April 18, 2008 – 12:07 pm | Written by J Caleb Mozzocco
Well it’s about time.
There was a moment when the late-90’s Hong Kong invasion looked like it was going to be a boon for American cinema, but when some of the greatest stars and most promising directors of the far east finally arrived and actually started working in Hollywood, they immediately started cranking out inferior works.
Jackie Chan managed to become a household name, but he managed to do so mostly through a string of buddy action comedies pairing him Western co-stars (or, as I like to think of them, minders) that delivered diminishing returns.
Jet Li tried to go a more bad-ass route, but the results were simply bad, and he ended up the taciturn villain or sexless, speechless hero in movies with blaring hip hop soundtracks.
It really shouldn’t have taken a decade for someone to figure out that instead of diluting Hong Kong heroes’skills and star power with something homegrown, they should maybe appear in the same movies together.
Which brings us to The Forbidden Kingdom, the first time Chan and Li have shared the screen and, more importantly for kung fu fans, fought each other. (more…)
The Sword are coming back to Columbus on Wednesday, May 14 @ the Ravari Room. Tickets are currently available at the bar, but we’re giving away two pairs to lovely donewaiting.com readers.
Enter to win by sending a blank e-mail to wintix@donewaiting.com with the subject title “THE SWORD”. Winners will be chosen around May 10.
April 16, 2008 – 9:24 pm | Written by Robert Duffy
….but a lot more professional people will be DJing there, too. Seriously I am the most amateur person performing at Magnolia’s on Saturday for Record Store Day, but that only means it gets better.
Personally I am bringing a bunch of free stuff from people like Beggars, Dangerbird, Barsuk, Filter Magazine and others. But I think there’s gonna be a toooon of stuff.
Magnolia Thunderpussy’s Wes Flexner says:
We managed to emotionally extort large labels and artists to a level that I have no idea of everything we have. There are 15 unopened boxes for record store day sitting in front of me from places like Matador, Sony, Universal, Nonesuch, Warner Bros. and all their subsidaries.
Rhymesayers bought our customers candy. Victory Records made a comic book. I don’t know all what we have. But I know we have a lot of it. And much of it is vinyl shaped. We open at 10 and close at 9.
So come on down, 1155 N High St. in Columbus Ohio. For all you people who stopped buying music and only steal it on the internet, all of this free music being given away will make you feel right at home.
The picture above is from a 2004 Killed In Action Show. The Catalyst is the guy standing on a table looking angry.
Anyway its 08, and his new mixtape, Fuck The Radio, is an instant classic. Dood has the voice and patterns of someone from the Rakim school. Bo has the humor and shock value of Big L and Eminem. He has the relevance of a T.I. or Wayne. And he can make social commentary like Rass Kass or Canibus. And he delivers it all with the clarity of Ludacris.
Sucks I put such a silly looking photo of him up there, huh. Cause dood could easily be the next great. Plus he reps the O-H, like iono, John Kasich. Anyway him and I got drunk and I documented the conversation. I am gonna completely misrepresent him by posting said interaction.
(The Catalyst will be performing tonight @ Cafe Bourbon Street. DJ Top Speed from Indy will be performing as well.)
Wes Flexner:Who is a bigger wigger Envelope or Copywrite?
The Catalyst:(Laughs)Definitely Pete(Copywrite). If I didn’t know Tony(Envelope) I wouldn’t be able to tell he even listened to rap on first impression.
WF:Why are you so fond of hanging out with wiggers?
TC:Cuz half of me is a huge wigger. The black side of me is an oreo. He’s comparable to that of Bryant Gumbel.The white side of me is a West Side Hilltop Resident with bangs.
WF:How does the blackside manifest itself?
TC:Through attempting to rap and occasionally smoking Newports while drunk.
WF:That doesnt sound like Byrant Gumble?
TC:Well see… that’s where it gets complex.the black side manifests itself through the white wigger. Cuz the black side isn’t black at all.The black side reads the Wall Street Journal while drinking lots of milk.And listening to Abba. And it has good credit.
Last week I saw three great shows: Caribou with Fuck Buttons and Sinkane at the Wexner Center, Okkervil River and The New Pornographers at the Newport, and John Vanderslice and Spanish Prisoners at Skullys.
Quick recaps….
Sinkane - I liked their set, but I wish they would have played another song to show their diversity… (although I know they had a short timeframe)
Fuck Buttons - If this type of music isn’t your thing, well, then it isn’t your thing. I loved it, though. Sometimes sinister, sometimes reminded me of Underworld, always interesting. I also liked that it was more than two dudes and two laptops.
Caribou - Ahmed from Sinkane just showed Columbus why he is one of the best drummers in town. Holy crap. He played like he had been playing that music for two years, but in reality it’s been less than TWO WEEKS. It was hypnotic to watch him play. So so good. Discuss the show here, too.
The New Pornographers - If you’re a band that does male/female vocal harmonies in a strong way, you’ve won me over. Despite sound not being as good as it could have been, the band pulled through an excellent set, hitting upon their entire catalog. I was also happy to see the show sold out, or at least nearly sold out. That’s the power of CD101 + a great band.
Spanish Prisoners - I thought the set was good, but the energy from Leo’s debut record did not translate well as a two piece. Hope to catch them again with more people.
John Vanderslice - Disappointing turnout, but that didn’t stop Vanderslice and his band from putting on the best set I’ve ever seen by them. They were all in a great mood, and when the band came off the stage for the encore and performed in the middle of the crowd without any microphones or amplification, it was a thing of beauty. Definitely one of the most memorable music experiences I’ve had in a loooooong time.
April 13, 2008 – 10:59 pm | Written by Chip Midnight
Any Cleveland metalheads out there? Back in the ’80s and early ’90s there were a couple of clubs on the West Side (Shadows, The “Real” Flash Gordon’s) where you’d likely hear live metal 7 nights a week- and I’m talking all sorts of different metal, from the poofy-haired spandex variety to blue jeans-and-leather-pants thrash. Something about Dead Child’s debut, Attack (Quarterstick Records), reminds me a lot of those days and those clubs and reading import copies of Kerrang and Aardshock that I’d occasionally find at Chris’s Warped Records or Shattered or My Generation.
Three of the 5 Dead Child members have spent time recording and/or touring as members of indie rock noise legends Slint, an almighty band in their own right but not exactly what one might call “metal”. Hell, if you’ve got an hour to read through the impressive resumes of the players on Attack, you might even call Dead Child a supergroup of sorts though, once again, you probably wouldn’t have guessed a band made up of these members would churn out basement metal that pays homage to the likes of Priest, Maiden, Metallica, and all the other obscure shit that never made it to MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball in 1987.
The most (only?) recognizable name in Dead Child is David Pajo (pictured wearing a vintage Dio t-shirt presumably many years ago) whose guitar playing career has included a full-time gig with Slint as well as temporary positions with Billy Corgan’s post-Smashing Pumpkins project (Zwan), Tortoise, Royal Trux and a few others. He’s also recorded more than a dozen solo albums under various names (Aerial M, Papa M, Pajo).
A comment by Jill Ebenezer in the Donewaiting message board (”You can file them under ‘taking a quarter off of college metal’ along with Sword, Mastodon, Early Man, 3 Inches of Blood, etc. Basically, ‘metal’ you can listen to and your mom won’t get upset aka safe metal) inspired one of the best interviews I think I’ve ever done (made great only by Pajo’s answers).
Before getting to the interview (a must-read if I do say so myself), take note Columbus metal fans: Dead Child will be playing this coming Friday night (April 18) headlining Ruby Tuesday’s (1978 Summit St) with support from Prosanctus Inferi, Sword Heaven, and deadsea.
Message boards are lame, anonymous users with the freedom to say what they want without being held accountable. That being said, you’ve been taken to task by a few posters on the Donewaiting message board essentially as being a “fake” metal musician. And Dead Child has been mentioned in the same breath as bands who supposedly previously wouldn’t claim their “metalness”, if you will, but now are perceived as jumping on the bandwagon. So I ask you, Mr. Pajo, would you care to silence your anonymous, hiding behind a name, “critics”?
This is a bummer but I anticipated this kind of backlash. It’s a risk for us to call ourselves a metal band and it would be just as easy for us to drop it. But we set out to form a metal band so why refer to it as anything else? I’m trying to get away from this elitist bullshit! Besides, aren’t there more fruitful efforts to pursue while we orbit on this tiny pebble than sorting out what’s metal and what’s not? Metal is a broad fucking term – ultimately, it’s just music and attitude.
I understand the sentiment though – poser metal (hair metal) was a real problem in the 80s and I used to hate those guys/bands. But these days it’s not so much of an issue, except for that nu metal shit. Hot Topic metal. I think you’ll see more and more people like me coming in (or back) from other genres that have finally ‘seen the light.’ I think this should be welcomed because it will help expand and fortify the genre. It’ll be interesting to see what develops from these new influences. What I’m trying to say is, I understand that metal is precious to you and you have every right to be suspicious but please judge us on our music. Not our recorded history (which only tells a fraction of the story). If it’s not your cup of tea, we are easily ignored.
I don’t know why people would think we’re jumping on some sort of bandwagon, it’s not like I’m milking the market dry. I’ve had prominent people in the indie rock world, people who I thought were friends, turn their back on me for “committing career suicide.” Quarterstick is pushing the record as hard as they can but we’re all still broke, sleeping on floors, averaging $100 a show, playing to tiny crowds. I’m 40 years old, We got $0 the last two times we played out and they were legitimate shows! I’ve been doing this shit for a long time. Yes, I gave up a successful career in the indie rock world and my old friends don’t talk to me any more. But I can’t deny where my heart is, and I can’t help that it’s 100% in metal. (more…)
April 11, 2008 – 4:50 pm | Written by Stephen Slaybaugh
Given the many guises the songwriting of Mark Eitzel took on after the disbanding of American Music Club in 1995, the band’s 2004 reunion album, Love Songs for Patriots, wasn’t quite the jarring return to form that might have been expected, but more of a subtle dipping back into familiar waters. The band’s new album, The Golden Age (Merge), recalling AMC benchmark California, treads over paths Eitzel first cleared more than a decade ago, only now there’s wisdom where once there was desperation, world-weariness replacing emotional exhaustion. When Eitzel sings “No one is going to save you” on highlight “Decibels and Little Pills,” it may sound like a familiar refrain, but here he comes off resolute instead of at the end of his rope. Elsewhere cuts like “The Dance” may lack such a dramatic lyrical hook, but Eitzel has developed a narrative form that’s just as captivating for its character development and miniature plot lines. Guitarist and only other remaining original AMC member Vudi is the real difference though. In some intangible way, the songs are more firmly rooted for his presence, his intricate playing still the perfect blend of tear-in-a-beer twang and ambient moodiness for Eitzel’s sadsack tales. It would be unfair to say that it’s like no time has passed since the band’s hey day because really it’s specifically time that has produced The Golden Age.
Moviola and the Black Swans will open for American Music Club when they play at Cafe Bourbon Street on Monday, April 14.
If you read the comments on the Flight of the Conchords MySpace page, you’ll see that almost the entire tour sold out in a few minutes. We were lucky enough to get two tickets to the Ann Arbor show.
The band has a full length coming out on Sub Pop on April 22. Season two of their television show hits HBO in January 2009.
May 5 - Tower Theater, Upper Darby PA
May 6 - Town Hall Theater, New York NY
May 7 - Town Hall Theater, New York NY
May 9 - Lisner Auditorium, Washington D.C. (early and late show)
May 10 - Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor MI
May 11 - Riverside Theater, Milwaukee WI
May 13 - Orpheum Theatre (Mpls), Minneapolis MN
May 14 - Chicago Theatre, Chicago IL
May 15 - Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver CO
May 26 - Sasquatch! Festival, George WA
May 27 - Nob Hill Masonic Center, San Francisco CA
May 30 - Orpheum Theater, LA CA
The night before the Twiztid Show, DJ Detox, DJ True Skillz, DJ Gaybar played records in a completely opposite enviroment; a Short North Queer Positive Watering hole. Our heroes spun at Sweatin, a monthly dance party, located at the East Village Cafe that owns the Girltalk, Justice, and Blog House so-called “hipster” crowd.
The dejays angle on the evening was disco in the loosest sense of the word.
April 10, 2008 – 12:53 pm | Written by Robert Duffy
The New Pornographers
The weather is getting better in Columbus, people, so that means you should do your best to spend time inside our sweaty rock clubs. Here’s what’s up:
Friday
It’s been some time since The New Pornographers have been in Columbus, and this time out they’re upgrading to the larger Newport Music Hall. Their last album, Challengers, was on my favorite albums of 2007 list, so you can imagine I am pretty excited about this. Opening the show is Okkervil River, a band that could headline on their own.
Saturday
Over the last few years, CD101 Day has not had any major headliners. While earlier versions brought bands like The Black Keys and Dresden Dolls, the more recent versions have been made up of rising bands who have yet to make their mark. And while I’m always a little disappointed that there’s never a bigger name involved, I also think it’s a good thing to have a radio station put together a show with bands of this smaller size and get behind it both on the radio and with an affordable $5 price tag. Saturday’s version at Promowest includes such rising stars as The Whigs, Von Iva, The Duke Spirit as well as locals The Whiles (who have not updated their website since the Reagan administration).
Sunday John Vanderslice (mp3) returns to Columbus for an early show at Skullys. Yesssss. The last time he was here was when we brought him to an early Monday show at High Five. That show was great, so I’m expecting this one to be 30 times better.
Also on Sunday, and also early, Times New Viking are playing Bourbon St for what they’re calling “their last Columbus show in awhile.” Details here.
Formerly known as Monarch, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, now named after the Maryland state tree, Wye Oak project the hallmarks of a band too meticulous and maybe even a bit overproduced — long nights, double takes, excessive overdubs, might have sucked some energy from what might translate live. In the style of the trad-Merge, off-kilter, dual sex subgenre (see Butterglory, the Rosebuds, She and Him) If Children, the group’s debut is as varied as leaves from the tree. As we wait with baited breath for the next installment of My Bloody Valentine there’s still time to throw your own Loveless replicate into the ring and Stack shows submits his love letter. Well, at least on “Warning,” a full-on fit of buzzing and massaging waves of guitar fuzz, pure sonic navel gazing.
Coming from Maryland, disbelief is suspended and the mess is that bit of the Dixie seeped over the border. I hear harbor and fog, salty inlets forged by the sea rather than swampland and twang. Sure the duo is guilty of staying up late night with Palace LPs (the barren-soul whimper is a constant) but these songs are more shanty – swaying, low-ended, benders more reminiscent of the Breeders and Come and Scrawl (‘specially when Wasner takes the commanding lead, not just using her the voice as wispy instrument) on the double bummer of “Family Glue” and “Orchard Fair” – these are not death ballads. Hope is prevalent; it’s just wobbling in intoxication.
Stack is a trained songwriter and great at the finger picking (an epilogue to Bon Iver?), which makes his band’s eclectic choice of ideas even the more strange. Pleasantly surprised is the apt descriptor here, as most of If Children doesn’t follow a blueprint, it goes from feeling to feeling. It’s certainly not groundbreaking stuff. Songs like the ballooning mini-epic “I Don’t Feel Young” though, tend to stun more often than not — always a stinging and spacey subversion from slightly similar precious and sensitive albums that battle with mediocrity. In here there’s a beating heart.
This past month I have watched DJ Detox+ friends rock so many packed rooms. Sweatin, Get Right, The Catalyst’s release party, So What Wednesdays, The Milk Bar and even Twiztid at the Newport all got handled.
I am gonna hit you with a series of blogs with pictures and playlists from a gaybar, a downtown nightclub, a boutique, a shitgaze(jokes) haven turned Stretch + Bobbie 89.9 for a night and a sold-out Juggalo event to let you know Home Mortgage scandals don’t need to be the norm
Lets start with the Sold-out Newport.
Might as well set it off with proof that if God doesn’t love ugly, someone else will and make 25 dollars at ticket.
Any Cleveland metalheads out there? Back in the ’80s and early ’90s there were a couple of clubs on the West Side (Shadows, The “Real” Flash Gordon’s) where you’d likely hear live metal 7 nights a week- and I’m talking all sorts of different metal, from the poofy-haired spandex variety to blue jeans-and-leather-pants thrash. Something about 
