Friday, October 28, 2011

Beavis and Butthead: Season 9, Episode 1 review/stream


Screen shot of Werewolves of Highland

Last night was the first time in 14 years Beavis and Butthead returned to MTV with a new episode. I'm not one of those people who walk around talking about how they feel "old" every time I cop out of something and need a quick scape goat. I really believe in living in the moment, existing on the out breath and all that, but I realized my entire lifetime (and then some) passed since it went off air in 1997. My parents weren't the type of parents that didn't care what you watched. They weren't crazy about not letting me watch shows like Beavis and Butthead, but they didn't like me watching it because I would obsessively imitate the characters and do things they did, because I thought they were hilarious. I remember spraying the lit stove with Lysol and dragging a fireball around the kitchen with my brother going, "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" But everyone knows shows and video games don't influence behavior. We really just thought fire was cool. And nachos and chicks. ANYWHO, the characters were staples and foundations for a lot of things I found funny and still do. They played an integral role in the development of my sense of humor and even personality. Some of my best friends to this day loved the show just as much and had the same bond with it. Another huge thing for me was that the show also introduced me to alternative music. Since I was in third/fourth grade, I was obsessed with B96, a Chicago station that used to (and I think still does) play hip-hop, R&B, rap, etc. But Beavis and Butthead introduced me to bands like Tool, MC 900 Ft. Jesus, Hole, GWAR, grunge, punk and countless other bands and genres I may have never otherwise had an in with.

That being said, the past 14 years have been spent repeatedly renting the Beavis and Butthead VHS tapes (the ones that only had like 6 episodes on each one) from Blockbuster, which turned into owning the Time Life DVDs and playing the shit out of those. That turned into downloading bootleg copies of chronological episodes people used to record onto VHS tapes off their TV, which turned into the Mike Judge Collection DVDs which brings us to now.

The first episode, "Werewolves of Highland," was a spoof on Twilight. You know what, screw this whole review thing. You got 20 minutes? You should just watch the episodes for yourself. Nothing I say can do it justice. And why take my obvious bias? You might think it's a piece of shit. Here's the premier episode of Beavis and Butthead:



And if you missed Beavis and Butthead on Jimmy Kimmel Tuesday, that's here too:

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

29 hours until BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD ARE BACK

I've been amped about this since it was announced. Tomorrow, October 27th at 9 p.m. central time, Beavis and Butthead will be back on MTV for the first time in...uh...a lot of years or something. Here's another new clip:

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Stream 'Heart Beats Pacific' by Banner Pilot



The good folks at punknews.org are streaming Banner Pilot's new album, Heart Beats Pacific. It's what's ringing in my ears now. Get it in yours here. Heart Beats Pacific will be available October 25 via Fat Wreck Chords. Order your copy here, and download "Alchemy" while you're there. Stokage.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Henry Rollins appearance at Oak Park Public Library tomorrow



Punk icon turned writer and photographer Henry Rollins will lead a discussion centered around his book, Occupants, a collection of photographss and writings on the volatile places he’s visited, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Vietnam and other countries. The discussion, followed by a signing, will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 18, at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., Oak Park, IL. The event is free and open to the public, and is hosted by The Book Table. For more information, call (708) 386-9800 or visit www.oppl.org.

I need to find a camera for this. Who's going?

10 DAYS AND COUNTING UNTIL BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD RETURN


Remember the episode where Beavis and Butthead prank call Harry Sachs and piss him off? This screen shot is from one of the new clips of Beavis and Butthead where Harry Sachs bursts open the door and kicks their ass. I am so excited they are bringing back the obscure characters. This is a dream come true.

So like, I've been seeing all this Occupy stuff and TV and hearing it on NPR and it got me thinking about how I want to get involved, so Thursday, October 27 at 9 p.m. (Central time), I'm going to occupy my couch and watch the season premier of Beavis and Butthead. They are BACK in 10 days. I've been playing and re-playing the video that's been released and circulated over the Internet in order to fill the void in me created by anticipation (second one down) but I just found MORE VIDEOS, released by MTV, hyping the comeback of BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD. Check out the new "trailer" below, then ALL THE OTHERS (I totally called the Shake Weight one):



And if you haven't seen this one already...what are you waiting for?!



Shake weight promo:



Jersey 'Sore' promo:



Gym. Tan. Butthead promo:



'Epic' promo:

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

None More Black to play 7 shows this year

None More Black announced seven dates as a part of its late October/early November tour. The band will be heading from its home state of New York down to Florida for Fest 10, then play a few shows on its way back up. About a year ago, Fat Wreck released Icons.

Oct 25 - Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY * w/ Polygon
Oct 26 - Fat Tuesday, Fairfax, VA
Oct 27 - Soap Box, Wilmington, VA
Oct 29 - The Fest, Gainesville, FL
Oct 31 - It's a secret.
Nov 1 - The Camel, Richmond, VA
Nov 2 - Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ

Now if they would just come to Chicago...

AMP streams 'Spanish Reds' by Banner Pilot



This morning, AMP Magazine posted "Spanish Reds," a new song by Minneapolis' Banner Pilot, off it's upcoming album, Heart Beats Pacific. Check out the track here. The new album will be released October 25 via Fat Wreck Chords. Also, check out "Alchemy," which was posted October 5. Got my re-order on colored wax from Fat Wreck comin' my way.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Squid Pro Quo will be on hiatus due to my laptop being stolen

Last night, I was pretty stoked to see X at the Bottom Lounge, even though I was going alone. Being tired from work and moving this week, my mom calls me to let me know I have a $100 traffic ticket from August 2 sitting at her house. I asked her when it was due and she said September 2. So that wasn't good, since I'm on probation for getting three speeding tickets in 12 months between this year and some of last year. I'm not sure if this means jail time in IL, a hefty fine, etc.
I get to the Bottom Lounge and stand in line to get into the screening of X: The Unheard Music, which I'm super pumped for, because I've never seen X, or the documentary, and I'm already downtown and been dealt a shitty week, so I'm ready to ignore and repress the shit out of it.
Then X takes the stage and plays Los Angeles in its entirety, then they played another set which included my favorite X song, "We're Desperate."
The show was great, except for the drunk girl who kept trying to hold my hand and dance on me. So I made my way back to my car, which was parked at Ava and Fulton. Then I saw that my rear passenger window was busted out. I noticed my backpack and carry-on bag/briefcase were missing. I looked around and there was nothing of mine in the street or on the sidewalk.
Someone stole my laptop, charger, two external hard drives, my red Night Birds hoodie, the unabridged Bhagavad Gita this Hare Krishna gave me (which I was really getting into), another book and whatever else I had in there (possibly my camera, an SD card, etc). The two external hard drives and the 500-GB one I just installed in my laptop were loaded with 11+ years of collected music/family, vacation, concert, etc. photos/software/movies/videos/other stuff.
The bags were closed, and on the floor in the back seat. I usually put stuff in the trunk, but last night, the thought didn't even cross my mind. The bags weren't open. No other vehicles around me were burglarized. So I did the only thing I could do: file a police report with the Chicago PD. Then I realized my phone was dead.
Fortunately, I have a car charger, but something in the wires are loose, so if it's plugged in and I move it around, the phone will turn off or restart itself. So attempts #1 and 2 were foiled and I was cut off mid-report. On attempt #3, I decided to put it on speakerphone and not touch the damn thing, and that worked. Only the woman on the other line didn't speak or understand English very well, so she kept thinking I was saying "Fullerton" instead of "Fulton," getting my ZIP code wrong, etc. So spelling and reciting everything out and having her say it back to me got annoying. But the report was filed, and they gave me a report number and my drive home was cold and long because I ended up going the wrong way home, which set me back a bit. But at least when I got home, a little kid wasn't waiting for me in the shadows to kick me in the balls and top off my night. Cheap, shitty McDonald's food was dinner around 1 a.m. Then I crawled into bed and fell asleep.
Anywho, enough complaining. I've got my work computer and I wanted to let you know that until I can afford a new computer, I probably won't be doing much writing. I can try to do some from work, but it is difficult, being I can't concentrate or commit to anything for more than a few minutes at any given time. I will do my best to keep up on posts unless something really shitty happens to me for getting a red light ticket while on probation for speeding.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

AP streams 'Alchemy' by Banner Pilot



This morning, Alternative Press posted "Alchemy," a new song by Minneapolis' Banner Pilot, off it's upcoming album, Heart Beats Pacific. Check out the track here. The new album will be released October 25 via Fat Wreck Chords. Download it here.