Archive for December, 2005

The Story Of The Naivete

Thursday, December 22nd, 2005

I am sure that many of you, at least in the USA, have read about the heroic struggle of the oppressed Christian minority in America to save their religion from total extinction. One of the heroes in this fight are the guys at the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who call themselves […]

Christmas Around The World III

Monday, December 19th, 2005

While I really enjoy being back in Berlin, the big city and everything, I am suffering under a lack of good internet access. The Germans don’t really believe in free wireless, and the only two places I found which have it are the Sony Center and Salomon Bagels (Joachimstaler Str.). However, the first place is […]

The Devil And Daniel Johnston

Friday, December 16th, 2005

Daniel Johnston will always be one of my favorite artists, and the cassette he holds in his hand in the photograph to your left, Yip/Jump Music, is one of my all-time favorite recordings. True, he can’t really play any instrument very well, and he is not a great singer. In the old times this would […]

Christmas Around The World II

Saturday, December 10th, 2005

The second stop on our Christmas-inspired journey around the world is Germany, home to such great artists as Leni Riefenstahl, Peter Thomas, Joseph Beuys, Klaus Kinski, and Nina Hagen.
Beginning around 1980, a new musical phenomenon exploded in Germany, aptly called Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave). Bands started to experiment with cheap synths, taking cues […]

Christmas Around The World I

Friday, December 9th, 2005

This is the first post in a series exploring the wonders of Christmas, as seen through the eyes of various cultures. We will start our journey in Japan, where the traditional spirit of the holy days is still held in high regard. This becomes especially clear in Christmas-themed anime, of which two examples decorate this […]

Lost Your Balls?

Tuesday, December 6th, 2005

Looking for your balls? The music is going to tell you where your balls are! Yes, I am not kidding. This evil woman hid your balls, but she is giving you clues with a piano.
Thanks for pointing out this audio track to me go out to Ed Special and Arwulf Arwulf, two good friends and […]

Turkish Delights

Saturday, December 3rd, 2005

This compilation Turkish Delights, 26 Ultrarities from Beyond the Sea of Marmara, Beat, Psych & Garage, released by the Dutch label Grey Past, delivers what its title promises. Recorded between 1965 and 1971, garage psych doesn’t get much better, and some of the tracks show a strong Turkish music influence to boot. Unfortunately, according to […]

Hard Marchen In Osaka

Thursday, December 1st, 2005

I found this CD at Encore Recordings, the best destination for used CDs and vinyl in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I had never heard of any of the bands at that time. I don’t even remember why I picked it up for listening, I guess it looked strange enough to give it a try. When I […]

Instant Insanity Drugs

Thursday, December 1st, 2005

In 1968 or so, Key Records released this very valuable LP by W. Cleon Skousen. The Key label was apparently run by the John Birch Society, one of the organizations which heroically tried to stop the evil communist plot of fluoridating the American drinking water. Skousen was an ex-FBI agent who wrote the landmark books […]