best weekend of the year...

- Friday May 1st
  Wait In Vain
  Indecision
  Converge

- Saturday May 2nd
  Thought Crusade
  Convicted
  Soul Control
  Damnation A.D.
  Betrayed
  Ringworm
  Guilt
  Underdog
  108
  Killing Time
  Trial
  Disembodied

- Sunday May 3rd
  Harm's Way
  The Killer
  Blacklisted
  Have Heart
  Threadbare
  Split Lip
  Reach the Sky
  Bane
  Converge
  Unbroken

best of 2008 list
here's some stuff that i enjoyed during the past 365 days or so...

records that put a smile on my face.
- Life Long Tragedy - Runaways.
- Amenra - Mass IIII.
- The Carrier - No Love Can Save Me.
- Suicide Note - Empty Rooms.
- Carpathian - Isolation.
- Northern Towns - Demo.
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig.
- Verse - Aggression.
- The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound.
- Alkaline Trio - Agony and Irony.
- Have Heart - Songs To Scream At The Sun.

songs that will always remind me of this year
- "That's How People Grow Up" - Morrissey.
- "Bostons" - Have Heart.
- "Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss" - Alkaline Trio.

movies that were worth seeing.
- Let The Right One In.
- In Bruges.
- Cloverfield.
- Quantum of Solace.
- Frost/Nixon.

a selected list of rock and roll shows worth going to.
- Alkaline Trio week @ Lakeshore, Reggies, House of Blues.
- Lucero @ Empty Bottle/Division Street Fest.
- Henry Rollins @ Vic Theatre.
- Hot Water Music/Lucero @ Metro
- At The Gates @ House Of Blues
- My Bloody Valentine @ Aragon.
- Modern Life Is War @ Beat Kitchen.
- Alkaline Trio @ Congress.

a bunch of things of 2008.
- Henry Rollins Uncut series on IFC.
- Meetings With Morrissey by Len Brown
- NHL09 on Xbox360.
- Joy Division: Piece By Piece by Paul Morley.
- Three Sheets Seasons 1, 2 & 3.
- Milan Lucic fight club.
- the breakups of Cursed and Modern Life Is War.
- resurgence of the Chicago Blackhawks.

looking forward to in 2009.
- Years of Refusal.
- 4.4.09
- Unbroken/Disembodied reunion show.
- love.

best of 2007 list
heres some stuff that i enjoyed during the past 365 days...

records that put a smile on my face.
- Dax Riggs - "We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love"
- Tombs - "Self-Titled"
- Jesu - "Conqueror", "Lifeline" + "split w/ Eluvium"
- Celeste - "Nihiliste(s)"
- Gallows - "Orchestra of Wolves"
- Ruiner - "Prepare To Be Let Down"
- Electric Wizard - "Witchcult Today"
- Kent - "Tillbaka Till Samtiden"
- Chuck Ragan - "Feast Or Famine"
- Modern Life Is War - "Midnight In America"

songs that will always remind me of this year
- Dax Riggs - "Deathbryte"
- Ryan Adams - "The Sun Also Sets"

movies that were worth seeing.
- No Country For Old Men.
- Control.
- There Will Be Blood.
- This Is England.

a selected list of rock and roll shows worth going to.
- Mono @ Empty Bottle.
- Lucero @ Metro.
- Deftones @ Riviera Theatre.
- Henry Rollins @ Vic Theatre.
- Chuck Ragan/Matt Skiba @ Metro.
- Zozobra/MGR/Jesu @ Subterrainean.
- Morrissey @ Auditorium Theater.
- Dropkick Murphys @ House Of Blues.

other random things worth remembering from 2007.
- the 2007 Boston Red Sox.
- Rescue Me Season 4.
- Joy Division 180g remastered vinyl reissues
- Devin Hester.
- The Anti-Matter Anthology by Norman Brannon
- the fact that the Blackhawks can sell out games again and they arent the ones where they are playing the Wings.

this was posted on the Surviving Grady blog, i dont think i could put it better...

Baseball in October means everything.

It means wearing gloves to the games and finding warmth in a flask of Jameson's and the communal vibe of the bleachers. It means pacing and punching walls and rubbing my temples and shouting at the television. It means hearing the inevitable cries of "Didya see the game?" whenever I walk into my office building [Of course I saw the game, muthafu@er. What, would I watch all year and suddenly lose interest during these critical, life-affirming tournaments?] It means wearing the Schilling jersey every day, because you have to rep your set. It means calling friends, family and total, random strangers after every inning to compare notes. It means high-fiving strangers in the street and seeing Red Sox T-shirt vendors on every corner and letting out that guttural wail when the last out is recorded and the boys get one game closer.

It means entire evenings in front of the TV, because after the Sox we've got to see the Yanks, not to mention Roger pitching in yet another playoff series. It means intensified intensity; the culmination of a citywide love affair that typically begins right after Thanksgiving, when the hot stove is lit and all thoughts are on green grass and Florida skies. It means treating everyone to repeated viewings of the entire DVD set of the 2004 Playoffs, Clockwork Orange-style. It means drink after drink and the torment of losses and I'll-never-let-those-pricks-do-it-to-me-again-I've-had-it-this-time-I'm-gone-and-I'm-not-coming-back but you know you will, so you sigh, take your medicine, and start planning for opening day. It means knowing and accepting that it can end at any time, that any given game can be the season finale, the last time you'll see Manny swat a home run or The Papel-Bot pull his signature fist-pump or Schilling bark at the mound.

It means Peter Gammons on the field at Fenway Park, ESPN trucks cluttering up Yawkey Way, and the horror of a possible McCarver sighting. It means knowing that, like any good love affair, the heart you've opened up and given away so willingly may end up speared, torn into two throbbing pieces and left on the frozen ground. It means the umpire is blind, the "fan" reaching for the in-play ball is SPED, and the commentators are an unsavory, anti-Boston bunch, deserving of the bad vibes I'm zapping them with through the flatscreen. It means losing focus in meetings, letting your relationships slide, leaving that big project for another day, cutting out of work early, and driving through Kenmore and the Fens, even though you know you'll be stuck in miles of traffic, just to soak in that crisp, sausage-tainted air. It means lying in bed but never quite finding sleep, your stomach knotting as it replays a particularly horrific inning or contemplates the next day's match-up. It means that the Red Sox will either win the World Series or leave us crying in the middle of the road.

And we can't wait.

no more playlists for the time being.
i have a last.fm account now that i have a new computer.
so those interested in what ive been listening to of late
can goto my profile there to see up to date info on that
www.last.fm/user/mikedeadhero/

the following is something i came across... it is written by the head of magic bullet recordings, a label whose releases i have enjoyed over the years. some valid points are made and i thought were worth passing along. take them any way you'd like... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRENT EYESTONE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST CURRENT STATE OF NEWSCORP'S MYSPACE/MYSPACE RECORDS' BUSINESS PRACTICES Disclaimer: The following views are the PERSONAL opinions of Brent Eyestone and do not necessarily represent the official position of the label, bands and associates. It is no secret that Magic Bullet Records has played a part in promoting the online networking site MySpace (recently purchased by media conglomerate Newscorp). We have run numerous promotions involving the site and have certainly sent many people to our MySpace band profiles, label profile, and so on and so forth. Prior to the purchase of MySpace by Newscorp, the premise of the site was that it would serve as "the great leveling agent" between major-label funded bands and hard-working independent bands worldwide. We really liked this idea and supported it feet first as one of the first record labels to create a profile on MySpace. However, the promise of a level playing field quickly dissipated as MySpace began adopting many of the same practices that alienated independent artists via "business as usual." It wasn't long before random "featured artist"s gave way to paid placement. Yes, all of those bands on your splash page PAID to be there. Quite a bit, in fact. And at first I was fine with this. Sure, the premise of the site had changed dramatically, but I kind of expected something like that to happen. What I DIDN'T expect to happen was the complete and utter conflict of interest that is MySpace Records (owned by Universal/Interscope - i.e. major labels). That's right, the number 1 networking site in the world is now trying to be a RECORD LABEL. The problem? Well, on the eve of the MySpace Records Vol. 1 CD compilation hitting stores, users of MySpace are being SPAMMED relentlessly in their inboxes, via pop-up ads, "featured" profiles, and even BRIBED into purchasing the CD in exchange for 4 additional profile pictures. What was once a networking site has become the marketing machine for a notably terrible record label (take a look at the lineup for their first release - Tila Tequila? Hollywood Undead?). It's just a really unfortunate situation. I've been trying to figure out the pros and cons of deleting all of the accounts I built that relate to the label. The part that is so frustrating is the fact that by supporting and promoting this site for so long (and other labels/bands doing the same), we've all helped make it a relevant music site and unknowingly made a significant change to the way people look at bands and listen to music on the net. But what we've REALLY done is create the largest street team/mailing list in recorded history for Universal/Interscope - over 32,000,000 people, which is unprecedented. What you can do to help: 1.) Understand that MySpace is NOT the cool, independent site it once was. It is now owned by one of the largest media conglomerates in the world (with ties to FOX News) and now a glorified mailing list/advertising medium for Universal/Interscope Records, the same people who brought you LIMP BIZKIT and SMASH MOUTH. 2.) When you receive MySpace Records spam in your MySpace inbox, please flag it for spam. If I were to send you an unsolicited Magic Bullet advertisement via MySpace, my account could be suspended on the spot. Why can MySpace Records get away with it? So just flag it - there's a little link above the message that will enable you to do that. 3.) Stop turning to MySpace for information on bands and record labels. Please get back in the habit of visiting individual band and label sites on the internet. There are also infinite messageboards where you can interact and discuss music in virtual online communities. You don't need MySpace to learn about, follow, and support new music. Thank you for reading. - Brent 11/14/05

people often ask where i got lastdeadhero/deadhero thing from and by now im not even sure where i saw it and took it from. that being said. i pretty much have two heroes in life... henry rollins and hunter thompson. so hearing that hst died tonight pretty much sucks. im not surprised how it happened, just that it did. ill try not to make this sappy. his words have gotten me through many a lonely night and im glad i will have his words until the day i leave this life. so yeah im gonna go do a shot in honor of the man, and ill throw these words up which are a far more realistic tribute to the man than any that will be written in the next few days, after all theyre his own. "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die." - hst. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- one of his final writings from espn.com The death of professional hockey in AMERICA is a nasty omen for people with heavy investments in NHL teams. But to me, it meant little or nothing -- and that's why I called Bill Murray with an idea that would change both our lives forever. It was 3:30 on a dark Tuesday morning when I heard the phone ring on his personal line in New Jersey. "Good thinking," I said to myself as I fired up a thin Cohiba. "He's bound to be wide awake and crackling at this time of day, or at least I can leave a very excited message." My eerie hunch was right. The crazy bugger picked up on the fourth ring, and I felt my heart racing. "Hot damn!" I thought. "This is how empires are built." Late? I know not late. Genius round the world stands hand in hand, and one shock of recognition runs the whole circle round. Herman Melville said that in the winter of 1914, and Murray is keenly aware of it. Only a madman would call a legend of Bill Murray's stature at 3:33 a.m. for no good reason at all. It would be a career-ending move, and also profoundly rude. But my reason was better than good ... * * * * * BILL: "Hello?" HST: "Hi, Bill, it's Hunter." BILL: "Hi, Hunter." HST: "Are you ready for a powerful idea? I want to ask you about golf in Japan. I understand they're building vertical driving ranges on top of each other." BILL (sounding strangely alert): "Yes, they have them outdoors, under roofs ..." HST: "I've seen pictures. I thought they looked like bowling alleys stacked on top of each other." BILL: (Laughs.) HST: "I'm working on a profoundly goofy story here. It's wonderful. I've invented a new sport. It's called Shotgun Golf. We will rule the world with this thing." BILL: "Mmhmm." HST: "I've called you for some consulting advice on how to launch it. We've actually already launched it. Last spring, the Sheriff and I played a game outside in the yard here. He had my Ping Beryllium 9-iron, and I had his shotgun, and about 100 yards away, we had a linoleum green and a flag set up. He was pitching toward the green. And I was standing about 10 feet away from him, with the alley-sweeper. And my objective was to blow his ball off course, like a clay pigeon." BILL: (Laughs.) HST: "It didn't work at first. The birdshot I was using was too small. But double-aught buck finally worked for sure. And it was fun." BILL: (Chuckles.) HST: "OK, I didn't want to wake you up, but I knew you'd want to be in on the ground floor of this thing." BILL: (Silence.) HST: "Do you want to discuss this tomorrow?" BILL: "Sure." HST: "Excellent." BILL: "I think I might have a queer dream about it now, but ..." (Laughs.) HST: "This sport has a HUGE future. Golf in America will soon come to this." BILL: "It will bring a whole new meaning to the words 'Driving Range'." HST: "Especially when you stack them on top of each other. I've seen it in Japan." BILL: "They definitely have multi-level driving ranges. Yes." HST: (Laughs.) "How does that work? Do they have extremely high ceilings?" BILL: "No. The roof above your tee only projects out about 10 feet, and they have another range right above you. It's like they took the façade off a building. People would be hanging out of their offices." HST 1937-2005

why henry rollins is my hero. Go without a coat when it's cold; find out what cold is. Go hungry; keep your existence lean. Wear away the fat, get down to the lean tissue and see what it's all about. The only time you define your character is when you go without. In times of hardship, you find out what you're made of and what you're capable of. If you're never tested, you'll never define your character. - Henry Rollins, In Struggle Don't do anything by half. If you love someone, love them with all your soul. When you go to work, work your ass off. When you hate someone, hate them until it hurts. - Henry Rollins, In Philosophy If you hate your parents, the man or the establishment, don't show them up by getting wasted and wrapping your car around a tree. If you really want to rebel against your parents: outearn them, outlive them, and know more than they do. - Henry Rollins, In Hate

the below is from a recent article on Hunter Thompson, pre-election in the Independent. Thompson is a hero of mine. and his political commentary is always something to ponder... "The first time I noticed George W Bush," Hunter Thompson tells me, "was when he passed out in my bathtub at the Hyatt Regency in Houston. He was with a guy who had come to sell..." Thompson, sitting at his desk in a faded-green dressing-gown, stares down at a plate of untouched food: Danish pastries which were warm half an hour ago, smothered in red jam and melted ice-cream. "Look, I'm not going to put this next sentence on the record. Let's just say that 'a friend of mine' was buying cocaine. I have friends in Houston from all walks of life. Lawyers. Professional men. Bush was hanging around with this crowd of what you might call gilded coke dilettantes." "I remember Bush as a kind of a butt-boy for the smart people. This was in the late 1970s, when he was in his drunken-fool period. He couldn't handle liquor. He knew who I was, at that time, because I had a reputation as a writer. I knew he was part of the Bush dynasty. But he was nothing, he offered nothing, and he promised nothing. He had no humour. He was insignificant in every way and consequently I didn't pay much attention to him. But when he passed out in my bathtub," Thompson adds, "then I noticed him. I'd been in another room, talking to the bright people. I had to have him taken away." Watching Bush face Kerry, Thompson says, "I almost felt sorry for him until I heard somebody call him 'Mr President', and then I felt ashamed. You know what? I find myself talking almost with nostalgia about Nixon," adds Thompson who, as a reporter, established a curiously affable relationship with the late president. "Was Nixon somebody you could engage with, on any level? On one level - football. Nixon understood football. Politically he was adroit, and a sound analyst. Compared to these Nazis we have in the White House now, Richard Nixon was a liberal. And that's saying something, when I think what I wrote in his obituary." "I never thought," Thompson says, "that I would ever see a president worse than Richard Nixon. But he is the worst president in American history, this one. Because he is the dumbest. And because he has destroyed, in four years, what it took two centuries to build up. He has taken this country from a prosperous nation at peace to a dead-broke nation at war. We are losing this stupid, fraudulent war in Iraq and every nation in the world despises us, except for a handful of corrupt Brits, like that simpering little whore, Tony Blair. What immediate message would the Doctor deliver, if he could address the US electorate? "I would tell them that, if George W Bush wins again, the United States faces utter disaster. That the question facing voters is no longer whether or not George W Bush is a pathetic fascist stooge. The question is whether - Bush having already demonstrated himself to be a fascist stooge - the American people like it that way, and see that as their future.