Current List for May 2006

Now that I am back blogging again, I thought that I'd list my current favorite items of interest in the areas of listening, reading, and other stimuli. April is drawing to a close, so bring on the May flowers (as the age old adage goes)!!

Favorite Record of the Moment:

Out now! The latest in the Bugged Out! series comes to you, courtesy of the self-coined "unique" Miss Kittin. As with every Bugged Out! set, there's one disc devoted to the uptempo rhythms of a night on the town, while the other disc is devoted to the bedroom dj in all of us. Last year's mix, by current sensation Erol Arkan, impressively melded today's hottest club sounds, while slowing it down for the second disc with the uberchill of 60s easy listening classics and the glam 70s prog rock. At the same time, Arkan also throws in a little M83 for good measure, while closing it out with the blissful trance pop of the Spacemen 3. Miss Kittin, on the other hand, chooses to keep the same pace over both discs, making for a stellar smorgasbord of clash-free electro soundscapes alongside rave classics like Don't Go by the Awesome 3. The "chill-out" disc effectively melds D.A. noisily (get it?) hard clang of the classic Aphex Twin remix of Curve's Falling Free, with the icy cold chill of the Two Lone Swordmen mix of Saint Etienne's Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi.)

This edition of the Bugged Out! mix best reflects Miss Kittin's recent dj gigs of last year, most characteristic of her mix set from last year's Sonar Festival in Barcelona, where she pulled out one of my personal all-time favorite techno classics, the formidable The House is Mine by Caspar Pound's Hypnotist moniker. Are you looking to relive the good 'ole days where you wore that pacifier on a chain around your neck and baggy dress-length, rainbow-striped t-shirts while walking down today's streets with the iPod and ear-buds? Well, this is the ultimate soundtrack for your journey to the dancefloors of 2006.

Listening: The next 9 (in no particular order):
Ellen Allien and Apparat Orchestra of Bubbles
Matmos The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth
Ladytron The Harmonium Sessions (limited edition tour ep)
Massive Attack Collection (limited deluxe edition)
Fe-Mail Blixter Toad
Larsen Seies
Final 3
Black Sun Productions operettAmorale
Duncan Vainio Vaisanen Nine Suggestions

Other Listening:
Wire Pink Flag (re-issue)
Leaether Strip After The Devastation
Supersilent Supersilent 1-3
Ladytron Witching Hour/Extended Play
V/A Rune Grammofon Money Will Ruin Everything
Mogwai Mr. Beast
Daniel Menche Concussions
Spunk En Aldeles Forferdelig Sykdom
Spunk (remixed) Filtered Through Friends
Organum Sanctus
Covenant Skyshaper
McLusky Mcluskyisms
The Hope Blister Underarms and Sideways
Stereolab Fab Four Suture
Cocteau Twins Lullabies for Volaine
V/A MSF Benefit Not Alone
Current 93 How He Loved The Moon (Moonsongs for Jhonn Balance)
Nine Inch Nails Every Day is Exactly the Same ep
Klutae Hit & Run
Morrissey Ringleader of the Tormentors
V/A American Gigolo 2 Mixed by Abe Duque

Current Reading:


















Other Reading:
The Artist's Way Julia Cameron
Money Will Ruin Everything Rune Grammofon
Writing Down The Bones Natalie Goldberg
Wreckers of Civilisation - Coum Transmissions & Throbbing Gristle Simon Ford
The DaVinci Code Dan Brown
In Beauty Zadie Smith
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Robert Pirsig
Howl Fifty Years Later: The Poem That Changed America Jason Shinder (Editor)

Overtime at Work: LOTS of it!

Most eagerly anticipated event: A VACATION (FINALLY) to New Mexico for 4th of July

Forthcoming Items of Interest:

Film:
The DaVinci Code
United 93

Live shows:
Architect [Haujobb side project] (The Vogue, May 3)
Slow Music with Bill Rieflin, Hector Zazou, Robert Fripp, Peter Buck, and friends (Showbox, May 6)
Goldfrapp (Showbox, May 11)
Modeselektor (ReBar, May 19)
Mogwai (Neumos, May 23)
Ministry/Revolting Cocks (Showbox, May 28)
Sonic Youth (Moore Theatre, June 30)
Legendary Pink Dots (Launch Pad ABQ, July 2; Berbati's PDX July 10; Chop Suey SEA, July 11) A Silver Mt. Zion/Carla Bozulich (Neumos, August 18)

Forthcoming records:
Carla Bozulich Evangelista
Peaches Impeach My Bush
Legendary Pink Dots Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves
PTV3 (Psychic TV) Hell is Invisible...Heaven is Her/E
Sonic Youth Rather Ripped
Throbbing Gristle Part Two MAYBE SOMEDAY

Another Scandal in the Literary World

Earlier this year, the author of the book A Million Little Pieces, James Frey, was crucified by the media (particularly by loud-mouthed, right-wing talk radio hosts) when the truth came out that he "embellished" certain facts in the book to make the story interesting. Under normal circumstances, that is not so much of a problem, unless your finished product is categorized as non-fiction. Pieces gained notoreity when the queen of talk show entertainment, Oprah Winfrey, made it a selection of the month for her famous book club.

Speculation about the questionable credibility of Frey's story later surfaced a short time later, spawning a phone call from Oprah herself into Frey's interview on the Larry King show to defend the book, proclaiming that his "story of redemption resonated with her." When Frey fessed up a short time later, the shit hit the fan! Boy, oh boy, it sure did. On January 26th (my birthday), Frey returned to the Oprah show for a public display of ridicule, spearheaded by the duped talk show host herself. The fallout from the incident left a bitter taste in the mouths of many in the literary community, calling into question the integrity of authors.

Now, three months later, another up and coming fiction writer by the name of Kaavya Viswanathan, a Harvard University student, is in hot water, being accused of plagarism. Her critically-lauded debut novel, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life, has been pulled from stores by her publisher, Little, Brown and Company, when it surfaced that certain passages were plagarized from a series of novels by another author, Megan McCafferty. These passages "unintentionally minicked," nearly word-for-word (as Viswanathan maintains), passages from Megan's novels, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings.

In light of this new scandal, Frey's "alleged crimes" pale in comparison. While Frey was guilty of misrepresenting embellishments as truth, at least he did not blatantly plagarize another author's work. In reality, I'm curious to know how many non-fiction books actually feature subtle fabrications and other embellishments in the interest of making for original storytelling. Unfortunately, Frey made the mistake of getting caught in the heat of the lies and deceit. In turn, he was demonized and vilified in the media for his misgivings.

His deceit culminated in an intense backlash, resulting in legal action, raised by "duped" readers of the book. Some readings even recommended the book to friends, while psychiatrists and mental health experts encouraged patients to read the book. As a result, consumers sued for fraud in droves, demanding compensation for money spent on the book as well as "wasted time." In my mind, not only is that going overboard, but it's just plain stupid. If "wasted time" becomes the standard for which compensation is based on, then people might as well be able to sue the major TV networks for "wasting viewers' time" for worthless trash on the airwaves (I'd like to sue for the waste that is ALL reality TV). While we're at it, can we also sue radio stations and the major record labels for wasting our time and polluting our bodies with air waves emitted as a result of ALL the shitty music they produce and manufacture for public consumption? (I'd like to sue for being subjected to Britney Spears and Korn, amongst others.) Where would it end? People already believe that us Americans are too much of a litigious society. Allowing the ability to legally pursue compensation using the standard of "wasted time" would only make things worse.

On the other hand, the allegations against Viswanathan have harsher ramifications for the accused. The author misrepresented her writing style as being her own, when in reality, the style mimicks the style of another established author. Maybe the error of judgment on Viswanathan's part could be attributed to youthful ignorance or a lack of literary knowledge, but the truth is, her actions are unconscionable. On the other hand, part of the responsibility for this egregious lapse of judgment should fall on the editor of Opal Mehta. I'd like to believe that the editor should be responsibilty for fact-checking as well as checking for potential plagarism from other source material. (As an aside note, albeit minor, the English student that I'd like to be has recently an increasing number of typos in books that I've read recently. This really surprises me. I've only just begun to notice this problem.)

Am I being too picky? No, I don't think so. As a reader with an interest in English literature, I have a reasonable expectation of accuracy in literature on all levels, spelling or otherwise. I may not be likely to sue a famous author over such errors, but I believe accuracy should be part of the responsibility of a professional, bestselling author. I'm interested to see how this story develops. As mentioned earlier, the book has been pulled from shelves, while legal action is being contemplated. I expect that standards for accuracy in literature may change in the aftermath of this latest literary controversy.

TONIGHT: Dining Out for Life 2006

Tonight is the 13th annual Dining Out for Life fundraiser, a nationwide event sponsored by AIDS-related charities (Lifelong AIDS Alliance here in Seattle.) Every year, this event raises much needed money for people living with HIV/AIDS. Over 150 restaurants in the Seattle area are participating in this wonderful event, with portions of the proceeds going to the Lifelong AIDS Alliance. They are an incredible organization that have done wonderful things for those in need throughout the Seattle area. They also sponsor the AIDS Walk annually, this year's coming up on September 9th. So, if you're looking for something to do, while helping out a wonderful cause, please partake in your local Dining Out for Life fundraiser.

I've participated over the last few years in Minneapolis as well as Seattle, and eagerly anticipate a great meal at the Greek restaurant, El Greco in Capital Hill. I recently enjoyed a great Sunday brunch there with my good friend, Ashley. Good times in the name of great food and worthy causes. Bon appetite!

Retooling time for this blog thing

It's Confession Time here at Bring D.A. Noise:

I've been bored...bored to DEATH with life. Life has this funny way of playing mental tricks on you when you least expect it, almost rendering you to the point of numbness. This past winter, just like past winters, signs of vitality in my soul are slim to non-existent. I wonder why I get into these unshakeable funks, which lead me to bouts of isolationist thinking. I've been anti-social of late, choosing instead to plug the headphones into the iPod and keep to myself. It's blatantly obvious that I have not blogged in over two months. Recently, though, I've been missing this blog so thought that I'd get back to business. As my co-worker/blogging friend, The Kern, can attest to, I've recently expressed several ideas for things to write about. However, they never ended up seeing the light of day.

What's my problem, anyway? Is it the lack of inspired writing? Lack of confidence in my writing abilities? Lack of focus? Fear of rejection of my writing? Well, ultimately, I chock it up to utter laziness. However, I want to change that. With change in mind, the plan is for the Bring D.A. Noise blog to retooled and revamped. For the time being, I will continue to blog using this Blogspot addy, but, will eventually return to WordPress. I'm also thinking of renaming my blog as well. The name of choice at the moment is "Spunk Action." At this point, don't ask me what inspired this name choice because I'm not going to tell you. *wink wink*

What's been missing from my blog is a sense of focus. When I first started blogging (with LiveJournal), I never clearly defined the main objectives of why I blogged in the first place. A specific purpose wasn't set in stone. My writing was based on whatever I felt like writing at the time a particular post came into being. How can I make my blog an unique experience for myself and its readers? I did, however, tell myself that I wanted to veer away from what other gay bloggers were writing. I didn't want to write about crushes on high school jocks or experiences with drugs and sex. That's boring to me.

With that in mind, I came up with the idea for the current incarnation of my blog, Bring D.A. Noise. With this idea, I wanted to document my experiences with discovering and delving into non-traditional, unconventional, and experimental music. At the time, I thought "What a perfect idea for a blog!", particularly since I am such a big music fan. Writing about music most other people don't know or understand is a great blog idea that stands out from other "queer" blogs. However, when I did write about music, the writing was bland and uninspired. That bland style of writing resulted in the deterioration of confidence in my writing ability. Then, I got bored and lost interest in writing. Also, struggles with depression didn't help matters.

As recent as a few days ago, I sat down and put some thought into what kind of a blog I'd like to write. My desire for a clearer definition of my intentions for blogging was long overdue. As I thought about this, my earlier idea of writing about my exploration into experimental music creeped back into my consciousness. After further thought, there were other things that I wanted to write about. In the end, I came up with three main objectives that I'd like to accomplish for this blog.

1. What I'd like to call "The Usual Suspects": The usual rants, raves, observations, anecdotes, revelations, moments of self-realization, and random acts of "bitching and moaning" about the current state of the country I live in and the world around me. This has always been a part of my blog, but I'd like to take these ideas to a new level of interest and excitement.

2. Experimental music exploration: Detailing my "journey" (yeah, yeah, yeah...I know it's a cheezy and an extremely overused term, but I don't have any better words that come in mind) through the "adventures of modern music," as the British magazine The Wire proudly endorses. Writing in the style of a music review, I'd like to document artists that continue to fascinate me and adventurous music.

3. My Artistic Recovery: Documenting revelations encountered while walking through the artistic recovery process, by way of the incredible and thought-provoking book, The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron. More to come on this in future blog entries.

All in all, I anticpate increased blogging activity on my part over the course of the next several weeks, ultimately culminating in a new blog address and design. So, stay tuned (and THIS TIME, I MEAN IT.)

The "Current" List for February 2006

In no order of importance:

Music
After The Devastation - Leaether Strip (Alfa Matrix)
The Ape of Naples - Coil (Threshold House)
The Life Pursuit - Belle & Sebastian (Matador)
Live at Astoria, May 14, 2004 - Throbbing Gristle (mp3)
Filtered Through Friends - Spunk remixed (Rune Grammofon)
The Men Album - The Living Jarboe (Atavistic)
Heat - Colder (Output)
Tender Buttons - Broadcast (Warp)
Tonight The Monkeys Die - Low remixed (Chairkickers Union)
Operetta Morale - Black Sun Productions (Divine Frequency)
En Aldeles Forferdelig Sykdom - Spunk (Rune Grammofon)
Endless - VVV (Mute)
Witching Hour - Ladytron (Rykodisc)
The Days of Mars - Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom (Astralwerks)
Shipwrecked Radio Vol. 1 & 2 - Nurse With Wound (ICR Distribution)
Crime and Dissonance - Ennio Morricone (Ipecac)

Books
Deliberate Prose - Allen Ginsberg
Queer - William S. Burroughs
Our Lady of the Flowers - Jean Genet
Don Quixote - Kathy Acker
The Artist's Way - Julia Cameron

33 is the New 40

At least, that's how I felt this past Thursday, which marked my 33rd birthday. Even though, I haven't quite felt up to par mentally, I still believe that this is going to be a great year. I'm determined to make this a great year. I haven't been in much of a blogging mood. Don't get me wrong - I thoroughly enjoy blogging, wholeheartedly. But, writer's block can be a real bitch, allowing skepticism to reign supreme in my brain. Anyway, I am determined now more than ever to remain optimistic and hopeful that the mental funk will go away.

2005 Year End Review: Mysterious Skin

Am I the only person on this planet that is sick to death of hearing "Brokeback Mountain this, Brokeback Mountain that...?" Am I the only one? Well, I was sick to death of hearing about it since the "Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall portraying gay lovers" hype began over a year and a half ago. It's been that long. SERIOUSLY, I DON'T CARE. I still want to see it, just for the sake of seeing what the hype is all about. I don't doubt that seeing Jake Gyllenhall is a giant orgasm waiting to happen. That, I can not dispute (just take a look at the shirtless and bald Gyllenhall in Jarhead....enough said.) However, it makes me completely livid when other, equally deserving films get overshadowed due to the uber-over-the-top hype of "straight actors playing gay characters in a gay-themed film" schtick.

Gregg Araki's latest flick, his adaptation of Scott Heim's wonderful novel, Mysterious Skin, is my favorite film of the year. Simply put, Mysterious Skin is, by far, Araki's strongest and most mature of his films to date. Approaching the topic of child molestation is a tricky task for anyone to take on without the potential for sparking a little controversy. However, Araki proves to be up for the task. Araki adds his signature to the already beautiful, yet heartwrenching story by continuing his use of lush, atmospheric ambient shoegazer rock. Even though Heim's novel doesn't necessarily elude to a particular musical reference point, the film's score by Harold Budd and ex-Cocteau Twin guitarist Robin Guthrie fits perfectly with the overall mood of this film.

The performances of everyone involved are wonderful throughout Mysterious Skin. But, this film belongs to veteran Third Rock from the Sun actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. His portrayal of the sexually confused and vulnerable Neil McCormick carries this film. Unfortunately, Gordon-Levitt's harrowing performance has been virtually ignored by the viewing public and Oscar voters alike, which is par for the course of independent filmmaking. Elisabeth Shue (as Neil's aloof, yet loving mother), Brady Corbet (as the sexually-abused Brian Lackey, who blacked out, convinced that he was abducted by aliens) and Michelle Trachtenberg (as Neil's concerned best friend, Wendy) also turn in what I believe to be Oscar-caliber performances. Mysterious Skin didn't pull in the $$$ that Brokeback Mountain is pulling in right now as we speak, but that should not deter anyone from taking a look at this film.

Previous Araki films, such as The Doom Generation and Nowhere, are not really known for their stellar acting performances. However, Mysterious Skin changes everything. Here, Araki comes out as a promising filmmaker that has a lot going for him. Araki plants himself permanently on the map of independent filmmaking. Film connisseurs and music lovers alike must check out this touching and wonderful film.

2005 Year End Review: Live Show Highlights

What year-end review is complete without a look back at the great shows that I saw in 2005. Experiences range from fire alarms being tripped during performances to return-to-form comeback performances from mainstay alternative artists to irritating mosh-pit inducing harmonics from audience members falsing believing themselves to be great singers to partaking in a goofy rendition of "The Hokey-Pokey" and a game of "Limbo" during an encore, and just about everything inbetween. So, here it is, my favorite shows of the year (in no order of preference):

1. Frozen Rabbit, May 2005 at Capitol Hil Arts Center: Blissful ambience from experimental performer Phil Western (who collaborated with Cevin Key (Skinny Puppy) on Cevin's ongoing side project, Download). About 20 minutes into the set, Brian (who ran the now-defunct online label, Flesh Eating Ants) accidentally hit the fire alarm, causing a mere 20 people (including staff working the show) to exit prematurely out of the venue. Firetrucks arrived approximately 30 minutes later. After this minor delay, Frozen Rabbit finished their sonic journey without further trouble.

2. Dead Can Dance, Sept. 17th at Paramount Theatre: After 7 years apart, the magnificent duo of Brendan Perry and Oscar-nominated performer Lisa Gerrard graced their presence in Seattle. The eagerly anticipated return of DCD sold out every single show on their spring European tour. As walys, their music was incredibly gorgeous, almost like they never disbanded in the first place. Their 2-hour set included a few new songs (at least they were songs that I didn't recognize) like Crescent and Hymn for the Fallen, which further sealed their fate as being one of the greatest live experiences ever witnessed. The haunting How Fortunate The Man With None brought tears streaming down my face. This show is one of a few shows that I'll never forget. The performance was recorded and made into limited edition live recordings. Of course, I bought a copy. How could I not?

3. Bauhaus, Oct. 14th at Paramount Theatre: 80s Goth rockers returned for their second reunion tour. Their set contains all of my favorite classics, such as Kick in the Eye, Bela Lugosi is Dead, She's in Parties, Swing The Heartache, and more. Despite the fact that vocalist Peter Murphy was dealing with a bout of sickness, Bauhaus never ceased to disappoint throughout the entire show. Double Dare, to my disappointment, was not performed, but that didn't detract from their overall performance.

4. Bob Mould, October at Neumos: See Thurs. Dec. 29th @ 8:21 a.m. blog entry

5. Chicks on Speed, Nov. 14th at Chop Suey: The art electro-rock trio Chicks on Speed put on another fun performance at Chop Suey. Of course, they played their rendition of Cracker's Euro Trash Girl, which is my favorite song from CoS' repertoire. This particular contained one of the more interesting and fun encores I've ever eyewitnessed at an electro rock show. Vocalist Melissa led a rendition of the Hokey Pokey song, which brought an excited display of audience participation. A free-spirited game of Limbo soon followed.

6. Antony and the Johnsons, two shows - April at On The Boards, Seattle and Sept. at the TBA Festival, Portland, OR: Antony brought his charisma and beautiful voice to two incredible performances this year. The first performance was at On The Boards, where Coco Rosie, William Barinski, and Devendra Banhart opened (unfortunately, I missed the opening performances because I was dinking around downtown, losing track of time). All of them joined in for a song or two during Antony's set. Antony's hauntingly beautiful vocals mesmerized everyone in the room with a graceful sadness. Antony proved to this fan that he is genuinely gifted, a bright star gracing the dark clouds of the current musical landscape. The second performance was part of Portland's annual art festival sponsored by PICA (Portland Institute of Contemporary Arts), the TBA Festival, which also brought Diamanda Galas' two incredible performances in 2004. Unfortunately, Antony was struggling with being under the weather, which made this second performance a short, but equally powerful performance, ending the set with my 2nd favorite song of the year, the haunting and gorgeous Hope There's Someone. That show was also where I met a nice woman by the name of Mary, whose enthusiasm of seeing Antony made the evening a perfect affair.

7. Neurosis with Jarboe, January at Neumos: The beginning of 2005 finally brought me my first Neurosis musical experience. In support of their Eye of Every Storm release and their collaboration with ex-SWANS vocalist, Jarboe, the ferocious sonic performance of Neurosis was one of the more powerful performances of the year. Jarboe joined in midway through the main set, starting with the incredible song Within. Jarboe's intense vocals added a new dimension to the Neurosis sound, while holding her own with the noise rock titans.

8. Wooden Octupus Skull experimental music festival, Sept. at ReBar and The Baltic Room: Review forthcoming

9. Adult., Nov. 16th at Chop Suey: In support of their newest release, Gimmie Trouble, Adult. (with the addition of newest member, Sam) rocked the crowd at Chop Suey with Nicola Kuperus's snarling vocal stylings and synth punk rock hooks. Sam proved to be a much welcomed addition to the Adult. sound, while Nicola displayed her best Siouxsie Sioux impression on new and old Adult. tracks. When their electroclash hit Hand To Phone was requested, Nicola politely declined, which didn't remotely surprise me. She engaged the audience with her mesmerizing vocals while whipping around on the floor with her diehard fans. Adult. never ceases to please their audiences with their unique brand of electro punk.

10. An Evening of Improv with Bill Rieflin, Peter Buck, Robert Fripp, Hector Zazou, Matt Chamberlain, November at Crocodile Cafe: This unique improvisational supergroup entertained its audience members with three long ambient soundscapes, lasting between 25 and 40 minutes a piece. I never thought that I would see these phenomenal musicians all together in one place. This performance was one of my favorites of the year. The grooves and atmospherics created were slumber-inducing and mesmerizing in scope.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Self-Loathing Queer Has Now Left This Body

Any year can have its ups and downs, but for me, 2005 was not one of my better years. As a matter of fact, if I was more of a drama queen (that fact can be debated at will by anyone), I'd tell you that 2005 was the worst year of my life. In certain respects, that would be true. The hardest thing for me was the assault and the aftermath that I endured on and after February 15th. Conversation with my mother over the phone on her birthday should not have centered around blood gushing from my head and bruises on my knee. That was one of the hardest phone calls that I ever had made. My attack, which was basically over a stupid fucking cellphone, resulted in medical bills that took forever to be covered by insurance with $$$ still owed; pain and suffering; and fallout and subsequent hatred for Sprint. Their collection agency is coming after me to this day, but I hope to resolve this over the next couple of months by paying them so that I can move on.

2005 was also the year where I struggled with sadness and depression. I've been fighting these demons for years, but nearly took over my mind and body completely over the summer and the beginning of fall. Manifestations of the above took on the form of doubt, loathing, anger towards certain people and situations, utter contempt at certain factions of the local community (i.e. the "goth and darkwave" scene, the gay community, and "holier-than-thou hipster mentalities"), and downright hatred of myself. I've never attempted suicide before, but came close on a few occasions this year. In particular, June through September were the worst months.

However, my point of awakening did eventually occur when I finally said to myself "Enough is enough!" My main problem is that I continued to allow myself to be negatively impacted by these frustrations. I allow these thoughts to continue. I allow myself to feel down. Now that I think about it, as Kent put it during an argument during moving time, I did like to complain. I allow people and circumstances to bring me down and make me resentful. I've never quite come to the point of complete self-acceptance of my mind and body. My self-acceptance consists of the following things:

• I am openly gay to those on a "need to know" basis as well as with friends.
• I weigh 175 pounds (give or take a few) on a good day
• I value respect more than popularity.
• I don't waste money on $200 pair of jeans or $70 t-shirts, nor do I weigh the level of my self-worth based on how much I don spend on these things.
• I don't benchpress 300 pounds, nor am I emaciated. I eat what I want to eat and feel no guilt for it.
• I love experimental, industrial, most forms of electronica, some indie-pop music....fuck that labeling bullshit....I like good quality music, not mundane pop music made for the sake of mainstream consumption. I hate Britney and Hilary Duff, much prefer Cher as an actress, firmly believe that Whitney is definitely whacked on crack, and despise mainstream "rap metal" such as Korn and that ilk.
• I love to write and will continue to do so as long as I live.
• I am fascinated by creative people and find geeky guys with glasses and close-cropped beards sexy. I also have no qualms with admitting it to most right-wing moronic pundits and hypocritical, mean-spirited "Christians.

The list goes on and on and on, but you get the point. I've hated myself inside and out for far too long. I've endured far too many years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds on this self-implosion which is aided and abetted by biased opinions of those who are not in the know of me as a person, nor are in the right in the first place. There comes a time when you finally stop the insanity by saying "Enough is enough." For me, now is the time for me to defenstrate the "self-loathing queer" half of my dual personalities out of my body. I am determined to make 2006 the best year of my life, almost at all costs.

Truthfully, I could not have gotten through 2005 without the love of my close friends and the caring folks at my place of employment. I'd like to, in particular, thank the following folks: Jessica (my best friend of 15 years); Ashley, Jeanne, and Soren (my dear concert-going friends in Olympia); co-worker/fellow blogger The Kern (see blog of the year entry); Glory, Wendy, Cheryl, Wilma, Dianna, and Marlene (present and past secretaries at my employer); and Kent (my housemate), despite several arguments and disagreements over the last 14 months). At the end of the day, I have a great situation right now here in Seattle that makes life worth living.

The title of this blog entry contains the theme of 2006 for me. Here's to the new year - may it be a prosperous time for all aspects of the mind and body for everyone.

Goodbye, Rainier Beach! Hello, Sanity!

So, the big weekend finally came and went for D.A........Moving time. At first, I wasn't too thrilled at the prospect of trying to find a new place to live smack dab at the end of the year during the holiday. Now, however, I'm greatly relieved that my roommate and I have left the ghetto when we did. Going 5 weeks without a working furnace sealed the deal for the both of us. A lesson learned saved us further trouble down the road. Don't rent from friends. DON'T DO IT. They weren't my friends beforehand so I really didn't have anything to lose, other than thousands of dollars in rent paid.

On the other hand, this weekend didn't go quite as planned. The moving out part took a lot longer than I was hoping. We finally left the abyss four hours after we were supposed to be out. When picking up the rental truck and getting some last minute items, we were nearly accosted by Hispanic day laborers loitering around the SODO Home Depot. Three guys opened the passenger door. I thought that we were getting carjacked. The slumlords also tried to bring people in to replace the carpet on 11 hours notice. My roommate, Kent, said fuck no. An altercation ensued, and I spoke up when I should not have. In the end, though, they lost that battle.

We don't think we'll hear the last from the slumlords, but they have nothing on me. I never signed anything so they can't come after me for anything. I am out of $7,700 in rent, with nothing to show for it, other than an empty wallet, a couple scars on my head from my assault in February, and hours lost due to stress and/or dread faced over not wanting to go home late at night. I can't get those $$$ back, but I am greatly relieved to know that I may never have to set foot in Rainier Beach ever again unless absolutely necessary. I am not a spiteful person so I don't expect anything other than making sure that Kent doesn't get screwed over in closing costs by those bastards. If you're going to manager a piece of property, get the fucking sense to know what your legal obligations are before you decide to become landlords. Studies show that rocket science is not required for property management.

Yesterday, we survived the move into our new apartment in Capital Hill with huge sighs of relief. The new apartment is in complete disarray, but that is to be expected on the first night of the move. We could not have completed the move without the assistance of several people: Jonathan (our extremely nice and much better organized LANDlord - note the lack of the word SLUM); Dave, Michelle, and cute little Abby (Kent's brother-in-law, sister, and niece); Joanne (Kent's friend who helped store a few things overnight); and Kendra (Kent's friend who supplied us some boxes courtesy of her local liquor store). Abby was so cute and very well-behaved as she carried small items into the new apartment. She called me Uncle Matt and told me she loved me, which about brought me to tears. She is so cute!

With our new location, huge bucketloads of stress are lifted from our shoulders. Kent is in walking distance to school. I don't have to take the bus if I don't have to (which means that I will never really take a bus), unless I'm unusually lazy one day. I can walk just about everywhere that I need to go. That makes me a happy boy. I am the type of person that wants to get from A to B without interference and too much stress. I don't want to be stalled by stupid people that never have change ready, certain people who confuse themselves for TuPac Shakur rapping loudly on the bus, spontaneous AWWF Smackdowns involving canes and walking sticks, muggings in February, and horrible cellphone on the bus etiquette to prevent me from trouble-free travelling.

So, here's to a great and less-stressful year in 2006. Finally, I'd like to bid adieu to Rainier Beach and dipshit slumlords! Good riddance.

Denim for Satanists

This article completely made my day. Fashion-conscious atheists are rejoicing on Swedish street corners at the newest trend in hipster fashion. Eventually, Cheap Monday denim jeans will grace the legs of hipsters in Seattle's Capital Hill. Have you had trouble finding the perfect gift for the Satanists you know and love? Well, your troubles are over. Before you know it, Jake Gyllenhall will become a Cheap Monday celebrity spokesman. Who knows, these jeans may even spark yet another cheesy and judgmental form letter from _________ (insert favorite Christian watchdog group here). Here here!!

Happy Last Friday of 2005 (to Bring D.A. Noise's 2 readers)!

Photogenic

I am posting another picture taken by my best friend Jessica during her October trip to Seattle. I am impressed with how the photo turned out. Normally, I hate viewing photos of myself, but this photo is a rare exception to the rule. Enjoy.

2006 Upcoming Music Releases

We all know what the new year means??? In the case that you didn't, well, the answer is simple....eagerly-anticipated new music releases, of course. Here are a few that I look forward to most:


My top pick for 2006: Industrial afficionatos would be utterly foolish if they were not chomping at the bit to get their hands on the first new full-length studio record in 25 years by the "Godfathers" of Industrial Muzik, Throbbing Gristle. Trent Reznor may have brought industrial music to the minds of teeny-boppers and alternative rock inner-circles in the form of Nine Inch Nails. However, TG made it possible for the Ohio native to even begin to dream of creating the music that he creates today.

Granted, TG did not sell millions of records, nor did they make millions on concert tickets. Instead, in their short existence during the late 70's, they pushed the boundaries of live performance with post-apocalyptic themes addressed in their music. Even after they initially terminated TG, its core members (in picture above), Cosey Fanni Tutti, Chris Carter, Peter Christopherson, and their fearlessly enigmatic leader, Genesis P'Orridge, continued to make tremendous and thought-provoking contributions to the world of experimental and industrial music: Chris and Cosey, Coil, and Psychic TV, respectively.

After many years of recording and creating their solo projects, the members decided to get back together in 2004 to plan a modern celebration of industrial music in the form of RE-TG, a three-day affair. RE-TG was cancelled at last minute (to my dismay - I was raring to go), but the members made it up to those who purchased tickets by performing at the Astoria in Central London. Seeing this performance brought to my mind recollections of performances I've eyewitnessed in my home state of MN at the legendary First Avenue nightclub. Astoria and First Avenue could easily be sister clubs, in their look and feel. Anyway, the Astoria show was an extraordinary experience for me and my friends (we met for the first time at that show) Ashley and Jeanne. Unfortunately, RE-TG turned into an ATP-sponsored affair, Nightmare Before Christmas, which happened months after the Astoria performance (and of course, when I did not have the money to go). Again, I will miss the new year's performance by the demigods of industrial music due to the shortage of monetary funds. Dammnit. I guess that you can't win them all.

March 2006 sees the eminent release of Part Two, the new TG studio record.







'PART TWO' Track Listing

Vow of Silence
Rabbit Snare
Seperated
Almost A Kiss
Greasy Spoon
Lyre Liar
Above The Below
Endless Not
The Worm Waits Its Turn
After The Fall

Other releases to look forward to in 2006:

Goldfrapp - Supernature (US Release)
Coil - The Ape of Naples
Leaether Strip - After The Devastation*

*After The Devastation marks the triumphant return of EBM/Industrial mainstay, Claus Larsen a.k.a. Leaether Strip, after a few years' absence. Check out the Alfa-Matrix website for further information.

2005 Year End Review: Hey, Fucker! Listen! (x 6) to the Blog of the Year

In the beginning of 2005, I was gung-ho about blogging. Prior to 2005, I started with Livejournal, but found it to be quite boring. Then, I progressed to Blogger, which I found to be better than Livejournal. However, I became disenfrancised with Blogger's slow server and desired to be more proactive in the design and layout of my blog.

This lead me to WordPress, which I like even more, but depending on what you want to do with your blog, being a WordPress user often requires the blogger to be somewhat self-sufficient. When you consider that I had no knowledge of such concepts as HTML, XHTML, CSS, RSS feeds, etc., self-sufficiency proved to be problematic. More accurately, I attribute my lackadaisical approach to blogging and web design to be purely lazy. Once I became finally too flustered to move forward, instead, I opted to come back to Blogger.

Well, guess what, the times they are a changing...yeah, that was dumb, I know. Anyway, the ultimate goal for me is increased proficiency with WordPress and its idiosyncrasies, while becoming more proactive with the design and manipulation of the layout of my good 'ole Disciplinarian Actions program. The plan is to use my Blogger site as an archive of my blog, starting with the end of 2005 and going backwards. Starting in 2006, I plan to return to WordPress, with future plans to update the layout.

Setting aside this silly diatribe, I want to recognize a few blogs from people that I know as well as people I've met online through the Gay Bloggers Tribe and a couple celebrities' blogs formaking blogging interesting and aesthetically stimulating.


My favorite blog of this year has to go to my co-worker, Kern's, blog called Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen! Check it out here. Whether he's slinging mud at dumbass right-wing nutjobs (I won't mention names....Bill O'Reilly), sharing anecdotes on exactly how stupid unmentionables (again.....I cough out the words "Bill O' Reilly") really are, or educating me on Scott Walker's discography, Listen! (x 6) stimulates me daily.

My friends always complement me on how informed I am on music and upcoming shows. What they don't know is that I am nothing more than a blathering idiot on the continuum of music knowledge compared to Kern. His penchant for creating descriptive metaphors garnered him a regular writing gig for the DeLorean section of Tiny Mix Tapes. That position is well-deserved. If you want recommendations on genres of music even I can't accurately describe without sounding like a dork (not the kind of dork in the form of a silly Madonna lyric), Kern is your man.

In particular, I'd like to mention his recent synopsis detailing the "silly Merry Christmas v. Happy Holidays conspiracy theories that unmentionables (do I need to say Bill O'Reilly AGAIN?) start for no other reason than being a stupid, pseudo-Christian blowhard." Well-written and enlightening, Kern definitely knows how to use the right words to put members of unmentionables in the Idiot Brigade (I won't repeat myself this time) in their place.

All in all, well done, chap!

I'd also like to make a shout-out to other blogs that motivate me to wanna be a better blogger:

Drubskin*
D. Travers Scott
Bob Mould
Margaret Cho
Zeitzeuge
A Gay Muscleboy In Training
Palochi

Thanks, folks!

*Editor's note: You must be 21 to enter Drubskin's site, which contains adult content. But, it's well worth your while. Drub is an extremely hot and talented artist. TRUST ME! Also, don't try it at work.

2005 Year End Review: Comeback of the Year

Congratulations to veteran "alternative" rock star Bob Mould for blowing me in the year 2005 with his amazing recording, Body of Song. Around the time he released his last record, Modulate, I saw him perform at the Aladdin Theatre in Portland, Oregon. This performance basically consisted of Mould playing his guitar over pre-recorded electronic loops and samples. Unfortunately, his guitar playing didn't mesh well with the samples, making for a slightly awkward-sounding performance. Songs written for Modulate sounded much better on record, but, unfortunately, these songs didn't translate well in the live experience. Nonetheless, the mere fact that, at that time, I was finally eyewitnessing Mould, a historical fixture in the 80s' Minneapolis music scene, in the flesh for the first time. Editor's note: I was 11 when Zen Arcade came out, and besides, I was obsessed with Prince's Purple Rain at the time.

Moving forward to 2005, despite my disappointment with Modulate, I still eagerly anticipated the eminent release of Body of Song. This record marks the triumphant return of the Bob Mould that I've known and loved over the last decade or so. Every track on Body of Song is strong. In particular, the track Underneath Days made me convinced that Bob Mould was reading my mind. The lyrics perfected matched my frustration with the romantic situation I was going through at the time. How did he do it? I have no idea.

Again, I jumped at the opportunity to see Mould live here in Seattle at Neumos, buying my ticket within days after the show was announced. My wish for a better sonic experience with Mould proved beyond fruitful, especially when he brought along hottie singer/songwriter Richard Morel (engineer for the dynamic DJ titans Deep Dish) on keyboards for the ride. The live set was a sonic tour-de-force, harkening back to what I envisioned a classic Husker Du show would sound like (again I was a musically-clueless young boy during the heyday of Husker Du). Mould's set consisted of Mould solo tracks, classic Sugar gems, and even a foray into Husker territory with such classics as Could You Be The One and Chartered Trips. Unfortunately, I vacated Neumo's during the second encore (so I can catch the last ghetto bus ride back to, well, the ghetto, Rainier Beach).

All in all, 2005 was, without a doubt, Bob Mould's year. In a concert setting, he is at the top of his game. In spirit, he's come into his own, open in his sexual identity, and confident in his step. Not to mention, his blog, Modulate, is a gay blogger's wet dream in written form. I look forward to his upcoming acoustic show in February (on my mom's birthday), which I am sure will prove to be stellar. Regardless of how the music sounds, I am all for gawking in a "I have a crush on you, but not in the vein of The Jets" manner. One thing is for sure, musically, Bob Mould is far superior to those godawful, one-hit wonder Minneapolis pop schlocksters The Jets any day of the week.

Please pray for Nathan

During my perusal this afternoon of Margaret Cho's blog, I came across this mind-numbing and gut-wrenching account of the death of a much too young GLBT activist from Fresno by the name of Nathan Christofferson (see entries dated December 19 and 27th.) A link is provided to a detailed accounting of the aftermath of his death from the eyes of one of his friends and fellow activists. This accounting can be also be found here.

Reading stories about young lives being taken away from us due to ignorance, misinformation, disrespect, and under the guise of "compassion and caring" is disgusting and unbelievably ANTI-Christian. You hear me, James Dobson, Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Michele Bachmann, "Rev." Fred Phelps, Pat Robertson, Angela Davis, "Hon." Clarence Thomas, "Hon." Scalia, Rick Santorum, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Lon and Bon Mabon, Marilyn Cosgrove, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Mitt Romney...etc. I said ANTI-CHRISTIAN. In the middle of my workday, I had the arduous task of holding back the tears of anger, disgust, and rage at the audacity of Nathan's own family members and members of the parents' hate-ridden church ministry to demonize his sexuality. How FUCKING dare they call themselves Christian! How dare they call themselves "loving family members." Their actions are just plain hypocritical and demeaning.

It takes a lot of courage to stand up for what you believe in the despicable world of hatred that we currently live in. I firmly believe that Nathan was one of those courageous individuals that we desperately need to stand up and fight. I can't help but be disgusted at the state of the human race, particularly here in the states during the dictatorship and free reign of Dumb (Dick Cheney) and Dumber (Dubya). I grieve for the voices of those lost due to hatred (by others as well as self-hatred). We live now in a physical and psychological terrorist state, which must be stopped at all costs. I grieve for those of us left to pick up the pieces in the aftermath. Please pray for Nathan tonight.

2005 Year-End Review: The Great Record that could've been Greater

The new Sigur Ros album, Takk, was at the top of my list at the end of last year as the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2005. So, alas, the beginning of September was an exciting time for me due to Takk's eminent release. After first listening to it, my response was, "Is that it?" Takk reverts to more manageable, bite-sized sound collages, which left me slightly discouraged and not quite fulfilled. To me, Takk missed something, although I can't quite put my finger on what that "something" is. Were my expectations too high? Under normal circumstances, I judge musician's new records on their own merit, versus comparing them to previous efforts. Judgmental "die-hard" fans piss me off when, for example, Sonic Youth did not record Sister 2004 when they released last year's wonderful record, Sonic Nurse. But, for some reason, I expected more with Takk. I do not want to, by any means, say that Takk is a bad record. No, it is not. But, I liked the longer tracks that dominated ( ).

In the end, I think that Takk just needed a little more oomph. That lack of oomph, notwithstanding, Sigur Ros' singer, Jonsi Birgisson, graced the music world, yet again, with one of the most uniquely beautiful male voices in the world. Even if Sigur Ros ever recorded the worst song known to man, Jonsi's voice would make it tolerable. Seeing Sigur Ros' live performance at the Paramount in September definitely more than made up for my slight disappointment with Takk. Jonsi also scored major points with his vocal contributions to the elegaic and gorgeous double-disc recording "Exactly As I Do," by the enigmatic British expatriate and current Icelandic resident Andrew MacKenzie, a.k.a. Hafler Trio.

Brief Commercial Interruption

Can I just say that I fucking hate Friendster? Well, I do. I swear that the website runs on the slowest server on the planet. Also, I am tired of getting e-mails from random Russian girls, desperately in need of companionship. This is particularly troublesome when they proclaim to be intrigued by my profile, and want to get to know me. Chicky-poo, you must have missed something. I am gay. Seriously, I AM GAY! Hello, I think my profile makes that point quite obvious. It's not morse code, nor is it something that only rocket science can answer. BTW, no, it's not the DaVinci Code, either. Anyway, enough about this. I must dump Friendster.

2005 Year-End Review: Pissing on Michele Bachmann (Cunt of the Year)

Bored housewives posing as "caring and compassionate" state legislators with nothing better to do than to discriminate ruled the day in my home state of Minnesota in the year 2005. State legislator and idiot-magnet Michele Bachmann (R - Stillwater) repeatedly attempts to permanently write marriage discrimination against same-sex couples into the Minnesota state constitution. However, thus far, she has failed. However, her "movement" appears to have gained momentum, in the name of, amongst others, her minister husband, who recently convened a local summit for M4M (Ministers for Marriage, not men 4 men - get your minds out of the gutter), proclaiming that the principle of marriage must be "saved" from demonic forces (apparently, loving same-sex couples fit the description in their meek and feeble minds). Also, lesbian in denial, Mary Liz Holberg, is another alleged do-gooder who co-orchestrated the initial legislation, along with Ms. "shit-for-brains-bimbo-with-bad-90s'-hair" Bachmann.

Insert editor's note: Take one good look at Mary Liz, and even you, too, would exclaim "You're so dikey...AHHHHH," just like Margaret Cho's mom.

Truth be told, Ms. Bachmann's real "agenda" is to run against Patty Wetterling for a seat on the U.S. House of Representatives. Right-wing pundits proclaim that Bachmann's repeated endorsement of the hateful marriage amendment has gained her clout in the political arena. Considering that she represents only a small piece of the urban demographic (parts of Anoka county and the riverside town of Stillwater), she is severely out of touch with those of us who seek to preserve the virtues of the MN and US Constitutions. In my mind, the Constitution is founded on EQUAL rights, not special rights. I'd like to hope that more Minnesotans desire fairness and equality, rather than separatism.

It's bad enough that Minnesota is plagued by its dipshit governor, Mr. Tim "I'm gonna cut snow plows from the state budget on the eve of a major snowstorm because I'm an imbecile" Pawlenty, and numbskull state senator Norm "Mentally Malnourished Puppy Dog of the Republican party" Coleman. It's Pawlenty that violated the separation of church and state by allowing the "Luis Pulau Christian Circus Sideshow" to convene on government property, namely the state capital grounds in the summer of 2004. Mr. Coleman was assigned to cover the Democratic Party's National Convention as the Republican roving correspondent on the mean streets of Manhattan last year. In reality, the only reason why he was even there was because he is allegedly the "future of the Republican Party." Personally, I hope that Al Franken puts a stop to that, once and for all.

Anyway, back to the bitch. Bachmann is convinced that legalizing same-sex marriage threatens the sanctity of marriage (which is a tired piece of rhetoric that is unrealistic. Apparently, 50-hour marriages by bimbastic pubescent trendsters does not threaten the sanctity. I'd be curious to see the divorce rates of, say, the town of Stillwater, in comparison to, say, a small town in the state of Massachusetts before and after they legalized same-sex marriages. If you configure registered same-sex couples and allow them the right to get married, I bet that since there are more married couples in the marriage pool, ultimately the divorce rate would not change drastically for the worse. That is what marriage amendment proponents would like you to believe. Also, I'd assume that more weddings would mean increased income for hairstylists, florists, attorneys (assuming that they would be drafting more prenuptial agreements), and caterers, amongst other professionals. All in all, an increased economy benefits the nation as a whole. You would think, anyway.

In my assessment of Ms. Bachmann's intentions, they are purely politically motivated, rather than out of the concern for the "sanctity of marriage." Her efforts to write discrimination into the MN state constitution must be stopped at all costs. If she wins this seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, what makes you think that she would not take her proposals to the national level. People like Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Pat Robertson, Michael Savage, the list goes on and on....like to rant and rave about how having an opinion contrary to theirs equates to anti-American-ism. But, in reality, that is the furthest from the truth. But, I digress....again.

For me, I am all for healthy debate and for the right to be heard, regardless of stated position on any and all societal issues. However, the straw that broke my back occurred when I was flipping through channels on the small screen television that my Dad used in his office at the parents' house one afternoon back in 2004, and I came across Ms. Bachmann on a local public access station, touting her hate rhetoric. During the course of conversation with the host of this show, she had the audacity to state "It's nothing against gay people personally." In my mind, that statement of disrespect personalized the same-sex marriage debate for me.

I'm still unsure about how I personally view the institution of marriage in respect to my status on this planet as a human being. I'm still learning to be self-sufficient financially, mentally, and physically. However, even if ultimately marriage is not for me, I sure as hell firmly believe that other loving couples who contribute to the makeup of the American family should be entitled to marriage and the legal protections of marriage (regardless of sexual preference.) Delusional "do-gooders" who seek to discriminate and demonize respectable human beings under the guise of religion do not have the right to monopolize the institution of marriage. Listen up, bitch...oh, I mean, Ms. Bachmann..... SHUT THE FUCK UP!

2005 Year-End Review: Worst Record of the Year (Even though I somewhat like it)

**Editor's note: This entry has been amended as of Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005 @ 3:17 p.m.

Back in 2003, everyone got bent out of shape when Madonna rapped about pilates and soy lattes in song. However, the single highlight of the new "back to her dance roots" record, Confessions on a Dance Floor, is I Love New York, which actually sets a precedent for horrid lyrics, especially when she says "other cities make (her) feel like a dork" at one point in the song. Worse than that is the lyric that goes something like this:

If you don't like my attitude
Then you can f*** off
Just go to Texas
Isn't that where they golf

Clearly, this monstrosity of a song lyric is a point-blank reference to President Dubya. Touche, Madonna. Despite these horrific attempts at poetic license, the song is quite catchy, and by far, the lone standout track of an otherwise lackluster album. This album is ripe for a knock-off Britney or Christina Aguilera copycat. God forbid.

At any rate, Confessions is far from being an outstanding record. I mean, come on, Madonna, is the despicable Abba-sampling track Hung Up the best you can come up with? What's worse, I am convinced that she had just finished watching Napoleon Dynamite when she decided to dress up for the Hung Up video. That, to me, is a worse travesty than the Mini Cooper reference in her ode to being herself, American Life. In the end, Confessions leaves me with the same feeling of uncertainty that the mere presence of the pretentiously ballsy and maniacal right-wing pundit bombshell, Ann Coulter, invokes in me. Let me clarify:

Confessions (Pro): I love this record because it is a horrible piece of shit.
Confessions (Con): I hate this fucking record because it's a horrible piece of shit.

Ann Coulter (Pro): I love her because she says the stupidest shit ever, which in turn, makes me laugh my ass off.
Ann Coulter (Con): I hate her because of the stupid shit that makes me laugh my ass off in the first place.

I love Confessions! I hate Confessions! Oh, fuck, I can't decide whether I love it or hate it. Ditto for Ann Coulter. I love Ann! I hate Ann! Fuck me, again, I can't decide. However, what I can tell you is this: Confessions on a Dance Floor is a horrible piece of shit, which I can't help but like. So, shoot me.