#1994 #NIN #Downward Spiral

I graduated from high school, was attending various graduation parties and this album was playing at one of them. It immediately grabbed my attention. The summer of 1994 I started to believe I was Trent Reznor. I loved his music featured in the films Natural Born Killers and The Crow. When I bought the cd, I listened to it on buses, car trips, in my college dorm and just simple walks around the neighborhood. I was absolutely OBSESSED!!!

This album is considered Nine Inch Nails’ most controversial and disturbing work. They (He) completely change the image that was first seen on “Pretty Hate Machine” to something much more darker and emotional. The result is a very successful and complex masterpiece that takes you to places you have never been in the music world. With each track you step in further and further into Reznor’s mind. “The Downward Spiral” is an outstanding album and will always remain a classic.

The songs are much more complex and have more structure to them than the ones that appear on “Pretty Hate Machine” and “Broken.” There are heavy songs, and there are soft songs. There are disturbing songs, and there are beautiful songs. You get to experience something different with each song.

The great thing about this album is, just like with any other NIN album, no two songs are the same. Each one has its own identity and feeling to it. Another plus is that there is not a single bad song on the entire album. My favorites are “mr. self destruct,” “march of the pigs,” “closer,” “the becoming,” “a warm place,” “eraser,” “I do not want this,” “ruiner,” and “hurt.” I might as well say ALL OF THEM!!! LOL

“The Downward Spiral” is an amazing album. Reznor knows how to make great music and continues to impress us even to this day. Be warned, though. This album isn’t for everyone. It is indeed a very controversial and even sometimes offensive album. But if you love Nine Inch Nails, then this is a must-have. It is a CD I continue to listen to over and over again. It never ceases to amaze me. A classic to the very end.

My Favorite One From #1989 Pretty Hate Machine #NIN

……and so it begins

1989 was a very good year

Just because Taylor Swift was born then and released her Grammy-Award winning album of the same title, doesn’t mean that’s what I am here to talk about.

I turned 13 in 1989 and was still in Junior High. Music really started to run through my veins, at this point.

Along comes Trent and his Nine Inch Nails…..all of a sudden I was paying a lot more attention to music.

What makes this album great is that anyone who has listened to it (and enjoyed it) believe that it was something truly revolutionary. Ironically, however, a simple dissection of the roots of Pretty Hate Machine uncovers a strong influence of the popular music that dominated the 80’s.

Trent Reznor (the man behind this whole project) dabbles in hip-hop- yes that’s technically rap in Down In It -funk, and traditional pop piano melodies that could make Elton John faint (Something I Can Never Have).

The drum-machine samples are ones that will bring back memories of other synth-pop songs. Nevertheless, this album makes good of its genre, and anyone claiming to like NIN beyond Closer is lying unless he/she owns this album.

IMHO, the best songs of this recording time for NIN come not on this album, but on the three singles (Halos 1, 3, and 4) released supplementary to Pretty Hate Machine. The various remixes of Head Like a Hole, Down in It (the “demo” on halo 3 is best), and Sin are a treat, and the non-album Get Down Make Love is a classic. The true NIN fan (obsessed ones) owns all the albums and the singles and EP’s.

It’s all about the Halos……

Enjoy the music video:

I won’t hesitate. Nine Inch Nails is number SIX

Trent Reznor is a genius. Yet he comes from a small town in Pennsylvania and his parents got divorced when he was really young and he grew up with his grandparents. So he had a somewhat different upbringing. When he was only five years old, he started to play the piano and then down the road he started messing around with the saxophone and then he got really into computer generated music. Trent is a multi-instrumentalist and has a lot going on in his head. For him, the music he has created since 1988, its all about an escape. Escape from reality, a normal life and the celebrity world that he never really felt was kind to him. A lot of his lyrics deal with torture, submissiveness and being dominated. A sense of danger seemed to encompass the world of Nine Inch Nails, his industrial rock group. Reznor started producing soundtracks and really, he became this sort of “mood composer.”

In the studio, Trent lays down all of these digital tracks with guitars, drum loops, computer tricks and a techno vibe that definitely creates a dancing yet ambient sound of regret and pain. However dark you might think it sounds, his stuff is so catchy. He has a band but they only play live with him on stage. Otherwise, all of these noises on the albums pretty much just come from his creative mind and body. It has been his responsibility for the direction that this band followed over the years. He is aggressive yet he is passionate. Several albums over the years have defined his sound. Pretty Hate Machine with its “Head Like A Hole” anthem or The Downward Spiral’s infamous recordings at a house where Sharon Tate was murdered all seem to sum up the kinds of atmosphere associated with that of the Nine Inch Nails sound.

NIИ is the popular symbol, by the way. There is no true meaning as to the name or what it means. Only rumors have circulated over the years. So this album, Hesitation Marks, truly is a brand new music moment for me. I grew up in the high school and college years always listening to NIИ and wearing hats and shirts with that symbol. It was all about a gothic, grungy, indie and hipster kind of fashion era of my life. But with this new release, it is like Trent flipped everything in his life upside down on its back and emits the same noise but with the opposite feelings about his former drug and alcohol usage. He is married now with two children and he is sober. However those dark sounds and dismal lyrics are still present.

The “hesistation marks” title suggests that of someone who contemplated taking his own life but only leaving “cutting traces” as a reminder but never going through the actual deed of ending his life. He must live with the pain but use it as energy into a positive direction with a digital masterpiece of a record that does everything its supposed to do. It is a way to get all of these real emotions out there in a vulnerable sort of way without fear or remorse and just let it be. I have attached a new video with insane imagery and a layer of sounds that truly define him as an artist before (pre-dating today) and Trent’s music now as a homage to himself and to his fans that no mater what you go through in life that as long as you’re not compromising your true feelings then people will still love you, no matter what. Good job Mr Reznor. Thanks for staying with me for all of these years.

October is an Adrenaline Rush………for me

October is my favorite month for many reasons. I look forward to it every year! I was married in October. We’re celebrating our third anniversary. But I really love Autumn…the beautiful colors, the dry leaves crunching under my feet, the cool crisp air and the smell of wood burning in a fireplace! My dad told me that he has had fires in the outdoor fireplace frequently lately and he loves the smell of cherry wood burning!!! His birthday is in October as well as my best friend Dave and my sister-in-law April. However, it comes down to this:

Watch out! They’re coming for you! Beware! Danger! Don’t look under the bed! Halloween season is finally here!

My favorite holiday of the year is full of ghosts and goblins. Things that go bump in the night. There are decorations everywhere. Neighbor’s turn their front yards into creepy cemeteries. New scary movies begin to hit the theaters. Of course, I really love monster movies or anything terrifying can make a great popcorn flick.

The music is what stands out above all, for me. Without a good soundtrack, horror films, would have less tension. The frightening noises totally set the mood. The film “Halloween” has simple but necessary music that is atmospheric to the stalking nature of the story. Speaking of atmospheric music, I listen to bands like White Zombie, Black Sabbath, Type O Negative, Megadeth and Nine Inch Nails. They always seem to put me in the mood this time of year.

Yes, I am obsessed with the holiday of Halloween and the music that goes a long with it. Perhaps I am deranged like the title of the same word suggests in a David Bowie song. I mean I love dark themes. I even write dark poetry usually when I am listening to bone chilling music from soundtracks to films like “Lost Highway” or “Natural Born Killers.” A philosopher once said, “Darkness Within Darkness is the gateway to all understanding.” Am I depressed? No, I just like the odd things. What is considered normal can sometimes bore me.

Only this time of year can you go into the homes of complete strangers, where they welcome you and even better, they give you candy! It’s not that often you can bump into ghouls, zombies and ghosts while riding the bus or walking down the street. Dressing up and pretending to be someone or something else is truly fun and can only be experienced when the fall-time arrives.

Anyway, Halloween is a weird time and exciting time. The music, the movies, the trick or treating- all of it is unique. I’m a very normal person, but starting at the end of August every year I get this crazy rush of excitement and I start counting down the days until Oct. 31st. I decorate my house, go to pumpkin patches etc. I just really get into the Halloween spirit! I can remember always being like this since I was little. I think I was born this way. Everyone thinks I’m a little crazy!!!!! what do you think? You decide…

To all my spooky fun-loving readers out there- enjoy the music and all of that good stuff happening this month!

HAPPY (early) HALLOWEEN!

p.s. stay tuned for my Autumn mix and a special 20 essential Halloween Music Playlist

Tricks and Treats to the EYES and EARS

Watch out! They’re coming for you! Beware! Danger! Don’t look under the bed! Halloween time is finally here!

My favorite holiday of the year is full of ghosts and goblins. Things that go bump in the night. There are decorations everywhere. Neighbor’s turn their front yard into creepy cemeteries. New scary movies begin to hit the theaters. Of course, I really love monster movies or anything terrifying can make a great popcorn flick.

The music is what stands out above all, for me. Without a good soundtrack, horror films, would have less tension. The frightening noises totally set the mood. The film “Halloween” has simple but necessary music that is atmospheric to the stalking nature of the story. Speaking of atmospheric music, I listen to bands like White Zombie, Black Sabbath, Type O Negative, Mega-death and Nine Inch Nails that always seem to put me in the mood this time of year.

Yes, I am obsessed with the holiday of Halloween and the music that goes a long with it. Perhaps I am deranged like the title of the same word suggests in a David Bowie song. I mean I love dark themes. I even write dark poetry usually when I am listening to bone chilling music from soundtracks to films like “Lost Highway” or “Natural Born Killers.” A philosopher once said, “Darkness Within Darkness is the gateway to all understanding.” Am I depressed? No, I just like the odd things. What is considered normal can sometimes bore me.

Only this time of year can you go into the homes of complete stranger were they welcome you and even better, they even give you candy! It’s not that often you can bump into ghouls, zombies and ghosts while riding the bus or walking down the street. Dressing up and pretending to be someone or something else is truly fun and can only be experienced when the fall-time arrives.

Anyway, Halloween is a weird time and exciting time. The music, the movies, the trick or treating- all of it is unique. I’m a very normal person, but starting at the end of August every year I get this crazy rush of excitement and I start counting down the days until Oct. 31st. I decorate my house, go to pumpkin patches etc. I just really get into the Halloween spirit! I can remember always being like this since I was little. I think I was born this way. Everyone thinks I’m a little crazy ……………….what do you think? You decide…

To all my spooky fun-loving readers out there- enjoy the music and all of that good stuff happening today.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
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Check Out “Lady Parasyte”: A Spectacular Local Band

Lady Parasyte is a rather interesting band from Chicago. Kimberly Koppen provides a hypnotic voice with clever lyrics.  Mark Black strums the guitars as well as programs and produces this electronic style of rock music.  While Miss Angela harmonizes quite well as the backup vocalist. As a trio, they rock like a werewolf. Biting, ripping and clawing its way into your heart and soul.
   
    With crunching guitars and a charismatic front-woman, a more rock inclined audience is sure to dig “Lady Parasyte.” Their music is kind of like an updated version of let’s say Nine Inch Nails meets Garbage perhaps. In a sense, they encompass elements of 70’s/80’s cool new-wave tunes. It strikes a chord with me because there really isn’t another band out quite like them.

    I also tend to be reminded of bands like Curve and My Bloody Valentine mixed with extra madness. Pop music that sizzles and crackles. It oozes and for sure the style is intense. The producer, Mark Black, is first-rate. Kimberly K is truly a gifted singer. But her and Miss Angela can change from sounding sensitive to indifferent, seductive to vengeful, passionate to passive, all in a single breath. While their beautiful voices can enchant they can also scorn.

    I have met Kim before. She’s married to my former college roommate, Brett Koppen, who is a fine and upstanding gentleman. She’s charming and polite, pensive and deep in thought as well. Recently I interviewed Kim about the band. I found her replies to be truly insightful. Here’s the scoop:

Q:  For my readers who have never heard your music, please explain your sound in 5 words:

A: Aggressively Catchy Electro Rock Trio

Q: If I was to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would I see on your recently played list?

A: Melissa Auf Der Maur, Lady Gaga, Sister Soleil, Zoe Keating, Danny Elfman

Q: If you could go open up for any artist on tour right now who would it be?

A: I can’t speak for the group but I would love to tour with Gaga simply because her shows are outrageous and have huge attendance numbers. Her fan base seems to be focused on just having a good time and not about being too cool for the room. It would definitely be the type of environment where you wouldn’t have to worry about overdoing it. I would also love to perform with Melissa Auf Der Maur because her solo work is just so full of class and quality. I feel like she is a really well-rounded artist when she is often just looked at as the ex-bass player of Hole or Smashing Pumpkins.

I agree that Melissa Auf Der Maur is overlooked. She is truly an unrealized talent.
Q: So, what’s your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing/producing/playing etc?

A: Watch tv. Really. I love tv way too much. I could potentially be so productive if I quit tv. I’m loving that mainstream television is getting weirder and darker. I always have my DVR set for American Horror Story, True Blood, Walking Dead and Supernatural. I think a lot of our songs would be great soundtrack music for those shows. I do also like to get outside when I can. I enjoy getting out of the city to places like Starved Rock State Park where the stars in the sky are actually visible.

Okay Kim, I love Walking Dead! That show is just so awesome! I should make more time for the other ones as well. Now,  I have one last question for you.
Q: You write all of your own music; where do you draw inspiration from when you write songs and what’s your favorite part about the process?

A: Well as far as the music on the most recent record, Mark Black is the man behind that sound. He seems to draw a lot from 80’s new wave and rock. He is really quite good at creating those really catchy guitar hooks and synths. Lyrically, I draw inspiration from a lot of daydreams, stories and a few personal situations though I generally prefer to not have it be about me so much but sometimes I need to go there and write it all out to get the thoughts out of my head. So it’s really a wide variety. I do enjoy writing and recording a bit more than performing live since there is a little less pressure and it feels more personal. Most of our recording sessions were just Simpsons quotes flying back and forth. We try to have a good time because that’s what it should be about.

    I remember a quote from the funniest move ever, “This Is Spinal Tap.” It  goes something like, “Have a good time…all the time. That’s my philosophy of life.”

   
   
    Undeniably their music is catchy. Industrial music mixed with electric pop tunes.

    Good stuff!

    It is magical and inventive.

Check out the albums: Salvage (Flotsam Mix) [feat. Jim Marcus] and Abandoned Places  as well as the Sirens – EP

You can find out more at www.cdbaby.com

C-Note signing off for now

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!