Waving the Pink Flag of Discontent

Wire formed during the initial punk explosion of 1977. But unlike the Clash or the Buzzcocks, Wire separated themselves from the lot with odd song structures and art school aesthetics. Few bands have progressed musically in just 3 records than Wire. Their first LP, Pink Flag, was for the most part straight ahead punk rock with a few Pop gems in the mix. Most will recognize the song “1 2 X U” due to the fact that countless punk bands have covered it including Minor Threat. But songs like “Mannequin” and “Ex Lion Tamer” showed that Wire had Pop sensibilities in addition to their art-punk abrasiveness.

Then in 1978 they released Chairs Missing. This was an album that would further push Wire into new and strange Prog territories, but still keeping a connection with the punk rock of Pink Flag. Listening to Chairs Missing is like foreplay. There are a lot of good songs that keep your attention, but you continue to listen for the Pop climaxes like “Outdoor Miner” and “I Am the Fly”. In fact, “Outdoor Miner” almost became Wire’s first hit single, but a payola scandal with their label (EMI) prevented this from occurring. Just when you thought Wire had pushed the boundaries of punk to the breaking point, they released an album that would reveal that punk’s “boundaries” are only in the minds of the musicians and the listeners.

1979 saw the release of 154, just three short years after their debut Pink Flag. In this limited amount of time Wire had progressed more than most bands do in 20 years. They took the abstract art punk of Chairs Missing and took it to the next level. 154 was in deed incredibly Prog and way ahead of the curve. The record was very dark in a Joy Division/ Bauhaus kind of way, but there were still some moments of Pop satisfaction. Some might recognize Wire’s “The 15th “ because Fischerspooner covered it on their debut record #1. This song was Depeche Mode before Depeche Mode with regards to the darkwave synth atmospherics.

After all the musical ground gained with Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154, Wire disappeared for 5 years after a dispute with EMI. They reemerged in the late 80’s sounding more electronic than punk and nowhere near the creative level of their first 3 records. I hear their latest record isn’t too bad though. So listen to these MP3’s in order to get a taste of true musical ambition, then buy the records to get the full dose. You will not be disappointed.

www.pinkflag.com

NOTE: I'm using Rapid Share for the downloads. When you click the MP3's a separate page will open. Scroll down and click free download. Another page will open, so scroll down and be patient (you may need to wait a few seconds before you can download).

BUY IT

Ex Lion Tamer mp3

1 2 X U mp3

Champs mp3

Mannequin mp3

BUY IT

I am the Fly mp3

Outdoor Miner mp3

Used To mp3

BUY IT

The 15th mp3

Map Ref. 41°N 93°W mp3

On Returning mp3

Fuck With Me and I’ll Fuck With You

Parker Posey wants to kick your ass and suck your blood…I don’t blame her.

Listen to a song off the new Spoon record "Gimme Fiction". It's very good.
BUY IT
"I Turn My Camera On" mp3

I'm listening to that Nardwuar interview with Nirvana as I write this. I found it on Buddyhead's new MP3 blog Medication and you can download it here. Nardwuar gives me a headache, but I continue to listen because he knows so much about music. He's quite the handful.

The Happiest Place on Earth

This was my weekend.
As you can see, the wife and I had a grand weekend. It’s been awhile since we made some pot brownies, but I got paid on Friday and I was determined to have a fucked up weekend. A brownie high is a completely different high. You feel that shit in your entire body and for hours. Much of it is still a blur (considering I’m still a little fogged out as I type this). I know we went to Disneyland on Sunday. Let me just say that going on “It’s A Small World” high is a wasted experience. This ride was way too fucking long and BORING. After India, I was pretty much over it….stupid PC ride.


We also went on "Star Tours" and I was totally freaking out. As far as I was concerned I WAS on that fucking space ship dodging lasers and comet ice crystals. And that part where the Empire almost captured us…forget about it. The wife and I were contemplating suing Disneyland for letting such an inexperienced robot pilot that Star Tourship. I mean really, why were we so close to the Death Star? Hello!!?? Liability??

Brownies anyone?
But the highlight was the “Tower of Terror”. That shit turned my happy high into a happy anxiety attack. We saw some old lady in line for this ride too. C’mon man, there should be an age limit. I don’t want some old mama short circuiting and exiting on my watch. Shit like that would be a major bummer….And speaking of bummers, some trashy just outta jail gangsta dude and his fat ghetto girlfriend were sucking faces right in front of us in line. It was like watching a bear mate with a hippopotamus. That shit almost ruined my high.

This is your body on drugs.
But like I said, the rest of the weekend is pretty fuzzy. I do know that we laughed a lot, ate a lot, and just had a great time being together. That’s what it’s all about kids. Finding someone that you can have fun with and being happy….oh yeah, almost forgot, we also went to the 99 Cents store and bought some munchies. If you’re gonna go to the supermarket high, make sure it’s the 99 Cents store. Spending $20 is better than $80.

POT BROWNIE RECIPE
You’ll need the following:
About an 8th of green
Butter
Brownie mix (with extra fudge)
Eggs
Oil

Directions:
First break apart the green into small pieces. Then mix the eggs and oil with the brownie mix (read the box for amount and oven preheating). Get a pot (excuse the pun) and melt some butter. Add in the greens and stir for about 2-5 minutes. This is how you get the hemp oil. Pour the oil through a sifter and onto the brownie mix. Mix well. Then add the chunks of cooked pot into the brownie mix. Put it in the oven. Enjoy.

I'm the Indiana Jones of Music. From England to America to Ja Fuckin Pan.

Rachel from Scenestars has put up the new Oasis and Nine Inch Nails records on her radio blog player thingy. The Oasis record is alright. I mean we all know the story here, no surprises. Same with the NIN songs. They’re good, but it’s nothing earth shattering. One day I’ll find both records recarnated as used promo’s at Amoeba and I’ll most likely keep them both. That’s the best I got kids.


Now from heh to Yay!! (kind of like From Justin to Kelly). I first heard about PINE*am from Music For Robots. They’re totally artsy crazy-ass acid trip electronic Tokyo Pop. If you’ve been paying attention you’ll know that I hate most “happy” music, but these three Japanese chicks know how to push my funny “I wanna drink purple Kool-Aid” bone. They are playing a few shows in L.A., including a free one at Amoeba on May 31 (the same day their new record “Pull the Rabbit Ears” comes out). Here’s some MP3’s courtesy of Eenie Meenie Records. Yeah, I direct linked them, fucking sue me.
Kool artwork!!
Rayon Cosmetique mp3

Gymnopedie 0.1 mp3

Rhyme Mime mp3

Do I Know You mp3

Love Giraffe mp3

Theme mp3

Motley Crue Looks for Last Remaining Fan

It appears Mötley Crüe think they’re Columbo now. You can read the full article on Blabbermouth or you can read the EXCLUSIVE unedited version of the first paragraph. Yeah, I’m doing the new drywall up at that new McDonalds and writing for Fox in my spare time.


MÖTLEY CRÜE Team Up With 'America's Most Wanted' To Find Missing Fan(s)- May 12, 2005

When MÖTLEY CRÜE took the stage at a recent (county fair) concert, the band received some startling news (#1 that nobody showed up and #2 that Mick Mars actually is a zombie/alien transvestite). Just weeks before, one of their devoted Baltimore fans had simply vanished (into thin air) on her way to (a meth house and) their March 6, 2005, concert in Washington, DC. Her friends say that she wouldn't have missed this concert for the world (but maybe for some meth). Loyalty means a lot to the band and especially to Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx (because this is all that they have left), so they decided to team up with "America's Most Wanted" (and Coors) to find their missing fan(s). They're offering a $10,000 reward (paid in monthly installments of $5) to bring this woman home (or at least to one of their shows). Tune in as MÖTLEY CRÜE (and Scőoby Dőo) joins the "AMW" crew to help find a missing rock 'n' roll fan on "America's Most Wanted: America (Strikes First) Fights Back" Saturday, May 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on Fox.

In all seriousness, now that Mötley Crüe is on the job I have no doubts that these guys will crack the case. I mean just look at them….
I’m feeling pretty confidant.
If that doesn’t work I heard Brett Michaels and Poison are free. But I don’t think there’s much of a mystery. Either Mick Mars ate her or The chick probably just woke up that morning, looked in the mirror and said to herself, “What the fuck am I doing still going to Mötley Crüe concerts? Jesus Christ, look at my hair! I haven’t changed styles since 1983. I gotta leave the state and get new a new life”. There you go, case closed. And I didn’t even need a full 1-hour for that shit. (And is it just me or does the missing chick look like David Coverdale?) Holy shit! David Coverdale is a Mötley Crüe fan!!!!

Fucking Surreal Life

VH1 announced some of the cast for season 6 of Surreal Life. This one will be slightly different because the cast will play various characters from the Brady Bunch. Christopher Knight (from Season 4) will return as Peter Brady. Below are quick Bio’s and some video/audio clips. I wish I was making this shit up...


Kelsey Grammer will play Sam the Butcher.
Kelsey is a Republican asshole. Click HERE and see him fall on his ass during a speech he gave at Disneyland. This is courtesy of Best Week Ever.


Glenn Danzig will play Mrs. Brady.
Glenn is a washed up pretentious dick who was the reason why the Misfits broke up back in 1983. Click HERE to see him get his clock cleaned (if you haven’t seen this already).


Ian Brown will play Bobby Brady.
Ian was in the Stone Roses. I like the Stone Roses. Click HERE to watch Ian and his crew doing something English (aka: beating someone up).


Bjork will play Alice.
Bjork is funky looking and her music is self-righteous at times, but she’s also funny in a “I’m gonna attack this reporter bitch” sort of way. Click HERE to watch Bjork lose it.

Arnold will play Mr. Brady.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a complete moron. He’s my governor so I should know. But who knew he was so funny. Check out these great MP3 phone calls the Governator made. He really is a man of the people.

Arnold VS Gateway

Arnold VS Some Asian Lady

Arnold VS The Gator Lodge

Arnold VS Preferred Reality


Triumph will play Cindy Brady.
Triumph the Insult Dog is funny. He’s a fucking hand puppet, but he’s funnier than most comedians. Watch these classic clips and laugh until you crap your pants. I poop on you!

Triumph VS Simon Cowell

Triumph VS MTV

Triumph VS Bon Jovi

Triumph VS Hawaii

The rest of the cast will be announced in a few weeks.

Monkey VS God (I got ten on the monkey)

So those fuckheads in Kansas are stirring up the bible bullshit again. It seems that they’re still living in 1705 and want the state of Kansas to teach “Creation” in addition to Evolution. You know, Evolution. The scientific proof that man evolved from primates and not cartoon characters named Adam & Eve. So these Christian dumbfucks held a hearing to decide the above mentioned bullshit. The scientists didn’t even bother showing up. Maybe it was because
“The hearings resemble a trial, as three school board members hear arguments from champions of both sides. The panelists — all three of them conservative Republicans who have questioned evolution — will report to the full school board, which is expected to approve new science standards next month.”

I think the scientific community should have sent George Carlin to represent them. I think it would have sounded something like this…..
George Carlin on Religion mp3 (3.15mb)

Tom & Jerry

Nicole Kidman isn’t all that, but she did have a great ass in Eyes Wide Shut.

That right there is a little piece of heaven.


Now let me show you a little piece of Hell....
YIKES!
Katie Holmes has always struck me as a little elf with a crooked mouth. Now she looks like a little troll (with a crooked mouth). It looks like Tom Cruise put her through some crazy ass Scientology boot camp where she was tag teamed by Kirstie Alley and John Travolta. I can imagine Kirstie Alley forcing her to eat out her fat prickly gash and following up with a beat down from John Travolta’s ugly stick while they both shout quotes from Look Who’s Talking. Afterwards Tom would walk in saying the following in his best Christopher Walken impression, “I know it ain't any kind of fun, but for what I have to offer you, that's as good as it's gonna get. And it's never gonna get that good again”.


According to Jerry “I’m scamming handicapped kids” Lewis, Frank Sinatra was the mafia’s bitch. Yeah, thanks for the update Jerry. But he does tell a somewhat interesting story on how Ol’ Blue Eyes almost got pinched.

Desktop Magick

Reconoce el poder de la magia si la has utilizado con éxito para obtener tus deseos. Si niegas el poder de la magia después de haberla utilizado con ñexito, perderás todo lo que has conseguido.

say the words, click the image and save the magick to your desktop. then eat cake.

Jesus Eats Amoeba

Jesuseater featured singer Shawn Brown from the great D.C. band Swiz. Jesuseater broke up in 2002 and were only around for like 3 years. I totally slept on this band and now I’m kicking myself for it. I once remember somebody describing Swiz as “hard, but not in a New York hardcore tough guy way”. Swiz’s sound was urgent, intelligent, and definitely full of power. Jesuseater was no different, except a little bit catchier. Below are 2 songs, one from each release ("Step Inside My Deathray" CD & "Self Titled" CDEP). I’m sure you’ll be able to find these in the used bin at your local record store.
JESUSEATER- punching southern.mp3

JESUSEATER- your air stream.mp3


Speaking of record stores, I just haveta’ say that ever since Amoeba Music came to Los Angeles I haven’t been the same. I got a new hop in my step as I walk past homeless people, not paying the collection agencies has never felt better, and hearing Laura Bush’s speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner actually made me chuckle…okay, okay, I full on laughed my ass off. The world just seems brighter and more pleasurable. You see that glass over there? Let’s just say it ain’t half empty anymore….oh yeah baby, you betcha’ sugar, damn straight nigga.

So over the weekend I took L.A.’s awesome subway (for the second time) to Amoeba with one goal in mind: To conquer that clearance bin like a frat boy conquering inexperienced freshman girls. Honey, that bin didn’t see what hit it when I walk through those doors. I found some pretty nice gems for $4.99 and under. I even got one free because I bought more than four. Now that’s putting the customer first in my book. But after the “H” section I couldn’t take it anymore. The clearance bin got the best of me. Shitty CD after shitty CD….“Enuff Z’nuff” in deed. So I made my way to the regular used bins and of course found a lot more great shit and spent way more then I wanted to.

The moral of this (longer than it should be) post is this: Give that clearance bin a second chance. I know it probably let you down on more than a few occasions, but go back to it. Don’t let the Alien Crime Syndicates or Aquabats or the Cave In “Antenna’s” scare you away.

Below are the tasty morsels that I found in Amoeba’s clearance bin.


Bad Religion- "Against the Grain"
This has been in my cassette collection for years and now I finally have it on CD. Not as good as "Suffer", but pretty damn good in it's own right.


Buddyhead- "Suicide Sampler"
Yeah those kids at Buddyhead are dicks, but sometimes they're funny dicks. This disc has a lot of bands I dig.


Division of Laura Lee- "Das Not Compute"
I wasn't gonna ever get this CD, but after hearing some MP3's I was sold. Definitely better then their debut.


The Fucking Am- "Gold"
This is The Fucking Champs and Trans Am teaming up again. The first time was The Trans Champs and I liked what I heard on that. I haven't listened to this one yet, but I see it has that crazy ass drummer from the Mars Volta, Jon Theodore. That dude is insane.


Canyon- "self-titled"
This is Canyon's first release. This band reminds me of My Morning Jacket with their country psychedelic vibe. I dig it.