ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY THE LAST THING I’M GOING TO POST ON THE MOSQUE AT/NEAR GROUND ZERO MEME

I’ve tried to avoid commenting on the Mosque At/Near Ground Zero (M@/NGZ) meme, because honestly, it’s an issue so utterly stupid that it barely warrants a response.

But it seems like ever since NYC decided it was okay, everyone ELSE has gone into freakout mode and thinks Gov Paterson has declared New York State to be officially under Sharia law, and that soon we will all be forced to be terrorists under Presidente Hussein who, as more and more Americans will tell you, is OBVIOUSLY one of them because otherwise why would he go on TV and order the mosque to be built and then pretend he didn’t?

Which is insane, of course. And to rephrase an old Wm Burroughs quote, I am not paid to argue with the mentally ill. Which is why I’ve been avoiding this post. Because honestly, what else can I say about it at this stage?

( Plenty, as it turns out ... Typical, eh? )

The end.

Freedom isn’t free,

This is dF

LISTEN TO IT #16: HERE COMES THE LATEST HEARTBREAK LINE

It’s hard to tell from all the way out here in Hong Kong, but it seems like the 22-20s are one of the best-kept secrets in the blues-rock revival. Or at least I don’t hear that much about them, and they seem to be under the music journalism radar in their home country of England.

The 22-20s were one of the victims of my “no DRM” policy in 2005 – I liked their debut album a lot, but at the time EMI and other labels were slapping DRM software on some CDs, and as far as I’m concerned, if it ships with DRM, it ships broken and is of no practical value to me.

The band broke up a year later. I’m hoping that’s a coincidence.

Anyway, the band reformed in 2008 (albeit with a slight line-up change), and their second LP, Shake/Shiver/Moan, is out now in select markets. And I can’t seem to stop listening to it.

They’ve certainly expanded the garage blues-rock template to the point that the album varies bravely across different influences – sort of the missing link between early U2, The Byrds, late-60s Kinks and Chocolate Watchband. Which means there’s little original about it, sure, but it’s still compelling.

At least for me. Try this single and listen for yrself.

Shake shiver and moan,

This is dF

STUPID WHITE MEN. DRESSED AS BANANAS.

Yr Totally Devo lede of the day:



This is my favorite part:

After leaving Port Angeles, the group made a stop at Four Seasons Ranch, where Kohnert -- still dressed in the banana costume -- got out, brandished a shotgun and began yelling, Pieper said.

"We believe he was yelling something or other about white supremacy," Pieper said.

I can’t really add anything to that. I don’t need to.

I do feel bad for his fiancee, who evidently is not pleased, judging from her Facebooks page.

Banana republic,

This is dF

BAD COVER VERSION 043: EVERYTHING’S BETTER WITH CLINT RUIN

bedsitter23  has done a great job continuing the Bad Cover Version series that I started ages ago, and I’ve been meaning to add to the series every once in a while whenever I come across something nifty.

This is one of those times.

Some of you may be familiar with Suicide, a.k.a. Alan Vega and Martin Rev, who were one of the first bands to adopt the term “punk” to describe their music. Suicide are easily one of the most influential bands of the proto-punk scene, and their influence is still apparent today – just ask M.I.A., who not only sampled their classic “Ghost Rider” for her song “Born Free”, but even got Martin Rev to join her on Letterman to play it.

That said, definitive covers of “Ghost Rider” are almost as obscure as the original song. In fact, until this afternoon, the only one I could have named off the top of my head was the version recorded by Rollins Band for the soundtrack to The Crow.

Then someone sent me this version by Soft Cell.

With guest vocals by Clint Ruin (a.k.a. Jim “Foetus” Thirlwell).

Which is, of course, the most awesome thing ever.

Screaming the truth,

This is dF