It's painfully obvious...

As you can tell, I've fallen down on my duties. And by "you" I mean "me" since I don't think I have any readers. But if you are reading this, I'm not shutting the doors as I will still post here from time to time. As a side effect of posting less frequently, the music days I had planned are going out the window. I'll still post videos every now and then, but it won't be a themed day. I knew going in that was probably a little bit much of a goal for me to have. I will also be suspending the t-shirt of the day, though as with the videos, I'll still be featuring one on a less frequent basis. Not today though....

So this is not a goodbye, just an I'll see you later. At some point down the road I may pick back up with daily postings. It's just as likely that I'll forget all about this place and let it become yet another tumbleweed on the information super highway.

Heavy Metal Tuesdays

And now back to the present. Heavy Metal Tuesday is my favorite. I will really mix up the metal genre here and not stick to the bands you immediately think of when you think "heavy metal". I'll be posting the obvious choices too like Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Anthrax and possibly even Metallica (though I still hold a grudge, no matter how good their early stuff was). I won't be posting any "nu metal" or "rap metal", but you might be surprised at what you find here. And there is a gray area when it comes to some things that many consider punk. I'll let you decide when you see something like DRI or Suicidal Tendencies here, though that may be a while.

I'll kick this off with Motley Crue so I can go ahead and get this out of the way... I will be posting some bands that are considered "hair metal." You won't be seeing Slaughter or Warrant on this blog, but do not be surprised to see Ratt or Cinderella. Some of that stuff is excellent.

And one more note. I won't be doing it all the time, but now that I've introduced the different genre days, I will post more than one video a day sometimes. Occasionally it will be the same band, but more often than not I'll try to post videos by different bands.

Now on with the show....

Classic Alternative Mondays (a day late and a dollar short)

I was supposed to post this yesterday, but see my t-shirt post below for the excuses. As a result I'm going to post two videos today. I use the term "classic alternative" because I really don't know what else to call it. There's a music channel on my cable TV that is called classic alternative and they play some damn good stuff. Mostly stuff from the 80's through the early 90's. They even play a good bit of punk rock but I'll leave that stuff to Wednesdays. I'm going to start with Soundgarden, but don't expect this to be all "grunge" or even just music from the early to mid 90's. I'll definitely be hitting the vaults. Some things you may even ask if it's really alternative or not, but that's my decision so eat it! No, seriously... if you think I've erred in labeling a band "alternative" that's not, feel free to debate me in the comments section.

T-Shirt of the Day

I knew this would happen so I might as well amend my rules. I'll post a new t-shirt any day I make an update to the blog. So if I miss a day, it's because I didn't post anything else. I'd like nothing more than to be able to post daily (or even several times a day if I got paid for this... never going to happen), but with a family and everything else life entails it's not always going to happen.

Melvins is an awesome band. One of the best shows I ever saw by them was on this very stage I'm playing on right here, at the World Famous Milestone. I won't go into the details of the show other than to say that it was 10.25.06. I was definitely buying a shirt and this one had an octopus on it so the choice as a no-brainer.

I Want to Make One of These

Drawdio: A Pencil that Lets You Draw Music

Hip Hop Friday

I'm going to start this one off with the great Das EFX.I don't feel like the got the respect that they deserved, especially compared to some of the lesser groups of the time that were highly regarded. Riggity Rowe!

T-Shirt of the Day

This picture was taken at the Brewgrass festival in Asheville, NC that I mentioned in my last TSOTD post. One of our "Single Serving Friends" let me borrow the sign for this picture. Actually Lee... who's a republican, asked them if I could hold it for the picture. He's a good friend. As a side note, this is one of my favorite pictures of me.

Now about the T-Shirt... Prince Of Dorkenss. That describes me fairly well. I loved the play on words and the design was genius, so how could I not buy it. I would post the link to Torso Pants (who I ordered it from) but they have been absorbed by T-Shirt Hell. Before I give you the link, let me preface by saying I do not agree with nor endorse many of the shirts on this site. There are some very funny shirts here, but a lot of their shirts are just plain offensive. To find the Torso Pants section click on the link at the top of the page. This shirt is no longer available, but you might find something you like either there or on the main T-Shirt Hell site.

Vivv La... Whatever We're Called.

For those of you who don't know (which is probably all of you since I doubt anyone at all reads this crap), I play bass in a punk rock band. Actually, punk rock is kind of pigeon holing it a little bit. We're punk rock influenced and that's probably the genre we most closely sound like. We also have metal, "classic alternative" (I'm still not sure how I feel about that term), indie rock and just plain rock n' roll influence as well, so our sound is somewhat varied.

The band I'm in used to be called Los Accidentes and The Accidents before that. The Crusties before that and Popes on Dope in the beginning. I also played in a band called SJA that started in high school and have been playing with the drummer ever since (about 20 years now). Now, back to the present... or at least recent times. A couple of years ago our singer/guitarist/song writer decided it was time to quit... for the second time and that was okay with us. We even played a "farewell show" that turned out to be one of the worst shows we ever played due to drunkenness. It was still fun though, for both us and the crowd, and ultimately that's all that mattered. After that, the rest of us tried to move on and just kept playing the Accidents stuff, figuring we'd get around to writing new songs later. About 4 months later, Saunders (singer/guitarist) came back and we picked things up. He wrote a bunch of new songs and we were about ready to play out again when he dropped it on us that he was once again leaving. This time it was for good. Even if he decides he wants to come back, we've moved on. Still love the guy, but that's about all we can take.

So that brings us to now. We don't have a name yet, though we've thrown a bunch of ideas around. I've been writing songs and now Eric's gotten in on the songwriting as well. Our only problem? No lyrics! I hate writing lyrics and am not sure about singing either. I've never had a problem with doing backup and we did have two songs that I sang, but doing all of it? That's going to be a challenge. I'm going to try to get started on those pesky lyrics this week because we've got 6 songs ready to go, but don't want to start working on anymore until these are finished. We also want to play out again at some point, but the lack of singing in our songs is holding that up at the moment. It's going to happen though. I promise.

In case you want to see what we're all about (or were all about anyway), I'm providing a few links. The Myspace page hasn't been touched in ages, the iLike page provides free downloads and the YouTube link has one of our best shows broken up into different songs for convenience. Enjoy... or don't. It's not for everyone, that's for sure.

http://www.myspace.com/losaccidentes

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Los+Accidentes

http://www.youtube.com/user/slywookie

Also, if you're a fan of odd videos and music videos of all genres (mostly live stuff), check out my favorites. That should keep you busy for a few days.

The main picture for this page is of Los Accidentes on stage at the World Famous Milestone and was taken by Steve Munsell.

Classic Rock Thursday

Classic rock, but not just any classic rock. I'm going to try to stay away from the stuff you'd hear on AOR classic rock stations. A lot of that stuff is great, but we've heard it all over and over and over again. I'm going to try to dig a little deeper and pull out some gems that don't get airplay. You may or may not have heard some of these, but sit back and enjoy anyway.

Today I'm going to go with Judas Priest. You may be thinking this should be posted on the Heavy Metal day (whenever that will be), but this is really their pre-heavy metal days. Seriously, if you haven't heard the Rocka Rolla album, find it. Even if you think you don't like Judas Priest, you may totally love this album. Good stuff.

T-Shirt of the Day

Today's t-shirt is actually one that came from Old Navy. I'm not the biggest fan of that store, and to be honest, I didn't buy it there. It was actually one of my many thrift store finds, which you'll see a lot of here.

This shirt is obviously burgundy and I really need more in this color. The shirt features what I would call 70's Kung Fu guys... one looks like Chuck Norris, one like Bruce Lee and the rest are just sort of generic. I like it and that's all that matters.

As for the pink scarf, that's another story altogether. In a nutshell, it was found at a Carolina Panthers game and it has traveled with us (me and my good friend Lee) to every beer festival we have been to since. It began as a joke, but has sort of become our "trademark" I guess. There are people that would be disappointed if we didn't bring her and she often goes missing for long periods of time while others wear her for a while. Yes, I said "her".

This picture was taken at the World Beer Festival in Columbia SC in January of 2009. We just went again a few weeks ago and it's one of the best we go to, second only to Brewgrass in Asheville, NC.

Punk Rock Wednesdays?

In the first incarnation of Through Being Cool I tried to start a musical genre of the day. I think I'm going to pick that up here and see what happens. I won't be doing weekends, but Monday through Friday I'll have a new video(s?) up. I originally did Punk Rock Tuesdays, but since this is a new start I'm going to use whatever damn day I want. I haven't nailed down what genre is going to be on what day, but expect Hip Hop, Metal, Classic Rock and... uh, I don't know yet. Maybe "Classic Alternative"? Yeah, that sounds good. Anyway, here's The Dils:

Through Being Cool, Pt. 1

Just in case you want to see it, here's the link to the old blog. It's kind of outdated and some of the t-shirts featured there may end up here, but I thought I would provide a link anyway in case you're ever bored enough to check it out. Some of my opinions may have changed since then... just something to keep in mind.

http://slywookie.blogspot.com/

T-Shirt of the Day

Okay, this is an old one from my days of living in Carborro, NC. Yes, I had just dyed my hair... the only time in my life I've ever done that. I also shaved most of that beard off not long after this picture was taken since it didn't match the top (at least the sides where it connected... I don't know why I didn't shave it all). And as embarrassing as it is to admit, I actually dyed my eyebrows after shaving the beard because I wanted them to match my hair. I'm surprised I didn't try to shave my beard, but I'm sure I thought about it. The eyebrows didn't last very long at all. as I ended up shaving them minutes later. It was an odd look, but I was young and don't regret it at all. To this day it still provides good laughs for my friends and I.

Now onto the shirt. This t-shirt is from the elementary school I went to as a kid. I absolutely loved this shirt and wish I still had it. I do not know if the school still has this design made up, but I need to find out so I can get another one if so. You may also notice paint on it from my job as a maintenance assistant at the Chapel Hill Housing Authority.





I was twenty years old when this picture was taken and it shows. I look young and very skinny, not to mention very carefree and unaware of what "real life" was all about! Those were good times and that was a huge plate of some tasty spaghetti that a visiting friend had just cooked up for all of us!

You will find proof of the eyebrows to the left. It's hard to believe that was nearly 16 years ago. Good times indeed.

Business Cat

I love the Japanese and their love of all things bizarre, and their commercials are no exception. This is one of the best I've seen recently, besides the Star Wars Sea Chicken I posted below. I'll probably post more in the future.

T-Shirt of the Day

I say "of the day" as the plan is to post a new t-shirt every day. I do know from experience with my last blog that I will probably miss days and may even drop this feature altogether.

As for the rules I set for myself, I will only post t-shirts that I own. I will try my best to only post pictures of me wearing them. I may re-post t-shirts that I have previously used in my last blog (because I had very little readership!), but I will not repeat any in this one. Should I run out of t-shirts to post, this feature will be suspended until further notice. This is highly unlikely as my closet is full and the collection will only grow. I will always give a brief description of the t-shirts and provide links whenever possible. Some of these links will be to websites where the shirts can be purchased, others will be purely for entertainment or information on the subject matter of the shirt.

Today's t-shirt if from the Mellow Mushroom pizza chain. MM is no ordinary pizza restaurant that just serves pie, hoagies, salads and more.,, they offer an experience matched by no one else. "Mellow Mushroom is an immersive experience of color, art, music and light, providing a delicious escape from the mundane", and this is very true. If you haven't been to a Mellow Mushroom restaurant (and are lucky enough to live in or near, or visit a city that has a MM) it is highly recommended, not just for the offbeat atmosphere, but for some of the best pizza money can buy. You can order the normal pizza classics (such as cheese or pepperoni), but be sure to check out their other styles and try something a little different. In addition to the spectacular menu items, The 'Shroom also has a most excellent selection of beers! Mellow Mushroom is one of my favorite places to eat and I always seek it out when I am in a city where a Mellow Mushroom resides.

This t-shirt is a parody of the classic Ramones logo. I'm a sucker for t-shirts done in the style of this legendary punk rock logo and this was no exception. When I saw it, I had to have it. While I do not believe this t-shirt is available on the website (though possible still in select stores), you'll find plenty of other very unique and fun designs.

Eat at a Mellow Mushroom restaurant and you'll be hooked. Sport a MM t-shirt and spread the word!

Be Kind, Please Rewind!

Last week I was leaving a store and noticed the Red Box video rental unit outside. I have never used one of these and probably never will, but I know a lot of people who can't resist the $1 per day price. These days you can also get movies on demand, straight from your cable box. You can subscribe to a DVD/Blu Ray service that ships movies from a list you've created, one after another, for a flat fee per month. You can even get movies downloaded straight to your computer now eliminating any wait or drive time you had before. If you still want to go to a "video store", they still exist but for who knows how much longer. Services like "on demand", Red Box, Netflix and Blockbuster Online are eating into the profits of brick and mortar video stores who's days seem to be numbered... and that includes Blockbuster who started their online/mail service to keep up with the Jonses (or rather the Netflixes if you will.) Yes, the movie rental industry has changed a lot since I was a kid.

I remember our family getting our first VCR when I was young. It was a magnificent piece of machinery with it's less than quiet operation, bulky (yet seemingly compact at the time) case, and wired remote. Yes, wired. As in the remote control connected to the VCR via an 8 foot cable. My dad opened this modern marvel on Christmas morning and then unwrapped the movies mom had rented for him and stuck under the tree. Rented movies! This was amazing to both me as a child and the child inside of my dad. Now we didn't have to go to the theater to see every movie that we wanted to see and we didn't have to wait for them to hit broadcast TV, edited for content and ripe with commercials. Yes, our entertainment future was looking up.

Video stores in the mid 80's were a lot different than the big chains you mostly find today. There are still some small, Mom and Pop's around but I couldn't tell you where a single one is. Despite the big difference of DVD/Blu Ray as opposed to the VHS tapes (and yes, sometimes even Beta), there are other things that set the video rental experience apart in the glory days.

When we went to rent movies, you couldn't get the latest releases the day they came out... not unless you were lucky anyway. Most video stores only had one or two copies of the big new releases and were hard to find on the shelves. It was a good thing they had lots of old, really obscure stuff to rent. It really was a gamble sometimes when you rented something you had never seen. Sure there were the classics that you knew you were safe with, but when we saw a title like The Worm Eaters it was hard to pass up. My love for cult and schlock cinema was most definitely developed during these times.

To get a new release in the first few weeks it was out there were really only three options. The easiest way in the beginning was the almighty waiting list. If you became good friends with the owner it was easy to get your name at the top of the list (or as close to the top as possible). If you didn't get it the first day it was out, you were at least guaranteed to see it in the first two weeks it was out. Eventually a lot of stores phased out the waiting list because honestly it wasn't too fair. When that happened your best bet was to be at the store when they opened on the day that new movies arrived. Even then, a lot of the stores didn't get their delivery from UPS until later in the day and you quickly learned about what time that delivery would appear. And finally, you could hang around the video store browsing as long as you could hoping that someone would return something new so you could put down that copy of Frankenhooker and take some quality entertainment home.

In my town, the small Mom and Pop's were the only way to go until a larger store moved into the neighborhood. Technically it was part of a chain, though I think there were only 3 other stores under the same name and it was still regional. Once this store opened most of the others had to shut their doors. While the new store had a bigger and better selection, it was still sad to see the others disappear. I wouldn't realize how much I loved the video renting experience until many years later. The fun was gone and a new age had begun.

These days when I do go rent a movie it's rather methodical. I go with a plan and I stick to it. I still try to browse, but being in a more "sterile" environment it's just not the same. You can't even build a friendship with the people that work at the large chains because they have too many customers to deal with and the turnover is so great.

Video rental has lost it's soul. Actually the whole movie experience, whether in the theater or in your home, has lost it's soul. I still love movies as much as ever, but I will forever miss the simpler days when a copy of Hell Comes to Frogtown, brought home in a thick, vinyl shell was enough to keep me entertained for the night.

And so it begins....

I can't think of a better way to kick off the new blog than with a taste of Star Wars Sea Chicken: