The Age of Aquarius

I know that I wrote an entire post about the 1980's, but my REAL obsession is the 1960's. I really wish that I could go back in time and live within the time frame of 1958 to 1972 (I'd want to experience the overlap of decades too).

The biggest reason I say this is because of the music. However, the fashion, pop and sub culture along with the politics and current events from that period are also really far out. Well, more like tumultuous and revolutionary. I'm not trying to make them sound trite. Far from it. And I'm not trying to romanticize that decade either. I have read a TON about the sixties and I have heard first-hand accounts from friends, relatives (including my parents) about what America in the sixties was like.

I know it wasn't all peace and love, hugs and drugs, music and sex. There were a lot of complicated happenings going on, and I so wish I could have witnessed the major changes first-hand.

We had the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, and the counter-culture revolution. These were all followed by the Women's Movement, Gay and Lesbian Movement, American Indian Movement, and Environmental Movement. The sixties spawned a dawn of self-activation and self-awareness. Collective activism was the new wave. The teenagers didn't want to go to the soda shop and hang out by the jukebox or go to a sock hop to have their fun. There was more than the conventional box that the fifties presented, and the youth of America were interested in changing the very framework of society. The fabric was unravelling and being re-sewn.

Bob Dylan and Joan Baez (1963) at the March on Washington:


Music had a ton to do with the politics and social unrest going on. Joan Baez and Bob Dylan were known for starting the whole political music scene with their meaningful yet charged lyrics. The unrest of the youth started with the music. It wasn't just about cars, girls/boys, surfing, and breaking-up. The music was much more meaningful and became poetry.

Disclaimer: For the following, clips, I recommend providing your own music. The first has none, and the second has such bad music that I'd turn the sound off (the song is an unfortunate remake of the Grass Roots song 'Let's Live for Today'). Just turn on Danny and the Juniors 'Let's Go to the Hop' and the Grass Roots 'Let's Live for Today' and watch both of the following videos of footage.

1950's teenagers:


1960's teenagers:


Now that you've watched those clips, it is a very stark difference between the life of a teen in the fifties and sixties (especially if you compare say 1958 to 1968). Especially if you look at the dancing; it's like constipated stiff robots versus liquid electric creatures of the sea. What I find so fascinating about the sixties is probably the fact that after 1963, America lost its so-called 'innocence'. After President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, the country lost that good-ole fifties'/early sixties' nostalgia and naivety. By the summer of 1964, Ken Kesey and his Magic Bus of Merry Pranksters drove across America, flying high on LSD and THC (lots of other magical things too). Then, by 1966/67 the whole sub-culture was changing. As LSD seeped its way into the life of an American teen, all hell broke loose.

Everyone was 'turning on, tuning in and dropping out', or in other words heeding the words of Dr. Timothy Leary and experimenting with psychedelics. The Warlocks, later known as the Grateful Dead were the soundtrack to this whirlwind time.



There were the 'acid tests' led by Ken Kesey on his farm and Timothy Leary was giving people diplomas in mock-graduation ceremonies where they took acid and learned to 'really see the world'. San Francisco was the MECCA for all of this to go down. Bands/musicians like Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Jimmy Hendrix, The Mamas and the Papas, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and many others played in the clubs, dens, and bars in the Haight-Ashbury district. If you watch movies like 'The Trip' (1967) with Peter Fonda, 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls' (1970), 'Easy Rider' (1969), 'Psych-Out' (1968) with Jack Nicholson (when he had hair), 'Alice's Restaurant' (1969) and of course the musical/movie 'Hair' (1967-68) displayed the hippie drug sub-culture of the sixties well.

1966 acid test clip:


1967 Timothy Leary 'Turn on, Tune In, Drop Out' album:


'The Trip' (1967) clip:


By 1967-68, the hippie sub-culture movement had gone from coast to coast. I don't blame the youth of that era for experimenting with drugs. We had young men dying every single day from a war that many Americans increasingly wanted to cut ALL participation in, Vietnam. Then there was the unrest and injustice for African Americans. Then, boom, in 1968 both Robert Kennedy and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated within months of one another. This at the HEIGHT of the bloodshed over in Vietnam; the Mai-Lee massacre happened around the same time. If you read 'The Things They Carried' by Tim O'Brien, he talks about his military service from 1969-1970; only one year, but as he recalls, one of the most nightmarish and gruesome of the whole entire war. It was like a burst of nightmarish fireworks colored with despair coupled with injections of melancholia and horror! Major downer, folks!

By the summer of 1968, riots were causing many big cities like Detroit, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Newark to go up in flames. There was lots of anger, unrest, and restless energy. 1968 also saw the Democratic Convention end in riots and violence. So I don't ask why so many people were taking drugs and dropping out of society. Many joined cults and communes. Some people turned to Eastern religion. It makes sense from a 20/20 vision standpoint why so many people seemed lost and confused. Control was something that the American government certainly didn't have, and the American people were taking into their own hands.

Sure, we had the whole peace and love Woodstock Festival in August of 1969 though that was preceded by the Monterrey Pop Festival of 1967. The whole summer ushered in a counter to the riots and violence from the previous summer. However, sadly the 'summer of love' and its good karma did not stick around. Later in 1969, Charles Manson made his name 'infamous' with the murder of Sharon Tate, (the then pregnant wife of film director, Roman Polanski) and her friends at her mansion. There was also Altamont, where during a Rolling Stones set, some bikers known as the 'Hell's Angels' knifed someone. Though the violence and riots that ensued were most likely the result of alcohol and heavy drugs.

I know I write a lot about the negative side of the 1960's, or at least the less romantic side, but I want to show that I know what the sixties is all about. I know that it wasn't a cup of peaches n' cream. It was tumultuous, confusing, and panicked along with being groovy and far out.

I just really love how the music coupled with politics and current events made for a crazy time that I would have loved to witness first hand. When a time machine is invented, that's the period I'm going back to. I'd gladly stay there too. Like, live in the late 50's/entire 60's/early 70's on a loop. That would be really groovy, man!

Peace n' chicken grease ,

   ~R~

Let Your Freak Flag Fly!

"Metal papers.
Metal pens.
Metal hearts.
Metal hands.
Memorize the rules and learn to behave.
But when I got to school I forgot, I forgot.
So they put me in a special classroom.
Where everybody is a robot."

-'Robot High School' by My Robot Friend from the album Soft-Core (2009)

So, like many people, I went to a private prep school with a class size of around 130. I started going to this school from the age of five, back in the late 80's. As I reflect on my experience now, I realize how much shit I used to put up with. My school was very traditional in the prep school sense. The guys had to wear sport coats and ties; the girls wore skirts that went below the knee. Everyone had to wear leather shoes (no sneakers). Our school, as you might guess, had many long lasting traditions and rites. This is especially the case since my school was once a separate girls' and boys' campus, now merged. So, both the guys and girls had their own traditions that they kept going after the merger happened.

One of these traditions, of the testosterone kind that is, included having a big hootenanny when we played our rival school in football. Each fall, we would have a giant bonfire for this version of our homecoming. All for the sake of football. We would play against our rival school, also private, but a little less 'snooty', or so the kids at that school believed. An effigy would get burned in the fire, donning the 'regalia' of the other team and its associated colors. This tradition of the effigy, however, was halted around the time I graduated due to African American families feeling that there was a tie to the KKK burning crosses and hanging black people from trees. So that tradition was modified and changed so that it no longer resembled what it once was. Fine with me!

Our school also had a tradition of girls dressing up in white wedding dresses and dancing around a May Pole with ribbons. This May Day festival, as it was called, was a BIG deal. All of the old blue blood alumni of the girls' school came out in their pastel St. John Knits' suits and big beehive hair. I would always joke about putting a motor into the pole and having it suddenly spin out of control making a spectacle of the whole thing. My sister participated in this tradition and I should add that she looked very respectable and ladylike in her poofy white dress. So, I came to respect it after that point.

I guess what bothered me more than these traditions is the way of my school's culture. Everyone seemed to be cut of the same cookie mold. And, from day one, as a six year old in my tucked in polo shirt and Bermuda khaki shorts, I rebelled as much as I could. I remember distinctly looking around at the arrogant and snobby culture that consumed a lot of my peers; I decided to go down a different path. Why act like an asshole; life is too short, man.

So by high school, I was letting my freak flag fly way high. I started dying my hair all types of different colors: black, blond, orange, red. At one point I even put Elmer's clear glue into my hair to form 'Crust' punk spikes (thanks, Leah). I also used to sit in study hall and cut my arm with a protractor or pretend to pierce myself. I painted my fingernails black, let my hair grow long and greasy, and wore clothes from Goodwill and Salvation Army. I WAS in dress code, but for me dress code was a snapping Cowboy shirt, Dickie's work pants, steel toed black boots, and vintage bowling shirts. I didn't really give a shit at this point. I had detention virtually every week my Sophomore and Junior year just because I was always late. Late to school, late to class, late to assembly (more like ditching it completely). I would leave campus when I wasn't supposed to and give money to older kids to buy me cigarettes. I was a rebel! There's a reason why I didn't care.

See, I'm what you call a victim of societal bullying. I was never popular, at least not until halfway through high school when I became 'popular' amongst the unpopular and artsy kids. It took me a while to find that clique though. Up until that point, I thought everyone was a Republican, everyone dressed preppy, and everyone believed in the same ideals. Just because I didn't, made me different. I got teased and bullied for everything under the sun. I hung out with the nerdy, outcast kids, which automatically made me a pariah. I also wasn't at the top of the heap in terms of smarts, just average. I got B's, some A's. Since I wasn't super hyper smart, people treated me like I was garbage. That and the fact that I didn't live in a multi-million dollar house five minutes from our campus. I was average, not extraordinary in any way. Not athletically, academically nor did my parents run with high society.

As a result, I was never invited to the big parties where parents paid off the local police to send a cruiser as a decoy to daunt the possibility of other policemen showing up (who were actually doing their jobs, might I add). These parents were of an attitude that as long as their son or daughter was drinking under their roof in their eyesight (more the former than the latter) then everything was just hunky dory, peaches n' cream. It kind of made me sick, and I'm glad that I never went to many of these parties. I did attend one, once.

It was eventually broken up by the cops, and they found some parochial school kids with cocaine. Not my friends. My friends were just drinking beer, smoking cigs, and passing an occasional joint. Nothing too risque. At this point, my friends who had these 'hotel' or 'parents are out of town' parties were just like me. They just wanted to have fun, which didn't always include alcohol and drugs. I look back, though, and would not have changed a thing.

I eventually found my way into this theater artsy clique, and became quite comfortable there. Everyone was weird, but also themselves. I suddenly was surrounded by people with similar views and who didn't fit into the Stepford mentality of our school. An example of what I mean is a fond memory from middle school. At one point, around sixth grade, I was approached by a fellow peer and told that 'I could be popular if I wanted'. The only thing that held me back was my 'nerdy, dorky' friends who were way 'uncool'. I, however, was much cooler and people liked me. They just didn't like who I hung around with. I was like, f- that. Even at age 11, I realized the hypocrisy involved. I didn't want to be an episode of DeGrassi Junior High where I ditched my nerdy friends for more popular ones. I think they based television shows like 'Suburgatory' on my high and middle school experiences.



All the crap I took for being different and uncool made me a stronger person. I'm better able to deal with bullies and people who try to push me around. I smell their shit from a mile away. I do what I want (within reason), and I'm proud of my identity. I want my son to grow up the same way too. He should never let other people tell him who he is and define him. It is each of us, as individuals who decide where we belong in society.

I just never understood gawking at a person because they have pink hair, a nose ring, or wore 'peculiar' clothing. If we were all the same, the world would be bland, it would be very 'unseasoned' indeed. This is what I LOVE about NYC. You get on the subway and see different hairstyles, fashion trends, and personas. That's a large part of why I live here now. Everyone here can be who he or she wants to be. If you want to wear a giant panda suit, do it. If you want to dress like Superman, fine. No one bats an eyelash at any particular oddity. People here realize that everyone is eccentric and has his or her own idiosyncrasies.

"“I don't judge others. I say if you feel good with what you're doing, let your freak flag fly.” -Sarah Jessica Parker (My wife LOVES 'Sex in the City', so that one is for her)

Peace and eccentricity,

   ~R~



Don't let others define you; BE YOURSELF!

Like, Totally Tubular!

Secret secret, I've got a secret...

'I've got a secret I've been hiding under my skin.
My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain IBM.
So if you see me acting strangely, don't be surprised.
I'm just a man who needed someone and somewhere to hide.' -Styx, Mr. Roboto (1983)

Actually my real secret secret is that I love all things 80's. I dont' know why. It was a cheesy decade with lots of super bad hairstyles and fashion dont's that seem to have seeped their way back into modern pop and sub culture.

As much as I think that the 1980's were bad, I also think that it was a time of relative affluence for America. Reagan-omics trickled down to many people and the super consumerist and materialist ideals swept middle class America into malls and into buying the hot electronics and technology of the time. By this I mean, walkmans, Apple II's, dust busters, and VHS players. This was a time of suburban security. If there was poverty and unrest, I certainly wasn't aware of it. The whole decade is like the Kim Wilde song 'Kids in America' from 1981.



Though, I may be the wrong person to ask. I was just a kids throughout the 80's. The song I just mentioned is like 10 months older than me. MTV is even exactly almost 4 months older than me. Despite that, I do consider myself an MTV brat. I was raised by MTV. I learned all about music from MTV, back in the days when they ONLY showed music. This was pre-reality television. Just about the only show I remember on MTV was 'The Real World'. Back in the 80's, though, they didn't even have that. I think they had a few game shows, but that was it.

However, I innocently remember the 80's because I was innocent. What I remember of the eighties is perms, shoulder pads, mesh and lace, three-tiered eye shadow, Swatch watches, cross shaped jewelry, and fist pumping (lots of fist pumping). Big hair, big coats, bigger attitudes..that's the 80's Koozbane!

Then there was the language. My fave is 'like, gag me with a spoon fur sure'. I didn't live in the Valley, but hearing people talk like that in the pseudo-surfer slang made me want to do so. The 1983 movie, 'Valley Girl' sold me on the valley girl chic thing going on. I used to watch this movie over and over during high school wishing that I had grown up in 1980's LA/Hollywood. I wanted to be part of the punk scene that Randy (played by Nicholas Cage then Cuppola) and his friend, Fred (played by Cameron Dye) were a part of. That whole raunchy seedy Hollywood punk/goth scene that Julie (played by Deborah Foreman) despises and comes to love.



It was 'Valley Girl' and the 1982 movie 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' which made me fantacize about beeing a teenager in eighties California with the surfing, mall culture, teeny bopping, and of course the mature lives these kids were living. I mean, no one in my neighborhood smoked pot. My babysitters weren't suddenly pregnant and out of options. I knew NO ONE like the characters in these 80's movies. Jeff Spicolli was my role model. He lived the dream of every 80's dude; ride a righteous wave and hang out with hot chicks. Even at age seven, this is what I wanted to do with my life.



Spicolli and Ferris Bueller were both my role models. The 1986 movie, 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' is one of my all-time favorite movies from the 80's. I used to watch 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' a zillion times, especially when my babysitters came over to watch me. I would always watch the made for tv version, so I didn't really get the jokes. Later in life, when I watched the 'naughty' version, I suddenly understood the joke about turning a lump of coal into a diamond. It didn't quite make sense in the edited version.

Ferris was so cool. He skipped school, wore bitchin' clothes, did what he wanted, was Mr. Popularity, and still got the girl. That girl was super hot. I always pictured myself with a girlfriend like Sloan Peterson (played by Mia Sara); she was just the right kind of messed up (but in a cute 80's way) and looked good no matter what the situation (even if she had to pretend her grandmother was dead). Even his bitchy sister, Genie (played by Jennifer Grey) came to like her punk-ass rebellious brother. I seriously wanted to be just like these eighties versions of Marlon Brando, Peter Fonda, and James Dean.



In fact, the eighties was just like the movies of the late John Hughes's portrayed, all types of kids had a shot at great things. If you were an outcast or poor, you still got the rich guy at the end or ended up with the popular clique. Molly Ringwald played this character to a T, as in both 'Pretty in Pink' and 'Sixteen Candles' she ended up with beau-hunk rich dude at the end of the movie. Then in 'Breakfast Club' she got to play the rich bitch who ended up with the 'criminal' (Judd Nelson).

In fact, from the 1985 movie 'The Breakfast Club' we see five complete strangers (Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, and Anthony Michael Hall) show up for Saturday detention. They are different as different can be, I mean what does a 'princess' have to do with a 'nerd'? A 'basketcase' who eats Captain Crunch and Pixie Stix sandwiches get together with a wrestling jock who tapes boys' butt cheeks together, C'MON..get real! We learn from this movie, that if we put our differences aside and smoke a joint together, dance together, and come together for the common bond of giving a middle finger to authority (their HS principal, Mr. Vernon-Paul Gleason), then life is awesomely righteously tubular!

That ending scene sums it all up perfectly. As Simple Minds plays that 80's anthem 'Don't you Forget About Me', we hear the characters say:

Dear Mr. Vernon,
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it is we did wrong, but we think you're crazy for making us write an essay telling you who we think we are.
You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out, is that each one of us is a brain,
and an athlete,
and a basketcase,
a princess,
and a criminal.

Does that answer your question?

Sincerely yours,

The Breakfast Club.

BOOYAH! The 80's in a nutshell!



I don't know why but I look back at the 80's and think, damn, a decade that went away too fast. The movies tell us that summer camp, school, jobs, and parents are what we HAVE to do in life, but we can do these things by OUR OWN RULES. It's the 80's man, chill! That was totally the attitude.

Of course, I can sit here all day reminsicing about the trends, music, and culture that was the 80's. Some of my favorite things from that period:
~Garbage Pail Kids (my wife says that liking them is akin to liking lamps made from
human skin)
~Crocodile Mile (like Slip n' Slide but WAY cooler)
~Burple (a Kool-Aid like drink in an accordian plastic container)
~Thundercats and Silverhawks (hardly anyone remembers the latter)
~Pound Puppies, Teddy Ruxppin, and Bopples
~Lee press-on nails (I just find them f-in hilarious)
~Sunkist fruit snacks (especially the white yogurt ones)
~Saturday Morning Cartoons (yes, ALL of them)
~shows like 'The Facts of Life', 'Alf', 'Small Wonder', 'Out of This World',
'Punky Brewster', and 'The Cosby Show'

I could go on and on, but I will leave you with a photo montage tribute to the wonderfully totally tubular decade of the eighties. Like, fur sure!



Later days/better lays,

~R~

Dude, I got a blog...

So I often ask myself, what is the point of having a stupid blog? Everyone and their grandmother has a blog. Literally! At a Passover Seder a couple of years ago, one of my former students and his grandmother talked about their blogging experiences. Not that I'm against older members of our society having blogs, but it seems pointless if it's a multi-generational experience. If senior citizens are filling cyberspace with blogs, then mine really does seem pointless. How can I compete with 'Cats n' Old Bats' or 'Sadie's Sex Tips' or 'How to Organically Clean Your Dentures'. I can't!

I mean, it used to be that if you wanted to write, you went into Journalism or you tried to get published or both. There was an avenue you took, and it was only for serious, SERIOUS writers. Nowadays, everyone thinks he/she is a WRITER! You can just become a 'writer' purely by doing a zine, blog, or other Internet centered activity. Everyone who updates their Facebook or Twitter status every half hour is a 'writer'. It was never this easy, but at the same time because there are so many voices out there, it's harder to shout and become heard. The only voices I can shout louder than are the ones in my own head.

What do I have to do in order to be interesting and unique? First, I have to ask myself the following: Doesn't everyone have a story to tell? Isn't what I have to say clever and distinct? But, what makes mine so different and unique? What defines unique? I start going in thought circles.

I have to think about all the outlandish episodes of my life. I mean, I could talk about all the drugs I did in college (ask me about the time I took toad venom and saw faeries dancing in the woods..go ahead, ask me). Then there's all the traveling I've done (and wish to do). Or, I could talk about my dysfunctional family and the Augusten Burroughs-like drama that ensued in my household growing up. No, my father didn't try to kill my mother. Nor did I have some love affair with a man (or woman) twice my age! Compared to the dysfunctional memoirs out there, my life is pretty normal actually. It's unconventionally conventional!

I haven't killed anyone (yet). I haven't smoked crack (yet). I have never snorted coke off of a prostitute's inner thigh (hrm..food for though). I haven't performed in the circus nor do I aspire to be a Donna Summer drag queen impersonator (not now anyway). I grew up in suburbia, went to a prep school, and majored in English. I have been an English teacher most of my life. YAWWN! Who the hell would want to read about that crap? It's not really a story. What makes a good story? What makes one person's story more fascinating than the next?

I have been told that I always have interesting stories and that crazy shit always happens to me. But I don't want to only write about crazy shit happening. My whole life is just one episode after another of crazy shit. I attract crazy shit like shit does flies. Shit. Flies. That could be a topic worth elaborating on, but I digress.

Back to me. What makes my voice so distinct? I like music. So do millions of other dopes out there. Well, I like a diverse variety of music from jazz to funk to punk to jam bands to indie. I've been to dozens..hundreds of different concerts that vary as much as Jelly Belly flavors. I have been to Ozzfest, Warp Tour, Bonnaroo, and other various festivals. I haven't, however, ever been to Burning Man or a Rainbow Family Gathering (a hippie festival in the woods where people always end up in the hospital for eating bad mushrooms). I've been invited to both, though. That counts for something. Right?

I don't really have a unique fashion sense. My wife tells me I have NO fashion sense. My musical taste isn't that indie, as at least someone has heard of the bands I listen to. I didn't grow up during the 1960's (but I wish I did) and participate in the Civil Rights Movement and Anti-Vietnam Movement. I consider myself an ACTIVIST but I haven't been to a real rally since graduate school. I just find myself too tired to attend those things anymore. I mean, since I've been unemployed since June, I could have done what other English and humanities majors did and go join/camp out at the Occupy Wall Street Movement. I just find camping out and protesting capitalism too cliche. Plus, why go to Occupy Wall Street when I'd miss too many episodes of Antiques Roadshow and History Detectives. See, my life really isn't that interesting!

I guess the real reason I write a blog, or write at all, is to use it as therapy. Writing is therapy. I don't have a therapist, despite my wife telling me that I've needed to go for one for over a year. I have a medical diagnosis of depression and anxiety, and I take meds for it. That nice little oblong blue pill. Mmm..wash it down with some seltzer..ahh! I also have ADD (I don't take anything for that; can't you tell?. But, these are also common problems. Many people have both depression and ADD. I DO need a therapist to help me through my issues. But, for now I use reading and writing to get me through the tough times.

On those days when I don't feel like getting out of bed, having a blog makes me get up and find something worth writing and ranting about. I get to silence the rapidly running newsreel in my head. For once, I get to just let words pour out in front of me and see where it leads. For once, I have to relinquish my control to a higher authority, my subconscious mind. Yes, I am in control of my thoughts, but at the same time I don't control where my own mind and thoughts take me.

So back to the original question: why write a blog when there are thousands of others just like this one out there? I guess like everyone else, I like to think that my perspective is unique and important. My voice is supposed to be heard by the masses. People want to hear what I have to say. I've always been told that my views are unabashedly candid and blunt. I don't hide what I'm really thinking and I'm usually honest and upfront. I have strong convictions and opinions on just about everything. If I disagree with something, you'll know. If something pisses me off, you'll know. If some hack has no talent and pretends to be the next great artiste, then I'll say 'what a fucking no-talent hack!'

I just want to be heard and noticed. My wife says it is because I come from a family where my father was always aloof and emotionally unavailable. My mother is narcissistic and emotionally unbalanced (aka CRAZY). My sister was always doted on more than me; she is blonde and cute after all. I'm not. So, my wife says, I'm like any other person wanting to be noticed. I come from a family where nothing is good enough and my point of view doesn't matter at all. Swear words were like saying hello in my household. I was called 'stupid', 'retarded', and 'psycho' on a regular basis. So, why not try to be heard when I'm used to being ignored and pushed to the side.

I'm not trying to throw a pity party, though I think it's too late for that. Now you see what I mean by needing therapy. Yea, unresolved issues here. I'm not ashamed of that though. There is nothing in my life that I'm embarrassed or ashamed by. I can admit that I was never picked for East Side West Side boy and girl skating hand in hand to C+C Music Factory. I can admit that I was unpopular and weird; I even tried to convince my classmates that I was a vampire and used to pierce myself during study hall. I have dyed my hair every color under the sun and have had my hair in dreadlocks and crust punk spikes. I used to have an eyebrow ring and even considered getting a tattoo (though I have none).

My story is unique because it's mine, damnit. And if that doesn't make it special than fuck it all! At the very least, I use this as a platform to work through my issues and relate to other human beings in the world. If someone reads one of my posts and learns something new or makes a connection, then mission accomplished.

This is my blog, and I'm sticking to it!

Signing off,

~R~

LIVE, in Brooklyn

Who: X-Ray Eyeballs, Glittering Prizes, Bosco Delrey, and Micki Pellerano (DJing)

When: Tuesday, February 28= 9:30pm-1:30am

Where: Glasslands Gallery- 289 Kent Ave- Brooklyn, NYC
(http://glasslands.blogspot.com/)

I was lucky enough, thanks to my friend Bill in Bosco Delrey, to get onto the guest list and avoid the $10 cover. The venue reminded me of one of the college frat lounges from Kenyon, my college. But, it wasn't preppy or stuffy; it was very charmingly dingy, very punk-indie chic! In fact, you would have walked right passed the place because, other than a wooden door with a closed sign over it, you couldn't tell there was anything there from the outside view, except if people were standing outside.
Upon entering, you see the bar to your right and the stage straight ahead. There is seating up the stairs on what looks like a big raised wooden platform. You can see seams, piping, and wood; there is not painting things over or hiding them behind a tarp. Even the bathroom seemed makeshift. I kept expecting Lou Reed to pop out of the wall, the place was that seedy and dowdy (but in a good way). The stage had all of these what looked like feathers or crepe paper festooned over the ceiling and wall. I was told it was coffee filters arranged there by a local artist. It was arrange to look like smoke or a billowing cloud coming out of the stage. Whenever the lights changed color on the stage, so did the coffee filters. It was a very artsy economical, cool effect. Who the hell needs expensive art or giant screens with psychedelics? All you need is stage lights and coffee filters which does the trick quite nicely.
However, I didn't want to write this post solely about the grunge charm of the venue. I wanted to talk about MUSIC. The four bands that played were as different as night and day. First of all, the show started a little later than scheduled because the first band showed up late. Better late than never, I always say. So punk-grunge to not give a damn about time!


Band #1- So I do not know the name of the first band. It was three guys, and their sound was something raw and hardcore. It reminded me of Husker Du, early Meat Puppets, 1980's Sonic Youth (via 'Bad Moon Rising'). Now, to be honest, this really isn't my thing. It was too loud (no, I'm not too old); my ears were vibrating. Also, though I was bobbing to the beat a little bit, I just didn't care for the set as a whole. They played only 3 or 4 songs, but I really have to be honest here at saying that there is nothing too memorable about this band. Shit, I don't even know their name. Okay, let's move on then, shall we?

Glittering Prizes- This is a band birthed out of Bosco Delrey. The bassist and guitarist do a two-man/woman thing that incorporates some glam/disco/indie/punkish rock. They switched off vocals/keyboard/guitar and I give hats off to being versatile and kinetic. I always thought it was way boring when bands stick with the same instruments. Change it up, like Shakespeare would have in his plays; get up and switch instruments. I really thought that idea was completely genius. I really liked this duo, A LOT! I would say that if they end up releasing tracks on Itunes or eventually, a whole album, I'd get it. The sound is very Blondie (early years), Bird and the Bee, Blur, Luna, Air, and early Human League. It had this funky 70's/80's vibe but mixed it into this cool indie NOW kind of thing. It was surreal and trippy, and you couldn't help but just turn off your brain and let the music seep into your soul, your blood.

Bosco Delrey- They were the belle of the ball in my opinion. I'm not just saying that because I'm friends with the drummer. Seriously, putting on my critic hat (or music gestapo hat), they were amazing.
SIDENOTE: Btw, I was going to say 'music nazi' but for obvious reasons, I wouldn't call myself that. Seriously, though I have such strong opinions on music that I could be another judge on American Idol and make Simon Cowell look like a big ole' pussycat.
So Bosco Delrey were great. I wanted their set to be longer, as they were the gem of the show. They have so many different vibes going on at once that it reminds me of like ten different genres/bands immediately. Yet, they ARE their own thing. Nothing is like their look/sound. First of all the bassist reminds me of a cross of Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth and D'Arcy from Smashing Pumpkins. Stone cold face with killer riffs. The lead singer is like a cross of Mick Jagger, Morrisey, and Jim Morrison; he has this dark hypnotic vibe where if you're watching you cannot take your eyes off of him. He entrances the audience with his vocals and interactions. He knows how to work a crowd for sure. The drummer reminds me of a calmer Keith Moon from The Who, or in fact like Animal from the Muppets. The lead guitarist plays stoically just like Slash or Joe Perry, not upstaging anyone with killer chords.
Their sound merges so much, a big ole' steamin' soup of: Rolling Stones, The Smiths, The Animals, The Doors, Flaming Lips, and Velvet Underground. It is so distinct and yet surreal. I feel that if I were going on a cross country road trip on a motorcycle that this would be my soundtrack. This is the beatnik/Keroac/lost hippie sound of the new era! Bosco Delrey is a band that WILL continue to go places, I'm certain of it. They are one of the rare acts where the band sounds pretty good on recording but even BETTER live! You can say I have drank the kool-aid; I dig their bitchin' sound.





Yes, their music was in an episode of 'Skins' (from season 1). They were also just featured in Sports Illustrated. And, they just returned from a European tour. Yea, this band is going places!

http://www.noisey.com/watch/all-are-souls-the-same


X-Ray Eyeballs- They were the last band. They were celebrating the new release of their album 'Splendor, Squalor'. I personally like them better on recording; not live. Their music actually made me feel a little violated, a little nauseous. It was too raucous and dissonant. The aspects just didn't really seem to meld together. I didn't care AT ALL for the vocalist. Too jarring! The background instrumentals were great, and if the band was just that, no vocals, I would have enjoyed it thoroughly better. The sound of X-Ray Eyeballs is a little too weird for me. It's a gritty punk/industrial/synth-pop/early grunge sounds. It reminds me of early Misfits, early Nirvana mixed with Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Psychedelic Furs, and Bauhaus. It's that steely, gritty punk/grunge mixed with a new wave/80's underground twist. I really have to say that I like this band a lot better recorded than live. It's not that I don't like them at all! I do, it's just their dissonant grit doesn't translate in person.

http://nydamage.blogspot.com/
http://xrayeyeballs.bandcamp.com/
http://kaninerecords.com/xray-eyeballs

The DJ was great, Micki Pellerano (artist/filmographer/musician). He is a bassist in the band Cult of Youth. He has great taste in music. I wanted most of the songs on his playlist for my Itunes. It shifted between post-punk grit to ethereal ambient edgy rock to disco indie pop. Bravo!

I think the funniest part of being at the show is that I didn't feel old at all. I did feel too uncool though. The vibe was totally hipster/scenster/indie rock. The look was asymmetrical haircuts, oversized coats, ankle boots, bright red lipstick, torn t-shirts/tanks and matchstick jeans. Even though I felt a little out of place being so ungrunge and all, I did enjoy the atmosphere. I mean, you can't avoid being surrounded by hippsters in Williamsburg, unless that is, you go to the Jewish frum part of town. Then, I'd be very out of place in a different way. Sadly, I did not see any 'jipsters' (Jewish-Orthodox hipsters). At one point, I saw a guy with a long beard with a girl who had her head covered but I don't think they were frum.

Anyway, I have to thank Bill for making my night by inviting me out to Glasslands Gallery. I felt like I was in a time warp, even though I did feel so un-hipster. In fact, I'm glad no one took me out back to half-shave my head and don me in a leather jacket, eyeliner, cowboy boots, and spaghetti jeans. Phew! Crisis averted, it was an excellent show! Though, I do feel it was a bit of a soggy sandwich, where the opening and closing bands were like wilted, soggy bread and the middle was the good part (meat, tomato, lettuce, etc). A big salute to Bosco Delrey. This band is HOT! Book them on Jimmy Fallon right away!

Peace out,

~R~

Are you in the Scissterhood?

This is the new track by Scissor Sisters with (SUPPOSEDLY?) Azealia Banks (aka. Krystal Pepsy). Banks is American, from Harlem, and laid down her debut track a couple of months ago, '212' with Lazy Jay. joined with Scissor Sisters for their new track.

However, I read further that Azealia Banks is NOT behind this track. Instead, it 'Krystal Pepsy' is the name of the DJ duo creation of Jake Shears and Jeremy Lingvall.*

*http://pitchfork.com/news/44964-video-scissor-sisters-team-up-with-azealia-banks-for-shady-love/

I still am left wondering who Krystal Pepsy is, but one thing is for sure: this track is HOT! I can't stop dancing to and humming it wherever I am. I hope that soon it will be available on I-tunes for download. I am also wondering if this means a new CD by the Scissor Sisters is in the works. Or, this side single project presents an opportunity for the Scissor Sisters to collaborate with artists in other genres and break even more barriers.

I have to say that the Scissor Sisters are my FAVORITE new rock/pop/funk/dance band around. I first picked up their debut CD at a Newbury Comics in Boston (on a whim, might I add) back in the fall of 2004 (I have that moment etched to my memory). Who would have ever guessed that my whim would lead to an 8 year courting relationship. Usually, bands are fickle in my world. They release a great song or two. Maybe if they're lucky I fall in love with a whole entire album, not just a few tracks. But, three CD's later, and I'm still smitten. The Scissor Sisters not only make great music, but their videos are insane!

I am also a sucker for great graphics and killer music videos. I am the MTV generation, so I expect a great video for every song. Just playing instruments with lame graphics is not enough anymore. Videos HAVE to tell a story or at least give you unforgettable visuals and soulful biography behind the music. Some of the greatest in my opinion are: 'November Rain' by Guns n' Roses, '; 'Runaway Train' by Soul Asylum, 'No Rain' by Blind Melon, 'Heart-Shaped Box' by Nirvana, 'Like a Prayer' by Madonna, 'We Didn't Start the Fire' by Billy Joel, and even 'Paparazzi' by Lady GaGa. These videos sear images into my memory.

The Scissor Sisters are MASTERS of an amazing music video. They are one of the FEW bands that can make a video make a song even more powerful and sensational. In their videos, the words match perfectly to the rhythm and visuals. It's like a circus for your senses. Also, their videos are strange and unusual and like Wynonna Ryder says as Lydia Deats in the 1988 film, 'Beetlejuice': 'Live people ignore the strange and unusual. I myself am strange and unusual.' I'm sure Tim Burton himself would appreciate the outlandish and brilliantly bizarre videos of the Scissor Sisters.

Even their 'Fire with Fire', where they sing on top of a moving platform stage down Manhattan's streets at night, is incredible and fits the song. Not many bands can get away with just playing their instruments like in some bad 80's hair band video. Every single video I watch by the Scissor Sisters is just mesmerizing.



I am very lucky to say that I've had the chance to see the Scissor Sisters live in concert. And, it was one of the top ten concerts I've ever been to; these guys put on an amazing show! Keep in mind that I've seen Dylan, The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Matisyahu, Idan Raichel Project, the list goes on and on. I've even seen a few festivals like Ozzfest, Bonnaroo, Warp Tour. Hi, my name is Rafi and I'm a concert junkie. I love a good live show!

When I saw Scissor Sisters back in 2010 at Terminal 5 in NYC, I walked away energized. The band is made up of Jake Shears (Sellards), Babydaddy (Scott Hoffman), Ana Matronic (Ana Lynch), Del Marquis (Derek Gruen), Paddy Boom (Patrick Seacor), and Randy Real (Randy Schrager). They have a huge GLBTQ following (but I'm straight..and don't care). In fact, when I saw them live, I felt like I was in a gay club. Though, what I notice about this band is that not only do they cross genres but they also do so in sub-culture. Since I've been to so many shows, I usually see a 'type' of crowd: punk, hip-hop, hippie, fratboy, yuppy, etc. However, the fans of Scissor Sisters aren't too this or too that. They just are!

I know all the words to the majority of their songs. When I bought 'Tah-Dah' it was playing on repeat on my car stereo for months. They are the only band that has had a hit with all three albums (in my opinion). I am a little scared, therefore, for them to come out with a fourth album because it might sour my already full throttle love affair with the band. But then, I think of videos/songs like 'Invisible Light' which I didn't really care for at first, but then boom, I loved it.



What other band could go through such metamorphosis of sounds and still have the Midas Touch. Literally, all music they touch turns to gold. They released their debut self-titled album in 2004. The album didn't have any definitive genre; yes, it was rock/pop but also so much more. Right away you think David Bowie and Freddy Mercury's love child. The songs are so different though; each one has its own flavor. You have high and low energy, ironic and sincere lyrics. It had great songs like 'Take Your Mama', 'Tits on the Radio', 'Filthy/Gorgeous', and a wonderful cover of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' (I didn't even know it was a cover at first and I am a huge fan of Pink Floyd.) Then in 2006 we get 'Tah-Dah' an entirely different sound that reminds me of 1920's/ragtime mixed with high energy punk disco. With songs like 'Land of a Thousand Words', 'I Can't Decide', 'Kiss You Off' (my fave), 'I Don't Feel Like Dancin', and 'Might Tell You Tonight' you get a balance of yin and yang. Then in 2009, we get 'Night Work' which is very 80's with an urban glam rock twist. Songs like 'Any Which Way', 'Invisible Light', 'Night Work', 'Skin Tight', and 'Sex and Violence' put some 80's movie montages right into my brain immediately. I seriously love every single album, every single song!

I have a feeling that the Scissor Sisters are on their way to major stardom, if they haven't gotten there already. After all, last spring they opened up for Lady GaGa and have collaborated with Elton John. However, this is a band that I can truly say I knew about before ANYONE did. I was always saying 'these guys will be big, I just know it.' They have been kindred, loyal friends who were there with me through major turning points in my life. I imagine our friendship will stay strong, and who knows, maybe I'll get to meet them all (and present my scissor pendant hemp necklaces). I have a thing where I make and present hemp necklaces to artists who majorly inspire me to be my best self.

Well here's to you Scissor Sisters. I am proud to be part of the Scissterhood and encourage others to join our ranks. You truly help your fans fight 'fire with fire'. Their lyrics/music is poetry for my soul!

'We knew all the answers
And we shouted them like anthems
Anxious and suspicious
That God knew how much we cheated.'
-'It Can't Come Quickly Enough' from Scissor Sisters

Eternal music lover,

~R~

Music IS the food of love!

MY IPOD IS MY MUSE:
Brand Spankin' New Musack, Some Bitchin' Tunes

1) NEW LOOK:

This a new band I just found out about, New Look. They are Canadian but moved/live in New York City. They have such a nice blend of retro and new. They fuse the sound of the late 80's/early 90's R&B/synth-pop into a blend of electronica/dance/indie underground. It sounds like something we may have heard before but only as an echo. This is something fresh! The vocalist, Sarah Ruba, is a former model but even her looks don't match the beauty of her haunting, melodic voice. This band fits right into the indie scene, yet they are not pure rock or pop. They blend genres unabashedly; though they are big in the UK, and the Brits are brilliant at choosing great music! I mean, one of these songs could fit into an episode of Skins UK (which always has great, new music to sample).

ALBUMS: New Look (2011)

'The Ballad': The song opens and you don't know if it will be upbeat or slow. Then comes the haunting evocative voice and lyrics of Sarah Ruba. The video matches up perfectly. You see a car driving through a rainy fog. Lyrics: 'Although this is hard for me to say. It's breaking my heart to, but hear it anyway. This is the part where we embrace. Come out of the dark and into the day.' At first, it sounds like some kind of passionate break-up song. However, at second glance it seems that it's a song about helping a friend coming to terms with the truth of something painful, perhaps addiction (ie. drugs) or one's sexuality. The lyrics: 'And all I want is to reach out and give you a hand to hold...And all I want is for you to know that you're not alone.' As 'you're not alone' repeats in the distance it really seems to be a song about advice and unconditional love. The friend could be addicted to drugs or faced with coming out. Whatever the case may be, the truth is hard; 'coming out of the dark' is never easy. When a person is faced with addiction and pain, they only wish for that one friend to rely on. This seems to be an anthem to friendship and soulfully so.



'Nap on the Bow': This song is a slow dance song but could also serve as background music to any great wine and cheese shindig. It is sophisticated and sexy, yet alluringly hip. You hear the perfect blend of synth-pop and R&B here. It is trippy and sobering at the same time. This is the perfect song to crank on your Ipod as you cruise the streets of NYC. For some reason I picture a woman, alone, in a trench coat walking the streets of any urban jungle. She looks behind her every now and again to make sure no one is following her as she makes her trek to her lover's apartment to spend some alone time with her secret beau. She is trapped between a relationship she despises and one she desires. The lyrics: 'I’m forever in the memory, all about you and me. I’m alone in the dark it's only us on this ark.' It's a love song but not in a mushy, dopey puppy way. The woman dreams of the day that she can escape her current relationship and only be in the arms of her lover. They can plan an escape. The lyrics: 'You and I on an island'. The woman and her lover are now in a boat, escaping to freedom; this is the woman's fantasy, a dream. She wakes up. Lyrics: 'Trying so hard to keep it away. We come, always the sunlight.' The song seems to suggest the pull of reality and fantasy. The dreamy vocals contrast to the rhythm and bass.




Other resources: ~http://newlookmusic.com/ (official band site)
~http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/band-of-the week-new-look/
(article on the band in Vogue)
~http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/gxgw (review on BBC)
~http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/sep/14/new-band-new-look
(article on The Guardian)

2) WHITE LIES:

This band is one of my favorites now. They are British (go figure) but blend this 80's synth/underground rock into a new era. The band is from Ealing, London. The members of the band include: Harry McVeigh, Charles Cave, and Jack Lawrence-Brown. They very much sound like whisperings of Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division, and Ultravox. I LOVE THEIR SOUND! It cuts into your soul like razors into skin. The vocals bleed onto the instrumentals and you are left feeling hollow inside. Not only that, but the songs are catchy and smart. It isn't dribble, and you know this band can produce great art; you can count on them to NOT let you down. Usually, I HATE synthesized music, but since both this and New Look use them smartly, I think I have an addendum to make. Synthesizer is fine as long as you use it correctly and not use it as boring filler or unnecessary fluff. If it helps paint your picture, then by all means, it is okay.

ALBUMS: To Lose My Life (2009) and Ritual (2011)

'Unfinished Business': The lyrics of this song are really catchy once you listen to it for a few go's. However then you find yourself walking down the street singing 'just put down those scissors baby on this single bed' or 'you've got blood on your hands and I know it's mine'. Then people look at you like you're nuts (yes, I've had this happen before). The opening melodic synthesizer is like a funeral dirge. You know something strange is about to happen. I imagine that this song is something about a lover's quarrel possibly. It seems that the woman that is being sung to has just killed her lover. What else would she be doing with scissors? Also, why would the singer not see his reflection, have cold skin, and not be seen by his lover. Lyrics: 'A voice beckoned gently now it's time to go. A requiem played as you begged for forgiveness.' I have teetered between thinking that the man was murdered in front of or by his lover. I go with the latter though, as it seems that this woman in the song is guilty of the blood on her hands. But then again, maybe it is a murder. Whatever the case, the man is definitely dead and moving 'into the light'. Lyrics: 'There's a light in the distance waiting for me, I will wait for you.' It is a very romantic song in a Shakespearean tragedy kind of way.




'Bigger Than Us':
The video for this song is brilliant. This is a little more rock n' roll and less sleepy than the other songs by Whites Lies, though no less haunting. The video seems to tell the story of a scene reminiscent from those 80's alien flicks like 'ET' or 'Flight of the Navigator'. A boy is hooked up to medical equipment surrounded by doctors and nurses. Then, the strangest part of all, a little girl is rescued out of a large candy bar that says 'Bigger Than Us'. Then, the girl is carried/walks into a crowd of concerned onlookers and police. She is pursued by the boy. At her finding a billboard of herself with the candy bar, the boy grabs her and kisses her passionately. I don't really get it, but I'm not sure we're supposed to get it. The lyrics tell the story of a woman who seems lost and out of reach. Her lover is disconnected and cannot find her. Lyrics: 'You took the tunnel route home. You've never taken that way with me before. Did you feel the need for change? However, it seems to be not only a story of longing and loss but also of fate. There are some things in life that are too large for even love to conquer. Lyrics: 'I feel like I'm breaking up and I wanted to stay...this is bigger than us.' I'm not sure if the girl is abducted, or if the man suddenly dies. Perhaps the 'lights on the hillside' are aliens and he is taken away on a spaceship. Whatever the case might be, we are to assume there is a tragic loss; the lovers are separated forever. Not a song/band to play on your first date!



Other resources:
~http://www.whitelies.com/ (official band site)
~http://www.musicemissions.com/artists/White+Lies (bio on music emissions)


3) CULTS:

I'm sure by now you're like, damn, this kid must only pay attention to rock/pop charts in The UK. Well, yes, this band, though not directly from the UK, is a big deal there (I first heard their music in an episode of 'Misfits'.) . I can't help it! There are so many awesome bands/artists coming out of the England/UK music scene. I also watch tons of British shows. Don't worry, I have some suggestions of artists purely/mostly unknown in England, at the end of this blog. The Cults, however, hail from Manhattan, NY. Brian Oblivion (real name?) and Madeline Follin formed their band while they were at The New School Anyway, Cults seems to fuse some 50's/60's retro doo-wop pop with 80's synth-pop and some indie upbeat rock. It is so upbeat, that the lyrics don't seem to match the meaning of the lyrics to the songs. It reminds me of Leslie Gore's 'Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows' where something sinister seems to lurk in the background. Is everyone really this happy? Hell no!

ALBUMS: Cults (2011)

'Go Outside': The video starts with vintage video news footage of the Jonestown massacre. Right away, you know what's coming (that is if you know the background of this issue). The song starts very upbeat and seemingly carefree with a xylophone over a loop of Jim Jones speaking. CREEPY! Yet also poignant. The lyric, 'I really want to go outside and stop to see your day And of course, we get footage of Jones's followers dancing and writhing in his church. They look full of good cheer and glee. We then see footage of Jim Jones's cult/commune in Guyana. The most disturbing image of all is the children's choir (you know their cyanide Kool-Aid fate awaits). The song shows the need to get out and see the world and not be tied to another individual. Lyrics: 'You really want to stay inside and sleep the light away.' There is a warning: don't let another persons negativity drag you down or define you. Lyrics: I think that you should wake up. I think I want to live my life and you're just in my way.' If only the members of Jones's cult knew this information. The video doesn't show the massacre and carnage that unfolded. However, at reporters visiting Jonestown, they tried to get the truth about these people and if they wanted to leave. Jim Jones used bullying and threats of violence to scare his followers into submission. So it was never clear whether most of Jones's followers were using free will or were brainwashed. Moral of the story is, think for yourself and don't let others define you.



'Abducted': This song is just as creepy as 'Go Outside'. Again, the beginning sounds upbeat but then you hear the lyric 'I knew right then I'd been abducted.' Yikes! The video is even more terrifying, depicting a woman dressed in a thin nightgown tied up in the middle of a desolate winter road. The reel plays backwards, and we learn that she was dumped out of a trunk of a vintage muscle car. The song brilliantly switches between male and female vocals, presumably the victim and victimized. The song is raw and dangerous. The melody starts slow but crescendos into rock n' roll fervor. It seems to match what the song is saying, that in many relationships one person gives/loves more than the other. Lyrics: 'I knew right then that I would be taking her heart. I knew right then that I'd never love her.' Sometimes love can leave us feeling 'abducted' as if we get too deep into a relationship, a person can become obsessed and pour all emotion into another person. When that person is a void and doesn't reciprocate love, it leaves a person 'scarred'. Lyric" 'He tore me apart because I really loved him. He took my heart away and left me to bleed out.' The video shows what many victims of hapless circumstances dream about, being able to inflict their pain on the person who caused it. All too often though, the 'abducted' is left as bereft and hollowed out as their 'kidnapper'.



Other resources:
~http://cultscultscults.com/us/splash/ (band site)
~http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/may/06/new-band-cults


Some other bands/artists to check out:

A) Cameron Stenger: a nice blend of folk/90's alternative. Ray LaMontagne meets Smashing Pumpkins (the earlier days).
albums are 'Fool's Day', 'Where You Are' and *'Lovers' *(release due in April 2012)

http://cameronstenger.tumblr.com/
http://cameronstenger.bandcamp.com/



B) Doran Danoff: blend of blues/funk/ragtime/barber shop/country roots. I really have nothing to compare it to; it stands on its own.
-albums are 'The Icarus Suite' and 'The Ghost and the Scratch'

http://www.dorandanoff.com/
http://www.livingroomny.com/artist/doran-danoff



C) Cuddle Magic: definitely well versed on the hipster scene but a good folky/indie/acoustic. They remind me of bands like The Peaches or Department of Eagles. Smart and ironic lyrics!
-albums are 'Cuddle Magic', 'Picture' and (soon to be released) 'Info Nympho'

http://www.cuddle-magic.com/
http://cuddlemagic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cuddlemagic/cuddle-magic-to-release-info-nympho-an-analog-reco



D) Bosco Delrey: A rock n' roll/synth-pop fusion and haberdashery of wild sounds (60s, 90s, now); have been compared to Beck and The The. I think they sound like bands like Papercuts or Black Lips (on acid). YEA!
-albums are 'Evil Lives/Wild One', 'Space Junky/My My Racecar', and 'Everybody Wah'

http://maddecent.com/artists/bosco-delrey
http://www.spin.com/articles/meet-bosco-delrey-diplos-new-rocknroll-whiz
http://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/2011/06/bosco-delrey-artist-you-should-know/



All of the artists at the bottom of this post are bands/artists who I have personal connections with, and I am friends with! I hope they all find success and personal satisfaction in their music! They are all majorly talented and I wish them the best!

Keep on rockin' in the free world!

~R~