A supercut of things that are epic for guys that know they don’t want to use the word epic
A supercut of things that are epic for guys that know they don’t want to use the word epic
This week in 155, blink-155 and beyond
It’s April Lavigne… or should we say… April La Green??? (I didn’t delete or even change this intro from last week’s newsletter.) It’s another week and we’re talking about Mod Sun, we’re talking about Avril, we’re talking about the Feldyssaince. And we’re talking about the environment. That’s right folks, climate change sux! This is the only podcast where you can learn both about the rise and fall of AvSun as well as the minutiae of the Greenbelt controversy. That’s right, it’s a podcast for no one.
Listen to the new ‘sode of 155 here.
Here’s some other stuff we’re thinking about right now:
Paledusk “I'm ready to die for my friends (feat. VIGORMAN)”
Sam: While no Paledusk has hit as hard for me as “Q2,” which I’m pretty sure I wrote about in a very early version of this newsletter, this new track has much of what I love about this band: really dumb shit, really loud shit, really funny shit, really big guitars, and as a bonus, lyrics I can relate to about my friends for whom I would die. I was watching Paledusk live videos while working out this weekend because it felt good and made me strong, and their transition from kind of vibey hardcore guys into kind of hardcore vibe guys was pretty apparent in my speed run of their career. This video is the logical end point. Or is it???
Jos: Gonna be honest. I’m writing this newsletter at the point in my week where I’m in my very, very worst mood. I’m so tired. I’m so sick of chores and work and tasks and, well, let’s be honest, adulting. And now I have to press play on something called “I’m ready to die for my friends.” And it’s written in sentence case like that. Oh my god this is insanely annoying ahaha. I mean I do like it because it basically has the “I’m Lovin’ It” song in the chorus. It’s also “giving”: Oliver Tree, Andrew WK, Pussy Riot, Mod Sun, a hint of Wes Eisold. It’s like they made a supercut of things that are epic for guys that know they don’t want to use the word epic.
SQUID PISSER "LIQUIFIED REMAINS"
Sam: It’s very funny to be what is essentially a Locust tribute and have an animal name, masks, and members of the Locust on your album which is being released by Three One G. Is that reductive? Only if you don’t think this is sick as shit which it is!
Jos: I actually saw this earlier in the week and dismissed it because I didn’t see it was Three One G. It’s definitely scratching that itch, but maybe that itch just isn’t as potent as it used to be. Potent? How does one describe the intensity of an itch? Also this song is way too long.
Defending Your Life
Dir. Albert Brooks
Jos: Sam seemed to have indirectly revealed that he doesn’t know who Albert Brooks is last week, and I’m deep into another Albert Brooks phase again over here. There’s a skate shop in Montreal that’s clearly also for like older guys who have jobs and don’t skate (a.k.a. me) and they have a full wall of Criterion Blu-rays between the racks of Brixton x Coca-cola and Alltimers hoodies. I’ve been coveting the Blu-rays for a while and finally pulled the trigger on Criterion’s two Albert Brooks releases, the first physical media I’ve probably purchased in ten years. Defending Your Life is a wonderful high-low existential comedy about an ‘80s rich guy who dies and is awaiting what will happen with his soul. To decide his fate, he has to watch scenes from his life in front of a jury, with a lawyer played by Rip Torn (in his first comedic role!). It’s definitely some shit they could show in media studies class, but it could also be a Pauly Shore movie or even a W**dy All*n movie. It checks all the boxes, and it’s not even my favourite Brooks.
Sam: I know this guy he’s in Drive!
Real Life
Dir. Albert Brooks
Jos: My real favourite Albert Brooks movie (and you do need to watch the first four, really), is his very first: Real Life. It’s definitely another prescient-for-1979 media studies ass premise — what if I filmed my family’s home life and released it, raw — but it’s more importantly unbelievably funny. Physical comedy, an endlessly aggro Charles Grodin, and Albert Brooks’ perfectly unearned confidence. Fuck. It’s a perfect comedy.
Sam: None of these look as good as Spaceballs. Now that’s a movie! I wonder if I’d laugh once watching it today. I intend to never find out.
blink-182 at Coachella
Jos: Okay I’ve been making supercuts for the live shows, and I’m remembering why I like blink-182 again. It’s because there’s so many weirdos on YouTube who interpret their music beautifully. But how do they themselves interpret their music? Well, sadly, I’m about to find out because I’m going to watch blink-182’s surprise Coachella set, which is happening at a hilariously shitty timeslot in what looks like the industry plant tent (other than Metro Boomin, but he should be on the mainstage).
Sam: I have plans with my family Friday night and I’m going to miss this and I’m impressed how bummed I am about that. Do I still care? I recently refreshed my running playlist to match the early blast of summer weather we’re enjoying in Toronto and I’ll be damned if some Blink didn’t sneak in there. I made it through the entire Blink-155 experience still loving this band until “Edging” and this whole era. Am I coming home, too?
blink-155 s02e25
Speaking of blink-182, we’re back with another episode of blink-155 where we just discuss the words of “Edging,” one word at a time. This week we got through 11 words in just over an hour, including heavy hitters like “They’ll” and “hangin’” and “quick.” I know it sounds really unbearably stupid, but it’s actually the best idea we’ve ever had.