Say HELLO to these Little Kids!

ROFL. Fudge You!!! A lot of people would object to children portraying Scarface. They are boring people. People who don’t see how lulzy a mound of popcorn is in place of cocaine or the toy guns. These Teachers rule.

Rumors of Refused Reunion Hopeful, Mostly BS

Refused are kind of a big deal (if you tell yourself that you listen to hardcore and haven’t heard “The Shape of Punk to Come”, you’re kidding yourself), so when I heard rumors of them reuniting, I was ecstatic. However, in my search to find more information on this reformation, my joys were almost immediately put out by the facts.

This rumor started when Epitaph relaunched Refused’s web page with this image:

It’s easy to see how people would see this as the band reuniting. Anyone who’s a fan of Refused has wanted that for a long time (I’d love to see Dennis Lyxzen drag himself out of the ever-dulling cycle he’s put himself in since Refused broke up). But there are a few things that make it seem unlikely:

1. They are contractually obligated to have another release on Epitaph.

2. There was supposed to be a live album in the works that was never released.

3. Lyxzen has denied the reunion because he’s working with a new band “AC4”.

4. All the sources for the rumors are anonymous, aka bullshit.

5. They’ve allegedly been turning down offers to play festivals.

Sure, just because Lyxzen said it isn’t happening isn’t in any way a good point to go off of, but the backing evidence makes it seem more likely that what is “coming soon” is a re-release of “The Shape of Punk to Come” or a live album. Or maybe both in a bundle.

That being said, I’d love to be proven wrong.

Here’s some rockin’ tunes to help get your hopes up:

Dear Raptor Jesus, let there be a Refused reunion before another International Noise Conspiracy album.

The Black Keys Show Some Brotherly Love

With the new album around the corner (May 18th), The Black Keys are giving us the first taste for free. They recently put up a new track, “Tighten Up”, on their Myspace (www.myspace.com/theblackkeys).

It’s a pretty damn good track, if you ask me. However, it is odd for a few reasons:

1. There’s bass.
2. There are a ton of layered guitar tracks
3. ????
4. ………

While these have showed up in other of their songs, I can’t recall it being as blatant as it is on this track. Sure, some of the novelty of the two-piece band from Ohio may have slipped on this track, but it’s still damn good and I’m already hankerin’ for some more!

Be sure to check them out on their upcoming tour, they’re known for rippin’ it up live:

THE BLACK KEYS US TOUR
April 8 Univ. of Iowa Memorial Iowa City, IA
April 10 Yuri’s Night Bay Area Mountain View, CA
April 17 Wanee Music Festival Live Oak, FL
April 18 The Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theater Miami, FL
April 19 The House of Blues Orlando, FL
May 20 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
June 2 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT
June 3 The Fillmore Denver, CO
June 4 The Crossroads Kansas City, MO
June 8-9 First Ave. Minneapolis, MN
June 10 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
June 11 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN
July 27-28 Central Park SummerStage New York, NY

My friends are crazier

So we’ve been lazy as usual about writing shit here what with sleep and work being priorities. My buddy Jared made this bizarre short film that’s easy to write about because all I do is copy paste the embed code into the post here and tell you to watch it you mouth breather.

Mind fuckery at its best kids. I really have to wonder what the confused onlookers thought of these dudes running around in the tubes.

Lou’s Guido Film Corner. In Italiano!

I’m really lazy about creating content right now but here’s a review I did for my Italian class of a bomb neorealist film from the 40’s. Check it if you can speak Italian.

Come nessun’altra mezzo di comunicazione, la cinema può riguarda la società con un potere e un occhio chiaro. Un film può presentare il mondo come un direttore vede la tra le scene e le situazioni che registra. I direttori italiani dei anni dopo la seconda guerra mondiale hanno avuto un paese rotta da registrare, pieno dei problemi ma anche la bellezza della gente per strada, le donne e i uomini che stavano vivendo in un mondo imperfetto. I film guardano la disoccupazione, la distruzione della famiglia tra la guerra, la lotta culturale, e come possiamo vivere se non potrebbe essere una ragione per la vita. Con gli strumenti che hanno avuto già, Rosselini, Fellini, De Sica, e gli altri hanno scoperto una verità della vita` che non riesce mai prima. Registrano un altra storia della vita, la ficione quasi reale.
Tutta cambia da un punto. Il punto di cambia per tante cose della vita quotidiana era la seconda guerra mondiale. Il governo fascista che ha governato L’Italia per venti anni ha caduto. Gli italiani erano cacciati tra le due eserciti di Germania e gli Stati Uniti. Con la morte e la guerra su tutti I lati, hanno dovuto sopravvivere, e questa non va facile. Il film Roma, Citta Aperta, di Roberto Rosselini ha dato noi un visione indimenticabile di questa Italia nel mezzo, tra eserciti, governi, e le idee di una vita ideale. Guardiamo Roma e I romani sotto I nazisti rappresentati da il crudele Bergmann. La crudeltà della guerra e` uno degli soggetti principali che Rosselini ha realizzato con tanti immagini e suoni. Guardiamo Pina, una madre italiana, viene ucciso per la strada davanti gli occhi del suo figlio. I suoni dei fucili fanno l’impatto di questa brutta scena più grave. La scena dice un messaggio abbastanza nero, che si puo morire a questa Roma ogni secondi. La scena anche esprime che, come tutte le altre guerre, la seconda guerra mondiale ha distrutto tante famiglie. Come il figlio, tanti ragazzi sono diventati orfani durante la guerra. E anche se ovviamente la maggior parte non hanno visto quando I genitori sono venuti uccisi , sembra che la scena domandi del pubblico “Che cosa facevano questi piccoli? Infatti come possono sopravvivere?”
Un altra scena in qui Rosselini usa dei suoni e immagini potentemente e` la in cui Manfredi viene torturato. Dal inizio del film, l’ingegnere Manfredi abbiamo visto come un soldato della resistenza senza paura. Fuga dai nazisti con il furbo molte volte. Non c`e’ un dubbio che Rossellini vuol che guardiamo Manfredi come un’eroe. Quindi la cosa più orrida che può succedere a nostro eroe sarebbe se venga ucciso. Rosselini usa questa amor al Manfredi a fare la scena della sua tortura cosi emozionale. Guardiamo gli strumenti terribili e ascoltiamo gli stridi. Ma non guardiamo la tortura e questa fa la più orribile nella immaginazione del pubblico. Il momento in cui guardiamo Manfredi morto e il momento più emozionale e anche importante simbolicamente del film. Il ero e lo simbolo della resistenza viene ucciso dai inimichi d’Italia. Rosselini mostra che la libertà ha un prezzo e nella seconda guerra mondiale ha costato Italia tanto.

Ross’s Eternal Halloween Spooky Album Review Time!

I’m not too proud to admit that when I was younger I was a hardcore Misfits fan. As I became a greater fan of B-grade horror flicks (specifically zombie movies), there was something great about the ‘fits that fit with that.

However, as I grew up, it seemed the Misfits didn’t and I grew disillusioned with the aspects of their music that once attracted me.

Then I found Calabrese.

Listening to Calabrese takes me back to a happier place, watching the Evil Dead trilogy, Zombi, or any of the countless B horror flicks that I love so much. Calabrese has such a great sense of old school rock, punk and camp that it’s nearly impossible NOT to love them.

Love the high paced energy of punk, the “woah-ohs” of 50s rock, and the soundtracks to old horror movies? Good, because that’s exactly what Calabrese delivers. And in spades.

On their latest LP, the three brothers take everything up about five notches up from their last release, “The Traveling Vampire Show”. The guitar work, especially, is way more involved and hold interest better than the predominantly “three chord” punk feel the first two albums had. Vocally, there are distinguishable differences between tracks, which is a welcome change (though I wasn’t complaining before, their vocals have always been my favorite aspect of the band).

There’s just something really appealing about three dudes from Arizona in leather jackets playing straight up rock ‘n roll about zombies, vampires, and ghosts in the campiest but awesome manner. They call themselves “The World’s Greatest Horror Rock Band”, and honestly, there’s nobody else who comes close.

Break is Over

This is how I feel about it

School=Do not want

Dir En Grey Brings the Brootz to Youtube…Finally

As Heavy Metal marches into its’ fortieth year, the genre is becoming increasingly fragmented and globalized. No band makes this trend more apparent than Japan’s Dir en grey, a band who I and Ross love to a fanboy degree. The group continuously injects funk, blues, and Japanese folk tinges into a Metal canvas that has dominated Japanese charts and earned fans such as James Hetfield. So for their most recent music video for the track, Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami, the band’s straightforward death metal assault is a welcome reminder that Dir en grey is in the business of making your neck snap. After teasing with bits of the video for months, the band released the full gorey goodness on their rabid devotees. With a lead single this brutal, it’s a safe bet Dir en grey’s next album will not just be nazzzty but also blacker than the blackest black times infinity. Check it out and see if it doesn’t make you want to punch something.

Dave Grohl Succumbs to Crippling Addiction!

As a college student (and an English major), I know firsthand the disastrous effects this drug can have on the mind, the body, and worst of all: the psyche. My heart goes out to Dave Grohl and I wish him the speediest recovery. Coffee’s a hell of a thing to get addicted to…

Here’s a short but potent documentary on Mr. Grohl’s situation.

{NSFW}

Ross’s Barely Awake Attempts to Get You To Listen To Better Music: Sleep Edition

So, having slept a paltry few hours last night after watching a slew of movies, sleeping on a borrowed bed, why I am trying to write something cohesive now, through a strange haze of both physical exhaustion and abrupt coffee intake? Because I want some Sleep.

That capitalization was intentional, interwebz-ians. Surely you’ve heard me rant about Matt Pike’s current band, High on Fire. Before High on Fire started rippin’ it up, Pike was sludging it out with Sleep, who many (myself included) consider THE essential stoner metal band. Sleep may not have had the output of fellow stoner metal pioneers, Kyuss, but ho damn it’s quality material. From the primarily doomy self titled LP, to the truly immaculate “Holy Mountain”, and the band’s final and most daunting release, “Dopesmoker”, there’s tons of sludgy riffs, searing solos and tremendous performances from the rhythm section courtesy Al Cisneros (currently playing with Shrinebuilder while taking a break from Om) and Chris Hakius (currently a monk…..or something).

Despite the band’s “stoner” tag, at heart it’s old fashioned heavy metal, paying its dues to Black Sabbath but without sounding derivative. Any fan of metal (or solid rock music) is doing themselves a disservice if they haven’t checked this band out. From the looks of it, Sleep might be hitting the touring circuit once more, so if you can’t shell out the outrageous prices to see the band at ATP in September, all is not lost.

Watch this video or a sleepy sleepy blogger will be at your front door in 12 hours: