UNHOLY AND ROTTEN BLOCK PARTY!

I'm pleased to announce that the bullshit has been sorted out and I will be playing records at East End's Annual Block Party this Saturday from 6:30pm until late and all fuckin' day on Sunday! After a swirl of rumors and false fliers it appears Repulsion will NOT be performing however, MIDNIGHT has stepped up to claim the headlining throne on Sunday July 8th along with local longhairs DANAVA!!!! There's a ton of other bands playing too but, honestly, who cares? I'll be spinning records in between the ruckus and I hope some ironic slouch with a beard, bulletbelt and/or headband tries to soundcheck his kick drum while I'm blasting Riot. Posers can and will die. AND...the Block Party is conveniently located two blocks from Rotture so afterwards we can stumble across the street and catch the deathlike cacophony of DEAD CONGREGATION who destroyed in Seattle last night! Not a bad weekend, Portland. TURN UP THE HELL!!!!

EAST END BLOCK PARTY 
SATURDAY JULY 7 and SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012
Noon until Late
903 SE GRAND 
PORTLAND, OREGON

DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE!

"A man goes up in flames and you stand there like a faggot!" 

~Don't Go in the House

"How did Don't Go in the House get made? Some people ask 'Why.'" 

~Director, Joseph Ellison 

Horror flicks are rife with maladjusted mama's boys. Come to think of it, the entire horror film industry is more or less written, directed, financed and marketed by and to drooling maladjusted mama's boys. The archetypal nuclear family as private unit of societal order is inherently shrouded and seething with dreadful possibility. It is the "dark matter" of cruel mythology and tragedy of the most prodigious proportions. Let's face it, when families work they are downright miraculous but when they don't...all hell breaks loose! No wonder a gun-toting homosexual visionary like William Burroughs would advocate for the total abolition of the nuclear family. Beneath the opiate grunts and rictus mumblings there is a damn compelling argument. Anthony Perkins' chillingly understated portrayal of Norman Bates in Hitchcock's masterful Psycho (1960) seared forever into popular consciousness the specter of psychopathic brood and variations on the theme have been resurrected to scare the shit out of us ever since. It's universal. Consider the acne-scarred mouth breathing of Frank Zito in Maniac (1980); the oedipal hallucinations of anguished magician Fenix in Sante Sangre (1989)- director Jodorowsky upping the Freudian ante with typical panache by casting his own son(s) as the serial killer!; good ol' boy Ezra Cobb's split pea soup shenanigans in Deranged (1974); the satirical rape-slapstick (sorry) of Ike and Addley in Charles Kaufman's Mother's Day (1980); Jason Voorhees' hooded matriarchal fetishism in Friday The 13th Part 2...ad nauseum (1981). For the sake of brevity let's not even trifle with The Gruesome Twosome (1967) or The Sinful Dwarf (1973). And then there's Joseph Ellison's Don't Go in the House (1979). If you watch only one film this year about a pyromaniac New Jerseyite with mommy issues who incinerates cute disco chicks with a flamethrower in a D.I.Y. steel-walled torture chamber...make it Don't Go in the House! This is one of the most under-appreciated, unsettling and reviled of all mama's boys massacre flicks. It's really no surprise. This film exceeds where others fail precisely because it is absolutely unflinching in its grim portrayal of misogynistic violence, made all the more unnerving by creepy labyrinthine sets and a lingering pace that allows brooding atmosphere to percolate through the celluloid sans comic relief. You can almost smell the charred flesh and smoldering hair. It's angry, mean, and ugly. And, after all, shouldn't a story about burning women alive on a meat hook be all of those things? Allow me to put things in artistic perspective for you cretins: if Lustig's Maniac (which bears more than a passing resemblance and was released one year later) is Slayer's Reign in Blood, Ellison's Don't Go in the House is Mercyful Fate's Don't Break the Oath. Got it? This movie is as much about fire- and all that it has come to symbolize in its fiercest obsessive splendor- as it is about scaring your date into your lap in a darkened theater. And there's a sweet prolonged firewalk within the first few minutes that's worth the price of admission. Did I mention this will be an original 35mm print? Dysfunctional families rule!

DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE 

June 26, 2012 

Hollywood Theater 

Portland, Oregon 

Now enjoy these carefully curated songs to get you pumped!

 

NEW DEAD MOON 7" NOW AVAILABLE!

The new Dead Moon 7" is NOW AVAILABLE from Mississippi Records and it's a killer!!!!

HOW TO TURN 40 IN 20 STEPS

STEP 1:  Get yourself some good friends.  

They just might throw you a party you'll never forget.

STEP 2:  Eat cake.

STEP 3:  Make a wish.
Preferably on stage with a microphone.

STEP 4:  Bang head.

STEP 5:  Continue banging head.

STEP 6:  Repeat as needed.

STEP 7:  Embrace friends.

STEP 8:  Embrace friends while banging head.

STEP 9:  Make new friends.

STEP 10:  Honor ancestry.

STEP 11:  Eat cupcakes while avoiding suckerpunch.

STEP 12:  Think globally, act locally.

STEP 13:  Get yourself a really good DJ.
Try to keep drunks away while he's working.

STEP 14:  Get outdoors and celebrate multiculturalism.

STEP 15:  Try a new athletic activity with family.

STEP 16:  Defy gravity and your digestive system.
We suggest the Screamin' Eagle.

STEP 17:  Climb a mountain during a solar eclipse with loved ones.

STEP 18:  Review your choices.

STEP 19:  Eat more cupcakes.

STEP 20:  Shamelessly throw yourself a second or third party and repeat until Iron Maiden comes to your town.

FOUR DECADES OF DREAD!!!!

Whoa! Ok, apparently my friends have decided to throw a little party for my birthday (and used a very unflattering photo on the flyer to spread the word). I hear "40 is the new 30", but I still hope you'll join us for this momentous occasion.  I plan to "celebrate" for several months so prepare your liver...  

Saturday June 2, 2012 

9pm 

SLABTOWN

Portland, Oregon

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE INNSMOUTH

Join me this Sunday evening at The Lovecraft for another night of deep vinyl worship. Expect a strange brew of violent punk, twisted death metal, sleazy weirdo rock, horror soundtracks and vintage flicks on the venue's movie theater sized screen. "CRAWL TO THE CAVE!"

THE LOVECRAFT

Sunday May 13, 2012

421 Southeast Grand Avenue

Portland, Oregon

8pm until late

"...stir the dormant sense of strangeness."

BLACK TWILIGHT CIRCLE

GROSS ANATOMY (part 16)

Y'know, there's a lot of talk these days about hate. Hate is cool. It's big business. So called "extreme metal" fans revel in feelings of self-loathing and impotent rage. They say things like, "This ain't the Summer of Love, bro" or "I hate _____ (insert religion/band/ex-girlfriend/movie/book/vegetable/hygienic accessory/etc.)." Blah, blah, blah.  Not me. I just dimmed the lights and lit my Sexual Inspiration™ candle. The sheets are silky soft. My blog is almost touching you. That's right, lover...it's Gross Anatomy time! But even love is not entirely without its frowns.  Unfortunately, according to the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, about 50% of all first marriages will end in divorce and most will end in about eight years. The odds get worse for second and third marriages which, according to a casual google search five minutes ago, hover around 67% and 74% respectively. Why am I so concerned about love,  marriage and divorce today?  Because it's May Day- a time to celebrate spring fertility and the promise of new beginnings- so today we take a look at a wedding invitation I designed recently for my old friend Kevin and his lovely fiance Amy. This is a private commission but the happy couple have graciously permitted me to post their invite here for your enjoyment, dear reader.  I'm pretty sure they're in good shape in the face of all these dour marriage statistics because Amy has already put up with Kevin's necro-shenanigans for quite some time and she knows exactly what she's getting herself into by tying the knot with a cursed weredude (note to Amy: even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night will stagedive onto his cellphone when the Wolfbane blooms and have new scars by the time the autumn moon is bright).  Anyway, this was a fun drawing so let's take a look...

My only "artistic direction" was this goat adorned incense burner which they loaned me for inspiration.  There are some funny stories about how this poor thing was misplaced several times before finally making it to my home due to celebratory drinking headbanging binges but I'll spare everyone those details.

I started with these god awful scribbles as usual to work out the basic composition for a border that would not grossly offend everyone's grandmother and great aunt on the big day.  I considered the idea of using bind runes to underpin the symmetry but ultimately decided to simply include the phonetic interpretation of their names in runes.

Incidentally, you ever have one of these days?

Ahem. Back to the task at hand.  Pretty soon I had this penciled and ready for ink.

A few more hours and the border was ready!

Amy picked this nice font that accentuates the curly composition without being too overwhelming on the eye.  My daughter immediately suggested that they print the invites on gold paper.  Good call!

They turned out looking really nice and I'm pleased to hear that both families approve.  In fact Amy's dad is rumored to have commented, "Very occult." In all seriousness, I wish the soon-to-be-newly weds all the best.  Congratulations, Kevin and Amy!

Until next time...Happy May Day!  
"Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop!"

Pig In The Eagle's Shadow

I have no idea how this slipped past my radar until today (except for the fact that I live in total oblivion to almost everything) but back in 2008 Portland Grindhouse founder and unwavering champion of exploitation cinema Dan Halsted was mistaken for a graffiti "tagger" while walking home from a pub and unceremoniously tackled from behind by police on a dark Northeast Portland city street.  The cops failed to introduce themselves or even ID him before throwing him to the ground and tasing him five times (FIVE TIMES!  The generally recommended maximum use of force with a taser is no more than three times).  Naturally, after the beating Dan was arrested for resisting arrest.  Read the story here. Yesterday the City of Portland quietly agreed to pay Dan $250,000 in damages under the condition that Dan not pursue any further action against the city.  In court the City of Portland's attorney attempted to use Dan's love for kung fu films and his Portland Grindhouse events as evidence that he is prone to violence.  If you've ever met Dan you know the only person he's ever threatened are the assholes who heckle the movie screen during Don't Go In The House (1980).  Portland Grindhouse just got about $250,000 richer! By the way, don't miss Squirm (1976) when it returns to the bigscreen on May 29th!    

WALPURGISNACHT ON THE LEFT

Join me this Wednesday at East End for a very special Walpurgisnacht edition of Last Wednesday On The Left! Spectral forces are gathering and will have their way! I've invited the venerable Markus Wolff to conjure the eight hooves of Sleipnir so expect an intimate set of Germanic hymns as only WALDTEUFEL can invoke. Records spin at 9pm, devils dance at midnight. World without end.

APRIL 25, 2012

MYTHOLOGICAL METAL MONSTERS

Mythological Metal Monsters is my latest cassette compilation in the Mississippi Records Tape Series. 60 terrifying minutes of hard rock and heavy metal songs about mythological monsters presented with very questionable sound quality and "informative" liner notes for the uninitiated listener. Gorgons! Ghosts! Unicorns! Hydras! Griffins! Needless to say, the best $3 you'll spend all summer. Available NOW only at Mississippi Records. "Release the Kraken!"

Mississippi Records
5202 N. Albina Ave.
Portland, Oregon
(503) 282.2990

GROSS ANATOMY (part 15)

It's Gross Anatomy time again, brothers and sisters! You already know how excited I get when foreboding numerology collides with the weekend but this Friday the 13th is particularly special because it marks the grand re-opening of Mississippi Records in its new and permanent location. This seems like a fitting day to pull the proverbial curtain back and give you a glimpse at some new drawings I did for DEAD MOON since this official posthumous 7" is also the first release in the newly christened Mississippi/Change records catalog! If you're reading this I assume you already understand that Fred and Toody Cole are TRUE rock 'n' roll royalty. But just in case you recently awoke from a deep coma, allow me to put things in perspective. Fred "Deep Soul" Cole is about three years younger than Lemmy so he too remembers the world before the invention of rock 'n' roll (though he'd probably rather forget that part) and he's been independently recording/performing with complete disregard for fame and fortune since 1964. He's partied with the Hell's Angels, polished off Southern Comfort with Janis Joplin, ate LSD when it was still legal, built his own ghost town and cut his own records with a fucking lathe. He met his wife Toody in 1967 after his car ran out of gas in Portland, Oregon and they've been together longer than many of us have been alive. Their various bands have shared the stage with the Misfits (Danzig era, of course), Black Flag, D.O.A., The Bags, The Wipers and Poison Idea to name merely a few. They're also grandparents and still tour the world with their newest band Pierced Arrows (who, as fate would have it, are performing in Portland TONIGHT). To say I was honored by the request for my humble little scribblings is an understatement. And the process turned out to be a well worthy challenge. Ready for an unknown passage?

First, here's a photo of Fred and Toody we snapped just a few weeks ago when they treated a small local audience to a very intimate acoustic set that covered the spectrum of their entire back catalog. This is how music should grow old. With dignity and a little bit of whiskey.

For this project I was charged with the task of developing a simple border to frame two previously unpublished band photos for the front and back covers. Dead Moon had a very specific aesthetic that didn't deviate much throughout their nearly two decade run. Some call it "punk" or "D.I.Y". My kids call it..."janky." Which is probably why it made sense to get a janky artist who draws with ballpoint pens for the job. The real challenge with this one was keeping it raw and unpolished but still classy enough to hold its own.

Dead Moon lexicon is characterized by superstition and symbolism so there was no shortage of powerful imagery to explore. After listening to the four beautiful songs on this record (two previously unreleased and two rare tracks only released on an obscure European compilation), I immediately knew the direction I wanted to take and banged this out in one sitting under the watchful eye of the dagger moon.

It had to have the authentic look so I cut the generic lettering from their first single and glued it down right over the original art. Dead Moon never had a definitive band logo, aside from their iconic skull moon symbol (tattooed on Fred's face like a sideburn), so their typography tended to change from release to release.

Next I banged out the word 'MONO' on my daughter's old typewriter and glued it into place. VOILÀ! Border done. Right? Wrong. Turns out Fred and Toody are more superstitious than I imagined and owls ain't their spirit animal. When they stopped by Mississippi Records to view the art they made a request that I change it to a blackbird. Who am I to disagree with rock 'n' roll? Later that night we got a message from Toody who said Fred also had the great idea to have the bird perched on a tombstone with a Dead Moon epitaph. I got busy and cranked out this inky little crow which was then dropped in over the owl with Photoshop (I just wasn't ready to bury the owl in glue). Next came the band photo- nice and janky like- placed with little regard for pleasing composition...

Voilà!

Second verse, same as the first.

The best part is when we get to blast the test pressing and approve the final product, which will be available in May from Mississippi Records. If you live in the Northwest, be sure to visit them at their beautiful new location which opens...TODAY! I'll soon be rolling out another little treat for M.R. so keep your eyes peeled.

MISSISSIPPI RECORDS

MISSISSIPPI RECORDS

5202 NE Albina Street
Portland, Oregon

Until next time...54/40 or FIGHT!

HEMISPHERE OF SHADOWS

DANAVA is heading off to seek shadows on European shores so if you reside on that side of the hemisphere be sure to join them at Roadburn and beyond. You won't be sorry. And if you pitch your tent here in the Northwest you can catch the FREE tour cast off this Saturday April 7th at Someday Lounge. I'll be providing the vinyl cartilage so come down and bang the skull that does not bang (although in all honesty it's pretty tough to bang your head to John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness soundtrack).