pixies - 7.31.89 - malibu night club - lido beach,ny

happy 54th,black francis

1 - into the white
2 - bone machine
3 - cactus
4 - caribou
5 - crackity jones
6 - dead
7 - debaser
8 - gigantic
9 - gouge away
10 - hey
11 - i bleed
12 - isla de encanta
13 - levitate me
14 - mr. grieves
15 - monkey gone to heaven
16 - nimrod's son
17 - no. 13 baby
18 - river euphrates
19 - tame
20 - there goes my gun
21 - vamos
22 - wave of mutilation (uk surf)
23 - where is my mind?

DL

The Ethics of Mourning Deceased Musicians

(this was written by a long time friend of SGM that goes by the name dora.)

April 5th, 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death by suicide, and it also marks the 17th anniversary of Layne Staley’s death from a heroin overdose. Both men were revered as two of grunge’s most prominent voices, and both died under tragic circumstances long before their time was due. Unfortunately, both men have something else in common: sizable portions of their fan base are not particularly good at respecting them in death.

On any given April 5th across all social media platforms, you will see posts that make your eyes roll all the way to the back of your head. You’ll see tributes with statements like “Rest in peace, Kurt. I miss you” written by a teenage girl who wasn’t even alive when Kurt passed away. You will see misquotes of things that Kurt Cobain never actually said (FYI: “It’s better to burn out than to fade away” is a Neil Young lyric). You will see factions of fans arguing with one another about who is a “real” Nirvana or Alice in Chains fan. Worst of all though, you will see a plethora of conspiracy theory posts about how Kurt Cobain was murdered by his wife or that Layne Staley was murdered by a drug dealer, among others that are too awful to even discuss here.

This sort of nonsense isn’t just limited to musician deaths from “back in the day”, either - there are regular conspiracy theories about Chris Cornell or Chester Bennington being murdered. Chris Cornell’s wife is at the epicenter of a particularly nasty conspiracy theory that paints her as money hungry and eager to have her famous husband bumped off to take the reigns of his riches. Others think that Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington were killed for knowing too many industry secrets, attributing their deaths to “the Illuminati” or “elite pedophile rings”. There are similar “murdered because they knew too much” conspiracies about Xxxtentacion, Mac Miller, and other face tattoo rapper types. Give it enough time, and Nipsey Hussle will have some terrible conspiracy theory about his murder conjured up and posted online, too.

Then of course, there are those fans who met a celebrity who recently died once or twice after a show or in some other public setting, and these fans feel as though they had some kind of “connection” to that person, exaggerating a one-off fan encounter (or a one-night stand if they were a groupie) into something much more intimate and meaningful. The truth of the matter is that if you’re a music fan for long enough, someone in music you’ve met and had respect for is going to die. They might even die too young and/or under tragic circumstances, and it’s going to hurt. If you’re level-headed, however, you’ll just replay the moment you met them in your head a few dozen times while reading tribute articles and feel grateful that you met them.

Case in point: I met Chuck Mosley, the pre-Mike Patton era vocalist for Faith no More, at a solo show on September 8, 2017. On November 10, 2017, he had died of an accidental overdose. Here is the post I made about his passing on Instagram:

I gave a short, sweet, simple dedication to someone I met once whose work I liked and who as a person I thought seemed pretty damn cool (keyword here being “seemed”). I did not mention in my post that Chuck wanted to make music with me or that he gave me his phone number, two things that actually happened. Why? Those tidbits of information were irrelevant to the fact that the man just died. That information was irrelevant to the pain and suffering his wife, children, and band mates (both in Faith no More and his solo act) were feeling. Those were the people who were actually in Chuck’s waking life, who knew the man struggling with addiction problems and equally struggling with a tired, old body that was failing him. I did not know him at all.

From someone who has been there and done that with music communities over the course of nearly 20 years, here’s a few tips for what to do and what not to do when a musician dies (this also includes musicians who died more than a decade ago as well):

1. Leave their families alone. Seriously. Even if family members make public posts in memoriam for a recently fallen musician, that musician is still their son or daughter, their brother or sister, their mother or father, or another close relative. You wouldn’t post crude or insulting things in the comments of an “ordinary person”’s online memorial, would you? I’d like to think not. Furthermore, don’t DM family of the famously deceased asking questions or even sending “I’m so sorry” messages. It’s inappropriate. You are a stranger to them and have no right to get that personal with your dedications, and you have absolutely no right to ask questions about what “actually happened”.
2. Additionally, stop acting like you “knew” the musician yourself. Unless you were actually their friend in real life, don’t act like you were close to somebody famous in the wake of their death to get attention. Is it cool to post a fan photo of you with the deceased with a simple dedication? Yes. Is it appropriate for you to write something that erroneously magnifies what kind of relationship you had to the deceased, therefore making their death all about you? No. Absolutely not. Once again, family members, friends, lovers, etc. who actually knew the deceased will likely see this, and it will be upsetting to them. Don’t go there.
3. Stop the conspiracies. Conspiracy theories about musicians can make for some amusing late-night YouTube rabbit holes, but at they are also incredibly disrespectful and at times even harmful. Leeches like Tom Grant make a nice, fat living off of spreading misinformation and propaganda about the untimely deaths of musicians, simply because they know that fans will be eager to eat up any and all conspiracies about their “faves”. It’s one thing to read a couple of Vigilant Citizen articles and go “hmm” and then move on about your day. It’s an entirely other matter when you become obsessed with how someone died to the point that you have to point fingers in all the wrong directions.
4. Lastly, keep any celebrity death in perspective. Having an emotional attachment to a band or a musician isn’t unusual and in fact I have a few of my own. However, sometimes it’s good to remember that music just is what it is - something that helps you get through the day or puts you in a better mood. The death of a musician doesn’t mean that their music dies along with them. Those songs you love will still be in your music library. You might not have been that musician’s best friend or girlfriend or band mate or some other sort of relation, but you were a fan who (hopefully) purchased their albums or songs and got some enjoyment out of it. Pay respects to their legacies in the right ways for a fan to do - wear a band shirt, read old interviews, or just listen to the music.

Every year on July 3rd, my mom wears an old Jim Morrison shirt. Actually, she has three Jim Morrison shirts. Jim Morrison was her idol growing up. She thought he was good-looking, but what she liked most about him was his poetic mind. When he died at age 27, my mom, who was still a teenager, was devastated. She knew he had addiction problems as did most fans, but to her and other fans of The Doors, 27 years old was just way too soon for someone that brilliant to leave this earth. Along with one of her shirts, she remembers her rock idol by playing a few Doors songs every year on the anniversary of his death. Then she turns on the TV, changes the channel, changes the subject, and changes her state of mind. Call me crazy, but I think music fans could learn a few things from her.

(Thumbnail image by bodymind on DeviantART).

alice in chains - 7.3.96 - kemper arena - kansas city,mo

happy 17th birthday,death of layne staley

1 - again
2 - god am
3 - sludge factory
4 - we die young
5 - them bones
6 - rooster
7 - would?
8 - angry chair
9 - beth*
10 - a little bitter
11 - dam that river
12 - man in the box
*=mini kiss cover as they were opening for kiss

DL

nirvana - 2.19.92 - nakano sunplaza - tokyo,japan

happy 25th birthday,death of kurt cobain

1 - intro
2 - negative creep
3 - been a son
4 - on a plain
5 - blew
6 - come as you are
7 - lithium
8 - breed
9 - sliver
10 - drain you
11 - about a girl
12 - school
13 - aneurysm
14 - love buzz*
15 - polly
16 - territorial pissing
17 - smells like teen spirit
*=shocking blue cover

DL

v/a - robotic empire sampler #1

released: 2002
label: robotic empire

does anyone remember mp3.com? i'm not really sure how i'd discovered it but once i did i treated it as an all you can eat buffet. i just got balls deep into it (you're welcome for that visual) and soon i had 20 cds filled with random bands and songs. yeah. those were the days. the balls deep days (you're welcome once again).

and that's how i became aware of robotic empire.

that was a good story,grampa.
but you were asked about that smell coming from your closet.
yeah.
the smell.
i swear to all that is unholy if you start singing lynyrd skynyrd....
you bastard.
and now i'm going to have to think up a story to tell the folks down at the ER about how you ran yourself over with your own hoveround again.

1 - neil perry - looking back at how you want to be in the future
2 - the red chord - that certain special ugly
3 - pig destroyer - task master
4 - a life once lost - our second home
5 - pageninetynine - your face is a rape scene
6 - a days refrain - forces of habit
7 - benumb - path of the righteous
8 - the now - is that me,no it's the other guy with 20 arms
9 - employer,employee - where the hammers fall
10 - hot cross - untitled
11 - superstitions of the sky - tonight
12 - hassan i sabbah - not so in tune with the shells
13 - circle of dead children - a wooden heart never bleeds
14 - the ultimate warriors - kids need clues
15 - pageninetynine - more complicated than a sci-fi flick
16 - pig destroyer - purity undone
17 - nemo - robosong
18 - joshua fit for battle - 12 years of catholic school and this is what i learned
19 - house of low culture - untitled
20 - excitebike - standard candle
21 - the sacrifice poles - god is on the telephone
22 - superstitions of the sky - things said in passing
23 - vadim taver - untitled
24 - gregor samsa - o
25 - neil perry - wait,did he get enough yet?
26 - majority rule - burial suit
27 - creation is crucifixion - (excerpt of) antenna builder pt. 2
28 - ? - ode to a nyc subway
DL

faith no more - angel dust bonus disc

label: slash/reprise
released: 2015

what more can be said about faith no more's ANGEL DUST that hasn't been said already....
faith no more's mr. bungle album?
it pairs quite nicely with a watermelon flavored four loko?
now that guy in the van has something to listen to whilst driving through your neighborhood?

all you need to know (and should already know) is that this contains some of the best sounds that you'll ever send through your earholes and into your psyche.

the album was given the "deluxe edition" treatment (as have most of their albums sans INTRODUCE YOURSELF/LIVE AT BRIXTON ACADEMY/SOL INVICTUS) back in 2015 and this here is the bonus materials....

(it was brought to my attention that the previously mentioned WE CARE A LOT did in fact get the "deluxe edition" treatment back in 2016. i've pulled aside the fact checking minions and have informed them that they will not be able to have their montly check-up in order to pay for the infraction. we here at the SGM apologize.)

1 - easy* (cooler version)
2 - das schutzenfest (german version)
3 - as the worm turns (mike patton vocals)
4 - let's lynch the landlord**
5 - midlife crisis (the scream mix)
6 - a small victory (r-evolution 23 full moon mix)
7 - easy*+
8 - be aggressive+
9 - kindergarten+
10 - a small victory+
11 - mark bowen+
12 - we care a lot+
13 - midlife crisis*
14 - land of sunshine*
15 - edge of the world#
16 - rv+
17 - the world is yours (outtake from ANGEL DUST sessions)
*=commodores cover
**=dead kennedys cover
+=live in munich 1992
*=live in dekalb,il 1992
#=live in st. louis,mo 1992

DL

Bottomless Pit - Hammer Of The Gods

Label: Comedy Minus One
Year: 2007

Band name is Bottomless Pit, and album name is 'Hammer Of The Gods', so you would be excused if your first thought is "sludgy downtuned metal". I would have thought the same thing.
But in fact, this is no burly group of bearded knuckle draggers with Eyehategod patches on their vests. Nope. This is actually a beautiful and poignant return for Andy Cohen and Tim Midgett after the untimely and shocking death of their Silkworm bandmate and friend Michael Dahlquist. It's a record that takes what has to have been a brutal time in their lives, and channels it through the distillation of rocknroll , indie rock and post hardcore heft to a crystal clear statement of intent for a new band pulling themselves out from under the shadow of tragedy and legacy.
Silkworm fans will immediately grab ahold of the familiar sonic cues and fractured earnestness that Midgett and Cohen had previously brought to that band. You will forgive them though that the mood here is more maudlin, the tone is one of yearning and introspection, but no less powerful (or possibly more so) than what they had done before.
I'm listening to this in the morning before starting a work day with deadlines looming. It's perfect for that. The song "Human Out Of Me" might just be one of the prettiest and heart wrenching numbers you'll hear this week.
The rhythm section of Bottomless Pit is fleshed out by former Seam drummer Chris Manfrin and former .22 bassist Brian Orchard.

*Originally posted 10.18.15, reposted 04.03.19

DL

helmet - electric funeral 7"

this is helmet being helmet over in england back in 1991.
were you being helmet back in 1991?
no.
wearing one isn't the same thing.

1 - better
2 - fbla
3 - bad mood

DL

napalm death vs. nasum - live in japan (grind kaijyu attack!)

label: feto records
released: 2009

this is what napalm death and nasum were doing on january 9th in the year 2004.
they were hanging out in osaka,japan at club quattro with a bunch of people.
can you recall your whereabouts on that date?
you were in the crowd?
you were in the crowd?
this crowd?
in osaka,japan?
by our paperwork we know that you're lying.
the inside of this mask knows.
it smells like you.
we wouldn't just bring you in here if'n we didn't already know the answer to that question.
we know.
the camera knows.
but no one outside of this room knows.
and they don't have to know.
ok?
you know what i'm getting at?
ok then.
all you'll need to do is sign this piece of paper and leave a sample at the window on your way out.
i can see by the look on your face you're confused as to what sort of a sample to leave.
surprise us.

napalm death:
1 - narcoleptic
2 - take the poison
3 - next on the list
4 - to lower yourself
5 - can't play won't pay
6 - the icing on the hate
nasum:
7 - corrosion
8 - doombringer
9 - just another hog
10 - inhale/exhale
11 - scoop
12 - bullshit
13 - relics
14 - lopandebandsprincipien
15 - i hate people
16 - masshypnosis
17 - a welcome breeze of stinking air
18 - fatal search
19 - this is....
20 - the masked face
21 - the idiot parade
22 - den svarta fanan

DL

split cranium - i'm the devil and i'm ok

label: ipecac recordings
released: 2018

what you've got here is one of them there "featuring members of..." groups.
and in this case you've got:
vocals: aaron turner (isis)
guitar: jussi lehtisalo (cirlce)
bass: nate newton (converge)
drums: tom leppanen (circle)
keyboards: faith coloccia (mammifer)

yeah.
i'm thinking that most of you were sold at the mentioning of isis and converge.
but maybe you need a little more than just that.
maybe you should know that they sound like some venomous concept and some motorhead and some of the more crusty parts of napalm death.
maybe i'm just saying a bunch of random crap.
311 was an inside job.

DL