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Sunday, June 26, 2011

Brandon Mylenek - "Brandon's go away dinner."



Brandon Mylenek's middle name is not Lee. Yet, as some boys will, he writes Lee on anything that embarrasses him. So if you find yourself with the word Lee written on you, you should examine your behavior while in close proximity to the artist, friend, and psychotic shut-out Brandon Pierce Mylenek.

His debut album Brandon's go away dinner., 2011, is not necessarily Brandon Mylenek's first full-length release. It is the first album on Anti-Raunchwagon Records to be released in prosaic sentence form (only the first letter is capitalized, periods at end, etc.) We believe this was in response to Stephen Stivs' release of two EPs in all caps format.

Mylenek, drummer of Mlac, Forest Porridge, and JG3 (seen at Warped Tour 98) has dreamt up other lo-fi DIY christian rap singles and many short albums from his iPad studio in Hazeltuckerdoodledoo, MI. When he lived in Spermdale, MI, however, and his girlfriend left him for dead while on vacation, god spawned a musical dingleberry in this house which Mylenek subsequently itched and scratched at until arriving at the product you're hearing. Using kitchen utensils, lots of alone time, and Garage Band, Brandon created a whole world of neo-psychodelic electronic golden sludgeberries. The last track, "To my suprise.", is my personal favorite. As always, eat it.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Bonus Track, Trip Guide to Mlac's "No Parents High School"


by: Isntreal DisRegardae
(bonus track is at the end)

Charles, Charles, Charlie

Title:
The title is a reference to Charles Bronson (prisoner), Charles Chaplin, and Charlie Manson. Guitarist Scott Crossman has a notable fascination with Charles Manson (he can pass any online quiz about the Manson murders/trials, owns all of the Manson Family Band CDs [though in his defense he did download them illegally] and is a fellow Scorpio along with bandmate Tom Kelly). Tom Kelly stumbled upon the Bronson Wikipedia page and became an immediate fan. He watched the movie based on Bronson's life, and though he wouldn't recommend the movie, he still recommends Bronson. And Charlie Chaplin?...See notes for the hidden track "I Will Always Love You".

In the Tarot:
This first track is obviously the all important first step of the "No Parents High School Trip." This song corresponds with the '0' card meeting with the 1st tarot card, "The Magician." If you are familiar with the tarot you will remember that card '0' is "The Fool" card. This is the quintessential card of new beginnings. It represents unlimited potential, innocence, and the beginning of a new trip. The first stop that The Fool makes on his journey is at the Magician’s (1). In the tarot, the Magician lays out all of the tools that the fool will need for his journey. The four tools represent the four elements in an isomorphic fashion:
The wand=fire, the sword=air, the cup=water, and the coin=earth.
In "Charles" we get that same isomorphism as the first 4 lyrical stanzas of the entire album (trip) give the listener ('fool' or 'listener,' which is a receptive action and corresponds to the '0' or the feminine principles) everything they need, while also representing the four elements in a modern vernacular.
First we get the weed, Then we get the money, Then we get the pussy, Then we ride on a horsey.
Weed= wand=fire. 'Fire' is sometimes used as slang for weed. Also, weed is smoked out of a pipe, and the pipe is equivalent to the wand in some Native American tarot decks. Weed is also seen as a gateway, or transformative drug, and fire is the element of transformation.
Money=coin=earth (this one is pretty clear cut)
Pussy=cup=water. The cup is a symbol that originated in its earliest, and simplest form as a 'v'. The cup or 'v' is a symbol for women, it represents the vagina. It is receptive, like the cup, so that it can receive it's male counterpart (the inverted 'v', or sword, or penis or tongue [i.e., chapter 69 of Aleister Crowley's The Book of Lies]) to form 'the sacred union.' Also the overflowing cup is an earth-mother-goddess symbol representing the fecundity and life-giving aspect of the female mother-goddess.
Horsey=sword=air. The horse, like the sword, is a necessity to the knight (or cowboy). Like the sword and the intellect, the horse is a neutral power that can be used for good or evil.
As stated, The Fool is the '0' card, and the Magician is the '1' card. In this first track we have the Fool meeting the Magician, or the essential union between the '0' (a feminine internal or receptive genitalia/negative principle) and the '1' (the masculine/external genitalia/positive principle). This is the first hint at the union of opposites which runs through the album.

In the Zodiac:
"Charles, Charles, Charlie", the first track on No Parents High School, makes a perfect Aries, the first sign in the Zodiac calendar. The song captures the fiery (Aries is a fire sign) vigor, spontaneity, and tenaciousness of the young ram just entering the world in the dawn of the spring. Aries not only marks the beginning of a new Zodiac year, but also the beginning of spring. Spring is a symbol of new life, new love, and the start of a new album or trip, which this first song is. Spring also symbolizes youthfulness and care-free joy, of which we get the vibes in this upbeat opener (and from which will move away as the album progresses). What is the day? My guess would be April 1st! Right in the middle of Aries, and a perfect fit for this album, band, and article. Makes you wonder if it has all been a joke. Is this just a big fat French fish you’re being handed (look up April Fool’s French origins)? Or did Mlac really release this album on the first day of Spring 2011 to mark a new beginning?

2. Suds

Title:
The title is a reference to the working title the band used for the song, "The Pop One." It was coined by Jason Edgil.

In the Zodiac:
Fittingly, this song is a real Gemini love song. It has the flighty, airy wittiness that characterizes Gemini. It also has that playful youthful innocence about it. It is a representative of the bright side of Gemini. When a Gemini is on their game they are irresistible. This song has that Gemini irresistibility that you would hope to find in a great pop song, and yet it is painfully short. It contains an intro, two verses, two choruses and a bridge—all in under two minutes?!…hate to say it, but once again this makes a perfect Gemini song! The length corresponds to the Gemini's hallmark inability to commit, even for the length of a single song!
I saw her standing there, She was standing up, There weren’t any chairs.
Looking at the lyrics in the first verse we notice that there aren't any chairs, which forces the young man that is perusing the young woman to stand next to her. Two people standing side by side make up the symbol of Gemini, II:
I think I think the same as you, We could a lot alike, Together.
In the second verse the man says, "I think I think the same as you." This also suggests a Gemini who has the ability to get into any head space, or any idea even if it's just for a little while or on surface level.
If this song was a day it would have to be June 2. This is Jason Edgil's (bassist, second snare) birthday and it is also the birthday of Tom Kelly's childhood best friend (Kelly has always been infatuated with Geminis and other air signs). Furthermore, this early part of June is the perfect time for 'summer' romance. Summer doesn't actually start until the last day of Gemini, June 21st, but this time in early June is often considered the best part of summer anyway. School is just getting out, and the heat has yet to reach its zenith. It's warm enough to drive you crazy , to make you chase girls, and party all night (i.e., 'Boy's Town' off of Mlac’s first album Raking The Neighbor’s Lawn, 2010) and you're still at a safe distance from the dog days of summer (starting around July 24, lasting about a month, the time of the year we are closest to Sirius, the dog star).
So in this second song we see a move from Spring/Aries to Summer/Gemini and you can be certain that like the seasons, the album doesn't stop there.

3) Brando Cry

Title:
The title is affectionately named for drummer Brandon Mylenek who, when shown the song for the first time, said “This song would have made me cry in high school.”

In the Zodiac:
We started in spring, danced through summer, and what comes next? Autumn. As sung in "Brando Cry". This song starts out somber, and ends with death. The lyrics build the imagery of an abandoned carnival in November, closed down for the season. The dormant carnival represents the departure from youth/spring. Like a carnival, your youth is a magical place sequestered from the cold 'reality' of the 'grown-up world'. You can't live in the joy of spring forever. Summer comes and goes, and autumn falls upon you.
This song starts off as a November Scorpio. November is a harsh month, and it's no wonder that the Scorpio born of it are often recognized for their intensity. Personally, I can't believe that there are November Sagittarians…it seems like they would die in November.
Most Scorpios are conceived close to Valentine’s Day (the best orgasm=the best conception=the strongest sperm), which is why they are said to be the master race in some circles. They are the most intense, profound, powerful characters in the zodiac. They have a better chance of becoming geniuses than the natives of any other sign.
In Michigan, November is statistically the most overcast month of the year making it cold, gray, and glum. By November the trees have been stripped of their leaves and it is frosty cold, but there is usually no snow to help warm your heart. Your just stuck in the desolation, O Autumn!
The end of the song moves you to the death, or winter, and then a shadowy dark preacher kills you, in the desert, all alone, with no hope. We have moved into winter. All remnants of your flowery youth, and the spring are gone. Mlac never explains who the shadowy preacher is. I think that depends on you. Who or what is your ‘shadow’? Does he know where you’ve been? What are you hiding from?

In the Tarot:
The Tarot card here is…you guessed it, number 13 or "Death." Your avatar dies in the song, but the Death card, doesn't mean you will 'die' if you pull it. It does mean big change is coming, and that maybe an idea or world view that you have held on to is no longer useful for your higher purposes. In this context it again refers to the death of your childhood worldview. This is that point in your life where you may have an existential crisis. Your parents’ explanation of the world, the religions and culture you were told was impregnable has come undone. You are left alone in winter/desert existence with no more idols. This can be pretty scary, but this is where your life really begins. Hold on tight.

4) Bronto

Title:
A reference to the working title “The One That Sounds Like a Brontosaurus Walking”

In the Zodiac:
This song conveys a Sagittarius, or adventurer, to go out and explore Dimension X between life and the afterlife. They are said to be optimistic, but once they venture out into “Wah Heaven” (the guitar solos during “Bronto”) there are no longer melodic scales, but we are lost, thrashing about looking for heat/youth.

In the Tarot:
You have just been disembodied, and you are not quite sure what to do. You were pretty comfortable moving around in your old body. You identified deeply with it. You used it every day of your life. Now it's gone, and your floating around in a dimension of beings that are made of energy. This is some realm of the astral plane, and you are seeing shit that you don't want to see (trust me it's not pretty), but you can’t close your eyes because you don’t have them (eyes) anymore. You are being accosted by all sorts of beings, and you're not sure what to do. Worst of all you have to let go of everything that you identified with as a person. Your ego, your girlfriend, your mom, your Red Wings, your dog, your dick, your job, your bed, your opinions, your habits, your pizza. It's not easy. This song corresponds with card 16 "The Tower."
On the card is an image of a tower being struck by lightning, and coming apart. This is similar to the Death card in that to create something new, something old must come down/die. That something old is your ego/worldview/life. The fire on the tower burns down all that was superficial in your life. All the walls of illusion that you hide behind are burnt to the ground (this corresponds directly to the dueling wah solos (Wah-Heaven is Wah-Hell) in the song). All that remains is all that you ever needed. You are free from the lies you were binding yourself with: "The only limitations we have, are those we set for ourselves,” (Robert Anton Wilson). Now you're ready for a quick swing on the Golden Rope.

5) Manitee International

In the Tarot:
'Bronto' has just ended and it's pitch black. You aren't sure where you are or what you are. Slowly a light penetrates the blackness and steadily grows stronger. It is the Golden Rope of Eternity, or in the tarot "The Star," card 17. The Star is the most positive sign in the tarot deck. It lets you know that you are all right, just hold on. There is hope. The Star is the equivalent of the Golden Rope of Eternity. Hopefully you will all find it one day, I'm sure you will. There you will be re-inspired, and healed. You will be reminded of your true nature before you are sent back to earth to do it all over again. Bon-voyage! Good luck!

6) Whisper From the Stars

In the Tarot:
This song starts with a somber instrumental transition. The transition is from the two purely instrumental songs, which represent two spiritual, or non-physical songs, both lacking the grounding feature of the human voice/and the human experience represented in the lyrics or 'the word' (the word is man's greatest tool, and yet his biggest hindrance to enlightenment. The word sequesters every object in a person's mind, leading them to believe in separation and contradiction). This song is a bridge between the physical and the spiritual, and corresponds to the number 2 card in the Tarot, the "High Priestess." The High Priestess, a water card, is the bridge between the physical and non-physical (physical=conscious mind/waking mind=ego=male principle, non-physical=unconscious/dream-mind=shadow=female principle).
The song starts with the somber instrumental. As stated this is a bridge between worlds. It is somber because it is bittersweet to leave the purely spiritual realm. You long for the light you were shown at The Golden Rope, but at the same time you know you have to go back to Earth with all of its romance, and beautiful sadness, and pretty girls.
The first verse is beautiful. If "Suds" is an air-sign love song, then this is a water-sign love song. It comes off as earnest and emotional (not maudlin, but romantic). We see the convergence of the male and female in the lines "I asked her to be my pretty girlfriend" in the sweetness of young love. So delicate and innocent. You can imagine this high school-sonnet overflowing from a 15-year-old boy to the 'Juliet' of his dreams…but alas she dies! This is encapsulated in the lyrics: "and then you died".
But just as our trip didn’t end after our death in "Brando Cry," "Whisper From the Stars," doesn't end when the pretty girl dies, nor does their love.
In the second verse the boy is contacted again by a strange, and beautiful voice. He is encouraged to paddle a boat out into the middle of a lake, in the middle of a night. And finally a shining, beautiful female presence appears to him.
The "High Priestess" is said to act as a whisper from your sub-conscious, directing and guiding you when you are in a tough situation. She is a reminder that everything you will ever need comes from within.
The 'black water of the lake', in dreams, is often a symbol of the unconscious. It is no surprise that this female spirit arises from the depths of the lake (or your subconscious) to shed light on the boy. Also with the lake, we see the water motif again.
The last line "she is my breath, and I am her" says a lot but also leaves us guessing. "You are her…what?" or is it just "you are her"? I think that in either interpretation the line suggests a divine union between boy/girl, unconscious/conscious, and finally life/love. For life to be sustained their needs to be the breath, the rhythm of our lives. The boy's life force is inseparable from the girl. This melding is love/life.

7) No Parents

In the Zodiac & Tarot:
Ah, we finally made it! We are now back to Spring coming full circle from "Charles, Charles, Charlie," and it is now time to graduate from No Parents High School!
This corresponds to the 21st card, the last of the Major Arcana, "The World." In the Tarot the World is the end of the Fool's journey. He has traversed every obstacle, walked, trudged, and danced along every trail. He has overcome every tribulation, at times crying with laughter, other times crying for mommy. The World is the last card of The Major Arcana, and so it is the 'end' of the Fools journey in one sense, but it is also the beginning of a new journey. The trip never really ends.
Graduating from No Parents High School, or any high school is the end of one epoch of your life and the start of another. You have to say ‘goodbye’ to your youth as you did in "Brando Cry," but this time it is different. That 'good bye' was premature. There isn't that sadness. In "Brando Cry" you were ripped away from youth by the seemingly dark and sinister aspects of the world. You were a 15-year-old kid that smoked pot for the first time and realized in no particular order:
Rape, murder, genocide, racism and hate crimes exist, and are happening all the time, happening right now, my parents are just people, they are fallible, and if they don’t know everything who does? AND maybe the religion and world view they taught me is completely fake! Maybe the government doesn’t give a shit about me, and is only using me for profit, and—holy shit I'm going to grow old and die!"
By "No Parents" you are ready to move on from your youth, and your old ideas, and obsession with dualities, and naming things. You have incorporated the trip into yourself and are ready to move on to the next great adventure. This is only sad in the way that even the best good-bye is bittersweet, but in essence it is a victorious triumph!
The song is a fun spring song that feels as triumphant as graduating high school. A truly beautiful note to end (or start) on.

8) DVD Menu

The Title:
This is song is supposed to be a simulation of a DVD menu’s background song with audio from an imaginary film interlaced within/
The movie is "No Parents High School," a modern equivalent to "The Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles," and "Ferris Buhler's Day Off." If you've ever watched a DVD, when you are at the Main Menu, you will be given options say, ' Play Movie', 'Scene Selection', 'Special Features,' and meanwhile there will be some light music, and different short clips from the movie will play. The audio clips are suppose to be the movie clips, but because this is an audio CD and not a DVD the movie will have to play in your head.

This is also an exercise:
1) What would your life’s DVD menu be like?
2) What would you think about yourself if you had to watch footage of yourself recorded throughout any given day of your life?
3) Have you ever sounded like any of these characters (be honest mom)?
4) Why do you think the way you think? Who taught you to think like that?
5) Why do you behave the way you behave?
6) Who taught you to act like this? Do you want to keep it up?
7) How does what you believe directly affect the way you act?
8) Do you like that smell?
9) Isn't this your favorite album?
10) Do you want to see the world?

9) I Will Always Love You

What is this secret bonus track? This is Charlie Chaplin, the guardian angel of MLAC, and the third Charlie from 'Charles, Charles, Charlie [a note about coincidence: I wrote this section, and then found out later that day that it was Charlie Chaplin's birthday!]. This angel has been there all along looking out for you. This whole trip from Spring to Spring, from 'Bronto' to 'Manitee'. This is the Phoenix, but it isn’t the majestic bird that you thought it was. Instead it's a fluorescent, goofy looking bird, with an awkward flap, and a beak that is too big, and has a honk for a chirp. None the less, this guardian has been ever vigilant. Looking out for you and trying to help you on your journey. When it couldn’t do anything to save you it tried to help you laugh a little. It tried to help you remember that life is a good thing. It tried to help you hold on tight until you see the star's light. It was always squawking whether you heard it or not, speaking from God's point of view, "I will always love you!"

Mlac will always love you.

-IR, 2011

I Will Always Love You by Anti-Raunchwagon Records

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Stephen Stivs - THE BLACK LODGE EP



Stivs's second all-caps release has me wondering how long he can drag this fad out. Steve, a great friend of mine, is on the loose with this recent effort, on the run, over the edge, in it for the long haul, and most of all enigmatic. Hi-fi and stayin alive, I've known this guy for quite some time. I used to sleep five or six feet away from him, our bodies only separated by a wall and embarrassment.

His name is Jayson Homyak (The Impetuous Impregnables, The Indiana Beach Boys, The Vas Deferens, The Choicest Hops, The Bitches Deep, The Seven Inches or Don't Bothers). He is a classical guitarist from Gnairclaw, KY who was in a band called The Yugos as a singer/guitarist until their demise in 2012. Shortly after the release of his debut album (and the first all-caps release on the record label), Stivs rose to stardom in a relatively short length of time. In adapting to his new surroundings, he acquired a taste for honky talk trash talk, drop D balloon parties and sitting on knives as the author recommended to everyone in "We'll See" a Richard Gumby song on the upcoming Impetuous Impregnables EP. Rumors are springing up that it may be called "Unirection".

Anywho, THE BLACK LODGE EP is short but sweet. Taking on different genres, and coming out with a new album almost immediately after the first are two things that paint a picture for me of Stephen Stivs as the Renaissance Man he is.