Category Archives: pictures

Art, Film, Film Review, humor, pictures

Classic Film Review: 1981

Leave a comment

Full Title: 1981
Director: Ricardo Trogi
Year: 2009
Comments: This film is truly delightful, a word I rarely use to describe a film. The movie is a semi-autobiographical account of Ricardo Trogi’s family life as Italian immigrants in Quebec in 1981. The plot takes place when Trogi is twelve years old and therefore the film itself is (brilliantly) seen through the eyes of a twelve year old. Though this flick deals with several serious issues such as immigration and the resulting prejudices that come with it, it is overall a light hearted, amusing work, and as I said earlier, delightful. Trogi uses 1981 as a character; the young Ricardo Trogi needs to keep up with the fast paced times and all the new gagets and hoodwinks (stylish jackets, trapper keepers, video games, etc) and what have you that every cool twelve year old must have or they ain’t shit. Since, Ricardo is the new kid with a funny accent, it makes all of these “necessities” all the more important and in fact, it would be the end of the world if he didn’t have them. The adult Trogi, the filmmaker, uses these humorous adolescent anecdotes to highlight the more serious, social perils, anxieties, if you will, of being working class and not being able to afford everything everyone else (seemingly) around you has. Ultimately, being happy. Over the course of the film the boy grows up…. a little and he learns that at the end of the day, sometimes the world is just a phony place.

Grade: 7/10

Art, Best of 2010, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, pictures, Punk, Video, Wavves

King of the Beach Revisited

Leave a comment

So y’all know how much we loved Wavves’ 2010 classic King of the Beach (KLYAM Record of the Year), well in honor of the year anniversery of the digital release of the “Post Acid” single, Glen and I decided to dedicate twenty minutes or so to discussing the greater points of the LP, some of the band’s background/history, and most important of all, whether it holds up after one year and whether or not it will continue to receive as much praise as time goes by.

PART II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8V7UIvX61o

Art, concert review, Music, Peach Kelli Pop, pictures, Punk, Video

Concert Review: Peach Kelli Pop, Kal Marks, SARALEE @ Problem House (5/26/11)

3 Comments


Artists: SARALEE, Kal Marks, Peach Kelli Pop, and The Scamps
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2011
Location: Problem House (Allston, MA)
Comments:

Act I: SARALEE– This guy (drums) and girl (vocals, guitar)duo were a pretty cool band to kick things off. Apparently, they just started making noises not too long ago; I couldn’t tell, they sounded like pros! Seriously though, there was something that stood out to me about them in a sort of off-kilterish kinda way. The girl’s vocals reminded me of a cross between Joanna Newsom, Bjork, and the kind of screeching, high pitched vocals you would hear in a Harmony Korine flick. It was pretty cool.

Act II: Kal Marks– I gotta be honest I don’t remember too much from Kal Marks’ set, but I do remember enjoying it very much. I recall the group exploring various sounds and nicely jumping back and forth from soft to loud. I plan on looking up their music and most likely seeing them again. Good work.

Act III: Peach Kelli Pop!!!– YAYYY! I was very, very excited to see my favorite Ottawa Bubble Gum Rockers and they did not dissapoint me. I loved the ultra intimate quality of these basement gigs, so it was real nice to be up close and personal with PKP. Their music is so fun, exciting, and welcoming the Problem House was the perfect venue for this set. I only knew about 1/3 of the songs, most were not from the recent LP (at least to my knowledge), but it didn’t really matter because the energy was still alive and well. But, of course when classics like “Doo Wah Diddy,” “Do the Egg Roll,” and my personal fave “Eeenie Meenie Minie Moe” were unleashed I couldn’t help but dance my ass off and sing along! Congrats to Peach Kelli for their first show on their first American tour!

Set List:
1) Robin Hood
2) Julie Oulie
3) No One Else
4) Doo Wah
5) Stay Away
6) Eeenie Meenie
7) Egg Roll
8) Drive In
9) Panchito Blues ?

Act IV: The Scamps– Alas, we missed these guys :( next time!

Hey those guys hopping and boppin look real familiar…

Art, Black Lips, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, pictures, Punk

KLYAMer Shuffle: Chris

Leave a comment

You know the routine, I turned on my ipod and hit shuffle…

The Stooges– “Death Trip” (1973)- Great way to kick off the list!

Korn– “Blind” (1994)- This is a good example of how I am not lying when I put these shuffles up! Though this is actually a fairly badass song for what its worth.

Meat Puppets– “Never to Be Found” (1994)- Haven’t heard this in a while.

The Replacements– “White and Lazy” (1982)- Funny, bluesy number from the boys.

Sonic Youth– “Shadow of A Doubt” (1986)- Apparently my shuffle is reading Our Band Could Be Your Life…

Black Lips– “Take My Heart” (2009)- Not the best from my favorites, but I’ll take it.

Slayer– “Criminally Insane” (1986)- From Reign in Blood, one of the few metal records that have stuck with me over the years.

Run-D.M.C.- “Walk This Way” (1986)- Another song I haven’t listened to in ages.

Nirvana– “Milk It” (1993)- One of the noisier/rougher cuts from In Utero


Ramones– “Cretin Hop” (1977)- One of the best album openers.

Flipper– “Sex Bomb” (1982)- Epic Closer!!! (for this shuffle)

Art, Deerhunter, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, pictures, Video

Band Rec: Lotus Plaza

Leave a comment

I’ve never considered myself a “hip” music fan, I don’t follow hypes and buzzes and things of that nature or at least I don’t follow bands for those reasons. Lotus Plaza is the solo project of Deerhunter lead guitarist and occasional vocalist, Lockett Pundt. About two years ago he released his first album (as Lotus Plaza) entitled The Floodlight Collective to mixed reviews: before the official release people really got off on it and then suddenly bashed it, as haters tend to do; haters gonna hater. Anyway, as much as I love Lockett in Deerhunter, especially his vocals on such classics as “Agoraphobia,” “Neither of Us, Uncertainly,” “Desire Lines, ” and “Fountain Stairs,” I never really checked out his solo work, until recently. I’m really digging Lotus Plaza, so I thought I’d share it with anyone that cares to check it out as with anything I post on here that I find fascinating aka gives me a musical erection. His singing here is truly gorgeous and evokes a lot of emotion in me per usual for his vocals. I really adore the mix of ambiance and pop. Keep up the good work Lockett!

Art, Bradford Cox, Classic Album Review, Classic CD Review, Deerhunter, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, pictures, reviews, Video

Classic Review: Deerhunter- Carve Your Initials..

Leave a comment

Full Title: Carve Your Initials Into the Walls of the Night
Artist: Deerhunter
Year: 2005
Tracks:
1) Bright and Early
2) Cicadas
3) Rotation
4) But, I’m A Boy
5) Three Dolphins Melting Into Orange Wax
6) Snow Dogs
7) Dogs Are Cool
8) Homorobotic
9) Cordless
10) When I Taste Blood

Comments: On Saturday, December 12, 2009, Bradford Cox made this old, obscure, 2005 Deerhunter recording freely available to download from the Deerhunter blog (http://deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com/). He also had this to say: “Responding to several requests I have dug up an old copy of this 2005 Deerhunter CD-R. It features only me and Moses and is very experimental in nature. This was during our “tape phase” when we would often play shows as a duo (or as a trio with colin) playing only tape machines and vocal loops. Recorded live to 2-track cassette machine at Moses’ old house on North Ave & Ponce
“Mastered” at the Old Notown building on my dad’s ancient PC using Soundforge,
Scans of all orignal artwork from the Notown Xerox Machine included.”

Now, considering this was just a private recording not intended for official release this is more of a shout out then a review. It’s more of a way for me to keep things interesting and spread the word of some of Deerhunter’s lesser known work. I consider them to be one of the best Rock and Roll bands today and of all time, for that matter. This recording from 2005 is to me their most experimental and shows the different intricacies and dynamics of their sound and perhaps how it has evolved. What we hear on this recording is far different from much of their output and as I said far more experimental with practically none of the pop elements we are accustom to in Deerhunter’s music, which is totally fine and cool in a way. I always enjoy hearing something by a band that is completely different from anything else they have released.  At the same time, one can definitely see how this is Deerhunter and how these sounds/elements/vibes would eventually find their way into later works.  On this reocrding, we hear a lot of dance- club scene music (especially on “But, I’m a Boy) which could faintly be heard on their debut LP Turn It Up Faggot, also from 2005 (though recorded in 2003 or 2004).  Except on that record, they were far more beastial, garage, and chaotic- also there was a full band, if I’m not mistaken. Bradford always describes that record in a negative manner, saying they weren’t ready and that they were a young band.  That could be said about Carve Your Initals.. but I feel like this recording is actually the stronger of the two and feels more complete; I don’t know, maybe it’s just me. I actually prefer Faggot, but this record (if you want to call it that) has its sound down pat and as far as experimentation goes, it seems like it is alway open to anything, while the former felt confined, albeit nice to rock and freak out to. There is a lot to be appreciated here and best of all it shows the potential and neat character of what would later become an amazing band.

I know I’m a  year and half late on this, but thanks for this free CD Bradford!