Summer Reading!

Much to my book-loving delight, my local library has just reopened after some amazing renovations. Slimer from Ghostbusters would have a hard time hiding in the stacks anymore, not to mention the card catalog has gone the way of the ... card catalog. To kick off a summer of easy-readin', I'm starting with these two great books:

The first is by my very good friend - nay, disgraced evil twin - Andy Schanie. Like movies? Like scandals? Like crazy stories about crazy movie stars? You will love Movie Confidential!


We all know movie stars are crazy. Let Andy tell you just HOW crazy! Seriously, help my bro out and buy his book from Amazon. Word has it that he's got a book tour in the works for August 2010. Stay tuned!


Next up we have a title that the incomparable Vee turned me on to: We Never Learn - The Story of the Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001. Written by New Bomb Turks frontman Eric Davidson, "tour de farce" is really not a strong enough term for this book (and she says that lovingly).


For people who read Please Kill Me and Our Band Could Be Your Life only to wonder "What happened next? What about all the bands they didn't mention?" - We Never Learn is for you. In the words of Michael Hayes, "[They] kept knocking on the door until finally somebody had to answer it right! FINE-LAAAAAY!"

We Never Learn celebrates the underground bands that defied pigeonholing; bands that were more about partying than politics or posturing; bands that went for it, but never really made it. Unless your idea of "making it" entails copious amounts of alcohol, illicit drugs and fistfights, in which case they ALL made it.

There are approximately ZERO "mainstream" bands today that I could give two shits about. We Never Learn summarizes why. To paraphrase one of my favorite lines so far from the book, "Irony" gave everyone something to hide behind because what too many bands (people) feared was taking a chance and looking like a dumbass. The bands profiled in this book took those chances. Unapologetically. I'll always gravitate toward their music over their more successful "alternative" peers. Give me the HONEST dumbass over the ironic poseur any day.

Great Day for Animals in NC!

It's an unfortunate truth that sometimes really bad things have to happen before people stand up, take notice, and work for change. Yesterday, North Carolina legislators unanimously passed "Susie's Law," which will enforce harsher penalties on animal abusers - including jail time. The law's namesake, a dog who was savagely beaten, SET ON FIRE and left for dead, was on hand in the state Capitol to remind the legislators of the importance of their vote. Check this gal out!


WUNC aired a lovely piece on Susie's Law which you can listen to here. As noted, Susie's Law does not apply to hunting and farming. I'd like to hope that, regardless of where you stand on those issues, we can all agree that cruelly beating animals and setting them on fire is NEVER OK. Susie will continue to inspire people with her work as a burn unit therapy dog. Hooray for Susie!

End of an Ear-a

No doubt about it. The Gary Gaetti Cult Nerve Center is STILL my favorite website of ALL TIME. I can think of no other place on the interwebs that so deftly intermingles beer drinking, gun shooting, game hunting, heavy metal listening, movie watching, and - above all - Gaetti worshiping. The first time I read it, going on 10 years ago, I had to hide under the desk of my shitty temp job to stifle my uncontrollable laughter. Now, it definitely still makes me laugh, but it also makes me nostalgic for home, 1987, 1991, non-ironic mustaches, and Grain Belt Premium. Simpler times, folks. Simpler times.

My flapless helmet is off to the Chairmen and the Cult Members for keeping the dream alive (i.e. continuing to pay for the domain name). I'll happily contribute.

Long live the G-Man!
Long live the Twins!
Long live the Cult!



Sincerely,
Mara
Barnesville High School Softball
1992-95
#8, obviously

BEER SUPPLY

Our as-yet fictitious band has a not-so fictitious Tumblr site. Some day it will feature posters from our gigs. SOME day. Not any day soon. For now you'll have to entertain yourself with the hilarious pictures and captions. I smell a coffee table book!

Long Way Back From Hell

Hello, lovely reader (singular)!

Sorry for the bloggus interruptus. New shit has been coming to light recently and it's time to get this train back on the track.

First things first. JANZIG is about to destroy your ever-loving mind. That's right. All female Danzig/Misfits tribute. It's absolutely a dream come true.