by Jamila



Let's be quite clear, I am not an objective reviewer here. Mike Doughty's music stole my heart in the summer of 2003, when I borrowed a mix CD from my roommate to listen to in the car and track 8 was "The Only Answer" –– two minutes and 9 seconds of sheer heaven that I repeated about 6 times before grilling said roommate about who had created this incredible tidbit of music and how had I missed it before. I am such a biased Mike Doughty fan that I have the robot from the cover of Rockity Roll tattooed on my ankle. Okay, disclaimer taken care of.

Doughty's latest album, Yes and Also Yes is the perfect mix of all of the little quirky styles his other albums showcased. Haughty Melodic (a.k.a. the masterwork), was folksy and acoustic and haunting, with bright spots of silliness (and is still my favorite of his albums, to this day). Golden Delicious was a bit more experimental and electronic, while also serving to put MD on the mainstream map, at least a little bit. That album's redux of "27 Jennifers" was the first of his songs I ever heard on a regular radio station –– not counting Sirius or college radio, etc –– and I grinned until the last strains died out.

Yes and Also Yes has the earnest, sweet, hopeful simplicity of Haughty Melodic with a twist of the edginess and electronic embellishment that he used on Rockity Roll and Golden Delicious. The most glaring difference though? The naive trust, the little boy looking for love and happily ever after who was so present on Haughty Melodic, even in the sad songs about love gone bad like the glorious "Unsingable Name," is startlingly absent on this album. These are songs written by a man who's had his heart ripped out and stomped on and knows so well how to tell the story.

While this isn't the first time his fragile heart had been broken, it was the last time it will happen like this. This is not an album to cry yourself to sleep to whilst it spins endlessly on repeat, it's much subtler and far more seductive. The kind of songs that pretty much everyone who has lost their virginity will be able to relate to. The first single "Na Na Nothing" is about as close to a universal anthem of getting fucked over as it gets. And there are so many moments on this album that made me think, “Yeah, me too!”

And yet, despite the bitterness Doughty wisely lets seep into some of the tracks, that youthful, exuberant hope is still ever present. He continues on his path of growth and exudes a ready-to-learn attitude that makes him and his music so incredibly likeable. You never really know what you will get when you buy one of his albums, but so far, I haven't been disappointed.

Verdict? Definitely worth buying. And also worth paying extra for overnight shipping. Yes, that does mean I was talking about actually purchasing the *gasp* CD. This is one to tangibly hold in your hands.

By Nicole Breanne

The Stones, Bowie, Elvis, Hendrix, The Beatles, they all played on vinyl throughout my formative years. These guys are the soundtrack of my childhood. I was also intrigued by photographs from that era. Candid shots of the rock stars were my favorite. I would also notice the beautiful girls that were with them. I didn't know who they were or what they did, but one in particular stood out. As I grew older and the internet came into play, I did my research, Pamela Des Barres was the name.

Pamela Des Barres - known as Miss Pamela, Queen of the Groupies - is world famous, mostly for the company she's kept. But after reading her books, watching her documentaries, and being part of the music scene myself, I realized she was so much more. And as I got into journalism (I started as rock writer), my desire to meet and know Pamela grew and grew. Finally, I got the balls to shoot her an email and ask her for an interview…



Nicole Breanne: I grew up in a very musical household, not only did we have vinyl, but we had a lot of candid shots of rock stars. Those were my favorite. I always saw these really beautiful girls, you in particular, and I would think to myself, “I want to be those girls.” Now I look at groupies and I'm like, “Ugh, really?”

Pamela Des Barres PDB: You can't use groupie in a negative way like you just did, I forbid it

NB: Well, that's kind of my point, I don't see them as groupies like I see you as one. I just didn't know if I could call them star fuckers in your living room.

PDB: [laughs] I don't call them that, I don't call them anything. That wasn't what we were about. I didn't have sex for a long time, I wanted it to be special and I wanted to really love the person and have them really love me. But I did give oral sex - I really wanted to show my appreciation.

NB: Exactly! You weren't there to just screw rock stars. You were these beautiful girls that were there for the band, you appreciated the music. I really feel like you guys did so much more.

PDB: I'm glad you feel that way because a lot of the bands felt that way. It wasn't us just trying to be with them, they wanted us there. The super groupies got to be up on stage, we felt what they were feeling. It was thrilling beyond words to be up on stage when The Who was doing Tommy, The Stones with “Gimme Shelter.” I've been in some pretty amazing places.

NB: You're so good about giving details, and not giving too much. You don't go into who's big and who's not.

PDB: People ask that all the time! Who was the best? Who was the biggest? The funniest question I get asked, and I get asked it a lot, is, “What is jimmy pages dick like?” [laughs] So many people want to know that! It's like wow, sorry, if you can't find out for yourself, I’m not gonna go that far. They don't ask about Jim Morrison or Jagger. I guess everyone saw Jagger, but Jimmy is the one they ask about.

NB: You really loved these guys, was it hard to watch them live that extreme lifestyle?

PDB: Yeah, I had to walk away sometimes. I was scared for them, sure I was. I saw them doing more and more, and the drugs got harder, it wasn't just hash. I won't lie, I did it too. I did it all. I never shot up though. I guess I'm lucky that I'm not an addictive person, I could walk away. But there were a few times when I had to leave because I couldn't watch.

NB: Again, you really cared about these guys — but you weren't the only girl that was around. When I watched the documentary based on your second book, Let's Spend The Night Together: Confessions of Rock's Greatest Groupies, I was struck by how there was no jealousy. Was there any of that?

PDB: No. We all really liked each other and we were careful not to step on each other’s toes. When the scene changed and some younger girls came in — that's a different story. They just wanted us out, and there was name-calling and that kind of thing. Not all of them. There are a few good girls that I still keep in touch with. But the original girls weren't like that. I loved doing that documentary because I got to spend double time with the girls. They're still some of my best friends.

NB: What's it like when you listen to the music of that time - do you still feel that same?

PDB: Some of it is way too emotional. It brings back way too many emotional things. I get very heady. I can't even listen to “Stairway.” It brings back way too many memories. When it's on the radio I can't wait to turn it off, especially if I'm driving. I still listen to Graham Parsons. I was moved by him and his voice and his intense desire to share what he was doing with music. He was so dedicate and I’m obsessed with him still. There was a girl from France who was interviewing me because she's doing a comic book series on the GTO's and I asked if she knew him and she said no [so] I gave her CDs. I'm like that, because if someone really loves music, they need to know Graham. That's what he was about, spreading music.

NB: In your second book you talk about your divorce, your son — it's a very personal book. Did you just decide that you were going to go balls out with this and tell it all?

PDB: I did that with all my books. But my second book...it's a different book, its my favorite one. It's not as well read as the first one, the first one was a bestseller for a long time. I have fans, they're reading them, but I wish more people knew about the sequel.

NB: You're working on your fifth book now...

PDB: Yeah, my fifth book will be about my spiritual journey. My agent is having a hard time selling it because I am perceived as a “groupie” and a “groupie” shouldn't have spirituality I guess. But we have interest from a smaller house.

NB: You teach a writing class - how did that start?

PDB: I would periodically go take a refresher creative writing course throughout my life. Moon Zappa said, “I've got this really cool writing teacher you may want to check it out.” So, I went and half-way through the class I thought – I should be teaching this, I could be teaching this! So I thought about it for a year, then I decided to take the plunge and just go for it. I advertised on MySpace, because that's what was happening at the time. My first group met right here, about 10-12 girls, and they loved it. It's just great groups of women who are all like-minded, and they have these amazing stories, so life long friendships are made. It's worked out. I've been doing it for 12 years now. I've been traveling and now I teach all over and I’m doing my first European trip too.

NB: How do you feel about music today?

PDB: There's a lot of things I like, nothing like the renaissance I lived though where every thing was great – The Stones, The Byrds, The Doors. I had to choose between The Stones and The Burrito's. I remember Mercy invited me to Monterrey and I said, “I can't go I can't miss The Burrito Brothers!” Now that is one of the few things I regret. But I love Lucinda Williams. She’s the only singer that has moved me like that in decades. I liked Ryan Adams for a while. He went off the rails for a bit, but his new album is good. My boyfriend Mike Stinson is the greatest songwriter. I still go to see Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dylan always, always. I set my alarm to make sure I get up to get the best seats. Paul McCartney. Mainly the bands I liked then I'll go see now.

NB: Do you feel like it could happen again? That someone can come along and just revolutionize music?

PDB: It happened in rap, Eminem is a real big favorite of mine because he took that whole other part of music and created it for himself. That was amazing. He's the last person that has moved me in that kind of way, in the way that I was like, “Wow, this guy is doing something.” Not since Kurt Cobain. Kurt Cobain was the dude.

***

I left Pamela's house completely elated. She was more than I had ever dreamed she could be. She was poised and kind, and still insanely beautiful. Part of me hoped that meeting her would quell my thirst for that time. Maybe it wouldn't be as great as I thought it was, maybe she wouldn't be. But, alas, I'm left with even more of a longing – so much so, that I'll be at her January writing class. If, like me, you can't get enough of Pamela, be sure to sign up for one of her creative writing workshops. Alternatively, you can join one of her Rock Tours, during which she takes groups around Hollywood to her old haunts and reads excerpts from her book. It's a pretty kick ass trip down memory lane!

by Blogbot


[Olga in http://suicidegirls.com/girls/Olga/photos/Party++Girl/ " target="_blank">Party Girl]

SuicideGirls’ team of Bloggers and Agony Aunts share their suggestions on how you can give 2012 a kick-ass kick start.

1. There's someone you haven't spoken to in a long time. Too long. You fear by now you've procrastinated so long that it's lame to reach out, so you've effectively paralyzed a valuable friendship that could easily re-blossom with a single call. You're not paralyzed, it's just a head trip. Guilt is useless. Make that call. Say Hi. Apologize. Laugh. Love. Life's too short. Do it right now. “Happy New Year! I suck” is a great way to start a conversation! – Steve Altman

2. Cut off deadwood! Start by defriending, hiding or blocking the toxic individuals from your Facebook and Twitter feeds. – Dalila Suicide

3. Spend time with people that make you feel taller, brighter, and more capable than you did before. – Darrah de jour

4. Try dating someone you wouldn't ordinarily date. Like, say, maybe an introverted writer-type that contributes to your favorite alt-beauty blog. Or an evangelical Christian. Those are your only two choices though: the writer or the evangelical. Choose wisely. – Matt Dunbar

5. Spend some time with a niece, nephew or cousin who are growing up and could use your advice. – Atlea Suicide

6. Talk to someone from your Facebook list face-to-face. – CoyoteMike

7. Come to terms with the fact that you mom has a Facebook. – Shotgun Suicide

8. Eating vegetarian style meals reduces the green house gas production. Try to incorporate this in to your lifestyle one day a week. It's good for you and the earth. – Aadie Suicide

9. Eat lots and lots of cupcakes!!!! What? They’re epic and always put a smile on my face! – Kraven Suicide

10. Unfuck your habitat! There's nothing like vastly improving your quality of life by having a clean, organized living space. Need tips and/or motivation? Visit unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/, because "no matter what our situations are, we deserve better than to live in filth." – Perdita Suicide

11. Clean your car and your house through and through. – Atlea Suicide

12. Rearrange a room to get a fresh perspective on life. – Rambo Suicide

13. Go through all your clothes and decide if someone could make better use of some of them. Drop the excess baggage off at a shelter or contributing organization in your area. – Atlea Suicide

14. Donate those holiday presents that you don't like. – Shotgun Suicide

15. Shop local whenever possible. – Salome Suicide

16. Eat at your favorite mom & pop restaurant, before it goes bankrupt too. – Shotgun Suicide

17. Set up a computer backup plan. Be ready for World Backup Day. – Bob Suicide

18. Start and finish a project you've had in mind for a long time. Renovations, painting a vase, knitting, really anything. – Atlea Suicide

19. Set a stupid goal and accomplish it, to prove to yourself that you can. – Darrah de jour

20. Quit saying you will do something and actually do it. When tasks, errands, and commitments are followed through with you feel much more productive. – Kraven Suicide

21. Take a risk. – Darrah de jour

22. Spend an hour with a happy dog, scratching his or her ears. – CoyoteMike

23. Try to go outside each day. Go for a walk. Make sure you have at least 20 minutes of "me" time. This way you’re incorporating self-thought and exercise. It's very important to get to know yourself. You could be pleasantly surprised. – Aadie Suicide

24. Learn a new skill: baking, crocheting, taxidermy, etc. – Rambo Suicide

25. Take a college class that you want to take, not one that you need. – Shotgun Suicide

26. Find a hobby you can dedicate some time to. Something you love and have passion for. It keeps us young at heart and sane when we can lose our selves in something. – Kraven Suicide

27. Splurge on some really fancy underwear. – Rambo Suicide

28. Add a little color to your life however you see fit. A colorful world is so much better than a black and white one. – Kraven Suicide

29. Make time for yourself. Seriously. Put it in your calendar. Whether it is daily, weekly or monthly, schedule some time and don't cut out on it for anyone. You're the only one looking out for you. – Smythe Suicide

30. Treat yourself to an energy renewal weekend, be it at the spa or simply just by unplugging the phone and reading a book. – Atlea Suicide

31. Set up an automatic transfer of money into a savings account each month. – Salome Suicide

32. Watch Fight Club. – Darrah de jour

33. Listen to Valleyheart by She Wants Revenge – Nicole Powers

34. Read Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (snag a free copy here) - EisMC2 and JackalAnon

35. See more live comedy and live music. - Squee Suicide

36. Support non-profit journalism - American Independent News Network, Truthout, GregPalast.com, BradBlog.com are all 501c3's - donate to support the news that you read for free. Oh, and it's tax deductible. – ZDRoberts

37. Protest the NDAA, unless you don't care to plead the 5th. – Shotgun Suicide

38. Join the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) if you care about stopping SOPA. If you spend any time online, you should do. (For that matter, if you’re breathing, you should do!) – Nicole Powers

39. Protect your vote. The election is less than a year away, and you'll need to start working now to make sure your vote actually counts. Find out why and how by downloading Steal Back Your Vote for free. SuicideGirls helped promote the project so you know it's awesome and worth a read. – ZDRoberts

40. Get to know your presidential candidates. Look beyond the big social issues like abortion, and research their tax plans, health care ideas, and how they've voted in the past. You might find out they aren't who you thought they were based on a few Facebook posts and Twitter campaigns. The election is coming soon. – Damon Martin

41. Stop by and say hi to your local Occupy. Shake someone's hand and say “Thank you.” You’d be surprised how much it means to them. Oh, and give them a pair of mittens, it gets cold out there. – ZDRoberts

42. Write “Thank You” notes and post them to people who have helped you get through 2011. – Atlea Suicide

43. Send a letter to a friend, the kind with a stamp. – Shotgun Suicide

44. Create good karma. Treat others as you would want to be treated. In this day in age too many people are being hurtful towards one another in many forms. From anonymous hating via the internet, to being rude to a stranger just because your day didn’t go so well, to physical acts of hate out of spite, jealousy or lack of confidence. Think about how you can be a positive impact on others around you, from your family, friends, neighbors and strangers. Small gestures of kindness can go a long ways and karma will make its way back to you. – Dorsal Suicide

45. Pay for the next person in line at the coffee shop. – CoyoteMike

46. Find joy in the small things. It will help you appreciate the big things so much more. – Kraven Suicide

47. Make today count, because one day you will be nostalgic for it. – Shotgun Suicide

48. Spend more time living in the moment, and less time worrying about the past and the future. Neither of these exist – so live in the present! – Fabrizia Suicide

49. The past is over. Now move your ass. Welcome to 2012. – Darrah de jour

50. Have no regrets. It’s a New Year and that means progress. Do not look back, only forward to the happiness ahead! – Kraven Suicide

by Oogie

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Sash Suicide by Cameron Stewart]

This week, Oogie Suicide paints us a picture of what goes down in SG's Fan Art Group.

Members: 2,640 / Comments: 37,886

• WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: Being an artist, I love to look at what other people can do with their artistic talents. Whether it be with pen, pencil, acrylic, oil, watercolor, spray paint, Photoshop, or whatever else they can think of to use to make something beautiful. I also visit the group for inspiration. I've always wanted to use Photoshop, but have never gotten the chance to, but I was introduced to many other new and different styles by so many different artists that I am just dying to try. I also love this group because it gives me a chance to show the ladies that I draw my fan art of them! I love doing fan art, and I love making people happy.




• DISCUSSION TIP: Open your mind and go to inspire others, go to reinforce others, or just go to look at some amazing art

• BEST RANDOM QUOTE: "Holy shit...Is it wrong that I want to grab people nearby in the coffee shop to show these to them?! You've chosen some total babesicles, too!" – Lyxzen Suicide commenting on the above piece of art of by Cameron Stewart.


• MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: I believe the most heated, or in this case the topic with the most positive feedback on their art, is the art by SG’s very own, Cameron Stewart. His artwork can be seen in this group, and also in the SuicideGirls Comics.


• WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: Anyone with artistic talent, anyone that has appreciation for art, people who want to be drawn, really anyone at all.

[Ackley Suicide by Cameron Stewart]


***
Related Posts:
SuicideGirls Group Therapy: Jensen on Online Dating
SuicideGirls Group Therapy: Gallows on Pen Pals
SuicideGirls Group Therapy - Satya on Hip-Hop
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tovi on Veggie


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Suicide Boys
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Haydin on Ballet
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Psyche on Slut Pride
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Thistle on Yuppie Scum
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Eden on Tattoo
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Damsel on Dreadlocks


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Chrysis on Itty Bitty Titty Committee


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Otoki on Feminists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Zephyr on Doctor Who
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Ryker on Harry Potter
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Bradley on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Apple on All Your Base Are Belong To Us
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Setsuka on Ass Appreciation
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Exning on Body Mods
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Ceres on Girls Only
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Frolic on Celeb Worship
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Cheri on Skateboarders
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on SG Military
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Exning on Weight Loss
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Cute Overload
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Eevie, Luffy, and Praesepe on SG420
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - All on Urban Art
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Clio on Hardcore Music
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Epiic on Hirsute
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tarion on Atheists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Rambo on Photography
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Thistle on Vamos Gigantes

by Jensen

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Jensen Suicide in Irish Car Bomb]

This week, Jensen Suicide gives us the skinny on her healthy relationship with SG's Online Dating Group.

Members: 924 / Comments: 4,938

• WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: I’ve been doing the online dating thing for the latter part of this year, and it’s cool to chat about it with fellow SG internerds!




• DISCUSSION TIP: Don’t whine about never getting messages [unless you’re looking for profile help].


• BEST RANDOM QUOTE: 
: “hi since you’re horny will you have sex with me? We can get to know each other after!” And basically anything else in the “I fought the LOL and the LOL won” thread.




• MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: Things You Hate in Profiles.


• WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: Everyone!

***
Related Posts:

SuicideGirls Group Therapy: Gallows on Pen Pals
SuicideGirls Group Therapy - Satya on Hip-Hop
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tovi on Veggie


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Suicide Boys
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Haydin on Ballet
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Psyche on Slut Pride
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Thistle on Yuppie Scum
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Eden on Tattoo
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Damsel on Dreadlocks


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Chrysis on Itty Bitty Titty Committee


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Otoki on Feminists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Zephyr on Doctor Who
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Ryker on Harry Potter
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Bradley on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Apple on All Your Base Are Belong To Us
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Setsuka on Ass Appreciation
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Exning on Body Mods
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Ceres on Girls Only
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Frolic on Celeb Worship
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Cheri on Skateboarders
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on SG Military
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Exning on Weight Loss
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Cute Overload
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Eevie, Luffy, and Praesepe on SG420
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - All on Urban Art
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Clio on Hardcore Music
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Epiic on Hirsute
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tarion on Atheists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Rambo on Photography
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Thistle on Vamos Gigantes

by Gallows

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Gallows Suicide in Scrabble]

This week, Gallows Suicide writes in about SG's Pen Pals Group.

Members: 187 / Comments: 9,603

• WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: It’s amazing getting mail that isn’t bills, but even better getting letters from all over the world. Then having the people you write to become really great friends. I’ve met so many amazing people and made such great friends because of pen pals. I’ve become addicted to stationary and wax seals. I have so many awesome postcards, pictures, cards and items from all over the globe. It’s simply amazing! And even if I don’t have the time to write back super fast, my pen pals wait patiently.




• DISCUSSION TIP: Just get in there, start writing letters to addresses, and wait for replies. Most people in the group will send you welcome letters and help get you started, there’s even a thread to help you out if you are nervous about writing new friends. My tip is to just jump in and enjoy it!


• BEST RANDOM QUOTE: 
"I wish there were stamps with tits on them. *sigh*"




• MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: We don’t have a heated discussion thread. All of our heated conversations happen on paper and through the mail. Another great thing about Pen Pals is everyone is SUPER friendly!!!


• WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: You must be a member for at least 3 months, have a profile picture and some blog and comment posts! If you have all that then come and join!

***
Related Posts:

SuicideGirls Group Therapy - Satya on Hip-Hop
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tovi on Veggie


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Suicide Boys
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Haydin on Ballet
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Psyche on Slut Pride
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Thistle on Yuppie Scum
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Eden on Tattoo
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Damsel on Dreadlocks


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Chrysis on Itty Bitty Titty Committee


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Otoki on Feminists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Zephyr on Doctor Who
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Ryker on Harry Potter
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Bradley on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Apple on All Your Base Are Belong To Us
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Setsuka on Ass Appreciation
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Exning on Body Mods
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Ceres on Girls Only
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Frolic on Celeb Worship
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Cheri on Skateboarders
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on SG Military
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Exning on Weight Loss
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Cute Overload
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Eevie, Luffy, and Praesepe on SG420
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - All on Urban Art
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Clio on Hardcore Music
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Epiic on Hirsute
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tarion on Atheists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Rambo on Photography
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Thistle on Vamos Gigantes

by Satya

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Satya Suicide in Satya's Chambers]

This week, Satya Suicide is keeping it real with SG's Hip-Hop Group.

Members: 1,456 / Comments: 14,262

• WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: ?: I'm a music addict. It's a good place to lurk for new material, especially the Download thread and the What are you listening to? thread.




• DISCUSSION TIP: Be super into Lil Wayne and Lil B. I like reading the snarky/angry replies.




• BEST RANDOM QUOTE: "Drake is softer then the Snuggie Bear. You know, the one that hugs your blankets after you do your laundry? Drake makes him look like Rambo."






• MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: The N-word.


• WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: Anyone but lames and basics.

***
Related Posts:

SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tovi on Veggie


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Suicide Boys
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Haydin on Ballet
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Psyche on Slut Pride
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Thistle on Yuppie Scum
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Eden on Tattoo
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Damsel on Dreadlocks


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Chrysis on Itty Bitty Titty Committee


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Otoki on Feminists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Zephyr on Doctor Who
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Ryker on Harry Potter
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Bradley on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Apple on All Your Base Are Belong To Us
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Setsuka on Ass Appreciation
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Exning on Body Mods
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Ceres on Girls Only
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Frolic on Celeb Worship
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Cheri on Skateboarders
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on SG Military
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Exning on Weight Loss
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Cute Overload
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Eevie, Luffy, and Praesepe on SG420
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - All on Urban Art
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Clio on Hardcore Music
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Epiic on Hirsute
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tarion on Atheists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Rambo on Photography
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Thistle on Vamos Gigantes

This is what democracy looks like.

This Sunday (Oct 9) #OccupyLA will #OccupySGRadio for a very special show which will simultaneously be broadcast on Indie1031.com and livestreamed via OWSLosAngeles from 10 PM til Midnight PST...

We’ve witnessed financial theft on a mass scale, yet the only mass arrests on Wall Street have been of those brave enough to protest about it. We’ve seen the laws that were put in place to protect investors eroded, and new laws enacted to protect those that are robbing us blind from prosecution. We’ve seen banks repossess homes they don’t even have the correct paperwork for, and families made homeless while vacant home stocks are at an all time high. We’ve seen corporations gain “citizen” status to buy influence, yet refuse to submit to one of the basic responsibilities of being one – paying taxes. We’ve seen the already obscenely rich get even richer, while an indecent amount of ordinary folks have fallen below the poverty line. We’ve seen tax breaks reward the wealthy, at the expense of the poor. We’ve seen corporations enjoy welfare, while those that own them bemoan the “entitlements” of those who have worked hard and earned their benefits.

In short, we, the 99 percent, have seen enough.

We’re taking to the streets, we’re taking back our country – this is what democracy looks like.

Please join us this Sunday as #OccupyLA takes over the Indie1031 studios to #OccupySGRadio.

Show your support and be sure to friend and follow #OccupyLA on Facebook and Twitter.

We Are The 99 Percent.

XOX

Listen to SG Radio live Sunday night from 10 PM til Midnight on Indie1031.com

Got questions? Then dial our studio hotline digits this Sunday between 10 PM and midnight PST: 323-900-6012

Busy on Sunday? Then find all our podcasts on iTunes and listen at your leisure.

And don't forget to follow us on Twitter.

#OccupyLA Begins - SG Was There...


Briefing before the #OccupyLA kickoff march from Pershing Square to City Hall in DTLA. Here protesters learn a few magic words from representatives from the National Lawyers Guild in case of arrest: “Am I being detained?” “I choose to remain silent” and “Can I talk to a lawyer.”


The new face of democracy.


We're trying.


He's taking back his country, you can too.


Those that complain they've yet to hear #OccupyWallStreet's agenda are just asking us to state the bleeding obvious.


Well, we know why she's here.


This is what happens when corporations fuck you. Does yours hurt too?


The new American Dream.


So are you.


He's part of the 99 percent too. Props to the LAPD for being pretty damn cool (and hot!). Also, thanks to the Los Angeles City Council for this.


Patriotism at its finest.

See photo gallery for more images from #OccupyLA.

This Sunday (October 2nd) SG Radio's special in-studio guests will be We Are The Riot and Joe Letz (of Combichrist).

Listen to SG Radio live Sunday night from 10 PM til Midnight on Indie1031.com

Got questions? Then dial our studio hotline digits this Sunday between 10 PM and midnight PST: 877-900-1031

Busy on Sunday? Then find all our podcasts at http://suicidegirlsradio.blip.tv/ and listen at your leisure.

And don't forget to follow us on Twitter.

About We Are The Riot

We Are The Riot is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, fueled by former members of Coal Chamber, guitarist Meegs Rascon and Drummer Mikal Cox, along with current Neo Geo bass player Andy Cole. The lineup is rounded out by rhythm guitarist Cheyne Fritts and vocalist Jonny Sculls Flanagan.

The band formed in May 2010 and has played a handful of live shows all throughout Southern California. Though the band lists a wide range of influences, WATR's sound is quite focused. They've been compared to early Janes Addiction and Faith No More, with a live show that's reminiscent of the early punk days of the late '70s/early '80s.

The band has released a few recording and will be entering the studio later this month to record an EP and film their first music video with Director Rocco Gurreno (Velvet Revolver/Scott Weiland).

Catch We Are The Riot live 10/3 at the Roxy Theater and 10/28 at the Viper Room or online at:

http://www.wearetheriot.net/
http://www.facebook.com/wearetheriot
http://www.twitter.com/wearetheriot
http://www.ustream.tv/user/wearetheriotmusic

About Joe Letz

Joe Lets is the drummer for industrial act Combichrist. In addition, he has made his mark on other legendary bands including Skold and Emigrate. He is recognized for his aggressive drumming and engaging "all or nothing" style. He is also a DJ of renown. His sound is rooted in electro, but he is know to drop industrial and mainstream classics into the mix.

Catch Joe spiining alongside We Are The Riot live 10/3 at the Roxy Theater or online at:

http://www.joeletz.com/
http://www.facebook.com/JoeLetzOfficial
http://www.twitter.com/joe_letz
http://www.frightdome.com/shows.html

For more info on the 10/3 show at The Roxy feat. Joe Letz and We Are The Riot see the Facebook event page.

by Savana Delacroix



I’ve had more Moby in my life in the past two weeks than I seemingly have in years. It started with a trip to the musician’s Destroyed photo show at the Kopeikin Gallery in Culver City. A collection of large format audience shots taken from the stage, each print captured the sweaty, ecstatic and sometimes confused (or perhaps just high) expressions of concert goers under a kaleidoscope of lighting. The almost fish eye effect to each photo gave the prints a surreal aesthetic. As we carefully studied each giant print, my friend and I developed a very fun game called, “Where is this audience from?” As usual, the Americans seemed to be the easiest to spot.



Moby, part deux came courtesy of Peter Hook’s show at the El Rey. Performing with his band Peter Hook and the Light, the former Joy Division and New Order bassist tackled the entire Unknown Pleasures album with aplomb. Joy Division are truly one of the rare holy grails in music, a band everyone tries to sound like but few can truly do justice to. I’ll be honest, my expectations going into the show weren’t exactly high and thankfully, they were far exceeded.



Hook roared through favorites like “She’s Lost Control” and “Shadowplay” with ferocious determination. When he brought Moby out on stage to tackle guest vocals on a number of tracks, my brief bit of hesitation was met with surprise when an eerily Ian Curtis-like voice barreled out of the bespectacled musician. Someone standing behind me turned to their friend and quipped, “Moby’s a great Ian Curtis cover artist… who knew?”



As the evening wore on, Hook pulled out additional catalog classics like “Transmission” before ending with “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” To be quite honest, I often listen to so many of their other cuts that I had forgotten about their most popular track. As the opening chords of “Love…” began, the audience turned into a sea of flailing arms. It truly seemed like an immense sense of joy had enveloped the whole room. This is a generation who never got to see Curtis perform these seminal tracks live yet, for one night, were able to gloriously relive the magic.



Peter Hook and the Light photos: Michi Tsunoda

by Blogbot



This Sunday (September 25th) our special in-studio guests will be Kidneythieves, who'll be previewing their forthcoming release, The Invisible Plan.

Listen to SG Radio live Sunday night from 10 PM til Midnight on Indie1031.com

Got questions? Then dial our studio hotline digits this Sunday between 10 PM and midnight PST: 877-900-1031

Busy on Sunday? Then find all our podcasts at http://suicidegirlsradio.blip.tv/ and listen at your leisure.

And don't forget to follow us on Twitter.

About Kidneythieves

When multi-instrumentalist/producer Bruce Somers and singer/songwriter Free Dominguez met in a Los Angeles restaurant in 1997 to see if a musical union was in the stars, he brought to the table a background in industrial rock ala Nine Inch Nails and metal ala Rage Against the Machine. She came in with more of an affinity for hip-hop, trip-hop, and beat-music, along the lines of Tricky and Portishead.

Together as Kidneythieves, the duo's blended backgrounds make for a cutting edge electronic industrial offering that had Seventeen magazine squealing, "If Trent Reznor had a female alter ego, it'd be Free Dominguez," Billboard raving that they are "as menacing as the urban legend from which they took their name," and All Music Guide declaring the group an "industrial menace that knows when to show its sensitive side."

"We came in from these two different musical places but where our points of interest collided, and what we bonded over musically, was in more of the groove stuff like Massive Attack and Portishead, and it's in this intersection of interests where we've been able to carve out a unique sound for ourselves that's constantly evolving," says Bruce.

After 14 years of musical bliss that saw the release of three critically-acclaimed full-length records, three EPs, one live record, and thousands of incendiary live shows headlining venues as well as opening for KMFDM, The Used, Tommy Lee, Sevendust, and others, Kidneythieves have created what they deem their finest musical offering yet with their new EP, The Invisible Plan, featuring five songs of pure unadulterated musical mayhem set for release on October 18th via their own Crooked Wood Music.

"We felt after Trypt0fanatic it was a lot of heavy songs and we always liked the balance of heavy and light - contrast is a big part of what we do," says Bruce. "So we wanted The Invisible Plan to go a little more to the electronic side - a little less guitar, a little more experimenting with different types of keyboard sounds, and more texture than the obvious guitar sounds. The result, for me, is that this is one of the best things that we've done. It's something new - it's loud, but groovy, with an amazing story and amazing lyrics."

The concept of The Invisible Plan is a continuation of the storyline that began with Kidneythieves' debut 1998 record, Trickster. "Every album has a story thread that leads into the next," explains Free. "The story coming out of Trypt0fanatic is discovering how to use the dream in waking life for survival. The Invisible Plan is putting that into action: Living your life so that things find you, and changing the pattern of events around you. It is ‘invisible’ because in order for the power to not dissipate, you have to keep it to yourself, and find others with this same mutual understanding — a group of people fighting the good fight to make the world better. It becomes this unspoken thing, this Invisible Plan, what we need to master our lives here and deal with everything in a positive way."

Link Love
http://kidneythieves.com
http://facebook.com/kidneythieves
http://twitter.com/kidneythieves
http://youtube.com/kidneythieves

by Blogbot



This Sunday (September 11th) our special in-studio guest will be singer/songwriter Daniel Ahearn, who'll be premiering some brand new tracks on the show!

Listen to SG Radio live Sunday night from 10 PM til Midnight on Indie1031.com

Got questions? Then dial our studio hotline digits this Sunday between 10 PM and midnight PST: 877-900-1031

Busy on Sunday? Then find all our podcasts at http://suicidegirlsradio.blip.tv/ and listen at your leisure.

And don't forget to follow us on Twitter.

About Daniel Ahearn

Daniel Ahearn is an American singer/songwriter. In 2001, he formed the band ill lit in Brooklyn. Relocating the band in 2002 to Los Angeles, ill lit released “WACMusic,” “I Need You” and “Tom Cruise.” After recording under his own name for a couple of years, Daniel and musical partner Mindy Jones started Daniel Ahearn & The Jones. A 5-song EP from Daniel Ahearn & The Jones will be released in the coming months.

Influences include Leonard Cohen, Franz Wright, Randy Newman, Anne Sexton, John Prine, Hart Crane, Rumi, Ronee Blakley, Gottardo Piazzoni, Mark Milroy, Jackson Browne, Prince, Todd Snider, Aphex Twin, The Flaming Lips, Gavin Bryars, and Eno. Also, Daniel's first full-length solo record Long Way Home was released in 2011 and is available on iTunes. The first track, “I Will Let You Go” is featured in the Ivan Reitman hit comedy “No Strings Attached.”

Link Love
http://www.danielahearn.com/
http://www.facebook.com/danielahearnilllit
http://twitter.com/#!/danielahearn

by Savana Delacroix


[Above: Wonder Who She's Here To See?]

Oh Sunset Strip Music Fest, you dirty little bitch. Once a year, all leather-clad miscreants venture out in the sun for a little bit of daytime drinking (or maybe a lot) and rocking all along Sunset Blvd. We were there and here’s how it went down:


[Above: Missing She Wants Revenge Made Us This Mad]

The day kicked off by us unfortunately missing our pals in She Wants Revenge but arriving just in time for Brooklyn rockers Matt and Kim. Did we expect their set to include blue balloons and Kim flashing her vajayjay tattoo? No, no we didn’t. However, it did and it didn’t disappoint. The energetic (to say the least) duo rattled through a series of their songs before finally concluding by leading the audience in a sing-along of “Just A Friend” by Biz Markie.


[Above: Justin Warfield of She Wants Revenge Signs Body Parts]

Following Matt and Kim, we beat the heat by quickly ducking into the VIP bar at On The Rox. It was there we encountered David Faustino of Married With Children fame telling those around him that he needed to sober up so he could get drunk again. To be honest, we actually heard him say that twice so apparently, “Operation Get wasted by 4 PM” was a success. Ironically, Hollywood Jesus (a local man who dresses like Jesus and wanders Hollywood) was happily posing with all the sinners just outside the Roxy. And yeah, we totally posed with him too.


[Above: Let's Compare Instruments]

Having sufficiently cooled down, we went over to the main stage to watch Bush heat us up all over again. It is really hard to be professional when Gavin Rossdale manages to look and sound exactly the same as he did in the ‘90s – i.e. scorchingly hot. Behind the scenes, we spied little Zuma Rossdale clad in headphones dancing around to his dad’s music. Meanwhile, Mrs Rossdale politely stayed out of sight until Bush’s set was done and then greeted a few lucky fans off to the side of the stage.


[Above: The Mrs]

Our evening finished up with a shit ton of explosions, shooting flames, a roller coaster and a some good ol’ fashion rock 'n' roll courtesy of Sunset Strip legends, Mötley Crüe. To say their set was a “face melter” would be an understatement. Of all the glam bands of the era, The Crüe are the only ones who still seem to have it together. Their sound is just as tight as ever, and hell, now Tommy Lee drums on a rollercoaster track. Each night of the Crüe’s tour thus far, Tommy has pulled an audience member on stage to ride his drum set rollercoaster… but for the last show of their tour he brought Deadmau5 on stage and the duo took a spin. It was beyond awesome and we were beyond blown away. Hey Tommy, next time give us a spin, k?


[Above: Here's A Face We Melted Earlier]

Hit our Sunset Strip Music Festival photo gallery on SuicideGirls.com for more images.

by Blogbot

This Sunday (August 28th) listeners will be fighting to contain their aural and sexual excitement, as their senses get over-stimulated by our very special in-studio guest, rock & roll's ultimate love guru, sex god, and would be porn king, who goes by a multitude of names. Whether you know him as Jesse Hughes, The Devil, J. Devil, Boots, Boots Electric, Fabulous Weapon or simply as Big Boy, he's sure to entertain you and leave you begging for more. Tune in to get your hip quake on, and have some lube and a box of tissues standing by*.

Listen to SG Radio live Sunday night from 10 PM til Midnight on Indie1031.com

Got questions? Then dial our studio hotline digits this Sunday between 10 PM and midnight PST: 877-900-1031

Busy on Sunday? Then find all our podcasts at http://suicidegirlsradio.blip.tv/ and listen at your leisure.

And don't forget to follow us on Twitter.

_About Boots Electric
Boots Electric is Hollywood's favorite son and Eagles of Death Metal frontman, Jesse "The Devil" Hughes. After creating three albums of dirty and danceable garage rock anthems, Honkey Kong is his first solo outing and will be released on September 19 by Dangerbird Records. It was produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Depeche Mode) and co-written with legendary keyboardist Money Mark, best known for his many collaborations with the Beastie Boys.

Honkey Kong is the sound of Boots Electric coming out of the closet. Under this moniker, Hughes expands his sonic palette while continuing to deliver the hooks that he's known for. The electronic drums that kick off opening track "Complexity" immediately signal the new direction. The track is a mix of glam-pop, keyboard-heavy dance grooves, and Hughes' signature brand of rock & roll grit that drips with swagger. Elsewhere, he tries on space-funk synths on the track "Boots Electric" and "Trippy Blob" has some of his most absurdist lyrics yet.

Though a winking self-awareness has long been one of Hughes' calling cards, he's also written some of his most earnest songs yet. "No Fun" is an honest-to-goodness ballad and "Swallowed by the Night" is a soulful slice of honky tonk gold. Honkey Kong reveals what many already knew - beneath the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and his charismatic strut, Hughes has always been a gifted pop songwriter at heart.

Link Love:
For a free download of "Boots Electric Theme" head over to Boots-Electric.com/.

Watch the mildly pornographic but highly potent video for the "Boots Electric Theme" on YouLube, errr, we mean YouTube.

Friend, follow and/or cyberstalk Jesse/Boots on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

Related Posts:
SG Interview - Eagles of Death Metal Part 1: Joshua Homme
SG Interview - Eagles of Death Metal Part 2: Jesse Hughes
SG Interview - Brody Dalle: Spinnerette

* Health Warning: Certain extremities and orifices may be sore by the end of this show. SuicideGirls Radio and/or Jesse "The Devils" Hughes will happily take the credit, but will accept no liability for any emotional and/or physical damage caused. Listen at your own risk.

by Aaron Colter

Last week's post about Anonymous and the government's overreaction to their movement was pretty depressing, so this week's post is just a list of some cool things.



1. Natalie Phillips

I first found out about Phillips' art through a free press publication called Eleven PDX. Her work is unique, colorful, and beautiful. I wouldn't at all be surprised if she becomes a very well known artist very soon.



2. Forest Park

Speaking of creators that have an incredible amount of potential, the musicians in Forest Park are young, but talented. Someone is going to sign these kids soon, and then you'll hear about how great they are on Pitchfork or some shit.



3. Une Petite Romance

I've highlighted the art of Jason "JFish" Fischer on here before, but this online story is much different than his other work, more grounded, more accessible. Check it out –– you'll love it.



4. Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe

A surprisingly engaging movie about the graffiti artist, shot over seven years all around the world, about his street art, his penchant for stealing, and the trouble both of these things have gotten him into since he was teenager. The entire movie is available to stream on the Upper Playground website. Well worth your time, and probably your money too.



5. Tor

Tor is an open-source tool to hide your actions online from data mining. Look into it, see if it's for you.

***
Hope you dig this stuff. If there's something you think I would like that others would like too, please email youmightlike [at] gmail [dot] com.

Related Posts:
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Anonymous Ideas
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Not Going to Comic-Con
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Happy Summertime Playlist
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: LulzSec
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: EPs
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Beer and Comics
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: The Taxpayers
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Random Stuff from the Internet
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: DC Comics Going Digital
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Being Alive & Rocking Out
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: More Music, TV, and Books
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Awesome Music
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Graffiti
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Top 10 of Stumptown Comics Fest
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Art Fags & Not Paying Taxes
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Shit From Portland
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Mogwai, Nate Simpson, and Vice
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Che Smith
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Pirates
Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Emerald City Comic Con
Things I Like That You Might Like Too

by Damon Martin



Most people know Tom Morello as the guitarist from Rage Against the Machine or Audioslave, but now the Harvard graduate is moving into writing, specifically a new comic book called http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbueX3WHeF4 " target="_blank">Orchid.

The book, which is written by Morello and features art from Shepard Fairey and Scott Hepburn, will be released by Dark Horse later this year

Influenced by the ladies featured on SuicideGirls.com, Morello’s title character is a strong female lead in a future world where the rich and powerful rule with an iron fist and the powerless are left with the scraps.

Morello, usually known for guitar innovations, has also added a new riff to his comic book set. With each issue, he will release a new track that fans will be able to download that will serve as the soundtrack to the story.

The book was unveiled last weekend at San Diego Comic Con where Morello sat down with SuicideGirls.com to give an insight into his passion for comics and what to expect when Orchid debuts.

by Aaron Colter

Last week I said this week's post would be about beer. It's not. Moving on . . .



With so much good new music from bands that incorporate a variety of styles into their sounds, sometimes I forget about a tried and true genre that for too long has been saturated with bands that seem to put style over substance - punk. Thankfully, The Taxpayers still embody the important D.I.Y. and iconoclastic spirit from which punk originated.

Fuck Green Day and the host of other teen angst rejects that think cleverly designed outfits and over produced tracking are the way to corner the market in suburban rebellion. The best punk happens in basements or backyards, with mangled equipment that's as loved as it is beaten, and is played by people to have to hustle every fucking day to get to the next gig.

The Taxpayers are a hard working band that can still lose control in the moment of their music. Two of the group's albums are up on Soundcloud. Enjoy.

***

[IMGhttp://s95218.gridserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/408_Ben_Bernanke_official_portrait.jpg[/IMG]

One more thing, Anonymous is targeting the Federal Reserve for giving away trillions of our dollars to a small group of bankers who manipulate the global economy. The ultimate goal is to end the centralized banking cartel, which has merged even more supposedly "too big to fail" firms following the massive looting the bankers successfully executed, and politicians refuse to prosecute. The first step of Op ESR is to demand the resignation of Ben Bernanke. If you're bold enough, here's the open forum where actions are being planned. Be careful out there.

***

If you have something you like that you think I might like too, please email me: youmightlike [at] gmail [dot] com

by Aaron Colter

There are so many cool things to read online other than my dribble, so please check out all the neat links of stuff I found interesting this week. Next week, I'll write about beer. That'll be fun. You like beer, don't you? Good. Me too.

1. Watching the Murder of an Innocent Man

This feature in the NY Times Magazine is one of the most captivating stories I've read in a long time. The commentary of poverty, globalism, religion, politics, families, and strangers combines into a stunning narrative about the consequences of actions, both big and small. I know, you're going to scroll down to the end of the first page and think, "Holy fuck, ten more pages, I'm not reading this shit." But trust me, read it. Print out the pages and carry them with you for reading while on public transit, or late at night while ignoring the awful bile that's on television, or in the morning while eating breakfast, or in the bathroom while taking a shit - I don't care, just read the damn thing.

2. Ilegal Photo Tour of New Orleans Six Flags

This link is a little older, but maybe you haven't seen it yet. It's a large collection of photos, each worth a thousand or so words, so my writing about them is futile – just take a look.

3. Commission a Sketch for Justice

You probably heard the story about a Texas cheerleader who was kicked off the squad for refusing to specifically cheer for a student who sexually assaulted her only weeks prior. But recently, that young girl lost her case against the school, which she sued for kicking her off the squad. One of the more fucked-up parts of our judicial system is that, sometimes, if you lose a case against someone, you have to pay their legal fees. While this notion is intended to stop frivolous lawsuits (because we all know that's happened), unfortunately it sucker-punches the victim, as in this case, who has little financial resources. So, this teenager is now on the hook for $45,000 in legal fees acquired by the school. One comic artist is commissioning sketches to help pay for those fees. Please donate or order a sketch today.

4. Top 10 Overlooked Bob Dylan Songs

Hey, look, the title says what it is. And, so it is. Written by Douglas Wolk, who is something of a freelance genius here in Portland, and around the country, nay, the world!

5. Transmetropolitan: Around the World - Art Book

Transmetropolitan is quite possibly my favorite comic of all time, and there are so many incredible artists in this book, so the steep $50 price tag is totally worth it, even if the shipping fees aren't included. I wish I had more images to show, but here's an awesome one from Camilla d'Errico that I really love.



That's all for this week, and seriously, read the NY Times feature, it'll change your life. Oh, and here's a bonus link to some free music from Point Juncture, WA.

by A.J. Focht

Welcome to your extra long conference edition of Ur W33K 1N G33K!

X-Men: First Class is being widely hailed as the best super hero movie since The Dark Knight, and it ruled the box-office this weekend grossing $56 million. The prequel to the X-Men series may have beat out other current films on its opening weekend, but it doesn’t measure up to any of its predecessors, or in this case protégés. First Class had the smallest opening weekend audience of any of the X-Men movies. Despite all the critics praise, the film appears to have suffered from the sins of its…future, as the past two X-Men movies (X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine) nearly destroyed all the credibility the series had built. Still, they’ve managed to win back many of their estranged fans and currently hold an audience rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.



On the other side of the comic coin, DC Comics has announced that its current storyline, Flashpoint, will be the end of the current DC Universe. DC will then launch an entirely new universe with 52 comics being renumbered at issue #1. On August 31, two comics will be released simultaneously, the final issue of Flashpoint and Justice League #1. The news didn’t stop there; DC announced the new universe will get a digital makeover as all of their new comics will also be released digitally. Digital copies will start at the same price as their paper counterparts, but after a month they will get a reduced online price.

One final big announcement in the comic world, Kevin Smith put out a casting call for a comic book-based reality TV show. Smith is reaching out to Tri-state comic geeks who are invited to audition to both be on the show and work at his comic shop, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. He later tweeted that AMC is the network interested in the show.

Now for the major news from the convention circuit: The E3 pre-event press conferences launched May 6 with Microsoft kicking things off. After starting with a live demonstration of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, several games were announced and previewed including: Tomb Raider, Mass Effect 3, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Ryse, Dance Central 2, and Fable: The Journey. It was also confirmed that Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary will launch on November 15, and that Halo 4 is in the works as the start of a brand new Halo trilogy featuring Master Chief.

As if regular gameplay wasn’t enough, Ice-T joined Cliffy Bleszinski on stage for a live Gears of War 3 campaign demo. For the most part the conference highlighted new uses and games for Kinect, including another Kinect Sports game, StarWars Kinect. Outside of the gameplay, several changes to Xbox Live were announced, an internal search engine powered by Bing and live TV support being the most noteworthy.

Sony started their press conference off by apologizing for all the recent outages to the PlayStation Network. They followed up with several live demos and trailers for games such as: Uncharted 3, Resistance 3, infamous 2, Starhawk, Dust 514, and BioShock Infinite (which they announced will come with the first Bioshock game on the same disk). Finally, Kaz Hirai came out and revealed what everyone had been waiting for, the NGP, now named PlayStation Vita. The PlayStation Vita has partnered with ATT for a 3G version that will run $299, compared to the standard WiFi version of $249. It’s slated for release this holiday season.

Finally, the Nintendo press conference was held May 7, marking the official start of E3. Shigeru Miyamoto began with the Legend of Zelda series, noting this year was its 25 year anniversary. To mark the milestone, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening will be made available as of now via the 3DS E-Shop. Miyamoto also reminded everyone that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is released next week. As a gift to all the Zelda fans, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords will be given free during the month of September on DSiWare. Miyamoto finished by saying that The Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword will be released this holiday season.

Nintendo then previewed several games for the 3DS including: Mario Kart 3DS, Mario 3DS, Luigi’s Mansion 2, Star Fox 64 3D, and Kid Icarus: Uprising. Then the focus switched to Nintendo’s next gen Project Café, now revealed as Wii U. The Wii U’s primary new feature is a controller with a 6.2 inch screen that allows you to play your Wii games without a TV. Satoru Iwata explained the technology for Wii U is currently undeveloped and only after developers have more time with it will its true potential start to show. It will be backwards capable with Wii. The demos they showed failed to catch the audience or internet’s interest however, and it wasn’t until Iwata announced that a Super Smash Bros. on Wii U would be compatible with a 3DS counterpart that attention snapped back. The conference ended with Nintendo flaunting their new third party support for the Wii U with several games like: Assassin’s Creed: Revelation, Batman Arkham City, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge.

Besides presentations from the console giants, several other developer press conferences were held. EA showed off The Sims Social, a new Sims game for Facebook, and Battlefield 3, which hits stores October 15. The Ubisoft junket started off by talking about their 25th anniversary, but quickly moved onto the good stuff. Along with the earlier Ghost Recon announcement, they revealed Ghost Recon Online, a free to play title whose beta is launching soon. They ended things with highly anticipated Assassins Creed: Revelation trailer and gameplay preview.

For full recaps on the press conferences check here: Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo.

Wrapping up the conference front, Apple has revealed details on iOS 5, iCloud, and OS X Lion. OS X Lion features many expected enhancements and iOS-like features. Among the updates are AirDrop, a peer-to-peer file sharing interface, and Versions, which will auto save copies of documents and allow you to revert back if need be. Meanwhile the big news with iOS 5 is that it’ll come with full Twitter integration. The system is also getting iMessage for all iOS users including those on iPad and iPod touch. The final and biggest announcement was about iCloud, something Apple is branding as a new “digital hub” that will store everything you need - photos, contacts, calendars, and mail, as well as purchases from iTunes, iBookstore, and the App store.

That’s it for our conference edition of Ur W33K 1N G33K. Check back next week for all the inevitable fallout.

by Aaron Colter

There's been a collective pants shitting in the comic book industry this week as DC Comics announced that they would relaunch nearly every series this September as a #1 issue, making the content available for download on the same day as print versions hit stores.

Shop owners are crying the death of the industry, and other publishers are trying to play catch-up. Meanwhile, DC Comics is taking a huge gamble on its latest venture. It's no secret that the company has been playing second-fiddle to Marvel Comics, now backed by the giant Disney corporation, and cleaned house to make room for new executives from a more traditional background that owners Warner Bros. found necessary.

As harsh as it may sound, DC Comics can't be supported by serialized issues that are sold to only a few hundred thousand costumers, at best, every month. The real money made by Batman, Superman, and all the other beloved characters, is in stupid shit, like T-shirts, movies, action figures, cartoons, and anything else you can slap a logo on to make it appeal to children and nerds.



I grew up going to Mile High Comics, and if it weren't for a local shop like it, I probably wouldn't be the fanboy I am today. I feel bad for any comic store going through rough times, but digital comics should not be the scapegoat. If anything, store owners should be mad that they've been pushed poorly executed, multi-title crossovers and bloated sales figures for the last twenty years with a non-return market dominated by the distribution monopoly called Diamond.

I think DC Comics is smart to put the ongoing stories of characters that act as international property cash cows out to the people in a format that is as easy as possible to consume. Look at iTunes; anyone can find an illegal download of just about any song they want, but Apple makes shopping so simple that's it's worth $0.99 just to save the time to get what you want instantly.

And the beauty about the comic industry now is the same as the music industry ten years ago - you don't have to give a fuck if all you're concerned about is good entertainment.



Batman is rad, but honestly, I haven't picked up an issue of a recent Batman series in years, even though my favorite comic writer Grant Morrison is at the helm of the story. Know why? I don't give a shit about new Batman stories in the same way I don't give a shit about new Rolling Stones records.

Artist create. It doesn't matter what format or distribution system, it doesn't matter how much money is involved or who's label is on the final product. Personally, I like reading comics in a physical format. I'm on a goddamn computer all day, so I like to relax with something tangible. Also, I prefer graphic novels over individual issues. At the moment, the only ongoing book I know I'll pick up each month is Hellboy: The Fury, and that's because Mike Mignola is one of the best creators in the history of the medium.



Still, there's something to be said browsing the racks at a local comic shop and finding a gem, in the same way I love wondering around old books stores or record stores. The awesome locations, the amazing artists, they're not going anywhere, not if you support them. Floating World, Bergen Street, Desert Island, Isotope, Tate's - these places have learned to adapt to a changing clientele, and powerhouses like Newbury have combined other aspects of pop-culture into their store to level sales.

Solutions like BandCamp for musicians and TopatoCo for cartoonists will arise when more traditional means fail, and until we all become particle robots connected by a hive-mind network, there will still be places for us to interact with one another and enjoy the things we love.

Now get off the fucking Internet and read a book in the sunshine.

***

If you have something you like that you think I might like too, please email me: youmightlike [at] gmail [dot] com



What I'm reading: The New York Five, SuperF*ckers, Sky Doll: Space Ship

What I'm listening to: The Blueprint by Jay-Z, Sea Change by Beck, Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones

What I'm drinking: Fred, Grand Cru Abbey, Hop Stoopid