music

The Draught of Naught Troubling

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More good stuff from my sons Willis’ and Bobi’s band Aelios* in the form of a music video of their latest release.

You should be able to tell who my sons are because you should be able to tell who the blood brothers are in the video. The third member, Colin Bates, while not a blood brother, he’s a brother nonetheless.

Incidentally, Colin, an all around artistic talent and graduate of Juilliard, collaborated with me on my movie Leave. You can learn more about him and other cast and crew members here.

Incidentally again, my son Bobi’s other band Saving Apollo, just returned from a tour that culminated in them playing SXSW. It was a very successful tour and set them up to now tour with this summer’s Warped Tour. Pretty huge, no?

BTW, if you have enjoyed the video, please take the time to “like” it on youtube and subscribe to their channel and then tell everyone you know, and I do mean everyone, about it.

Is that asking too much?

Probably, but hey, what’s a dad to do?

#happysaturday
#rockon
 

*Aelios are Willis Brindley (blue-hooded wizard), Vaughan (Bobi) Brindley (yellow-hooded wizard), and Colin Bates (black-hooded wizard)

United States of Me

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The egalitarianism typical of human hunter-gatherers is interesting when viewed in an evolutionary context. One of humanity’s two closest primate relatives, the chimpanzee, is anything but egalitarian, forming hierarchies that are dominated by alpha males. So great is the contrast with human hunter-gatherers that it is widely argued by palaeoanthropologists that resistance to being dominated was a key factor driving the development of human consciousness, language, kinship, and social organization. . . [WIKIPEDIA]

While I’m loathe to give credit to the hardcore Silicon tech bros due to so many of them having a bent toward misogyny and authoritarian ideals, which also made Trump so appealing to so many of these tech nerd dictator-wanna-bes, a la Peter Thiel, however, one of their ideals that somewhat sort of does appeal to me is a their striving toward a kind of hyper-freedom/ individualism, a striving so much so that some, again a la Peter Theil, are working to create these technology island havens of sort where each island would be governed autonomously as its own country and where, it seems to me, the island owners could proclaim themselves king or queen.

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Depressing Pasty White Boys Playlist for Melancholic Moods and Writing Inspiration

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So, the past couple weeks I’ve been in a last-minute frenzy (the best way I find to write) to finish the screenplay for a feature film version of Leave.

Yeah, we’re now – no jokin’ – just days away of getting Leave, the short film version*, in the can and we will soon be submitting the production (and let me tell ya, it’s been one hell of a production (to say the least)) to all the various and sundry film festivals throughout the lands near and far.

And, as we’re all hoping (I know, I know all you hardcore military grunts – HOPE IS NOT A COURSE OF ACTION!), and some of us are even borderline expecting, that there will be some interest after seeing the short film from the moneyed movie moguls who will be out there cruising all the various and sundry festivals looking for their next feature film project…

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An Ode to Elon

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[Best when sung to the tune of “Froggy Went A Courting”]

The Man on Mars ain’t lookin’ at the stars
He’s thinkin’ ’bout wars
And how to power cars

There’s money to be made
In the inter-planet trade
Can’t wait to start the raid

The Man on Mars ain’t thinkin’ ’bout Earth
Cuz that tired old rock
Has lost all its worth

The Man on Mars ain’t there for humankind
He’s only there to mine
All the min’rals he can find

There’s money to be made
In the inter-planet trade
Can’t wait to start the raid

The Man on Mars is movin’ quick, you see
Cuz after pumm’ling Mars
It’s off to Mercury

 

 

#ofthejournals

 
 

Why does it seem stars from my generation* have such a hard time staying alive?

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What gives, yo?

I mean, life’s a bitch and all but come on Gen Xers, don’t let all that depressing music from the Nineties go to your head…

Or your heart.

Man**…

I tell ya, last year we lost such notable Gen Xers as Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell*** and, before them, Scott Weiland a couple years ago, not to mention all those Gen Xer stars we lost early in their prime: Kurt Cobain, Tupac, Biggie, Layne Staley, Shannon Hoon, Bradley Nowell, and god knows how many others I’ve failed to mention.

And now this year we continue the tragic Gen X endings with the tragic death of Dolores O’Riordan.

By the time my generation gets in its natural zone of death, it seems all the stars from it will be long gone with no big names left for me to pay tribute.

But, as is evident by Delores’ recent passing, it’s painfully obvious the premature dying off of famous Gen Xers will continue unabated and I sincerely would like to pay a heartfelt tribute to the life of Dolores, for hers was a unique and beautiful voice that defined my generation*.

Sadly, like the death of Scott Weiland, I kind of saw it coming…

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Pakistani Music Maestro Teams Up With Grammy-Winning Producer

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Found this truly amazing video, posted originally by Sonya Rehman, fortuitously while cruising through WP’s “music” tag and I am sharing it here by using the “WP Press This” share button for the first time because there was no “Reblog” button, which I don’t understand why because if you allow a Press This button and not…

Ah, heck. Why don’t I just shut up about the inanities of such inane issues as the pros and cons of share buttons so you can enjoy this truly amazing video…
 

Source: Pakistani Music Maestro Teams Up With Grammy-Winning Producer

 

The Coathangers

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Back in the last millennium during the age of analog and airmail a buddy of mine used to subscribe to CMJ, a music magazine that with each monthly issue would include a “mixtape” CD (ah, CDs, back when life was much simpler and slower) jam packed with singles from new and up and coming bands.

Him being a buddy, I can neither confirm nor deny [got to phrase in that hush-hush, wink-wink way just in case the Feds are monitoring us] that he may have burned me a copy of that monthly CD of new releases and it may or may not have been one of my true monthly delights… maybe.

CMJ is still in existence online at cmj.com and, up until last year, they used to release their monthly “mixtape” as a digital download.

It was within one of these mixtapes that I discovered THE COATHANGERS.

And, seeing how it’s International Women’s Day and Women are showing their massive display of power through resistance and protest which got me to figuring that there is hardly anything much more symbolically indicative of resistance and protest than Punk Rock Music which then reminded me of The Coathangers — hmm, I wonder what message they’re trying to get across with their band name — and who it is now my pleasure to introduce (I assume it’s your introduction to them; if not, let me know) to you performing their punk rockin’ song “Watch Your Back.”

Dig it.

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Drugs, Death, and Rock & Roll

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Wayne Static in 2005 [WIKIPEDIA]

 

Did not know Wayne Static had died in 2014.

What a frikkin’ bummer.

I’m a fan of Industrial Music — Rock, Metal, Electronic — with Nine Inch Nails being my typical band of choice whenever I’m jonesing for a deep, dark, dystopic fix.

But whenever I was in need for an adrenaline fix, Wayne Static — his stage name obviously — with his band Static-X would always get me to where I was fixin’ to go.

It’s been a while since I needed a high-tempo rush like that so I hadn’t heard nor thought of Static-X in many o’ moons; however, now that I’m to the point where I’m working out regularly, a Static-X classic popped up on my Apple Music Industrial Rock Workout Playlist that Apple nerds had kindly and conveniently curated for me.

Warning: If you’re not familiar with this genre of music, you may want to check, first, with your doctor to ensure your heart can handle it, and then, second, with your Priest/Spiritual Advisor to ensure your spirit can handle it, as well…

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