*SSSSHHHHH!!* Don't tell anyone I have a crush....

....On every single member of the Rentals.

That's right, last Sunday I parted ways with one arm and one leg for the sake of seeing one band, and above and beyond any expectations, did they ever deliver.

I have to admit, I was "that guy" for the first two bands. I stayed upstairs, looked zombified with boredom, generally forgot to clap, but hey, generally, this was not my scene. Then, after all the hemming and hawing, I finally went down to the stage for the main event as it were. Let me just say, I have never seen a band obviously having so much fun playing, in my entire life. The Rentals put on a show that felt less like the headlining of a large venue, but more like a band hanging out in their practice space and working on some new tunes after having invited all of their friends over to watch.

As black, cold, and dead as my heart is, after the first recognizable chord, it welled up with warmth, and bubbled up beyond a lively red, all the way into a hot, throbbing pink. I was elated, and danced uncontrollably until the bittersweet end. It is a rare show indeed where I wish the band would just come back and play the entire set again.

It was obvious that they had played these songs over and over and over a million times, so they did the only thing they could do, they goofed off. There were tones of in-jokes, winked looks, and out and out shenanigans going on for the whole shebang. But it was always sincere, and inclusive of the audience. Their melodramatic, moog-power-pop just hit you over the head like so much cheap valentines day candy, then fluttered across you like waves of half dead rose petals.

No one acted like a rockstar, and you could tell that they were genuinely excited about playing the new numbers for the crowd. At one point they even covered a Weezer song just to watch everyone freak out. Playing just about everything in toto, they hit the entire first record (of course), mixed in songs from the second, and did all the songs off of the new EP (which is okay, but I enjoyed the new songs better when they were live).

All in all, it was the most fun I'd had all week, and absolutely went down on the list of amazing shows that I've been privy to this year.

It's true:
I don't think
I'll find the love I want
The love I'm searching for
In this machine-oh
oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oooooo-oooooooo

More, more, more

It must be your lucky-little-day, because you are getting a two for one. (or hell maybe a three or four before we're all said and done today)

The Application:

Please fulfill all of the following criteria to be considered as an applicant:

1. I am, or am near the age of 30

2. I am vegan

3. I am straight edge (or sober)

4. I do not believe in the capitalist system

5. I am not a christian

6. I am into, or am understanding of people who are into hard, abrasive, or confounding music

7. I ride a bicycle

8. I like to dance

9. I am female

10. I am single

11. I am attracted in some capacity to boys


Thank you for your time

Number of applications sent: ?
Number of applicants fulfilling the following criteria: 0

One: At what point does the blueness of the skin, and the stars clouding the vision let one know that one's breath has been held too long?

And Two: Is there such a thing as a non-christian nun?

Thank you for your time

B[l]ack log

So, I suppose it's reached the six month point again....that must mean it's time to drop a few lines....BUT WAIT! I HAVE. Sadly, only on myspace. So for all the people that can't hold the unrine in to see what I've been up to, well, mostly obsessing over black metal, but anywho, here ya go:

Black Metal is the new.....well.....you know......
Category: Religion and Philosophy

So, I know I'm all over that band wagon right about now, but as of late I cannot get enough black metal. It's true that when you read Lords of Chaos they say that Amerikkka is the last country to catch the dark-wave, but who thought that in ten years we'd be the ones hanging ten, leading the pack? I mean, the only thing crazier than that is the fact that all the really good stuff (holding it's own might I add, on the world scene) is coming from the west coast!?!

First there is my horrible new, late night, random vinyl purchasing addiction. At this rate I will soon have to learn how to make shelter out of my records. Last night for instance, I came across (lucifer, most of this stuff comes from the Aquarious Records page.) an amazing new find, Amocoma. You'll have to scroll down to find the records, but do it so you can listen to the samples. It hardly qualifies and BM, but more like a quality midwest noise band trying their hand at some of the more popular fuzzed out variety. I mean, you can hardly hear the "anything" in the mix, which for me right now is quite an addictive sound. Let's hope the entire cd-r feels that way. I also grabbed a couple of vinyl releases from the mysterious Bone Awl a band that you either like because you are mesmerized by the music, or because you are even more mesmerized by their cult following. Needless to say, by the time they processed the order, one of the records was already sold out. It's not like they haven't released much material. If you're curious, it's off kilter, lo-fi (there it goes again) black thrash. It's primitive, chaotic, and evil to be sure. I also took a chance on a not so black metal cd-r by a band called Cambodia , who describe themselves as hardcore/metal/shoegaze, and it is rather like a sludge band trying their hand at shoegaze. The misanthropy on their myspace page (they claim to only add people they know as friends. We'll see if they add me. Maybe I should say that I used to help Magrudergrind set up shows in DC; apparently they played together(!?!?)) makes the average black metaler look like a depression councilor. Still and all, I hope for good things from the whole album after getting a crack at a few of the tracks.

In the meantime, I should back up to other recent purchases. I just received the final release from Xasthur on Moribund records. While it is a full lp, it is technically an mlp, since it only has three tracks (and not in a drone kinda way). That aside, it is an addictive album. Simply called Xasthur, I get the feeling he was only trying to fulfill a contract obligation. However Xasthur can't even cop out under those circumstances. There's alot going on here. It's clearly classic black metal, but deeply overlaid with samples, and soundscapes in way that is woven together, and not distracting. The whole album could really be one long track, as that's the way it feels. It even cuts off abruptly on the first side. The vinyl itself is of course, collectable green, and the layout is a simple yet amazing black and white photo of arctic stalactites. I can't seem to get it off my record player. However, it has had to take turns with Leviathan's The Tenth Sub-Level of Suicide double LP. I know, I know, I know, that EVERYONE is doing double lp releases these days (I mean, I even bought the Sunn 0)))/Boris collaborative TRIPLE LP! but it was totally worth it...), however Wrest is actually able to make it work. I dropped it again today, and realized how well crafted the Introit to Fucking Your Ghost in Chains of Ice (How metal is that for a song title???) beginning is. From the there it just pounds the life out of you, before you hit the other side and fall into a more ambient, melodic aftermath. All in all, the whole record is like this, sort of a mini-tour of the genre and artist. Once again, it's a great record, and more proof that the US west coast is where the black metal of today is.

I also bought the new Wolves In the Throne Room double LP release, Diadem of Twelve Stars. It's good, very good. It runs the gamut of the other end of the genre, mixing quality black metal with alot of the popular Neurot Records sound that is frikkin everywhere these days. But don't let that give you a bad impression, this album is all of those things crafted together as they should sound (and not like the last time I saw Pelican live...*yuck!*). Although I'm sort of in a different place with BM right now (really lo-fi, buzzy, experimental), I'm sure I will keep coming back to this album again and again.

I was listening to the newest Wargoat Radio podcast today, and I could not help but notice how many bands on it sounded like Furze a project that I find myself more and more into these days. I can't quite figure it out, except that Woe j. Reaper (really) has mastered the catchiest black metal guitar hooks this side of a nintendo game. Really, the intro to Witchboundator gets stuck in my head all the time. Now I'm not claiming that Woe J. is the originator of this sound; he just seems to be the most popular purveyor of it at present.

Other than that, I just keep searching through the infernal hordes for valiant stand outs. I need to keep myself (or just let go) from buying all those vinyl re-releases of Velvet Cacoon records. I am also hoping to get my hands on the new Deathspell Omega album. Does anyone know if Weakling ever put out a vinyl version of their record? I'd love to get my hands on that......right after I mortgage our rented apartment......


In the meantime
In nomine Dei nostri Satanas Luciferi excelsi!
Denman
Shemhamforash!


Currently Listening to:



Weakling- Dead as Dreams

8:20 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

August 10, 2007 - Friday


I suppose it’s that time again...
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

So, it's been several months. You know what that means, it's time to post a new blog. So here's what's been going on in my off-kilter world.

First, the good news: I'm not depressed. I don't know what happened, but one day I woke up, and it was just gone. Maybe the CIA chip finally hit a glitch, and until they fix it I can live a normal life again. It's been great except for the comming to, looking around, and going,"what the fuck!? Has anyone been doing any upkeep here!?" So, now I just need to start putting things back together.

Which brings me to the past several months, when I willfully invited the work monster to bring his fat ass right on in, and sit on me.

First, after four years I bid farewell to baristadom. In, maybe, an odd turn of events, I've joined a (basically, anarcho, me included) dog-walking-workers-collective. It's a very progressive, positve situation, that more people should look into. A company, where everyone is co-owner. This means that we all depend on one another to maintain the infratructure, and in turn, we all reap the benefits. Be the middle-man. And, I might add, as of late, no dog has questioned my ability to walk them (as opposed to say, the questioning of my ability to even work a microwave by your typical, spoiled, middle-class cafe customer.) I think this will be good for me, and I'll be happy doing this for a while. Then I will plan the next step.

I also did "butt-loads" of theatre last season. I did a nude Macbeth (FOR EVER) that racked up quite alot of attention, even American Theatre Magazine. It was a great a cast, a great director, and it turned out, well.....you know....Besides that, I embarked on, what went from a fun project, to a serious collaboration. A very artistically trusted friend of mine asked me to hop on board an idea he had. The idea was to do an hour long, original production of Marlowe's DR. Faustus, and hand out popcorn and beer to the audience (well, hey at least popcorn is good). We spent a couple months, "in the room" hammering out the script, and then realized that combined with the rest of our production ideas, had a very good piece on our hands. So we took a month off, and then attacked it like locust. Several more amazing people came on board at that point , to complete the process. We hit the road doing a mini tour of several DC spaces, and by the time we hit the Capitol Fringe Fest, we were playing to sold out, standing room only houses (okay, so the seating was limited, but hey, let me roll around in this for awhile). I made this wack-job lighting rig out of boarderline theatrical fixtures, and random everyday crap. It was all portable, and could be set up anywhere. I then wired it all to reistats (those little dimmery lightey switches you have in your house to "set the mood."), and became part of the show, running the whole thing from the playing space. Plus I regularly got up to confess sins durring the audience participation part of the show, once again, pressing the limits of free speech, and bringing about heretofore uknown grimaces of horror from the crowd. All-in-all, it was one of the most positve theatrical experiences I've ever been a part of. So clearly, we are taking a month off, and then getting the remaining team back together to talk about next season. Awesome.

And speaking of awesome, let's talk about my new musical love. (Well, besides international-indie-dance-music. I love you forever Bonde do Role!!!!!) I cold-heart, black metal. I know it's painfully (pun intened) popular right now, but since it's still in the underground, it's so (add lot's of "O"'s here) good. I remember listening to some black metal in college, but half of it was poser crap, and this was before the new wave of early 2nd wave puritst came out. (If there is no corpse paint and foot long nail gauntlets, there is no balck in that metal!) And while I still need to stay on my toes ethically, I find myself listening to these unholy hordes all the frikkin time. In fact, I'm listening to the Leviathan The Tenth Sub-Level of Suicide double LP right now (and it's amazing!). At this rate, I will soon forfeit my entire band account to bizzare, collectible vinyl. I just got that record the other day (after a looooong fight with UPS) along with my new treasured children, Wolves in the Throne Room Diadem of 12 Stars double LP on green vinyl, and the Horn of Dagoth rehearsal cdr II, totally numbered, and decorated IN THEIR OWN BLOOD!!!(REALLY!!!). Not that it's BM, but I even got the new Sunn 0))) Oracle LP (sweeet sweeet drone will eventually get me evicteeeeeeeeed.) I need to stop now; Just ordered the TRIPLE LP!!! Boris/Sunn 0))) colaboration and the final Xasthur Xasthur MLP. Oh (dark)god, but it's all so good.

I have also been thinking more about politics lately. I am, of course, still correct in my views, but I've decided to educate myself more on them. Study more the beliefs I hold dear. Plenty of kids with a Nausea shirt will just retort,"because it's right." but that doesn't get you very far, even with yourself. I've also decided to try to be a little more DIY. I'm thinking about makeing screens to print shirts, and hoddies for all the random-off-the-radar black metal I've gotten into (just in time for our hoary lords' season of gray despair). Also, I'm looking into cleaning alternatives. I don't care what label says, nothing in there is healthy for you. I cleaned the bathroom with white vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice. Whadaya know, cleanest it's ever been, without cleaning years off my life. Maybe I will get into more trouble. Could be fun.


I suppose the only bad news was that it was my ten year high school reunion this weekend. Of course there was more chance of me going to mass than that god-forsaken thing. I saw pictures.....everyone looked old....really old....and bad.....reeeeaaaaally baaaad....ugly, scary bad. And then I felt old, and bad, and ugly.......I talked to the only person I really give a damn about from those years, Kyle. After a long overdue conversation I remembered that though I am old, I don't look old, I certainly don't act old, and damn gurl, I look good. (though everyone should donate to the "Feed the Denman Foundation." Oh, and cure Crohn's Disease.) So at 29 I'm an anarcho-straight-edge-vegan-bike-ridding-hxc-punk-(black)-metal-loving-dog-walking-indie-dj-night-scenester. I'm sure as hell not a married-accountant-fat-bald-"tanned"-with-two-point-five-kid-church-going-zombie. And everyday that I wake up still evading that fate I should thank the universe.*WHEW!*


Well that's it for now. I have to go walk some dogs before going to A Different Kind of Dude . It's gonna rock hard.

Werd to yer mother,
Denman