Gone, And Already Forgotten

In Memoriam: Bands We Lost In 2011 from stereogum on Vimeo.

Stereogum's list of bands that called it shits this year. I've only heard of a half dozen or so of them, and really only gave a toss about one (and it's not REM).

Shit

Cheetah has gone to monkey heaven.

Who knew he was still alive?  Those movies were as much a part of my childhood as Cap'n Crunch and lunchboxes.   

2011, Buh-Bye!

FedEx In The News

Thermals Keep Me Warm

If you don't got no Thermals, better get you a damn Snuggie.

Hope You All Got My Card

Remember Tonto Tonto?

Jay does! This is the same guy as a singer in the Sopranos.  Ha ha

Oh, Baby!

Saw this trailer last night before The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  (The brief glimpses of the space jockey's ship gave me geek wood.) I know Ridley Scott's good movies are few and far between these days, but color me cautiously optimistic.

We Have A Contender

Look out Weiland, Billy is hot on your heels for shittiest Christmas album this year.

Disintermediated Content!

Louis C.K. is selling his new hour-long comedy special for $5, DRM-free at his own website.

His own take on this new model of distribution:
The show went on sale at noon on Saturday, December 10th. 12 hours later, we had over 50,000 purchases and had earned $250,000, breaking even on the cost of production and website. As of Today, we’ve sold over 110,000 copies for a total of over $500,000. Minus some money for PayPal charges etc, I have a profit around $200,000 (after taxes $75.58). This is less than I would have been paid by a large company to simply perform the show and let them sell it to you, but they would have charged you about $20 for the video. They would have given you an encrypted and regionally restricted video of limited value, and they would have owned your private information for their own use. They would have withheld international availability indefinitely. This way, you only paid $5, you can use the video any way you want, and you can watch it in Dublin, whatever the city is in Belgium, or Dubai. I got paid nice, and I still own the video (as do you). You never have to join anything, and you never have to hear from us again.

Our Grand Poo-Bah in Action

I was proud to see this video of our grand poo-bah providing half time entertainment this weekend...


This totally looks like Eric's avatar.

I've Ordered My Copy

Pick yours up here.  Also, just on a housekeeping note, someone's been overfeeding Munchie.

Shit

Shit

What is it you most dislike?
Stupidity, especially in its nastiest forms of racism and superstition.
― Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22

Holiday Treats / TGIF Division

Who's ready for Feats of Strength?

Holiday Treats / Overachievers Division

Beats fruitcake.

Cinema 2011: It Occurs To Me That I Don't See Enough Movies

What convinced me that I'm now officially out of touch:  I kept waiting for scenes from Lord of the Rings.  I guess that must've been last year (or earlier). 

Jack MFing Davis

The A.V. Club posted a chat with Jack Davis that's certainly worth a look.  (Davis is pitching a new book.)

His name may not be spoken in the same breath as Harvey Kurtzman’s or Wally Wood’s, but few artists made as profound an impact in as many corners of the EC comics empire as Jack Davis. His supple style lent itself as well to the gritty battlefield stories of Two-Fisted Tales as to the gleeful grotesques of Tales From The Crypt, and when Kurtzman convinced EC head William Gaines to let him head the company’s new humor magazine, Davis left a formidable stamp on Mad as well. Unlike many of his peers, though, Davis spun off his comic-book work into a highly successful illustration career, doing covers for Time and TV Guide as well as iconic movie posters for the likes of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, which, according to Fantagraphics’ new career-spanning collection Jack Davis: Drawing American Pop Culture, netted him an annual salary that at its height stretched into seven figures. Now in his late 80s, Davis has naturally slowed down in recent years, but the book has provided the occasion for a well-earned victory lap, which brought him to New York’s Society Of Illustrators for a talk with The A.V. Club.

Check it out!

Holiday Cheer

I'm sure that you bastards will getting your drink on this holiday season, so I thought I'd share this little chart with you. Now you'll have a little guide to keep you in line so you don't over-do it and barf in the punch bowl...

I don't know what this is from, but go to around the 2:35 mark. I dare you.

 Oh yeah, I saw Wilco on Friday night in Milwaukee! I picked up a shitty ticket (balcony) for cheap, the show was within walking distance of my hotel, and the bar was close to my seats. Nick Lowe was great and the his coming out to do Cruel to Be Kind with Wilco was certainly my concert highlight of the year.

Who Loves Ya?

Happy Friday.  

TGIF Don't Let This Happen To You

Don't let an overcommitted holiday season keep you from embracing your inner reveler.

Book for the Undiscerning Bastard

If the widely accepted theory that the best way to judge a book is by its cover is true, then I think this would be surprisingly awesomer than some other proposed holiday reads.  And if fonts are your thing, this instant classic has pages and pages of them. 

More Books For The Discerning Bastard

Enjoying the journey here -- a passage in the Jobs biography about calligraphy and fonts got me Jonesing for the above book. Surprisingly awesome read. You comic enthusiasts all need a copy.

At Least They Got The Original Cast

Midseason premiere! Who's in?

More All-Name Team 2011 Nominations

                                                           BEAT FEUZ

This guy is a Swiss ski racer. I don't speak uh, the Swiss, so one of you more worldly types can clue us in to pro-nun-ci-ation. For now I'll do it my way which is "beet fuse".

Depressing Flash Fiction

"For sale:
Baby shoes. Never worn."
E. Hemingway

Think you can do better? Let's hear it.

Have You Tried Turning It Off And On Again?

Any IT Crowd lovers? They need to hurry up with season five. (Or maybe Netflix does.)

Bastard Book Report

We sat on the patio outside his room and talked for two hours. I was really nervous, because he was one of my heroes. And I was also afraid that he wouldn’t be really smart anymore, that he’d be a caricature of himself, like happens to a lot of people. But I was delighted. He was as sharp as a tack. He was everything I’d hoped. He was really open and honest. He was just telling me about his life and about writing his songs. He said, “They just came through me, it wasn’t like I was having to compose them. That doesn’t happen anymore, I just can’t write them that way anymore.” Then he paused and said to me with his raspy voice and little smile, “But I still can sing them.” -Steve Jobs, on his meeting with Bob Dylan. [in Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson]

Any of yous don't have the Jobs biography and need some fine holiday reading for your damn Kindles, this is a real page-turner. I'm no accomplished reader like our edumacator and book-blogger, but iRecommend this anyway.

Nominations for 2011 All-Name Team

                                                      MUNCHIE LEGAUX

I got too many helpings of college sports this weekend, but...finally an heir to Barkevious Mingo! For those playing at home, Category = College Athletes or New Orleans Bands Dave Once Fronted

Priceless

No, You're Not Confused

Nothing Says Holidays....

...like Electric Six! Right? Or am I confused again?
I'm partial to the original viking kittehs, but this'll do. Cheers!

My New Motivation

The Best Christmas Album You've Never Heard

Holiday compilation from a company called Dust to Digital.  Check 'er out. 

Name Our New Hamster

Nothing Can Hurt Me

There's this...

 

 And then there's this...

http://omnivorerecordings.com/

Ooh

And not in a good way ...

Scott Weiland's whole un-ironic Christmas album is streaming here. How long can you listen? I can't make it past the second song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas."

I gotta think he lost a bet or something ...

Jay Has Already Asked For My Collection So Don't Ask...

There's something ironic about a special dildo being kept at Bank of America. Actually, that's not ironic at all.

Parts Is Parts

I know you guys are all trying to figure out what to get me for Kwanzaa ... my wish list includes this Tom Servo replica! Full Kit available on eBay.

What, Me Worry?

Cool article on a rare reunion of some of MAD's most iconic contributors.

There Are Stones In My Rice Krispies... And Possibly Drugs

Mick, Keith and the boys wrote this little jingle to make Rice Krispies that much cooler back in the day. The commercial only ran in England. Imagine how many more krispies would have been sold had it aired in Amurica...

Hot Elevens to You All!

I celebrated with a midnight double-handed rock salute in the general Stonehenge direction. Clearly something radical in the hazy cosmic jive this morning as my alternator overloaded on the morning commute!

2 In The AM PM

One of JG Quintel's student films.  (He created Regular Show.) Not for kids!

Oh Yeah!

The 2/7 of the Bastards who took advantage of the Foo Fighters Fangasm '11 had a great time. We had full access to everyplace except the actual stage and the dressing rooms. Our friend Geof showed us the tour buses, all around backstage and a detailed look at the guitars and rigs of all of the players. We watched from all over the venue from side stage to the 'cage' section for VIPs in the middle of the floor where Grohl performed a couple of solo acoustic numbers. Even free beer from the tech cooler at side stage! Afterward we went to the hospitality room and hung out and caught up with Geof. We didn't meet the band, but I did get a high five from Dave Grohl as he came off stage. The show was awesome and the experience one of a kind.

In the video below, we were standing directly under Grohl's right arm (he's on a riser in the middle of the crowd).

We've All Been There

Decision 2012

Finally, someone explains the Presidential candidate choices in a way I can understand. 

Asteroid YU55

Below is a picture of the asteroid passing close to the earth today.  Finally figured out where I've seen its like before..

Why, you 55!  Why you coming to destroy us all? 

I Dare You Not To Love This Song

I've been singing the chorus all weekend -- lyrics via random Mike Tyson quotes.

Brother, Can you spare a Tap?

Inexplicably, I can't locate my copy of Smell the Glove. Any Bastards want to Fatten the Posterior of my iPod? Nigel Tufnel Day is nigh...

Remember Tonto Tonto?

Jay does.  This is the same guy.  Now Maximilian is King.

Naturally, I LOVE This Song...

I don't think these guys are around anymore.

Ha Ha

God bless Andy Richter.

Can't Hardly Wait

It's only a week until 11/11/11 -- do you all have your best latex underwear?
Once again, Bastard World B. Dave's rock-n-roll interview/songfest is slated for the interwebs this weekend.. will it actually happen?! Is he as quotable as Nigel Tufnel? Stay tuned.. Streaming info at lower right.

This Is A Classic

TGIF, mofos.

Before There Was Danger 5 ...

There was ... Italian Spiderman!  (Same guys.)

Gourd Be Praised!

These are the work of a college friend of mine. He's been doing this for years; luckily his wife captured a few of this year's creations.

BRAINSSSSSSSS!

 Ariana Huffington is reaching out to a new audience.

Pirates Drink Free!

Because What's Not To Love About Hitler And Dinosaurs

Danger 5. This looks pretty awesome.


I would buy action figures for this show if they make them.

Happy Halloween, Bastards!

I got a rock!

Do You Like Country Music?

Me neither, but I'm trying. There's an occasional series on a music blog called 'A History of Country Western Music' and I like to download the offerings once in a while. Follow The Plaintive sounds if you wish, there's some pretty good stuff.

Yep

Biophilia

No idea if we have any Bjorkologists among the greater bastardate, but her latest album is not so much an album as an experience. It's all gettin' your interactive on & shit. Biophilia for iPad has apps for each song; you can explore the themes and create your own version. The "ultimate" edition includes a wooden box with ten chromed tuning forks, each one adjusted to the tone of a single album track.
My affinity for Bjork extends mostly to the film "Dancer in the Dark" (she was fantastic) and a lingering desire to imitate her distinctive voice - it would be such a good go-to impersonation, you know? I don't know a single song of hers.
Anyway, one of you iPad-havin' bastards please review this album and get back to us, and Heavy D make sure your next album includes all the internets and twitter and Tesla coils and tuning forks and such.

Speaking Of Animated Halloween Festivities

Somehow, I've never seen the Rankin/Bass (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town, The Year Without a Santa Claus, etc.) produced Mad Monster Party? starring Boris Karloff and Phyllis Diller, but it's streaming on Netflix. Any Burton fan would probably be into this too, right? Apparently, Harvey Kurtzman was one of the writers!

Anybody ever watch it?

Every Holiday Is a Tim Burton Holiday

With Halloween looming, Burton imagery abounds. Above is the design for Burton's Macy's Thanksgiving Balloon. Combining this with The Nightmare Before Christmas, he appears to be taking over all of our holidays. I applaud this trend.

Anybody Else ...

Bad As Me?

Failure To Participate in this survey is grounds for disbastarding.

Har Har

Anybody see the remake? Anybody planning to?

Ouch

It's never funny when someone falls down. Unless it's Axl.

What To Read While You're Not Listening to the New Ryan Adams

First Take Pity on yourself for not loving Ryan Adams the way Dave and I do, then go an read a nice article from the AV Club that circles an idea from a nice article about Noel Gallagher by Chuck Klosterman on Grantland (my new favorite web-site?) back to Ryan Adams and the inevitable 'Heartbreaker' comparisons every one of his albums gets, then read this interview with DRA, again from the AV Club.   Reaction papers on my desk by noon tomorrow.

Periodic Table of Swearing

Click to embiggen (worth it), and click here to view the un-embeddable video.
My favorite swearing elements are Icc (International Cunt Circus) and Mfm (Mother Fucking Mother Fucker).

What You Get When You Go Chasing After Vengence

Something Worth Arguing About

There's a good article over on The Selvedge Yard that revives the great Fawcett v. Teigs debate of the 1970s.

As a boy growing up in the 1970s, I can tell you with absolute authority that there were two women who were on every pubescent boy’s mind– Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Tiegs. Sure, there were others– but Farrah & Cheryl were the cream of the crop. And the major rite of passage was to have one of their epic posters up on your bedroom wall. That was huge. It showed you’d graduated from the land of legos and had entered the exciting, awkward, and confusing hormonal journey into manhood. Are we there yet?

I myself would have to go with Farrah, but I must admit to spending a lot of time drooling over this picture when it first appeared in the SI Swimsuit Issue. You can see her boobs!

If you're not familiar with the site, the Selvedge Yard is worth hours of your time.

Free Radio Dave

Our own rockstar / playboy / ne'er-do-well Bastard B. Dave (shown here without makeup) will be featured this Sunday on Radio Free Nashville. He's too unassuming to promote his own fucking awesomeness on this blorg.

I plead complete ignorance and lameness regarding the existence of the above radio outlet in my own backyard. My local airwave affinity extended only to WRVU - the Vanderbilt student station - until it vanished from the dial this year when its license was auctioned off & gobbled up by... wait for it... public radio. No joke.
WRVU was my commute compadre and I haven't bothered to figure out HD Radio yet (Jay?), nor realized that some of the shows I liked ("Cat Beast Party", "Nashville Mixtapes", the sublime "Nashville Jumps") found a home on Free Radio Nashville.
The link above provides interwebs connectivity so we can all listen to Durham's Own Alt-God from 2-4pm Sunday Sunday Sunday.

The program is free - I think Dave said that the sponsor is the Library of Appalachia.

Modern Art

I've only given this one spin, so I'm Feeling The Product still. Let me know what you guys think.

Inconceivable!

The Princess Bride cast, reunited 25 years later.

Fuh-Riday!

Weren't we having "tasteful nude day" or "catchy Friday" or something?

And Then There's This

John K of Ren & Stimpy fame recently contributed a couch gag. Disturbing.

Shit

Love him or hate him, you gotta give him his props.