So, I started school again this week, which sucks. It's not THAAAT bad, sure. I'm not taking any simul classes this semester, which I'm more than relieved about. We took simul all of last year and by December, my brain was close to going on a coma and I was having withdrawals. I'm totally serious. Sure, by the time we pick it back up to practice for our final final final exams we're all gonna suck balls, but at least we got five or so months to enjoy life in a simul-free world. Because I want to graduate as soon as possible and start considering the (few) options I have for the future, I'm working my ass off all of this semester, which means, I'm probably gonna die by the end of February.
I really don't wanna die, though. I would love to stay alive at least until I turn twenty-one and am able to drink legally in the U.S. of Hell. Or at least until I save enough money to see Trent Resner's shiny, so-not-leather pants live. But the way I see it, it's gonna take a lot of will power, a lot of strength -which I don't have cause I'm a wimp,- and a lot of good music to keep me going. Oh, and cutting classes is always a bonus. Especially when it rains so much you can't leave the house. Like today, I totally cut Italian
so I could stay home like a lazy parasite of society and write a totally meaningless blog entry because the sky had the runs and it was so bad my whole street was flooded. Oops.
Now, if I'm planning to survive these next two months, I'm gonna have to bring my A-game every day, and load my iPod with powerful musical nukes to annihilate every trace of weakness that might appear. And now that I just so happened to be stranded at home, courtesy of the ever-so-welcome South American rains, I'm gonna just go ahead and make a
killah playlist to totally blow up the grim reaper and stay on my feet.
Caution: This is a long one, twenty songs full of badass, so if you have a heart condition, or bad taste in music, I recommend that you get the hell out of here as soon as you can.
Hüsker Dü - Turn On the News
Most of my smart thinkings usually occur while I'm on the school bus. I guess it's probably because I spend so much time on it, and because that's like the only time I have to actually
think without having the annoying puppy biting my toes or the annoying bitches making me laugh. Most of my (totally unoriginal) ideas for stories I have had them on the bus. I discovered the true meaning of life on the bus. Actually, the idea of this stupid blog post came to me yesterday while I was crossing the bridge on my way to the boring six o'clock class, and appropriately enough, it came to me while listening to this little number. This song has the right amount of punk rock energy, but it's not Black Flag-hardcore, so it's perfect for me. No, I don't like hardcore. No, I don't like Black Flag. Hüsker Dü is a very interesting band; while their early stuff is very Black Flaggy, their later works are softer, more melodic, more pop, and definitely more likable for Cat. What's even weirder is that their first album, Everything Falls Apart, is the most hardcore thing they ever did, and is my favorite of theirs. This song is taken from their second release, Zen Arcade, which is one of the best albums ever, no contest. I love how they mixed punk with jazzy beats and psychedelia in this record, and I love how this song is the epitome of experimental punk, and the epitome of energy. That guitar solo is so yummy, holy crap!
Interpol - PDA
I seem to stumble upon an Interpol song every single fucking time I make a playlist. It's actually stupid how I seem to find an appropriate song by these mofos for every mood I'm in. That probably shows how versatile they are, but it's annoying, nevertheless. It's such a shame that I love them so much. This is not as strong as the previous song, but it's a good transition, I think. It's still energetic, in its very Interpol-y way, and it's a bit dark, in my opinion. All of the Turn On the Bright Lights album is a bit short of light. Must be all of that Joy Division. This is the first Interpol song I ever loved, and even though I moved on and found others to profess my feelings for, PDA and I still have a special relationship. I wish I could say the same about my exes, but that's another reason why music is my current boyfriend. Very rhythmic, the relationship between the vocals and the guitars is so beautifully intertwined and carefully made it's impressive.
Foetus (Inc.) - Wash (It All Off)
Damn, that J.G. Thirlwell and his happy industrial shit. It's really hard to talk about industrial without bringing up this guy's name(s), and it makes me really happy to hear that he's still pretty active in the music scene of Brooklyn today. Foetus is one of those weird seminal bands you can't really pigeonhole in one genre, you can't really decipher their style, you can't really point out why you love it, but you can't really deny is good. Clint Ruin, J.G. Thirlwell, Frank Want, kickass motherfucker, whatever his name is at the time, has made some of the most interesting music the world has ever heard, and yet it's so underrated it's pathetic. There would be no Nine Inch Nails, not the NIN we all know and love, if it wasn't for this guy. There would be no Kill MotherFucking Depeche Mode without this guy. There would be no good industrial music without this guy. He belongs to that exclusive elite of industrial pioneers such as Coil, Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, Psychic TV, among others, that helped give this genre an identity. This is an edited version of a six-minute song from the Wash/Slog EP, included on the remix album Sink. Obviously happy and filled with enough energy to make you dizzy, I bet you'll at least crack a smile at Ruin's
'supercalifragilisticsadomasochism.'The Fall - The Classical
Totally switching gears here, I'm back to my old post punk roots and present you The Fall. Another extremely influential band that you cannot NOT give a listen, if you know what's best for you. Just think about this: if you like Pavement, Editors, the Strokes, the Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, the Smiths, Nirvana, or whatever new hipster, flavor-of-the-month band is out there right now, you're unconsciously liking The Fall. Yup, all those guys take from these guys, some more originally and not so shamelessly, though. Hex Induction Hour is a sweet little treat, more melodic than their four previous releases, yet keeping the same noisy formula that they brought to the roster with Live at the Witch Trials. This is a fun song, the riff is too awesome for words, and it's guaranteed to brighten any kind of shitty day.
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster - Chicken
I'm being random, I know. I can't have some continuity in this playlist, goddammit! Okay, so I admit I had no interest in this band whatsoever. First, the name is retarded -I'm musically judgmental, which is why I never really liked the Dandy Warhols. I mean, talk about retarded names...- and I have learned in my measly twenty years of existence that stupid bands have stupid names. So no. Second, the whole psychobilly genre is too much of a joke, in my opinion. I know there are lots of good bands representing that 'genre' such as The Cramps, The Gun Club, blah blah, but I don't think that name leads people to think it is worthy of respect. Sorry, it just makes me think it's a hybrid of Elvis and Rozz Williams. Hmmm... Third, the band members actually look like a joke. Seriously, WTF? But then Reznorman came to the rescue and cleaned up the good name of these guys by picking their guitarist, Rich Fownes, as the preliminary bassist for the Lights in the Sky tour. Of course, he kicked him out later and replaced him with the afro-sporting, cool-looking Justin Meldal-Johnsen, of Beck fame, but it was too late, I'd already got a copy of TEMBLD's debut album, Hörse Of the Dög. Fuck me, it was actually not bad. Moral of the story: don't be judgmental, unless you wanna get kicked in the ass. Yes, this is a cool song, the guitar in this song is rather simple, but the instrumentation is pretty well done, and the screams are creepy, but they work this time.
Datarock - The New Song
This was a rec from a good friend. I know I'm the worst kind of picky person when it comes to music, and it takes a little bit of work to get me to like something, which is why some people usually refrain from recommending songs to me. I frustrated my friend with my astounding ability to dislike every single song he sent my way, but at least I liked this one. I'm probably not that bad, then. These guys are from somewhere in Scandinavian Europe, I think. Norway, if I remember correctly. I didn't think Scandinavian Europe had synth music to offer, I thought most of their musical exports were in the metal genre. Then again, I thought Scandinavian Europeans didn't make folk, and... whoops, Kings of Convenience, anyone? Nordic Europe is a progressive, region, I know. This song starts out with a creepy, Phantom-of-the-Opera-like synth part, and then starts to rock. Rock hard! That's cool, cause I hardly ever encounter good electronic music mixed so well with rock. This is a rather short song, but its condensed power is enough to punch you in the face and make you damn angry!
The Clash - White Riot
There's not much I can say about The Clash. They're obviously good. They used to be one of my five favorite bands, at the least, back in '02/'03-ish. They made me like punk rock. They're probably my favorite first-wave punk rock band, as I remember saying on a previous post. That's it. And this song is particularly special. It sounds so old, and so early-punk-rock. So 1976. That's why I love it. It reminds me of such good times... my youth, my friends, NYC. (No, I wasn't alive in '76. My mom was barely four in '76! I just listened to a lot of those early punk rock bands when I was young, like the big music snob that I was). From their debut album, obviously a must-have, this song is filled with kickassery, it screams debauchery!
Butthole Surfers - Dust Devil
Gibby Haynes is a weird man. He and Jello Biafra should get married and have lovely, musical genius babies who would probably make the world a better place. The Butthole Surfers are a noisy, hilarious band that made one of my favorite albums growing up: Independent Worm Saloon. Now, I'm not a huge fan of the American alternative music scene of the '90s; in fact, other than Nine Inch Nails, the occasional Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins play, and some riot grrrl in small doses, I really hate the nineties. But these guys make it all so much better. Sure, maybe because they weren't as over
ratedplayed as their more commercial counterparts, they were much more interesting. And maybe because Gibby Haynes has a sense of humor, he's not obnoxious like Billy Corgan. Whatever the reason, I will always have a place in
mah mangled heart for the Butthole Surfers, and their noisy alt-rock. As a huge fan of sludgy guitars, I picked this song because its face-melting solo towards the end is brilliant.
Fischerspooner - Never Win
This is a more toned-down song, which is the worst transition ever, but what the hell. There's a whole lot of energetic, vibrant songs on Fischerspooner's #1 album to choose from that would fit perfectly in this playlist, but I had to go for the odd one, the only song I have from the Odyssey album. It's the single, the only Fischerspooner song the popular masses have probably heard. It's just so damn good I can't help it! It has that
je ne sais quoi that makes me feel rather inspired, hopeful and determined, which is exactly what I need to put up a good fight against school and its bastard work load. (Pardon my French, I seem to be working especially hard on becoming a horribly obnoxious bitch).
The Birthday Party - Zoo Music Girl
Nick Cave makes the list yet again. This man has been the ghost haunting my music selections ever since I was brainwashed into buying my first Birthday Party album. I'm cool with that, so I'm not complaining. Cave's voice is so scary it makes me reach out and hold my stuffed Spongebob Squarepants (forget I mentioned that) every time I hear it. It's even three times scarier in this song. I don't know, this song is supposed to be rather upbeat, but it turned out to be creepier than most, already-disturbing-enough Birthday Party songs. The wind instrumentation is probably to blame. It makes me think of chaos, like a riot in the streets or something like that. I have no idea why I haven't listened to this song as much as, say, Junkyard, but holy shit, it's good. I'm just starting to realize that.
ADULT. - Get Me Out
More electroclash. I'm a big fan of electroclash, as I've probably evidenced already with my OCD-ish thing for Ladytron. ADULT. is a nice badass duo of married people, which I didn't think could be so exciting. I got my first taste of ADULT. when I listened to the Death in Vegas song Hands Around My Throat, which featured Nicola Kuperus on sexy vocals. Haha, actually, this woman's voice is anything but sexy. In fact, it's like a caged banshee screaming to a pulsing synth. That's exactly why I love it. Remember what I mentioned above about synth music mixed with rock? Well, no one does it as good and sexy as El Rezzo, of course, but these guys do pull off a nice eclectic mix. This is from the D.U.M.E. EP, and these guys are from Detroit. I haven't really liked anything from the Midwest this much since probably WaxTrax! so... yeah, two thumbs up.
Pop Will Eat Itself - Wise Up! Sucker
Exactly. Wise up! suckasss and stop listening to shitty numetal! This is another band I was encouraged to like by Trent Reznor. The Poppies were one of the exclusive bands signed with Trent's
vanity label, Nothing, and they toured with NIN for a few nights as a part of the Nights of Nothing ensemble. I started listening to them a few years ago, and I really like their Brit-hop style (I have no idea what Brit-hop is, but I made it up as a mix between British and hip hop, which is more like what the Poppies are all about), which I've heard some people call Grebo. It's fun and different and funky. Some claim the Poppies sold out and changed their Grebo formula for a more industrial sound per request of Reznor, so they could fit in with the rest of the Nothing artists, but that's just pointless crap. I really don't see that big a stylistic difference between this record, This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This is This!, and Dos Dedos Mis Amigos, their '95 Nothing Records release. News flash, people: They have ALWAYS been industrial! The Rezzinator had nothing to do with that! Okay, maybe he did have one minute bit do with that, but that's just cause he's infectious, like a good virus.
Peaches - I Don't Give A...
This bitch is crazy, honestly. Only she could take Joan Jett's iconic punk rock anthem, Bad Reputation, and make it so politically incorrect it makes
me blush. It's a short one, but contains more profanity than your average South Park episode, your average Howard Stern show, and your average
Cat from Occupied Town blog post. Obviously, she picked up something from Reznor. My guess is, in order to make her worthy of an opening slot for NIN, he trained her in the arts of
Proper Fuck Placement, with a little help from my friend Meathead, and taught her a thing or two about screaming. It worked. This is an inspirational song, the kind of song that makes me want to start a revolution and be a badass biatch. Of course, that'll never happen cause I'm a good girl, but at least I can fantasize. Simul? I dont give a fuck!!! Passato prossimo? I dont give a shit!!! Life? I don't give a shit, I don't give a fuck, I don't give a fuckkkkk!!! Thank you, Peaches, that was so therapeutic.
Editors - Bones
Post punk revival, in the same melodic vein of Interpol, but not so gloomy and despairing. This song is very hopeful, it gives me warm feelings that only music and my puppy can give. It's obvious that these guys were going to be one of my favorite bands, I'm more predictable than you think, and I'm a sucker for this kind of jams. The guitars in this song, and all Editors songs, for that matter, are rich and gripping, making a good post mortem tribute to Joy Division and the Chameleons. The words are somewhat cheesy, not enough to make me puke, but rather just the right amount.
The Damned - Neat Neat Neat
Another first wave punk rock band. Another band that sounds very '76. These guys initiated a whole movement, yet are underrated and usually forgotten. Truth is, these guys were the first of the whole bunch of punk rock bands to emerge from the
hawt Summer of Hate. No one remembers this, though. These guys are just as good as The Clash, just as good as the Sex Pistols, not as good as the Buzzcocks, though, but that's cause the Buzzcocks are not from this planet, and alien forces from Pluto provide them with supernatural abilities to kick ass. I can't talk down on the Damned, their Damned Damned Damned album, where I got this song from, is raw and angsty and adolescent, like only
punk rawk can be. Rock on!
Nine Inch Nails - Last
Here it is, my NIN selection for this playlist. I bet you were all waiting for it to show, right? This fucking sexy track belongs to a killer EP entitled Broken, which is capable of giving you a musical beating like no other record can. And, of course, since I'm at war with school and I'm doing this to gather enough courage and strength to win, I had to include anything from Broken. I have so many things to say about this song but can't cause they're all X-rated and explicit. There's something about this blatant aggression, this ear-raping sound that simply turns me on. Also, this is one of the best guitar tracks in the entire NIN catalog, just as good as the epic We're in This Together and the sorrowful The Fragile. I wish I could see this song live, but sadly, Reznor is still quite fond of his vocal chords, so he probably won't submit them to the pain of singing this song ever again. Same goes to WITT, and this is why life sucks.
Eagles of Death Metal - Anything 'cept the Truth
I hated, hated, hated the Eagles of Death Metal. A few months ago I would have rather cut off my ears and pulled a Van Gogh than listen to these guys, but like I said, life sucks, and it hates me. Guess what, I got another beating for being judgmental. I don't like stoner rock, I don't like Kyuss, I don't like the Screaming Trees, I don't like Days of the New, I only like Queens of the Stone Age in small portions, like carbs. Why the hell would I like Eagles of Death Metal? Sure, cause they're not entirely stoner rock. In all honesty, I still don't like them really, but this song is cool. Probably because it's from a brand new album, which maybe doesn't suck donkey genitals. I have had a few nice moments listening to this song, I have had some good feelings listening to this song. I have played air guitar listening to this song (forget I mentioned that, too), and now I'm just obsessed with it. Plus, I think I heard a tambourine mid song. Yay! Tambourine!
The Runaways - Rock & Roll
I didn't like the Runaways at first. Hell, I hardly ever like an all-female band, which is the biggest contradiction and irony ever, since I am entirely sure I hate eighty percent of the male population of this world. I have had this album for a while and never gave it an unbiased listen until a couple months ago. I still don't love it, but it's undeniably fun and catchy and... old! This is what punk rock is all about, and so far I like it more than I like today's formulaic Green Day-inspired pop-punk bullshit. I'm not a fan of either of these chicks as solo artists, but as an ensemble, they made some cool shit. It might be a bit hit or miss to me, but this song is bubbly, but unapproachable at the same time, and the vocals are energetic enough to make the cut.
Skrewdriver - Backstreet Kids
A Nazi band! That's a first! So, I hate these guys with my life just because they dare to encourage a cruel, archaic, outdated and plain dumbass ideology, but their music is quite listenable. I would never support a band that furthers hatred, which is why I didn't even buy this album, I just downloaded it off a blog or something; but at least they weren't all the way into neo-Nazism when they released it. All Skrewed Up contains practically no references to their far-right politics, so I don't feel terribly guilty listening to it. So, kids, xenophobia is bad, but Skrewdriver's All Skrewed Up is okay. It's punk rock, so it's a perfect ammunition to save when the war gets tough.
The Jesus Lizard - Too Bad About the Fire
So, I've covered about every style of music I like in this playlist, and I'm happy about that. Noise rock is somewhat of an acquired taste to me, and to some people also. While I'm not a huge fan of the entire genre, I am a big Steve Albini fan, so I'll automatically try anything he's put his talented paws on. Given that he produced some of their albums, and had considerable input in their music, I couldn't help liking this band. And even though Shot, the album from which this song is taken, was not produced by Albini, I still liked it simply because it's the Jesus fucking Lizard. This song came to me right before I started writing this entry, which seems like a week ago. It's really aggressive and irritable, so proceed with caution.
Bonus!
Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot
LOL, I'm saving this one for when the semester ends and I come out victorious to announce my triumph. This song is very, very, VERY trippy, and dream-like, and sad. And it's also bipolar, because it starts off like that and then switches to noisy-guitar crazy. Kim Gordon's prose is so beautiful and poetic in its spontaneity, so fragile and haunting, like one of those delicate crystal thingees I can't get anywhere near cause I would most likely wind up breaking. One of the best songs ever, it should come as no surprise that it was released in '88, the most awesome year ever. The year Trent Reznor got signed with the backstabbing, money grubbing whores of TVT. The year of The Land of Rape and Honey, Joy Division's Substance, Barbed Wire Kisses, The Serpent's Egg and Bug. Also, the year the world was introduced to the wonderful, charming human being that is yours truly. And this song, thanks to the visual aid of Daydream Nation's cover art, the lit candle standing alone in a dark background, is always encouraging, engaging and poignant.
I started writing this a hell of a long time ago, and now I have to go to school again. I'm not gonna be a total lazy ass and stay home all day! I'm not that big a failure as a human being. I'm content with the feeling of laying out the rules of the game and being ready to fight with all that's in me to keep it together through these dark times. So, it's on, bitch. The war has just begun...
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Listening to: She Wants Revenge - Spend the Night
Eating: Nothing until I burn off the outrageously huge dish of pasta I ate last night.
Drinking: Water
