JG & JW are gonna take a massive cross-country trip for their honeymoon, crossing the US of A to check out parks, monuments, and weird stuff. When JG asked if I had any suggestions for them as they traveled, there was one that popped immediately into my mind: Bishop’s Castle.
In the summer of 2002, I was working at TLC and had been there long enough to have a sense of how to game the system a little. I had a shoot that I needed to do in LA that would happen right after the summer solstice in June, and for some reason I wanted to try and find some kind of event to attend for the solstice. From trawling the net I came across something called Psychic Chakra that was taking place south of Denver on the solstice. I got a ticket for the event, arranged my trip to LA so it had a 3 day layover in Denver and off I went.
The event was 4 hours south of Denver, near Colorado Springs, and held at a UFO Watchtower, which I liked a lot. It was a good time — the first time I heard psychedelic trance, the first time I saw fire spinners, people in costumes, VJ’s, the giant Viper lazers…I made friends with the kids camping next to me, and though I also had some weird me-alone-against-the-world stuff, it was pretty fantastic. (two months later I would go to Burning Man for the first time and discover that that culture had a city and life all its own)
After it was over I had a day to kill before my flight the next day. I wanted to check out Colorado Springs, being so close, so I went and bought entry to a hot spring where I relaxed for a while. It felt pretty good and cleansing after the party. While there, I ran into a few people who had obviously been at the Psychic Chakra party. I told them I had a day to kill and asked them what they recommended. They thought for a while and then one said "We should send him to Bishop’s Castle!" They all agreed.
The last half hour of SNL is normally full of the dregs of sketch comedy. But sometimes it knocks one out of the park. I would never think that Sandberg could pull off a Marky Mark impression, but he nails it — the voice, the swagger, the seriousness — and then throws a bunch of absurdity on top to make it comedy gold.
This made me laugh out loud a bunch of times…re-linked from Fluxtumblr…as he says, "this is wonderful". Stick it out through the intro where not much is happening, and then enjoy Take On Me (Literal Video Version)…
I know Kool Keith doesn’t get a lot of love out in the world, but I think he’s great. He’s so weird and off-kilter, I think a lot of people just don’t really know what to do with him. Cocaine Blunts just linked to an interview that he did with Kool Keith, and it is delightfully oddball. Like this:
"That’s why a lot of girls are born different. You seen the new jeans? They don’t fit on they butt right. Because they asses was made funny now, because of the genetics. They don’t have a curve no more. Some people got a square ass, and everything looks fucked up. The body parts are made different. The torso may be too long. Everything is fucked up genetically. It’s a chemical that went out. And it’s called “Ugly.” It’s bad. So you gotta impregnate a bunch of ugly women, make them have pretty babies, help them out, and their daughters will look beautiful. I’m glad I didn’t get caught up in that time zone that is the new generation."
No doubt.
This is my favorite Kool Keith track, "I’m Seein’ Robots":
best lyrics:
You say you married sewed your weave in, yo where’s your ring at?
Interscope records got your demo girl, where you sing at?
Pull out your masters, your dat’s, all you have is cats
Pet little turtles in your bedroom, enough for headroom
Usin your restroom when, company come, that’s your best room
a solid video for a solid track, featuring Joey D’s fave Nordic rapper/singer, The Promoe…the video uses 8-bit art, stop-motion tech, low-fi aesthetics, and this thing I’ve wanted to do for ages where you print out each frame of a video and then time-lapse it back into regular motion…and all those techniques are a few of my favorite things.
JG supplied me with this great link to a supposed "leak" of a bit of The Simpsons Halloween special for this year…which will air right before election day…lots of great gags in here, writing is top notch…
this month’s banner is from a cam phone pic sent to me by my sister…dunno where it is (subway somewheres) but I feel it calling out to me…and yes, I think it is true…
Brought to you by Kung Fu Election, which will eat up your Friday ‘cuz it’s so darn fun…mentioned on metafilter…as they say there, "in the future, all elections will be decided like this"…
the Washington Mall reflecting pool of blood is a particularly nice touch; also the evil voice at the end that whispers menacingly who wins…
I don’t know what to think of Ratatat. On the one hand, great band name, and great use of 2-person instrumentation limitations, like The Kills, Morphine or The White Stripes. On the other hand, I don’t ever listen to their stuff more than once. For that one time, I kind of like it, but I don’t need it again.
This video, though, for "Shempi", is both strangely weird and weirdly strange. A sort of simple technique that is very effective in making things seem dreamlike and odd.
As far modern rock-ish psychedelia, I much prefer this video from Marnie Stern, "Transformer". Not only is she a knockout guitar player, but the video is sharp too. Culled from Fluxtumblr, who posts a million videos that don’t do anything for me, and every now and then posts one that knocks my socks off.
I don’t know what NHTVSN stands for (anyone?) but it’s a pretty great hip-hop online magazine/blog. The most recent post features a video of DJ Clark Kent — who I had never heard of — the guy who discovered Jay Z and is apparently responsible for a bunch of classic tracks. The video is really entertaining and it’s only part one, so check it out at your leisure. I cut it down to what I think is the best bit, about Jay Z. Check it out…
