April 2006 Archives
News just making it into circulation: Dave Mahoney of MX-80 Sound has passed away. Certainly a lower profile passing than Nikki Sudden, but still worthy of a moment of silence (and then a skronkity run through "City of Fools").
Three live events in six weeks (and more record purchases than the past 2-3 years combined) ... I guess I'm getting back in the swing of the music scene.
Sticks and Stones (Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, 22 Apr 06)
I'm not quite sure how I missed Sticks and Stones back when they were ruling the roost in New Brunswick, considering that same period coincided with my heyday in the radio universe of central New Jersey (slightly to their south). As noted earlier, I certainly sat up and took notice once Pete transformed himself into "Jack Terricloth," frontman for the World/Inferno Friendship Society. Anyway, seems that Sticks and Stones started playing together a couple months back, after a decade apart. I was pleasantly surprised -- having forgotten that there was such a thing as "melodic hardcore" that didn't fall into the dreck of "emo." Excellent photos from the crowd, too (I'd share my own, but the Treo doesn't cut it in dim lighting), and previously unreleased music on the new sorta-official band site.
Adding to the overall scene and experience was the location. The last time I had been in this part of town, the Fastlane was still a viable (if sketchy) club where our radio station was somehow talked into sponsoring a night with Meat Beat Manifesto (a first-and-last experience for sure). I was flat-out astounded at what we saw in an effort to find Asbury Lanes, however -- block after block of total desolation. The building pictured to the right has been controversial in both its "life" and its death... it's due to be imploded on Sunday, April 30, as part of the nascent revitalization of the downtown area. At the same time, there are protests being organized protesting the exercise of eminent domain. [I don't really understand why anyone is complaining about abandoned and rundown buildings being replaced by some effort to restore a legitimate vacation spot (and perhaps bedroom community to NYC).]
Anyway, Asbury Lanes is the one business that still seems to be open on its block. They host "punk and bowl" nights and a variety of concerts, setting up the stage at the head of a couple lanes in the middle of the room. Many of the photos noted above came were taken while standing on a plywood box built over a ball-return. The decor is a heartfelt, non-ironic kind of kitsch that really only makes sense if you've spent time in blue-collar towns and cities in the northeast or Great Lakes region. And we topped it off the only way that makes sense -- a trip to the "mall of diners," Mastoris, and a meal in "The Mastor's Lounge." A vintage New Jersey night.
Wedding Present / Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves (Black Cat, WDC, 5 Mar 06)
This was my first show in DC and in the upstairs Black Cat since August 2002 (Mary Timony / Tsunami / Erase Errata -- "Ladyfest") and it was a freaking school night. Some things haven't changed much in the 12-13 years I've been attending shows at the Black Cat (fawning fanboys at the mersh table, hornrimmed glasses everywhere), but others have (fewer stripey t-shirts, and my being in the older half of the crowd).
Quick roundup from the world I used to inhabit, trademark law and its basic insanity.
Did you know that FLUFFERNUTTER was a trademark? I sorta remember that the label for the seemingly ever-present jar of Marshmallow Fluff had a variety of "circle-R" symbols, but not that clearly. Anyway, it seems that there's only one company that makes Fluff and they're rather defensive about Williams-Sonoma hitting the street with a candy bar named after a common after-school sandwich. Intellectual property law meets Fluff. (Boston Globe)
Not to be outdone in the slightly (or completely) crazed department, DC/Marvel Comics (the unholy survivor of a sad corporate saga from a few years back) has decided to claim exclusive rights in the term SUPER-HERO and is looking to block everyone else from using that term. The case against them is deceptively complex -- how would one prove that the term "super-hero" is not associated with DC or Marvel, or that the term does not designate the source of stories and comics and more ephemera (t-shirts, keyrings, etc.) than you can shake a stick at? Coverage from Slashdot and Boing Boing.
As reported over at Her Jazz, Philly's phinest reinterpretation of the Beasties is having a bit of trouble over at MySpace. Seems that someone isn't too keen on a MySpace profile titled "Yah Mos Def" -- unfortunately (as I noted in MTS' comments -- scroll WAY down the page) the other guy may have the superior claim.
To those who spent any time with the esteemed Theodor Geisel (a.k.a Dr. Seuss [flash site]) as a child, the next line is obvious:
... Red State, Blue State
And some poli-sci/sociologist types have decided to use that title to take a run at understanding where America is right now when it comes to culture and voting and whatnot... I believe more in the "urban archipelago" rather than ascribing traits to a state as a whole, but it's worth considering as the overall rhetorical climate continues to plummet (and that's before considering Tony Snow at the podium every day for the next 2+ years... I used to watch him on Fox News Sunday just to get the bile flowing.)
For your reading pleasure, we have the early blog version, the paper (PDF), commentary at Washington Monthly, a third-party take on the statistical analysis, and finally E.J. Dionne's Washington Post op-ed that brought the (now obvious) rhythmic title to my attention.
