As far as I know, this is the only official music video The Glen Danzig Misfits ever made. Grainy and faded out...priceless. From the "Walk Among Us" album.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
AND LEST WE FORGET...
And lest we forget...
This is for those of you who like to imbibe a bit on Halloween. The effects of a good Halloween can be heightened by the intake of the alcoholic beverage (or beverages) of your choice. My poison of choice is beer. So what will I be drinking?
I'd like to be drinking this on Halloween:
Have a safe and fiendish Halloween everyone.
This is for those of you who like to imbibe a bit on Halloween. The effects of a good Halloween can be heightened by the intake of the alcoholic beverage (or beverages) of your choice. My poison of choice is beer. So what will I be drinking?
I'd like to be drinking this on Halloween:
Or this:
But due to budgetary constraints, it looks like I'll be having this...the old stand-by.
I definitely won't be drinking this, no matter how cheap it is. Learned my lesson.
Have a safe and fiendish Halloween everyone.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE HORROR MOVIES
No Halloween is perfect not only without the right music...you must have the perfect movies as well. What makes a great horror movie to me? Well, it is one that is creative, frightening, and one that has something extra to it, some morbid charm that makes me want to come back to it again and again. Personally, I really don't care for your traditional slasher movies. I like my horror slightly more outside the box, so here goes. These are in no particular order. There may not be anything particularly ground-breaking here, but these are the movies I find myself coming back to again and again...especially on Halloween.
1. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. George Romero's original black and white classic. The perfect zombie movie. So human, so crushing, so terrifying. This movie floors me every time I see it.
2. EVIL DEAD. Sam Raimi's first EVIL DEAD movie. There is something downright terrifying and adrenaline-fueled about this movie. Raimi's creativity runs amok here in it's most primitive form. The budget wasn't as big and the look not as sleek as the second one, but the raw energy and dementia of this film puts it over the top. My favorite of the trilogy.
3. SUSPIRIA. Daria Argento's most creative, visually stunning, and aurally unsettling movie of his career. If you're into balls out, psychedelic suspense and gore, you gotta see this one.
4. SPIDER BABY. Director Jack Hill's first and my personal favorite of his. This is what makes a horror movie for me. Very quirky and and inventive. Great dialogue and camera work. The acting and characters are what make this movie tick. If you want something well off the beaten path, watch SPIDER BABY.
5. PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. I love Ed Wood, I know everyone thinks his movies are the worst ever made. Just watch this one. Low budget aside, it's full of child-like thrills and chills. I never grow weary of this film.
6. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Tobe Hooper's original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Hellish, fast-paced, nightmarish, and brilliant. The pacing of this movie is top notch. Once you get through watching this one you are emotionally drained, and you won't be able to sleep either. Downright terrifying. The energy of this movie is tremendous. It is difficult for most slasher films to reach this intensity. Accept no re-makes or substitutes. If you watch just one slasher film this year, let it be this one.
What are some your favorites?
1. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. George Romero's original black and white classic. The perfect zombie movie. So human, so crushing, so terrifying. This movie floors me every time I see it.
2. EVIL DEAD. Sam Raimi's first EVIL DEAD movie. There is something downright terrifying and adrenaline-fueled about this movie. Raimi's creativity runs amok here in it's most primitive form. The budget wasn't as big and the look not as sleek as the second one, but the raw energy and dementia of this film puts it over the top. My favorite of the trilogy.
3. SUSPIRIA. Daria Argento's most creative, visually stunning, and aurally unsettling movie of his career. If you're into balls out, psychedelic suspense and gore, you gotta see this one.
4. SPIDER BABY. Director Jack Hill's first and my personal favorite of his. This is what makes a horror movie for me. Very quirky and and inventive. Great dialogue and camera work. The acting and characters are what make this movie tick. If you want something well off the beaten path, watch SPIDER BABY.
5. PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. I love Ed Wood, I know everyone thinks his movies are the worst ever made. Just watch this one. Low budget aside, it's full of child-like thrills and chills. I never grow weary of this film.
6. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Tobe Hooper's original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Hellish, fast-paced, nightmarish, and brilliant. The pacing of this movie is top notch. Once you get through watching this one you are emotionally drained, and you won't be able to sleep either. Downright terrifying. The energy of this movie is tremendous. It is difficult for most slasher films to reach this intensity. Accept no re-makes or substitutes. If you watch just one slasher film this year, let it be this one.
What are some your favorites?
MY FAVORITE ALBUMS TO LISTEN TO ON HALLOWEEN
Ok. I love Halloween, and no Halloween is right without the perfect music to set the mood. Here are some personal favorites, the ones I find myself listening to again and again...especially around this time of year. These are in no particular order.
1. WITCHCRAFT's self -titled debut album. This album emanates a creepy retro-vibe, like a darker, more primitive and accessible early Black Sabbath. Very dark and hazy.
2. LA SEXORCISTO by WHITE ZOMBIE. The perfect accompaniment to you Halloween night. Fright-filled, sleazy, and drugged-out. Rob Zombie's lysergic lyrics, the abundant horror and b-movie samples, and bountiful evil grooves make this one my personal Halloween (and year-round favorite).
Embedding disabled by request. Makes me mad. Click here.
3. WALK AMONG US by THE MISFITS. My personal favorite Misfits album. Campy, catchy, and full of blood lust and horror b-movie worship. A must have for any horror fiend.
4. THE TRAVELING VAMPIRE SHOW by CALABRESE. Just pure horror punk at it's finest. Can't live without it.
5. SUSPIRIA SOUNDTRACK by GOBLIN. This is one of the most disturbing and mind-bending works of music to ever be recorded. Do not listen to this alone in the dark. If you want to scare the be-jeezus out of some Trick or Treaters play this one really loud. The movie is badass too but I will get to that soon enough.
6. BLACK ANGELS, by KRONOS QUARTET. I saved the darkest and most intense for last. Kronos Quartet is a string quartet that plays their own versions of some of the most extreme, intense, personal, and unsettling compositions of music ever written. BLACK ANGELS is their darkest, most bleak and emotional album in my opinion. Play this one really loud with the windows open and Trick-or-Treaters (what's left of their dwindling numbers anyway) will be too scared to even come to your door.
Ok, that's it. I'm sure I've probably left out some. What are some of your favorite albums to listen to on Halloween? I'd love to hear from you.
1. WITCHCRAFT's self -titled debut album. This album emanates a creepy retro-vibe, like a darker, more primitive and accessible early Black Sabbath. Very dark and hazy.
2. LA SEXORCISTO by WHITE ZOMBIE. The perfect accompaniment to you Halloween night. Fright-filled, sleazy, and drugged-out. Rob Zombie's lysergic lyrics, the abundant horror and b-movie samples, and bountiful evil grooves make this one my personal Halloween (and year-round favorite).
Embedding disabled by request. Makes me mad. Click here.
3. WALK AMONG US by THE MISFITS. My personal favorite Misfits album. Campy, catchy, and full of blood lust and horror b-movie worship. A must have for any horror fiend.
4. THE TRAVELING VAMPIRE SHOW by CALABRESE. Just pure horror punk at it's finest. Can't live without it.
5. SUSPIRIA SOUNDTRACK by GOBLIN. This is one of the most disturbing and mind-bending works of music to ever be recorded. Do not listen to this alone in the dark. If you want to scare the be-jeezus out of some Trick or Treaters play this one really loud. The movie is badass too but I will get to that soon enough.
6. BLACK ANGELS, by KRONOS QUARTET. I saved the darkest and most intense for last. Kronos Quartet is a string quartet that plays their own versions of some of the most extreme, intense, personal, and unsettling compositions of music ever written. BLACK ANGELS is their darkest, most bleak and emotional album in my opinion. Play this one really loud with the windows open and Trick-or-Treaters (what's left of their dwindling numbers anyway) will be too scared to even come to your door.
Ok, that's it. I'm sure I've probably left out some. What are some of your favorite albums to listen to on Halloween? I'd love to hear from you.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
THE MISFITS: LAND OF THE DEAD
Fiends rejoice! Two new Misfits songs have just been released this month..."Land of the Dead" and 'Twilight of the Dead". You can purchase them on vinyl or download them from Amazon or I-Tunes. Both tracks are great...just what the doctor ordered for Halloween. The line-up consists of Jerry only on vocals, Dez Cadena on guitar, and Robo on drums. To read more, click here.
Songs Stuck in My Head...
Here's two completely unrelated songs that have been stuck in my head and rambling around all week. The first is The Car's "Just What I needed" and the second is Black Sabbath's "Fairies Wear Boots"....so here they are. Enjoy.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The Right Coffee Mug...
If you're like me, you love your coffee in the morning. I know I do. I can't function without it. It doesn't matter what coffee you drink. Coffee in the morning always tastes good, and everyone has different opinions about the brand, etc. What really matters is the receptacle you drink your ritual morning java out of. I don't know about you, but I love a good coffee mug. It must be relatively large, have a nice big handle to hold firm in hand, be pleasing to the eye, and most importantly, be easy to drink out of. You don't want any groggy early morning coffee spills.
Pictured below are the coffee mugs I love the most. They are the only ones I use. I know, gentlemen, if you are married, the spouse may frown on these types of mugs. They don't match the dishes, or anything else in the house for that matter. But if your wife is like mine, she will overlook these things because she knows you have to have your coffee and those dainty coffee cups that match the dishes just won't do.
Before we begin with the pictures, it is important to know that you should have several mugs, one which fits the mood you may be in any given morning.
First off is the mug you have to have on the worst mornings. Hard time waking up? Didn't get enough sleep? If you answered yes to both of these questions (like me) then this is the mug for you. It's an eye opener, and combined with some good joe, you will be awake in no time.
The next two mugs are for mild mornings. When you've gotten enough sleep, everything is pretty mellow, and you're feeling pretty good before you even touch the coffee. Drinking out of these mugs signifies it might be a pretty good day.
And as we all know, after the work week is over with, we still need our coffee. The weekend coffee mug can be very important, possibly the most important of all. You must choose one that will truly jump start your weekend. This should be the sacred, almighty coffee mug that no one else is allowed to touch. Here's mine.
What's your favorite coffee mug(s)? I would love to hear.
Pictured below are the coffee mugs I love the most. They are the only ones I use. I know, gentlemen, if you are married, the spouse may frown on these types of mugs. They don't match the dishes, or anything else in the house for that matter. But if your wife is like mine, she will overlook these things because she knows you have to have your coffee and those dainty coffee cups that match the dishes just won't do.
Before we begin with the pictures, it is important to know that you should have several mugs, one which fits the mood you may be in any given morning.
First off is the mug you have to have on the worst mornings. Hard time waking up? Didn't get enough sleep? If you answered yes to both of these questions (like me) then this is the mug for you. It's an eye opener, and combined with some good joe, you will be awake in no time.
The next two mugs are for mild mornings. When you've gotten enough sleep, everything is pretty mellow, and you're feeling pretty good before you even touch the coffee. Drinking out of these mugs signifies it might be a pretty good day.
And as we all know, after the work week is over with, we still need our coffee. The weekend coffee mug can be very important, possibly the most important of all. You must choose one that will truly jump start your weekend. This should be the sacred, almighty coffee mug that no one else is allowed to touch. Here's mine.
What's your favorite coffee mug(s)? I would love to hear.
Coroner: No Need to Be Human
Bleak, dissonant, intense, progressive thrash metal from 1989. "No Need to Be Human" from Coroner's 1989 masterpiece "No More Color". I know I've reviewed this album here before, but it deserves another shout out. Can't recommend this disc and song enough.
THE FUNKY COZY
I spotted this at Spencers a couple of hours ago. It's THE FUNKY COZY. You know those cheesy, annoying, and unintentionally hilarious commercials they always show...the blanket with sleeves! THE COZY... I doubt these things are worth the fabric they are made of. Not to mention that they have gotten horrible reviews. To my befuddlement, they still continue to market these things...and in Halloween fashions! I love the skull one pictured above. Super kitsch. Priceless.
GODFLESH: PURE
"Pure" (1992) by Godflesh. What a crushing release. This is the band's strongest release in my opinion. They mold a perfect apocalyptic doom landscape. They sound akin to the strongest riffs from Saint Vitus and Black Sabbath...but they meld these riffs with a drum machine and hellish droning feedback, bludgeoning you slowly, slowly, repetitively into claustrophobia, fear, and paranoia. The only musician that comes even close to creating such bleak, alienating, and frightening sounds capes is the god of psych space metal Helios Creed. Through and through, "Pure" is monumental, thundering and dissonant. The perfect soundtrack to the apocalypse. Highly recommended.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Buck Owens: "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass"
One of my favorite old school country songs...Buck Owens' "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass" from 1969. Enjoy.
A Little Bowie from Ziggy Stardust
"The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (1972). My favorite David Bowie album of all time. The shadowy, gloomy, glam, the glossy, smoke-filled production, Bowie's smooth yet sepulchral voice...this album always gets me. Here's a few of my favorite, lesser known tracks from the disc. Everybody know s ''Ziggy Stardust" and "Moonage Daydream"....so I'm giving you "Five Years" and "Rock and Roll Suicide"...two very powerful tracks indeed.
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