For safety's sake, please consider all links herein either nsfw or potentially offensive*
Let's Have a Shambles! with the
Country Teasers!
Formed somewhere in Scotland in 1993 around one
Ben Wallers, the Country Teasers forged an unusual contrast between
acerbic lyrics, trash punk twang, and
honest affect(at)ion of
country-western tropes and
sounds. They were also equal opportunity offenders, their songs frequently featuring seemingly
misanthropic, misogynistic, and even
racist lyrics. But despite their affrontive controversy, perhaps
they aren't quite so easy to dismiss.
Though rarely does he give in-person interviews, Mr. Wallers will, when confronted,
defend his "schlock tease," though not without
characteristic aplomb.
Although the Country Teasers are pretty much dead,
their extensive discography has plenty of
noteworthy diversions.
Some albums to start with are 1996's
Satan Is Real Again or Feeling Good About Bad Thoughts, 1999's
Destroy All Human Life, and 2006's
Back to the Future.
Mr. Wallers continues to release new records under the moniker
The Rebel. A number of Teaser records were released on
In The Red records.
*Although if you do find it offensive, I'd simply request considering if that is perhaps the point.
posted by SomaSoda
on Nov 9, 2011 -
5 comments
David Samuel
"Sam" Peckinpah (February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film maker who directed 15 major motion pictures, and created the television series
The Westerner, starring Brian Keith and John Dehner. His second film
Ride the High Country, " [Starring aging Western stars Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott in their final major screen roles, the film initially went unnoticed in the United States but was an enormous success in Europe. Beating Federico Fellini's 8½ for first prize at the Belgium Film Festival, the film was hailed by foreign critics as a brilliant reworking of the Western genre.]
[more inside]
posted by nola
on Nov 23, 2008 -
25 comments
David Brooks, Social Psychologist, Mark Liberman at Language Log looks at the science behind David Brook's
latest column in which he claims there is a fundamental differences between the thought processes of individuals in Asian "collectivist" societies and Western "individualist" ones. (
via)
posted by afu
on Aug 14, 2008 -
68 comments
Hollywood Midget Movie Stars. They started as
popular vaudevillians. (From a
review: "The chief feature, however, was the ten scenes in which the Singer Midgets appeared. The Midget strong man, the Midget conjurer, the Midget "Cleopatra" with the winning ways--these and many more were there.") They stormed the
New York stage. They were members of
The Lollipop Guild (YouTube link), as well as playing other
Munchkins. They were suspected of being
German sympathizers. But they may be best remembered for starring in the world's first
all-midget musical western. Now available for your viewing pleasure from YouTube: Part
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
posted by Astro Zombie
on Jan 21, 2008 -
32 comments
Love thy Neighbor Photographer and author Steven Hirsh has photographed the homes of registered New York State sex offenders. A wonderful writer and photographer, this work is chilling, alarming, beautiful. I get that
Quentin Tarantino feeling of beauty and disgust. Look at me, nooooo look away. The series of 24 images are on
Hirsch's website.
posted by doug3505
on Jan 7, 2008 -
41 comments
The Western States Trail Ride, more commonly known as the
Tevis Cup, is an equestrian competition held annually in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. It begins near Squaw Valley, and ends in Auburn - a distance of 100 miles, to be covered in under 24 hours.
[more inside]
posted by po
on Oct 23, 2007 -
10 comments
Wasted West is a nice short film that pumps some fresh blood in those dried up veins of the western genre.
posted by namagomi
on Jun 20, 2006 -
14 comments
Kava exporters in Pacific react to Western Kava bans
Pacific countries who export kava called for an
international review of its alleged health risks. They are reacting
to a recent spate of warnings on its use and, in some cases, bans on
its sale (
1).
Growing concern over a link between kava use and liver
toxicity has prompted Germany, Switzerland and France to ban
the sale of kava-derived herbal medicine
(
1,
2,
3).
The US, Canada, and NZ are advising against its use, pending their
own reviews (
1,
2,
3,
4).
Kava is cultivated and brewed to produce an narcotic
ceremonial drink in much of the Pacific. Recently it has become a
cash crop for an herbal-enthused Western market (
1,
2), as well as part of
a growing drug-abuse problem (
1) in Pacific countries.
posted by rschram
on Jan 18, 2002 -
13 comments
