Yep, the headline pretty much says it all. Here We Go Magic was driving along and saw none other than John Waters (yes, the John Waters) hitchhiking. So they picked him up.
I would make a joke, but this story is too bizarrely amazing to be sullied by some ridiculous Cry Baby reference.
Here’s a bit from HWGMer Michael Bloch about the adventure:
There’s a hydro-fracking boom in western Pennsylvania. You can’t get a motel room. We had to drive til 4AM, and finally found a Days Inn in eastern Ohio. Getting back on the highway this morning, there was a man at the side of the on-ramp with a sign that read ‘to the end of Rte 70.’ Jen wanted to pick him up, but we drove past him. As we passed by, our sound guy said ‘John Waters’ Luke said, ‘Yep, definitely John Waters.’ We got off at the next exit and circled back. He was still there. We pulled up, opened the door and asked where he was coming from. ‘Baltimore,’ he said. And we said ‘Get in, sir.’
There’s a lot of news in the world of Reggie Watts these days. You can see the best hair in biz May 11 on Comedy Central, when Reggie Watts: A Live at Central Park makes its debut. It’ll subsequently be released May 15 in a CD/DVD package. The very next day, monsieur Watts will hit the road on a nationwide tour, bringing his comedy beatboxing to a venue near you.
And if that wasn’t enough, the premiere of Comedy Bang! Bang! on IFC is slated for June 8. Speaking of which, if you haven’t seen the 10-minute preview of the show, watch it right now! RIGHT NOW!
Space Ducks: Soundtrack will be available on CD and vinyl this summer, but you can stream the entire record right now. It features seven Johnston originals, plus tracks inspired by Space Ducks from folks like Eleanor Friedberger, Fruit Bats and Deer Tick.
If you’re a normal Buzzgrinderer, it’s probably not breaking news that May 15 marks the release of mewithoutYou’s first independent full-length, Ten Stories. That said, you can get a lot more information on the album and the circumstances surrounding its creation in this new video clip.
And as the late Billy Mays would say — wait, there’s more. The band recently premiered a new song from the record, February, 1878. Based on comments from members of mewithoutYou, 1878 is a pretty accurate representation of what Ten Stories entails. It’s got some Foxes-style edge and a little freak-folkiness of It’s All Crazy. So in a sense, it inhabits roughly the same territory as Brother, Sister.
We’ve lost a musical icon. The legendary Earl Scruggs has passed away at the age of 88. Sure, he might not have “invented” bluegrass like Bill Monroe — but man, he was a big part of the early days with Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys. And while he didn’t popularize the use of the banjo, he certainly did help revolutionize it. If Scruggs hadn’t picked it up, the banjo might still be an instrument relegated to the rhythm section or a Vaudeville comedian’s act. We certainly wouldn’t have the three-finger roll.
If it wasn’t for Scruggs and his musical partner Lester Flatt, we might not even know what bluegrass is today — and we almost certainly wouldn’t care if we did. His legacy can’t be overstated. I know it sounds cheesy, but upon hearing of Scruggs’ death last night, I almost felt like I lost a relative.
Frank Lenz is no stranger to film scoring. He provided the tunes for Strictly Background a few years ago, and now he’s back at the documentary soundtrack game.
Lenz has lent his talents to a doc about Christian card counters. And yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like — church-going folks that play blackjack professionally. Titled Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians, the picture has been featured everywhere from The New York Times to Variety.
The soundtrack is out today from the fine folks at Velvet Blue Music. You can sample Lenz’ musical wares right here, though, with the somber Bankroll Dinner 2.
Since Maraqopa came out yesterday, I thought this would be a good opportunity to plug the interviews I did with Damien Jurado and Richard Swift for my “day job.” (That’s in quotes because it’s actually a nighttime gig…irony, right?)
We also talked at length about Maraqopa and the nuances of their relationship in the studio. Plus Swift used the term “grown ass woman” while discussing Captain Beefheart. That counts for something.
Torche isn’t a metal band. There, I said it. That’s a thought I’ve entertained in the back of my head for a while now — but I couldn’t bring myself to broach the topic for fear of ridicule. “Torche…not a metal band? How dare you, dirty brigand. Have you ever listened to music?” Or at least that’s the reaction I imagine.
But seriously, after the Guided By Voices songs they covered, the general trajectory of Songs for Singles, and now with Kicking — the first track from Harmonicraft — it’s become apparent that Torche is no longer a “metal band.”
Sure, the riffs are present and there’s just enough peripheral sludge these days to fool you. That’s a given. Plus Meanderthal was flush with metal signposts. Then, when you take into account the band’s collective musical heritage (Floor, Shitstorm) and former label home (Hydra Head), I can see why you’d use the M word.
Really though, if you strip away the exoteric correlations and listen to Kicking, U.F.O or even Fat Waves — you can’t say, “This is obviously a metal band.” I’m not saying you’ll find no trace of metal in Torche these days. Far from it. Far, far from it. But calling them “metal” is no different than calling Fucked Up “hardcore” or Ted Leo “pop punk.”
Those assessments would be technically correct if you’re using a particular rubric. However, I think we all know that contrary to Central Bureaucrat No. 1′s opinion, being technically correct isn’t always the best kind of correct. At the very most, you could say that Torche is an aggressive, metal-informed rock band with pop tendencies. That’s definitely not the same as “metal band.”
Now that I’ve wasted your time with my inane conjectures, listen to Kicking. It’s a badass jam.
I’ve never been to Bonnaroo, and I was hoping to keep it that way in 2012. Nothing against AC Entertainment (the promoters of the fest) or the thousands of stinky hippies that populate Manchester, Tenn. a few days each year; massive outdoor festivals just aren’t conducive to a great live music experience most of the time.
Sadly though, it looks like my streak will end here, thanks to three words: The Beach Boys (even though it’s with John Stamos). You can also throw in these two words: Bad Brains. Sure, there are some good undercard acts as well, but I’ve either seen them or could see them without the gentle waft of patchouli.
Photos: Obits at the Black Cat
Photos: The Promise Ring at The Metro
Photos: Monotonix at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Photos: Valient Thorr at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Photos: Danielson, Welcome Wagon at The 930 Listening Room