OFF! - 2010 - live on spinner.com

This past Monday I had a chance to say a quick hello to Keith Morris and check out a live performance from his new band OFF! when they played the Middle East Downstairs. The show was ragingly excellent with a constantly moving pit and stage diving, but zero fights. Openers Trash Talk and Cerebral Ballzy were both great as well with hyperactive sounds that reminded me of 85/86 era American hardcore without being derivative.

Along with Keith Morris the ranks of OFF! are made up of: Steven McDonald - bass, Dimitri Coats - guitar and Mario Rubalcaba - drums. The footage below is a performance from October 2010 on spinner.com.

Black Thoughts / Darkness


Poison City / Now I'm Pissed


Jeffrey Lee Pierce / I Don't Belong


Crawl / Rat Trap

Torche - 2010 - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Here's Torche at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 23 October 2010. Also on the bill that night were Kylesa and High on Fire. I was present at this show and thought all bands brought top shelf musical entertainment for the appreciative Saturday night crowd.

From Miami, Florida; Torche issues forth a powerful and heavy style to their sound and contained former members of Floor and Cavity.

UFO + Arrowhead

Shine On My Old Ways + In Return

Piraña + Sandstorm


Hideaway, Rockit + Out Again


Thanks to 80taul for posting on YouTube.

"Bring Me Home"
from the 2007 ep In Return

Baroness - 2010 - Metropolis, The Netherlands

The hugely rocking Baroness are based in Savannah, Georgia (same as Kylesa) and combine influences such as classic rock, HEAVY metal and basement hardcore. The intricate and frame worthy artwork for their releases is handled by John Baizley (also providing guitar + vocals). His art has also been featured on output from Kylesa, Torche and Pig Destroyer - among others.

Along with John Baizley the line up includes: Summer Welch - bass, Allen Blickle - drums and Peter Adams - guitar, vocals.

The Baroness footage below comes an appearance at Metropolis - Rotterdam during 2010. Thanks to Rachel (rrijsdijk ) for posting on YouTube.

Bullhead's Psalm & The Sweetest Curse


Jake Leg


Grad

Harvey Pekar - R.I.P.

Harvey Pekar passed away today.
Begining in 1976, Pekar combined his eloquent, brusque life stories with a series of comics drawn by a revolving crew of artists in American Splendor. Like a lot of America, I first became aware of his work through frequent appearances on Late Night with David Letterman during the 80s and a few are displayed below.

A true individual, Harvey Pekar leaves behind an enormous amount of work that deserves carefully consideration as a voice of a modern American underdog/working man.

Negative Approach - 2010 - Boston

Since I didn't purchase a ticket in advance, I wasn't able to get into the sold out June 19, 2010 Negative Approach/DOA show at Church - Boston MA. Friends who saw the show could not stop raving about it and I bet it was sick. Thanks to kpcollinsdotcom posting these clips on Youtube I can get a glimpse of the vintage Detroit hardcore outfit's recent performance.

Lost Cause




Hypocrite


Sick Of Talk


Can't Tell No One


Said And Done


Evacuate


Ready To Fight


Whatever I Do


Why Be Something That You're Not

Night Tide (1961) starring Dennis Hopper

In commemoration of the passing of Dennis Hopper (17 May 1936 - 29 May 2010), his performance in director/writer Curtis Harrington's 1961 horror/noir hybrid Night Tide is presented below. Hopper plays a lonely sailor who falls for an enticing and mysterious woman. His curiosity drives him as the movie progresses. The darkly (sadly, this print is also very dark and kind of beat up) atmospheric cinematography often shot around the Santa Monica Pier or Venice, California adds to the dreamy tone. It's a decidedly offbeat tale that had a difficult time finding an audience upon initial release, often playing the bottom bill on drive-in double and multiple features.


the trailer



the feature

Frank Frazetta - R.I.P.

Frank Frazetta
9 February 1928 – 10 May 2010

Art Clokey, Creator of Gumby - R.I.P.

Art Clokey, creator of stop motion clay animation classics
Gumby and Davey & Goliath, passed away Friday, 8 January 2010.
In tribute, below are a few of my favorite Clokey shorts.



Gumbasia (1955)




Gumby on the Moon (1956)



Ricochet Pete (1957)
with Gumby and Pokey

Gumby and Pokey - Ricochet Pete
Uploaded by Discodandan. - Click for more funny videos.

Who Dun It
with Davey & Goliath




Mandala (1977)