+ Friday, July 29 - 10:16am +

- It seems that the Gorilla Biscuits reunion show at CBGBs sold out in three minutes? Whether or not it was a glitch or not, there will be some tickets available at the door. I can only imagine how crazy that line is going to be. Hey, Walter and Civ...these are benefit shows, add a few more for goodness sake. Or better yet, why not tour the west coast and donate that money too. Doesn't hurt to ask.

- Even more 90's hardcore is popping up online. Andrew has posted the Joyburner CD EP (post Four Walls Falling band) and someone has posted the fucking AWAKE 7"! Yes, only two people who visit this site will know this record and it's place in my high school years...but it's worth mentioning. For those of you who have never heard of these guys, listen to By The Horns. In 1990 that was the shit.

- This link made the rounds yesterday...I sure hope this dog is OK. Some posted say she is doing well, others...well, let's believe the postive ones. Ouch.

- Also, I decided to buy out Google. Seems like a good investent.


+ Tuesday, July 26 - 12:35pm +

- On Saturday night we were waiting for the 9:30 showing of Murder Ball (great, great movie) to start at the Embarcadero theater and decided to walk down to the pier area to kill some time. As we were standing front of the Ferry Building I noticed a guy in a suit riding a BMX bike in our direction...he was really moving. As he flew by, handlebars pushed way forward ghetto style, it appeared to be SF Mayor Gavin Newsome. At first I did a double take. Huh? 30 seconds later a group of black kids on bikes shot past us in hot pursuit. "Yeah...umm, did you see that guy in the suit? That was Gavin Newsome on some kid's BMX." Sure enough about a minute later he flew back by and cruised over to the far side of the Ferry Building, gave the waiting kid his bike back, stepped over the railing, sat back down at his table and finished his dinner.

Now, I didn't vote for the man, but that was pretty damn cool. To see the Major of San Francisco riding a black Dyno BMX, jumping off curbs with a bunch of little kids...pretty rad. Add his position on the whole gay marriage debate and he may get my vote yet.

- We Jam Econo at the Yerba Buena Center For the Arts tonight.


+ Saturday, July 23 - 1:35pm +

Last night's Darkest Hour show was sold out, meaning the Pound was packed. I'm guessing it was due to the opening band, Bleeding Through, as I can tell you the last two Darkest Hour shows weren't close to being sold out. Anyway, the band was good, but had far too little stage time. They stuck to tracks off the new album mostly, and closed with 'Sadist Nation', which was quite good. It's been a while since I've attended a show with so much 'moshing' action. I started off in the front left of the stage and just got tossed around way too much. Kids seemed to be very into it, so that was nice to see, I'm just past all that and would rather pay attention to the band instead of watching out for the flying fist or elbow in the face.

TONS of hardcore fashion at this one (see: 'Fashion core'). The typical military hats and faux-hawks were in effect...but also a great deal of dudes with make-up. I guess 'Bleeding Through' are into that scene. The winner for lamest new trend: guys with sculpted eyebrows. A saw a few guys with light, plucked eyebrows to go with their eye liner. Huh? This whole goth/hardcore/metal thing is beyond me. I much prefer the hooded sweatshirt, sneakers/Vans, shorts thing...(well, I USED to be) but that's me. It's all about eyebrows, glam hair, and make up now. How is that hardcore?




+ Friday, July 22 - 2:18pm +

- Yesterday on my way into work I noticed an IHOP near my building. The last time I went to an IHOP was around 1996 when Chad lived in Arlington. We would drive around, skating the curbs and ledges we could find, maybe play some fooz-ball, and then hit up the local IHOP for the vegan buckwheat panckaes. As they say,"Good times". I went over to the IHOP at lunch today...knowing in my heart that there was no way those buckwheat pancakes were still on the menu. They weren't.

- Three pages of message boards dedicated to what exact model Porsche Steve McQueen drove in the beginning of LeMans. Yes, there are car 'nerds' out there. Ogre U. Asshole would have a field day.

- Sweet And Sound is another solid MP3 website out there that seems to feature music I very much enjoy. 'Today Is The Day' pics, 'Starkweather' MP3s (if you've never heard them go now and download 'Shroud' one of my favorite songs ever), and old stuff from 'Saint James Infirmary'. Another one to add to my daily links

- Viva Hate out takes and rarities. Not bad, not bad.

- Darkest Hour tonight.


+ Tuesday, July 19 - 8:29am +

I'm sure I've mentioned World's Collide on this site before. This DC area band first hit the scene in 1991 and at the time one one of the first to merge hardcore and metal. Their live shows were amazing (well, at least the earlier ones). They went on to release a 7" on Victory and a pretty crummy full length, 'All Hope Abandon'. Andrew over at Aversion has posted the two songs from the 7" on his blog. While having no where near the power and raw sound their demo had (if anyone out there has the original demo, I'll prety much give anything for a copy) these are still damn good songs.

Aversion is worth checking out as he always has solid metal/hardcore posted, and he even uploaded some Deadguy this week. If you don't know them...well, go here and learn (and download some live stuff).




+ Monday, July 18 - 8:12am +

- It's been out for weeks, but I finally caught 'Batman Begins' yesterday. It would certainly be my pick for best superhero movie up to this point. (I wasn't a huge fan of the Spiderman films, certainly not the second one). By far the best Batman film yet. It had a few things wrong with it, but overall I really enjoyed it. It's really too bad Katie Holmes went crazy. Sure, she's not the best actor in the world, but she's certainly easy on the eyes. But the problem now is everytime I look at her I just see a lifeless scientologist corpse. It's hard to be attracted to someone who believes that alien volcano ash clouds your brain.

- I'm not a fan of what kids today call 'Hip-Hop'. I tried. I've listened to Kanye West, Jay Z, and even some Mos Def. Not feeling it. I still stand by the old stuff: Public Enemy, Run DMC, Eric B & Rakim, De La Soul, NWA and the like. In fact, the last rap/ hip-hop record I bought was the first Wu-Tang album in 1993. I know that there is some good underground stuff out there, I guess I'm just lazy.

In 1992 I did listen a lot to the Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde album. Super clean lyrics, nice beats, and a strong mix of MCs. Good stuff. In my mind, one of the last great rap albums. Maybe that explains why I really like the two songs posted at Fatlip's My Space page. Something about the beats and that guy's voice. It's just solid stuff. You may recognize 'Today's Your Day' from the recent Girl Skateboards video, 'Yeah Right'.

The Delicious Records website has the Fatlip solo record, 'Theloneliest Punk', listed for release this month. They've been saying it will be out for years now, so who knows. It may be the first hip hop album I buy since 1993.

- Oh, and then there's the GORILLA BISCUITS REUNION (scroll down the page)!!! Fuck, if I was in NYC that weekend, August 14th...wait, maybe I can be...hmm. Still, it could be a major let down, you never know. It has been more than a few years

- And speaking of reunions, Hellfest will have Coalesce, Youth of Today, 108 and BOLD. Fuck. As well as every other fucking band you've ever heard of. Ever. Really. Trenton, New Jersey huh?




+ Thursday, July 14 - 2:36pm +

After a bit of a dry spell in solid new music, I picked up a few new records on Tuesday evening that I've been waiting for.

I was a big fan of Embrace Today's first record on Deathwish, Soldiers. Their follow up, We Are The Enemy delivers the same breakdown filled, pure hardcore with deep screamed vocals. They've got a few songs that include some more progressive ideas (spoken female vocals, some accoustics) but overall it's just top notch metal influenced hardcore. There are very few straight-edge bands out there right now...so I'm stoked when a band just inks up the X's and aren't afraid to be sincere. I'll be there when they play SF next month. This is a great record. They've got an e-card that can be listened to here as well as some songs on a My Space page.

The Black Dahlia Murder are harder to classifly. They also have a new album, Miamsa. Harder than bands like Darkest Hour, these guys have more of a technical death metal feel. The main vocals are could be thought of as black metal, with a screeching quality and a second voice adding the cookie monster type of yelling. I fucking love this sound and think it's a perfect mix of styles. The guitar solos are solid, and there are some small elements of hardcore thrown in. You can sample a few songs at their website.


+ Tuesday, July 12 - 1:06pm +

- It was only a matter of time I guess...next Tuesday TLC airs their new show, Miami Ink.

"TLC sets up shop in South Beach to take viewers inside the colorful, painful, intriguing world of tattoo artistry in Miami Ink, premiering Tuesday, July 19, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TLC. In the series, four friends and competitive rivals - a motley crew of cutting-edge, humorous and well-regarded young guys and best friends - open and run a custom tattoo parlor, where they live, work and play together".

Insane. It will be interesting to see if the show is a success. I've spent a good deal of time in tattoo shops and have had some pretty great experiences, but does that mean this show will be entertaining? Who knows. It does illustrate how much more mainstream tattoos have become. "About one in every seven adults sports a tattoo." Really? That just doesn't seem right to me. You can check out a video teaser and get more artist info on the show's main website.

- It's rare you stumble across a web site that so much great content it can hold your attention for more than a few minutes. I've been looking at Show And Tell Music for WAY too long now. Going through the various 'Christian Music' Galleries will easily take an hour or two. This guy has an amazing collection of crazy thift store records. Christian Pirates, possessed women, 9 year old preachers, and grown men talking in a baby's voice about being aborted...all fucking genius. The album art is just beyond words on most of these. My personal favorite is 'The Judgment'. An entire record of "God" judging people and sending them to hell. The MP3 sample is one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life. The sinner is cast into hell for not giving "God" 10% of his income. "Oh, but sir....pleeease...I don't wanna go to hell, sir...Nooooooo!" Fuck you sinner, God doesn't play that shit...he gots to get paid.


+ Friday, July 8 - 9:35am +

- Very busy this past week, so nothing very exciting going on. I need to get some new music as I feel like I'm listening to the same stuff over and over. Nothing out there has me very excited right now, so if anyone has any ideas.

- I would sure love to catch the Morrissey / Smiths Convention going on Sunday in Hollywood, but I doubt it's going to happen. Maybe if I didn't just do on vacation. If these photos are any indication, it going to be a wild scene.

- Everytime one of these shows up I start doing the math. Now if I sell my car, plus EBay a bunch of stuff, plus take out a loan..? Maybe one day.

- You may have seen this over on SKATEDAILY, but Danny Way is going to jump the Great Wall of China tomorrow. I'm not a huge fan of his, but hopefully he makes it safe and sound. This DC promo video is pretty funny.

- I was relieved to hear that our good friends Sam and Claire are safe and sound in London after the terrible events yesterday. If that had happened a few weeks ago, we would have certainly been effected as we were riding the tube on a daily basis. What the hell are these people trying to acomplish with shit like this?



+ Thursday, July 3 - 2:45pm +

I'm finally back home in San Francisco, arriving Friday afternoon. It's great to be back. The 11 hour flight from London is just so damn long. three movies, two TV shows and half a book. I'm not sure when my next trip is but I'm sure I won't be away that long for a while...well, until next year at this time.

- The 912 was at the shop the entire time I was gone. I've now got new brakes, new suspension, and a car that sits about 5 inches lower. The handling is ten times better. I spent a better part of the morning cleaning and tuning. I'm also thinking about new seats...but we'll see what my wallet can handle.

- I'm still tired..


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