Blood on the Wires

A poem inspired by the U.S. admission that drone strikes killed four American citizens

Blood on the Wires

one mistake,
left broken, breached,
a contract with a flag,
that waves in the afternoon air,

sun, you cloudless brick,
hurled at the unwashed grounds
of another lovely people,
who yearn to love and grow to learn.

that mighty drone,
four american shadows
glimpsed in the
lighted window of another tenement …

he signs his last bill,
says its for the best,
sips his coffee,
and drowns out the riotous voices outside.

love your own kind,
she says with a smile,
a smirk,
a stationary glance.

but how does one love?
how does one say who lives and dies?
with the flick of a cigarette,
the jotting of a pen,
he'll know what is right, what is wrong,
and what is to be remembered.

And since this is/was a music blog, the song that I was listening to as I read the articles/wrote the poem was "Likkle More" by Kim Deal, which you can hear below:



That's all. PEACE.

for Mark Carson

After reading about the hate crime/murder that took place in New York's West Village, that claimed the life of 32-year-old Mark Carson, I was inspired to write this poem for him. Part of a project I started about a year ago, in which I started writing poems that were directly inspired by news articles (ie. the one I posted a while back about the conflict in Syria), this one felt like there was a pressing need to address the growing problem of intolerance that plagues our country. While some may argue that this happens all over the world (which is true), people should be able to manufacture at least some semblance of an idea of what is right and wrong, and taking a human life is wrong, regardless of your beliefs. I just hope, as a human being, that people come to their senses before these "hate crimes" escalate to a place where redemption won't exist. Anyways ... you can read the poem below: This one is for you, Mr. Carson.

For Mark Carson

6th and 8th the sky illuminating that hot, red moon, his breath silent, under the scorching of another glowing star.

He walks, loosening his steps along the gravel, a smile lighting his face, his cheeks flushed with delight, life is good.

The West Village buildings shuffle their toes along the roadside, allow him to pass, allow him to move.

Who is this dark shadow, that emerges from beneath the lighted lamppost. “You want to die tonight?”

Walking faster, he ignores the question, he moves quickly, under the shifting clouds, waiting for the applause.

His knees buckle, in an endless scuffle, for mind over matter. Where does that first bullet land?

His body stretches under that waiting tree, arms outstretched, “the gay angel …” How beautiful you look tonight.

We thought the village was safe, safe from the angry bullets of a hate-filled phantom, yet he's alive in his fury.

No longer a hologram, but full-bodied and steady.

And since this is mainly a music blog, I thought I'd share what I was listening to while I wrote this: Kim Deal's "Hot Shot"



That's all. PEACE.

Burnin' For You

Here are The Sonics!...Native Korean Rock...Kanye W...

I once read somewhere that the idea of music is that it should be shared and it should be treasured by the majority because given the masses will always move toward new trends and new ideas, music in itself is a constant. People will always need a beat, an instrument, something to express themselves. Personally, I have many outlets for that, but regardless of who you are, music should always be a big part of your life, and if it isn't, that just means you haven't heard enough good stuff. Listen to some Sinatra and ease your way in.

Moving along, my import of The Sonics' Here Are The Sonics! has finally come in and I've been listening to it nonstop. I was in my office the other day talking to a friend and this band came up, and though I've loved them for years, I realized that I didn't own any of their records. So, I immediately went home and ordered this bad boy, and no regrets thus far. If I remember correctly, it's basically an album of good rock covers, with the only original song being "The Witch," but no one can do covers like this band. You can hear them "Walking The Dog" below:



Also, since I'm gearing up for the release of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Mosquito, coming out later this month, I've been delving into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' earlier stuff, and have slowly migrated to the lo-fi demos of Native Korean Rock & The Fishnets (Karen O's brief side project). I've written about them before, so I won't waste too much time reiterating my appreciation of O's vocals, the rough, sweet quality of the recordings, or the clear sentimental heart that possesses these recordings. Just listen to "Day Go By" below:



Also, after reading that Kanye West was coming out with a new album some time this year, I was talking to my roommate about it, to which she asked, "Is that guy legit or is he just some privileged ass with a mic?" I told her, "Unfortunately, it's the latter." BUT, that doesn't mean the man isn't talented. Granted, I hate his personality and would rather him not speak ... EVER. However, listening to his music can be a mixed blessing. You can be blessed to get tracks like "Everything I Am," which are noted for their poignant reiterations of this man's character, or you can get 808s & Heartbreak, and who wants that? Regardless, I'm sure people will be excited if and when he decides to drop a new album. Until then, we still have everything else, including "Everything I Am."



That's all. PEACE.

No Leaps This Year

Primal Scream ... Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Sacrilege" ...

It's been a hot hour since I've updated this little bloggy-blog, and that's completely my fault. Some great things have been a-brewing on the writing front in that I've secured a lovely position at The Weekly Alibi as a Copy Editor/Staff Writer. In keeping with tasteless self-promotion, keep an eye out for this next issue in which I have two articles (one for the Arts section and one for the Music section). Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's get back to what we do best: MUSIC!

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have shared their first single from their upcoming record, titled Mosquito. I don't have a release date on-hand (my bad!), but the track is good ole Yeah Yeah Yeahs at work. You can hear Karen O's voice go from angelic and soft to thrashy and wild (which is what we love about her!). This track instills faith that they are still good at what they do and this upcoming album shouldn't be a disappointment. You can hear "Sacrilege" below:



Moving along ... I got into Primal Scream within the past couple of years (I know I've written about their '90s record, Psychedelica, a couple of times.) But, they've shared a new track from an upcoming album, More Light, that's scheduled to come out on May 13th. Now, besides the aforementioned album, and a performance I saw of them on Jools Holland with Alison Mosshart (of The Kills), I don't know too much about them, but if this track is anything to go by, this album will be purchased by yours truly. You can hear "2013" below:



That's all. PEACE.

When New Years Pour...

End of year thoughts...VU always there...

So, every New Years Eve is spent looking over the past year, trying to make amends, but at the same time, seek retribution for the year to come. You look in the mirror and tell yourself things like "I'm going to be more assertive...I'm not going to take no for an answer..." Or for those who are scorned within the amour-twinged afterlife, say "I'm only going to date people that treat me well." Yadda yadda yadda.

For me, a new year means one thing, and one thing only. I survived another one. I was able to take in the sweet, savory breaths of another wicked morning, and yet, I was able to dive face-first into the concrete, in the hopes that this dirt would taste as sweet as the rhythmic jumble and tumble of the previous day's scar tissue. But hey, that's just my take on things. Every year people make these so-called "resolutions," and they yearn to fill a gap that needs no filler. They strive to deconstruct the weariness of their daily lives in the hopes of finding a cure...or at least a momentary antidote. But each time, they set themselves up for the most prominent failure: fear of failing.

So, I make no resolutions this year. I make no promises to myself. Instead, I will thank baby Jesus that I made it through, or at least, made it a little further. With some good tunes, good people and good moments, maybe a resolution will come on its own... or at least something interesting. Cheers folks.

It's Just a Reflection

The Alibi...Putrifiers...

So, it's been a hot minute since I even took a look at this thing, and that's definitely my bad, and I'd like to say that I'll be more diligent about posting updates and new music, but that would be difficult for two reasons. The first is that my internet connection is nonexistent. At this moment, I am using my work computer. My second reason is that since my internet connection is nonexistent, it's hard to keep abreast of new music and new inspiration, though I've been working on art at a more diligent pace, so maybe this no-technology thing has its advantages?

I'm now living in Albuquerque, NM where I am a part-time copy editor at The Alibi, which is the city's prominent alternative news source. I am also a part-time bookseller at Barnes and Noble, so all in all, I'm living the cliche life of a struggling writer. But, I get a good discount at B & N, which works to my advantage.

LISTENING: I haven't been listening to much besides delving into some old records, like The Monks' Black Monk Time and Heartless Bastards' Stairs and Elevators. But, I recently bought a copy of Cat Power's latest release, Sun, and though it wasn't what I expected because I didn't really read any reviews or press about the album (most of them noting her electronic change of direction), it sort of threw me. I'm still listening to it to get a better feel, but the tracks I like so far are "Ruin," "Manhattan," (which you can hear below) and "Nothin' But Time," which features vocals by Iggy Pop.



Also, today, I've been delving into Thee Oh Sees Putrifiers II, and I can't fucking believe I waited this long to listen to it. Just from a first listen, I'm already blown away, and even their initial single for the album, "Lupine Dominus," should have tipped me off, but alas, it didn't. You can view the video for that song below:



That's all. PEACE.

"Happy Birthday To Me"

So, today is my birthday...and like any normal grown-up, when it comes time to turn 25, you want to celebrate it in a way that'll make you happy. Since last year's birthday was such a shitstorm of unnecessary nonsense, I decided to make this one as low-key as possible. So...last night, I rekindled my love of horror films and watched a classic 80s slasher flick, titled "Happy Birthday To Me." Pretty morbid, huh? And today, I've spent the majority of my day working because what is a better distraction than making $$$$$. But, as far as music-modes, I wanted to hear a #1 hit from 1987, the year I was born. Since, I don't really care for any of the Billboard Top 100 best singles of '87, I decided to do the original of one of the songs listed. On the list was Billy Idol's cover of "Mony Mony." I decided to post Tommy James & The Shondells' version, well...because it's 10,000 times better. You can hear that below:



That's all.

Makes Me Better

Hellhole Ratrace...10-year-old wisdom...

This is going to be a very short one. But, lately, as far as music listening goes, it's been fairly stale. I bought David Byrne and St. Vincent's collaborative effort, titled Love This Giant the day before yesterday but haven't given it a thorough listen which I hope will be remedied within the coming week. Aside from that, I'm still obsessively listening to Girls...you know...that band that had that singer that was raised in a cult, released two albums, and is suddenly no more...yeah that band.

Since I'm fully acclimated to their second album, I've been listening to their first record, titled Album. It's a fantastic listen, and I like that Christopher Owens chose different directions in terms of songwriting as well as his vocal delivery. It was an interesting surprise. But, lately, I can't get the tune, "Hellhole Ratrace," out of my head. You can hear that one below. Also, check out their song, "Big Bad Mean Motherfucker." It's a nice little throwback to good old-fashioned rock n' roll.



On a musically unrelated note...I've started writing down weird, funny, and interesting things people say, compiling them on my phone's "notes" app, which is also my attempt at becoming more technologically savvy, and this one was taken from my 10-year-old nephew. This is his response to seeing my older brother's newly-grown beard.

"You look rough, like life is going hard."

That's all. PEACE.

DECLARE!

Hot Cheetos and Takis...OH SYRIA...

Not much to report other than the fact that I have been OBSESSED with watching this video of some Minneapolis youngsters wrap about their favorite snacks, which are relevant in the title. Part of an after school program that rewards kids with recording their own music for good schoolwork, these kids are little bosses, and I think that this should be a #1 hit on principle alone. This shit will have you singing..."SNACK, SNACK, SNACK...CRUNCH!"



The poem below was one that I wrote a few months ago after a particular incident that took place in Idlib, Syria where a car bomb claimed the lives of five people. Of course, if you've followed the news, you've seen that more lives have been claimed, and the struggle is still ongoing. I submitted this piece to the New Yorker, and it generously got denied, so I thought I'd self-publish it on here.

OH SYRIA

Oh holy light,
Your cursed shell ignites a spark
Within the boundaries of my village.
You search the remnants of burned buildings,
A dead child wakes, gasping for one more breath,
Or a drink of water.
Yet, he falls fast asleep
And breathes no more.

Oh dictator,
How you have created a divide,
Those to the left, those to the right,
One fist can strike a fine blow,
But one blast can steal a million voices.
Though he tried to steal Damascus,
The emblem of his wavering flag
Cutting the wrists of those who wouldn’t drown,
Would not go down
To the sound
Of troops carrying fire-red guns,
One bullet to take them all.

Oh Muslims,
Thine hearts made of metal,
Struck with the shrapnel
Of soldiers unnamed.
They smile at the bloodshed,
Wipe their sweaty heads,
And dance around the graves
Of lost children.

Oh Idlib,
You are remembered,
One bomb, five lives,
One shot…
…can shake the earth,
But who will be there when she gives birth
To a day when silence has no need
For the breathless yell of a thousand feet,
That march toward your new-born ear,
Uttering the quiet prayers
Of those who were born to fear.

Oh Syria,
Your body lays to rest
On isolated waste
Of gutted cities
That feed on the ashes of burned-down tenements.
And we lay out on scraps,
Feeling the roaring of another explosion,
That engulfs our mothers and fathers.
And when the ruins of this land
Fall toward its knees,
One more entreaty will glisten
Under the fiery sun,
Set in motion by the rhythm of
Their fateful march.
“Guardians of the homeland.”
Let down your shields,
Your tattered tresses,
And remember the will of the silenced,
The prayers of the scorned,
Who only wish to be born…
Who only wish to be born…

Disappearances

Harry Belafonte...Girl in a Coma...I Disappear...

SHIT...It's been a while since I even looked at this thing. I guess I've undergone some weird hibernation where the digital world just didn't satisfy my yearnings. I'm not going to try and pretend like while I was absent from this static blog that I was off enduring some sort of spiritual awakening in some third-world nation. No, I wasn't doing ANYTHING. Just being lazy. But, I figured why not share a little of that laziness with the rest of the world...or at least to the three people that read this. Firstly, let's talk about Harry Belafonte. I'm not ashamed to admit that the first time I heard "Jump In The Line" was watching Beetlejuice when I was 7 or 8, but last night I found myself dancing wildly to it in my room, surely causing a ruckus. But that's neither here nor there. You can hear the wonderful track below:



Also, I recently wrote an article for my local paper about an indie-rock band from San Antonio, called Girl In A Coma. You can read it here. If you haven't heard of them, you should give them a listen. They're not insanely groundbreaking, but the passion in their songwriting is extremely evident, and it makes listening to them enjoyable. I've only heard a few songs from each album, but they do a nice cover of The Velvet Underground's "Here She comes," and I also liked the first track of their newest album, Exits and All The Rest. You can hear "Adjust" below:



Also, I've been writing more and more, and while this poem isn't especially recent, it was a hearkening back to my angsty high school days, when The Faint was the band of the hour, and you couldn't get enough to drink before the night was over. You can read "I Disappear..." below:

I disappear…
Such a fancy line from a lingering high school infatuation,
The Faint is what they were called.
Such a delicate assertion that where
You once held more than a backwards glance,
You can pick up and leave
Before the suitcase is even packed.

Your picture can fade
In the memories of those who claimed to know you,
Claimed to trust you,
And before they were through sending you snickers and smiles,
You flew away…
…lost amidst a sea of wandering faces.
I disappear.

Two words
That calculate one single movement…
The turning of a back.
Easy to leave,
Hard to stay,
But would we have it play out differently?
Would we like to stay to consume more,
Purge less,
And realize that our mind is utterly blank,
Drained from the prospect of sharing one more cigarette.

I’d rather flee…
But I’m shackled by guilt,
Chained by reprehension,
And yet, I stay.
I want to drown in it,
Feed on it,
And taste the foul aftertaste of
bitter wine,
But what the fuck am I supposed to do with an empty glass?

That's all.