Press "Enter" to skip to content

The Black Laser

M83’s “Midnight City”

October 18, 2011 |

Music and Music Videos

Oh, I see what you did there at the beginning of the video, dudes who made this video? I have one word for you: TETSUOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

I like this song, even though my relationship with M83 has always been a little weird. Like, they always put weird interludes on their records. One moment it’s spacey synth music, the next moment it’s some chick screaming and crying. Why? WHY!? You know, the sax solo in this song is actually a pretty good example of that. One minute you’re all, “We’re in some future, slow-mo, rain-soaked, Parisian alley-way and this is perfect,” and then the sax solo comes in and it’s like some greasy guido in a Members Only jacket stepped around the corner of your little imaginary alley-way and started ripping it on the sax. And then I can’t help thinking of this.

Oh god, what have I become?

Anyway, enjoy the video. It’s pretty cool and the song is good too. The album makes Charles cry, he said, which is pretty weird, but he’s a sensitive guy so I’m willing to give it to him.

> Continue reading...M83’s “Midnight City”

Family fun in California.

October 18, 2011 |

Galleries and Photography

Last weekend I went to California for the wedding of my dear old friend Sean to a woman I had never met but who seems quite lovely. The wedding was beautiful. It took place outside at a bed & breakfast in Fort Bragg, CA, a little town along the coast about 3 hours north of San Francisco. They had llamas and dancing and vegetarian food and lights and the whole thing was really nice.

I didn’t take a single fucking photo of that bullshit.

Instead, I took a bunch of photos of my brother’s young family at their house in San Rafael (which any person from the Bay Area will know is pronounced “san ra-fell”). Take a look!

[flickrset id=”72157627794973319″ thumbnail=”square” photos=”” overlay=”true” size=”large”]

I think the photos are nice. Nothing crazy special about them. I am totally in love with my niece Sienna though. My favorite moments of the trip where when she’d come in and wake me up on the sofa. “Hi, uncle Joe.” “Hi, SJ.” “Did you see my doll?” “I do now, SJ.”

Here’s a good example.

And then I got this e-mail from Leah.

Subject: Sienna misses joe.

When I just put sienna down she asked me to tuck her in like a baby burrito and call her SJ.’ Then she said ‘why did uncle joe have to go back to new York?’

Reference: the first night there I read her a bedtime story and then tucked her in and told her I was wrapping her up like a baby burrito. God damn, don’t you just want to smother her?

> Continue reading...Family fun in California.

Peace Pedalers – a Kickstarter project worth your support

October 14, 2011 |

About Filmmaking and Film & TV

All of you all might recall that I went to Barcelona recently for a wedding. Well, one of the fine folks who done got hitched is this man Jamie Bianchini. Jamie has spent the last few years riding a bicycle around Africa exploring, meeting people, and learning about the continent. But let me allow him to describe the trip rather than trying to put words at the ends of his fingers.

If you are like most people, just the word Africa conjures up images of starvation, war, disease and violence. Before my 22-country cycling expedition through the continent I was also ignorant and fearful–mostly due to so many negative news reports from the mainstream media. But I faced my fears to make my journey to see Africa with my OWN two eyes.

While riding my tandem bike and inviting dozens of locals to join the journey a burning desire grew inside to finally educate the world on the TRUTH of how fascinating the cultures are, how interesting the history is, how amazing the music sounds, how beautiful the landscapes are and, most of all, how kind, loving and caring the African people are. Help us to stop the ignorance by releasing a fun, exciting, colorful, insightful, educational and progressive series that will forever change the way to world thinks when they hear the word AFRICA.

He’s a damned cool dude with a wonderful young family and I, the Black Laser, the Pope of the Multiverse and all its Denizens, do believe that you should support his cause. He’s got a LONG way to go until he hits his 85k goal, but nothing’s impossible. If you can, donate even just a few bucks. Think of it in terms of beers you’d buy in a bar; that always helps me.

Get donating!

> Continue reading...Peace Pedalers – a Kickstarter project worth your support

Sleep’s “Dragonaut”

October 13, 2011 |

Music and Music Videos

Another classic from the old Earache My Eye VHS tape that also had videos by Godflesh, At The Gates, Cathedral, Pitchshifter, Dub War, Brutal Truth, Carcass, Napalm Death, Entombed…shit man, if you were a mid-90s metal band, you were on that tape. I still have it somewhere in my parents’ house in CA. Memories.

Anyway, it’s gray as hell outside today and this song is basically exactly how my brain feels, so go with it. Enjoy “Dragonaut” by San Jose, CA natives Sleep.

> Continue reading...Sleep’s “Dragonaut”

The Atlas Moth’s “An Ache for the Distance”

October 12, 2011 |

About Music and Music

I recently ordered this as an LP after listening to their first album A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky on Spotify. A lot. I fell completely in love with their sludgey/proggy sound. The album’s a downtempo wall of sound piercing your skull and sending you into the corner to hide. Fear The Atlas Moth. Worship The Atlas Moth.

It’s funny, as I get older I find myself drawn toward this sort of raw, less-produced, noisey, sludgy, loud sort of metal. There was a point when I was really into that super clean Killswitch Engage/Unearth/Darkest Hour sort of sound, but when I listen to the output of those bands these days, it just feels too sterile, a little boring, wildly over-produced. I still love their older records out of some sort of nostalgia, but I can’t help but be turned off by the cleanliness of their recent records.

In fact, the vinyl I’ve been buying is split effectively into two groups: black/sludge metal and indie music. You’ve got Barghest and The Magnetic Fields, Dark Castle and Bonnie Prince Billy, Coffinworm and Andrew Bird. And now we’ve got this new Atlas Moth record on the way and I am super super psyched about adding it to the collection. Maybe, The Atlas Moth and Neutral Milk Hotel?

Anyway, give the album a listen up there if that’s your jam. I am listening to it right now and it’s making these 20+ hours of Under Armor dailies all that much more palatable. I was going to tell you to head on over to Profound Lore and get a copy of the vinyl, but it looks like they’re sold out. Oops! HAHAHA! Suckas!

> Continue reading...The Atlas Moth’s “An Ache for the Distance”