December 2004
Event Reviews
If you've never seen Th' Legendary Shack Shakers perform, try to imagine a hybrid of Jerry Lee Lewis, Iggy Pop, Jello Biafra, and Lux Interior. Jen Cray testifies.
Retro New Wave band The Killers have gone from obscurity to stardom in less than a year. Jen Cray caught their current tour, with Now It's Overhead and The Zutons in Orlando.
Interviews
Mike Garrigan is something of a music industry veteran. Stints in modern rock outfits Collapsis and Athenaeum as well as a career as a solo artist have provided the singer/songwriter/musician with a rich seam of experience in what is a cut-throat industry. With the release of his new band’s EP, he tells Andrew Ellis why he's back in front of the mic again.
Colonel J.D. Wilkes, frontman for Th' Legendary Shack Shakers is perhaps the most captivating live performer in music today. Jen Cray spoke to Coronal about his musical influences, the rockabilly renaissance, and the Andy Griffith show before the band's show in Winter Park, Florida.
Sir Millard Mulch dares to talk on the phone with the lovely ladies of phenomenally successful songwriting team The Matrix about their debut as performing artists.
Music Reviews
Merry F#%$in' Christmas (Comedy Central). Review by Jason Plender.
Music A
Ten Songs In The Key Of Betrayal (The Control Group). Review by Addam Donnelly.
Music B
Billy Bacon and The Forbidden Pigs
Still Smokin' After 20 Years (Triple X Records, Swine Song). Review by Carl F Gauze.
Lifetime Shitlist (Shitjam Records). Review by Matthew Moyer.
Start A People (Graveface Records). Review by Matthew Moyer.
The Fish Needs A Bike - The Best of Blurt Volume 1 (Salamander Records). Review by Carl F Gauze.
Leaving the Ways (Side One Dummy Records). Review by Jen Cray.
Music C
Humanure (Metal Blade). Review by Daniel Mitchell.
Introducing Lemon (Skin Graft Records). Review by Matthew Moyer.
Music D
Violence Blasphemy Sodomy (Wicked World/Earache). Review by Matthew Moyer.
Apple O’ (Kill Rock Stars). Review by Matthew Moyer.
Mixtress (System Recording). Review by Carl F Gauze.
Music F
Five Star Iris (Hooptyville Records). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Miss Muerte (Atavistic). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music G
We Are Gathered Here Today (Abacus Recordings). Review by Addam Donnelly.
Unconscious Pilot (Princess). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music H
By The Grace Of God (Liquor and Poker). Review by Jen Cray.
Music J
Poison & Snakes (Asthmatic Kitty). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music K
Royal Lunch (Important Records). Review by Carl F Gauze.
Until the End (Artemis Records). Review by Daniel Mitchell.
Music L
When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (Secretly Canadian). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music M
Forget What You Know (Columbia). Review by Addam Donnelly.
La Increible Aventura (Acuarela). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Dark Nights: Knife City (ParadeCo Records). Review by Carl F Gauze.
Music N
Lagus Within the Lake (Candlelight). Review by Daniel Mitchell.
The Horror of Amusement ((self-released)). Review by Matthew Moyer.
Do I Have to Tell You Why I Love You? (Eulogy). Review by Daniel Mitchell.
Cold and Naked (Negative Nine). Review by Ben Varkentine.
Music O
Old Enough 2 Know Better: 15 Years of Merge Records (Merge). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Lost Light (K Records). Review by Matthew Moyer.
Music P
Variations (Initial Records). Review by Daniel Mitchell.
Terraforming (Now Or Never). Review by Addam Donnelly.
Probot (Southern Lord). Review by Van Sias.
Music R
Alms (Constellation). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Red37 (Self-released). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Magdalene (Limekiln). Review by Daniel Mitchell.
Siren Song of the Counter-Culture (Geffen). Review by Daniel Mitchell.
Music S
Dis/Location (DRT/Navarre). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Spazz Out With The Shemps (Reservation Records). Review by Carl F Gauze.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum of Natural History
Aiming to Answer Common Questions (Web of Mimicry). Review by Carl F Gauze.
One Night In Bangkok (SPV/Steamhammer). Review by Matthew Moyer.
Music T
Never Bring You Pleasure (Sonic Unyon). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music U
010 (Eenie Meenie Records). Review by Rob Levy.
Print Reviews
Friends, sex symbols, actresses...lend Peter Bogdanovich your ears for this discussion of movie stars he has known and loved. It's a sometimes maddening, sometimes sensitive, sometimes candid trip through Wonderland with filmmaker Bogdanovich your own private mad hatter. Ben Varkentine says pass the butter.
A signifigant number of Bush voters believed that Iraq had a hand in 9/11. If so, Bush certainly would be an ungrateful little snot, declaring war on the country that gave him a second term. Michael Ruppert, a former LAPD narcotics investigator, has studied the abuses of government power for decades; his new book looks at the question of just how far some people will go for control of the world. James Mann says: Pretty far, really.
Bill Hicks believed that great comedy provides an answer, and he tried to provide more than a few in his own work. A new book collects those answers on subjects ranging from gun control to pornography to movie criticism, by reprinting verbatim his unsacrificing routines, letters and other writings. Ben Varkentine looks at this gifted, cursed man.
Ben Varkentine says "Ask me what's the secret of comedy." You start to say, "What's the secret of..." and Ben yells "Timing," very loudly, right in your face. Kills you, doesn't it?
Ben Varkentine's got a little list ("He's gota little list...").
Screen Reviews
It's hard to kill a vampire. The third installment in the Blade series keeps the franchise alive with undead action and character actors, according to Rob Levy.
A gripping documentary about one dysfunctioanal family's battle with mental illness and the boy whose life it affected. Rob Levy reports from the edge of his seat.
Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival
Eric J. Iannelli returns to this annual cinematic feast to sample what the world has to offer -- from Czech-Icelandic hybrids to a small part of a gigantic German epic.
Love and treachery abounds in conetemporary London. Rob Levy breaks down the breakdown.
The remarkable life of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian King who conquered most of the known world in his lifetime is featured in the epic story of greed, war, power and love. Way too epic, according to Rob Levy.
