You may know composer and multi-instrumentalist Weasel Walter as the crazy guy behind the Flying Luttenbachers, formed in 1991 in Chicago as a trio with free jazz legend Hal Russell and Chad Organ. Both the line-up and the music of the Flying Luttenbachers changed dramatically over the years, always moving in the wide field […]
In 1991 the Dutch band Dull Schicksal (”Schicksal” is German for “fate”) released an album called “They Saved Hitler’s Brain”, a musical mixture between Hanns Eisler, brass ensemble punk, prog-rock, and waltz, featuring a song called “Hot Sausage Diary”. OK, you already know that you want the mp3s, right? Well, if you are impatient, jump […]
The history of my encounter with Hiroshi Hashimoto, aka Contagious Orgasm, has its roots in the culture wars currently raging on American college campuses. The University of Michigan is fairly typical in that respect: Most students and faculty don’t care for politics at all, and the ones who do are usually liberal. This already bugs […]
Why would anyone in their right mind make songs longer than two minutes? OK, I admit that there might be valid reasons, but the short format has undeniable advantages. For one, you can fit at least 40 of those short songs on one 80 minute audio CD, whereas you would need more than 4 million […]
This post is brought to you by the department of historical corrections in the history of surf music.
Jimi Hendrix once said “You will never hear surf music again”, and this grew into the popular myth that Hendrix hated surf music. Now it may be true that he hated the Beach Boys (I would not blame […]
Since you read this post, you must have made it to 2006 alive. If you need an excuse to celebrate and get wasted, there you have it. Unfortunately, Derek Bailey cannot share the fun anymore, the free improvising British guitar god died on December 25, 2005, at the age of 75. Starting out in conventional […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]