A deeper look at the grooves pressed into Butthole Surfers’ self-titled 10” EP, released on Capitol Records in 1993. When Butthole Surfers signed with Capitol Records, it really must have seemed like anything was possible. By then, the years of living in a car, touring constantly and basically surviving on a steady diet of nothing were over; the band had unexpectedly broken through. Because they had attained a greater level of mainstream visibility, the band decided to live a little;...

The Great Whenby Alan Moore You know, it’s never a good idea to raise expectations TOO much. Alan Moore is great. I’m a fan of his. I think Watchmen is amazing. I think From Hell is amazing. I like him so much that I read the entirety of his book Jerusalem. It was unlike anything I’d ever read before and I still think about it many years later. I know he’s great, but why on earth would you start the...

Better late than never. This applies to this review and to the Marked Men. The Marked Men came into my life 20 years ago and my love for them remains to this day. They haven’t even released new music in 18 years and probably will never release a new full length. They sent their ripples and are now a legacy band by choice. All their members are still active in other bands, but they just refuse to put out new...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Cartoon Violence LP by Herzog. Did it take me an unreasonably long time to review Herzog’s Cartoon Violence LP? Yes, yes it did – and the reason for that is simple: Cartoon Violence exists as a series of contrasting elements which are all trying to function and/or co-exist...

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WHO: Lice WHAT: Miami Lice (Season Four) WHY: I’ve been a fan of Aesop Rock for a long time and have been following his collab with Homeboy Sandman for quite some time, but never have I heard a collection of Lice songs that’s so elevated and fun. This time it just GELS. I don’t get the Miami reference (Miami Vice, sure, but why?), but somehow, the rhymes and beats just work on a whole new level on this Fourth Season....

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte We’ve all got Wuthering Heights FEVER! What’s-her-name Emerald Something is finally (FINALLY) adapting Emily Bronte’s popular book for the big screen for the 5th time and this one is finally going to be THE ONE! It’s gonna look the coolest! Cooler than any Zach Snyder movie. It’s gonna have the dopest cast: Frankestein and the naked woman from Wolf of Wall Street who’s now a serious actress. It’s gonna have music by Charlie XCX: someone...

Steve Gunn Daylight Daylight I just can’t help but make fun of lethargic, precious, and gentle music. I don’t want my music to be loud all the time, but the adoration of “quiet” music is definitely a cult. It’s like that Portlandia sketch with the Battle of the Quiet Bands. I just don’t have patience for that shit, but then I hear Steve Gunn and I go into some serious doubt. His music is definitely in a more serene category,...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Buddha Jabba Momma LP by Chomp. As much as I like the artwork on the front cover (before I heard a note of the music on Buddha Jabba Momma, I was captivated by the cover’s similarity to some of the artwork on the interior of the Plastic Fang LP by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), I had to remind myself that interesting aesthetics do not make a good album. I also needed...

Blazing Saddles Did any 90s kid not love Robin Hood Men in Tights? I know it’s not considered Mel Brooks’ greatest film, but it’s certainly not his worst. In fact, now that he’s active again, there’s a whole new opportunity for him to ruin his legacy. He’s off to a great start with History of the World Part II. Up next on the chopping block is Spaceballs! I think Young Frankenstein is considered his best movie, and I agree....