Some Of My Best Songs Are About Racial Harmony

I think it was 1980's WWF superstar "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan who once said, "It is always with the best intentions that the worst work is done."

Actually, come to think of it, that was probably Oscar Wilde. Regardless of who said it, that bit of knowledge rang true this week when I ran into not one, but two(!) songs that reflect this sentiment unconditionally.

First, it's country music artist Corey Smith's song "I Love Black People". While this is meant to be a song about acceptance and racial harmony, something about it just rubs me the wrong way—as if he was forced to record it not because of his own conviction, but as part of a plea bargain with the state prosecutor. This fan-made video complete with literal lyric interpretation probably doesn't help:



Second, comes Atlanta's own Duece Poppi with his ode to diversity, "White Friends." He manages to promote cultural assimilation while concurrently reinforcing hackneyed stereotypes. That takes some talent (or complete and ironic disregard):



I guess I'll take this as progress, considering we've come a long way from shit like this.

Then again, have we?

Elliott Smith 1998 Promotional Film "Strange Parallel" In Its Entirety

The 1998 Elliott Smith promotional film, Strange Parallel, finally made its way onto YouTube in its entirety. The film, directed by Steve Hanft, is about 30 minutes long and is part documentary, part experimental film. It's got some great footage, even if the picture and sound quality aren't perfect. I'd like to see this released in proper form some time in the near future.

Director Steve Hanft, about the film:

“In 1998 I was hired to make a film for the reclusive rocker Elliott Smith. Very excited, I flew to Portland, Oregon, where he was staying and met with him to figure it out before we filmed. At the meeting he explained, in a very quiet voice, with a slight smile, that he didn’t want it to be a straight-up documentary. So I suggested he write down some of his dreams. The next day, we met again, and he began talking a lot, and louder, telling me all about how he “had a fucked up dream last night.” It was very funny when he explained it, everyone in and around the music business he was in was telling him to get a mechanical hand to replace the hand that he’d trained for so long to play guitar. There was also a military recruiter who came into the bar where he was writing a song that would yell at him for no reason, and Satan was there, that kills me. A lot of people who know him from his music don’t understand that he was really funny. So we wrote the dream into the shot list and intercut it into the more traditional music footage. It was hard to get the documentary footage out of him, he hated being interviewed. He was much more into the dream sequence and we had a lot fun shooting it. It was an amazing experience and just knowing a guy like that, so talented and brutally honest, has changed my life. Bless him.”

Watch it here:

Albums That You Should Own, But Perhaps Don't (And In That Case, You Soon Will): Badly Drawn Boy - One Plus One Is One

Badly Drawn Boy - One Plus One Is One

Perfect music for a Sunday afternoon.

Enjoy:

See Also: ATYSOBPDAITCYSW: The Label!

Cat Ladies Documentary Crushes My Dreams

Not many of you may know that I secretly yearn to be a cat lady.

What can I say? I like kitties.

However, this documentary doesn't make it look like much fun. Bummer. Another dream crushed by the cruel grips of reality.

[Cat Ladies]

Is Primus The Most Inimitable Band Of The Nineties?

In one word, yes.

Well, at least according to me, they are.

And I base this on one simple fact: No band subsequent to Primus sounds like Primus.

Some people might argue that Korn or some of the other nu metal bands sounded like Primus (if not in aesthetic, at least aurally) but I find that comparison to be extremely shallow—slap bass does not a Primus make—Les Claypool's playing is far too dynamic and virtuosic to be narrowly defined. And where's the manic Zappa-inspired guitar histrionics of Larry LaLonde or the progressive drums of Tim "Herb" Alexander (or his replacement, Bryan "Brain" Mantia) in Korn?

And clearly, the lack of rightful heirs to the Primus throne is not due to the band toiling in obscurity throughout the Nineties. Actually, it's quite the contrary, they had two albums certified Platinum (Sailing The Seas Of Cheese & Pork Soda) and one certified Gold (Tales From The Punchbowl.) Their songs, "My Name Is Mud" and "Winona's Big Brown Beaver" got radio spins on the regular, and all of their innovative, cartoonish videos were tailor-made for MTV.

Obviously, people were exposed to the music. So, what kept bands from trying to replicate that Primus sound?

It also raises another interesting question: Does it say more about a band's uniqueness to be copied by dozens of clones, or not to be imitated at all?

Hmm... Contemplate that while watching this video for "Mr. Krinkle":

What other bands does this apply to? I think Morphine is a good candidate, but please, enlighten me with suggestions in the comment section.

Religion Relies Mostly On Your Love Of Bacon And/Or Hummus

As a companion to a previously posted diagram, here's this helpful chart:

Sweet Irony

I'd hate to be around for next week's "Biblical Plagues And Pestilence" class...

Rammstein's Members' Members On Full Display In New Box Set

This new Limited Deluxe Box Set of Rammstein's new album, Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, has to have the best value-added content than any other box set I've seen. Included are the album, a disc with extra tracks, a pair of handcuffs, a bottle of lube, and six dildos shaped like the band members’ members.

And I thought this AC/DC box set with a working guitar amp was the most interactive piece of packaging I'd ever seen...

If you've got about $400 to spare and you reeeeeally love Rammstein (this describes no one I know), you can pre-order the set here.