Friday, June 30, 2006

Big Black to re-unite for Touch and Go Records 25th Anniversary!

From the Chicago Reader:

THE ORGANIZERS OF Touch and Go’s 25th anniversary party in September have already booked 24 of the festival’s 25 featured performers, including Black Heart Procession, Calexico, Arcwelder, the Ex, and reunited acts like Girls Against Boys, Scratch Acid, and the Didjits. Rumors have been proliferating about who’ll fill the 25th slot, and though it definitely won’t be Big Black, the band will make a brief appearance. Steve Albini confirms that he’ll reunite with bassist Jeff Pezzati, guitarist Santiago Durango, and their trusty drum machine for a handful of songs.

Albini’s tour schedule with Shellac, who are also performing at the fest, is making it impossible for Big Black to rehearse a full set. “We would like to get our shit together to play a couple songs as a thank-you to Touch and Go,” he says, “but I would hate it if people spent a ton of money and made a special trip expecting a full Big Black show.” No further Big Black engagements are planned, contrary to Internet chatter. “We’ve already been approached by promoters about doing reunion shows,” Albini says, “but that is definitely not going to happen.”

One of the other big rumors has been about the Jesus Lizard. Half the group—bassist David Sims and front man David Yow—will already be at the fest playing in Scratch Acid. They’re currently in contact with guitarist Duane Denison, but drummer Mac McNeilly hasn’t been in touch with his old bandmates since 1998.

Billions Corporation founder David “Boche” Viecelli, who managed the Jesus Lizard and is handling the Scratch Acid reunion, confirms that the idea of getting the band back together has been discussed. “But the only way anybody would consider it—and I think it’s incredibly unlikely—is if Mac were doing it,” he says. “The guys haven’t talked to Mac in eight years, and there are no ongoing conversations that I’m aware of. So I would say the possibility is unbelievably remote.”

Jesus Lizard diehards can still hope something changes before September— the goodwill surrounding the Touch and Go celebration has already facilitated a couple reunions that once seemed impossible. “It’s kind of amazing what’s happening with this anniversary,” says Albini. “People are doing the sort of stuff that would never happen for any other reason.”

...

Although the lack of Dave Riley is pretty strange (he had a seizure, and Santiago and Albini couldn't help but mention what a fuck-up he seemed to be in Our Band Could Be Your Life), I'm stoked that my friends will see this.

And you know I'm getting the bootleg. You know it.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Argh, there be linkage!

Hey there...

If any of you have any interest in stunning artistic endeavours from the last century, I really suggest you check out this post about Ubu.web's Summer program. Fluxus, Ligeti, Viennese Aktionists, Roland Barthes, and Fluxus are covered.

Post Punk Junk has probably become my favorite music weblog, and for good reason. These guys pull out the JAMS, and recent posts have included the entire first concert by PiL, as well as early (pre-Warner) Gang of Four singles. Also, they re-energized me to check out Six Finger Satellite, who I am now kicking myself for not following back in the day.

Texas Railroad Killer put to death. This guy was one of the pre-eminent boogiemen of Texas in the late 90s. Terrifying.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Videos of your friends' injuries? Always fun.



Dig this video of my man Austin, post-rugby injury.

Friday, June 23, 2006

"Fuckin' AC Slater's lookin' better and better if you're into homo sex with failed teen actors..."

GetDShirts.com

I know this is old news to some of you, but a good friend and myself were mulling this one over today and we just couldn't get our head around it. The basic story is that Dustin Diamond, aka Screech from Saved By The Bell, is going to lose his house in Wisconsin due to a foreclosure. He bought his place, the property value SKYROCKETED, and now the bank be all "Get the fuck out, Slater." His lawyer did sweet FA to help him, and now Bayside High's finest will be giving handjobs for crack in... shit, anybody know any towns in Wisconsin?

Oh yeah, Osh Kosh. Got it.

The irony of this is mind-blowing. This poor guy has to make a dicksack out of himself for what, 10 FUCKING YEARS, and then buys a house in Wisconsin of all places... just to get randomly screwed over by some twist of fate. Meanwhile, Zach Morris' fingers probably still smell like a mixology lab from all the fine impressionable ladies he done met during those years. How many sloppy beejers do you think Screech racked up? Not a lot. I tell you that.

At the same time, how can you feel really bad for the guy? He's gotta have some residuals somewhere, and after you've made serious bank on a show like that for damn near a decade, well, high-interest bank accounts and stocks and bonds SHOULD put a lil' love in your wallet. This is in addition to a turn on reality TV, wherein homedude beat the shit out of Horshack from Welcome Back, Kotter.

Sometimes the joke is on the clown.

...

In other news, I'm really happy the world cup is over. I'm sorry NHK, but I simply don't need 30 minutes of "news" a night that equates to fan porn over sports. Get a love hotel and a rag for that.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

America to Japan: "Let us put our beef in your mouth."

So it appears that America will resume beef shipments to Japan after the SNAFU earlier this year in which spinal columns were found in some beef shipments. Should be a good time for those of you who like tearing into flesh.

I just like America's heavy lobbying on this one. It's classy as all can be. I know meth addicts who are less cloying, transparent, and venal than the beef industry appears to be.

On second thought, who cares? I'll still eat the shit. And I like the new slogan: "US Beef. It's got backbone!"

Monday, June 19, 2006

Man, I just realized... I am not normal. At all.

Sitting here while on vacation in Tokyo, crashing in a dark booth at Bagus 99. Tired. Sleepy. Want a shower. Played guitars today with a South African dude. Got a new tie in Harajuku. Had meat and veggies with my homeboy from Oklahoma. Studied kanji. Gave New Order`s `best of` a spin. Saw 2 Joy Division t-shirts and had conversations with a guy regarding his, which depicted the cover of `Unknown Pleasures.` Tried to figure out a way to get out of the fucking `returning conference.` Realized I have nuked just about all of my defining factors in the past year and a half.

Insect/incest.

Oh, go die in a Chinese van, already.

And listen to listen to Milemarker.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

JET program: Great moments in "What the fuck, son?"



Sometimes the game backs up on you and gets mad greasy. Right now is one of those times. Shit's gone crazy. It's like everybody from work ran down to the front desk of the Hotel Reality and checked out at the same time. For instance, in the last month:

My boss quit.

My new boss revealed that I have more teaching experience than her. SIGNIFICANTLY more. Also: her English brings 'teh suck.'

I missed a full day of work at an elementary school because I honestly forgot it and took my vacation day for the month. The school is now pissed that they were denied my presence, and is screaming like a virgin with a thumb in 'em about me not making it out there. I was partying my ass off getting x-rays, bloodtests, and other medical work done, so I'm glad I missed it.

My bosses can't tell me how I'm getting my leaving money, how I'm getting my last check, or what the process is for going home. Yet I'm supposed to pick a day to go home.

HOW, BITCH? HOW?!?

Trying to take my last few vacation days, but everybody's bitching about me "being gone during lessons." Why give me 20 vacation days a year if that's the case? And why have me around for a whopping 7 lessons a week? Where be all the precision in this piece, son?

My new teachers can't handle a class. That's cool, because I'm at the point where I'm totally willing to punch some kid in the forehead if he can't act right.

ALTs and other people that I've barely talked to all year are now "buddy-buddying" up to me with overtures of friendship that are as fake as sweater cows in California. What's this "let's be buddies" shit? Should've been pulling that card back when a motherfucker wasn't moving and I was hanging out in my apartment. DOUCH-AY!!!

My BOE apparently knows who my successor is, but won't tell me. All I'm trying to do is clean the place, send the rest of my shit off to wherever, and bump out. Granted, I'll do better than "YOU TRIED TO POISON ME LOL ARRRRGH!", but damn, give me a little time to get this together.

Vacation request run-in-circle-a-thon turns into a fucking joke when a "I MAY try and go during these days" note to my teachers turns into an incident with my new principal, the local ALT coardinator, and various other people about the proper "chain of command" procedures. These procedures all changed when my last boss quit, but hey, I should know them anyway. Because naturally I have no clue as to what's happening.

Check please.

Seriously.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Food for thought...

More super-hero type shit for your boy...

Sorry about not posting lately, but I've been inundated between work, studying, preparing to move, and partying like a semi-sober Keith Richards. More details will follow soon, but be prepared for stories involving lots of sexually-frustrated crackety-cracks drinking too much and screaming at each other while I made "the moves."

Anyway, a few weeks ago I got the following warning via fax to "WATCH THE HELL OUT!" on Memorial Day. It appears that the US Embassy had good reason to believe that some J-dudes were about to go Anpo hantai on a building or something. Scared my office mates and gave me credibility, although you're not about to catch me rolling around a Navy base looking for a Burger King.

Dig it:

Sent May 24, 2006,

The US Embassay has learned of a possible threat against American facilities in Japan, the credibility of which has yet to be determined (1). Given the upcoming Memorial Day holiday(2), we advise American citizens to exercise caution and report any suspicious activities to authorities.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the State Dept's Bureau of Consular Affairs web site, where the current Worldwide Caution, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found.(3)


(snip)

Wild, no? Thankfully, nobody got hurt, and Mao's "paper tiger" pronouncement rang true. Which is good, because I'm not trying to get sent back home because somebody thinks Bill Frist is a dick.

1. This is what happens when you give the British JETs too much free time... they start imitating the Red Army and prank calling consulates.

2. I still had to work on that bitch.

3. How's Tehran looking these days?