11/04 - Interpol + On!Air!Library! + Secret
Machines @ Roxy
Sat 11/06 - Murphy’s Law + The Pietasters + The Reason + The Shakedowns @ Earl
Mon 11/08 - El Guapo + Q And Not U @ Drunken Unicorn
Wed 11/10 - Copeland + Further Seems Forever + Sparta + Sunshine @ Masquerade
Fri 11/12 - Delgados + Crooked Fingers @ Vinyl-Atlanta
Sat 11/13 - Wrens @ Echo?
Sun 11/14 - Animal Collective + Black Dice @ Drunken Unicorn
Mon 11/15 - Earlimart + Silverspun Pickups @ Earl
Thu 11/18 - Starlight Mints @ Tasty World (Athens)
Thu 11/18 - Against Me! @ Masquerade
Fri 11/19 - The Killers @ 40 Watt (Athens)
Sun 11/21 - Starlight Desperation + The Donnas + The Von Bondies @ Masquerade
Thu 11/25 - Killswitch Engage + Mastodon + Slayer @ Tabernacle
Los Angeles and its famed Sunset Strip were once ruled by the excess and gaudiness of hair metal bands
like Poison. When one imagines LA’s music scene in the mid to late eighties, images of large hair, spandex, and
power ballads come to mind. The cheesy, superficial nature of the era often undermines the contributions LA bands
have made to rock music in the past. However, it’s important to remember that for every Poison there’s a Black
Flag.
In recent years a new breed of band has been terrorizing Los Angeles with a sound that’s in complete
contrast to the glitz and glamour of the hair band era. Their raw, confrontational music is the perfect soundtrack to
the scenes of drug deals and prostitution taking place outside the venues they play. The music of new bands like
The Icarus Line, 400 Blows, and The Bronx echoes the disillusionment and aggression of some of the great LA
bands of the past like The Germs, Black Flag, and The Doors.
The Icarus Line is a band whose onstage exploits often receive as much attention as their music. While
playing the Texas-based South by Southwest music industry showcase, the band pulled a stunt that echoed the
dangerous spontaneity that was once a hallmark of rock & roll. The band was in the middle of their set at the
Hard Rock Café and fed up with the unresponsive crowd. To the dismay of a myriad of drunken Texans, the lead
guitarist, Aaron North, shattered a glass case containing Stevie Ray Vaughn’s guitar, plugged it in, and proceeded
Sound & Fury
in Los Angeles
You can’t find this in a travel brochure: COREY
LICHT takes on the LA rock scene.
to finish the set with it. The Icarus Line’s music is every bit as vitriolic and powerful as their actions. Their sound is a
punishing amalgam of Greg Ginn guitar work, Iggy Pop- style howling, and a heavy dose of psychedelic noise that’s
reminiscent of Spacemen 3. Although their 2004 release, Penance Soiree, received critical acclaim from NME,
Mojo, and Spin, the band still lives the same low-rent existence they always have in Los Angeles.
However, The Icarus Line isn’t the only LA band that’s carrying on the rock & roll torch. 400 Blows is a
three-piece band that plays pummeling rock shows in matching black military uniforms. The band sounds like
Black Sabbath on methamphetamines with a high-pitched Darby Crash on vocals. On their debut, Black Rainbow,
drummer, Ferdinand Cudia, and guitarist, Christian Wabschall, lock the band into tight, angular rhythms that singer,
Skot Alexander, screeches darkly poetic lyrics over.
The Bronx is a band that thrives on spontaneity. Most of the songs on their self-titled debut were written the
night before their album was recorded. The hard-hitting album was recorded live in the living room of Gilby Clarke,
the former Guns & Roses guitarist. The result is an album that teems with a brutal urgency that recalls the sloppy
recklessness that punk shows once possessed. The Bronx’s singer, Matt Caughthran, paints a stark picture of Los
Angeles through his lyrics about his experiences growing up in the city, like witnessing a man being shot in the head
in the song “Gun without Bullets.”
In all, LA bands like The Icarus Line, 400 Blows, and The Bronx are just normal guys who love good rock &
roll. Sure, some of them may be signed to major record labels, but they’re not rock stars like the bands of the New
York scene. Like their idols, Black Flag and The Stooges, they’re just here to rock.
Avoid skull fractures and unwanted sexual explorations,
thanks to LAILA RUBIN’s trusty guide. Cut it out and put it
in your pocket- it’s for your own good.
DO
Wear non-rippable clothing
Go on your back
Maximize surface area while staying straight and tough
Be prepared to fall head-first
Keep in mind that you might be fondled by strangers that
could potentially smell
Be aware of the fact that you may not find your friends
afterwards
Remember that it’s called crowd surfing, not lightly
populated area surfing
Get strong people to lift you up –> none o them sissies
Enjoy the moment just like you would enjoy a freshly baked
apple pie
Consider carrying a whistle for emergency purposes
The DOs and DON’Ts
of Crowd Surfing
DON’T
Wear skirts (even Scottish men)
Do the limp fish technique
Go face first and see the ground as you slowly (actually
very fast) fall face first
If you try twice, and get dropped, don’t do it again
Do it if you weigh over 170 pounds (or resemble an
elephant/hippo/grizzly bear)
Go up on slow songs or near the end of songs
Fart in peoples’ faces
Pretend like you are actually surfing –> people do not equal
waves
Dive
Jump
Cry
Complain about people fondling your gluteus maximus
Keep a gun/knife/lethal weapon/sharp object in your pocket
Start conversations with people along the way—you may
not finish them
Black Dice Creature Comforts DFA Records
Dub and tropicalia thrown into a mixer of experimental
noise. This very esoteric band is in a league of their
own. This beautiful music creates lush soundscapes
that envelop the listener. Creature Comforts is less
monumental than Beaches and Canyons but the songs
are shorter and this allows for more repeat listening. A
great introduction to this cutting edge band.
MiNi
Reviews
CHRIS DARESTA
and JONATHAN
QUINN keep it
short and sweet.
Black DiceCreature
Comforts
Sonic Youth- Sonic Nurse
Action, Action Don’t Cut Your Fabric to This Year’s
Fashion Victory Records
This record is pathetic, I can imagine it now………….
Some of the Victory Records employees sitting around
crying about how their emo/hardcore/emocore/Thursday
style music aren’t drawing ladies/money to their terrible
label. They turn on MTV2 and Hot Hot Heat and Interpol
videos come on and they decide they need a dance band.
So we get this awful band—I hope they get beat up by the
guys from Hatebreed in the Victory Records bathroom by
accident.
Black Eyes Cough Dischord Records
The Black Eyes’ final record is quite the departure
from their first. Saxophone influenced heavily
by James Chance highlights the jerky rhythms.
Cough is all over the place with two drummers,
and two vocalists going at each other. Less rigid
and more experimental, many were disappointed
by this record. Personally, I find it amazing and
wish they had not called it quits.
Black Dice/Wolf Eyes Collaboration Fusetron Records
This sounds more like Black Dice than Wolf Eyes. Well
perhaps some of the material from Wolf Eyes’ Slicer is
reminiscent of this collaboration. Essentially this is the
more comfortable ambient sounds of Black Dice mixing
with the less aggressive yet still very evil/uncomfortable
sounds of Wolf Eyes.
[Mini Reviews continued on page 7]
RIGHt UNDeR YOuR NOSe
Look out for Sleepy LaBeef, says VALERIE GAIMON
Having shared the stage with Elvis, George Jones, Roy Orbison,
Buddy Holly, Fats Domino and Chuck Berry, “The Human Jukebox,” better
known as Sleepy LaBeef, is “a living, breathing, guitar-picking history
of American music.” So says the New York Times; yet why haven’t you
heard of him? Even the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen cited Sleepy as
a major influence, and Kenny Rogers once sang his back-up. But more
importantly, a few weeks ago when Sleepy LaBeef played to a sardinepacked Blind Willie’s crowd ranging in age from 20 to 60, why weren’t
you there? He performed every song requested and some of his own in
a string of endless medleys, from Elvis to Johnny Cash to Chuck Berry.
And speaking of Johnny Cash, no one alive could sing “Folsom Prison
Blues” with a voice of iron soul as well as Sleepy.
Sleepy speaking about his concerts: “When we have a
performance, the music is alive, and it’s part of life, like breathing. I’ve
seen songs that were written before I was born that if you get your teeth
into ‘em, it’s just like a new one.”
As for new songs, Sleepy put out a new album last year called
I’lll Never Lay my Guitar Down. True to his word, “The Road Warrior” still
performs over 200 shows a year, so be sure to catch him next time. You
may just find yourself doing the Twist with a little lady older than your
mother, the big man in the black Stetson hat rocking right behind you.
Above: Sleepy LaBeef (in
hat) and band.
A mini-almanac,
courtesy of CALEB
WARREN
It’s easy
to forget, especially since
popular perception of the genre consists
of fifty years of Nashville excrement, that country
music was one of the parents of rock and roll.
As relics like Sleepy Labeef demonstrate, there
was a time before country music was formulaic
songs, cliché lyrics, and forced twangs sang by dolled-up imposters like Garth Brooks. There was a
time when country music was the voice of rural America, from the Blue Ridge whiskey stills
to the Rocky Mountain saloons, the Ohio Valley county fairs to the wide West-Texas plains. A
time when early rockers like Elvis, Buddy Holly, and the Rolling Stones seamlessly drifted from
stompin’ rocker to country ballad. There was a time before country music became a haggard
imitation of itself.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of good musicians playing country music, but for
every Whiskeytown there are twenty Toby Keiths. And there’s a plethora of golden country gems
stowed away or forgotten in the musical archives. I don’t really believe in genres as anything
beyond a marketing device, but most of these musicians would probably be classified as Folk,
Bluegrass, Classic Country, or Alternative Country. This is by no means an extensive or complete
list, its just a few artists to download if the only good country music you’ve been exposed to is Willie
Nelson and Johnny Cash.
Hank Williams: Hank sang every detail of his drunk, manic, ramblin’, cheatin’ life in a voice so simple
that every human being in the rural US in the 1950s could understand and associate with him. Check
out: “Your Cheatin’ Heart”, “Lovesick Blues”, “Jumbalaya”
[Continued on page 11]
Photos by
Laila Rubin
Franz Ferdinand at the 99X Upstart Fest II. 20 September 2004
(ZINE POLL)
...of our trusty-rusty STAFF, that is.
What song
gets you up
in the morning?
“Mr. Blue Sky,” ELO (Chelsea Samuel)
“Wake Me Up (Before You Go-Go),” Wham! (Chris Rodriguez)
“Saturday Morning,” the Eels (Andrea Gunadi)
“(Insert Song),” the Ramones/the Misfits (Chris Daresta)
“Goddamn Right It’s a Beautiful Day,” the Eels (Valerie Gaimon)
“That’s When I Reach for My Revolver,” Mission of Burma (Kedar Mankad)
“Paulina,” Mates of State (Roula Abisamra)
“Kissing the Lipless,” the Shins (Sana Mahmood)
“Fun House,” the Stooges (Corey Licht)
“Dear Catastrophe Waitress” (the whole album), Belle and Sebastian
(Rachel Gottschalk)
“Attitude,” Bad Brains (Leuwam Tesfai)
= == =
MiNi Reviews
[continued from page 4]
Tender Buttons Tender Buttons
This EP is very dancey electronic experimentation from members of Kill Me Tomorrow. Telephone rings and mashed up
electronics create jumpy numbers. They even cover a Roxy Music track. Fun stuff, but check out Kill Me Tommorow first.
Untied States — Ineffable by Design
Finally, a local Atlanta band that doesn’t hopelessly suck
or tread clichéd genres mined many times over since
their innovation! Hot off winning Creative Loafing’s Best
Experimental Band for 2004, Untied States self-released their
first full length debut Ineffable by Design (I doubt they still
give out copies of their first debut Bird of a Blood Feather
anymore) to quiet but unanimous acclaim, and for good
reason: throughout the majority of the album Untied States
explore the noise rock genre with verve and aplomb, using
bizarre time signatures and bombastic dynamic shifts to keep
the listener on their toes. Colin Arnstein’s Thom Yorke-esque
vocals complement Skip Englebrecht’s distorted guitarwork
and bizarre noise samples nicely, and while occasionally the
mix drowns in its own sheer cacophony, it can be blamed
more on the fact that these guys recorded this album in their
own home. God help us when they get a record deal.
Sonic Youth Sonic Nurse DGC
Their newest record is much better than Murray
Street and I personally thought it is their best
effort since “Goo.” Some dude who is clutching
his copy of “Dirty” and sitting under his Nirvana
poster is probably pissed at me but who cares?
This album is great. All hail Sonic Youth.
Moving Units Dangerous Dreams Palm Records
Fun post punk that makes the kids want to dance.
If this came out sooner they could’ve been very
popular. Unfortunately, now they are not as
interesting after hearing so many bands of this
style. Check out Moving Units instead.
Kimya Dawson Vagenda K Records
Kimya was in the Moldy Peaches, and Vagenda
follows in the same style of lo-fi anti-folk songs.
It’s fun and cute but not as good as the Moldy
Peaches.
Thanksgiving Welcome Nowhere
My LP came on white vinyl as well as a CD-R copy, along with a coloring book. The packaging is amazing and this is
fitting for Phil Elverum’s first release. It’s a collaboration of Phil and his friends and is like a minimalist version of The
Microphones with different singers. Fans of The
Microphones should rush out and get a copy.
Fiery Furnaces – Blueberry Boat
Wolf Eyes Burned Mind Sub Pop
Coming off of their stellar 2003 debut, it seemed like
Ah dear God it is so harsh. It is amazing but no one is
Fiery Furnaces were poised to take both critical and
going to like this. Thurston Moore was righ--itss one
mainstream success. Their sound on Gallowsbird’s
of the best things Sub Pop has put out, but its going to
Bark harnessed blues rock with an eclectic penchant
make you hurt. Wolf Eyes are one of the best noise
for singsong lyrics and wild guitar flurries from
bands ever. I hope this is the rock that rips a hole in
brother Matthew Friedberger. So it came as a surprise
Sub Pop’s already sinking ship.
to hear their latest, Blueberry Boat, forsook their
previously carved niche for grandiose prog epics
Battles Ep C Monitor Records
loosely centered around the themes of traveling and,
Weird experimental math rock from this super group of
believe it or not— pirates. But does it work? Yes and
sorts featuring kids from Don Cab and Helmet. It’s a
no: occasionally the sheer assault of discordant song
good little EP—the first and last tracks are the best.
sections overwhelms the ears, but Eleanor’s earnest
vocalizations and Matthew’s intricately interlocked
Deerhoof Milkman Kill Rock Stars
synth spasms makes the experience intriguing and
A bizarre record of sugary melodies combined with
endearing, if not as instantly accessible as their
chaotic noise. It is great. Maybe not the best starting
debut.
place for this band but it is still really good. It’s a weird
concept album about a milkman.
WMRE
Fest.November
Blame Game,
Elf Power,Locals
and more.
7th atUntied
WhiteStates,
Hall.
listen
(A Special Section)
Winds
of
Change,
Rock of
Change
Musicians
commandeering the
soapbox and the music
box? CHRIS RODRIGUEZ
investigates.
Does Politics
“I’m a uniter, not a divider.”
– George W. Bush (2000)
Poll!
Falser words have never been
spoken. But on the other hand, truer words
WHAT SHOULD THE CAMPAIGN SONGS OF THE
have never been spoken, either. Ah, the
2004 ELECTION BE? THE ZINE STAFF VOLUNparadox that is the Bush presidency.
Despite the outpouring of sympathy from
TEERS ITS PICKS.
every corner of the world after 9/11, George W.
Bush and his administration have managed to piss
off several billion people around the globe and create
Kerry: “CIA” (The Fugs), “Working
rifts in America the size of Jared’s pre-Subway waistlines.
The world hates us and no one in this country can agree on
Class Hero“ (John Lennon), “Don’t
anything. Nice going, Chimpy McFlightsuit.
You Want Me Baby” (Human
However, a direct positive result of Bush’s supreme
failures as president has been the coalescence of millions of
League), “One Tin Soldier”
American voters disgusted with what the United States has become
(Joan Baez)
and determined to defeat the boy king at all costs. Unprecedented
grassroots efforts led by anti-Bush activists have sprung up all over the
country registering voters and campaigning for the only man who can
Bush: “Make Sure I’m
prevent four more years of Republican hubris, Democratic nominee John
Out Screwing Up”
Kerry.
Nowhere has this swell of action been more noticeable than in the
(Wesley Willis),
normally bland, staid music industry. Resurrecting the spirit of political activism in
“Where You Lead
music that died out in the seventies, artists have come out of the woodwork to voice
I Will Follow”
their opposition to the policies of the Bush administration. On issues ranging from
the PATRIOT Act to the Iraq war to abortion to the environment to civil rights, musicians
(Carole King),
have ceased standing idly by while their country collapses around them.
“I Shit My
The culmination of this resurgence in political action is the formation of the Vote
for Change tour, organized and sponsored by upstart PAC MoveOn.org. Hitting the road
Pants”
for a week at the beginning of October and landing in several key swing states (Florida,
(The
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Carolina) for the November election, Vote for Change
Fugs)
aims to convince its attendees to do exactly that: vote for a change in the White House. Its lineup
is truly staggering, with superstar artists pairing up to headline arena shows all over the country:
Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band with R.E.M., Dave Matthews Band with Ben Harper and the
Innocent Criminals, Pearl Jam with Death Cab for Cutie, James Taylor with the Dixie Chicks, Jackson
Browne with Bonnie Raitt, and John Mellencamp with Babyface Edmonds. Additional artists participating in
the tour include Neil Young, Jurassic 5, My Morning Jacket, Keb Mo’, John Fogerty, and Bright Eyes.
The participants in Vote for Change represent a fairly accurate cross-section of the electorate tour
organizers whose hope is to oust Bush in November, from lifelong activists (Pearl Jam, R.E.M.) and outspoken
Bush critics (Dixie Chicks), to disaffected youth (Death Cab for Cutie) and those normally known for [See pg. 10]
A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN Volunteers are always welcome at the League of Pissed-Off
Voters. COURTNEY HULL represents for the newest political animal on Emory’s campus.
Yo, so has anyone else noticed pop culture’s sudden obsession with politics? Well, I have. I feel like I
can’t do anything without seeing P. Diddy with his “VOTE or DIE” t-shirts, or Christina Aguilera on Oprah telling
kids to vote—and wait—we can’t forget about Bruce Springsteen and his “Vote for Change” tour. Yep, politics
is pretty much everywhere right now, even in pop culture (the one place we thought was safe), but to tell you
the truth, I am pretty psyched about it.
But that’s cause I’m what you would call “a voter organizer.” I work with this kick-ass organization,
The League of Pissed-Off Voters. Ever heard of a graffiti writer known as Upski?…Yeah, I thought so.
Well, he’s the one behind it all. He’s one of the dopest people I know, and he’s making it happen. This
little League of ours, it ain’t so little anymore (We got chapters all around the country building voting
blocs for change). Sorry, Cameron Diaz, but we were way ahead of your ass in knowing that in
order to even attempt to move towards social justice, we have to get young folks, all young folks,
from hip-hoppers to punk kids, and everyone in between, out to vote. And we’ve got to vote
together.
We’ve all realized that just bitching about political disempowerment in this country
has not effected change. So that’s why we’ve got the League. From putting on the National
Political Hip-Hop Conference to teaming up with numerous artists and organizations
throughout the country, we are building a nation-wide voter bloc to fight institutional
racism, the destruction of the earth, warmongering, exploitation, and corruption—and
we’re doing it in unison. So believe it or not, we’re gonna swing this election.
So what are you waiting for, Drew Barrymore to put out another documentary
on why young people haven’t gotten their asses to the polls? Didn’t think so. So
check us out at indyvoter.org.
Don’t know who you’re voting for? Check out our voter
guide. Cause yep, it is on.
[From pg.
9] impartiality
but who can simply
Contact [email protected] for
take no more (Bruce
Springsteen, Dave Matthews
further information on the
Band). Some have risked alienating
League.
large sections of their fan-bases who
strongly support Bush, but have deemed the
opportunity to potentially enact real change in this
country too powerful to resist. Says Matthews, “This
country represents a dream of what people of widely varying
backgrounds can create together. This election is not only about
what this country is now. It’s also about what it can be. I’m an American,
and it’s my responsibility to say what I think. With what I see in the world today,
I cannot justify not standing up and saying, ‘I feel with every bone in my body that
this country is going in the wrong direction.’”
All proceeds from the Vote for Change tour will benefit MoveOn.org and its subsidiary America
Coming Together, which plans to register and mobilize millions of voters throughout the United States
prior to the election.
Artfully
Conceived
Emory’s Student and Corps
and Photo Club throw a party
with bands, art, and food. What
more could you ask for?
[Continued from pg. 5]
Bill Monroe: Known as the father of bluegrass, Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys set
the genre’s standard with their catalogue of finger-pickin’, old timey, Appalachian
drawled 19th Century spirituals, field hollers, and folk ballads. Check out: “Blue Moon
of Kentucky”, “Muleskinner’s Blues”
Hank Snow: Snow spent most of his childhood at the railroad station in Liverpool,
The Art Club, better
Nova Scotia and did a stint as a cabin boy on a fishing trip before he drifted across
known as the Student Art
Canada and the United States as “Hank the Yodelin’ Ranger”, picking guitar and
Corps, kicked off the new
yodeling for almost sixty years. Check out: “The Texas Cowboy”, and “The Hobo’s
school year with a bang two
Last Ride”
weekends ago at the Studio
Arts Building.The Photo Club
Merle Haggard: A lot of country stars sing about being in prison, the difference is
co-sponsored the party, which
Merle, unlike most of them, actually did time in San Quentin. His trouble with the law
included an art show with
began as a juvenile when he was arrested for jumping a train to free ride up and down
over 40 pieces of paintings,
the California’s Central Valley. Merle’s father was a conductor so he had a free train
drawings and photography
pass. Check out: “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive”, “Sing Me Back Home”, “Fighting Side of
covering a variety of styles
Me” (especially for hippies)
from realism to abstract. There
was even a mixed media 4’ X
Townes Van Zandt: Townes wrote the journeyman’s experience of America: dust,
6’ interpretation of the Studio
highways, saloons, preachers, crooked salesmen, outlaws, lust, love, myth, and
Arts Building created with
poverty. Townes was one of the fathers of Alt-country and his influence on later
charcoal and duct tape. Among
generations of songwriters, such as Bruce Springsteen and Lucinda Williams (below),
other pieces in the show were
far surpass his popularity. Check out: “Pancho and Lefty”, “Greensboro Woman”,
photographs taken by Judith
“Tecumseh Valley”
Kaine and Dana Haugaard,
David Allen Coe: Another penitentiary alumni, Coe is better used a reference to
Pollockesque works created
other musicians then as a source of good music, although a few of his songs inspire
with dripping paints sanded
sympathy despite their usual theme of racist-redneck self-promotion. Listen for
down on wood by the skillful
allusions to Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon
hands of Todd Woodlan,
Jennings, Marty Robbins, Ernest Tubb, Charley Pride, Red Solvine, Jimmy Rodgers,
figurative sketches by the everLefty Frizell, and Patsy Cline. If that ain’t country, he’ll kiss your ass. Check out: “If
so-talented Natalie Balvema,
that Ain’t Country”, “Ghost of Hank Williams”
a maze-like line drawing of
intricate lines with shapes
Lucinda Williams: An amazing songwriter with a deep respect for folk-poetry,
hidden in it by the maze-master
delta blues, and alternative country traditions. Though her songs typically describe
Courtney Sanello, and a genius
heartache, they often counter loss with feelings of familiarity or comfort. Check out:
acrylic on canvas piece by
“Concrete and Barbed Wire”, “Maria”
yours truly. Chips, cookies,
sodas, and Tang were all
Yonder Mountain String Band: Beginning with Jerry Garcia, there’s always been
served.
some kind of link between bluegrass and jam bands. This string quartet strengthens
There were also live
this link by combining jam band aesthetics (epic solos, hemp, stoned white kids, etc.)
artists performing their works
with bluegrass arrangements. Check out: “Sharecropper’s Son”, “Red Rocking Chair”
for the entire crowd. No, people
weren’t painting at the party.
However there were some insane bands at the party. I was told that the bands that performed are two of the most talented
and original on the entire Emory campus, and after hearing them perform I believe it. The Suitcases kicked off the night’s
musical events with a 45 minute set. Unfortunately a teacher was scared away by their theatrics which included fake
blood, but all of us real rockers were blown away by The Suitcases’ drum machines, keyboards, and numerous effect
pedals. The other band that was so kind as to grace us with their presence was Castle Of Togetherness. That night was
actually the day of their CD release. The rock band drew a HUGE crowd, who all hang out in the painting and drawing
room. The members, Matt Buckner on vocals/guitar, Paul Livanos on guitar, Jonathan Quinn on drums, and Josh Therrien
on bass said that their major influences include Dylan, Jeff Buckley and Velvet Underground. Castle of Togetherness
played a 45 minute set as well. Unfortunately the sculpture teacher was not around to hear them play.
The whole event drew a wide range of people. Along with art corps members were random people from all around
campus, many which I’ll admit just came to see the bands. But who could blame them? Lets face it, The Suitcases and
Castle Of Togetherness ROCKED! The event kicked off at 9 at night, and even though the bands regretfully only played
until 10:30, the party didn’t stop until after one in the morning- Andrew Salk
Props
For our first edition of heroes of rock we shall honor the work of Blackie Lawless, the metal god who
fronted the infamous WASP. Known for their disgusting stage antics and crushing metal sounds, WASP was a
truly, truly great hair metal band. From torturing women on stage, to throwing raw meat into the crowd, Blackie
was a true rocker. However, he went beyond the call of standard rock god duty; Blackie sacrificed the one thing
that many rockers could never sacrifice. No, I am not talking about reverb. Blackie, my friends, sacrificed the
ability to rock groupie poontang after the show. The image of the hordes of women dressed in cut-off acid-washed
jean shorts and revealing tube tops, ready and willing to do anything to “meet the band,” is enough for most skinny
and slightly nerdy men to pick up and learn to wield the power of the guitar. Blackie, however, was so committed
to the music that he was willing to forgo this fringe benefit by sacrificing his crotch for rock. He decided to take
the stage show up a notch, and had pyrotechnics installed into his spiked leather codpiece. During the show, he
had the ability to shoot flames from his groin. Unfortunately, this true showman’s man meat would be roasted like
a juicy steak on a grill as a result of the fireworks exploding from the area housing Blackie’s family jewels. In fact,
his slightly grilled genitals
would require icing down
after the show.
So while his band
mates and fellow metal
peers would be banging
groupies in the back of
the bus, Blackie would be
attending to his slightly
singed nuts. Lawless gave
up what many rockers
would never give up; ask
Fred Durst to give up the
ability to have sex with
multiple young women
or retire, and he would
probably go back to
working at the Dairy Queen
in whatever redneck town
from which he came. Even
classic rock bands like
Kiss, Led Zeppelin, and
the Starland Vocal Band
would not exist without the
promise of sweet ,sweet
groupie snatch.
Blackie Lawless was
willing to put his package
on the line in the name of
metal and rock, and for
this, we salute him. Emory
senior Alec Young has this
to say- “Whenever I feel
like I have too much work,
I think of Blackie’s crotch
being nicely charbroiled
like a chicken sandwich,
and I say if he could do
that for metal, I can finish
my stupid paper for some
stupid class.” I agree. For
his commitment to music
we make Blackie a “HERO
OF ROCK!”
TURN-OFFS: LEX LUTHOR, KRYPTONITE, AND
GOALS & ASPIRATIONS: TO BRING MUSICAL PEACE AND GOOD
ENTERTAINMENT TO OUR “METROPOLIS”
A LACK OF GOOD HIP-HOP IN METROPOLIS
THE SUPER ADVENTURES
OF LOIZ LHAYNE, starring TAHIRA
AUGUSTUS, every SATURDAY from
12:00-2:00 PM on WMRE.
Watch
TURN-ONS: SUPERMEN, ROMANTIC
OUTINGS, GENUINELY GOOD MUSIC