Top 13 (of the Week)

Sure,you know what's cool. But do you know what's really fuckin' FAR OUT? That's where Advanced Demonology takes over. Every week, (K)en and (S)wilson trudge through the murky waters of the pop culture hellscape, dredging up sparkly morsels of wonder. These are the result of our latest foray into the world of the weird, our wildest, wiggest-out picks of the week. Call it our 13 Point Program.

13. Gentlemanly Repose: Confessions Of A Debauched Rock 'N Roller by Michael Ruffino

Occupying that coveted thirteenth position this week. On Ken's advice I picked up this book, and although I haven't finished it yet (i've got about ten pages to go and I bought it yesterday!), yes Ken it is the best Rock 'n Roll bio ever written. The best ever! Who knew that Ruffino was such multi talented guy? Besides being a walking chemistry set and a monger of three chord drunk rock, He also is a seriously great writer. I declare that the Unband revival of the early twenty teens starts now! Buy the book! See the movie! Listen to the records. It's more entertaining than Spinal Tap! It's all true and it couldn't of happened to 3 more all american boys. Make sure you go out and get a case of beer on your way home from the book store. (S)

12. The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist

Back in the 80's/early 90's, Petter Bagge's Hate and Dan Clowes' Eightball were the go-to comics for the with-it kids. Full of pop culture references and mean-spirited characters doing mean-spirited stuff, both books basically presaged the entire attitude of the internet: mock everybody, especially yourself. Clowes was the quirkier of the two, and as the decades ensued, his work got darker and funkier. Also he wrote Ghostworld. And now there's a book that collects odds and sods and rare stuff and offers some insight into the man behind the 'toons. Awesome! (K)

11. Milk Music: Beyond Living

I first heard these guys live on WFMU. I ordered a record and never got it in the mail. Than I emailed the guy and told him i'd pick one up at an L.A. show… I got drunk and never made it. So finally this week I stole it off the interweb. Warm fuzzy Blue Cheer guitar playing up against some faster punk type tempos. They get compared to Dinosaur Jr. allot but I'm not so sure about that, It's like sitting in a parked car in the rain kind of music…smoking grass. Beyond Living is on lot's 2011 best of lists (on a few of the same blogs that voted Demonology worst of 2011!). The Lyrics are a little buried on the version I downloaded but they are belted out with lots of white boy soul. I went to a wedding a few years back with a future member of this band. His name is Charles and he was/is in a killer punk crust-core or something like that band called Son Skull. They are great too. Olympia Washington has a great scene right now check out Weird TV as well. (S)

10. Kristofer Astrom - From Eagle to Sparrow

Swedish counrtry-folk brooder. Sparse and excellent record. I think this dude was in a death metal band once. But weren't we all? (K)

09. Jiro Dream's Of Sushi

If your fanatical about sushi andJapan go see this in the theater (Lady Swilson and I did). if not wait for it to come on television. But it's worth the watch. It's less of a documentary and more of a meditation on the man and his sons who make the best sushi in the world. That's no easy task! It's a very simple thing sushi. If you can take it to the highest level your a true artist and maybe a genius. (S)

08. Popatopolis

Jim Wynorski is a B (and C and sometimes Z) movie auteur who delivered big, crazy thrill-rides in the 80's and early 90's (Chopping Mall, Screwballs, Lost Empire, Not of this Earth) filled with blood, beasts, and boobs. 25 years on, he's still at it, although he's basically been reduced to peddling shot-on-video softcore garbage for late-nite cable. Quick n' dirty documentary Popatopolis (named after one of his many aliases) finds him balls-deep into a steep decline, making 2005's Witches of Breastwick in three days for no money, utilizing a guerilla crew and a quartet of pissed-off, put-upon actresses, one of which happens to be porn performer Stormy Daniels. It's a great glimpse into the abyss of no-merit movies, and even though he knows the doc is putting him in a decidedly harsh light, it's very clear that Jim could not care less. After all, "There's a lot of hot chicks in this movie." He does have a point. (K)

07. Flower Travellin' Band

Is this video some kind of early nineteen hundreds scientific exhibition footage of a barbarian planet?!!!? I usually break out the Flower Travellin' Band in the spring time. They possess an exuberant, coming of the equinox like fire, sabbath raga mayhem, sunshine nightmare, that really captures the vibe here in Lost Hell's Angeles……we are right across the pond from Japan and Japan is always in the air at the Swilson ranch (a.k.a The Mind-warp Pavilion, a.k.a Orgonon West) because Lady Swilson is of (part) Japanese decent and we turned it up a notch this week with a movie about sushi. (S)

06. Stanley Black - Satan Superstar

If your problem with vintage lounge music is that it isn't satanic enough, I have the answer. Brit piano tinkler Stanley Black released this kooky orchestral grinder in the early 70's. It's full of horror-themed orchestral jams, heavy on the dark brass and demon-screeching strings. Plus the devil's on the cover in a leisure suit! (K)

05. Bad Sports: Kings Of the Weekend

In my blog stumblings this week, looking for info on Milk Music I discovered these kids on lot's of best of 2011 lists. Bad Spots hail from Denton (the hip part of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area). They play 1,000 year old punk party rock and they play it well and well........ It's the weekend! (S)

04.Fingerbobs - British kid's TV show from the early 70's, featuring some dude's fingers dressed up as mice and chickens and whatnots. Backed by gently-plucked folk guitar, this might be the most gentle (and hypnotic) example of children's TV programming I've ever seen. Check it out next time you're trapped on the Couch of Woe. Bonus: there's a soundtrack CD from Trunk Records! (K)

Flyin' Cut Sleeves Trailer from Henry Chalfant on Vimeo.

03. Flying Cut Sleeves

This documentary about south bronx street gangs, shot in the 70's and 80's but not completed until the 90's, focuses mostly on the Ghetto Brothers and some Savage Nomads and Savage Skulls, following up where the outstanding 80 Blocks From Tiffany's left off. I'm on a South Bronx in the seventies kick right now. Something about the post-apocalyptic, post-counterculture, post-Panther, post-Young Lords, outlaw biker, pre-crack, pre-hip-hop, urban youth gone wild in a war zone elements of the story and the time capture the Swilson imagination. Warriors come out and play! Than grow up and try to help there community. I admire and respect the character of the people featured in this story. I'm sure you will too. (S)

02. Ladyhawke's homage to Eyes of Laura Mars

Ladyhawke's music is pure 70s/80's throwback synthrock, hook-heavy and awesomely cheeseball. It' s like an ABBA/New Order cocktail. Black White and Blue is the first single from Ladyhawke's upcoming album, Anxiety, which is clearly going to the be summer jam of the year. The video is an homage/tribute/remake of 1978's sort of amazing Eyes of Laura Mars, a "thriller" that finds edgy fashion photographer Faye Dunaway envisioning a series of murders with her fashion shoots before they happen. First see the movie, then watch the video. And fuck it, then watch Ladyhawke, the movie with Rutger Hauer. And then buy this record and listen to it. There's your weekend. (K)

1.Ghetto Brothers: Power Fuerza

It's rare I listen to anything now and feel like I'm hearing one of my favorite records of all time for the first time. It happened this week! Some of the coolest characters ever, making some of the most beautiful music. I love it! The vocals have no identity it's like the whole band is is singing in unison, like a whole culture, the whole gang. You like a good back story ? How about this one. The Ghetto Brothers were first and for most a street gang. Not just any gang, the most powerful gang in the South Bronx. Lead by a Puerto Rican jew (Epstein from welcome back carter? that was Brooklyn) named yellow Benji. When a good friend and fellow gang member Black Benji was killed trying to stop a gang fight. Yellow Benji decide enough is enough and organized the Hoe avenue truce. It was a gang treaty in the south bronx that lead to a relative peace among the 1,000 plus Bronx gangs and hip-hop music itself. The Ghetto Brothers made this one and only masterpiece. It's a mix of Latin funk, Beatle harmonies (they where in a group prior to this called the Junior Beatles!) and even a little Grand Funk thrown in. It's just perfect! (S)