noise

Another New Year! Damn This Brain!

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Hi. How are you? Enjoying the new year yet?

2021 wasn’t as bad as 2020, I guess. It still blew, though. Shit always happens. My minivan has been in and out of the shop all year long. I have proof that the mechanics have been sabotaging it. Every time I brought it in for one thing, something else went wrong within a few days. I took it in for the radiator, passenger door, and brakes. That led to the transmission going completely out. They half-ass patched that up, which failed when the weather got cold. I got it back from them again with only two gears working, and now the exhaust pipe between the engine and muffler is gone. It looks like it is a clean cut. It is not rusted off. So, I think it has been deliberate. I talked to a lawyer about my options. He said that, because of the age of the vehicle, I wouldn’t get much after paying legal fees. He suggested that I talk to the police about it. But, I probably won’t. It wouldn’t do me any good.

I consolidated some of my debts, to bring the interest rate and monthly payments down. It was killing me, financially. Hopefully, if I maintain this for a couple of months, I can raise my credit score a bit. I need to borrow enough to replace the car, among other things.

Many businesses have gone bankrupt during the pandemic. Music venues seem to slowly be coming back again, though. Will I book any gigs? I dunno. Some of my musical gear is in need of repair or replacement, which got me thinking about something. It would probably be a good idea to leave all of this stuff at home if I perform live again. That is a BIG if! Keeping a stable band together has never been one of my skills and I don’t enjoy playing alone very much. There may be temporary fixes that I can try. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I already decided, months ago, that the Korg M3 Sampler/Workstation is too fragile and expensive to be lugging around everywhere. Some of my gear is very old and getting more costly to find replacements for. I’m always looking for equipment & methods to shape my sound a particular way that I like. There are inevitable trade-offs between what I want and what I can afford. I don’t mind trying just about anything when I’m recording at home or in a studio. Translating that into a live performance can be tricky, without a lot of money.

As a general rule of thumb, it would be a REALLY good idea to avoid taking anything on the road that can’t easily be replaced in a day or two, preferably by an insurance claim. Something will always get damaged or stolen when you play out for any considerable length of time. It is not a matter of if, but when. It has happened to me before. Renting a van and an equipment backline could supply most of what is needed in any venue. That might be costly, unless I can get guarantees from the booking people to cover the overhead. If I’m playing DIY shows in some kid’s basement, that isn’t a viable option. So, by necessity, I would have to play some bars/clubs to do anything at all. In my experience, I think some of those place are just fronts to launder drug money. I could be wrong. But, how else does an empty building stay in business without any customers?

I have ideas to build myself a few custom instruments that could handle the wear & tear that typically happens when schlepping stuff between gigs. If they happen to break, I can find parts at any music store and fix it myself. Would it sound EXACTLY the same as my recordings? Maybe not. But, I think I can come pretty close.

Since getting supplemental insurance for my Medicare plan, my doctors are out of network. I owe my psychiatrist hundreds of dollars now and can’t get my medications refilled. So, I’m looking for someone new… and a new general practitioner, while I’m at it. With my current transportation problems I need to find people closer, too. I have been stretching my meds as much as I can. But, the difference it has on my mind is very noticeable. Since I’m not taking them as much I have been drinking more. Alcohol diminishes their effectiveness. So, if I’m not taking them anyway, why not?

One upside to this is that alcohol does help me to stop overthinking and being hypercritical of myself as much, completing more tasks that I begin. I still hyperfocus a lot. But, at least it is more productive than being a hindrance, like usual. DAMN THIS BRAIN!

Bullet journaling has helped me a lot in the past year or so. It is better to store information on paper than in your head, where too many distractions get in the way. I need to improve my method of cataloguing ideas, though. There are tapes misplaced all over the apartment full of demos, riffs, samples, etc. I try to keep the notebooks with my bullet journal. I lost one for a couple of days, then, found it again in an old backpack.

Don’t Look Up is the best movie of 2021, IMO. It is a dark comedy mix of Network (1976) and Dr. Strangelove (1964) with a lot of Idiocracy (2006). Originally conceived as a satire on climate change, it has taken on other layers of unintended meaning. The coronavirus pandemic hit during production and the establishment’s response made satire redundant. The director wondered aloud if completing the movie was even necessary. Now, I want to find a red MAGA hat that says “DON’T LOOK UP!”

Thanksgiving Update 2021

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Happy Thanksgiving! You wouldn’t know it from the decorations on display. Santa Claus is already poking his fat ass into everything since Halloween. Jeezus, can we have just one holiday at a time? Please?

2021 Hamtramck, Michigan

I thought that I would catch you up on things, to prove that I’m not dead… yet. I was supposed to be a “celebrity judge” at this year’s Planet 9 Film Fest in Hamtramck, again. But, I never made it out of Taylor. I got halfway across town and unexpectedly had to turn around because the transmission was failing. I barely crawled the car home and had to push it into our parking lot, alone. A few weeks prior to this I had taken it to the repair shop. The undercarriage is rotting apart (that’s Michigan for ya). When they had made the initial repairs I brought it in for, it was returned to me with severe transmission problems, just like now. I took it back and they fixed it for free. But, they only half-ass patched up the transmission line with some hose. I think that the sudden cold weather caused the line to break again. Anyway, I took it back again a third time, being pushed the entire way by the mechanic’s car. But, the damage was done. This time, when I got the car back, it only had the first two gears and reverse. The shop warned me to get rid of the vehicle before. It is not worth dumping money into. But, I had limited options, and went deeper in debt to have it worked on anyway. Now, this junker can barely get to 30mph, making it useless for anything but grocery shopping. The debt payments are sucking away half my income, now, as I look for a way to consolidate them into something more manageable. A few days ago, to make matters worse, the exhaust pipe has broken somewhere between the engine and muffler. So, the car is loud as shit!

The timing of this is really terrible, too. I had recently found a guitarist and a drummer who want to collab with me. But, now the guitarist has backed out and I haven’t heard from the drummer in awhile. Without reliable transportation, I can’t blame them for leaving.

The monitor used with my main computer crapped out on me, only months after buying it. So, I have relocated the studio computer next to it. They now share a monitor together, with a KVM switch. I have moved the Korg Workstation / Sampler next to them, as well. So, my home recording setup is mostly collected together in a corner of my bedroom, now. The living room feels a lot bigger since doing this. There are lots of other repairs and upgrades needed for my gear. But, as always, I make do with what is available and add stuff to it as I go.

Well, guess that is all I have to say, for now. Enjoy your food. Try not to argue with your family over dumb bullshit. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

My Favorite Sub Pop Band

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dickless

My favorite Sub Pop band is Dickless, an all-female group with only seven brief songs in their discography.

I could go on much further about how I feel about Sub Pop, Grunge, and the mainstream co-optation of underground culture. But, maybe that should be another post later.

From Wikipedia;

Dickless was a Seattle-based grunge rock band signed to Sub Pop records in 1990. Dickless is notable for their unique growling shrieking vocal style. Kelly Canary, the original vocalist, had a distinct growling scream that lead the quartet through short (approximately 20 minutes) and loud live performances. During their first few years, their loud and abrasive sound was new and unusual for an all-female music group. Simultaneously, their short discography included song titles and a song cover, “I’m a Man” by Bo Diddley, that were blatantly ironic given their abrasive sound and female members. The band name itself is meant to be satire. The group’s period of activity coincided with the emerging “Riot grrrl” music culture.

The original lineup consisted of Lisa Buckner (drums), Kelly Canary (vocals), Jana McCall (bass), Kerry Green (guitar). Lisa Buckner was soon replaced by Lisa Smith from Atomic 61 on drums. After a few years, Kelly Canary quit to form the Teen Angels. Lisa Smith would also join the Teen Angels later. Sub Pop employee Megan Jasper became the new vocalist after Kelly Canary’s last show. Jennie Trower eventually replaced Jana McCall on bass.

The group had a relatively short discography during their sporadic nine year existence. Their entire discography was seven short songs (most songs were between 1:00 to 2:00 minutes) spread across seven different releases (not counting the planned, but never released Anthology album).
Their release as Thee Dickless All Stars included Mark Arm of Mudhoney on vocals and Duane Bodenheimer of Derelicts on guitar. Their song Lumber Jack again included Mark Arm of Mudhoney on vocals.

Megan Jasper, it should be noted, was also responsible for a hilarious prank played on The New York Times.

From Wikipedia;

Grunge speak was a hoax created by Megan Jasper, receptionist for Sub Pop Records. Under pressure from a reporter for The New York Times who wanted to know if grunge fans had their own slang, Jasper, 25 at the time, told the reporter a set of slang terms that she claimed were associated with the Seattle grunge scene in the early 1990s, but which she had in fact invented on the spot. The information given by Jasper appeared in the sidebar of a November 15, 1992, feature article of the New York Times. The sidebar, titled “Lexicon of Grunge: Breaking the Code,” mistakenly said that Jasper was working for Caroline Records.
In truth, there was no particular slang language used in the Seattle grunge scene. Many [who?] had in fact resented the assumption by the Times that they even had a slang, as well as the claim that it was “coming soon to a high school or mall near you.”
Thomas Frank of The Baffler, a journal of cultural criticism, demonstrated that the list was a hoax. He revealed that Jasper had purposely misled the Times as well as the British magazine SKY magazine as a prank. Jasper had been sick of the attention that reporters were paying to people involved in the Seattle grunge scene, and thus pulled the prank to get back at them for their relentless fascination.
The Times demanded that Frank fax over an apology for claiming it had printed false information, believing that it was Frank who was the hoaxer. Frank instead sent a letter standing by the story. “When The Newspaper of Record goes searching for the Next Big Thing and the Next Big Thing piddles on its leg,” he wrote, “we think that’s funny.” Frank considered the article to be part of an attempt by mainstream culture to co-opt the grunge scene and felt that the Times had gotten what it deserved.
Shortly after the release of The Baffler‘s story, some people in Seattle began selling and wearing t-shirts with the words “lamestain” and “harsh realm” printed in the same font as the famous banner of the Times. The words themselves never caught on as actual slang within the grunge scene (though “score” and “dish” are in use elsewhere). One of the terms, “harsh realm”, was used as the title of a science-fiction comic book and a short-lived 1999 television series based on it, and was used by characters in The Dirty Pair comics written and drawn by Adam Warren as part of their futuristic slang (where it had the same definition as the one Jasper created for the term). The events of Jasper’s prank would be documented in the 1996 film Hype!, a documentary about the grunge scene of the early 1990s.

Grunge speak words

During the interview, Jasper made up the following terms and their definitions:

  • bloated, big bag of bloatation – drunk
  • bound-and-hagged – staying home on Friday or Saturday night
  • cob nobbler – loser
  • dish – desirable guy
  • fuzz – heavy wool sweaters
  • harsh realm – bummer
  • kickers – heavy boots
  • lamestain – uncool person
  • plats – platform shoes
  • rock on – a happy goodbye
  • score – great
  • swingin’ on the flippity-flop – hanging out
  • tom-tom club – uncool outsiders
  • wack slacks – old ripped jeans

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P.O. BOX Renewal

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PO BOX.png

I renewed my P.O. Box this month.

But, the incoming mail has been kind of slow.

Bummer.

I admit, my response time is sometimes slow, because I often lack enough postage.

I still try to reply ASAP.

Folks who write to me might get published in my cassettezine, Thee Urban SpaceCat… if I ever get it published, that is.

Mike Nobody

P.O. Box 1201

Taylor, MI USA 48180

Hello!

Video Mike Nobody alternative, america, anxiety, art, atheism, autobiography, blues, country, creativity, depression, detroit, diy, electronica, entertainment, experimental, funk, gospel, grunge, guitarists, hardcore punk, harsh noise, heavy metal, independent, Influences, internet, jazz, LGBT, LGBTQIA+, liberal, libertarian, life, lo-fi, mash-up, mashup, metal, michigan, Mike Nobody, Movie, movies, music, musique concrete, new wave, noise, noise rock, north america, outsider art, outsider music, Pen Pals, plunderphonics, pop, pop art, prog, progressive rock, psychedelia, punk, punk rock, puppets, R&B, rock, rockabilly, sample, sci-fi, science fiction, stupidity, united states of america, usa, video, vlogging, vocalists, zines , , , , , , ,
“All the various styles are organically connected to one another. I’m an additive person—the entire storehouse of my knowledge informs everything I do. People are so obsessed with the surface that they can’t see the connections, but they are there.” ~ John Zorn

“Cute, cool, and creepy”, is how I have been described by some folks.

Usually, I am classified by my contemporaries as an outsider artist-musician.

Davin Brainard (time Stereo) and Warren DeFever (His Name Is Alive) shared their observation about me that I don’t intentionally TRY to be perceived as weird, I just naturally AM, making comparisons to Wesley Willis and Daniel Johnston. I guess that I will just go along with those descriptions.

Outsider Artist / Musician;

  • Music, Art, and Zines
  • Videos, Movies, and Multi-Media
  • Voice, Tapes, and Noise
  • Bass, Baritone, and other Guitars
  • Keyboards, Computers, and Custom Instruments
  • Plunderphonics, Electronics and Junk Percussion

I enjoy creating what I refer to as “Prog-Punk Noise-Rock”, a strange pastiche of styles tied together. I have collaborated with plenty of other artists over the years with wide degrees of proficiency in many genres.

I have been obsessively into art and music my whole life; drawing, painting, playing with tape recorders and making noise. I built my first guitar from a badly beaten-up body & neck that I found in someone’s trash. A friend’s dad gave me the electrical guts from an unknown 1950’s guitar. Additional parts were improvised from pieces of found junk and purchased from a music store.

When I was a twelve year old kid, back in the 1980’s, I was just a runt of the Detroit hardcore punk / heavy metal scene . Lacking enough money to buy any good equipment, I purchased a cheap microphone at a pawn shop, built a homemade mic stand, and passed myself off as a vocalist. I sang in whatever groups that I could find, gaining experience and learning whatever that I could. Mostly, it was shitty cover bands, playing in basements, getting yelled at by uninvited drunks that we suck. Eventually, I improved my bass & guitar skills, playing in many short-lived groups that went nowhere.

I was a writer / photographer for The Jam Rag, a widely-read local music paper, while still a teenager and made friends with other artists along the way. During the 1990’s I was a cameraman, roadie, and occasional collaborator with Princess Dragon-Mom, Mog Stunt Team, His Name Is Alive, etc.. I also performed in a few experimental noise groups; Edible Audio (with drummer Mick Stone of 500 ft of Pipe) and Bionics (with John Nevermind of Fresh Farm Raised Catfish), etc.

The Island of Misfit Noise began in the summer of 1998 with only Mystic MarshaKat and myself. She played keyboards & guitar. I played bass & guitar. Both of us were former members of N2-Submission, backing band for The Impaler “Detroit’s Vampire Poet.” Our duo’s name changed a couple of times, before settling on the IOMN.  Other musicians came and went during a period of 15 years, with she & I being the only constant members of the group. She also left in early 2013. MarshaKat and I remain friends. She may continue to assist in some capacity, just not as a full-time band member.

I resurrected the IOMN as a recording project in late 2014, with collaborators from Michigan to Australia. We exchanged material back-and-forth until some music was completed. The style that we made is very freeform. A few collaborators from the IOMN have joined me in other projects.

MickeyBugsBand_1

♛ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ Prog ☆ Punk 🐱 Noise ☆ Rock ☆ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ♛

Some of my current projects;

  • Island of Misfit Noise is an ongoing multimedia project, begun in 1998 as a musical group, with a constantly rotating membership. It has since expanded into music videos, film-making, performance art, and comic books. I will continue to add material to this as I go along, with additional collaborators.
  • Theee Urban SpaceCat (Cassette-Zine) is a publication of my artwork, ramblings, stories, correspondences, miscellaneous found objects, music, commentary, and anything else packaged with a cassette tape of my recordings (compact disc optional)… whatever they may be. It is an outlet for all of my artistic endeavors, combined into one package, modeled after decades of correspondence with my friends.
  • Mike Damn Nobody is my experimental noise project; incorporating tape loops, circuit-bending, custom instruments, and anything else available. Recordings are available on RecycleTapes (cassettes handmade from re-purposed materials) and digital download formats.
  • Painting, Drawing, Visual Art, etc.

This post was a little long, containing influences, gear, personal info, etc.. It has been relocated to About / FAQ / Press – Details.

Subscribe to this blog and I will show & tell you more about the past, present, and future. If you want to check out upcoming events or new stuff available, and get some freebies, add yourself onto the mailing list in the sidebar. There is also a Ko-Fi fundraising link there for anybody who wants to support my creative efforts.

Thanks!

Mike Nobody =^.^=