Hit the Ground Running in 2014 – Does It Explode (music)

I’ve been working on a project with Gary, my editor for Caustic Soda, on a new musical endeavor called Does It Explode. Mark, with whom I played in Cabron is also in the band as well as my friend, Veronica. Veronica did a few covers with Awakeners, including a slamming version of Portishead’s “All Mine.”

When Gary and I began writing for this project we both wanted to do something outside our comfort zone. Gary is a lead guitar player mostly but plays bass in D.I.E. and I am a mostly rhythm guitar player, but in D.I.E. I’m playing my version of “lead” guitar.

Earlier this month we did a rehearsal studio recording with my friend and creative collaborator, Dan Maier. The tracks turned out quite well. In fact I’m really proud of it. Demos are great because they are raw and help formalize the songs as well as create ideas for refinement of what eventually, will become studio tracks.  No overdubs. We did several takes and on both songs, used the third. Minimal editing. You can hear one ‘wrongstring’ flub in the pre-outro in Pink Crosses.

LISTEN at http://doesitexplode.bandcamp.com/

*Photo courtesy of Charles Shannon

Permit Yourself to Imagine

Permit yourself to imagine.

Once accomplished, travel is unrestricted, borders nonexistent, walls breached.

How? Slingshot.  Molotov. Spray paint. Lines of code. Guitar. Microphone.

Crisis or socially activist art offers the possibility of a crucial narrative, which is not new but suppressed.

We’ve been locked into a singular system, which serves official culture.

We are flummoxed by thinking alternatively. Any alternative.

Art must penetrate this numbness. Subvert the official narrative, cut through the advertising and propaganda. Negate marketing. Opening the between space.

Temptations are everywhere. In fact, you’ve likely accepted most without reading the service agreement. We relinquish control for convenience and security: freedom in exchange for a superficial sense of belonging.

But there is this: “One was born into this life to share the time that repeatedly exists between moments: the time of Becoming, before Being risks to confront one yet again with undefeated despair.” – John Berger

As a writer, art critic and political activist, John Berger offers a point of reference in the relational dynamic that artists have to the world around them. More importantly, Berger is representative of the type of progressive writer whose work is driven by a desire to confront the status quo. Refusing to participate in prescribed ideals of marketplace and authority, the artist/writer/revolutionary creates new methods of engagement.

Situational art is confrontational, “the immoral subversion of the existing order.” It informs the discourse with immediacy. Artists are in a unique position to engage directly with the established value system, call it into question and mobilize against it.

If a distinction between commercial and activist art no longer exists than the medium(s) an artist uses no longer need to be relegated to a single surface or conversation. The subversion happens while viewing.

The Molotov cocktail is the canvas. The canvas is our body, the inner city, barrio. ‘Hood.

Courage of the imagining mind.

 

The proceeding manifesto was a response to a series of art pieces produced by Enrique Lugo, AKA Chikle–a long time friend and collaborator–to be included as a text for his group show at the San Diego Repertory Theater. This is simultaneously a reaction of a reaction to both the art presented there and to the musical A Hammer, A Bell, and a Song to Sing, now playing at the Rep inspired by the life and work of Pete Seeger. The show will be up January 10–29, 2012 on the Lyceum Stage.

Mexican Shoe Thief and Mexican Camel Tow

Here’s a two fer free download of Cabron’s magnum opus’ Mexican Camel Tow and Mexican Shoe Thief.

Mexican Camel Tow: http://www.sendspace.com/file/0qru6e
Mexican Shoe Thief: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ixlk5q

What Little Folks do For Fun: Fkenal, Cabron, Bike Rides, Food Drives

My favorite band of our singer, Leo, besides Cabron, is Fkenal. An all instrumental/psych rock four piece playing hybrid prog/indie rock replete with visual projector show and one of the most mesmerizing drummers I’ve seen in a long time (though Mark, Cullen and Seb are tremendous as well). Leo doesn’t sing in Fkenal but he plays bass and looks hotter than a pit bull turd on asphalt during the summer in El Centro.

This Sunday is the Burrito Project Ride. Meet at 3pm at the Big Fountain, make burritos, deliver to our less fortunate denizens of ‘Americas Finest City.’ If you like burritos and bicycles then please come and join us for some non-denominational philanthropy work. Add the burrito project to your myspace too.

Next Saturday, Dec. 15th (10pm), our pals, Tijuana Knife Fight (from LA/OC) and our comrades Hostile Combover join us for another musical evening at The Alibi. Lori, we promise we won’t break any glasses in your hand this time, in fact, we’ll each buy you a drink to make up for our violent outburst last time. (Seb can you pass on the message?)

Next Sunday, we’re having one final show at The Voz Alta before it gets torn down, along with Landlord Jims. Seriously, where else in the city besides Star Bar can you not only expect great service but virtually no $30,000 millionaires OR their skanky gold digging female counterparts? Its true, imminent domain has its consequence. Though it seemed to work well for Rafter and his expanding empire of recording studios.

The Dec. 16th Matinee is $5 or $4 if you bring a can of food. It’s a food drive AND its all ages AND its not at the Che, HOLY SHIT! Bands have few options in this town as far as playing all ages venues is concerned, its going to seriously suck when Voz closes so please come out and celebrate the Voz Alta Projects excellent contribution to the SD music and art scene with

Cabron Live with TSOL and Battalion of Saints Nov. 24th

So Cabron got invited to open for TSOL and Battalion of Saints. Here’s a poster our friend Bill Pierce put together for the show. Reagan is immortal in the hearts and minds of neo-dissidents everywhere — the bastard. Who knew we’d be worse off a quarter century later? How’s the recession taste? Too much subprime fallout in there? Salt the wound to taste…

Cabron Live at Tower Bar/Record Release Show!!!

flier

Originally uploaded by CabronSD

bob did the flier for the cabrón record release show!!!

Mexican Shoe Thief Lyrics Posted!!!

Leo finally sent me the ALL they lyrics for our record. Here they are! Enjoy!

Colleagues

Have you ever worked more than 60 hours in any given week?

At a job you despise with every fiber and grain of your being?

D’you ever stop to think that you’re not alone man,

No you’re not alone!

We’re all stumbling towards the same ending, thankless and dying.

But you’re not alone man, sister we’re with you in the factories and fields

Toiling away, just to get a sense, a sense of something real.

We’ll be waiting at the end when the credits roll and the curtain close,

And when the last whistle blows we’ll be there, yeah we’ll be there.

Carve out an existence

To stand tall amidst the giants

One voice to rattle the tyrants.

You’re not alone man!

Shut yer hole

I just thought that I would let you know,

It’d do you better if you shut your hole

’cause when you speak it starts to smell like shit

Falling in clumps, we need to clamp that chin

Just shrugging, ignoring, thinking you’re holy

Keep throwing sticks on the open flame

Winking, sniffing, thinking you own me

I’d give anything to see you dead,

Gutted and strung up like a pig I dread

In simplest terms it’s best to be sincere

Your manners and words all bull shit and fear

You keep shrugging, ignoring, thinking you’re holy

Keep throwing sticks on our open flame

Winking, sniffing, thinking you own me

Searchers

We’re the ruling architects of semantic infrastructures

Coded in concrete and script

Not paper that’ll tear easily

Pay your fines and dues

You life is our to use

Boiler plate mission statements

Distributed to all the right folks

Conflict resolution is our diplomatic mantra

Pay your fines and dues

The kids are ours to use

Fuel the white, red, blue

Your labor is ours to use

Learn

What do you wish to accomplish?

What is your goal in life?

Do you want a family?

Do you want three kids and a wife?

Well it doesn’t really matter, because to me life is just a game

Just one thing to remember

Deep down inside we’re all the same

You gotta learn to give a little

Learn to lend a hand

Don’t think only of yourself

Please understand

Today in all the confusion

Everyone’s talking about no. 1

About fuckin succeeding

And getting their share before life’s done

Living your life for you, it’s just another selfish attitude

Who are you gonna turn to

When hard times get a hold on you?

Hobo Sex

Hearsay, all the shit they write about us

As if nobody’s speaking

Pink face with a snout, ears, tail and all

Keep us feeding and feeding

The mute speak while the blind are kept in the dark

But there’s nobody listening

Loose change filling cups, you’re bound to a wall

And I know what you’re thinking too

We say it’s a problem that no, that no one can solve

But you, you keeping spending n shit

Well what are you gonna do?

(Repeat)

Silencio

There is no band

This is just a recording

No there is no band

Yeah this is just a recording

Set the wheels into motion

Live to shake the foundation

Crumble the memory to dust

Razors sharpening with age

Social anxiety

Silence broken by the bombast of sex

Social anxiety

Silence broken by the bombast……

Can you hear it?

A few well placed words, can incite lust

And a whisper of treachery can incite murder…

Silencio! Silencio! Silencio!
No es banda, es solo una grabacion….

Cabron, Batwings, Dissimilars, Frauds Live at Scolaris

So we’re playing Scolari’s with our good friends Batwings on Saturday night. Those guys are our rehearsal space neighbors and aside from being stand up dudes, their brand of post-punk swagger and Jehu-esque sound is really rad to behold. AND it’s Scolari’s, the first and friendliest (Freddy RIP) bar I ever stumbled into in San Diego. The drinks are poured heavy, it smells like 40 years of stale beer and puke (almost like the Boiler Room smelled back when it was the only place worth sitting in at the Tivoli in Denvoid) and now all three bands I’ve been a member of in this town will have played there. Gingtian Violet, The Turnstiles and now Cabron!, that is very cool. They have a very interesting system for paying bands as well. The shows are free, bands get drinks 20 min before – during their set – and 20 minutes after plus 50 bucks. Leo and I were discussing this with Bryan and Robert from Batwings the other night and realized what a good model this is, even for touring bands. No matter what the door ‘would’ve’ been and even if there are only like 5 people there the bands still make some money and get loaded. My good friend Cullen wrote an awesome, backhanded indictment/article for City Beat last week about this whole DJ/band thing taking place in San Diego (and I’m sure elsewhere in other hipster spots like NY and LA). Where DJ’s get equal billing with bands that are playing live. If you think that a DJ should get paid out of the ‘door,’ essentially taking cash from a band that is actually performing then you’re best bet is to go spend some time at the ‘clubs’ in SD (chain bars) that care more about selling booze than letting local talent blossom. It cannibalizes music. I’ll never be convinced that putting a a needle on vinyl is equal to playing a song with several other people, no matter how much beat matching and mixing you’re doing or how deep your vinyl collection is or what rare Hawkwind, CAN or Joy Division single you might be spinning. Music that is spun should be either relegated to the background, or put in the forefront to stand alone and get asses shaking, it should supplement a band not be an equal ‘performing’ entity.

We’re not cool enough!

Cabron EP and New Songs Posted

Our 7 song EP Mexican Shoe Thief  is going to be released online for free on Oct. 8th (or sometime around there), yeah thats right, for free. Who buys CD’s anymore anyway? We’ve posted 4 new tunes on our myspace page. The songs were recorded live to 2″ tape at Audio Design Studio in San Diego, CA and engineered by Dan Maier (Head Wound City, The Plot to Blow Up The Eiffel Tower, Some Girls). Bobrob (guitar) will be doing a limited run of about 500 silk screened wood block 12″ covers that we’ll sell at shows for about 7 bucks. We’ll put a blank disc with a site you can download the tunes from in it along with an insert for lyrics. Basically people will pay for the art if they come and see us and if people really want we’ll mail them. We’ll probably put it out on vinyl in the spring after we save enough kola nuts and bottle caps since people seem to actually pay for vinyl. Basically Bob talked to some of his high ranking industry contacts and was told that we wouldn’t recoup the cost of making, printing, releasing a ‘CD’ and that it’d be better just to release that shit ourselves, which is cool with us.

Who needs record labels anyway? It’s the same thing punk bands have been doing for the past 30 years.  I am talking about bands that go from town to town in a crappy 15 passenger van with a trailer playing dives and making just enough for gas money and a taco bell bean burritos.

You can scope 4 new songs on our myspace