Afronaught

I came across this ad from a '70s Ebony Magazine, posted on another blog. It brought back alot of memories...

My dad was a barber and owned a barber shop right downtown Flint, Mi. I remember when i would go there and see people actually pick from the haircut "style guide" on the wall.

Just a few months ago i visited a friends barbershop and he had a new updated version of the afro-guide -- a young kid was picking a style from it. A style of today (lol).

Album Cover of The Month

KISS: DESTROYER
I first saw Kiss "Destroyer" in a Montgomery Ward when i was but a wee-lad. Immediately i asked my mom to buy it. "No... when you are old enough to have you're own money, then you can buy it." was her response. Deeply saddened (as young kids are when they cannot have what they want and don't understand why) I would then become completely obsessed with the face-painted figures... The funny thing is the first album i bought by Kiss was "Rock and roll Over" not "Destroyer."

HIGHWIRE: set list 1.25.07

(photo by S. Stardust)


-- open --

regular fries: new moon
the bees: got to let go
nebyudelic sound system: decalogue dodgin' dirty dawg blues
happy mondays: bob's yer uncle
metro area: things fall
depeche mode: a pain that i'm used to (telex mix)
the neon judgement: i stood between
art of noise: beat box
flock of seagulls: wishing (i had a photograph of you)
roxy music: the space between
grand national: peanut dreams
dandy warhols: the dope
a certain ratio: do the do
funkadelic: one nation under groove
renegade soundwave: the phantom
book of love: tubular bells/ pretty girls, pretty boys
george kranz: din daa da
new york models: hot for you
revolting cocks: big sexy land
space cowboy: my egyptian lover
spank rock: lyndsay lohan
underground resistance: electronic warfare
robyn: konichiwa bitches (trentmoller mix)
bloc party: the prayer
adam ant: stand and deliver
the stooges: down on the street
echo and the bunnymen: never stop
dopplereffekt: speak and spell
tiga: far from home (digitalism mix)
the cure: stop dead
ivy: lets go to bed (hawaii mix)
adult: hand to phone
time zone: world destruction
slash dash: white horse (radio mix)
scissor sisters: comfortably numb (tiga mix)
prince: automatic
human league: these are the things
kraftwerk: the model
!!!: shit sheisse mairde
klaxons: atlantis to interzone (metronomy mix)
klaxons: magick (smd mix)
loneshark: hotline
chromeo: tenderoni
plus device: body heat
fast eddie: alia thunder
alaska y los pegamoides: bailando
duran duran: friends of mine
kish mauve: i'm in love with a german film star
jackson 5: i am love parts 1 & 2
prince: sexuality
prince: let's pretend we're married
j dilla: workin on it
roots manuva: witness
mobb deep: g.o.d. father pt. 3
dr. dre: fuck you
erik b. rakim: as the rhyme goes on
prodigy: y.b.e
beans: scatter
mobb deep: shook ones pt. 2
michael jackson: human nature
el-p: smithereens
robyn: cobrastyle
becket and taylor: let's smash up our love
flatpack: sweet child o mine (mylo mix)
le tigre: deceptacon (dfa mix)
when in rome: the promise
prince: dirty mind
BIM: romance
bloc party: helicopter (weird science mix feat. peaches)
plastic little: get close (king honey mix)
peter bjorn and john (feat. victoria bergsman): young folks
vines: get free
sisters of mercy: vision thing
suede: electricity
tv on the radio: province
charlatans: come in number 21
regular fries: maybe mash men
killing joke: requiem
cher: i walk on guilded splinters
depeche mode: dead of night (electronicat mix)
4 hero: golden age of life
thompson twins: if you were here
gerald mcann: cry little sister (thou shalt not kill)

-- close --

Future "Movies With Ron"

+ Grindhouse (Planet Terror & Death Proof), Transformers, Iron Man, Sunshine and The Host... among others

HIGHWIRE: Set List 01.18.07

(photo by Ducati)

--open--

orange can: so bright 2
grand national: talk amongst yourselves
oasis: supersonic
barabajagal: donovan
supermaxx: i ain't gonna feel
ohio players: i wanna be free
tones on tail: lions
killing joke: war dance
acdc: safe in new york city
rakes: terror
riton: killing an arab
inxs: don't change
blondie: call me
interpol: pda
love and rockets: motorcycle
antipop consortium: ghostlawns (mike ladd mix)
wolfmother: dimension
black sabbath: electric funeral
timelords: doctorin' the tardis
kasabian: shoot the runner
i monster: hey mrs. (glamourpuss mix)
goldfrapp: beautiful
colder: to the music (mad mike mix)
wire: ahead
new order: everything's gone green
isolee: tout se complique
xymox: stranger
rapture: woo-hah (smd mix)
clear static: make-up sex (mt sims mix)
klaxons: musik (smd mix)
m.mayer: amanda*
fox the fox: precious little diamond*
stevie nicks: stand back
jay dee: plastic dreams
duran duran: electric barbarella
legwelt: disco train
depeche mode: personal jesus (pump mix)
outkast: ghetto musick
peter bjorn and john: young folks
jim noir: eanie meanie (fatboy slim mix)
the cure: hey you* (kevorkian mix)
prince: let's pretend we're married*
audio two: top billin'
billy idol: eyes without a face
u2: hold me thrill me kiss me kill me
notorious B.I.G: warning
j. dilla: nothing like this
luke slater: you know what i mean
cicada: the things you say (original mix)
hellogoodbye: here( in your arms)-(young americans mix)
charlie: spacer woman* (12 midnight)
justice vs. simian: we are your friends
rolling stones: undercover
prince: alphabet street
the knife: we share our mothers health
wolfmother: white unicorn
t-rex: 20 century boy
the white stripes: blue orchid
tow lone swordsmen: sex beat (mix)
bloc party: so here we are
northern lites: treat me better
timezone: world destruction
billy squier: the stroke
wolfmother: woman (avalanches mix)
rick ross: hustlin
the knife: heartbeats
depeche mode: dead of night (electronicat remix)
fleetwood mac: edge of seventeen
prince: kiss
rolling stones: i'm free (hot chip mix)
clipse: trill
la bionda: i wanna be your lover
gorillaz: kids with guns (hot chip mix)
architecture in helsinki: like a call (jeremy dower mix)
el-p: smithereens
goldie: kemistry
fpu: ocean drive (tiga's white linen vox)
depeche mode: precious (dominatrix mix)
beloved: sweet harmony
annie: fool for love
stone temple pilots: big empty
jet: cold hard bitch
grand national: cherry tree
big country: big country
myrmidons: clap (see stars)
tv on the radio: playhouses
sisters of mercy: temple of love (mix)
(???\\\illegible entry///???)
m.j. cole: attitude
junior boys: the equalizer (morgan geist mix)
bloc party: the prayer
underworld: bruce lee
dwight david: the last dragon
the glove: mouth to mouth* (r.s. vocal demo)
prince: lady cab driver

--close--

2006 Top 10 Lists (The Finale)

Ok, so i changed a few things... what of it?!

MUSIC: Albums
1.
"Return To Cookie Mountain" by TV On The Radio

2.
"St. Elsewhere" by Gnarls Barkley

3.
"Hell Hath No Fury" by Clipse

4.
"Interstellar Fugitives II: Chaos vs. Order" - Various Artists (UR)

5.
"Silent Shout" by The Knife

6.
"The Warning" by Hot Chip

7.
"Donuts" by J-Dilla (aka Jay-Dee)... R.I.P

8.
"10,000 Years" by Tool

9.
"Blue Potential" by Jeff Mills & The National Orchestra of Montpellier

10.
"Nebulae" by Outputmessage



MUSIC: Singles
1. "Black Republican" by Nas (featuring Jay-Z)
2. "Wolf Like Me" by TV On The Radio
3. "What You Know" by T. I.
4. "We Share Our Mother's Health" by The Knife
5. "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley
6. "The White Unicorn" by Wolfmother
7. "White Dwarf" by Chicken Lips
8. "Water of Nazareth" by Justice
9. "Put 'Em In Their Place" by Mobb Deep
10."Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake



MOVIES:
1.
Little Miss Sunshine

2.
The Proposition

3.
The Departed

4.
The Descent

5.
Casino Royale

6.
Children Of Men

7.
The Good Shepherd

8.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America
for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

9.
Dreamgirls

10.
A Scanner Darkly

Another Mix for the Coming Cool

1. "Mandala/Toronto" by Detroit Escalator Co.
2. "Climbing Up The Walls (Zero 7 Mix)" by Radiohead
3. "Biological" by Air
4. "Home (Air 'Around The Golf' Mix)" by Depeche Mode
5. "Left Side Drive" by Boards Of Canada
6. "Heaven Sent" by Esthero
7. "Slave To Love (12 inch Mix)" by Bryan Ferry
8. "Didn't I" by Darondo
9. "Ain't Gonna Feel" by Supermaxx
10. "2 Wicky" by Hooverphonic
11. "The Answer Is Yes" by Justus Koehncke
12. "Playground Love" by Air
13. "I Have Seen" by Zero 7

Download MIX 100906 (Quiet Storm Mix) here.
Running time: 37 minutes, 14 seconds

300 = Next Level Graphic Novel Adaptation

If the movie for "300" (centered around the Battle of Thermopylae) is as good as the trailer, it will mark the next level of Graphic Novel adaptation to Film... All comic-book heads, keep in mind. the director of this movie is slated to be "the man" behind the "Watchmen" adaptation.

An Autumn Mix 4 Your Mind

1. "Strings of Strings of Life" by Derrick May
2. "We Are Back" by LFO
3. "Pacific 202" by 808 State
4. "Velocity Funk" by E-Dancer
5. "Plastic Dreams" by Jay Dee
6. "Technicolor" by Channel One
7. "Acid Bass" by DJ Pierre
8. "Droid" by A Guy Called Gerald
9. "Shari Vari" (Ectomorph Mix) by A Number of Names
10. "Jack The Bass" by Farley Jackmaster Funk
11. "You Used To Hold Me" by Ralphie Rosari
12. "Black Sweat" (ATOM's Got Some Ripe Pits Mix) by Prince
13. "Black Water" by Octave One
14. "Future" (instrumental) by Model 500
15. "The Beat Goes On" by Orbit
16. "Play At Your Own Risk" by Planet Patrol
17. "Time Space Transmat" by Model 500

Download MIX 092006 (Autumn 2006 Mix) here.

Michael Moore Ain't Got Sh*t On This!

Synopsis: Determined to find the law that requires Americans to pay income tax, Aaron Russo (THE ROSE, TRADING PLACES) sets out on a journey. Neither left- nor right-wing, this startling examination exposes the systematic erosion of civil liberties in America. Through interviews with US Congressmen, a former IRS Commissioner, former IRS and FBI agents, tax attorneys and authors, Russo connects the dots between money creation, federal income tax, voter fraud, the national identity card (becoming law in May 2008) and the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track citizens. A striking case about the evolving police state in America.

Visit the site here.

See the special 15 minute trailer here.

Black Merda = History Live in NYC

Pyschedelic soul-rock group, Black Merda (the original all black rock band) performed at Central Park Summer Stage last Saturday. Anyone who peeped it got a glimpse of the a Detroit sound that most people didn't know existed.

World Cup Balls

German design company Bora.Herke Stilbüro created designer balls for all 32 qualifying teams... Which is your favorite?

Starship Dimensions

Science Fiction fans rejoice! Now you can get an idea of the true scale of your favorite science fiction spacecraft by comparing ships from various sci-fi universes, as well as comparing them with familiar contemporary objects.

Take a look.

Honda Humanoid History

Honda Worldwide posted a history of the two-legged walking humanoid from conception (E0) to now (ASIMO). See it here.

Milton Bradley = Nostradamus?

In 1986, Milton Bradley released a game called Fortress America as a part of the Gamemaster Series of strategy games from the '80s (ie: Axis & Allies, Shogun).

The premise is the United States has been invaded by China in the West, the Soviet Union in the East and Central America in the South, with each player playing one of the invaders (or a combination thereof if you have less than 4 players) and one player playing the U.S. It takes place in the "not too distant future" as you play with "hovertanks" and whatnot. It's a pretty straight-forward strategic war game scenario. The goal of the invaders is to take (and hold for one turn) 18 American cities. America simply needs to wipe out all the invaders.


NOTE: Since 9/11 Fortress America has enjoyed a notable resurgance in popularity, particularly the first edition with the Saddam look-alike on the cover (this was removed from later editions).

Han Solo Shot First

FINALLY, the original version of the Star Wars trilogy is being released on DVD... coming in September. That's right, i'm a geek.

Detroit Techno Goes Symphonic

I remember Jeff Mills when he was know as the "The Wizard" of 98FM in Detroit back in the '80s. At the time i was in college in Ann Arbor where he would sometimes guest at the local club (Nectarine aka Necto). He also DJed the black fraternity parties regularly. When you saw his name on a party invitation you knew the night would be off the chain!

Now one of the hottest techno DJ/Producers out there has expanded his resume in the form of collaboration with a symphonic orchestra. It's a new DVD titled "Jeff Mills & The National Orchestra of Montpellier - Blue Potential."

My First NYC Apartment

...so, i moved to NYC in late summer of 1994. My roomates and I rented a "raw" loft space. It had it's ups and downs and the landlord was nowhere near the best... Well a few weeks ago one of the guys that lived with us was walking by and spotted the "Notice to Vacate" (photo above).


photo credit: MTP

A Rorschach Test: Are You Crazy?

Click here to begin test.

note: quicktime download is approximately 12mb.

Nippon Food Service (Pt. 2)

Dinner at a japanese style steakhouse in Okura Hotel, a tepanyaki (like Benihana but better) in Tokyo. ...now that's a fire!

note: download is approximately 4mb.

Object Lessons Exhibit

"Object Lessons" is a multimedia art exhibit with works from Peter Cho, Brian Crabtree & Kelli Cain, Sean Dockray, Nate Harrison (of Töshöklabs), Tom Jennings, and Patrick Vaillancourt. It's curated by Tom Leeser, Director, Center For Integrated Media Art at Californnia Institute Of The Arts.

exhibit info is as follows:
March 29, 2006 thru May 19, 2006 at Gigantic ArtSpace (GAS) 59 Franklin St. (between Broadway and Lafayette). Tel: 212.226.6762. Open tuesday - Saturday 11am - 7pm (Monday by appointment only)

Image courtesy of Mark Allen, Machine Project

Nippon Food Service (Pt. 1)

Dinner at Inakaya, a robotayaki (country-style restaurant as an artform) in Tokyo...

note: download is quite large (approx. 22mb)