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Teenage

Submitted by jgervasi on Sat, 2014-04-19 15:34

Currently Reading:

Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon

Today's Playlist:

Blutgrund/Galgenberg by Galgenberg

Feeding the Crawling Shadows by Sargeist

Kukaan Ei Opasta Teitä Pimeässä by Hautakammio

s/t by Halvag

s/t by Paramnesia

Ved Graven by Throne of Katarsis

A few years ago I read the book Teenage: The Prehistory of Youth Culture: 1875-1945 by Jon Savage (2008), author of the marvelous England's Dreaming. It's now been made into a documentary film, which is currently playing at the Ritz/Landmark here in Philadelphia. The website for the movie runs a blog where youth culture over the years is discussed. They recently reached out to me about the (in)famous Minor Threat/Flag of Democracy (F.O.D.)/etc. show at Buff Hall in Camden, NJ in 1982. Their blog posting features quotes from the LOUD! FAST! PHILLY! interview with Nancy Petriello Barile. I've not yet seen the movie (I'm going on Tuesday night), but I'd recommend seeing it based on the excellent book.

Here's the blog post: http://www.teenagefilm.com/archives/archive-fever/b-y-o-phillys-night-out-in-camden/

P.S. There are two new interviews on the site! Stacey Finney interviewed John Manhardt of Trained Attack Dogs, Astronaut Your Planet, etc. and I just talked to Mark Pingitore of the band Pagan Babies. Both are long and tremedously enjoyable to listen to. More to come, friends.

P.P.S. I still have a handful of L!F!P! shirts left. Drop me a line if you want one. Like you, they rule!

R.I.P. Autumn Leaf

Submitted by jgervasi on Sat, 2014-04-05 09:13

Currently Reading:

Hearts In Atlantis by Stephen King

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

Today's Playlist:

Adverserialism by LVTHN

Bleüu de Morte by Mortifera

Casualty of the Psychic Wars by Grue

In Obscure Darkness by Skógr

s/t by Ilous & Decuyper

R.I.P. Autumn Leaf aka Leafy or Leaf Worm

July 1996 - March 30, 2014

Autumn was rescued from an abandoned house in a dodgy Philly neighborhood by my friend Kathie. She was a tiny creature covered in fleas and mites, practically dead. We nursed her back to health and she's been connected to me like a little brown burr since then. Of all the animals I've shared my life with, no creature was closer to me than she was. Since I work in my home and have for most of my adult life, we were constantly together. I will miss everything about her. Autumn's absence in my life is acutely felt. As I held her when she was but weeks old and in need of nursing back to health, so I held her as she slipped silently into death.

I love love love her.

Soon: New Interviews!

Submitted by jgervasi on Thu, 2014-03-20 14:13

Currently Reading:

Butcher's Crossing by John Williams

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

Today's Playlist:

Der Zweite Drei by Urzeit

Elder Giants by Sunworship

Henbane by Cultes Des Ghoules

Odori Sepulcrorum by Grave Miasma

s/t by Ernie Graham

Yes, new interviews are currently being scheduled (some with a guest interviewer) and should hit the site in a few weeks. For those I'm not myself conducting, I'm looking forward to hearing them.

Time Is A-Comin', Yeah

Submitted by jgervasi on Wed, 2014-01-22 18:14

The Wissahickon in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia by JAG

Currently Reading:

Akenfield by Ronald Blythe

Baal by Robert R. McCammon

Fool's Fate (Tawny Man #3) by Robin Hobb

Today's Playlist:

Divine Riddles by Perditor

Gloria Satanae by Arkha Sva

Hünengrab im Herbst by Nagelfar

Natur by Kaevum

Nobue's Sea by Nobue Kawana

PrækΩsmium by Frostseele

Rituale Satanum by Behexen

Sound the Alarms (MRR compilation) by v/a

State of the Art by Nordvrede

Unlock the Shrine by Ruins of Beverast

Ven Seamos Mas/Somos El Mundo by Antonio Smith

मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (Ascetic Meditation of Death) by Cult of Fire

L!F!P! lives, though it's on a bit of a hiatus while I work on some other things. I'll be scheduling more interviews in the months to come. Don't interpret a lack of posting as a loss of interest in the project. There are still many, many voices that will join the chorus and different directions I'd like to take it in 2014. Thanks for your continued support and please help out L!F!P! by buying one of the remaining t-shirts from me, purchasing the L!F!P! book from Karen Kirchhoff, and posting about the interviews so new people can experience them.

Photo: The Wissahickon in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, close to my house a few weeks ago during the previous snow storm. Photo by me.

The Books I Read In 2013

Submitted by jgervasi on Wed, 2014-01-01 10:34

Currently Reading:

Black Metal - Evolution of the Cult by Dayall Patterson

The Golden Fool (Tawny Man #2) by Robin Hobb

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Today's Playlist:

Der Todesking by Nekrokrist SS

Funeral Sorcery by Evilfeast

Natur by Kaevum

Peace On Venus by Bardo Pond

s/t by Vhol

Every year I compile a list of the books I read in the year before. These are the books that shaped my life over the year. Listing them is both my tribute to the books and their authors and a means of helping me remember moments both large and small in my life. The books I read are inextricably linked to my daily existence. The listings with an asterisk (*) after the author's name are among my very favorites. The books are listed in the order in which I read them.

1. The Troupe [audio book] - Robert Jackson Bennett *

2. I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

3. Mr. Shivers [audio book] - Robert Jackson Bennett

4. The Emperor’s Soul [novella] - Brandon Jackson

5. Wool Omnibus - Hugh Howey *

6. The Snow Child [audio book] - Eowyn Ivey

7. Tenth of December [audio book] - George Saunders *

8. Going Clear - Lawrence Wright *

9. The Genocides - Thomas Disch *

10. Weaveworld [audio book] - Clive Barker

11. Tuf Voyaging - George R.R. Martin *

12. The Devil in the White City [audio book] - Erik Larson

13. The Emperor - Ryszard Kupuscinski

14. McSorley’s Wonderful Saloon - Joseph Mitchell

15. Ender’s Game [audio book] - Orson Scott Card *

16. The Wind Through the Keyhole (Dark Tower 4.5) [audio book] - Stephen King *

17. American Elsewhere - Robert Jackson Bennett *

18. More Than Human [audio book] - Theodore Sturgeon

19. NOS4A2 [audio book] - Joe Hill *

20. The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn 1) - Tad Williams *

21. Attempting Normal [audio book] - Marc Maron

22. Get Shot [photo book] - Martin Sorrondeguy

23. Stone of Farewell (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn 2) - Tad Williams *

24. Joyland - Stephen King

25. Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956 [audio book] - Anne Applebaum *

26. Borderlands - edited by Thomas F. Monteleone

27. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone [audio book] (Harry Potter 1) - J. K. Rowling

28. To Green Angel Tower part 1 (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn 3) - Tad Williams *

29. Red Moon [audio book] - Benjamin Perry

30. To Green Angel Tower part 2 (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn 3) - Tad Williams *

31. Retromania - Simon Reynolds *

32. Sex Press: The Sexual Revolution In the Underground, 1963-1979 - compiled by Vincent Berniére & Mariel Primois *

33. The Shining Girls - Lauren Beukes

34. Whitey Bulger [audio book] - Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy

35. The Gunslinger (Dark Tower 1) [audio book] - Stephen King

36. The Drawing of the Three (Dark Tower 2) [audio book] - Stephen King

37. From Sea To Shining Sea - James Alexander Thom *

38. The Waste Lands (Dark Tower 3) [audio book] - Stephen King

39. The Cipher - Kathe Koja

40. The Brains of Rats - Michael Blumlein

41. Harvest - Jim Crace *

42. Wizad and Glass (Dark Tower 4) [audio book] - Stephen King *

43. Lost Memory of Skin - Russell Banks

44. Wolves of the Calla (Dark Tower 5) [audio book] - Stephen King

45. The Sea Watch (Shadows of the Apt 6) - Adrian Tchaikovsky

46. Song of Susannah (Dark Tower 6) [audio book] - Stephen King

47. The Signature of All Things - Elizabeth Gilbert *

48. Electric Eden - Rob Young *

49. The Dark Tower (Dark Tower 7) [audio book] - Stephen King

50. The Chrysalids - John Wyndham

51. Stoner - John Williams *

52. Fool’s Errand (Tawny Man 1) [audio book] - Robin Hobb *

Three More of Po3

Submitted by jgervasi on Sun, 2013-12-29 18:54

Portait of Policy of 3 and JAG by Karen Kirchhoff

Portait of Policy of 3 by Karen Kirchhoff

Currently Reading:

Black Metal - Evolution of the Cult by Dayall Patterson

The Golden Fool (Tawny Man #2) by Robin Hobb

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Today's Playlist:

Christian Masquerade by Kohort

Love, Poetry and Revolution - 1966-1972 by v/a

Lupercal by Shores of Ladon

s/t by Vhol

Here are three bonus shots of Policy of 3 by Karen Kirchhoff.

Don't miss this epic-length interview. It's one of my very favorites so far.

L!F!P! T-Shirts In the Wild

Submitted by jgervasi on Tue, 2013-12-24 12:02

The Professor in THE GREATEST T-SHIRT EVER!

Currently Reading:

Black Metal - Evolution of the Cult by Dayall Patterson

Fool's Errand (Tawny Man #1) by Robin Hobb

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Today's Playlist:

Kosmos Erwache by Kaevum

Natur by Kaevum

The Tumbler by John Martyn

Here are two shots of folks wearing L!F!P! t-shirts.

First is recent interview subject Tony van Veen, sporting his in Aruba.

Second is "The Professor," former interview subject Stacey Finney nee Gold's stepfather.

Says Stacey:

"He's giving a talk on Philly Sound in Cologne, Germany this spring! He's excited to wear this for the talk! From Ben Franklin to punk will be covered."

You can get your very own t-shirt by writing directly to me.

The Ghost of Bean Burritos Past

Submitted by jgervasi on Sun, 2013-12-22 19:45

Currently Reading:

Black Metal - Evolution of the Cult by Dayall Patterson

Fool's Errand (Tawny Man #1) by Robin Hobb

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Today's Playlist:

Essential Delius by Delius

Satanic Blood by Von

On Friday night I ate at a Mexican restaurant in Mt. Airy that's housed in an old building haunted by the ghost of a nine-year-old girl who fell down some steps while jumping rope and croaked back the old-timey past. She clearly never followed her mother's very reasonable advice. When asked if she'd ever encountered the ghost, the sad-eyed waitressed perked up. She said she'd only been working at the restaurant for eight months, but there had been some incidents. One involved the radio being turned off when they were playing reggae. Two possible conclusions: 1) The ghost girl is flat-out racist. 2) The waitress failed to mention they were playing dub reggae and the ghost is strictly roots. Other incidents involved broken glasses. Big deal, ghost, you need to up your game. Or, better yet, rather than being so petty, the ghost should help out the poor Mexicans in the kitchen by washing some goddamn dishes. The $3 an hour they're likely being paid was probably a fortune back in eighteen-dickety-do.

Midnight Mass For S8N

Submitted by jgervasi on Thu, 2013-12-19 09:49

Currently Reading:

Black Metal - Evolution of the Cult by Dayall Patterson

Fool's Errand (Tawny Man #1) by Robin Hobb

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Today's Playlist:

Angel Delight by Fairport Convention

Full House by Fairport Convention

In Lambeth by John Zorn

Valtion Vankina by Riistetyt

As much as I love Impaled Nazarene's Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz (1992) album, I still have a place in my shrinky-dink of heart for some Christmas music. "Heresy!" you say. I pray, friend, read on. I speak not of the B-101 all-day, commercial-free, saccharine slop favored by expansive-butted suburban moms. Nor do I favor the WXPN singer-songwriter take on "the classics" as favored by expansive-butted suburban moms with liberal arts degrees. They make me want to punch your shit in the fuck. There are some seasonal records that are filled with such delicate joy that they warm even the most atheistic of hearts and place an invisible garland of mistletoe in a noose about one's fair neck. For you I recommend the Christmas Soli CD by John Fahey, as it collects his recordings captured on four different LPs in 1968, 1975, 1982, and 1983. The Young Tradition with Shirley and Dolly Collins' The Holly Bears the Crown was recorded in 1969, but not released until 1995. It features lovely traditional seasonal English folk songs. In a similar vein, but only partially concerning Christmas time since it deals with all the season cycles, is Frost and Fire by The Watersons (1965). Over the years I've picked up many old LPs of choral music that is X-mas appropriate. Of these I've no idea which have later been issued on CD or MP3, but some choice records include Tomas Luis de Victoria: Geistliche Chorwerke (Archiv Produktion), Medieval English Carols and Italian Dances performed by New York Pro Musica (in a beautiful gatefold sleeve from Decca), and Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Midnight Mass For Christmas Eve (coupled with Purcell's Te Deum as performed by King's College Choir - Cambridge and released on Angel Records). Now that you are in the proper Christmas spirit, please give me money money money.