itaewon 1988

I just found this picture of Itaewon from 1988 on Reddit and it looks amazing. I'm usually on this street about once or twice a month (to shop at the international market) and I used to frequent the old school King Club (you can see it near the back and center of the picture) with the homies in the mid 2000's.  King Club is still there but was gutted and renovated years back. Itaewon has really changed.  I mean, just look at that Star Trek bar! They even nailed the Wrath of Khan era font. This picture has great vibes.

we had time

 A short piano-based demo I made today: We Had Time

ego death

Ego Death is one of my very favorite tracks of the last two years.  When I listen to music it is not uncommon for me to just filter out vocals and focus on the instrumentation.  This is of course not always true and I will never not enjoy singers/lyricists like Axl Rose or Prince.  But this track says way more without any vocals (Polyphia are primarily an instrumental band).  At the risk of not wanting to sound like a hippie college stoner listening to Steve Vai in his dorm room (“the guitars are cryin’ my dude!!!!"), I’ll just say that this is an incredibly emotional song.  I listen to it frequently and it tells an amazing story of grief and ultimately overcoming pain.  Plus, these motherfuckers can play.  There is a point in this song at about four minutes in which the bottom of the song just drops out and gives way and it is a gorgeous moment.

ghoul

A watercolor painting I did many years ago.  It was for a short story I wrote. 

i'll try anything once

 

 

many years ago

random thought

The original Blade Runner probably has my favorite photography of any movie I've seen. 

Today in great cinema dialogue: Heathers (1988)

"Hey, dad.  How as work today?  It was miserable. Some damn tribe of withered old bitches doesn't want us to terminate that fleabag hotel.  All because Glen Miller and his band once took a shit there.  Just like Kansas.  You remember fucking Kansas?  Save the Memorial Oak Tree Society...hehe.  Showed those fucks."

Heathers still holds up.

Embrace the weird

Sometime over six years ago I wrote this novel just to see if I could do it. I had a cool idea in my head and needed to get it out.  It was really fun to write and taught me a lot, mostly about my limitations as a writer.  Writing is hard, and when I read passages from this I cringe because my style was clunky, awkward and lacked real flow.  BUT...I still think I came up with a fun, original story and I am happy with the plot.   After that I wrote a follow up novel (Black Max) which continued the story, and while the plot wasn't as strong as the first one, I noticed that my writing style had really improved.  

I still write frequently (these days I'm doing short stories) and hope to actually come back to the Tandies to rewrite it when I'm more comfortable with re-telling that story.  I even rewrote it into a movie screenplay years ago, but again, it could have been better.  

So the reason I bring this up is because somebody close to me asked to read the book recently and I had a spare copy in my apartment.  Of course I was very hesitant to let them look at it but I handed it over.  Yesterday they said something that was nice to hear:  "I'm not just saying this to make you happy, but I'm enjoying this and really want to know what happens next." 

The Tandies comes from a lot of places for me.  Obsessions with 1980s pop culture, my own challenges at the time of quitting alcohol, murder mystery stories, the psychological dangers of nostalgia, and personal relationships of mine that go back decades.  A writer I like recently said, "Whatever is weird about you and weird about your way of seeing things and doing things is what you should be doing, but you have to do it more."  That's what Tandies is for me and I generally think that's sound advice.  

Twins

Brother Joe and Chandra had twin girls today. My daughter and I are of course incredibly happy about this.   Also, my brother is fucking fifty.  Goddamn, son.

I only have two questions for my brother.

1) Which one do you like more?

2) Aren't you worried that one baby will eat the other?

black eye

I like the idea that if you have any grievances about something or someone you should put an expiration date on it. This one expires in three months. Then I've got shit to do.  

That's what was I was thinking about with this one:  Black Eye

The Zone of Interest (2023)

I watched this yesterday and really enjoyed it.  It was an unconventional Holocaust film that focused on the homelife of Auschwitz commander Rudolf Hoss and his family who lived right next to the camp.  It was slow and filmed at times with hidden, stationary cameras that captured important family moments and the minutiae of daily life.  The movie was unnerving (in sort of a fascinating way) and had some of the best sound design I've heard in years.  Thumbs up.  

mandy (2018)

Nice poster art for a horror film I really enjoy: Mandy.  Nicholas Cage is his usual insane self but the real star here is the vintage cult tones/vibes. This film was a real gift to us lovers of 80s horror flicks and heavy metal.

Helldivers 2

For those who game this gets a very solid recommendation from me (PS5 version).  My boy Jett pressured me to buy it and I was indeed reluctant.  But after a few runs, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with a team of two or three others online who help fight off killer robots and giant evil insects.  We've had some tense and intense moments this week.  Plus, mad props to the humor (very Starship Troopers) and satirical patriotic vibes.

Now Listening: Low (1977)

My number 2 of all time.  I adore this album.  I remember hearing the B-side to this in 1994 (at a Nine Inch Nails show as it played over the PA prior to the band taking the stage) and not knowing what it was until months later. I then listened to the CD over and over again when I stayed in Boston with my brother for a summer.  Since then I have listed to it very regularly, perhaps obsessively, some might say.  Perfect pop rock for the first half and then pure bliss experimentation for the second.  "Art Decade" and "Subterraneans" are my absolute favorites here and are hugely responsible for my interest in avant-garde, experimental electronic music.  This is Bowie at his creative peak.  

resistance

I visited a filming location today

The place where Christmas in August (1998) was shot. Awesome.
 

군산 travels

 

Casablanca (1942)

Watched last night for what must be the 100th time.  Absolute perfection in every single way. You will never find better dialogue...and it is my mother's favorite movie of all time!

ok computer

A wonderful gift from an exceptional person. :) 

a solo hike today

 

aram and i way back in the day

Wally Pleasant and Carl

In the early 2000s I played bass in the group Wally Pleasant and Carl.  This was a promo photo for one of his albums.  I had no experience playing that type of music but picked up fairly quickly.  Lots and lots of fun.

studio life

She embodies my life goals: Live to your 90s while having an amazing creative workspace. "I have to paint. It's like breathing. No paint, no life." I feel the same about music and reading/writing.

random thought

Tia Carrrere circa Wayne's World, Showdown in Little Tokyo and Rising Sun might very well be the finest creature humanity has ever graced us with.

milkshake

In 2004 my friend Shawn and I recorded a version of Kelis' Milkshake.  We decided to make a humorous metal version.  I played rhythm guitar and did a bit of background vocals on it.  

Thought I would share: Milkshake.

I've always loved this scene: "There isn't a one of us that doesn't want to be someplace else.  But this is what we do, who we are. Live for nothing or die for something. Your call."

i like the way you look at me

 I made a new demo today which I will probably rework and build on: I Like The Way You Look At Me.  It was a lot of fun to play around with.  There are about four different guitars in there, some very echo-y and some buried in the mix near the end.

The title just comes from that satisfying feeling you get when a person likes you for your genuine personality and not what they want you to be. It was on my mind a lot when I was writing it.

today's new arrival!

I love this album so much.  Released in 1984 but I didn't hear it until about 14 years ago when I was living in Suwon.  They finally just released the remastered vinyl so David is one happy camper.

star trek

I just heard someone refer to Star Trek: The Next Generation as "competency porn," which I thought was spot on.  We need more shows with such strong, intelligent characters.  I see a tendency with current TV writers (and modern Trek for that matter) to just dump trauma and pain into characters and think that this means they have depth.  Fun fact: I briefly chatted with Marina Sirtis and Michael Dorn at a Star Trek convention when I was 15 years old.  That's right, I'm a legit nerd! 

noisy recordings

 Tonight I'm making some industrial noise! I just recorded some simple drum machine loops, a piano and a synth arp.  Now I'm running some guitars over it through an Amplitube rack. It's sloppy but very, very fun to do.

late night jams

Sexy vaporwave tracks. I love finding stuff like this. Break out the lube.

Jay

 

some pics of friends

 

Ben and Soyeon

Myself and Jett

Tim, Brian and Me

Friday the 13th Part 5 (1985)

A few nights back was my first time viewing the flick.  Of course I love the 80s horror vibes (there is nothing like that ol' school film stock and slight discoloration to make me comfortable), but this was not a particularly strong slasher movie.  

On the positive side, there were a lot of titties flashed and there were some nice little plot twists near the end about who the real killer is, but the kills themselves were boring and poorly directed.   There was virtually no suspense and the protagonist's history of mental illness could have been developed much more thoroughly and integrated better with the plot.  David's rating: C+ (mostly because of the titties!).  

Rest in peace Carl, you fucking legend.

sonmul

 a gift from Japan :)