In honor of roq of the 90’s…

Here’s a look into Trent Reznor’s humble beginnings:

Classic.

When Trent Reznor quit social networking it made headlines on the Internet. When I deleted my Facebook account for the second time no one cared. That’s the difference between a celebrity and people like me.

I have always been against the idea of joining social networking sites such as Friendster or Facebook. It never served a meaningful purpose. If there are friends I want to keep in touch with, I would have their mobile number or e-mail address. If there are pictures I want to show my friends I would get a photo album, the physical type, the one that looks like a book where you put your photos and it doesn’t get lost unless a fire burns your house down.

Trent Reznor’s a celebrity musician who required social networking to keep in touch with his fans. It’s part of his work. To find the best possible way to keep millions of his fans from all around the world informed. I got my 3rd Facebook account because I wouldn’t be cool if I didn’t have one.

There could be a thousand reasons Trent Reznor quit social networking but one thing’s for sure, the on-line world doesn’t provide any individual the security of avoiding others’ stupidity. The sort of stupidity that makes it completely fine in the eyes of the culprit to post crude, hurtful or disparaging remarks about others. On the Internet. For the whole fucking world to see. If Trent really has quit social networking, I can understand his decision to. No one wants to be a part of this disgrace, especially when you’re the victim.

I’m scared of social networking sites to be honest. I’m surrounded by people not smart enough to understand that there are some things better kept within our circle. I have been on the receiving end of some downright nasty comments that may have been unintentional. Still harmful nonetheless. I’m still puzzled as to how I attract baseless remarks about my apparent “love” for alcohol when I’m not the one who’s busy uploading pictures of the recent alcohol party I was invited to.

If you plan on throwing a party or going to a club and there’s alcohol involved, leave the camera in the drawer. Why has taking pictures of people when they’re drunk or passed out on the floor become a fucking joke to share with everyone else on the Internet? Why do people even take cameras to clubs in the first place? Do people know how much damage they’re doing taking pictures of their FRIENDS drunk and posting it on the Internet?

Another classic picture-type is the one you find with a skinny 18 year old flexing his non-existent biceps in his boxers. Who the fuck are they trying to attract? The UN Food and Agriculture Organization?

Prospective employers are looking through candidates’ Facebook accounts for decisions. People have their family on Facebook. People have their partners on Facebook. Hell, Facebook apparently own the rights to your silly pictures and there’s nothing you can do about it. None of this will stop stupid people from posting comments or uploading pictures that could get their friends into problems. Someone could lose their dream job or a new friend no thanks to the brilliant artistic work of some moron who finds humor in someone else’s predicament.

I used to think my mom sucks at taking pictures but I’m beginning to appreciate the meaning behind the memories she keeps. Her wedding photos. Her photos with my dad on their trips abroad. Her photos of me from every birthday she so enthusiastically celebrated even when I wasn’t interested. The new generation, however, believes that memories are only those that involve stupidity.

To me, the whole point of social networking on the Internet is defeated by people armed with the IQ of a toothpick. The only way to avoid it is to stop being a part of it. And for that reason, I understand Trent Reznor’s decision to give up on social networking. Because social net-isn’t-working.

It’s that time of year again when people forgo their usual sarcasms and recognize the good things in life. I know there is a lot to be sarcastic about these days and, if you watch entertainment news or The Soup, you know what I’m talking about. But there are many things to be thankful for such as good music. So, here are ten things that I’m thankful for (all music related of course): 

10. Drum Off 09: I’m thankful that there are corporations such as Guitar Center that still the value quality music, hosting events like this featuring the best drummers like Danny Carey from Tool and Brian Dailor from Mastodon.

9. Webcasts: I’m thankful for webcasts that bring festivals like Coachella and KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas to my computer every year when I can’t be there in person.

8. The Beastie Boys, Vandals, and The Aquabats: I’m thankful that there are really talented musicians who resist the urge to take themselves seriously.

7. Natasha Khan from Bat for Lashes: I’m thankful this rising star thinks the Karate Kid and Stevie Nicks are important cultural icons.

6. Insanely unique musicians: I’m thankful for musicians such as Maynard James Keenan, Tori Amos, Bjork and Mike Patton, who all take music to places no one ever imagined or expected.

5. NIN farewell tour: I’m thankful that I finally got to see NIN live before Trent Reznor retired it.

4. Deftones’ resilliance: I’m thankful that Chi Cheng is still holding on and maybe someday we’ll get to see him play again.

3. The Cure still rocks: I’m thankful this band is still touring and making great music. Without The Cure, Deftones and Muse would never sound the way they do.

2. Rage Against the Machine reunion: I’m thankful that I got to see this band reunite at Coachella in 2007 with 80,000 other RATM fans.

1. Bad Religion continues to comment on American society: I’m thankful Greg Graffin is saying all the things that need to be said and is also a UCLA professor, who is actually doing his part to help mold American youth into critically thinking members of society. 

And now a Band of the Week I am very thankful for…Placebo!

I’ve been listening to this band for a while now and I am surprised that they are not as big in the states as they are everywhere else. Since the first time that I heard their cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” I was hooked. I enthusiastically suggest anything from their 2006 album Meds, but you must hear “Lazarus” and “Drag.” They recently released a new album Battle for the Sun and I am loving “The Never-Ending Why.” I saw them live at Coachella and I highly recommend catching them live. However, this band will be on a World tour until March. Hopefully, these Brits will visit the states soon.

Until next time, protege moi. -K

Today in KROQ Music News: Kick a Ginger… But don’t kick a ginger named Josh Homme, Bridge School Benefit Volume 4, and Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” on MTV.

Two songs, “Hurt” and “The Fragile,” from Trent’s 2006 performance at the Bridge School Benefit, have been released on iTunes as part of The Bridge School Collection Vol 4. In iTunes the tracks can be purchased individually or as part of the full album. All proceeds go to Neil Young’s Bridge School, a unique organization that uses creative approaches to educating children with severe speech and physical impairments.

Click here to view and purchase in iTunes

posted by nin pr at 9:50am

discuss @ nin.com

WHAT IS MYSTERIOUS EXACTLY?! WHY DO SO MANY DIFFERENT WEBSITES OR NEWSPAPER ARTICLES DESCRIBE THE SOLO ARTIST AS “IN HIS OWN LITTLE WORLD,” “OUT THERE IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE” & MANY MORE SHADOW-LIKE DESCRIPTIONS THAT CREATE THE “MYTH OF THE MYSTERIOUS ARTIST WHO MAKES UNIQUE & COMPLEX NOiSE” – I HAPPEN TO LOVE THIS MUSIC BECAUSE I HAVE GROWN TIRED OF ALL THE “INDIE,” “HIPSTER” & “UNDERGROUND” BANDS THAT SOUND THE SAME AND MAKE AT LEAST TRES TRACKS WELL OVER 5 MINUTES LONG THAT THE MAIN MUSIC SITES BUST A NUT OVER EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOTHING EVEN CLOSE TO SPECIAL. FOR THEM TO LOVE RADIOHEAD IS A-OK BECAUSE THAT BAND CREATES MUSIC NOONE CAN TOUCH. THEIR B-SIDES THAT WEREN’T EVEN RELEASED BY THE BAND (8 TRACKS FROM IN RAINBOWS) USUALLY COMPARE SIDE BY SIDE AND SOMETIMES EVEN MURDER CERTAIN TRACKS OFF THE ACTUAL ALBUM. ANY OTHER BAND WOULD MAKE AS MUCH MONEY POSSIBLE OFF OF SONGS THAT WEREN’T ON THEIR #1 SELLING CD ACROSS THE WHOLE GLOBE (ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS AFTER THEY SOLD MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF CD’S FOR A PAY WHAT YOU WANT SCHEME 3.42 MONTHS EARLIER, WHICH ALSO LED TO BIG TIME ARTISTS SUCH AS JAY-Z & TRENT REZNOR TO FOLLOW SUIT) ~

SO, HE DREAMS AWAKE IS BASICALLY WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL HIM, BUT I HAVE FOUND 48 SONGS OF HIS AROUND THE INTERNET AND I LOVE ALL OF THEM IN THEIR OWN SPECIAL WAY.. CLOSE TO 50 SONGS RECORDED AND EVEN THOUGH HE DECLINES INTERVIEWS AND ALL THAT, I HEARD A PHONE INTERVIEW HE DID WITH AN INDIE WEBSITE/BLOG AND HE SAID THAT HE ISN’T TRULY HAPPY WITH ANYTHING HE HAS MADE UP TO THIS DATE AND THAT HIS DEBUT ALBUM WHICH IS HALFWAY COMPLETED IS LIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF THE SONGS PEOPLE CAN FIND RIGHT NOW. HE PLAYS BY HIS OWN RULES, MAKES SONGS IN THEIR OWN FORMULAS/KEYS/SCALES/FORMATS/ETC. & I WILL PROCLAIM HIM THE NEXT RADIOHEAD FROM ONLY HEARING THE 48 SONGS HE MADE ON HIS OWN.. IMAGINE IF NIGEL GODRICH PRODUCED HIS FIRST CD!! JEEZ LOUISE!! I JUST WANTED THIS IN PRINT. I LOVE YOU HDAWAKE! I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE RADIOHEAD!!

Peter knows which way to go. And not only because his spaceship knows.

On his personal, newly established, music label Huvolla Peter Murphy has been releasing some Secret Covers, named after his latest concert tour. It started with the John Lennon classic Instant Karma, that was also used in a (JP Morgan) commercial.

Then came David Bowie’s Space Oddity. Peter added his special oriental feel; the one in which his CD Dust was already… covered. The distinct electric violin of Hugh Marsh re-appearing after Dust and Peter’s -incredible- live album Alive (Just For Love).

Next, Peter released the live and cracklin recording (with his band) of Joy Division’s Transmission, performed at the Highline Ballroom (NYC) in July 2009. I remember Bauhaus playing “Isolation” live during their last tour (ever), with Peter already copying some of Ian Curtis’ typical gestures.

Both as solo artist as with Bauhaus, Peter has performed on a number of occasions with Nine Inch Nails. He performed Hurt with Trent Reznor at a radio (FM live) session. I downloaded that one for free. Peter now released it as secret cover #4. And I bought it. Being a collector-fan and to support Peter.

Peter Murphy is a remarkable voice in today’s musical landscape, a position he rightfully gained by being an expressive, committed and original artist. Not because he’s god. Because there is no god.    But god.

Gonna be honest. I fucking hate Pitchfork Media with a bloody passion. Aside from getting music news (which actually starts to suck ass at a certain point too), all we get are underwhelming and stupid album reviews and lists that have no significance. I mean really, those pricks are ready to blow all of those dudes in the Fiery Furnaces anytime, anywhere. Fuck that. So, I made my own list for what was good in 2009. Yeah, I realize the year is not over just yet, so if anything good comes up, I’ll slap it up here. So without further delay, the best and worst of 2009 according to me.

The Best

Daisy – Brand New
With in a few minutes of listening to this album, I already decided that it was great. The bass on the opening track is fucking raw and the guitar is crunchy as fuck. Great record. Like it a lot better than the other one.

Horehound – The Dead Weather
Never was a huge fan of the Kills, but this record shows how Jack White can take a walking disaster like Allison Mosshart and turn it into gold. The White Stripes evil twin indeed.

The Open Door EP – Death Cab For Cutie
Yes, I like Death Cab. Blow me. Ben Gibbard is fucking genius at times.

The West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum – Kasabian
Just a badass album all around. Tough lyrics and interesting guitar hooks. Plus, these dudes are good friends with Noel Gallagher of Oasis. That adds to their already outstanding credibility.

Jesus Says Relax – The Tits
Got this CD for free at Grimey’s earlier this year. Thought it was going to be a bit of a joke. Decided to give it a spin, and it was fucking awesome. Totally had what the Nashville music scene was missing: balls. Big ones at that. It’s a shame that they broke up. At least we’ve still got Bad Cop.

Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Josh Homme + Dave Grohl + John Paul Jones. All three have come from great bands and all three show that while they can hold their own, they can come together on a project and make a record that will totally blow everyone away.

Cage the Elephant – Cage the Elephant
Ignoring how overplayed “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” is, this album is still fucking stellar. Lead singer looks like he’s already done too many drugs, yet the band is just getting their feet of the ground. They’ve got my vote already.

It’s Blitz – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Karen O is fucking crazy. And I love it. Missed out on this band at Lollapalooza to see Tool. Heard this record after and got pissed. Not that they should have replaced Tool, but that Perry Farrell should have retired Jane’s Addiction or better yet, not bring the cocksucking Killers to the festival and put the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s on for Sunday so I could have seen them. Oh well. Anyways, killer record.

Rain Machine – Rain Machine
First time I heard this record, I fucking hated it. I thought that Kyp should have stayed in TV on the Radio. When I gave it a second listen, after knowing what I was listening to, I liked it. A lot. Word of advice. Kyp has something that many artists don’t have today. That’s called balls. He could have made a record that sounds identical to the stuff he has done with TotR, but instead of being a pussy, he decided to piss people who wanted predictable shit and made a record he wanted to make. And it’s good if you realize it’s not TotR. Fuck it, it’s a good record all around.

Immolate Yourself – Telefon Tel Aviv
Released just two days before the death of Charles Cooper, this album showcases how fucking cool the group was and how awesome it could have been if Cooper hadn’t died. Depressing that he’s dead? Yes. But damn did he go out with one hell of a trippy album.

The Dreams We Have As Children – Noel Gallagher
Okay, so this is not really a new album or anything, but rather a live recording of Noel Gallagher doing a solo show. Let’s just consider this like a lifetime achievement award, considering that Oasis is done, and that now Noel is going to be cranking out some awesome solo albums. Gonna be fucking great.

The Worst

Relapse – Eminem
Apparently, this album is what Eminem sounds like after he got over hard drugs. However, he probably should have stayed on them, cause this album blows, hardcore.

The Resistance – Muse
“Love is our resistance.” Really? C’mon Matt Bellamy. Black Holes and Revolutions was great. You went from sounding like an awesome heavy Radiohead rip off, to a horribly bad Queen rip off. Then again, neither Thom Yorke or Freddie Mercury took huge exaggerated breaths after each single lyric sung either nor have either made an album this retarded.

The High End of Low – Marilyn Manson
Listened to the first track of this crappy album because I heard that Manson had finally got Twiggy back (who wrote the decent songs on a couple records). Big mistake. No one can save this train wreck of Oxycontin and pretentiousness. This dude needs to just OD already and get it over with.

Ratitude – Weezer
Quote of the year: “I’m not Prince or Rivers Cuomo who brags about having hundreds of great songs,” Reznor said. “And to that I would say, Prince, if you have a hundred great songs or a thousand, how about picking a few and putting them on your record that you’ve put out because your last several have sucked. Same for you, Rivers. I say that constructively, you know.” – Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails

Full Circle – Creed
It seems like 2009 was a year for shit bands to get back together and record albums. I’m gonna be honest and say that I’m surprised that I’m not hugely depressed right now, considering that Limp Bizkit and Creed have gotten back together in the same year. Don’t know what keeps me going, but if Fallout Boy decides to get back together, I’m heading for the tallest building and taking the easy way out. Too much shit in one year.

Out of Ashes – Dead Sunrise
That whiny singer from Linkin Park made another band. That’s like a rapist going back for seconds. Let’s stop this fucker before it’s too late.

The Circle – Bon Jovi
A washed up wannabe-rocker who’s only fan base exists with alcoholic 50 year old bored housewives.

Aim and Ignite – Fun.
Shit, and I thought Panic at The Disco was bad. I found out about this shitty band from some idiot on Facebook’s constant ranting about it (to be more specfic, a former roommate). After giving it a listen, I checked my ears, and sure enough, yep, there was blood. Moral of the story? You probably shouldn’t check out music if someone post it on facebook as “Fun. is SOOOOOO gooood”. Especially when you know that kid is a complete tool.

more to be added later.

One of my favorite songs ever. During my year and a half transition into atheism, this was a great comfort and encouragement to me.

‘See the animal in his cage that you built
Are you sure what side you’re on?
Better not look him too closely in the eye
Are you sure what side of the glass you are on?
See the safety of the life you have built
Everything where it belongs
Feel the hollowness inside of your heart
And it’s all…
Right where it belongs

What if everything around you
Isn’t quite as it seems?
What if all the world you think you know
Is an elaborate dream?
And if you look at your reflection
Is it all you want it to be?
What if you could look right through the cracks?
Would you find yourself…
Find yourself afraid to see?

What if all the world’s inside of your head
Just creations of your own?
Your devils and your gods
All the living and the dead
And you’re really all alone?
You can live in this illusion
You can choose to believe
Keep on looking but you can’t find the woods
While you’re hiding in the trees

What if everything around you
Isn’t quite as it seems?
What if all the world you used to know
Is an elaborate dream?
And if you look at your reflection
Is it all you want to be?
What if you could look right through the cracks
Would you find yourself…
Find yourself afraid to see? ‘

Oh, blank confusion! and a type not false
Of what the mighty City is itself
To all except a straggler here and there,
To the whole swarm of its inhabitants;
An undistinguishable world to men,
The slaves unrespited of low pursuits,
Living amid the same perpetual flow
Of trivial objects, melted and reduced
To one identity, by differences
That have no law, no meaning, and no end—
Oppression, under which even highest minds
Must labour, whence the strongest are not free.

William Wordsworth, The Prelude VII

Everywhere I go I see increasing evidence of people swirling about in a human cesspit of their own making.

Sir Cyril James Anderton CBE

Demoralize the enemy from within by surprise, terror, sabotage, assassination. This is the war of the future.

Adolf Hitler

The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that man may become robots.

Erich Fromm

You can’t make up anything anymore. The world itself is a satire. All you’re doing is recording it.

Art Buchwald

All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.

Buddha

What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

Trent Reznor

A finales de los 80 en pleno estallido de la escena alternativa surgió un grupo que fusionaba el techno oscuro de grupos como Skinny Puppy y la furia industrial de Ministry dándole un toque más accesible. Liderados por Trent Reznor, bueno en realidad Trent Reznor es Nine Inch Nails, pronto acapararon la atención de las masas pero lo hicieron a su manera. Ofreciendo unos shows espectaculares y arrolladores y publicando discos matadores , uno detrás de otro, desde su debut Pretty Hate Machine, más techno a su siguiente mini L.P. , Broken lleno de guitarras y mala ostia hasta quizás su obra maestra , The Downward Spiral, toda una obra de arte de destrucción masiva. No menos arrolladores son sus directos. Legendario fué su concierto en Woodstock donde arrasaron con todo literal, desde la interpretación de las canciones a  su set de escena , sin duda fué el punto culminante de su carrera, aunque lo que vendría después no desmerece en absoluto su trayectoria, empezando por su doble disco The Fragile, más ambicioso e introspectivo, o los posteriores With Teeth, Year Zero, o The Slip, más maduros quizás aunque rebosantes de calidad, algo muy difícil de encontrar en los tiempos que corren. Trent Reznor a anunciado un receso para NIN que esperemos no dure mucho…O estamos jodidos, les necesitamos como el respirar.

Apparently Eddie Vedder and Trent Reznor have the same taste in cover songs.

I was lucky enough to see them both pay homage to MC5 with a little help from their friends Tom Morello  and Jerry Cantrell.

Pearl Jam w/ Jerry Cantrell

Trent Reznor w/ Street Sweeper Social Club

natural born bad

natural born killers, another great movie from great director oliver stone and sick story by quentin tarantino, film jadul ini adalah sekian dari film film berkualitas yang temanya sangat nyeleneh, mengapa menyeleneh? tentu saja gila jika di film ini menceritakan keasikan pasangan gila yang hobi membunuh tanpa berpikir panjang, keasikan mereka dalam membunuh yang sampai pada akhirnya direkam diabadikan oleh seorang wartawan yang pada akhirnya ikut terbawa “gila”.

film yang menceritakan pasangan gila mickey dan mallory knox, hobi membunuh, berlatar belakang acak acakan, broken home, cukup menjadi alasan agar keduanya bisa membunuh dengan santai siapapun yang ditemuinya, akhir kata ini adalah film yang membawa kita ke dunia pembunuh berantai suka dukanya menjadi sepasang pembunuh hingga penjelasan dari konsep membunuh menurut mereka, yeah they’re just natural born killers.

disini anda akan disuguhi visualisasi yang gila, seperti angle kamera yang diambil secara acak dan suka suka si sutradara sendiri, mayoritas berwarna black and white kadang berwarna diikuti rekaman rekaman amatir dan masih banyak lagi. tidak lupa film ini soundtracknya diisi oleh banyak artis yang kebetulan beberapa adalah favorit saya, sebut saja nine inch nails, RATM, hingga jane’s addiction. jadi bila anda belum menontonnya, mungkin ingin mencoba?

Who knew? Apparently the 2 great musical loves of my life both just loooove to “Kick Out the Jams’ . Watch Trent Reznor and Eddie Vedder pay homage to MC5 . Theyare not alone either. Tom Morello and Jerry Cantrell also join in to kick out the , motherf******  jams.

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อ่านหน้าอื่น ๆ : ประวัติ วง Marilyn Manson, ประวัติ นาย Marilyn Manson, ประวัติ Twiggy Ramirez, ประวัติ Madonna Wayne Gacy (Pogo), ประวัติ John 5, ประวัติ Zim Zum, ประวัติ Ginger Fish

Twiggy Ramirez หรือปัจจุบันที่เรารู้จักกันในชื่อจริงของเขาคือ Jeordie White เขาเป็นนักดนตรีและนักประพัทธ์ที่มีแนวการเล่นเป็นของเขาเอง เขาเริ่มเล่นกีตาร์ตั้งแต่อายุ 13 ปี ตอนเด็ก ๆ เขาชอบวง Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, Van Halen และ Iron Maiden ต่อมาไม่ถึง 10 ปี เขาก็ได้เป็นมือกีตาร์ในวง Amboog-A-Lard และได้รางวัลมือกีตาร์ (Rhythm) ดีเด่น ในรายการ the 1st South Florida Slammie Awards ในปี 1992 แต่หลังจากนั้นเขาก็ไม่ได้รางวัลอะไรอีกเลย

ภาพวาด Twiggy Ramirez, Marilyn Manson by Sw Eden (สว อิเฎล)

ไม่นานต่อมาเขาก็ได้พบ Brian Warner หรือในชื่อที่เรารู้จักกันคือ Marilyn Manson วงของเขาและ Marilyn Manson เป็นวงคู่แข่งกัน Jeordie นั่งคุยกับ Manson และเมื่อรู้ว่าชอบวงเดียวกันเลยกลายเป็นเพื่อนสนิทกัน และยังทำงานนอกด้วยกันด้วย ทำให้เมื่อ Gidget Gein ออกจากวง Jeordie เลยได้มาเป็นมือเบสของ Marilyn Manson และได้เปลี่ยนชื่อเรียกเป็น Twiggy Ramirez และแล้วเสียง bass ก็เปลี่ยนไป

คำว่า นี้มาจาก Twiggy Mannequin และ Richard Ramirez ตามสูตรเดิมคือชื่อสาวงามหรือดาราสาว hollywood และนามสกุลมาจากฆาตรกรทั้งหลาย แต่ประเพณีนี้ก็ได้สิ้นสุดลงตั้งแต่สมัยของ John 5 เพราะทุกคนเริ่มแก่ Twiggy ช่วยแต่งเพลงหลายเพลงของวง Marilyn Manson และเขาก็มีอำนาจเต็มที่หลังจาก Daisy Berkowitz หรือ Scott Mitchell Putesky co-founder ผู้ทรงอำนาจผมเขียวจากไป Twiggy จึงมีอิทธิพลต่อเพลงในอลบัม Antichrist Superstar มาก ๆ ลองไปฟังดู แล้วจะรู้ว่า bass เป็นไง

Twiggy Ramirez the Hero, Drawing by Sw Eden

ต่อมาหลังจากที่บันทึกเสียงที่ New Orleans Twiggy ก็ประพฤติชั่วเมื่อได้เข้าวงอย่างสมบูรณ์ คือการประทุษร้ายและโกงเงินสมาชิกอื่น แต่ในที่สุดก็รู้สำนึก ต่อมาปี ๑๙๙๘ ทั้งวงย้ายไปที่ Los Angeles (LA) ทำอลบัม Mechanical Animals และ Holy Wood ข้าพเจ้าไม่อยากจะบอกอะไรมากนอกจากสมาชิกของวงช่วยกันแต่งเพลงเหล่านี้รวมถึง Manson ด้วย แต่ถ้าอ่านประวัติแยก คนชอบ Zimmy ก็บอกว่า Zimmy แต่ง คนชอบ Manson ก็บอกว่า Manson แต่ง คนชอบ Twiggy ก็บอกว่า Twiggy แต่ง ถ้าดู credit ของเพลงก็ช่วยกันแต่งหมด และก่อนหน้าที่ Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) จะมีเรื่องกับ Marilyn Manson ก็ยังมาช่วยแต่งเลย Twiggy สามารถเล่นได้หลายอย่าง

ปี ๒๐๐๐ เขาลาออกจากวง Marilyn Manson และเปลี่ยนมาให้คนเรียกชื่อจริงว่า Jeordie White เขาบอกว่าการอยู่ห่างไกลกัน ทำให้อยากเจอกันมากขึ้น และเขาไม่ได้ทะเลาะกับ Manson เหมือนกับสมาชิกคนอื่น ๆ ที่ออกจากวง เขา join กับวงนั้นวงนี้ ไปเรื่อย ๆ และในที่สุดเขาก็พบกับมือกลองของ A Perfect Circle ที่ชื่อ Josh Freese ที่งานวันส่งท้ายปีเก่าของปี ๒๐๐๒ เขาได้ไปแทนมือเบสคนเก่าคือ Paz Lenchantin ในปี ๒๐๐๓

Twiggy Ramirez Crying, Drawing by Sw Eden

ต่อมา Jeordie ทำงานนอกมากมาย เช่น งานเพลง คิดว่าน่าจะเป็นพวกงานเสียงในห้องอัด และก็ทำงานกับ Chris Goss จาก Masters of Reality, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Melissa Auf der Maur, Ian Astbury และกับ Scott Weiland เพื่อทำสินค้าหลักของ desert rock ตามรอย Southern California’s Mojave Desert วงดนตรีนี้ Twiggy รักมาก เรียกว่า Goon Moon เป็นแนวขำ ๆ เหมือนกับที่ Twiggy เป็น

จากนั้นย้ายไปอยู่ Nine Inch Nails ปัจจุยันไม่ทราบแน่ชัด จะพยายามติดต่อศิลปินส์เรื่องข้อมูลดู . . . Jeordie ทำงานเพลงกับ Marilyn Manson เป็นระยะเวลานาน 8 ปี อลบัมที่ออกในช่วงที่เขาอยู่ล้วนแล้วแต่ประกอบด้วยเพลงส่วนใหญ่ที่เป็นเพลงช้า พอหลังจากเขาออก เปลี่ยนเป็น Tim Skold เพลงของ Marilyn Manson ก็เร็วขึ้นมาทันที (เทียบง่าย ๆ Holly Wood กับ The Golden Age Of Grotesque) แต่แนวก็เปลี่ยนไปอีกครังใน Drink Me Eat Me คนเลยตั้งหน้าตั้งตารอ Twiggy กลับมา และเธอก็กลับมาจริง ๆ ใน ปี 2008 เมื่อเขา Tour ด้วยกันอีกครั้ง และออกอลบัม The High End Of Low แต่เขาก็ไม่ได้เป็น Anti-Christ เหมือนกับแฟน ๆ ต้องการ แต่คนบอกว่าแนวไปเหมือน Anti-Christ Super Star

ถึง Twiggy Ramirez หรือ Jeordie White จะมาอยู่กับ Marilyn Manson เขาก็ยังรัก และทำงานกับวง Goon Moon อยู่

ภาพวาด Twiggy Ramirez, Marilyn Manson by Sw Eden (สว อิเฎล)

9/26/89

Dear Journal,

School’s great and me and Elaine are starting the cool group.

Also, Mitchell is cute.

Also, Mrs. Angelo (our music teacher) is doing this play thingie that I’m auditioning for.  I’m dying to get a solo.

Also Friday I went to a Debbie Gibson concert and it was fabulous!

Well I guess that wraps it up. —Bye—

I wanted this entire outfit in 1989. Instead, I just got the hat.

What more does an 11-year-old in 1989 need to be happy? Cool group in progress? Check. Cute boy in class? Check. Audition for a musical (or “play thingie”) in which I might get a solo? Check. Debbie Gibson concert? Double check!

I didn’t write about the concert at length (probably to save blank pages for mooning over crushes and ranting about friends who done me wrong), but I loved the show. My parents took me to see her in Madison Square Garden, and I couldn’t believe how many thousands (!) of people came to the show. Our seats were pretty far back, but as soon as the music started I forgot the distance between the three of us and the stage. Debbie’s silhouette appeared behind a white screen and the crowd went wild (seven years later, when seeing Nine Inch Nails live, I would be reminded of this concert when Trent Reznor did the same thing, only tore through the screen).

Considering that Debbie Gibson released only two albums at that point, I’m pretty sure she played all my favorite songs. When she finished the last song, my parents and I got up to leave and were surprised when the music started up again a few minutes later. Both my parents had been professional musicians, but it took Debbie Gibson to teach us how to do a proper encore.

The most surprising thing about that night was how much my brooding and difficult-to-please father enjoyed the concert. Despite being critical of much of the music I listened to (especially from the teen years onward), he found Gibson to be a talented singer and was impressed with her live performance. He spoke of that Debbie Gibson show well into his later life and every time he did, a look of surprised wonder always came over him.

Much is often said about guitarists, drummers, singers–about who the “greatest of all time” is or was, about who the “greatest” of the moment might be. But pianists are frequently overlooked, perhaps in part because there aren’t many truly excellent ones in popular music. It’s arguably easier and definitely less painful to pick out a melody on a piano than it is to master even the most basic chords on a guitar. Anyone who has strained to reach an F major chord on a guitar can appreciate the simplicity of the same chord on the piano. And anyone who has spent any amount of time at a piano can admire the dexterity involved in crafting a terrific solo, unexpected chord progression, signature style, etc., on the piano.

OH thinks it’s important to recognize the most skilled piano-playing artists of the moment. So here they are. This is not a list of all-time greats; it’s the movers and shakers of the present. Or, as Jerry Lee Lewis might say, the shake-rattle-and-rollers.

10. Trent Reznor
Surprised? Although Reznor is best known for grinding, distorted industrial rock and pissed off lyrics, he started out as a pianist. A prodigiously good one, so the story goes. For the most part, the world has yet to hear first hand these impressive piano skills that Reznor is rumored to have. Sure, he’ll tease us with a little keyboard melody here (Ghosts I, track 1), a handful of chords there (“March of the Pigs”), but we’ll have to keep waiting for the day when he unveils his more advanced abilities.

9. Alicia Keys
Classically trained (at least until she graduated high school at 16), Alicia Keys has an undeniably unique style of songwriting. Her songs mix blues with pop and hip-hop sensibilities, a combo that made her a chart-topping artist at age 20. Oh–and she sings well, too. Each of Keys’s tunes, if a bit repetitive in an R&B loop kind of way, reveal a soulfulness that has always sounded wise beyond the youthful years of their composer. (Embedding of this song was disabled. Otherwise, it would be posted here.)

8. Patrick Wolf
Precocious, a bit egotistical, and incredibly prolific, 26-year-old Wolf has released four albums in the past six years and has a fifth one slated for 2010. Stylistically, he’s all over the map; you could probably describe his songs in terms of music from just about any other era and not be too far off the mark. Roxy Music, Bowie, and even The Killers seem present and accounted for. If hearing The Killers in Wolf’s music implies he’s as heavily influenced as they are by better and more important bands of that past, so be it. At least Wolf is a better keyboardist than Brandon Flowers.

(For Patrick at the piano, go here. For cooler stuff, see below.)

7. Amanda Palmer
AFP (that’s “Amanda Fucking Palmer,” as she refers to herself) is nothing if not original. She has developed to perfection her trademark Kurt Weill-meets-Black Flag-meets-The Smiths aesthetic, turning her artistic identity into a sort of indie brand with an undyingly devoted cult following. As a musician, Palmer has progressed since The Dresden Dolls debuted in 2001 and continues to find odd ways of putting chords in succession while still somehow making musical sense. It’s unfortunate that she and drummer Brian Viglione have disbanded the Dolls: separately, they are interesting; together–live–they are extraordinary.

6. Matt Bellamy
He sings in a dramatic falsetto. He rips on the guitar. He composes orchestral arrangements on the recent The Resistance. He sings in a dramatic falsetto with a guitar slung over his shoulder while playing the piano in an orchestrally arranged song–live. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Matt Bellamy of Muse. Enough said.

5. Casey Dienel
At 24 years old, Dienel is the youngest musician on this list. After studying classical vocals and classical composition at the New England Conservatory of Music, Dienel dropped out–but her music hasn’t suffered for it. She released a solo album in 2006 and subsequently formed a band, White Hinterland, whose 2008 debut was grossly overlooked and under-reviewed. On Phylactory Factory, Dienel flirts in her high-pitched, girly voice with jazz piano riffs and deceptively light-hearted lyrics. Deceptive because this is seriously well-crafted music by a relative newcomer who clearly knows what she is doing. (Fun fact: White Hinterland released a more experimental EP, Lumiculaire, later in 2008. The lyrics are mostly in French. And it’s one of the best stoner albums of the year. Don’t quote me on that.)

Go here for “Dreaming of the Plum Trees”.

4. Tori Amos
Ok, I’ll be honest: I’m writing this from the point of view of someone who doesn’t listen much to Tori Amos but who respects her songwriting abilities, based mostly on hearsay and limited personal encounters. (Personal encounters with the music, that is. Not with Amos herself. For instance, I think “Spark” is a badass song. And Amos saw the beauty in “Smells Like Teen Spirit” before a lot of other people did.) I’ve heard concert accounts of her playing more than one piano simultaneously. I can’t deny that she’s a pianist force to be reckoned with, even if her lyrics are a bit overly serious for my tastes.

3. Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor’s music is quirky, anti-folk, unpretentious catchiness. And then she throws in something serious (like “Laughing With” from Far or a fantastic cover of Lennon’s “Real Love”) and punches you right in the gut. Her lyrics are playful and mysterious, creating Edward Gorey-like worlds with recurring themes. (The name “Mary Ann,” literary allusions, and multiple languages continually appear). See her live, and hear a rare phenomenon: a singer who sounds better in person than on a recording. And, as a pianist, she’s capable of more than her simple arrangements allow us to hear–she began playing the piano as a child and eventually studied at the Manhattan School of Music. Perhaps someday she’ll throw a little Rachmaninoff into her concert repertoire.

2. Rufus Wainwright
As if it’s not enough that he’s of a fine musical pedigree (son of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle), as though it’s not enough that most of his songs are glistening gems of lyrical and instrumental (and, yes, sometimes excessively theatrical) artisanship, Rufus Wainwright has now written an opera. In 2008, the Metropolitan Opera allegedly revoked Wainwright’s commission when the artist insisted on writing the libretto of Prima Donna in French instead of English. The Palace Theater of Manchester debuted the opera in July 2009. Prima Donna received mixed reviews at the Manchester International Festival, but nevertheless, OH is looking forward to seeing Rufus perform selections from the work at the New York City Opera on Thursday.

1. Ben Folds
His dork-rock style has lost some of its novelty, and his most recent solo album Way to Normal (and the fake pre-release version) and tour were disasters. But, you have only to listen to Ben Folds Five’s debut album from 1995 to understand why Folds tops this list. In a word: showmanship. Folds’s jazz/rock skillz are par excellence, but they’re also some of the most abusive in the biz. Fists, elbows, and feet are all fair game when it comes to body parts with which he’s willing to beat the piano. Folds is at his best best by himself or with a small band; the number of musicians and goofy visual distractions onstage made his last tour a ridiculous pseudo-hippie/college-pop hybrid. Strip away this camp and newfound psychedelia, and what you have is still the most impressive, improvisationally free pianist in rock right now.

Trent Reznor a considerat că Nine Inch Nails (NIN) avea un aspect tare când l-a scris prima dată pe o foaie. În Statele Unite, cuiele de 23 de cm. (9 ins.) sunt folosite pentru a sigila coşciugul înainte ca acesta să fie îngropat. Unii americani au mers atât de departe încât au interpretat că este vorba de cuiele folosite la răstignirea lui Isus pe cruce, dar pe vremea aceea nu exista unitatea de măsură britanică de inch.

Tonight I’m posting a brilliant open letter by The Birdman. Listen up Baldy, he’s speaking wisdom that could impact the rest of your career. Thanks, The Birdman!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Baldy.

You probably don’t remember me. I was at your Seattle show in August – short, skinny, tattooed dark guy in a wifebeater come to mind? Probably not, cause I was right up the back and left early to go get a beer.

I’m also a regular member of the former Idletard and now hang on various AI tard-bashing sites including this one. I know you know of us – one of our members gave you one of our famous Tard Strong bracelets (a high honour, but what did you do with it?) and you ran into the esteemed admin of this site in Virginia. Many Idletard members believe that you used to read the site pretty regularly and that you check out this site as well, although for obvious reasons (fat chick stampede) you don’t admit it.

There’s a reason I’m taking time out of my day to write you this. I like you. I think you’re a funny guy, you have decent taste in music and I can respect anyone with the balls to tackle an Our Lady Peace song on American Idol (although why did you sing the second verse? The first verse of Innocent = 10 times better). But when I went to your show, I was met by what we Idletard-ites (hey, you’re the Word Nerd. Tell me how to do it right, won’t ya.) call the frau. And not just one or two. Several. Several fat, sweaty frau pushing, shoving and bitching their way to the front while stinking up the place and making me (and the hot blonde near me) nauseous. And the show hasn’t even started.

At the time, I was not a regular Idletard member and was merely travelling through America as a way of getting over a break-up. However, when I heard I was in Seattle at the same time you were I remembered the tales of crazed fans I had heard and decided to check it out for myself. I had long assumed all the tales were at least partly exaggerated.

Fuck, was I wrong.

I have been going to hardcore punk and metal gigs since I was in my mid teens and old enough to carry a fake ID and look it. I’m no stranger to gig violence at all. I have been punched in the face, kicked in the shins and the only reason I’m still fertile is because I started wearing a box to protect my nuts. And I have been known to dish it out as well.

But what I saw at your show was completely different. I normally like to stand at the front, however when I tried to get there the frau all glared at me and told me to get to the back because “I’m not a real fan.” And I wasn’t the only one. Through the night I watched these bitches harassing everyone who dared to come closer to the stage even from my place at the back of the floor, especially younger women. And their behaviour while you were playing was fucking appalling. You and I both know what is appropriate concert behaviour, particularly in a larger venue. Screaming when you tried to speak, yelling into the monitors and continuing to harass everyone else is not appropriate behaviour anywhere. The worst part was that if I or anyone else said anything back to them, we were fucked. Even if they actually wouldn’t have assaulted me, I wasn’t willing to take the chance especially as almost all of them were twice as wide as me.

You have probably read Smartie and Teevho’s entreaties to grow some balls and tell the frau to fuck off. I’m not going to give you that line. I’m a working muso myself. I know how important it is to have someone fund your lifestyle, even if they are psychotic bitches. And I’ve seen your retorts – the myspace blog, the video etc which are about as much as you can do on the road short of kicking their heads in, which = jail time.

There is, however, one thing you can do.

You’ve mentioned you plan to return to the studio early next year. Great. But here comes the advice.

Give the frau a fuck you through the music.

You’ve mentioned your love of Nine Inch Nails in the past. Get Trent Reznor as a collaborator and producer. Get Chris Cornell back, but don’t accept any half-arsed Carry On/Scream leftovers from him – this is the guy who wrote Jesus Christ Pose, get some of that brutal magic. Collaborate with Jerry Cantrell and have him bust out some classic Alice riffs for you. Don’t let Brian Howes within a hundred miles of the studio. Hell, go to any alternative/indie club night and offer the best bands’ songwriters as much of 19E’s cash as you can to help you write a few tracks. Or go in a totally different direction. Whatever pleases you. But for the love of God, mate, don’t record another album of post-grunge dirges that any real music fan (frau being TV rather than music fans) can hear in a bar every Saturday night. Do something crazy already to show to everyone who matters (i.e. everyone other than a few crazed fat chicks who will leave you next time some other Idol contestant makes their vaginas explode) that David Cook is a legitimate artist, not a TV karaoke performer.

Already you have a pretty big credibility problem as I’m sure you’re aware. The AI powers that be pimped you hard because they thought you could be Daughtry 2.0., but even they’re not stupid enough to realise that it didn’t really work for you the first time. They’ll probably give you another chance, but if this next album is more of the same and doesn’t sell to anyone other than frau, it’s back to playing bars in Kansas City for you. Only now you’re gonna wind up like Taylor Hicks and the Soul Patrol who follow him everywhere. If you read some of the Idletard Soul Patrol stories, you’ll know what I’m on about. And stuff like a Christmas special won’t help you regain credibility, or a place in Carrie Underwood’s pants.

However, if you show some balls and aren’t afraid to do something a little more hardcore, you might actually have a shot at gaining some credibility with rock fans, who are mostly smart enough to realise a fuck you when they see one and will respect you for having the balls to do so. And who will, yes, buy your stuff.

Get one thing straight first. You are not going to be Nickelback or Creed. Packed out arenas are not in your future unless you’re working the snack bar. Daughtry got lucky because he was able to mostly do his own thing after Idol and that thing happened to be popular. Your nuts belonged to 19E. You couldn’t do that. But now’s your chance, cause with all the focus on Adam Lambert they’ve probably forgotten you anyway.

If you don’t take my advice, enjoy your life as it is now, cause it’s only gonna get worse. Maybe you can marry Svagjina. She’s gonna be a lawler, you know. And I’m sure you can wash the taste of Neal out.

Regards,

The Birdman.

P.S. Speaking of Neal, he hasn’t paid his dues to the Fugly Unwashed Guys Who Play Guitar To Get Laid Union yet. Can you remind him to pay? Paypal account F.U.G.W.P.2.L.U@fuckyouall.com. You’re free to join as well – we need a treasurer.

Every day I check the statistics on my blog. Just the total visitors. After all I am not a fanatic.

Much.

But occasionally I look at the other statistics WordPress provides. It is interesting (to me) to see what brings people to my blog.

So here are the ten most viewed articles on the archive over the past 30 days.

Pornography, Censorship and Art. Same old, Same old!

The Best Camel Toe Picture Ever Taken

Nude Gymnastics and Swimming

Second Best Camel Toe Picture Ever Taken

Shaving Her Beaver

Nine Inch Nails Meets Harry Potter

The Seven Dwarves

Blonde Chick with a Nice Pussy

What Is The Speed Of Light?

It is fascinating that top of the list is a serious article although I realise it has only gained popularity because Google decided to use the image of a young girl from that post as their top image for a search on “Bill Henson”.

I’m not sure just why an image lifted from “Looks Just Like” has jumped up into sixth spot or why three innocuous cartoons are in the list.

The entry which leaves me shaking my head is at number 10. Out of 3,399 posts on the archive (this is post No. 3,400) a serious – well, sort of -  post on science rates this highly. It doesn’t seem to fit with the other nine which could be grouped as “Sex, Celebrity and Censorship”.

Entre todas las torturas que han existido en el mundo, esta tortura musical me parece la más dulce. Pero, claro, que se lo digan a los presos que han debido acabar odiando canciones por culpa de tener que escucharlas a todo volumen durante semanas, días u horas (eso sino se han quedado medio sordos).

Un grupo de artistas, liderado por Pearl Jam y REM, han hecho alusión a la Ley de Libertad de Información (1966) para reclamar a la Administración de Estados Unidos que publique el nombre de las canciones que se usaron durante los interrogatorios de sospechosos de terrorismo en la cárcel de Guantánamo (o en alguna otra, ya que la CIA abrió prisiones secretas por todo el mundo como en Irak o Afganistán) durante el mandato del presidente Bush.

Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Neil Diamond, AC/DC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Jackson Browne, Billy Bragg o The Roots son algunos de los intérpretes que se han sumado a esta iniciativa creada con el apoyo de la ONG británica Reprieve.

No me extraña que se hayan sumado a esta petición ya que, como explica Tom Morello (guitarrista de Rage Against The Machine) no se siente nada bien pensando que la música que su grupo creó se haya usado en “crímenes contra la humanidad”. Encima sin permiso y sin hacérselo saber a ninguno de los grupos involucrados.

Entre la música que se sabe/se cree que utilizaban para estas prácticas encontramos temas tan dispares como canciones de Metallica, de AC/DC, de Britney Spears, los Bee Gees, Bruce Springsteen, Nancy Sinatra o, incluso, canciones infantiles como las del Dinosaurio Barney y Barrio Sésamo (lástima que estos últimos no puedan echarse a la calle para reclamar el respeto que intentaban inculcarnos cuando éramos niños).

Solo un dato más. A pesar de que “fuentes” de la Casa Blanca aseguran que estas prácticas ya no se usan, lo cierto es que en el manual del ejército todavía no están prohibidas.