Fun New Stuff: Morrissey, Oasis, Black Dynamite, Afghan Star, Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig

I'm kind of into the new Morrissey song. It's more ham-fisted and not as complex as his best work (the verse just rolls into the chorus lickety-split) but it does the trick: short, sweet with just enough teeth.
Couldn't resist posting this trailer for Black Dynamite ('He's super cool and he knows ku fung'), some sort of Blaxploitation spoof/hommage that was just purchased at Sundance (and this is redband trailer, so you know you want to click on it just for gratuitious cussing and nudie stuff):
This new promotional documentary on Oasis is actually a pretty compelling look at New York street musicians:
An advert for the Afghan version of American Idol. The world just keeps getting smaller:
Steve Carell & Kristen Wiig. Just because.

Pop Shills

The art of the 'sell out', circa yesterday and today. This stuff shouldn't shock us anymore...and yet, and yet.
The Rolling Stones for Rice Krispies:
John Lydon (Sex Pistols, PiL) for Country Life Butter:UPDATE: and this new one from Iggy Pop just hurts my eyes. It's like the 'invisible' hand of the market drawing a moustache on your culture:

My Year In Heavy Metal

Went to this great show a few months ago at the Nokia Theater in Times Square starring..
Chicago art metallers Nachtmystium:

High On Fire:

Sweden's Opeth:

Devil horns aloft during Opeth:

Also got into Vancouver's Black Betty this year. They're basically a crosshatch of White Stripes personnel and Sabbath riffology:
Check out my joint-review of the documentary 'Heavy Metal In Baghdad' and the book 'Heavy Metal Islam' in the latest Skyscraper Magazine. Both offer insights on cultural globalization and music's life-affirming viscerality in the face of chaos and struggle.

I leave you with the best sentence of all time (aka, a found scrap of promo copy for the band Grand Magus):

'A nine-song essay in timeless, masculine majesty 'Iron Will' is the sound of a plastic sword being snapped, an idiot being kicked in the face and the rich heritage of true steel reclaimed.'
Jawohl motherf*cker. Happy New Year.