No Big Hair!

Motion City Soundtrack covers Pavement

Where Are They Now?: Nevermind Baby Edition

Have you ever wondered what happened to this baby?

Well, here he is now, all grown up. No more baby wiener. 

Nirvana Baby, Spencer Elden from Barry O Donnell on Vimeo.

One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap For Mankind

What happens when you mix a MicroKorg synthesizer and "a 1980s futuristic sci fi vision of the United States under communist rule"? Chances are, you'll end up with some cold war influenced, dance floor packing songs by young Pittsburgh band Comrade Kangaroo. Comrade Kangaroo is composed of C.A.P.A. classmates George Cessna and Hunter Blackwell. As far as who does what in the band, George had this to say when I recently spoke to him: "When we play live we just blast the backing tracks while I sing and Hunter plays synth."



The band recently self released their five song self titled demo on March 5. The songs on the demo show similarities to bands like The Postal Service, Junior Boys, and O.M.D. There is a harmonious marriage between predominantly synthetic sounds and subtle doses of analog instrumentation, all the while, having a sense of humor and not being too serious. "Even though Comrade Kangaroo is all about the science fiction and communism thing, it's safe to say that most of the songs are pretty goofy and suffer from some major teenage drama. If it's not about girls, it's about robots." Regardless of any teenage drama, George has pretty grown up tastes, claiming that the main inspirations on Comrade Kangaroo are Kraftwerk, New Order, Julian Casablancas, and David Bowie. You'd be hard pressed to find many 18 year olds who have even heard of Kraftwerk. 


Following graduation from C.A.P.A., George will be heading to MICA Art School in Baltimore in the fall. He didn't comment on the impact this may or may not have on Comrade Kangaroo. But it is safe to say that people should go see the band while they can. After playing to nearly 200 people at a C.A.P.A. battle of the bands, Comrade knows how to rock a crowd. This Friday, May 7, Comrade Kangaroo will be playing a show at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. See the flyer after the jump. While you wait in anticipation of the show, go check out Comrade Kangaroo's Myspace and listen to some songs. And remember..." if it's not about robots, it's not Comrade Kangaroo."


Visit Comrade Kangaroo's Myspace HERE 

Who wore/wears it better: The Pompadour?

Morrisey

Brian Setzer

Tom Waits

Johnny Cash

Quiff, Quaff, D.A., bad ass bitchin pompadour. The hair style has many names and many variations, but it's up to you to decide who wore it best. These are just a few examples. Please leave your choice in the comments section. If you feel that the best pomp isn't represented here, let me know who I'm missing out on. 

As of right now, I think my money is on Tom Waits.

One more very special pompadour after the jump...

Books: Check 'Em Out!

As a 26 year old, I can still remember April 20, 1999, very clearly. This is the day that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold entered their Colorado high school and killed 13 people before finally killing themselves. Immediately rumors spread about the "trench coat mafia" and how the killings were inspired by video games and Marilyn Manson. Everybody needed an answer as to why these seemingly troubled young boys would commit such a heinous act. 


In Dave Cullen's simply but chillingly titled "Columbine", we get an exhaustive look into the lives of these young killers as well as those involved in and affected by the Columbine shootings. Cullen was a young reporter covering the Columbine shootings in 1999 and has extensively researched these events over the past ten years. This story is told from a gripping third person point of view. The actual events of April 20, 1999, are replayed minute by minute very early on in the book. This retelling is horrific, graphic, and hard to get through at times. Initially, it leaves you thinking what monsters these two teenagers must have been to mindlessly kill so many innocent people. But after Cullen shocks you with the actual account of events, he begins to attempt to answer the questions as to why. The result is a harrowing read that anybody who has ever been a teenager should be able to relate to. It will rehash what it feels like to be young and confused and naive. However, by the end of the book, Cullen is able to make some sense of the senseless. 


If you go into this book with hopes of reading about how horrible these two individuals were, you may want to skip this one. But if you want a true, accurate, and sympathetic look into this sad downward spiral, this book is not to be missed. 


To understand a monster, you must first be able to sympathize with it.

Who's The Boss?

Justin%20Townes%20Earle%20covers%20Bruce%20Springsteen

The Stuff Dreams Are Made of...