Still from Wake in Fright dir. Ted Kotcheff
Good
Wake in Fright dir. Ted Kotcheff
I finally watched this film after hearing absolutely glowing reviews from various people. I am a sucker for bleak and over-the-top films and this one absolutely checked every box I look for in a film. Desolate and overwhelming atmosphere. Nefarious and eccentric backwoods nutjobs. Depressing tone. Pathetic protagonist who gets caught up in a world he does not belong in. Kotcheff nails the nightmarish underpinnings of the desert itself. A place of biblical evil where man can indulge in his primal nature and most depraved sins. Australia seems to have the horror genre down to a science, and this film felt truly and thoroughly horrifying. A fever dream of debasement and primitivism.
Sun Araw live
Sun Araw is one of those projects that feels massively overlooked by a majority of music fans. Not sure why that is because this is by far one of the better examples of the psychedelic, drone and hypnagogic genre. When Sun Araw announced he would be opening for the band Horse Lords for their LA stop, I grabbed tickets as fast as I could. I Ubered to the venue and was happy that Sun Araw would be going first. The show was incredible, with Sun Araw playing for a mixed crowd that seemed to lean more heavily towards the Horse Lords fans. The set was phenomenal, with Cameron (the mastermind behind Sun Araw) playing a long noise set. There were no breaks in the set, just one long exercise in psychedelic noise. I loved it. Check out any and all of Sun Araw’s records if you are out of the loop with Cameron’s work, you will not be disappointed.
Fag Symphony by Alden Nagel
Alden runs Nut Hole Publishing. A literary press that I have written extensively for. He is also a dear friend of mine. Alden’s first book is a bizarre and eccentric journey through the inner mind of one of the most hilarious and fascinating protagonists I have read about. I am absolutely thrilled that Alden wrote this and that it seems to be doing well. The blurb from one of my favorite contemporary writers, Thomas Moore, made me incredibly happy that it is being so well received by people I respect and admire. Can’t wait to read Alden’s next literary project, from what I have been privy to, it will be a good one.
Common Loon- Xiu Xiu
New Xiu Xiu single, released as the first from their upcoming record. I have been a Xiu Xiu fan for a long time and this new single makes me incredibly excited to hear this new record. Their last album, Ignore Grief was very good but I don’t see myself returning to it anytime soon. I like Xiu Xiu when they are at their most insane and poppy. Anyways, Common Loon is the Xiu Xiu I love. Jamie Stewart and company can do no wrong as far as I am concerned.
Scene Ballerina- Geneva Jacuzzi
I have been a longtime fan of Geneva Jacuzzi’s work. Her hypnagogia meets old aerobic music videos meets full blown art pop is equal parts addictive and avant-garde. Geneva has been a longstanding presence in the underground LA music scene and anyone who is not familiar with her work needs to educate themselves immediately. This newest single off of her upcoming album is everything I love in Geneva’s art. It’s extremely catchy and fun with flawless production to match. I am incredibly excited for the new record and if these last couple of singles have been any indication, I am sure it will be absolute perfection.
The Doom Generation dir. Gregg Araki
No idea why it took me so long to finally watch this film. It feels almost tailor made for me. Anyways, I finally decided to watch this one and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Araki’s sense of humor is on full display here. Deadpan and irreverent, The Doom Generation is one of the funniest films I have ever seen. The explosion of violence at the end makes for an extremely shocking viewing experience. The set design and costuming are top notch and despite the brutality, this is a profoundly fun film. I am sure anyone who considers themselves a film lover has seen this film (probably more than once) but if you have not, I highly recommend it.
Bad
Current fashion trends
When did everyone start dressing like an amalgamation of everything I despise? I am not the best dressed guy around, but the stuff I have been seeing from supposedly “trendy” people is abhorrent. It looks like a combination of the worst parts of nu-metal mixed with mallgoth. Is this really what is considered “avant-garde?” If it is, this new generation is beyond fucked aesthetically. It would be one thing if this was just a one-off thing but it seems like everyone is leaning into the worst tendencies of NPCdom and garbage. It is only a matter of time before everyone pivots and starts dressing like the dweebs from LMFAO.
Hyperpop rebrands
Hyperpop was never good. Some of that early PC Music was very solid and felt somewhat genuine. Like the aforementioned fashion trends, hyperpop is a post-ironic appropriation of the worst trends of the early 2000s. Myspace-core scene music was never good, stop trying to make it a thing again. 100 gecs is one of the most abhorrent excuses for music I have ever had the displeasure of listening to. I despise hyperpop so much I could probably write an entire dissertation about the detrimental effects it has had on pop culture and music. Honestly, this shit is just terrible. What is even worse seems to be this trend of irrelevant popstars pivoting to the hyperpop genre despite hyperpop not being relevant anymore. Not sure what is going on in these boardrooms, but someone needs to stop this.
Otherwise
House of the Dragon
Yes, I am watching this show currently. Yes, I did enjoy a few seasons of Game of Thrones when it was dominating the conversations of everyone ranging from insufferable nerds to the average TV enjoyer. No, I will not apologize. I do think Game of Thrones was pretty half-baked in a lot of ways. Violence in service of a very lukewarm narrative of “whoa, turns out no one is good or evil! There are shades of gray in everyone!” and “look at us subverting fantasy tropes!” However, the show was relatively fun for what it was. I am not sure if House of the Dragon is any good. It feels like something I should absolutely hate. It leans into the most boring parts of Game of Thrones and has very little in the way of interesting narrative. However, I am still tuning in almost weekly, so maybe there is something here.