Monthly Archives: July 2020

Tales From The Drop Box Episode 169 (2020-17) The Pandemic/BLM Episodes

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I was almost emotional watching the moms and dads in Portland intercede between the criminal government agents and the demonstrators in the on-going public discussion about race in America. I never thought I would ever see the day that the federal government would use a secretive unmarked paramilitary force to kidnap citizens off city streets and use an unlawful level of violence against demonstrators all to, arguably, protect against vandalism of federal monuments erected as a reminder, in some instances, of our country’s oppressive and racist past and the ongoing struggle for equality by the disenfranchised because of race, gender, disability, and privilege. Wow, that was a long sentence. Here is the short version – the Trump administration’s actions violate the constitutional rights of peaceful and lawful protestors. No one is condoning vandalism, violence or anarchy. I am not an anarchist. Anarchy only exists in my mind. What is being missed in the Fox masquerading as “news” opinion network’s daily screed is that the government represents the majority of the people i.e. we apparently elected our representatives. When the majority represented by government agents interferes with the peaceful minority’s right to disagree with the majority, this interference is the first step towards the majority repressing minority viewpoints. That action, is tyranny.

José Ortega y Gasset in “The Revolt of the Masses” (1930) recognized the issue of the mass mind:

As they say in the United States: “to be different is to be indecent.” The mass crushes beneath it everything that is different, everything that is excellent, individual, qualified and select. Anybody who is not like everybody, who does not think like everybody, runs the risk of being eliminated. And it is clear, of course, that this “everybody” is not “everybody.” “Everybody” was normally the complex unity of the mass and the divergent, specialized minorities. Nowadays, “everybody” is the mass alone. Here we have the formidable fact of our times, described without any concealment of the brutality of its features.— Chapter 1, “The Coming of the Masses”

The Fascist and Syndicalist species were characterized by the first appearance of a type of man who “did not care to give reasons or even to be right”, but who was simply resolved to impose his opinions. That was the novelty: the right not to be right, not to be reasonable: “the reason of unreason.”— Chapter 8, “Why the Masses Intervene in Everything and Why They Always Intervene Violently”

Sound familiar?

Finally, in case you haven’t heard, Burger Records is no longer a record label and Lollipop records is also in the middle of a reckoning. Both labels are accused of participation in rape culture and support of artists who have engaged in abhorrent behavior with and towards young female fans and scene followers. Please support those brave individuals who were have come forward and expose the truly dark side of Los Angeles’s garage rock/indie scene.

I should also shout out Globelamp aka Elizabeth LeFey, who has tried for several years to have her voice heard regarding her time with Foxygen and now seems to be finding support in the indie community.

For details on what is transpiring in the Los Angles indie rock scene and so you can form your opinion as to what has happened, what is currently transpiring, the bands, record labels, and music festivals involved and, more importantly, the young women and their treatment, follow these IG accounts:

  1. @globelamp
  2. @lured_by_burger_records
  3. @lured_by_lolipop_records

Here is what you will find in Episode 169:

  1. Whispertown – “Born To Ride” (I’m A Man)
  2. Affidavit – “The Truth” (Abducted)
  3. The Tissues – “Blind Beast” (Blue Film)
  4. Space Age Playboys – “Rocket Girl” (New Rock Underground)
  5. Viagra Boys – “Lick The Bag” (Common Sense EP)
  6. Varsity – “Heaven Sent” (Fine Forever)
  7. Starflyer 59 – “Miami” (Miami)
  8. The Head & The Heart – “Sun Is Rising” (Living Mirage: The Complete Recordings)
  9. SiM – “Black & White” ( Thank God, There Are Hundreds Of Ways To Kill Enemies)
  10. The Destructos – “The Sight” (Blast!)
  11. The Detectors – “The Decline” (Ideology)
  12. Swampmeat Family Band – “Friends In The Floor” (Muck)
  13. Hanni El Khatib – “Alive” (Flight)
  14. The Outcasts – “Sex And Glory” (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session, 29 September 1982 (1982-85)
  15. Blushh – “Make It Better” (RIP Apathy)

We’re sittin’ ’round on the couch we were makin’ words with our mouths we had a pile of junk that’s already runnin’ out . . . I can’t believe I survived! It’s all around and upside down. I’m alive! How can this be true?

KFR

Tales From The Drop Box Episode 168 (2020-16) The Pandemic/BLM Episodes

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Another week, another 4300 deaths in America. Perhaps we should take a long hard look at what we are doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. You already have much confirmation that your government will not save you, your family or anyone else from this deadly virus. Honestly, the only effective weapons in the fight seem to be wear a mask and stay the f__ away from each other. Seems simple and practical to me. It is also readily apparent that not everyone is on board with simple and effective.

As evidenced by my first trip to a beach yesterday, Mr. Belding, not a notorious sun worshipper, attempted a foray into the wild only to observe that, for many, COVID-19 does not exist and physical distancing is a mere suggestion. Amidst all the 1st Amendment debate over the claimed right to not wear a mask in a pandemic (Freedom of Expression) and the stupid outrage over having to wear a mask as somehow a violation of this right (Karens and Kens – you know who you are), what is apparently missed by a markedly large number of covidiots is that society depends on personal accountability and wearing a mask is an expression of that personal accountability choice. That is, in order for society to function we can not reach a critical threshold of people who are just ass hats.

Mask mandates for public health reasons should not be necessary. No government wants to order people to do what should be obvious. The big picture is that we need to actually care about each other and be personally responsible and accountable for our own actions and not let our desire to be “different”, part of the “silent majority” or any other lame excuse to be a moron and actually interfere with the right of others persons to be free from stupid. Don’t be an idiot, wear a mask and as noted above, stay the f___ away from me.

As for Episode 168 of Tales From The Drop Box, I am solely responsible for the content. Yup, and in my humble and very biased opinion, I believe this episode, much like the 167 preceding this one, is it worth about an hour of your time. 15 songs by bands that you likely don’t know much about, in a variety of genres that are carefully mixed to touch your soul. I am personally responsible for making sure you enjoy your time. Give it a try.

Here is what you’ll find in Episode 168:

  1. Portland – “Lady Moon” (Your Colours Will Stain)
  2. The Rhymes – “Viral” (The Rhymes)
  3. Spacey Jane – “Wasted on Me” (Sunlight)
  4. Honest Men – “Lose My Head” (I’m Okay)
  5. The Airborne Toxic Event – “All The Children” (Hollywood Park)
  6. Custard – “Take The Skinheads Bowling” (Respect All Lifeforms)
  7. America’s Favorite Punk – “Mr. Citizen” (Life After Quarantine)
  8. Flashfires – “Circus Boy” (Flashfires)
  9. Gaffa Tape Sandy – “Meat Head” (Family Mammal EP)
  10. The Growlers – “Dream World” (Dream World)
  11. The Winter Passing – “Ghost Thing” (New Ways of Living)
  12. Loyalty To Me – “Rewrites” (Clash//Co-Exist)
  13. Matthew Sweet – “I’ve Been Waiting” (Blue Sky on Mars Tour – Live At Pleasure Island, Florida June 17, 1997)
  14. Manic Street Preachers – “Roses In The Hospital” (Filet O Gang Remix Remastered)” (Manic Street Preachers)
  15. Dream Wife – “Homesick” ( So When You Gonna …)

Lady Moon may I ask you why you comfort me? When autumn comes you’re always near . . This is the part where I lose my head breaking my fingers to make amends . . .

KFR

Tales From The Drop Box Episode 167 (2020-15) The Pandemic/BLM Episodes

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Another week and the COVID-19 pandemic is out of control here in America. An abject failure of federal leadership is the cause of the uncoordinated patch work of responses and when combined with the large volume of inconsistent information, disinformation, and misinformation the result is that a large number of people are going to die needlessly. That is the true cost of a President who is wholly incompetent and callous.

So, where do we go from here? Good question. Hopefully, someone with the power to enact change will step up. As I’ve mentioned previously somewhere in these posts, I believe the start for change begins with us individually. The only person who can save us from the impending disaster, whatever the disaster, is ourselves. That is, the first step forward begins with us. So, as you think about the next couple of months, some of which are likely going to be spent at home as stay at home orders are reimposed, ask you may ask yourself how did I get here? And you may ask yourself how do I work this? And you may ask yourself Am I right? Am I wrong? And you may say yourself “My God! What have I done?”(And you may ask yourself isn’t that the Talking Heads “One in a Lifetime” playing in the background as I read this?). And that is the point – what are you asking yourself as you sit at home unable to go outside, unable to go to work, unable to feed your family, unable to eat in a restaurant, unable to be? You should be asking yourself what is the next step forward. That begins with you.

Register to vote and then vote. There must certainly be a better option to lead our country than the idiot who has raised the level of misery so high that having a misery index seems irrelevant. Each of us is responsible for our choices, but those choices impact other lives. Rather than bitch about the past, take action.

Here is what you will find in Episode 167 of Tales from the Drop Box:

  1. Whim – “Brick Walls & All Their Secrets” (Abuzz In The Abyss)
  2. Jehnny Beth – “Heroine” (To Love Is To Live)
  3. Bad Moves – “Cape Henlopen” (Untenable)
  4. Disheveled Cuss – “Nu Complication” (Oh My God)
  5. Jaded Truth – “Wide Asleep” (Rx)
  6. Rowland S. Howard – “I Burnt Your Clothes” (Teenage Snuff Film)
  7. The Real McKenzies – “Big Foot Steps” (Beer & Loathing)
  8. The Vacant Lots – “Into The Depths” (Interzone)
  9. C Silver – “Gentle Yellow” (In Clarity & Curses EP)
  10. Back Up Kid -” I’ve Got a Bad Habit of Looking Down Alleys and Thinking Too Much” (Goodness, Gracious)
  11. Badtalkers – “Better Run” (Sick Arms)
  12. Wire – “The Art of Persistence” (10:20)
  13. Unknown Era – “Meet Me (On The Dancefloor)” ( A State of Affairs)
  14. The Dukes Of Stratosphear – Vanishing Girl (2001 Mix) (Chips From The Chocolate Fireball)
  15. Delacey – “Actress” (Black Coffee)

The art of persistence, survival bred skills repairs for the final, test of the wills persistence, survival, test of the wills prepare for the final, perfect rival to kill … Someone’s knocking in the distance but I’m deaf and blind she’s not expected home this evening so I leave the world behind

Tales From The Drop Box Episode 166 (2020-14) The Pandemic/BLM Episodes

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I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July holiday. To my Canadian friends, I hope you had a terrific Canada Day. Normally, I would be celebrating America’s birthday, but it is difficult to celebrate America’s success when we are in the vortex of a disaster of our own creation. As COVID-19 numbers cross the 50,000 new cases per day threshold and a Federal administration that has fully given up talking about or doing anything about the senseless deaths, the signs for America’s future look a little bleak right now. However, there is still hope. America can reclaim its place as the greatest democracy by taking small individual and collective steps designed to unite one another for a common purpose. That purpose I would offer is to heal and protect our communities from threats from within. If July 4th is to remain a marker for the celebration of our culture and our nation – past, present and future – then action to preserve our democratic way of life must start with us. If we fail to take action to reverse the rivers of division threatening to drown our democracy then we are lost. The fight for a society where all persons are created equal is a good place to start. Black Lives Do Matter. Register to vote. Participate. Be a positive force for change and not just a critic.

In California you can register to vote here: https://registertovote.ca.gov/

As for Tales From The Drop Box Episode 166, it is definitely a hodgepodge of old and new. I think you are going to love a number of these tracks which might have passed you by during the past couple of months as social issues predominate attention and time. You’ll also get some insight into one of my guilty pleasures, San Cisco, including why I feel guilty, along with the usual mix of new music that you should be listening to right now.

Here is what you will find in Episode 166:

  1. Hinds – “Waiting For You” (The Prettiest Curse)
  2. Tuff Sunshine – “We Seal Every Deal With A Kiss” (Dig Deeper, Peanut)
  3. Rusty – “Tricker Tricker” (Dogs Of Canada)
  4. Animal House – “Modern Romance (feat. Lucy Sheehan)” (Premium Mediocre)
  5. All The Wasted Years – “Ship Going Nowhere” (I’m Fine)
  6. Disq – “D19” (Collector)
  7. Honey Lung – “Getting Off” (Post Modern Motorcade Music)
  8. Raveslut – “Insanity” (No Escape)
  9. Jeff Rosenstock – “Leave It In The Sun” (No Dream)
  10. Pretty Thrills – “Scarlett” (Pretty Thrills)
  11. San Cisco – “On The Line” (On The Line – Single)
  12. Silver Sun – “Needle In The Ball Pit” (Switzerland)
  13. Terry Sharp – “Put In Bay Ohio Death Bird” (The Death Choir Sings)
  14. The Skids – “The Saints Are Coming”
  15. Bad Cop/ Bad Cop – “Breastless” (The Ride)

I gave you time in crowded places gave you love in empty spaces waiting for you . . . Don’t let me know all the reasons that it probably shouldn’t work or let me know all the things I’ll never do.

KFR