Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Fugazi "Red Medicine" June 12,1995 This album comes from one of the greatest bands of all time. These guys were all punk legends before Fugazi formed in 1987. Ian MacKaye, Guy Picciotto, and Brendan Canty were all members of D.C. punk bands that changed punk music...Fugazi carried on this tradition. I believe this is Fugazi's best album. I debated on "In on the Kill Taker" for this slot, but I think "Red Medicine" is just too moving. Musically speaking Fugazi stands alone in the punk world. Their unique blend of traditional punk riffs, melody, and lyrical exploration makes them true innovators and one of the greatest bands in music. Ian and Guy's guitar playing is the best two guitar mix in music period. It shows on this album. Their sounds clash, collide and then settle and sooth. On this album it is truly moving. "By You" is one of my favorite songs of all time. The guitar riff and Guy's light voice brings about one of the most emotionally moving songs I know. "Bed for the Scraping" shows Ian giving the best vocal performance of his career...and that's really saying something special. This album just moves you. The interludes work beautifully due to joe's warm and brilliant bass playing. I just can't say enough about this album. "Forensic Scene" is just as powerful to me as "By You." And of course the Fugazi classic "Long Distance Runner." For the most part, this album is an experimental art piece compared to other Fugazi releases. This album mostly features Guy singing. usually I'm a bigger fan of Ian songs, but this album changed all that. This album is nearly perfect. I can't believe I looked over before.Highs: "Do You Like Me?", "Bed for the Scraping", "Birthday Pony", "Forensic Scene", "By You", "Target", "Downed City", "Long Distance Runner".
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Lesser Pleasures
Reading Audrey Lorde got me thinking about levels of pleasure. She explains an "erotic" "joy" as a mixture of chaotic naturalist impulse and educated evaluation. I like this inception of pleasure... mixing intelligent evaluation with impulse. Of course this gets complicated when socialization stains our impulses with teachings and expectations (i.e. sexual desire and food). But the key is understanding your thought, ideas, and what gives you pleasure so you can act basically out of impulse due to the understanding you have formulated of yourself and your understanding of pleasure. Lorde eventually talks about pornography. Lorde states that porn recreates emotion but does so without any "feeling."
This obviously is true. Porn is a simulation lacking true experience and emotional involvement. So this seems to build a guideline for lesser pleasures. Those things which remove one's true ability to experience emotions become seemingly lesser pleasure. Porn simulates sex but does not directly engage the viewer. The viewer is an object in itself, at the will of the images shown... basically you can't control the porn from frame to frame therefore you are not directly involved or even choosing what comes next. Now I know we all enjoy our share of lesser pleasures and I'm certainly no different. My love for music could be scrutinized in this way, but there is an argument for music as not a lesser pleasure. I would only consider a lesser pleasure morally problematic only when 1. the lesser pleasure takes over a great deal of your time;as the center and only focus of your time. 2 the lesser pleasure severely removes the feeling self from the rational self. 3. the lesser pleasure is not seen as a lesser pleasure but as something morally defendable and pertinent.
1. Lesser pleasures are simulations of reality. they do not truly encompass the actual emotion charge that is necessary to give a true feeling of comprehensive satisfaction. The lesser pleasure is poorly thrown together as a mass product unwilling to compromise an of its parts to recognize a person as a whole. Its appeal is based around a single or few capacities of pleasure. Since it is aimed at lower and ultimately unfaciltating ideas of pleasure it should not be seen as a way to focus one's time. If one wishes to obtain a great deal of pleasure they are mistaken if they believe that a great deal of lesser pleasure will compensate for the lack of any true evaluated pleasure. Lesser pleasures can never reciprocate any type of incited emotion or pleasure properly. Thus the lesser pleasure objectifies the user providing no appreciation of emotional return. This inability to recognize pleasure, makes the lesser pleasures fall short of true experiencing erotic pleasure.
2. While lesser pleasures are largely an attempt to separate the self and engage it in a simulated emotional act, sometimes these separations are not fully acknowledged. A good example of this is video games. the game is modeled as a lesser pleasure. It creates unreal emotional circumstances without feeling and embraces the user as the guider of such false emotional direction. games can be pleasurable but when one takes the emotional state of the game or its competitive nature as true feeling one has clearly broken the contract of lesser pleasures. Lesser pleasures operate in a manner in which they are conceived with a great deal of impersonability. They are all exact replicas of one another designed for any consumer. So for a user to become emotionally attached (whether it be through anger, over determination, narcissism, etc.) to something designed to merely act as and upon you objectively is clearly a misunderstanding of the purposes of this lesser pleasure. Instead of enjoying its minor pleasure and simulations, taking it to true emotional expression is a bad way of understanding the objective relationship.
3. 1 and 2 tie into the idea that one may misunderstand a lesser pleasure as a form of true emotional experience. In this case the pleasure seeker knows nothing of the lesser pleasure and finds it to be the foremost pleasure of one's life. this problem varies from person to person but in all cases the lesser pleasures become a key ingredient to the manner in which the person experiences pleasure. Therefore their base f pleasure is constructed around a system meant to simulate emotion and doing it without being able to engage true feeling. There is so much separation and control involved that one is not meant to be morally encompassing. Allowing such unemotionally sincere lesser pleasures to dictate pleasure understanding is to allow an object with no emotional capacity or human understanding to manipulate the social perception of satisfaction and enjoyment. something the lesser pleasure can never know anything of or about.
I'm not an advocate for telling people how they should find pleasure but there are some serious cultural issues that should be evaluated by our society. Such things have been termed as excess culture or "excremental culture." In these cases ideas of self are sold and manipulated by manufacturers of lesser pleasures. these things are time consuming and act as opiates for the population. Just something to think about. I have some work to do myself here and there but lesser pleasures are not necessarily bad, but they are bad if not correctly recognized as such. The key to recognizing these lesser pleasures is seeing that these models do not have the capacity to comprehend human emotion. Thus subjecting one's emotional state to such systems is to leave one's emotional understanding to a non-rational and unreasoning object.
This obviously is true. Porn is a simulation lacking true experience and emotional involvement. So this seems to build a guideline for lesser pleasures. Those things which remove one's true ability to experience emotions become seemingly lesser pleasure. Porn simulates sex but does not directly engage the viewer. The viewer is an object in itself, at the will of the images shown... basically you can't control the porn from frame to frame therefore you are not directly involved or even choosing what comes next. Now I know we all enjoy our share of lesser pleasures and I'm certainly no different. My love for music could be scrutinized in this way, but there is an argument for music as not a lesser pleasure. I would only consider a lesser pleasure morally problematic only when 1. the lesser pleasure takes over a great deal of your time;as the center and only focus of your time. 2 the lesser pleasure severely removes the feeling self from the rational self. 3. the lesser pleasure is not seen as a lesser pleasure but as something morally defendable and pertinent.
1. Lesser pleasures are simulations of reality. they do not truly encompass the actual emotion charge that is necessary to give a true feeling of comprehensive satisfaction. The lesser pleasure is poorly thrown together as a mass product unwilling to compromise an of its parts to recognize a person as a whole. Its appeal is based around a single or few capacities of pleasure. Since it is aimed at lower and ultimately unfaciltating ideas of pleasure it should not be seen as a way to focus one's time. If one wishes to obtain a great deal of pleasure they are mistaken if they believe that a great deal of lesser pleasure will compensate for the lack of any true evaluated pleasure. Lesser pleasures can never reciprocate any type of incited emotion or pleasure properly. Thus the lesser pleasure objectifies the user providing no appreciation of emotional return. This inability to recognize pleasure, makes the lesser pleasures fall short of true experiencing erotic pleasure.
2. While lesser pleasures are largely an attempt to separate the self and engage it in a simulated emotional act, sometimes these separations are not fully acknowledged. A good example of this is video games. the game is modeled as a lesser pleasure. It creates unreal emotional circumstances without feeling and embraces the user as the guider of such false emotional direction. games can be pleasurable but when one takes the emotional state of the game or its competitive nature as true feeling one has clearly broken the contract of lesser pleasures. Lesser pleasures operate in a manner in which they are conceived with a great deal of impersonability. They are all exact replicas of one another designed for any consumer. So for a user to become emotionally attached (whether it be through anger, over determination, narcissism, etc.) to something designed to merely act as and upon you objectively is clearly a misunderstanding of the purposes of this lesser pleasure. Instead of enjoying its minor pleasure and simulations, taking it to true emotional expression is a bad way of understanding the objective relationship.
3. 1 and 2 tie into the idea that one may misunderstand a lesser pleasure as a form of true emotional experience. In this case the pleasure seeker knows nothing of the lesser pleasure and finds it to be the foremost pleasure of one's life. this problem varies from person to person but in all cases the lesser pleasures become a key ingredient to the manner in which the person experiences pleasure. Therefore their base f pleasure is constructed around a system meant to simulate emotion and doing it without being able to engage true feeling. There is so much separation and control involved that one is not meant to be morally encompassing. Allowing such unemotionally sincere lesser pleasures to dictate pleasure understanding is to allow an object with no emotional capacity or human understanding to manipulate the social perception of satisfaction and enjoyment. something the lesser pleasure can never know anything of or about.
I'm not an advocate for telling people how they should find pleasure but there are some serious cultural issues that should be evaluated by our society. Such things have been termed as excess culture or "excremental culture." In these cases ideas of self are sold and manipulated by manufacturers of lesser pleasures. these things are time consuming and act as opiates for the population. Just something to think about. I have some work to do myself here and there but lesser pleasures are not necessarily bad, but they are bad if not correctly recognized as such. The key to recognizing these lesser pleasures is seeing that these models do not have the capacity to comprehend human emotion. Thus subjecting one's emotional state to such systems is to leave one's emotional understanding to a non-rational and unreasoning object.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
90's Progressive Rock to me
This is my list of the top 10 albums in the 90's progressive rock movement as I see it. Of course these are all some of my favorite albums. I believe they best encompass what I think of when considering the best rock of the 1990's. This list is biased. It is a reflection of what I perceive 90's rock to be and the most important albums of the era. Everyone of these albums is a must listen to type of album. These albums shaped my idea of 90's rock and set the stage for alot of my expectations and ideals of music. This is the best decade in music.
10. Refused "The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts" 1998 In this album Refused takes punk music and completely reevaluates its purpose and sound. While still being fundamentally punk, Refused reformulates the wheel giving it new life, and ultimately new hope. The album is musically diverse: songs are longer and vary in tone. The overall theme of the album however is this lyrically and musically expressed sentiment of change. The band openly criticizes stylistic punk while still realizing that they themselves are a part of it. This album is a masterpiece and a cry to a culture to reinvent itself and find true change, not merely manufactured duplications. And they are communists...Highs: Liberation Frequency, The Deadly Rhythm, Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine, New Noise, Refused Party Program, The Shape of Punk to Come, Refused Are Fucking Dead, Tannhauser/Derive
9. Slipknot "Slipknot" 1999 This album blew me away the first time I heard it. It was the hardest album I had ever heard in my life. The unique thing about early Slipknot is their ability to drive the music in another world of fierceness and abhorring anguish. Slipknot removes you from the listener's seat and places your emotions into the song... interwoven with the pain and frustrations that seems to resonate throughout this album. I think it is a masterpiece of American metal. I use it often to cope with despair. The album, as well as 2001's Iowa, depicts a narrative of musical and lyrical raging despair and decay. It's quite beautifully done.Highs: (Sic), Eyeless, Wait and Bleed, Surfacing, Spit It Out, Liberate, No Life, Liberate, Scissors, Eeyore.
8. Bad Religion "Against the Grain" 1990 Bad Religion... the most intelligent and long lasting band in punk. This is probably their second best album and that's saying something. Greg's lyrics are just as distinct as his voice. This album takes you on a ride through satire and hope stopping along the way at various political and social observations. Get a dictionary though... you'll need it. Greg's vocabulary is far beyond the average bear’s. This album transcends punk stereotypes and brings about an expressive driving punk album full of useful knowledge. It's faced paced, political, atheist, and from one of the most influential bands in punk music.Highs: Anesthesia, Modern Man, Turn on the Light, The Positive Aspect of Negative Thinking, Faith Alone, Walk Away, 21st Century (Digital Boy)
7. Nirvana "In Utero" 1993 Of course Nirvana makes the list but I’d say the best representation of Nirvana is, in fact, In Utero. It's much more aggressive then Nevermind and really maps its course with lyrical metaphor and heavy distortion. Again, an artistic feel is much more present on this album then previous Nirvana releases. Kurt's voice chills me on this album. It's as if they did it all in one take... that has really left an impression on me. The album appears to be exactly that first run through. Something is quite appealing about that... something very sincere.Highs: Rape Me, Heartshaped Box, Dumb, Milk It, All Apologies, tourette's, Very Ape, Scentless Apprentice.
6. Propagandhi "How to Clean Everything" 1993 To me this is the incarnation of 90's punk music. It is done hard, fast, anrgy, and with plenty of hooks. This album is in your face from beginning to end. These guys lyrically challenge every nook and cranny of capitalism, nation-states, patriarchy, war, and white arrogance. Lots of profanity. This album really excited me when I first heard it. Not only did it fulfill everything that I thought punk should be, but it also echoed my political and social beliefs almost to a T. Chris Hannah's guitar playing is perfect to me. The way he uses his breaks make this album.... that and the lyrical "fuck you" it sends to the power that controls the world.Highs:Anti-Manifesto, Showdown, Stick the Fucking Flag up Your Goddamn Ass, you Sonofabitch, Hate, Myth, Muscle, Etiquette Haille Sellasse, Up Your Ass,Who Will Help Me Bake This Bread?
5. Rage Against the Machine "Evil Empire" 1996 How could you leave off a staple band of 90's rock? I like this album best from them because it is largely a rock album... lessening the hip hop influence present on their other studio albums. You have to love the awareness of this socialist influenced quartet. Tom's guitar is at its best here. His versatility and genius really shows. The album is well written and collects a bunch of songs that all together attack wealth, property, excess, and capitalist oppression. Of course I love it. The hip hop tones are still present, which is reoccurring in many popular 90's rock. This album just gets me excited really. Great fucking album.Highs: Revolver, People of the Sun, Vietnow, Bulls on Parade, Tire Me, Down Rodeo, Snakecharmer.
4. Marilyn Manson "Antichrist Superstar" 1996 I'm a huge Manson fan. This album shows why. Not only was it unexpected success among goth and mainstream culture alike, but it brought atheism, androgyny, and cultural criticisms to the forefront of many sectors of 90's rock. Shock rock was the new term. This album is an artistic nightmare of self actualization and personal demons. It lyrically and musically highlights the haunting images of upbringings, culture, and desire that seem inescapable in human life. Manson's voice seeps through these tracks with haunting presence and intense emotion. The mix between industrial art and hard rock is brought to you courtesy of album producer Trent Reznor. The album is hauntingly poetic and eerie at every turn. It is one of my favorite albums of all time and would recommend it to anyone who is willing to bend their concept of music. This album really touched me on so many levels. Don't let the visual shock value blur the fact that this album is a true conceptual piece of art... in everyway Highs: Tourniquet, The Beautiful People, Irresponsible Hate Anthem, Dried Up, Tied Up, and Dead to the World, Little Horn, Wormboy, Mister Superstar, Kinderfeld, Angel With the Scabbed Wings, 1996, Minute of Decay, The Reflecting God.
3. Nine Inch Nails "The Downward Spiral" 1994 This album is one of the greatest albums of all time. This album, as well as all other Nine Inch Nails' albums, redefined the boundaries of my concept of music. The music is ground breaking and the concept is too. The art of the album represented the entire atmosphere of the album. The Downward Spiral takes you or a self-loathing ride into personal destruction and a sense of pain that is never been conveyed to me better in any other form of art. Trent's voice is intensely painful throughout this entire album. Through, the music, lyrics, and flow Nine Inch Nails creates the closest synonym for human self alienation and disintegration that runs hauntingly close to consuming your mind. This album doesn't just create a mood... it creates one that sharply penetrates you at some points, and seeps into at others. It's an album of hopelessness. It's unmatched in conveying its theme. This album and everything associated with it are high forms of art.Highs: This album must be listened to as a whole. There is no other way to truly understand and experience it.
2. Tool "Ænima" 1996 This, to me, is the greatest album ever made. However it does not fully encompass all elements of 90's rock. This album changed music for me. Tool is characterized for their deep meaning, odd time signatures, and their ability to create true art in everything they do. Ænima is the pinnacle of Tool's work. The album challenges the listener to remove all previous concepts of musical "entertainment" and become part of the fabric and atmosphere of it. Through their lyrics AND music, Tool achieves what no other band does: they create an encompassing atmosphere... you don't listen to Tool... you experience it. This album IS a mood. From the opening track to the last beat (if you allow it) your mind is taken on a spiral through various true works of music. This album breaks all the conceptual rules of popular music fashion. 4/4 timing, 3:30 time length, and easy to comprehend lyrics all become instances of a lesser musical expression. Tool rises above all these elements as they utilize every instrument, every note, every word as a vehicle. A vehicle of meticulous expression. Adam's riffs are on q and never excessive... Danny's eastern style drumming brings a spirituality...Justin's bass transcends normal rhythm bridges and becomes a haunting tone that glides through both the guitar and drums... all this is capped off by the poetic and ambiguous lyrics and the most beautiful voice in the world. Maynard perfectly accents all these elements and finalizes the ever piece to perfection. To me this album is perfect and beautiful.Highs: The album is one piece... there is no other way to experience it.
1. Deftones "Around the Fur" 1997 This is 90's progressive rock incarnate to me. It encompasses elements of every album on this list: hardcore, metal, artistic, expressive, powerful, hip hop and it's from a California band. I mean this album is want I imagine alot of the 90's rock movement being. California artistic decay... but a beautiful one. Deftones bring a driving album full of metal and mellow in their unique blend of progressive art rock. The drums on this album set the tone. Stephen's guitar playing is minimally heavy... very heavy while Abe's drumming seems to be taking a different course.... Chino's voice then seeps through at points and then explodes at others. His voice trumps Manson's eerie tones and blows away Corey Taylor's fierceness. Chino is so versatile and it shows here. Some tracks are distinctly melodic. Others bridge the gap between metal, hardcore, and mellow ambience. This album just makes me want to lower my head, close my eyes softly, and just mouth the words. The elements present here ARE 90's progressive rock to me.
10. Refused "The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts" 1998 In this album Refused takes punk music and completely reevaluates its purpose and sound. While still being fundamentally punk, Refused reformulates the wheel giving it new life, and ultimately new hope. The album is musically diverse: songs are longer and vary in tone. The overall theme of the album however is this lyrically and musically expressed sentiment of change. The band openly criticizes stylistic punk while still realizing that they themselves are a part of it. This album is a masterpiece and a cry to a culture to reinvent itself and find true change, not merely manufactured duplications. And they are communists...Highs: Liberation Frequency, The Deadly Rhythm, Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine, New Noise, Refused Party Program, The Shape of Punk to Come, Refused Are Fucking Dead, Tannhauser/Derive
9. Slipknot "Slipknot" 1999 This album blew me away the first time I heard it. It was the hardest album I had ever heard in my life. The unique thing about early Slipknot is their ability to drive the music in another world of fierceness and abhorring anguish. Slipknot removes you from the listener's seat and places your emotions into the song... interwoven with the pain and frustrations that seems to resonate throughout this album. I think it is a masterpiece of American metal. I use it often to cope with despair. The album, as well as 2001's Iowa, depicts a narrative of musical and lyrical raging despair and decay. It's quite beautifully done.Highs: (Sic), Eyeless, Wait and Bleed, Surfacing, Spit It Out, Liberate, No Life, Liberate, Scissors, Eeyore.
8. Bad Religion "Against the Grain" 1990 Bad Religion... the most intelligent and long lasting band in punk. This is probably their second best album and that's saying something. Greg's lyrics are just as distinct as his voice. This album takes you on a ride through satire and hope stopping along the way at various political and social observations. Get a dictionary though... you'll need it. Greg's vocabulary is far beyond the average bear’s. This album transcends punk stereotypes and brings about an expressive driving punk album full of useful knowledge. It's faced paced, political, atheist, and from one of the most influential bands in punk music.Highs: Anesthesia, Modern Man, Turn on the Light, The Positive Aspect of Negative Thinking, Faith Alone, Walk Away, 21st Century (Digital Boy)
7. Nirvana "In Utero" 1993 Of course Nirvana makes the list but I’d say the best representation of Nirvana is, in fact, In Utero. It's much more aggressive then Nevermind and really maps its course with lyrical metaphor and heavy distortion. Again, an artistic feel is much more present on this album then previous Nirvana releases. Kurt's voice chills me on this album. It's as if they did it all in one take... that has really left an impression on me. The album appears to be exactly that first run through. Something is quite appealing about that... something very sincere.Highs: Rape Me, Heartshaped Box, Dumb, Milk It, All Apologies, tourette's, Very Ape, Scentless Apprentice.
6. Propagandhi "How to Clean Everything" 1993 To me this is the incarnation of 90's punk music. It is done hard, fast, anrgy, and with plenty of hooks. This album is in your face from beginning to end. These guys lyrically challenge every nook and cranny of capitalism, nation-states, patriarchy, war, and white arrogance. Lots of profanity. This album really excited me when I first heard it. Not only did it fulfill everything that I thought punk should be, but it also echoed my political and social beliefs almost to a T. Chris Hannah's guitar playing is perfect to me. The way he uses his breaks make this album.... that and the lyrical "fuck you" it sends to the power that controls the world.Highs:Anti-Manifesto, Showdown, Stick the Fucking Flag up Your Goddamn Ass, you Sonofabitch, Hate, Myth, Muscle, Etiquette Haille Sellasse, Up Your Ass,Who Will Help Me Bake This Bread?
5. Rage Against the Machine "Evil Empire" 1996 How could you leave off a staple band of 90's rock? I like this album best from them because it is largely a rock album... lessening the hip hop influence present on their other studio albums. You have to love the awareness of this socialist influenced quartet. Tom's guitar is at its best here. His versatility and genius really shows. The album is well written and collects a bunch of songs that all together attack wealth, property, excess, and capitalist oppression. Of course I love it. The hip hop tones are still present, which is reoccurring in many popular 90's rock. This album just gets me excited really. Great fucking album.Highs: Revolver, People of the Sun, Vietnow, Bulls on Parade, Tire Me, Down Rodeo, Snakecharmer.
4. Marilyn Manson "Antichrist Superstar" 1996 I'm a huge Manson fan. This album shows why. Not only was it unexpected success among goth and mainstream culture alike, but it brought atheism, androgyny, and cultural criticisms to the forefront of many sectors of 90's rock. Shock rock was the new term. This album is an artistic nightmare of self actualization and personal demons. It lyrically and musically highlights the haunting images of upbringings, culture, and desire that seem inescapable in human life. Manson's voice seeps through these tracks with haunting presence and intense emotion. The mix between industrial art and hard rock is brought to you courtesy of album producer Trent Reznor. The album is hauntingly poetic and eerie at every turn. It is one of my favorite albums of all time and would recommend it to anyone who is willing to bend their concept of music. This album really touched me on so many levels. Don't let the visual shock value blur the fact that this album is a true conceptual piece of art... in everyway Highs: Tourniquet, The Beautiful People, Irresponsible Hate Anthem, Dried Up, Tied Up, and Dead to the World, Little Horn, Wormboy, Mister Superstar, Kinderfeld, Angel With the Scabbed Wings, 1996, Minute of Decay, The Reflecting God.
3. Nine Inch Nails "The Downward Spiral" 1994 This album is one of the greatest albums of all time. This album, as well as all other Nine Inch Nails' albums, redefined the boundaries of my concept of music. The music is ground breaking and the concept is too. The art of the album represented the entire atmosphere of the album. The Downward Spiral takes you or a self-loathing ride into personal destruction and a sense of pain that is never been conveyed to me better in any other form of art. Trent's voice is intensely painful throughout this entire album. Through, the music, lyrics, and flow Nine Inch Nails creates the closest synonym for human self alienation and disintegration that runs hauntingly close to consuming your mind. This album doesn't just create a mood... it creates one that sharply penetrates you at some points, and seeps into at others. It's an album of hopelessness. It's unmatched in conveying its theme. This album and everything associated with it are high forms of art.Highs: This album must be listened to as a whole. There is no other way to truly understand and experience it.
2. Tool "Ænima" 1996 This, to me, is the greatest album ever made. However it does not fully encompass all elements of 90's rock. This album changed music for me. Tool is characterized for their deep meaning, odd time signatures, and their ability to create true art in everything they do. Ænima is the pinnacle of Tool's work. The album challenges the listener to remove all previous concepts of musical "entertainment" and become part of the fabric and atmosphere of it. Through their lyrics AND music, Tool achieves what no other band does: they create an encompassing atmosphere... you don't listen to Tool... you experience it. This album IS a mood. From the opening track to the last beat (if you allow it) your mind is taken on a spiral through various true works of music. This album breaks all the conceptual rules of popular music fashion. 4/4 timing, 3:30 time length, and easy to comprehend lyrics all become instances of a lesser musical expression. Tool rises above all these elements as they utilize every instrument, every note, every word as a vehicle. A vehicle of meticulous expression. Adam's riffs are on q and never excessive... Danny's eastern style drumming brings a spirituality...Justin's bass transcends normal rhythm bridges and becomes a haunting tone that glides through both the guitar and drums... all this is capped off by the poetic and ambiguous lyrics and the most beautiful voice in the world. Maynard perfectly accents all these elements and finalizes the ever piece to perfection. To me this album is perfect and beautiful.Highs: The album is one piece... there is no other way to experience it.
1. Deftones "Around the Fur" 1997 This is 90's progressive rock incarnate to me. It encompasses elements of every album on this list: hardcore, metal, artistic, expressive, powerful, hip hop and it's from a California band. I mean this album is want I imagine alot of the 90's rock movement being. California artistic decay... but a beautiful one. Deftones bring a driving album full of metal and mellow in their unique blend of progressive art rock. The drums on this album set the tone. Stephen's guitar playing is minimally heavy... very heavy while Abe's drumming seems to be taking a different course.... Chino's voice then seeps through at points and then explodes at others. His voice trumps Manson's eerie tones and blows away Corey Taylor's fierceness. Chino is so versatile and it shows here. Some tracks are distinctly melodic. Others bridge the gap between metal, hardcore, and mellow ambience. This album just makes me want to lower my head, close my eyes softly, and just mouth the words. The elements present here ARE 90's progressive rock to me.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Blink 182's Self-Titled
Ok if you keep up with my little blurbs and shit then you know that i've been looking into the 90's punk revival pop punk off shoot. I started with Blink 182's first two albums and got their first demo. Honestly I was really impressed by it. So I wanted to measure the transformation. So I checked out their final album released in 2003. In high school I remember a couple of people swearing by this album. So here it is...
This album was a major departure from older Blink albums for sure. Even their pop hits were still in the tradition of old songs such as "Wasting Time" and "Dammit." This album nearly abandons all past efforts in an attempt to seemingly reinvent the band. the album is conceptual focusing largely on an overlying sense of tragic loss and personal remembrance. The album is largely dictated by Tom, which is a good thing trust me. The songs aren't as focused on adolescence as all their previous albums. All the jokes and stunts were cut for this album. that, honestly, is what helps make this album so great. Tom seems to direct the band through this dense sound of interlocking vocal bursts combined with Travis' stepped up drumming. Tom's voice is amazing on this album... It definitely gives the album the tragic feel as previously described while still marinating your interest with a slight tone of hope. Songs like "Stockholm Syndrome" and "Violence" really set the tone for this album along with "All of This" featuring Robert Smith from The Cure.
Overall this is a great album. The band really reinvented themselves with this release. i wrote this band off for song long on the basis of their popularity and business choices. While I still hate capitalized music, I find myself generally enjoying this work. I mean fuck it. I like it. I'm impressed.
Highlights:"Stockholm Syndrome"(My Favorite), "Violence", "I Miss You", "obvious", "Go", "Feeling This", "Down", "Easy Target"
Lows: "Always", "Here's Your Letter", "I'm Lost Without You"
This album was a major departure from older Blink albums for sure. Even their pop hits were still in the tradition of old songs such as "Wasting Time" and "Dammit." This album nearly abandons all past efforts in an attempt to seemingly reinvent the band. the album is conceptual focusing largely on an overlying sense of tragic loss and personal remembrance. The album is largely dictated by Tom, which is a good thing trust me. The songs aren't as focused on adolescence as all their previous albums. All the jokes and stunts were cut for this album. that, honestly, is what helps make this album so great. Tom seems to direct the band through this dense sound of interlocking vocal bursts combined with Travis' stepped up drumming. Tom's voice is amazing on this album... It definitely gives the album the tragic feel as previously described while still marinating your interest with a slight tone of hope. Songs like "Stockholm Syndrome" and "Violence" really set the tone for this album along with "All of This" featuring Robert Smith from The Cure.
Overall this is a great album. The band really reinvented themselves with this release. i wrote this band off for song long on the basis of their popularity and business choices. While I still hate capitalized music, I find myself generally enjoying this work. I mean fuck it. I like it. I'm impressed.
Highlights:"Stockholm Syndrome"(My Favorite), "Violence", "I Miss You", "obvious", "Go", "Feeling This", "Down", "Easy Target"
Lows: "Always", "Here's Your Letter", "I'm Lost Without You"
Monday, October 27, 2008
Experience
I believe that there is a difference between living and experiencing a life. Living seems much more muddled and mechanical. Merely breathing is living but it is not experiencing. To actually experience things there seems to be a need for detailed comprehension of the things that exist in the world. It seems to me that this comprehension must be relatively quickly understood as well. For example: last night I saw a stray cat. There was so much to that cat though. I imagined its life and began to envy its freedom. It was simple and graceful. Its mind was not cluttered with career ambitions, social expectation, pain, anxiety, or the fear of the gradual deconstruction of its species existence. All this went through my mind rather quickly and I smiled. I think I experienced that cat. I didn't just perceive it. I saw it more then just an object or a response to sensory scientific vision.
I think people would be more calm and relaxed if they truly attempted to experience and understand the things around them. It's a very selfless ideal. It seems hard to convince people in our culture to view each other in such wholistic and comprehensive terms let alone a tree or a cat. The thing is that you don't have to even be in the situation to experience it. You can remove yourself into a vivid memory and truly experience the things you may have overlooked. Simple things like a song, a smell, or a certain atmosphere. All these things seem to be common ways people actually experience things. It's extremely disheartening when you realize how far certain people are from understanding or appreciating this type of experiencing view. Sometimes I do and write things as a type of art, to merely relay my attitudes and ideas.... even my experiences. The distortion of such ideas into personal attack is quite off base. I'm merely living and trying to recall the times that I actually did more then inhale... the times that seemed worth it.
I think people would be more calm and relaxed if they truly attempted to experience and understand the things around them. It's a very selfless ideal. It seems hard to convince people in our culture to view each other in such wholistic and comprehensive terms let alone a tree or a cat. The thing is that you don't have to even be in the situation to experience it. You can remove yourself into a vivid memory and truly experience the things you may have overlooked. Simple things like a song, a smell, or a certain atmosphere. All these things seem to be common ways people actually experience things. It's extremely disheartening when you realize how far certain people are from understanding or appreciating this type of experiencing view. Sometimes I do and write things as a type of art, to merely relay my attitudes and ideas.... even my experiences. The distortion of such ideas into personal attack is quite off base. I'm merely living and trying to recall the times that I actually did more then inhale... the times that seemed worth it.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Military training culture and service sector culture and socialization
i want to do work on these topics someday
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Album Review: Blink 182's Cheshire Cat
A conversation with Shane at work got me to check this album out. We were discussing the '90's punk revival and got on the subject of the movements worst consequences: heavily capitalized pop-punk. Such bands as Green Day, Lit, and of course Blink 182 quickly came to mind. The manufactured presentation of this type of music made them perfect for college movie themes and feel good pop rock. Shane, however, professed that some of these bands had started out as legitimate punk bands. So i thought I'd delve in and do some research.
Cheshire Cat is Blink 182's first 'in studio' album on Cargo Music records. It was released on February 14, 1994... long before such agitating pop hits as 'All the Small Things.' While a good deal of this album can be found on their first self recorded album Buddha, Blink 182 (called simply Blink when this album was recorded) expanded on their sound and energy on Cheshire Cat. The album begins with a great track in 'Carousel.' The song has alot on energy and is just a well written song. From there the album muddles through a couple of OK tracks before hitting 'Peggy Sue' which shows Blink's concern with subject matter greater then adolescent love. This song addresses personal deviation and following your heart. I have a soft spot for these types of songs. Anyone who is in support of personal exploration and breaking away from the usual game of respect and subordination is doing something positive in my book. From here the album tends to pick up and stay strong. Overall I think the album is good. I really connect with some of the tracks. Especially 'T.V.' While i generally like Tom's songs more, Mark comes out with a great track criticizing television obsession. They definitely got it right with this song.
The album is raw and generally undoctored unlike later releases. This makes the album seem much more sincere. The album has a feel good positive vibe that highlights the band's pop tendencies. However I'd say this album is much too raw and traditionally punk to be considered a pop album.
In general i was pleasantly surprised to really enjoy this album. I wish more of their stuff was more along the attitudes expressed in this album.
Highlight: Carousel, Sometimes, T.V., Toast an Bananas, Romeo and Rebecca, Does My Breath Smell?, Peggy Sue
Low Points: M+M's, Ben Wah Balls, Depends, Cacophony
Cheshire Cat is Blink 182's first 'in studio' album on Cargo Music records. It was released on February 14, 1994... long before such agitating pop hits as 'All the Small Things.' While a good deal of this album can be found on their first self recorded album Buddha, Blink 182 (called simply Blink when this album was recorded) expanded on their sound and energy on Cheshire Cat. The album begins with a great track in 'Carousel.' The song has alot on energy and is just a well written song. From there the album muddles through a couple of OK tracks before hitting 'Peggy Sue' which shows Blink's concern with subject matter greater then adolescent love. This song addresses personal deviation and following your heart. I have a soft spot for these types of songs. Anyone who is in support of personal exploration and breaking away from the usual game of respect and subordination is doing something positive in my book. From here the album tends to pick up and stay strong. Overall I think the album is good. I really connect with some of the tracks. Especially 'T.V.' While i generally like Tom's songs more, Mark comes out with a great track criticizing television obsession. They definitely got it right with this song.
The album is raw and generally undoctored unlike later releases. This makes the album seem much more sincere. The album has a feel good positive vibe that highlights the band's pop tendencies. However I'd say this album is much too raw and traditionally punk to be considered a pop album.
In general i was pleasantly surprised to really enjoy this album. I wish more of their stuff was more along the attitudes expressed in this album.
Highlight: Carousel, Sometimes, T.V., Toast an Bananas, Romeo and Rebecca, Does My Breath Smell?, Peggy Sue
Low Points: M+M's, Ben Wah Balls, Depends, Cacophony
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tonight driving back from work, the reflections of the street lights reminded me of red and green lightsabers.I blame Carl, he's on a star wars kick so it's re-peaked my interest. it was disappointing to be in the rain all day. I was looking for something better out of today. A little league football team had their trophy ceremony at CiCi's tonight.
it was a true insight to the "parent culture." When I played little league sports I always felt a sense of competition between the parents of my teammates. like who was the most involved parent. Things haven't changed much. The parents in this group were no different. I could even pick myself out among these kids... like who i was most like as a kid and whose mom was like mine. The parent child combination was an essential part of this system. Not only was the competition present between the parents, but also the children. The coach's son is usually held i higher regard. In this culture it is key to understand something about it's individual disconnection. Our cultural attitudes lend us to lose a sense of self in marriage or parenthood. We are expected to place the self in the shadows of "family." Men are allowed more "individual" characteristics at the marriage level; football, beer, a not too numerous friend base. But even these "individual" characteristics are highly scripted and understood to be truths among the parent culture. So it is all part of the process. In losing one's self to parenting or marriage one's attitudes of "individuality" and "freedom" change as well. No longer is living without set relationship standards or separate housing even considered as a possible freedom in this parent culture. The rules are set and thus the football Sundays become just as much a part of the lose of self as conceding to one living quarters as part of the "family" expectation.
The rules of the parent culture are strict and culturally expected. Even if a child is raised by a single mother or father, she/he is still looked at as being "deprived" by not having access to two parents. this "parent culture" is kept between isolated couples kept generally at arms length from other couples by putting kids first (in all aspects of life; for many the child's schedule runs the parents life), limiting personal freedom within the parameters of the spouse, completely gender roles, making "kid talk" with either parents, etc. "Parent culture" is strict business, as are many cultural sects.
it was a true insight to the "parent culture." When I played little league sports I always felt a sense of competition between the parents of my teammates. like who was the most involved parent. Things haven't changed much. The parents in this group were no different. I could even pick myself out among these kids... like who i was most like as a kid and whose mom was like mine. The parent child combination was an essential part of this system. Not only was the competition present between the parents, but also the children. The coach's son is usually held i higher regard. In this culture it is key to understand something about it's individual disconnection. Our cultural attitudes lend us to lose a sense of self in marriage or parenthood. We are expected to place the self in the shadows of "family." Men are allowed more "individual" characteristics at the marriage level; football, beer, a not too numerous friend base. But even these "individual" characteristics are highly scripted and understood to be truths among the parent culture. So it is all part of the process. In losing one's self to parenting or marriage one's attitudes of "individuality" and "freedom" change as well. No longer is living without set relationship standards or separate housing even considered as a possible freedom in this parent culture. The rules are set and thus the football Sundays become just as much a part of the lose of self as conceding to one living quarters as part of the "family" expectation.
The rules of the parent culture are strict and culturally expected. Even if a child is raised by a single mother or father, she/he is still looked at as being "deprived" by not having access to two parents. this "parent culture" is kept between isolated couples kept generally at arms length from other couples by putting kids first (in all aspects of life; for many the child's schedule runs the parents life), limiting personal freedom within the parameters of the spouse, completely gender roles, making "kid talk" with either parents, etc. "Parent culture" is strict business, as are many cultural sects.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Night Life (Thurs. 10/24/08)
Got off work
went to chop's
great fun talking about work and life
piloted my way home
the ants took carl
blink 182's 'Dick Lips' is good
nachos again and that's not bad
apparently the guy on the couch from half baked has a stand up cd
Nice night
went to chop's
great fun talking about work and life
piloted my way home
the ants took carl
blink 182's 'Dick Lips' is good
nachos again and that's not bad
apparently the guy on the couch from half baked has a stand up cd
Nice night
Friday, October 17, 2008
one for old times sake
Something compelled me to play Nine Inch Nail's album The Fragile yesterday on my drive to school. It's sad to admit that I really hadn't listen to that album or much other Nine Inch Nails in some time. As soon as it started playing my mind just drifted off. It was like living a memory. A very comforting one. The mood and atmosphere was just right. It felt like it 2005 again... just driving with friends... laughing and dreaming... foot prints on the dashboard and a type of relaxation that I didn't seem to appreciate at the time... I think my oldest friends can recall this too. all our conversations spoken to the background of Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Deftones, and Marilyn Manson. It just took me back to a different time... and i felt calm.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Against Me! Cincinnati 10/14/08
Last night was the Against Me! Show at Bogart's that I’ve been in anticipation of for some time. It didn't disappoint. We were up front, right in front of Tom. The energy was great and the band was really on.
The night started rough when some drunken guy brought up two girls and squeezed their way between me and Carl. It was bullshit. It was so frustrating being beside them. They obviously had no idea or care about the true content of Against Me!'s political and social messages. Luckily a couple that did help us work them away so that we were back up front. We had some minor words with the drunks then found ways to push them away. After that ordeal the rest of the night was relatively great. We got some water from Tom, 3 of Warren's drumsticks, and an amazing heartfelt show.
It was a huge release. Therapeutic to say the least. When Sink, Florid, Sink was on I felt so calmed. It was much needed
I guess they still do believe in Reinventing Axl Rose.
Set List (No particular order)
Cliché Guevara
Sink, Florida, Sink
Americans Abroad
White People for Peace
Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart
Stop!
New Wave
Miami
From Her Lips to God’s Ears (The Energizer)
Pretty Girls (The Mover)
Don’t Lose Touch
T.S.R. (This Shit Rules)
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
We Laugh At Danger (And Break All The Rules)
Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious…
Reinventing Axl Rose
Walking Is Still Honest
The Disco Before the Breakdown
Tom also played a song of his solo EP
The night started rough when some drunken guy brought up two girls and squeezed their way between me and Carl. It was bullshit. It was so frustrating being beside them. They obviously had no idea or care about the true content of Against Me!'s political and social messages. Luckily a couple that did help us work them away so that we were back up front. We had some minor words with the drunks then found ways to push them away. After that ordeal the rest of the night was relatively great. We got some water from Tom, 3 of Warren's drumsticks, and an amazing heartfelt show.
It was a huge release. Therapeutic to say the least. When Sink, Florid, Sink was on I felt so calmed. It was much needed
I guess they still do believe in Reinventing Axl Rose.
Set List (No particular order)
Cliché Guevara
Sink, Florida, Sink
Americans Abroad
White People for Peace
Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart
Stop!
New Wave
Miami
From Her Lips to God’s Ears (The Energizer)
Pretty Girls (The Mover)
Don’t Lose Touch
T.S.R. (This Shit Rules)
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
We Laugh At Danger (And Break All The Rules)
Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious…
Reinventing Axl Rose
Walking Is Still Honest
The Disco Before the Breakdown
Tom also played a song of his solo EP
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tomorrow--Exam then Against Me!
Today started off slow. I met with Caric early and was really dragging ass. the day picked up but really kicked off after I finished two take home essays. I hate real life government shit sometimes.
Tomorrow is going to be a real release. Tomorrow night i will be enjoying the rock n roll beats of Gainesville's own, Against Me! Enough said. When I go to a show I forget about so much shit. I'm in the moment and so is everyone else... it's the most religious experience I've ever had. There's something much more real about it too... and there's no forfeiting of the soul and all that repentance shit.
Besides all that it's a busy fucking week.
Tomorrow is going to be a real release. Tomorrow night i will be enjoying the rock n roll beats of Gainesville's own, Against Me! Enough said. When I go to a show I forget about so much shit. I'm in the moment and so is everyone else... it's the most religious experience I've ever had. There's something much more real about it too... and there's no forfeiting of the soul and all that repentance shit.
Besides all that it's a busy fucking week.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Silent Night
I’m inspired.
There is a calmness and coolness in the air. I have not a worry right now. Things are relaxed. The yellow lights cover campus this time of night. I like it. It’s dimly calm.
I’m inspired.
Nice night…
There is a calmness and coolness in the air. I have not a worry right now. Things are relaxed. The yellow lights cover campus this time of night. I like it. It’s dimly calm.
I’m inspired.
Nice night…
Thursday, October 9, 2008
A Trio of Disappointment
Today I encountered 3 truly disappointing moments while at work. The first was a word I found written on a small box at our register. On it someone had scribbled the word "gay." The thing is we have two openly gay employees. It was crazy to see that the author (a fellow employee; i knew because the box was behind the register and full of paper clips)had directly written the word to restate the social hierarchy placing straights above gays. This was a reminder that the gay employees are different, and are expected to be seen as such. The word was also directed at other employees to remind them of the social situation they face at CiCi's, attempting to stir up sentiment for this type of difference propaganda.
Second I asked my manager how she was feeling; just a question. In response to the inquiry on HOW SHE FELT she replied by stating that we weren't very busy and that we had been earlier in the day. Chalk one up for the fulfillment of her role as "human capital." She had, in her own mind, allowed that food industry to infiltrate and occupy the area of herself where her own feelings lie; thus describing her state merely as the state of the business. Something is truly sad about that. Her whole personal identification was rooted in the aspects of the task and responsibility of business management. A human did not exist; only a conditioned mind in pure execution mode. This can't be all we strive for out of life.
Lastly another management incident. I was delivering cups to the front counter when i heard her talking to an incoming family. The women requested 2 adult buffets and 3 kid buffets. The manager responded with, "how old are your children?" The mother said "3,9, and 12." The manager replied " oh that's two kids" (charging the 12 year old for an adult buffet due to the mark of "kids" being 11 years or under in capital standards of food industry). This blew my mind. I really was appalled by this. The two dollar difference was enough for the manager to interrogate the family in order to pry out the 2 dollars an adult buffet is worth compared to a kids buffet. Interrogation is the proper word. The customer cam in and made a case. Instead of believing and and carrying on, the manager felt it necessary to dig into the case questioning its technicality. Two strangers in confrontation over 2 dollars. The manager dead set on squeezing every dime out of the customer as possible based on a standard. A standard and an absolute. I would argue that we live in a world with no absolutes.. Even in measurement, at some level (even if it is microscopic) the number is wrong. Like there is no perfect circle. Due to the inherent desire to capitalize in capitalism irrational absolutes are created in order to create expectation, rules, parameters, and power. What really is the difference between 11 and 12 that make it the cut off point? Nothing can be argued except the fact that standards must be set to perpetuate the system. Thus capitalism defines crucial titles and expectations in our lives. We are no longer a kid at 12 because businesses and culture no longer helps your ability to define yourself as such; they have done it for you. Such authoritarianism gets down to specific dates. The day you turn 18, your apparatus of capital products and labor increases. The same is said at 21. It also seems lesser ones are created at much younger ages. Consider this: at the Camden Carroll Library a rule posted says that no child under 9 are allowed to be left unattended. This aids in the structure of defining children as independent and personally responsible. The library is setting these lines for us and such lines come with expectation. Why do we allow the advertisers and institutions of the world set our path as firmly as they do?
Second I asked my manager how she was feeling; just a question. In response to the inquiry on HOW SHE FELT she replied by stating that we weren't very busy and that we had been earlier in the day. Chalk one up for the fulfillment of her role as "human capital." She had, in her own mind, allowed that food industry to infiltrate and occupy the area of herself where her own feelings lie; thus describing her state merely as the state of the business. Something is truly sad about that. Her whole personal identification was rooted in the aspects of the task and responsibility of business management. A human did not exist; only a conditioned mind in pure execution mode. This can't be all we strive for out of life.
Lastly another management incident. I was delivering cups to the front counter when i heard her talking to an incoming family. The women requested 2 adult buffets and 3 kid buffets. The manager responded with, "how old are your children?" The mother said "3,9, and 12." The manager replied " oh that's two kids" (charging the 12 year old for an adult buffet due to the mark of "kids" being 11 years or under in capital standards of food industry). This blew my mind. I really was appalled by this. The two dollar difference was enough for the manager to interrogate the family in order to pry out the 2 dollars an adult buffet is worth compared to a kids buffet. Interrogation is the proper word. The customer cam in and made a case. Instead of believing and and carrying on, the manager felt it necessary to dig into the case questioning its technicality. Two strangers in confrontation over 2 dollars. The manager dead set on squeezing every dime out of the customer as possible based on a standard. A standard and an absolute. I would argue that we live in a world with no absolutes.. Even in measurement, at some level (even if it is microscopic) the number is wrong. Like there is no perfect circle. Due to the inherent desire to capitalize in capitalism irrational absolutes are created in order to create expectation, rules, parameters, and power. What really is the difference between 11 and 12 that make it the cut off point? Nothing can be argued except the fact that standards must be set to perpetuate the system. Thus capitalism defines crucial titles and expectations in our lives. We are no longer a kid at 12 because businesses and culture no longer helps your ability to define yourself as such; they have done it for you. Such authoritarianism gets down to specific dates. The day you turn 18, your apparatus of capital products and labor increases. The same is said at 21. It also seems lesser ones are created at much younger ages. Consider this: at the Camden Carroll Library a rule posted says that no child under 9 are allowed to be left unattended. This aids in the structure of defining children as independent and personally responsible. The library is setting these lines for us and such lines come with expectation. Why do we allow the advertisers and institutions of the world set our path as firmly as they do?
Saturday, October 4, 2008
11 Hour Day at Work
It was another dragging day at work today. Things never seemed to calm down and my body really wasn't replying well. Of course, as usual, by the end I was mentally focused on the exploitative nature of my employment and starting analyzing the way customers reacted to my behavior. I have noticed that the more personal and real I interact with "co-workers" (I hate using that phrase) the more uncomfortable customers become. I have built up a theory that our culture trains us to treat those who work at service-style business as if they were purely a mechanical being. This can be seen in the guidelines of the service sector workplace: same uniforms, the expectation of over politeness, and of course the censorship of speech and activity. Once you start to act un-mechanical, some restaurant goers become uncomfortable. Prime example: Two people I work with are in come type of emotional relationship. One day they briefly hugged one another and went about their business as good "human capital." A customer was so appalled by this showing of humanity that she complained furiously to the manager about how inappropriate such activity was. How fucking arrogant.
The only highlight was that a 51 year-old drifter stopped in. I took the opportunity to have a conversation with him and he didn't disappoint my expectations. Anyone who knows me, knows that I've often considered leaving the working world and roughing it on my own. This man was fascinating. The amount of freedom he seemed to experience amazed and inspired me. Thank you drifter for that highlight and for the inspiration.
The only highlight was that a 51 year-old drifter stopped in. I took the opportunity to have a conversation with him and he didn't disappoint my expectations. Anyone who knows me, knows that I've often considered leaving the working world and roughing it on my own. This man was fascinating. The amount of freedom he seemed to experience amazed and inspired me. Thank you drifter for that highlight and for the inspiration.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Refused: The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts (Album Review)
So I've picked up this album by Swedish hardcore band Refused because of the detailed online acclaim I have read. I mean people think this album is the reinvention of punk. Honestly, I have to agree. This album, as it claims to do in the title, re-works the fundamentals of punk music into something much more then early hardcore ever conceived of. The band felt as if the punk movement had dwindled into a submissive state of expectation and just another means of entertainment, losing the message behind it. In this album the band takes punk 10 steps further and literally reinvents the genre, breathing life into the hearts of fans of revolutionary music. The aggressiveness and expression far exceed the sputtering punk revival movements content in 1998 (the year it was released.) If you have an ear for the interesting, aggressive, and meaningful... this album is for you.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Mechanization and Human Nature
What is the nature of our species? Can it truly ever be known? Many fields of study have attempted to narrow down the inherent from the programmed. Philosophers, theorists, psychologists, biologists all study forms of human nature. From all of these fields only one thing has been confirmed: We have the capability to study and speculate on the way humanity has and will evolve away from that unknown capacity of the natural. The first question I would like to consider is whether or not the idea of the natural is far too abstract for conceivable human reason. Could it not be true that this concept falls far outside the reach of our systematic study of things? We have no proof that a single universal natural state existed, let alone determining what it might be. Considering that, how can we even begin to look backward to determine how the natural capacity for human understanding truly worked when we can barely grasp it now?
Examining the functional capacity in which people exist today is definitely a poor starting point. With the world seeing more structural existence then ever before, we face a well trained species in which we examine. The layers in which our species have been morphed into the utter submission to systems of power, training, and thought make it impossible to know whether or not any remnants of our natural selves are prevalent in culture today. We have seen through our own experimentation that a mind can be trained into mechanical compliance. Our mind only acts in ways that reflect our prior training. There is no thought outside the realm of what we see as existence. Everything is seen in worldly terms. This is a product of our condition. Our condition of only experiencing that which we can sense. Thus our thought is shaped by that which can be comprehended by our senses. But is our nature that of pure mechanics? One could argue yes. We tend to act mechanically in modern life. If there is an empty room only containing a chair, it could be assumed that almost every westerner would mechanically take a seat. Though mechanical, this is not nature. There are structures that create strong influence of power over how we conceive a chair and its purpose, structure not seen in nature. By nature here, I mean the existence of one. The day before civilization. The day before the realization of sustainable reproduction as a family activity. The chair has been morphed into an expectation for modern humanity the first humans would not comprehend. Therefore this is not evidence of mechanization of humanity’s natural being.
Maybe to first conceive of this natural state we must first remove these mechanical inclinations form our lives and see the very first concern of a natural species: sustenance. For humanity that is food and water. But is the pursuit of food and water mechanical? Some may argue yes. Certainly such natural needs make freedom to be impossible for any species, but this idea of freedom is for another rough essay at another time. Mechanized things exist in themselves. They need not to be sustained by constant consumption (of resources etc.) to exist. A car is undoubtedly mechanized. Even though it requires fuel to operate, it does not require fuel to merely exist. This is untrue of humanity. Without our fuel there is no existence. This seems to lean toward the idea that initial human sustenance was not abused by the circumstances of mechanism.
Though I have claimed that human nature, while unable to clearly defined, is not one of knee jerk mechanism... It has been the sphere of society that has turned us into mechanical workers. As such we act accordingly in such situations. As human capital we are trained and altered from our natural state to consume and obey, work and to worry. One last interesting thing has claimed my mind when determining human nature. In the state of evolutionary science when were we considered to have definitively developed the capacities in which we have now? Can this ever be determined? If not this greatly adverts any attempt to claim one human nature can apply to all.
Examining the functional capacity in which people exist today is definitely a poor starting point. With the world seeing more structural existence then ever before, we face a well trained species in which we examine. The layers in which our species have been morphed into the utter submission to systems of power, training, and thought make it impossible to know whether or not any remnants of our natural selves are prevalent in culture today. We have seen through our own experimentation that a mind can be trained into mechanical compliance. Our mind only acts in ways that reflect our prior training. There is no thought outside the realm of what we see as existence. Everything is seen in worldly terms. This is a product of our condition. Our condition of only experiencing that which we can sense. Thus our thought is shaped by that which can be comprehended by our senses. But is our nature that of pure mechanics? One could argue yes. We tend to act mechanically in modern life. If there is an empty room only containing a chair, it could be assumed that almost every westerner would mechanically take a seat. Though mechanical, this is not nature. There are structures that create strong influence of power over how we conceive a chair and its purpose, structure not seen in nature. By nature here, I mean the existence of one. The day before civilization. The day before the realization of sustainable reproduction as a family activity. The chair has been morphed into an expectation for modern humanity the first humans would not comprehend. Therefore this is not evidence of mechanization of humanity’s natural being.
Maybe to first conceive of this natural state we must first remove these mechanical inclinations form our lives and see the very first concern of a natural species: sustenance. For humanity that is food and water. But is the pursuit of food and water mechanical? Some may argue yes. Certainly such natural needs make freedom to be impossible for any species, but this idea of freedom is for another rough essay at another time. Mechanized things exist in themselves. They need not to be sustained by constant consumption (of resources etc.) to exist. A car is undoubtedly mechanized. Even though it requires fuel to operate, it does not require fuel to merely exist. This is untrue of humanity. Without our fuel there is no existence. This seems to lean toward the idea that initial human sustenance was not abused by the circumstances of mechanism.
Though I have claimed that human nature, while unable to clearly defined, is not one of knee jerk mechanism... It has been the sphere of society that has turned us into mechanical workers. As such we act accordingly in such situations. As human capital we are trained and altered from our natural state to consume and obey, work and to worry. One last interesting thing has claimed my mind when determining human nature. In the state of evolutionary science when were we considered to have definitively developed the capacities in which we have now? Can this ever be determined? If not this greatly adverts any attempt to claim one human nature can apply to all.
Eastern KY WASPS?
I have become increasingly aware of how popular W.A.S.P. gear is in the youth culture. WASP is an acronym standing for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. This term has been a sociological synonym for the elitist class of white CEO's in the nature of American royalty (in the Kennedy essence). Their attitude and culture has become affiliated with a standard code of dress and activity as any sociological sect would. A specific type of pricey designer clothes the everyday WASP. Ralph Lauren seems to be the regent expert on modern WASP fashion, or at least here at Morehead State. Passing Eastern Kentuckians wearing boating shoes with pink polo shirts tucked into their khaki's is quite an instance of oddness in a state that prides itself on such rurality and working class fashion (i.e. John Deere) fashion. The opposite of such working class fashion appears to be the Ralph Lauren look. No practical use except to show off an attitude of upper-class sporting (i.e. sailing, polo) can be found in WASP fashion. This is in deep contrast of the working boots, and farming apparel so common to this area. Kentuckians that wish to break away from the tradition of working class Kentucky, turn to the culture of upper class New England and its aristocratic nature. Boys in Morehead are emulating boys in Nantucket. One can not convince me that cultural attachments are not made to fashion. One can assume many cultural things about my own appearance. My fashion represents the groups and ideas I find to best represent me. All of us are part of this group affiliation process. My fashion represents my taste in music, ideas towards social norms, and my leftist ideals. But can the same be said for these KY WASPs? This popularity of WASP gear seems to be a way for Kentuckians to wash away the social stigma that comes along with the working class ideals that shape the culture of the rural "John Deere" fashion. It seems extreme as well. I guess the desire to be on a yacht on the coast of Massachusetts is quite appealing to the youth here. Who wouldn't want to be an aristocratic exploiter of American and foreign labor? Who wouldn't want a non-cultured, silver-spoon up-bringing? I'm just stumped to how old, rich guy fashion has spread here. To those who are surrounded by a culture formed in a largely poor area.
Personal Reflection
Walking around tonight i found myself lost in my dreams and hopes.
Thoughts fill my head and i tend to wonder into this world where people stop taking everything they do so fucking seriously.
Of course most of this swirling mental mess of anger, anxiety, hope, and energy forms around a blur of political issues that i find relevant.
Often times these walks help me vent my frustrations. Very little provacitive theory comes out, just pure anger in the way the world works.
My discontent wears on me like the years i've lived. In my petty uniform, seeing others in theirs.I always wonder how we ended up here?
Billions of possibilities and this is what we got.
Dispalcement, diagnosis, restriction, pain, and exploitation.
The only positives seem to come in resistance to these.
Maybe i'm just a cynic.
Maybe somewhere in that blur of persoanl expression and pain...and hope there stands a person truly undefiled by restrictions of a police-state and its market oppression.
I stand on the streets of this pathetic monument to "progress" knowing that more pain will ensue all in the name of more.
More produtcs, more hours of labor, less pay, more crying children, and the duplication of my hungry mother over her young son.
A son that for many years will not realize that all those things were designed by a system that destroys the will and fire in humanity.
Trading it for a cold stone of mechanical duplication that we so boldly call work.
Work for another.
Work you can not claim.
A work that will drive you to your grave, worry being the pads of your expensive coffin.
No freedom for the poor.
Only hours of worry and hope... hope for something.
A light
A break
Just for something to go rightWanting little more then sustainance
And i'm forced to hear these "every-four year" "fair weather" politics.
These faceless, weak liberals that throw around peace signs, and hope as if it's only possible every four fucking years.
Where were you 3 years ago when a city's poor drown?
Where were you when I needed a hand in describing life as the working poor?
Somewhere tucked away from reality in a middle class nich.
So now you have your election.
And then you'll be gone again.
Leaving the true alone...Fixing your meals
Fighting capitalist fascism
being left on the streets, replaced by nano-second self scan stationsWalking miles just to be exploited and raped by the lords of this land.
this is my life
these are real lives
Thoughts fill my head and i tend to wonder into this world where people stop taking everything they do so fucking seriously.
Of course most of this swirling mental mess of anger, anxiety, hope, and energy forms around a blur of political issues that i find relevant.
Often times these walks help me vent my frustrations. Very little provacitive theory comes out, just pure anger in the way the world works.
My discontent wears on me like the years i've lived. In my petty uniform, seeing others in theirs.I always wonder how we ended up here?
Billions of possibilities and this is what we got.
Dispalcement, diagnosis, restriction, pain, and exploitation.
The only positives seem to come in resistance to these.
Maybe i'm just a cynic.
Maybe somewhere in that blur of persoanl expression and pain...and hope there stands a person truly undefiled by restrictions of a police-state and its market oppression.
I stand on the streets of this pathetic monument to "progress" knowing that more pain will ensue all in the name of more.
More produtcs, more hours of labor, less pay, more crying children, and the duplication of my hungry mother over her young son.
A son that for many years will not realize that all those things were designed by a system that destroys the will and fire in humanity.
Trading it for a cold stone of mechanical duplication that we so boldly call work.
Work for another.
Work you can not claim.
A work that will drive you to your grave, worry being the pads of your expensive coffin.
No freedom for the poor.
Only hours of worry and hope... hope for something.
A light
A break
Just for something to go rightWanting little more then sustainance
And i'm forced to hear these "every-four year" "fair weather" politics.
These faceless, weak liberals that throw around peace signs, and hope as if it's only possible every four fucking years.
Where were you 3 years ago when a city's poor drown?
Where were you when I needed a hand in describing life as the working poor?
Somewhere tucked away from reality in a middle class nich.
So now you have your election.
And then you'll be gone again.
Leaving the true alone...Fixing your meals
Fighting capitalist fascism
being left on the streets, replaced by nano-second self scan stationsWalking miles just to be exploited and raped by the lords of this land.
this is my life
these are real lives
Human Degradation
In a natural state of existence (i.e. free of any set of laws, nations, or customs) we find the human, an animal existing in unity with the world around it. Eating when necessary and merely living to procreate. No other reason for existence can be found. To imagine the radical transformation from such admirable animalistic simplicity to a state so detracted and forcefully seperated existence of modern life is a daunting task. Regardless of the billions of years of growth and thought (more recently:thought control) we stand here today in what we percieve to be the world that settles our feet and still nourishes our bodies much as it did for our early human grand parents. We still rely on the sun to bring about the changes that make this world habitable. The water still cycles, the trees still grow, and the plates still shift. Despite all these grand similarities in pre-historic and modern life we find ourselves today, vastly disconnected from the pure survival mentalities of long ago humanity. No longer is the world a scarcley populated world toiling through the natural process with few worries similar to the concerns of modern humanity. It is obvious that of these vast worldly changes Western "Civilization" is the pinnacle of natural seperation. Where people once lived to flourish off of the fruits and marvels of the land, now have been exchanged for pent houses, malls, banks, and prisons. Instead of walking to find sustainance in nature we drive miles to purchase trendy items portrayed to us as "necessity" by a culture that has the influence of television seemingly formatting at will the ideas and beliefs of the apathetic (apathy taught through TV, careers, technology, etc.) masses we find drudging through their daily lives. No longer is the connectivity of mutuality seen through our life of natural sustainance and simplicity, but through the divisions that societies and their architects have fabricated. Our natural simplicity of sustainance has become perverted into societies that so far remove our ability to merely eat that we are coerced into long tasks of hardship to maintain life. Creating jobs, systems, and enforcement require labour. The kind of labour that lift up and hold the foundations of everything you have in modern life. Without labour no cars, no roads, no garbage collection, no water, no computers... nothing. The life line of this process of seperation from natural humanity to modern humanity has been the ability for ruling classes to create an atmosphere of coersion and control pushing the now heavily populated world into hard labor for the survival of complicated systems of trade, control, production, and warfare. But existence fo these labourers is not an easy one. Through the formation of broad based financial systems that we call "economies" we have doomed ourselves to a life slavery unlike that of natural humanity. Labourers toil long, hard shifts to ensure modern life trucks along all the while being stood on and pushed aside by the actions of a ruling class so wealthy and powerful I feel we often underestimate the power in which they wield. Through imprisonment, a system of credit, and overall the complete control over the use of the earth itself, elites control every aspect of these labourers lives. Everything from basic survival to how they may interact with other workers (i.e. union busting). These workers create the foundation for what we all know and yet we and they tolerate a system of utter exploitation and personal degredation. Is it not inconcievable how we have allowed such events to seperate us from the simplicity of nature? Noe we must work for a lifetime to acquire the minimums of our survival. Add in the excess of capitalism and you have a lifetime of worry, doubt, and pain due to a complex society of concrete walls filled with contracts and meaningless credit reports. How have we lost control over our species and its destiny? We have traded ourselves in for a shell of an existence peppered with constant advertisments in the attempt to sell us a watered down system of thought. So here we are... perpetuating this everyday. I'm guilty as well. But how do we do these things to one another? Why do we stand for it? Does anyone even care?
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