CLINIC: Why do I like this band so much?

I have posted about this U.K. band in the past, but I've been listening to them a lot lately. Specifically this song, and the entire album, Winchester Cathedral:



It's been 9 years since Paige and I moved to Atlanta, and Clinic was the first show we saw here. It was out in East Atlanta, at a club called the Echo Lounge. We had never even heard their music. I had read about them in Spin and noticed they were in town that week. "Walking with Thee" had just been released, so they primarily played these songs:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B00005YX3X/ref=pd_krex_dp_001_001?ie=UTF8&track=001&disc=001
From then on, I was hooked.

Umberto Eco's Take on Wikileaks

http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/414871-not-such-wicked-leaks
This is some interesting insight from the castrator of conspiracy.

Reggie Watts

I will definitely be checking out more of this dude. Great social commentary.

Atlanta Comic Con

At Paige's suggestion, I decided to check out the Atlanta Comic Con this afternoon. I met her at work, and we switched cars to avoid waking our sons. The venue was only a few blocks away, and I arrived just in time to realize I had missed the Walkind Dead forum by 30 minutes. At this point I almost skipped the whole thing because I didn't want to pay the $20 fee, and I'm not the type to sneak in. I decided to approach the ticket booth in any case, and to my surprise, the attendent offered me a student pass at $5. I kindly paid the woman with gratitude, and entered the convention area.

Immediately to my left was Burt Ward. Just beyond him was Arthur Fonzarelli. Across from the Fonz was none other than Lando Calrissian. It honestly weirded me out, so I ducked to another aisle. Here there were dozens of artists selling prints and originals of everything imaginable. I ended up getting three prints of some Marvel zombies (Hulk (below), Spiderman and Captain America) for $10. All the artists were pretty reasonable and approachable.



There were also dozens of comics vendors. They had anything and everything you could ask for. One guy had a ton of old Alpha Flight, and I asked which one had the origin of Wolverine. He proceeded to tell me Logan's first appearance was in Hulk, but I asked about his ORIGIN story. I remember it being in #64 or something. I'll have to check it out. The vendors also made me think about liquidating my comics collection in order to acquire complete runs of just a few series.

The experience was time well spent. I should be more prepared next year. I honestly didn't know what to expect today. Once home, I read you had to pay the "stars" for autographs, even photos taken with your own camera. I'm glad I did not ask for one. It really would have added insult to injury.

THE MORNING BENDERS

Never heard these guys until two days ago when they opened for the Broken Bells. I haven't been this impressed by a live introduction to a band since I heard the Muse open for Cold Play many years ago. The entire CD is really quite good. I'll be listening to it a lot over the next few months to say the least. I look forward to seeing them perform again.

Quick Thought...

You know what I like most about living in Atlanta? On any day you can go outside and with barely any effort whatsoever meet someone unlike anyone you’ve ever met before. On any day. With minimal effort. Just go around the corner or get in the longest line. It will happen.

Great Climate Blog

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2009/12/07/the-real-climate-scandal/

Two versions of the song that made me a fan. (after Creep made me buy the cd.) I just received the vinyl of the former. I look forward the hearing the other b-sides/pablo precursors.

The Beta Band: Squares

An oldie but a goodie...it helps me out when commuting, but I know they are singing about me.

Ginsberg's HOWL performed by Jon Tuturro

A professor played this in a poetry class I attended long ago in a galaxy far away. I remember primarily being further impressed with Turturro's acting, as I lacked the sensibilities to fully grasp a personal interpretation of the poem. With that in mind I revisited the performance, and I decided to post it. Feel free to comment your thoughts on the poem.

VUEVE CLIQUOT

TASTE:

Rich, round fruit fills the mouth, and there is a lightly bitter, yeasty finish of citrus rind. These are the attributes of a quality wine vinified in the traditional method. Vueve Clicquot is the supreme example of Champagne. For me, it is the measuring stick. Though I’ve not had the opportunity to taste the elite brand, Krug; I have sampled many other premium brands: Dom Perignon, Moet, Cristal, Deutz, and the hip-hop driven Ace of Spades. They were found wanting in the face of this brand, and they pale in historical significance within the shadow of Clicquot.

HISTORY:

Vueve is the French term for widow, and Clicquot is the namesake. Madame Clicquot Posardin took over her husband’s small Champagne business when he died, making her a widow at the age of 27. At the time most Champagnes were cloudy and required decanting before serving. Madame Clicquot invented a process called remuage which left the product crystal clear. Also known as riddling, this procedure gradually turns and shakes the bottle so that the sediment of dead yeast cells moves to the neck for subsequent removal by disgorgement. The process remains integral to the regulations of traditional Champagne production.

The label of Vueve Clicquot reflects significant events in the wine’s history. The star on each label is representative of the 1911 vintage. During the harvest of this year, a brilliant comet was visible in the night sky. Considered by many to be the pinnacle of the brand’s production, the vintage continues in the wine’s mythology through its representation of a star, everpresent on Clicquot’s label.

An anchor lies within the star. In 1920, Britain and France ceased all trade with Russia. Unfortunately, for the widow Clicquot, the Russian Czar was quite the enthusiast of this unique bubbly. To avoid economic collapse, Madame Clicquot enlisted blockade runners to ship her product to awaiting consumers in the embattled nation. As a result, the winery survived the following years. They remain producers today due largely to this bold move, and choose to represent the event by placing an anchor on the label.



I hope you have found this interesting and informative. I suggest picking up a bottle during your next wine purchase. Whole Foods, Costco, and other retail establishments will generally price it at between $40-$50 a bottle. It truly is a unique experience at a reasonable price. Please comment to let me know what you think of Vueve Clicquot after you have tried it. Thanks.

MARIJUANA WILL NEVER BE LEGAL

750,000 arrests per year (#3 crime)
+ 25,000 - 30,000 people incarcerated at any given time.
= $$$$$ in revenue for our government

(Source: The Botany of Desire documentary on PBS)

HOWEVER: The current Newsweek states the country would save 13.5 billion if it were made legal.

COMMENTARY: I'm not sure where the $13 billion comes from, but I've always told proponents that the first step is decriminalization. Marijuana has to be separated from other drugs first. Myself, I never thought it was a big deal. It's not like I ever had a hard time finding it. Besides, the workplace would remain stigmatized toward the recreational practice, so it really doesn't matter if it is legal or not.

Archaeology of Halloween

These look to be some pretty cool articles on the archaeology of witches, zombies and vampires. I can't wait to check them out further.

http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/halloween/

WAYNE COYNE ON WHY THE LIPS TUNE UP IN FRONT OF THE CROWD

"I've always viewed this as part of the show. You're gonna see us set up our stuff, see exactly how this works. You are gonna know that this is not magic. And yet, when the music starts, it's still gonna destroy you."

- SPIN (Nov. 09)

TWO GREAT QUOTES FROM THE OCTOBER SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

"Batman. For the most part, I identify more with the 'make-yourself' type of hero as opposed to the ones who have their powers thrust upon them. It mimics the idea of how we can take care of the people around us through mundane, human roles."

MARK NEWPORT P. 26

"One comment she remembers was an officer's take on Claude Lorrain's 17th-century painting Sermon on the Mount, in which a crowd gazes up at Jesus. 'If I drove up on the scene and saw all these people looking up,' the cop said, 'I'd figure I had a jumper.'"

NEAL HIRSCHFELD P. 54

RUSH LIMBAUGH IS A SKAT MUNCHER

CHICK PUBLICATIONS

Crazy, paranoid, hellfire comics from my youth. I remember these well. What kid wouldn't if faced with their message. I would still find them in restrooms in Jacksonville when I lived there in the late 90s/ early 00s, and I still have a few of them. I visited the website tonight and found this gem to embed:



I also found some great propaganda about freemasonry, evolution and catholicism. I hope to purchase all of these in the near future. I'm absolutely fascinated by the content.

THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD

Men walkin long the railroad tracks
Goin someplace theres no goin back
Highway patrol choppers comin up over the bridge
Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge
Shelter line stretchin round the corner
Welcome to the new world order
Families sleepin in their cars in the southwest
No home no job no peace no rest
The highway is alive tonight
But nobodys kiddin nobody about where it goes
Im sittin down here in the campfire light
Searchin for the ghost of Tom Joad
He pulls a prayer book out of his sleeping bag
Preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag
Waitin for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last
In a cardboard box neath the underpass
Got a one-way ticket to the promised land
You got a hole in your belly and gun in your hand
Sleepin on a pillow of solid rock
Bathin in the city aqueduct
The highway is alive tonight
Where its headed everybody knows
Im sittin down here in the campfire light
Waitin on the ghost of Tom Joad
Now tom said mom, wherever theres a cop beatin a guy
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries
Where theres a fight against the blood and hatred in the air
Look for me mom Ill be there
Wherever theres somebody fightin for a place to stand
Or a decent job or a helpin hand
Wherever somebodys strugglin to be free
Look in their eyes mom youll see me.
Well the highway is alive tonight
But nobodys kiddin nobody about where it goes
Im sittin down here in the campfire light
With the ghost of old Tom Joad

KING RAT

The song is supposedly based on James Clavell's novel of the same name that was released in 1962. The late Heath Ledger directed the video. The song features the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.



If you have the opportunity, check out the Dirty D. They are a good night out. I saw them at Smith's Olde Bar a few years ago, and it was time well spent.

THE WHALE SONG by MODEST MOUSE

I guess I am a scout
So I should find a way out
So everyone can find a way out

They keep us in
To pull us out
I'm rising up
Wish I was sinking down
And it's not like
There was warning
We were happy
And it's not like
There was mourning
In the warning

I know I am a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone can find a way out

I know I am a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone can find a way out

Instead of seeing a neighbor out
God, I wish I would've found a way out
It's the last time
We were happy
Ever happy

I know I was a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out

Well I know I was a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out

Well I know I was a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out

I first heard this song at the Tabernacle show last March. I wrote in my notebook at the time: "Mmm...tastes like jam." Now that I've heard it as a studio release, my impression still stands. This seems like a song that came together in a studio jam session, but it is infectious. And yes, the riff does sound like a whale.