Idiocracy

This post has nothing to do with music, but I just saw what I think was the only theatrical showing of "Idiocracy" in Minnesota last night. It kinda sucked that the film projector melted at the very end of probably its only theatrical showing, but they fixed it and aired the final few seconds without a soundtrack. Seems like the climax of terrible marketing by Fox. This film had no trailer, commercials, or promotion of any kind. Its only theatrical showing was at midnight, last night, so I got to be one of the mabye 60 people in Minnesota who actually got the chance to view "Idiocracy" theatrically, which either makes me extremely lucky or extremely geeky.

But man, this movie was fucking hilarious. I figure it had bad marketing because of how it lampoons actual organizations that could sue the hell out of the distributors. It also lampoons the hell out of fox news, and fox itself was the distributor. Other lampoons - the future Fudruckers is called "ButtFuckers", the future Starbucks sells handjobs, blowjobs, and sex instead of coffee, and the future Costco is the size of an actual city which features tons of hookers and a law school. This film is probably accurate in what is likely to happen with humanity - with no natural predator natural selection favors the dumbasses instead of the smart because the dumbasses are too dumb to use birth control. Which is why abortion should always remain legal. The genuis of this movie is that it presents every category of dumbass you've ever met. Its pretty ridiculous, funny, and disturbing at the same time. The good thing is I think "Idiocracy" will actually be promoted once is comes out on DVD, and you can already save it on Netflix, which claimes it will be released in Jan. 2007, which is pretty soon.

The Results of the Class

The People's University course is now over, and you fuckers missed out. The first seminar featured Tony Glover, of Koerner, Ray, and Glover fame. They were this folk group that started around the early '60s in the local area. It was cool to learn about what Minneapolis was like in those times, but I'm not that aquainted with the group to get too nostalgic. It was still interesting to see Tony Glover speak about the group in person.

The next week kicked ass. Grant Hart came in and was acting like a goofball the whole time. He would run out of the classroom and speak in his mic while interrupting Chris Osgood's lecture. We got to see a video of a Husker Du concert in the early '80s. They kicked ass. There were no breaks between the songs and they were always jumping around rocking out with lots of energy. Grant Hart also talked about why he didn't sue SST like Bob Mould did (he claimed he would feel like a traitor), which is pretty impressive since SST owes him over $1 million (and I know Grant Hart's got no money). He also got in depth about his songwriting process, which got kinda boring but was forgivable because he was Grant Hart. He explained what "Girl who lived on Heaven Hill" was about (a St. Paul lady who had 2 handles of Heaven Hill Vodka delivered to her doorstep every night). I also learned Husker Du started in Machalester College (which is probably the only thing that doesn't suck about that school).

Last Monday Dr. Fink aka Matt Fink of Prince and the Revolution spoke (Matt was the guy always dressed like a doctor). He was a middle aged white man who definatley wasn't funky, but had some interesting stories about Prince's eccentric behavior. We watched some videos from the Purple Rain tour and the Sign O' the Times surprise concert at 1st Ave. Those were pretty damn entertaining.

The other day I saw Clerks II, which was filled with '90s music. It closed with "Misery" by Soul Asylum, and it got me wanting to hear more Soul Asylum. I don't care what anyone says, Soul Asylum fucking rocks. Matt, I encourage you to download a discography of theirs.

Upper Mississippi Shakedown: Anatomy of a Scene

At the New Minneapolis Public Library (which is really modern and classy), the People's University will be hosting a class called Upper Mississippi Shakedown on July 10th, 17th, and 24th. It is taught by Chris Osgood, the man behind The Suicide Commandoes (a classic local influential group from the '70s) and member of Twin Tone Records (they had Soul Asylum, the Replacements, etc). Other teachers assisting Chris are Tony Glover (of Koerner, Ray and Glover), Matt Fink (he played with Prince for a very long time), and none other than Grant Hart (of Husker Du, Nova Mob). I believe the first lesson will focus on Minnesota Folk, the second lesson on Minnesota Rock, and the last lecture on Prince and the "Minneapolis Sound" (the "Minneapolis Sound" is pretty much the sound of Prince and his followers, such as Morris Day and the Time). This class goes from 6:15 - 7:45 PM and is free! I'm definatley going, and everyone else should if they can. Just register by clicking on the Upper Mississippi Shakedown Link.

The Most Underrated Group of the '80s

Husker Du is the most underrated group of the '80s. When listening to them, I honestly think all alternative music of the '90s came from them. If you were to pick up Zen Arcade, maybe you wouldn't agree with me. I know when I first heard it I really didn't like it. It was, for a time, the toughest album I had ever listened to (until I got into Metal Machine Music - and one star is bullshit). Seriously, Zen Arcade is full of terribly produced hardcore noise. In fact, the album's producer, the legendary Spot, is one of the worst producers ever. But Zen Arcade really grows on you. I would suggest starting with something more mainstream sounding though, like Flip Your Wig, Candy Apple Grey, or Warehouse. To me, Husker Du represents everything necessary for an alternative rock group. Their early stuff is incredibly punk and experimental, their lyrics were never anything more than catchy, they contain a lot of angst (although allmusic calls it emo - which I think is a bit of a mistake), and their later recordings are incredibly catchy (not just the choruses, but the bridges and verses too). They're kind of like a punk version of R.E.M.. As for their influence, Frank Black, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, the Replacements and many others cite them as direct influeces. Husker Du is also from the Twin Cities (and were the leaders of the local hardcore punk movement in the late '70s, early '80s), which helps support my claim that much of the better aspects of the '80s came out of the Twin Cities (Prince is the best pop to come out of the '80s, while Husker Du and the Replacements were the best alternative to come from the decade). Husker Du is also often cited as an example of the transition of punk to alternative. If you listen through their catalog chronologically, you too will find this out.

They never hit the mainstream, but were one of the first alternative groups who got a contract with a major label. The great thing was, they never sold out in their major label recordings like so many other similar groups did. However, Bob Mould, one of the groups lead singers and frontman, achieved maintsream success in the '90s with Sugar. I remember their song "Helpless" was a staple on the Edge back in the day. If any of you grew up in the '90s, it would probably ring a bell. Bob Mould has also had a pretty important solo career. In 1989 he realeased the folky Workbook, which has been said to be the precurser to many gloomy '90s albums (such as Automatic For the People).

To Matt - since I did all these damn links, you should download more Dinosaur Jr. albums. It would be appreciated.

Midwaye Saves the Day

So I'm currently listening to Guided By Voices. My only previous exposure was when I saw them play at Grand Old Days two years ago in what was supposedly one of their last shows. Since it was a free concert, they presumably got drunk off their asses and played horribly. I don't even think Robert Pollard was intelligible. But this album, "Bee Thousand", is pretty good.

After listening to some early Dinosaur Jr., I've decided that they are better than the Pixies and possibly better than Pavement. Maybe thats a bold statements, but those guitar solos fucking rock. Can I write 'fuck'? If any of you like the Pixies, you should try out Pere Ubu. Pere Ubu was a punk group from the late '70s; the first punk group ever to use synthesizers. Their influence on the Pixies is surely heard, but as for who they sound like, well, its kind of a disjointed Talking Heads; really dancy. Another noteworthy aspect of their sound is that their frontman is fat, unlike most punk bands. His voice is thus more soulful than the average punk frontman (but still pretty white). He's kinda like Frank Black in that aspect. I first heard of Pere Ubu from one of my roommates, who heard of them through Lester Bangs.

Lester Bangs was a rock critic of the seventies, wrote for various magazines including Rolling Stone, and is known as the "William Borroughs of Rock Criticism". He's pretty damn prententious about music, probably because he considers himself as inventer of the term 'punk' (but how many critics claimed this?). Another interesting tidbit: he considers groups like the Clash and the Sex Pistols as "new wave" and real punk to be The Stooges, Velvet Underground, etc. He is also probably the sole rock critic who actually thought Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" was a great work of art.

Which brings me to my last point. Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" is a true work of art. It is 60 minutes of one crazy noise going crazier and crazier with each passing minute. Most regard it as pure garbage. It is probably the toughest thing I've ever listened to, but I got through it once. Go pick it up and listen. You won't get it until the 60 minutes have passed. I can't tell you what its meaning is, its indescribable; but once you get through it, you'll know.