Wherein I talk with some people you might know

Over at the Pitch‘s Wayward Blog, I get to use the nature of a major metropolitan free weekly to speak with all kinds of people who are slightly more well-known than the people with whom I speak over here. That’s not to say that anyone’s better than the next person – just that the people whom I interview for the Pitch are probably gonna garner a few more hits than the indie bands and label heads here at Rock Star Journalist. In the interest of making my writing work for me twice, here’s a brief compendium of folks from the past few months.

* Valient Thorr’s Valient Himself on politics, bad flicks, and Thorriors.
* Director Gorman Bechard on his Replacements documentary, Color Me Obsessed.
* Bryan Cox talks up Soft Lighting’s debut, Slow Motion Silhouettes.
* The State‘s Kevin Allison takes a Risk with his podcast.
* The Pharmacy want you to Dig Your Grave.
* Omaha’s Conchance on the trials and travails of indie hip-hop.
* KU’s Paul Laird addresses the racial and gender politics of South Pacific.
* Alive Records founder Patrick Boissel on his label’s new compilation, Where is Parker Griggs?

Hibbs’ “Shows About Nothing” an interesting confluence of genres

book-cover-shows-about-nothingThomas S. HibbsShows about Nothing: Nihilism in Popular Culture makes for an interesting confluence of genres. The examination of philosophy in pop culture is nothing new, of course – Open Court Books’ Popular Culture and Philosophy series covers any number of TV shows and movies, including The Simpsons and Star Wars.

However, Hibbs’ book weaves a discussion of nihilism with Cape Fear, Nip/Tuck, and a slew of diverse and seemingly unrelated films and programs. Granted, the subtitle is a trifle over-reaching. Hibbs sticks primarily to film and television, with a brief digression into Shakespeare in the early chapters. Music is left wholly untouched – a smart move, as it could easily be a series of books unto itself – but those hoping to see how video games tie into all of this will be left wanting.
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Gentleman Jesse, “Eat Me Alive”

cover-gentleman-jesse-leaving-atlantaOhmyfuckinggodfinally. Seriously. While we’re not often prone to absurd hyperbole here at Rock Star Journalist, it seems like it’s been forever and a day since they mentioned that there’d be a sophomore release from Gentleman Jesse.

The “She’s A Trap” and “You’ve Got the Wrong Man” singles were released on Douchemaster and Hozac, respectively, at the end of 2010. So, while not officially forever, it’s been damn near a year and half since the sophomore release from the former Carbonas bassist was first mentioned. However, Leaving Atlanta sees release from Douchemaster next Tuesday. While all the split green and white LPs are sold right the fuck out (limited to 100), you can still snag a copy on good old fashioned black from DMR’s site.

MP3: Gentleman Jesse, “Eat Me Alive”

The Hussy’s Bobby & Heather on weed seizures, their discography, & more

the-hussyMadison garage duo the Hussy is set to release their sophomore LP, Weed Seizure, on Tic Tac Totally next month. They’ve already released a video for “Undefined,” which we posted last week, and you can hear two songs on Bandcamp. In addition to the album’s title, we here at Rock Star Journalist were curious as to how the band maintains such a ridiculously high output level. A brief glance at the band’s discography is enough to make any collector nerd completist sob uncontrollably. Those questions and more are answered below by Bobby and Heather.
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Go see Laura Stevenson and the Cans

laura-and-the-cansOh, you know how we saw Laura Stevenson and the Cans this weekend? Fantastic. It was nice to actually meet drummer Dave Garwacke (of If You Make It) in person after interviewing him last year, as the last time the group came through, he was sick as a dog in the back of the van. So, while Saturday night was the second time we’ve seen the band, it was our first time catching the full band, proper, since the Jackpot show last year had necessitated a rearrangement of band members. They’re a glorious quintet of pop.

Laura’s voice has all the range you’d expect from the band’s albums, and then some. It seems as if she’s filling the room every time she opens her mouth. The way the accordion’s earthy wheeze provides a counterpoint to her vocal sweetness is really quite astounding, as well. When “Halloween” ended, I was blown away, and I knew that the freak-out at the end was coming. The fact that the room wasn’t dead silent afterward just goes to show that some people don’t know talent when it’s right in front of them – or that they might want to pay attention to the band, rather than their style.

Laura Stevenson and the Cans are out of tour right the fuck now, and will soon be joining up with Roar and Andrew Jackson Jihad. Hopefully, they’ll be invading your town soon. If you see them, tell ’em I said hi. Oh, and ask them to do their cover of Archers of Loaf’s “Web In Front.” You won’t regret it.

Boom Chick, “Shake Can Well” 7-inch

cover-boom_chick_shake_can_well_singleThis weekend, we made the trek to Kansas City for a show. Actually, we made the trek to KC for a set. Laura Stevenson and the Cans had put out a call for help on Twitter a couple weeks ago, looking for a show to fill a whole in their schedule, and thanks to a TBA on the Record Bar’s schedule, Steve Tulipana was cool enough to throw them on the bill for Saturday night. After the wife got back from a baby shower thing, we hopped in the car and hauled ass down I-70.

We pulled into the Record Bar parking lot with about ten minutes before the Cans were supposed to go on, but things were running a little behind. This let us catch the opening act, Boom Chick. Maybe I’m being a little reductive, but the duo pretty much instantly reminded me of the White Stripes. Guy on guitar, woman on drums, playing bluesy garage rock? I don’t think I’m being unfair in that aspect, but honestly, Boom Chick goes further than than the icky thump of the Detroit pair.
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The Hussy, “Undefined” (video)

The Hussy – Undefined (Official Video) from High Frequency Media on Vimeo.


The Hussy‘s new album, Weed Seizure – and seriously, how fucking great a title is that? – comes out March 13 on Tic Tac Totally. The fuzzy garage duo’s follow-up to last year’s Cement Tomb Mind Control is currently sitting on my hard drive, and we’ll have a review for you sometime next week. In the meantime, take a look at the band’s video for “Undefined.” If you thought the Pharmacy’s video for “Dig Your Grave” was creepy, weird, and hypnotic, but you wanted it to seem more like a hallucinogenic fever dream, it’s gonna be your fucking jam.

Die Zorros, “Future” LP

cover-die-zorrosWhile Voodoo Rhythm might drop the occasional bomb, it seems that anything released featuring label head Beat-Man is a gem. In some cases, that gem is a diamond in the rough – emphaiss on the rough. Such is Die ZorrosFuture, a strange journey through originals and covers in what the label accurately terms a “Farfisa Organ Fiasko.”

Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” is stripped down to its instrumental components, with the only lyrics being “No, no, no.” It’s a deconstruction that continues on through the rest of the album – the only words in their strange surf version of “Paint It Black” is the rhythmic chanting of “black.” The whole thing plays like a warped version of lounge music, from a world where LSD is passed out like after-dinner mints and absinthe gets tossed back like PBR. The covers are familiar enough once your ears catch onto what’s being done to them, but the twists come fast and furious.
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