RZA Remixes Black Tusk

There's just something about subversion that really gets me going—especially when it's on a corporate dime like Nike's. So news that Wu-Tang Clan's beloved RZA remixed Savannah, GA's dirtbag metallers Black Tusk was certainly intriguing, even if it did take a few minutes to wrap my brain around.

The collaboration was created as a soundtrack for the RZA vs. Nike 6.0 video series (in this case, it's RZA's vignette with BMX pro Garrett Reynolds) and features "The Takeoff" from Black Tusk's Relapse Records debut, Taste the Sin. And the sound? Pretty tasty and still thoroughly metal.

Wanna see? Check it out below. Better yet, download the song from the fine people at Nike.

Now if we can only get that Cash Money x Eyehategod collabo going...



And if you act now, you can also get this clip from RZA's legit horrorcore supergroup, Gravediggaz, for FREE.

Rewind: New York Comic Con 2010

I was good for what, two consecutive days, before I took an unscheduled leave of absence? The last few weeks have been pretty packed with New York Comic Con, CMJ, family commitments and day job activities, so there's sadly been a slowdown of posts. But some things, like NYCC, just can't be denied... so here goes.

The fifth annual convention has quickly become a destination event for thousands of comic culture fans from across the world, and it crackles with the same bubbling energy that San Diego Comic Con once generated before becoming an ADD nightmare awash with Hollywood poseurs. And to up the ante even further this year, ReedPop, the company behind NYCC decided to pair it with its other franchise—the New York Anime Festival—so the gatherings were happening concurrently on different floors of the Jacob Javits Center. Result? A glorious, anthropologically fascinating culture clash between under-aged cosplayers and 40-year-old dudes dressed as Green Arrow. Ah, my people.

Among the varied highlights were appearances by superstars like Jim Lee, Bruce Campbell and Amanda Conner, early trailers of AMC's incredible zombie mini-series The Walking Dead, announcements from DC that Anthony Bourdain will be writing a Vertigo graphic novel and a previews of a variety of digital comics. Even cartoon-theme cover band Powerglove had a booth. Add to that over 300 panels, a wide selection of vendors, hundreds of talent appearances and enough liver-butchering after parties to momentarily appease Charlie Sheen, you can be sure that there was something to be had for everyone... even if that something was a pair of Chubby Hubby sexy undies.

Yet I somehow managed to break down my very favorite moments from the con. Check 'em out below.

My Top 5 Favorite Things From NYCC 2010:

1. Boba Fett, Renegade Accordionist busking outside. To quote Stan Lee: "'Nuff said!" Photo by Tim Shey.

2. The Michael Jackson Experience Wii Game preview and watching people (especially kids) in costume playing it onstage for hours. So on my holiday wish list.

Jay & Silent Bob dance to "Beat It."

 3. The Marvel Comics Costume Contest... and all the amazing outfits it inspired (see: Bishop with boombox gun). And if you didn't witness the dance-off, you really missed something magical. More official Marvel pics here.

4. Freaks Meet Geeks—we all know who's who (the Anime people are definitely the former). Photo by excalipoor.

5. Forget Modern Family, we've got your real nuclear family right here. Several costumed families were seen meandering the halls. I figure there's about a fifty-fifty chance that kid's going to be in therapy. Even greater odds of family LARPing.

Want to see more photos? Check out the full set on Flickr.

Best Worst Idea: Design Anberlin's Tattoo Contest

It's been a banner week for dumb shit.

Just when I got done reeling from the auto-tune awesomeness of Vampires Everywhere!'s "Immortal Love," another fantastic impossible-to-ignore piece of cross-marketing synergy via Live Nation came through my inbox like a brown baby boy.

The concept is simple: Anberlin members Joey and Christian have agreed to be tattooed with a design created by two of their fans. Seriously.

To add even more to the branding clusterfuck, someone named Ruthless from the TLC show LA Ink will administer the tattoo. Though suggested themes include orthodox iconography, Gaelic art and "luck of the Irish," the submissions thus far have been varied at best (see below). They're actively seeking contestants through October 22, so you can get in on the action—as long as you're confident you can take on some of these masterpieces.

Then there's a public vote that presumably sways the final selections, and a quick perusal of the official rules states that there's no cash prize—just the honor of having your artistic vision emblazoned on the daring two. In other words, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH IT.

Stop making this bloggy-style thing so easy for me. I might actually start doing it regularly.

Vampires Everywhere!

Observations and facts based on an otherwise very pleasant press release I received:

1. The above is apparently a real band.
2. They're called Vampires Everywhere! (They somewhat inconsistently use the notated exclamation point.)
3. They just signed with Century Media, making them label mates with Naglfar and Napalm Death.
4. They make the Horrors look quite butch.
5. They use auto-tune (or some Frampton-esque variation) a whole bunch.
6. What the fuck is that guy on the right doing to the Claw?
7. Members' names include Michael Vampire, David Darko and Jay Killa.
8. They are in no way affiliated with Twilight—but they hope to be soon.
9. Based on their Myspace page, it takes six guys to make a band both blow and suck at the same time.
10. I repeat: this is a real band.

Still don't believe me? Check out their video for "Immortal Love."

Vampires Everywhere! from Scott Hansen on Vimeo.

Now you kids get off my lawn.

Metal Fuckin' Swim

The fine folks at Adult Swim and Scion A/V have done it again! Not only have they compiled 16 rare or unreleased tracks from some of the best underground metal bands around, they're giving the compilation away FOR FREE!! Head over to AdultSwim.com to get your copy.

As if you needed even MORE incentive, check out Adult Swim's video for Skeletonwitch's "Bringers of Death," which features some very familiar looking zombies.



Thanks to Jason DeMarco for the hook-up!

My 10 Favorite ATP New York Moments

While I begin to wrap my brain around my first ATP New York experience enough to write about it in-depth, here's a quickie about the memories that stand out the most.

1. The ubiquity of Jim Jarmusch. He was everywhere: on line checking in, at the food court, chilling by the lake with his family.

2. Helen Money playing an electric cello—replete with effects pedals—in the hall lounge. The perfect thing to pass out to on one of Kutsher's many banquettes.

3. The marker smell outside of Tim Biskup's pop-up gallery and all the dirty (nsfw) karaoke posters it wrought.

4. The magic of Frankie Don. I hear he's moving on to the second stage next year.

5. Shellac live.

6. When Steve Albini got a special shout-out from the Breeders during their set, he happened to be standing next to me on the second tier. Only one other guy noticed. We looked at Albini, then each other, but neither of us addressed him. Dorks.

7. This recurring thought: "Did I really just watch Sleep play for two hours AFTER Iggy & the Stooges performed all of Raw Power?" Fuck yeah, I did.

8. Ron Jeremy was in the house to see Hope Sandoval. And he wore orange Crocs for the occasion.

9. Getting my body rocked by Altar, literally. The very definition of doom, this powerfully amplified set was not for the faint of heart.

Altar, Jesse Sykes solo.

10. Altar < GZA freestyling < dancing to Eddie Murphy's "Party All the Time" < Ron Jeremy photo op. In that order.

Lots more crappy snapshots here.

Triton Industrial Fest Takes Brighton Beach

 Though I'll be doing my best to hustle my way into ATP New York this coming Labor Day weekend, it almost pains me to know that I won't be around to witness firsthand the cultural mashup that is the Triton Festival, which is set to go down over three nights at Oceana Hall—a Russian nightclub in Brighton Beach.

An ambitious festival in its first year, Triton promises three nights of Industrial music madness with an international lineup of artists from Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Detroit, plus a host of parties and DJ sets.

At first, I got a chuckle at the idea of unsuspecting locals getting all dolled up for a night out on the town only to come across the place overrun by patrons wearing cats-eye contact lenses and bands like Icons of Coil and Hanzel und Gretyl. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized Industrial-Goths and Russians had a lot in common...


1. Both Russians and Industrial fans wear black almost exclusively.

2. Both spend an inordinate amount of time getting their hair in unnatural shapes/colors.

3. Russians and Industrial fans *love* to over-accessorize and sometimes put on too much makeup.

4. Hello.... uniform fetishes!!

5. Last but not least, THUMPING BASS TRACKS!

So while I'll be stalking out Jim Jarmusch in the Borscht Belt, I implore the rest of you to check out Triton. And take pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.