Weekly Mondo Round-Up: The Rip it Up Edition

 “Edgy” could be one of the most overused adjectives in the history of cultural writing, along with “brilliant” and “understated.” Granted, I am as guilty as anyone else, but words are really just mere vessels for our intentions and ideas. One man's edgy is another one's boring and one of the things I have observed over the years is that most things labeled “edgy” are often the furthest thing from the truth. Sure, a lot of folks clamor for it, but when they actually get it, they will go out of their way to run from it. Case in point, lots of people wet their collective panties over Wes Anderson, an overly arch, white bread faux-indie filmmaker if ever there was one, but a guy like Alejandro Jodorowsky, a born & bred maverick, still has problems garnering funding for his projects. Then again, I'm someone who firmly believes in the adage, “Give the people what they deserve.” Any artist that honors that is someone who will always be my valentine. 

Speaking of which, I got to check out the Crass episode of the web series “The Art of Punk” and was instantly inspired by band founder Penny Rimbaud. Unlike some of the other episodes, you actually get to hear some of Crass' music as well as see the intense and vital visual side. Rimbaud is my kind of hippie. Mentally sharp, cranky and individualistic to his core, Rimbaud is as uncompromising now as he was in the 1970's. The other “Art of Punk” episodes are definitely worth checking out, including ones on Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys. The former is a super-gem thanks to some interview footage with the great Raymond Pettibon.

Going back to Rimbaud and Crass, I love it that one of the most seminal “punk” bands was founded by an older, commune living activist. Given how popular the phrase “never trust a hippie” was, there is something just so beautifully subversive about that. Not to mention, one thing that gets lost on a lot of folks is that punk originally was purely about DIY. Before it got codified by the mainstream and put in an “angry,skinny,white hetero male with spiky hair” box, punk was actually a musically diverse movement. In the UK alone, bands like Crass would have never been confused with say, The Damned or Big in Japan. Not just because Crass was so incredible, but because a lot of these bands stood out from the pack. The US scene was equal as well, with early proto-punk bands like The Stooges and later on, the massively underrated Destroy All Monsters, standing as unique giants along side bands like Suicide, the New York Dolls, The Fast and Jayne County.

One of the many reasons why I love the concert film”Urgh! A Music War”so much is that it is a semi-perfect document of punk and post-punk before it became completely signed, sealed and delivered by both the mainstream record companies, as well as the more sheep-like “fan”contingent. You have such equally great but different bands as Wall of Voodoo, The Cramps (those last two alone sealed my affection for the film), X, The Fleshtones, John Otway and the still incomparable after all these years, Skafish. (We'll just ignore the fact that UB40 is also in the film. Hey, the devil works in many ways.) 

Now more than ever, the air is ripe and the time is more than right for a new cultural revolution. Movements like Dada, the Beats and Punk have all laid out the groundwork to show us that it can be done. Like the song goes, let's rip it up and start again.

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Weekly Mondo Round-Up: Plan 9 From Las Vegas Edition

This has been one of the weeks where wanderlust has been striking me big time. (Note about myself, this happens every other week!) With the heat starting to creep up as the air grows denser, hitting the open road and going out West has never felt more appealing. Driving on the oil-stained highway, throwing on Department of Crooks' criminally underrated “Plan Nine from Las Vegas” and feeling the scorch of burned gas station coffee....it just sounds so perfect. The reality of such an excursion is not possible right now, but at least I have “Plan 9” and endless cups of strong Joe.

Dreams of pavement and open skies aside, I finished and posted a little article on Dangerous Minds about the formerly-lost, Canuxploitation film that combined flesh, fangs and very little filigree, entitled “Sexcula.” As a born and bred preservationist at heart, seeing anything that was originally written off as lost get found is a wonderful feeling. Plus, who doesn't love free loving vampires flashing the peace sign during coitus? It gives me some hope that a print of “Convention City” could still turn up. Dreaming is free.

The great thing, for me at least, about delving into titles like “Sexcula” is it gives me the chance to write and explore the types of cinema that a lot of film writers avoid like the plague. Which is really absurd. A lot of “serious” dramas that garner all sorts of awards are no less exploitative, in fact usually moreso, than most “skin flicks.” Manipulating audiences dramatically is too easy. Most people do not want to see sick children or their sad families, so both are easy elements to throw in. But to actually confront them with anything that truly takes them out of their comfort zone is both brilliant and extremely needed. The only kind of elitism I'll put up with usually involves one of two questions: a) Is the work good? b) Is it interesting?

Anything else usually borders on flat out snobbery and in some instances, cultural classism. Forget it. Who has time for that? 

Speaking of Department of Crooks, let me sing the joys of Marc Moreland. One of THE best guitarists you will ever hear and who will never get some cheesy cover or centerfold in any type of Guitar Monthly magazine. (Yet, if you're a metal guy that goes wheedly-wheedly-wee with your arpeggios, they will soil themselves to kingdom come.) For me the real sign of a genuinely great artist is their thumbprint and with everything that Moreland played on, you can instantly tell it is him. Blending such stellar influences like Ennio Morricone and Dick Dale into his own creative blender, there will never be another like the man. Best known for being in Wall of Voodoo, his side projects are also worth checking out, especially the aforementioned Department of Crooks and his final band, the Marc Moreland Mess.

And if all you know about Wall of Voodoo is “Mexican Radio,” then I beg you to please get your sweaty little mitts on a copy of “Seven Days in Sammystown.” The Andy Prieboy era of that band is brilliant and merits ample listening. 

Upcoming project wise, I'm about to work on a contribution for a special upcoming tribute to one of the greatest showmen in the history of film, as well as the usual one-two step review work. Stay tuned kittens.

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Wanderlust and Watchdogs

Ahoy sweet, sweet readers! Hope all of you are enjoying the Ides of March. There is something about the onset of Spring that makes me beyond yearn for a good sized road trip. Seeing different states emerge from Winter and figuring out if every single Waffle House this side of the South has a jukebox playing a song about Bert's Chili....ah the romance of the road!

Since, my present conditions are not terribly travel friendly, here's my ever growing and changing list of music to road trip to. Hey, sometimes living vicariously through art is better than not living at all. Starting with...

Anything and everything by The Gun Club & Jeffrey Lee Pierce. Seriously. This music is part of my DNA.





Speaking of incredible bands that have featured the awesome guitar hand of Kid Congo Powers, you must have The Cramps in your vehicle at all times.






Wall of Voodoo, both the Stan Ridgway & Andy Prieboy eras.

Marc Moreland was a true guitar legend.

The Tornados with the ultimate travel song, "Telestar." 

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If you're in dire need of some fabulous print reading and have great taste in cinema, then do yourself a favor and pick up the latest issue of Video Watchdog! Issue #161 features a sweet tribute to the late Jean Rollin, a thorough and thoroughly entertaining interview with Mimsy Farmer and my review of the Lydia Lunch film KISS NAPOLEON GOODBYE. What more can you want?