New Books That Have Arrived in the Mail--

Let me just say that I STILL LOVE getting mail! Real, physical, tangible mail.  "Snail-mail" so to speak. [I wonder where that term first originated? And by whom?]  In the early to mid 90's I had a post office box (p.o. box), especially useful when I was doing 'Book of Lies' fanzine (which incidentally never actually got finished & printed. In many ways this blog is a continuation of that 'zine) & receiving lots & lots of mail, music for review, letters, and ads for records & labels. Over a fifteen year period or so I had two different p.o. boxes. Nowadays the mail just gets delivered to my house & is more convenient than having to go check the ole' p.o. box everyday or so.  But little else has changed & I still get excited whenever the mail lady comes! I'm blessed to receive so many books, magazines, journals, fanzines, & letters! But in my insatiable thirst, it's still 'never enough.'  This is one of my biggest character defects. And believe me, I'm working on it (kind of).
Here are several books that I've received over the past week. m//r

Cleveland Bound Death Sentence Discography CD--

A masterpiece!!
Aaron Cometbus, the author/artist/mastermind behind Cometbus fanzine, plays drums in this band and wrote many of the lyrics!  He also played drums in legendary punkrock band, CRIMPSHRINE in the late 80's/early 90's (at least I THINK that's when they were active! Check the Lookout Records website from more info on CRIMPSHRINE.  Also check the Microcosm Publishing & Distro site for info on Cometbus 'zine!)  If you are NOT familiar with Cometbus, than I don't even know what to tell you.  Cometbus is one of the greatest fanzines ever produced!  Aaron's writing is just so awesome & he is hands down the BEST storyteller I've ever come across!  He's been doing the 'zine since the early 80's as well as being active in the punk scene.  From what I know, CLEVELAND BOUND DEATH SENTENCE is kind of a "superstar of punk" band.  At least one, if not two, of the members are also in Minneapolis punk-pop legends DILLINGER FOUR!  Get into it!  And get the CRIMPSHRINE album, "Duct Tape Soup" or the 7" record, "Sleep, What's That?" 

"ST. NIKOLAI THE SERB" Great Documentary On This Orthodox Saint!--

DISCHARGE "Fight Back" E.P. 1980

This is an awesome, monumental, and crucial record! I never got into these guys too hard back in the 80's.
I can't say why, I guess there is only so much time to hear every band.

Thank God for file sharing sites in 2013! 

The true originators of the style known as "D-Beat hardcore" right here!
Man, it seems like DISCHARGE released a ton of 7" records in a very short amount of time. A 7" every other month, they were on fire.

 

BAD BRAINS Live in Florida,1987--

Here we have an incredible set from BAD BRAINS in 1987!
This show starts off with an extremely pumped up HR at his finest! He knows all his lyrics, sings them just like on the album, & is full of energy! I love it!
This video is about a year before I got to see BAD BRAINS for the first (& only???) time, in Detroit at the legendary St. Andrew's Hall!  

Yeah, it was '88 or '89....That was such a fantastic night! The club reeked of marijuana smoke, and there were positive vibes amongst all the punks, skins, hardcore kids, hippies & Rastas in the crowd. They played a 35 minute set, took a 15 minute break and then played another 30 minute set! A guy from Ann Arbor was in the pit barefoot, ouch!
They went downhill after the "Quickness" album around 1991.
HR lost his mind and went off the deep end. 
About ten years ago a friend saw them play and HR was wearing a motorcycle helmet singing to a birdcage that he was holding up! And HR doesn't seem to remember his own lyrics or even care enough to miming along.  
I will say that the rest of the band still seem to rip just as hard as they did in 1982! 

 

" Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer " Documentary--

Here we have an excellent movie on prayer & meditation. More specifically, the "Jesus Prayer." It is a prayer of the Eastern Orthodox & Eastern Catholic faith's. Thousands of monks & priests have been saying this prayer since who-knows-when! It is an ancient prayer, and a simple one. "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen." There is also a great book that recently came out that is kind of the same thing as this movie. It's an interesting read.

THE BRETHREN: A Documentary About the World's Northernmost Orthodox Monastery--

Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery. Meditation time, solitude & prayers. I love this kind of stuff. One day I just may take monastic vows. I've been celibate for basically three years now, live simply & modestly, eat very little, & I don't own expensive, flashy things....Unless books, magazines, and fanzines count as "flashy!" I try to love. I try not to belittle and hurt people. Do I fall short? Yes, of course, everyday, every minute, all the time. I'm a puny human. But I'm also a child of God. I have a purpose, a reason, and a RIGHT to be here. I try to thank God everyday for giving me life. I try my hardest not to kill myself with alcohol & tobacco. I try. All I can do is try. m//r ♥