LISTEN TO IT #8: THERE ARE NO TABOOS IN LUST

This isn’t new in the strictest sense for many of you, but I probably should take a moment to call yr attention to Them Crooked Vultures, who have been rocking my iPod for much of the year.

I’m not crazy about the “supergroup” concept, regardless of who is involved, because more often than not, the end product is usually inferior to the band members’ respective day jobs. Even if it’s good, it’s really not essential.

Them Crooked Vultures is the exception that proves the rule, though I think that’s mainly because I’m a fan of the members – Josh Homme, John Paul Jones and Dave Grohl – more than their proper bands (Queens Of The Stone Age, Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters). I like songs from all three bands, mind, but I don’t own everything they’ve ever recorded either.

Homme’s influence dominates the album, which is why TCV sounds a lot closer to QotSA than the other two bands. It’s also why it sounds like the dark sexy underbelly of the 1970s rock scene. You’ll feel cheap, slutty and hungover by the end of the record. And you’ll love it.

Listen.

See?

Anyway, the other thing worth mentioning is that this oficially confirms the fact that I like Josh Homme’s side projects more than his “real” band.

Clap me in irons,

This is dF

FEAR AND LOATHING IN SINGAPORE

You may not have been able to tell, but I’ve been broadcasting from Singapore the past few days.

I’ll prove it. Here’s my view for the next few hours.

  

That’s Chijmes yr looking at, a trendy nightlife compound with bars and restaurants, one of which has a cosplay theme. And hookers. I have seen several over the last few days. And I'm not counting the Triple Breakfast Cleavage incident. 

As is typical of these trips, I spent most of my time sitting in PowerPoint presentations for 12 hours at a time. This trip’s theme: trunked radio – i.e. the radio systems that the police, fire department and military use to communicate with each other.

Which means I’ve been sitting in a room with lots of cops in it – one of them named Jolly Wong. (I’m not kidding. And yes, he was, actually.)

Anyway, I’d like to be able to say that it was a scene straight of out Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas where Raoul Duke and his attorney are covering the National District Attorneys Association's Conference on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. But it wasn’t, actually. 

That said, it was admittedly a bit surreal to hear a technology manufacturer speak of the growing trends of urbanization and industrialization on a global scale, which ultimately meant more social tension and violent crime to the point that you couldn’t possibly hire enough cops to handle it. (Which is why you need an automated police communications system to cover the bases and watch everyone.)

I also learned that in Europe, “video surveillance” is now referred to as “video protection” because it sounds less frightening. So at least they mean well.

Anyway, not much else to report. I’ve been sequestered in the hotel with the usual deadlines, which I was up til 4am meeting.

I do have a law-and-order travel tip for you though: when you come to Singapore, the following is not allowed in the underground train system:



I like seeing durian lumped in the same category as flammable goods. Interesting that there’s no actual fine for it.

These are the rules,

This is dF