New issue of Darkfaery Subculture Magazine out now!!!

 The new issue of Darkfaery Subculture Magazine is out now with some reviews I wrote on the new releases of Social Distortion, Wanda Jackson and The Peculiar Pretzelmen.

- Xtoph

View the magazine online here:
http://issuu.com/darkfaerysubculture/docs/dfsm-february-2011?viewMode=magazine


Buy it here: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/158083

A taste of what's to come...

I'm working up my reviews for the latest issue of Darkfaery Subculture Magazine and I thought I give a taste of what's coming for it... Hope you enjoy...

- Xtoph

Social Distortion - Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes by Epitaph Records

Coming Soon - H-P Presents: They Came From The Grave

 Coming soon from Horror-Punks.com: They Came from the Grave Vol.1 Featuring videos and trailers from the members of Horror-Punks.com with videos from: Mongrel-Others-Dragnun-Under a Nightmare-The Murdersquad t.o.-Dead United-Chef Brandon Perry-Spawn Atomic-Dr. Spookenstein-ZOMBIE!-The Spectremen-Ghost of Penely Chase-Werevilsdare-The Cloister Fuck-Fear Incorporated-Christophe-Pussing Eye Productions-Derek Young (Family Property)-The Quintessentials-Creep Creepersin (Creepersin, Creepersin Films)-The Monistats-Nightmare Alley-Six Gun Salvation-Lurking Corpses-Lugosi's Morphine-Batsupsidedown-Von Bones. Background Music "Bride of Frankenrock" by Batsupsidedown

You're Gonna Miss Me (2005) DVD

Director: Keven McAlester

Starring: Byron Coley, 13th Floor Elevators and Evelyn Erickson

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0791268/

 You're Gonna Miss Me is about one of the unsung heroes of Rock'n'Roll, Roky Erickson. The most amazing voice of our time. This man was a founding member of the first psychedelic rock band, The 13th Floor Elevators, and did a lot of early punk and horror-rock influencing... everyone. This film is about him and his struggles. Drug abuse, schizophrenia and poor health. It shows how he has risen above all this to keep bringing us this amazing music to this day.

 This is on the Netflix "Watch Instantly", but I suggest buying or renting the DVD so you can check out all of the awesome bonus features. There is a ton of live footage there too!

Verdict: * * * * *

- Xtoph

Wednesday 13 "Bloodwork" - CD - Angled Doors Review

Wednesday 13 returned this year with his long awaited new album "Skeletons". AT the same time he also released an EP of some extra material that he felt didn't quite fit in with the rest of the album. We're treated to 6 songs. The first two are what you wold expect form the horror maestro. "B-Movie Babylon" & "Return of the Living Dead". Then we get a cover of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers "Running Down a Dream" and a new rendition of "I Love To Say Fuck". The real gems on this EP are the last two tracks... acoustic renderings of "My Demise" & "Skeletons" re-named "My Demise B.C." & "Skeletons A.D.". These two tracks are worth the purchase price alone.

- Xtoph

Osaka Popstar And The American Legends Of Punk - CD - Angled Doors Review

 Osaka Popstar & The American Legends of Punk are kinds of a pop-punk supergroup. This band sounds nothing like any of their original bands, but is comprised of Punk Legends. Fronted by John Cafiero (Vox on Misfits "NY Ranger" and "Project 1950". Director of Insane Clown Posse's Big Money Hustlas) with Dez Cadena (Black Flag), Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & The Voidoids), Marky Ramone (The Ramones) & Jerry Only (The Misfits). This project is a lot poppier than any of their previous bands, but its still really good. There are a lot of covers on this album, but they are really fun. If your an anime fan you'll love the covers of the theme songs for "Astro Boy" and my favorite off the album "Sailor Moon". They throw in a couple Voidoid songs and also a punked up cover of "Man of Constant Sorrow", an early American folk standard dating back to 1913, but most recently known for the bluegrass version from the film "Oh Brother, Where Art Though?". This album ain't deep, but it is a lot of fun and you'll find it in your player a lot more than you'd expect.

 - Xtoph

April March "Chick Habit" - CD - Angled Doors Review

April March is great retro-pop bringing back sounds of the 60's and memories of go-go dancing. This girl has it. Opening up with a Serge Gainsbourg tune and then a handful of other tunes all sung in french. Pretty amazing for a california girl. CD closes off with an english tune "Chick Habit" which was used in the film "Death Proof". This is a good catchy album that I can't get out of my player.

- Xtoph

Hated: G.G. Allin And The Murder Junkies ( 1994 ) Netflix Review

Starring:  G.G. Allin, Merle Allin, Dee Dee Ramone, & Geraldo Rivera

Directed By Todd Phillips

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107086/


     With almost no other way to describe G.G. Allin, let me put it into two words, Disturbingly Poetic.  I'm not saying that G.G. offended me or anybody else I know, as a matter of fact, I really became a fan when I saw some underground VHS tapes of his last performances.  I still remember the first time I saw him Light a Sub Pop t-shirt on fire, piss on it, then finally shit on it.  That was  before one song had even been played.  As the show went on so did G.G.'s antics.  Self mutilation, shoving a microphone up his ass, throwing feces like a mad ape at the zoo, and attacking crowd members physically at will.  These were all staples at a Murder Junkies show, that is until the cops came to shut the whole show down.

     Todd Phillips ( The Hangover, Old School ) directed this 1994 documentary with an unflinching eye for the true Murder Junkies experience.  By the time the film was completed G.G. had already died of an accidental heroin overdose.  What was caught on film was nothing short of cinematic gold.  G.G.'s infamous house clearing at a NY small college, stints in the hospital, getting arrested for abuse and lewd conduct, and finally the imprisonment of G.G. for rape and torture of a woman.  As soon as he was paroled, G.G. skipped out on a meeting to go on another tour.

     Other Murder Junkies were interviewed to give their insight on such a legend.  Merle (G.G.'s brother ) often makes comments with almost no worry in his voice about his brothers beliefs and what makes him tick.  Even Dino the naked drummer makes quite a little scene himself by playing naked on his drum kit, and is none too shy about showing off "the goods".  The biggest impact on this disc was G.G. being himself.  At one point during the movie, G.G. is doing a spoken word, and begins to cut his body, and bang his head.  When the discussion of suicide on Halloween, live in front of an audience is brought up, almost everybody interviewed seemed to blow it off.  Now, when the same thing is said to G.G. at the spoken word event, he invites a female crowd member up to say it to his face.  When she does, G.G. begins assaulting her, until some fellow crowd members come to her safety.

     The biggest impact on me was when Geraldo interviewed G.G.  When asked typical dumb Geraldo'ish questions, Allin fired back exactly what was on his mind without flinching.  Maybe being named Jesus Christ Allin when he was born didn't help ( which was changed by his mother after the divorce to Kevin Michael Allin ).  Or maybe that growing up in a log cabin and getting lyme disease at an early age might have helped form the man that became G.G. Allin, Possibly it could've been the abuse suffered at the hands of a religiously fanatical father.  Who really knows other than the man himself?

     The film really focuses on the later part of G.G.'s life.  You get a sense that this whole movement would have been an epic thing to behold if you were able to see it. 

-Mr. What?- ( * * * * )

The Runaways (2010) Red Box Reviews

Director: Floria Sigismondi

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning & Michael Shannon

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1017451/

Well, this movie is about the all girl rock group The Runaways, which spawned heavy hitters Lita Ford & Joan Jett. This is my second time to see the film. I hated it the first time, and decided to give it a second go round. It's based on the book by their former lead singer Cherie Currie. I haven't read the book, so I can't tell you if it's like that or not. I can tell you it's a complete load of crap. Boring as hell. I am a huge fan of music biopics. I'm a musician. I love the history. I love knowing about a bands formation and demise. Where they actually come from. This film seemed to be more about Joan Jett & Cherie Currie making out and doing drugs than anything else, which may be enough for some people... but it wasn't for me.

I could talk about what this film has but instead I'll tell you what it didn't have. It didn't have anything on Lita, which from my understanding she didn't like it and didn't want to be a part of the film so they pretty much wrote her out. It didn't have anything on their bassists, several which went on to do some pretty awesome things. It also didn't put any focus on the band after Cherie left, which went on for at least two more albums if memory serves me.

Bonus features weren't much either. A 15 minute making of featurette with interviews with the actors, producers and Cherie. It was cool to find out Joan Jett was pretty much there on the set with Kristen Stewart the whole time helping her along. Dakota Fanning's interviews still freak me out though... she's so fake it's ungodly. Also one commentary track with Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning. Getting to hear Joan through the movie is the only thing that made this salvageable for me.


Verdict: * * 1/2

- Xtoph