Random Five Song Shuffle
Another terrible day, so I decided to do a random song shuffle to distract myself. Let’s go! (And yes, I’m an old person who still uses an iPod.) Lost Arts – Marlowe (L’Orange & Solemn Brigham) A sort of oldie now, but a good one. And to show you how out of the music video loop I am, I had no idea one existed for this song! So I am pleasantly surprised. Milano – Russian Circles Ooh, what a one-two punch. Rap followed by instrumental metal. But I think it works extremely well together. They kind of have the same energy. Propulsive and demanding attention. Honesty – Eric Slick Now this is pressing on the brakes. This a strange little song, but I like it. Can’t say why, though. Dig A Fancy Grave – Sarah and the Safe Word ...
Read MoreIf You’re Reading This, Thank You
This is not a great time to be a writer. It’s not a great time for a lot of things and people, but let’s settle on a narrow viewpoint for the moment. Lots of indie presses are hitting the rocks – Less Than Three Press being the latest, saddest example – and Amazon seems to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to screw writers (and musicians, and artists), as well as their own workers. And all this pales in comparison to a lot of other stuff right now. But I wanted to take a moment to say thank you, to the readers who have perused my stuff over the years. I don’t know why you picked me, but thank you.I will try and do my best, against impostor syndrome, depression, and the outside world, to be entertaining, or, at the very least, kind of...
Read MoreFlash Fiction – The Copier
I know what you’re thinking – what the hell are you doing writing a flash fic about a copier? But this is for my sister, who hates the goddamn things, and for good reason. Not these reasons, though. ** The first thing Ava was ever told about working at Huston-Wexler, was never use the third floor copy machine. The reasons were pretty pedestrian – always out of toner; ink ran; smelled like an overheating radiator in an unwashed sock – but the most fascinating one was told to her by one of the cleaning crew. “It’s haunted,” the woman, Justine, said, emptying a trash bin. “Management has tried to get rid of it, but every time they do, something awful happens. So they simply hid it on the third floor, and tell people to stay away from...
Read MoreFive Song Sunday
I missed Friday somehow! Maybe it’s because I was in a rage fugue about America having concentration camps now. Because we are fucking monsters. But, okay, let’s try and momentarily distract ourselves with music. The Hold Steady – Denver Haircut Hey, The Hold Steady are back. Did they ever tour with Tom Waits? They should, as both tell stories in song format, usually about people who often don’t get songs written about them. Admittedly, Waits’ songs are usually much sadder. Malibu Ken – Corn Maze I have been leaning on this entire album lately for support. It calms my nerves, for reasons I can’t quite explain. Except it beautifully encapsulates how fucked up the world is right now, with great flow and a soothing, almost ambient background...
Read MoreSome Rifftrax Recommendations
Everybody knows I’m a fan of MST3K, but, in these dire and dismal times, we all need to laugh. So I decided to go ahead and recommend some Rifftrax for those who might be new to it, and not sure where to start. (Also, they’re having a father’s day sale, so now is the time!) Of course, humor is subjective, and your mileage may vary. But I tried to narrow it down to the most ridiculous. Because, as in all thing, a solid foundation is a great place to start. R.O.T.O.R. – This has to be the quintessential Rifftrax, because the movie – even without the riffing – is extremely silly. An ’80’s mash up of both The Terminator and Robocop, this movie boils down to a mechanical cop going rogue. But it doesn’t encapsulate the insanity of this...
Read MoreFive Song Friday
Mostly new, but one really old one, because it is still relevant, somehow. God, the world’s a fucking mess. Metz – Dry Up Okay, let’s get noisy. Although, for Metz, this isn’t that noisy. Maybe an eight and a half on their scale. But hey, Canada won a sport last night! So we needed some Canada rep. Brutus – Cemetery ‘Speaking of noisy, here’s a slice of aggression from Brutus. I’m not sure if the video is genuine, ironic, or a bit of both. You decide. Sarah and the Safe Word – Dead Girls Tell No Tales On a different tip entirely, enjoy this band, who I don’t know a lot about, but I like their style. I’m sorry I didn’t find a video for them. Christelle Bofale – Origami Dreams Let’s try something a little more...
Read MoreFlash fic – A Portrait of an Artist in Repose
I had an odd idea for a flash fic set in the Infected world, in the form of an interview with Dylan. Minor spoiler alert if you haven’t read the series, but why are you here if you haven’t? ** Now that Dylan Harlow is leaving the art world, collectors can’t get enough of him. “The art world is ridiculous,” the handsome artist says, gripping a glass of iced tea. “No one can buy it anymore. The one percent have made sure that only they can afford art, and yet most artists are starving anyway. Late stage capitalism is fun, huh?” He says this with a great deal of irony, especially considering he is speaking from the dining room of a neat, well appointed house on the outskirts of Vancouver. Through a gauzy curtain, the backyard is visible, as is his...
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