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Friday, July 2, 2010

Read my lips

I've got some great books to recommend to my lovely follower(s).  If you have any interest in comics, may I suggest an interesting look at the uproar caused in the late forties in The Ten-cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How it Changed America by David Hadju, as well as the three volume series Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes by Michael Fleisher, featuring Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman.  For further reading on Wonder Woman and a host of other heroines and villainesses, check out DC Comics Covergirls by Louise Simonson.  If you'd rather dive into a study of graphic design, pick up Pop: How Graphic Design Shapes Popular Culture by Steven Heller, a magnificent authority on the subject of graphic design who's written hundreds of essays and even helped to found some new areas of the industry, including Design Literacy.

Find these and other fantastic titles below:
DC Comics CovergirlsPOP: How Graphic Design Shapes Popular CultureEncyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes: Batman - Volume 1 (Original Encyclopedia)Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes: Wonder Woman - Volume 2 (Original Encyclopedia)Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume 3: Superman

Did you dream of being a scorpion, a walker on the road, or a little ghost?

I have been waiting all year for this album, and even though I expect amazing things from Wolf Parade, Expo 86 delivers more than even I could have dreamed.  Opening with the killer "Cloud Shadow on the Mountain," this is not your grandpa's rock and oldies.  This is in your face, fabulous rock madness, with a touch of technical perfection and sonic enlightenment.  If you need something to wake you up, this is a great album to choose.  "Palm Road" sounds like a cross between Tom Petty and Handsome Furs (fitting since Dan Boeckner has expressed a love of the best blondie in rock), you won't find any copies here though. Next we have "What Did my Lover Say?" which was one of the first songs most people were given a taste of prior to the release of the album, and remains a strong presence, with Krug keys and lyrics, amongst a powerhouse of musical tidbits.  "Little Golden Age," and "In the Direction of the Moon" are examples of some fine-tuned guitar licks and smoothed out key changes as only Krug and Boeckner can succeed in so doing.  "Ghost Pressure" fills your blood with swirling sonic happiness and makes you feel like you're listening to the death of awful dance-rock forever.  "Pobody's Nerfect" opens with some classic punkrock chords but quickly goes into stylish key chords and light drums rolling along into a commanding combination of guitar and vocals.  "Two Men in New Tuxedos" experiments with some amazing effects and brings us a lighter side of a darker subject.  "Oh You Old Things," is decidedly enhanced by amazing synth and guitar, playing on earlier themes of Soft Cell and Talking Heads' influence.   "Yulia" brings us into the now via Clash-style vocals and driving power chords.  Last but not least, you'll hear "Cave-o-sapien," with even more stunning layers of guitar and keys, mixed with a joy and love for great music that is hard to come by these days.  These boys really know how to put together an album, after two amazing full-length records, they've outdone themselves again!  Please support the group and purchase this album:)













Love and peace,

Reniazen

Come close to me.



Zola Jesus, aka Nika Rosa Danilova, is one of the most talented musicians/composers/songwriters of our generation.  She weaves haunting melodies with strong bass and drum loops to give you a dark, beautiful, and somber ep titled Stridulum. This album is mature and full of longing, but not whiny or degrading as you might get with other 21-year old artists these days.  In a world of Youtube sensationalism and manufactured corporate pop (aka crapfest), it is refreshing to hear something so powerful and unique.  The opening song, "Night" paves the way with moments of cold certainty, appropriate given that this entire album was recorded in winter 2009.  Next we have "Trust Me" and "I Can't Stand," two tracks delivering more enchanting, albeit somewhat melancholy, lyrics and expertly-mixed keys and bass/drum loops.  The title piece is reminiscent of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love, breathtaking in its complexity and grandeur, yet subtle rather than pretentious, a great balance to say the least.  "Run Me Out" follows without mercy, booming synth chords build to a slow, steady stream of alluring vocals, which continue over a chorus of ghostly wails and tempting piano chords, fading into a wonderful soft echo of the beginning of the album.  We end our short bewitching journey with "Manifest Destiny," replete with droning bass and unyielding keys layered with forceful vocals.  As an ep, it stands on its own in a world full of meaningless singles and mindless tracks.  I'm looking forward to a full length release in 2011.

You can find more info at: Sacred Bones Records
and you can buy this fantastic morsel of musical history here:














Love and peace,

Reniazen