Stern Words

Best of 2012 - Bandcamp Edition

You know Bandcamp.  If you don’t, I suggest you get to know it. Without further ado, here are my favorite Bandcamp finds of 2012 (in no real particular order).

Fat Creeps - Fat Creeps EP

http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/

They’re probably sick of comparisons to Vivian Girls, but they’ve got those harmonies nailed.  Sometimes I’m reminded of early Sleater-Kinney.  This is good shoegazer garage pop.  If I still lived in Boston I’d probably go to all of their shows.

Ryan T. Hebert - The Earth

http://ryanthebert.bandcamp.com/album/the-earth

Heavy Winged (among other projects) guitarist’s collection of solo material from 2005-2012.  Amazingly cohesive for music culled over such a long period of time.  Negative Fun Records will be releasing music from Ryan’s new band Carton in 2013.

The Pilgrims - It’s Not Pretty

http://pilgrimsvt.bandcamp.com/album/its-not-pretty

Lazy misplaced geographic comparison - These dudes are pretty much Vermont’s Golden Boys.  Part of the What Doth Life collective, along with Ryan Hebert.

Infeccion - Tanto Sexo, Tanta Gonorrea

http://demo-lish.bandcamp.com/album/tanto-sexo-tanta-gonorrea

That weird intersection of garage rock and hardcore punk, sung in Spanish.  I don’t know enough about the Spanish punk bands that they are emulating, but I probably should.

Neutral Fixation - NNEEUU FFIIXX

http://tamperedreels.bandcamp.com/album/nneeuu-ffiixx-7

Lazy geographically appropriate comparison: If you play in a hardcore band from Western Massachusetts and I immediately think of Deep Wound, then as they say on the internet…you’re doing it right. I only found out about this last week, but I think I’ve already worn out the grooves on their corner of the internet.

Red Hex - Black Hole ep

http://redhex.bandcamp.com/

Full Disclosure And What Not - Negative Fun Records is putting out the follow-up to this fantastic 7”.  But it would be remiss of me not to include it because it is just so great.

Jon Mueller - Death Blues

http://deathblues.bandcamp.com/album/death-blues

Seeing Death Blues and Sunn O))) in the same weekend re-arranged my head. This thing comes with a manifesto. That’s serious.

MAKE - Axis

http://thebandmake.bandcamp.com/

Given more time to digest this might have been in my top 2 or 3 records of the year.  This thing is just immense.

Bad Apes - Notes Towards A Mental Breakdown

http://badapes.bandcamp.com/album/notes-towards-a-mental-breakdown

Whatta Coinkidink - One day I watched that movie Resurrect Dead on Netflix Instant about the mystery of the Toynbee Tiles in Philadelphia and beyond.  Then a few weeks later I stumbled upon the Bad Apes bandcamp page, which contains two tracks named after phrases on those same tiles. UK post-hardcore coated with MBV shimmer.

Flesh Wounds - Abrasions, Abcesses, and Amputations

http://thefleshwounds.bandcamp.com/

Regional Super Group Alert - Members of North Carolina bands Last Year’s Men, The Moaners and Future Kings of Nowhere playing just about perfect low-fi, primitive garage. This was recently released on cassette, otherwise you gotta stream it.

This one goes to eleven…

The Migs - Migz Jamz

http://themigs.bandcamp.com/

I guess New Hampshire is a new psychedelic garage breeding ground. Definite nods to early Black Lips here, it sounds like this band is about to break out.  This is their best material to date.

On guns and mental health.

Sometimes Twitter and Facebook aren’t enough space for a good old rant, so I’m resurrecting Stern Words as a place to prattle on about some of the things on my mind.  Might be sports, might be music, might be society, whatever. Open forum for my thoughts.  Here’s the first installment.  Let’s talk about guns.

Here’s my idea for reforming our gun laws. Yup, an actual idea. If you want a gun, go right ahead and get one.  You have to keep it safe, you have to keep it locked up, you have know how to use it properly.  

You also should be talking to a mental health professional regularly.  All of the guns used in the many tragedies this year were obtained legally.  All of the shooters displayed signs of being unwell after they committed their crimes and the authorities sorted out the details.  In every case people on both sides of the gun control argument have stated that we as a society need to be doing a better job identifying mental illness in those with easy access to firearms.

If you are pro-gun, your argument is correct.  If someone wants to go out and kill or harm a bunch of people, they will find a way to do it.  If you are pro-gun control, your argument is also correct.  If guns are harder to obtain, there is less of a chance for them to be used in a violent crime, either towards others, or oneself.

Accepting both of these arguments as true statements can lead us to a real solution for reforming our gun laws.  Yes, your “right” to bear arms is protected under the Constitution of The United States.  However, times have changed and we no longer need to protect ourselves from tyrants, both foreign and domestic.  The “right” to bear arms needs to be re-defined as a Constitutionally protected privilege. 

If you would like the privilege of bearing an arm, then in addition to all of the background checks and waiting periods required from state to state, then I propose that you should also make a few visits to your friendly neighborhood mental health professional.  You are applying to exercise your right to obtain a tool to kill or maim another living thing.  That is a powerful responsibility. To bear that responsibility means to also bear a certain psychological burden.   A burden that should not be taken lightly, or alone.  

As a part of the screening process the mental health professional should ask you why you want a gun.  Do you want it to hunt, do you want it for protection, do you feel threatened by current events, do you just want to exercise that right.  All fine reasons, but they should be discussed, the ramifications should be acknowledged and the risks assessed. 

Once you have that power in your hands, or locked up in a safe, I think you should also have to check in every once in a while to see how things are going.   Maybe there is a warning sign of trouble to come which a professional can identify and treat.  Perhaps there is some darkness simmering that might not be apparent to you. 

The media always asks why “we” never saw these tragedies coming.  Why was assailant never identified until it was too late?  How did we let all these tell tale signs pile up, and never do anything about them? Maybe because no one ever talked to these people.  Maybe it wouldn’t have done any good.  Maybe it is worth a try. I think that’s a fair trade. If you want a gun, part of the price is to have some counseling attached to the priviledge. I’m sorry if that seems too “nanny state” to you, but I’m tired of seeing innocent people killed by unhinged gunmen with easy access to weapons.  If you want to maintain the status quo for access, this is what I want in exchange.  Maybe you can even work out some of those pesky mommy and daddy issues while you’re at it.

Stern Words Is Dead

Until the next lockout…

walkerwiggle:

I’m doing things over at Enormous Consequences.

I’ll be keeping a Mardi Gras Tumblr at Just Keep Walkin’.  

Come check it out.

The Last Day?

It could be.  Either way we will probably soon know the fate of the 2011/2012 NBA season.

Coincidentally, Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudamire showed up on Sesame Street today to figure out if things are the same, or different.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure if Amar’e would hit his free throw.

Day Forty One

Did you know that 41 is the 13th smallest prime number?

Did you know that Conway Twitty had 41 #1 hits?

Well, forget all that…because today, on the 41st day of the NBA lockout, I present to you Paul Pierce, who’s actually #34.

Thanks to my buddy Matt for posting this on my facebook wall.  You should go and check out his blog after you watch this.

Day Thirty Nine

Alright, there’s nothing happening right now.  I’ve been working like crazy since I started my new position and my brain hurts. Basically…I got nothin’ for you today.

I don’t think Paul Pierce had anything either.

Day Thirty Eight

Maybe this is why Michael Beasley had to take his frustrations out on a fan?

In other news, Kevin Durant continues to be an absolute joy.

Day Thirty Seven

Yesterday, Standard and Poor’s downgraded the United States’ credit rating from AAA to AA+.

I think it’s time to downgrade David Stern and Billy Hunter.  Maybe the US got a bum rap from The S&P, but if you have your money on an NBA season, you may want to think about divesting.

David Stern.

Old Rating: AA+

Congratulations sir.  You have now presided over two NBA lockouts, and narrowly avoided a third.  Yes, you have also made the league more popular than it has ever been, but you have also already lost one half of an NBA season and what’s increasingly looking to be an entire upcoming season.  

Stern has not been playing the role of a deal-maker early in the negotiations, instead serving as the owner’s personal hit-man.  He has accused the Players Association of not dealing in good faith, filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the union from decertifying, and has publicly called out union lawyers.

New Rating: BBB

Billy Hunter

Old Rating: AAA

So far, Billy Hunter has done right by the players.  He was able to secure a favorable CBA in 1999 and 2005, ok maybe too favorable. It seems as though Hunter may be fumbling these negotiations.  He took the threat of decertification off the table almost immediately, despite the urging of player agents. He’s publicly raised the possibility of losing the entire season and doesn’t seem to have the players speaking from the same script.  Ultimately, I believe that the players are going to end up signing a CBA much more favorable to the owners.  Hunter may not survive this lockout.

New Rating: CC

Day Thirty Six

Here is a picture of Michael Beasley giving a fan a face wash during a game at Rucker Park yesterday.

Michael Beasley is a bitch. Michael Beasley is a fraud. Michael Beasley sucks at his job.

At least Michael Beasley got rid of that stupid haircut.

Day Thirty Five

I guess it wouldn’t be an NBA offseason unless someone did something crazy with a gun.

This year’s lucky winner? Darius Miles!!!

Remember when D-Miles was supposed to be the next Kevin Garnett?

Remember when D-Miles was suspended for shouting racial epithets at his own coach in Portland?

Well, now we can all remember the time that this 29 year old former NBA disaster decided it would be a good idea to bring a loaded handgun with him to the St. Louis Airport.

In retrospect, trying to get past a TSA agent and onto a plane with a gun was probably a much better decision than the one Portland made in signing him to a $48 Million dollar contract.

And you wonder why we’re not going to see an NBA games for a while?