some of the fun i have with the camera!

how to roll with travel troll!!!


me and my homeslice travel troll go all over the country scoping this n that. of course we like weirdo stuff and having a laugh at other's expense--whaddya think we were helping mother theresa out?? sheesh. you can call him t.t. but i call him  MASTER!!MASTER!! MASTER!!

Down goes another record store...

down goes another record store.

Last time it was Modern Mediums just outside of Fountain Square.

Downtown Luna Records was before that.

Missing Link left a whole in my heart.

Rockin' Billy's. Alpha Records. Karma Greenwood.

It used to be you could plot a whole day of digging in naptown but the end is coming slow like cancer.

No more 5 booths in one flea market. No more mom and pop music stores.

The internet is great for getting what you want but sorely lacking in the "Hunt".

There is just something great about flipping through untold crapola to find something that touches you and gives you what you need in your ear and mind.

Maybe I am an old coot/fart/curmudgeon, but the search is where it's at for me.

So this is my tip o' the Fez to those that died in battle.

It was a pleasure wasting time with you all and I hope someone who cared got the records.

Notice I didn't use this as a anti-corporate rant??

Probably because i also dug through countless Coconuts/Turtles/Peaches/National Record Marts/Camelots/K-marts/Woolco's/ and anywhere else i could get my musical fix.

So go buy something from whatever is left before you don't have a choice except pushing your Ebay button and paying 20 bucks for something you could find for a dollar.

negative review returns!

belligerent bendajos--a lunchbox of rock, buddig meat--some kool-aid and a twinky. like the music suicidal tendencies w would make if they were from plainfield instead of cali. thrashy crossover like a sourpatch kid mixed with a chocolate now and later mixed with a zagnut. yeah, you shouldn't do that but it's either that orfree i.p.s. lunch.

dave and rae--yuppie house band for restaurants i don't go to or the patio on the nights i never went there. so lame they can't even put cover songs on their website. not much there to even hate really, it's like hating cake donuts or something.

u2--verily i sayeth to thee--thee most pretentous of all. makes mother theresa seem apathetic--more causes than facebook and your aunt nancy combined. i wish the potato famine was still going on every time boner opens his cock holsters. any note you hear from edge's guitar was struck back in 97 and is just now coming from the delay pedal. rattle my nuts and hum!

deezen--if this is garage rock then shut the door and turn on the buick. music for people to eat boogers and sniff farts too---the musical equivalent of getting andy capp cheese fries instead of hot fries.if piggy from lord of the flies cloned himself 5 times it would be deezen.

off balance--for 2 years i thought the name of every single song was either indianapolis hardcore or represent. music to knock your grandma's teeth out with .a bunch of football players wearing basketball jerseys and shorts and makes as much sense. will probably try to fight me for this but when they do i'll just say "isn't that freddie madball" and point and run off when they look .got a tattoo of brass knuckles on their knuckles and a tupac rag and a can of sparks.

spin doctors--if you wanna call them lame--well go ahead now. and if you want to listen to them--then you're dumb as fuck now. it's mealy mouthed hippy crap like this that really gets me hacking on sacks.too lame to be hippys and too white to be funk--i mean yeah, that is like saying i'd rather die of hepatitis b than c. stupid hat and sox and sandals are required. brains are not.
 
apostle of solitude---their songs are longer than sarah jessica parker's face. imagine if tony iommi was on thorazine instead of weed now slow that down. now mix in a solo that would make wino check his pocketwatch. they recently got some new members that make them real contenders--yep, heavyweights! they are currently touring freight terminals near you!

lil' 'wayne--probably the ugliest muhfugga i have ever seen. the only words i can make out are money and money. has the i killed a guy tattoo but you know his studio ass ain't killed nothing but some eardrums and a gallon of robitussin. i feel sorry for kids but sorrier for me--cause i have to live with the dumbfucks that like this shit.

pantera (down, superjoint ritual etc. etc.) anything with noddy mcsmackhead is gonna suck. some say dimebag lucked out before he had to rejoin asselmo again. look at the cover of metal magic and tell me how all of a sudden they turned into camo rebel flag confederates--i know, it's because they are dumb as fuck. meathead rock for the jocks who called you gay for liking misfits but if noddo says it's okay they get the tattoos.it's not thrash and it's not good.

  hatebreed---they are so generic their albums should be white with "hardcore" stenciled on them. it's like if you took (what little) soul sick of it all had completely out and were left with just the formula.plus if you are a vj on mtv-- just shut the fuck up.

giraffe eating lions--the only band in town that are sponsored by a helmet company. short bus hymns played by people who got kicked out of jerry's kids.kinda jesus lizardy but even more mumbledy.they play a lot because they can't do anything else but collect disability and chase shiny things. corky's favorite band and they did the soundtrack to" bill" and  "bill on his own" starring mickey rooney. a---gooooo.

motorhead---wart's up? old hippies change drugs and make with the bigbang whallop. chuck berry on roids over and over and over. another band in the "we made the same record for 20 years" gang. they brag about being loud which is okay until you have to wait for the chorus to know what song they are playing. at least i know no matter how low i ever sink--at least i am not someone who had sex with lemmy.

it's been a minute!

i have moved--went on 3 little tours with 3 bands and been home steading like a mug! i have been writing for some other fine folks and blogs//zines//and comics you should check out if you like music//art//and d.i.y. from real people. . i also take a wad of pics but putting them on here kinda sucks. now to the blogs what'd have me! making naptown proud! now make some music or do some art or write a review yourself!!

first off ms. kelsey simpson writer and "producer" of the positive artichoke. a d.i.y. zine about the naptown scene and general funnery and madness--try one they are free! also she is a fine sister/band mate and homey 4 lyfe!

http://thepositiveartichoke.wordpress.com/



and the mighty mr. brian roe and his rsquared studios. an amazing artist//writer//reviewer and most importantly a dude! besides letting me review stuff he is batting 1000%! a true renaissance man in our 15 minute world.

http://rsquaredcomics.com/

The Down-Fi play Final Solution @ Happy Dog in Cleveland (with this creep here on keys)

i got to play one of my favorite songs with some of my favorite guys. this is my first time with no rehearsal.
hope you enjoy it half as much as i did!!

Comics i collect pt 2. Vertigo//D.C. edition

 Both of these comics are D.C.//Vertigo comics. The stories in these comics Are 3-8 issue long storylines. Hence the easy adaption into trade paperbacks. Super easy to get Hellblazer/Swamp Thing/Preacher at your local library. Haven't seen the Sandman recently. They probably get stolen a lot because they rule so much.


 THE SANDMAN        (ran 75 issues and 2 specials but there are 8 billion trade paperbacks)

A comic series with integrity, intelligence, and imagination beyond imagination. Possibly the only series I have a total run of that went past 50. I was late to the party on this one and had my mind blown. This is really sophisticated reading for D.C and ushered in a whole series of awesome titles (although in fairness Swamp Thing was a bit ahead). I re-read them all every 5-10 years and uncover new insights, and new art I had overlooked. The Art--The Art--A revolving door of awesomeness.  ( Dringenberg/Kieth/Dringenberg/Jones/Jill (hubba hubba) Thompson/ Plus waaay more)

Even if you don't like a particular artist on other titles--you can see each one 100% enhances and lays out the story for you. The Dave McKean covers are original, amazing, and visually dark, moody, and crazy. Honestly this is kinda the be all end all of fantasy reading for me. Amazing, Original, Epic, All encompassing Storytelling at it's finest. Neil Gaiman is one of the few people to stick with a vision and follow it through. Cheers all around!

JOHN CONSTANTINE//HELLBLAZER  (ongoing series)

The darkest and most twisted and consistent comic of all time hands down, and it's still going. Constantine is a rogue, self centered alcoholic magician.Not a pulla rabbit outta the hat type--but the fighting elemental demons/gambling your soul type. This series is uber-British and is filled with religion/mysticism/punks/drunks don't give a fuck/morality/ritual/personal relationships/demons and ghosts out the wazoo. sound warped? WELL IT IS WARPED! You find yourself rooting for a dude that bluffs or powerowns his way through heaven and hell and every gnarly layer between. Every sorta illing taboo is shown to you--not for shock but to make you really feel the story. the badguys have to be to super nasty to make you root for Constantine and you do--big time. Scary, Touching, And Gut Wrenchingly Evil!

I haven't forgot Swamp Thing or Preacher homeys--just writing book reviews so I'll holler about that in.....THE FUTURE!

free download from dire life records

http://direlife.bandcamp.com/album/livin-the-dire-life

kickass comp put out by abstract artimus! features bands from all across america and the world. just all kinds of goodness at a price you can't beat! support d.i.y. and real rock and roll.

Dire Life Records strives to help those bands affiliated from all different genres procure a wider range of fans and more all around publicity through united promotion via this comp and future releases alike. We truly think there is something for everyone on this compilation and we hope you enjoy. We are a diy label

released 11 December 2010 all songs were written and recorded by the specified artist. please visit the web sites provided for more information about specific artists.

COMICS I STILL COLLECT AND WHY I DO SO

30's to 80's horror comics (with some minor exceptions in the 90's)

Charlton/D.C./Marvel/Timely/Atlas/AMG/Gold Key/Creepy/Basically any Magazine or Horror Comics:

Sure i know it'll be a twist ending. Sure the cover is almost always cooler than the stories. These knockoff titles gave a lot of the best artists ever a beginning job. I'm sure you have heard of Kirby/Ditko/Colan but you may have not ever seen Alcala/Sutton/Corben/Wrightson if someone didn't give them a 6 pager anthology shot in a horror rag. i've always been a sucker for monsters/demons/witches especially if they are my pals and telling me stories. Cain and Abel, Dr. Death, the whole E.C. gang, D.C.'s 3 witches, that cool green/blue Hippy Ghost in Ghostly Haunts are all lifelong friends. No matter how mature I get I will never outgrow these babies nor would I want to.

Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu!!!!:

What started as a joke has quickly an obsession. And might I add I have never paid more than a dollar for any issue ever. Pure reading monetary value, my friends. This is the 1970's in every way it possibly could be. Slanted racism countered with Eastern religious insights slapped together with KUNG FU!!! Throw in the fact it's super spy and he is the son of Fu Manchu and you almost have an idea of what is going on. Hippy/Ninja/Noir/Violence/James Bond/plus 70's NYC and London and a host of other exotic locales. The art was so weird and cool--Jim Starlin started it up in the first 2 parter and it was insane. After that Gulacy and Moench ran wild and it was all over the place. I won't lie and say all issues were awesome--nobody bats 1000% on any comic that goes past 50, haha. I feel it was ahead of it's time and yet instantly dated. Probably why I like it Because I am that way too.

Marvel 70's Black and White line :

I have full runs of Haunt of Horror/Monsters Unleashed/Tales from the Zombie/Vampire Tales/Dracula Lives. I still buy Savage Sword of Conan/Tomb of Dracula/Marvel Preview/Savage Tales/Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, etc. etc. Something about these strikes the perfect blend of scary and cool. They let Tom Sutton unload in Planet of the Apes. Pablos Marcos and Tom Sutton's respective runs on the Morbius stories in Vampire Tales is grade A awesomeness and off the creative charts. The 'zines were not only comics but also prose with histories of Vampirism/Voodoo/Exorcisms/Kung Fu tips/ and critiques of movies/books/and television series too. Gabriel Devil Hunter was a good Exorcist type character as well--he was mainly in haunt of horror. These are going up in price but they can be had cheap if you dig a little my friends.

more coming soon mein fiends!! thanks for reading.

Me and comic books sitting in a tree.......

"CROMICS, CROMICS, CROMICS"!                   trevor anderson  1980

I like comics again. We have an open relationship-so sometimes i take a break. I usually buy records or books or toys, or entertain myself other ways (muhahahaha). However, I always come back and there will always be alleys i have missed for as long as i live ( plus when i am gone). It's how I learned to read and has always made me happy-even reading Archie one way comics and Yang, hahaha.


This recent resurgence is due to my using (and not abusing for once) my Indianapolis public library card. Right now I am as poor as I have been in years, so my conventionalizing and back issue digging are pretty limited. Warning!!! I am a cantankerous coot when it comes to comics so this is a good way to not feel ripped off. Especially when they change the origins on a 50-60 year old character. Plus I love 70's art the best-sorry-I am an ageist as well! But mainly I like a good story and characters I can give a crap about.

 When I go to my local comic show i buy cheapies to read now (and old magazines, and records, and etc.-you get it). The days where i had to have a mint copy are loooong gone. They lasted about as long as Dazzler #1 (or Spawn #1 for you noobs)  was worth over a dollar. Anyhoo, comics are for reading--not finance. You end up with 25 longboxes and 2 rooms of stacks--believe me--I KNOW!!! A whole box of #1 issues--all crap--all hype= Big Whoop! Buy them because you like them or they are cheap. Any other reason than a gift is posing! 
 
 I make obscure comic references in every aspect of my life (friends/folks/bands/drunken exhibitions). When someone gets "IT"-they share an instant bond or kinship with you. The coolness (nerdiness?) factor also goes sky-high. This also works for music and cinema and what have you--but this is Comics rant, suckas. Never talk to me about comic based movies unless you like volcanoes of hate erupting in your ears.

The next blog will be comics i actually still collect and why i do so. see youse fellas in a minnit.