Connective Tissue

Darla Vogel is a snarky college dropout with “tits and hips and about an acre of ass” who works as a video store clerk. She’s a typically cynical New Yorker, coping with such annoynaces as her quirky boss and stoner roommate. When Darla gets experimental meat-flavored candy from one of the store’s regulars – a bobble-headed prodigy who rents tentacle porn – she finds herself in a surreal world with no way out.

Connective Tissue ($22.99, Fantagraphics) is the latest work from Bob Fingerman. After writing his first novel – Bottomfeeder – Fingerman goes for a mix of prose and images, similar to Deitch’s Pictorama . Darla’s journey into the bizarre world benefits from this format; a traditional graphic novel would have told the story with a lot more pages, Darla’s descriptions of her surroundings are left to the reader’s imagination, with the illustrations helping out along the way. Fingerman does a good job with the visuals, complete with pages of naked people, vein-filled buildings, jelly-headed creatures, and other odd denizens of the world. Fingerman’s exaggerated style works for Darla as well, with her exaggerated hips and bottom, giant bows in her hair, and nipples jutting out from underneath her top.

The story is intriguing to follow, as Darla’s trip into the unknown grows weirder and weirder. Her running commentary doesn’t wear too thin, as she snarks on her surroundings. The biggest flaw is the climax; after spending pages on establishing how Darla got to this strange world, Fingerman veers the story into a final explanation that seems forced and pedestrian. He does get points for throwing in an epilogue in a more traditional graphic novel style, almost as an apology for the underwhelming conclusion.

In the end, Connective Tissue does make for an engaging read, even with the mediocre finish. While Darla sounds like she could be a handful, she is a good and sympathetic protagonist, making her a modern-day Alice in a 21st century Wonderland.

-Jason Borelli

The Color Of Earth

Kim Dong Hwa was once known as a sunjing storyteller in Korea, catering to girls with light stories. In 2003, he took a chance with The Story of Life on the Golden Fields. This became a turning point in Kim’s career, as he found success with both male and female adult readers, as well as for Korean manhwa (the equivalent to Japan’s manga). Today, the first part of his trilogy has been translated and published as The Color Of Earth.

The story takes place in rural Namwon in the early 20th Century. Ehwa starts out as a seven-year-old girl who soon finds out the difference between the sexes. Over time, her “womanly eyes” open as she grows into adolescence. In particular, she finds herself infatuated by young monk Chung-Myung and the scholar Sunoo. Meanwhile, Ehwa’s widowed mother runs a tavern and copes with men who make fun of her, even as she smiles and shrugs it off. Her life changes when a traveling artist enters her life and reawakens her heart.

Ehwa’s journey into womanhood never gets tiring or cliche. Interspersed with floral references, the story rolls on with little lost in translation, though references are helpfully written out when needed. Humor is also found in the story, ranging from the running commentary between the tavern regulars to the somewhat unseemly ways Ehwa’s peers express their newfound sexuality. The awkward onset of puberty for both Ehwa and Chung-Myung are dealt with seriously with a dash of humor. For Chung-Myung, his dilemma has him wondering, “Why does Ehwa appear bigger than Buddha?” But the main focus is between Ehwa and her mother, as they share their lives and remain friends, even as the mother finds romance with the artist, who never stays around for too long.

Artistically, The Color Of Earth excels in making Namwon and the surrounding areas beautiful. Single and double-page spreads juxtapose detailed scenery with comic characters almost perfectly. Scenes with rain feel as soothing as a mild rainfall. Ehwa comes off as the most expressive character, her face constantly changing depending on her moods, from happy to scared to mischievous. The characters can be cartoonish in appearance and personality, but only when the story calls for it.

With The Color Of Water due out in June and The Color Of Heaven set to conclude Ehwa’s tale in September, The Color Of Earth not only starts the trilogy off right, but also stands alone as a nice tale by its own merits.

-Jason Borelli

The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Volume III): Century -- 1910

In the wake of Watchmen and its recent run in theaters, people have gotten acquainted with the writer of the original comic book miniseries, the enigmatic Alan Moore. While Watchmen has become the highest grossing movie that was originally conceived by Moore, disputes with DC Comics and production companies have kept his name off of the credits list, by his choice.

One of these movies was The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which was a box office failure. The original premise was solid; along with artist Kevin O’Neill, Moore wrote two miniseries and a deluxe graphic novel (The Black Dossier) that took place in a world where literary figures interacted with each other. The titular League was made up of Wilhelmina Harker (from Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Alan Quatermain, Captain Nemo (Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea), Hawley Griffin (better known as the Invisible Man), and Dr. Jekyll and his brutish alter ego, Mr. Hyde. Today, Moore has taken the franchise to Top Shelf Productions for a trilogy that begins with The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Volume III): Century – 1910.

The story begins when “ghost-finder” Thomas Carnacki has a vision of a sinister cult, seeking to call down a “moon child,” which would plunge the world into “a strange and terrible new aeon.” Carnecki is a member of the current League, along with Mina Murray, Alan Quatermain (rejuvenated in Black Dossier and posing as his own son, though that is never mentioned outright in this book), master thief A.J. Raffles and gender-bending immortal Orlando. As the League investigates, a young girl named Janni runs away from her father – the dying Captain Nemo – and starts a new life in London. And while the locals prepare for the passing of Hailey’s Comet and the coronation of George V, Jack MacHeath – a.k.a. “Mack the Knife” – returns to stalk the streets.

For readers who are not really involved with literature, Century might pose some problems. The palate of characters ranges from Ishmael (Moby Dick) to Andrew Norton (Slow Chocolate Autopsy), a man who is trapped within London, but not bound to any one time period. One four-page sequence taking place at the Merlin Society will send readers scurrying to the search engines, looking for the origins of the assembled psychics and mystics. Moore also throws in something for music fans by bringing in characters from Threepenny Opera to function as a chorus. As Suki chronicles both the abuse that Janni takes and the foreshadowing of doom, Mack sings from the gallows about those who commit deeds far worse than his. While a little odd at first, the songs help move the story along.

The League itself fares less than successfully in this outing, as dysfunction reigns supreme. One can feel the impatience building within Mina, especially towards Orlando, who is presented as history’s greatest name-dropper. Thanks to the dependable O’Neill, the League looks good anyway. The artist brings his usual A-game, ranging from crowd scenes, to the abuse heaped upon Janni, to the League itself. The story serves as set-up for the next two issues, but Moore does manage to keep things interesting. Although the first issue doesn’t reach Moore’s better stories, it does serve as a solid foundation for the remaining chapters.

While those familiar with The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen should snap this up, newcomers might want to start with either of the two prior volumes or Black Dossier, if not all three at the same time. And while the story doesn’t shift gears that much, it does serve as a proper set-up for the next volume.

Reviewer’s Note: The preview copy of the book did not come with Minions Of The Moon, a text-story that will run in all three issues of Century.

-Jason Borelli

Lilly’s List of SXSW Randomness

So much went on at this year’s SXSW that it’s really hard to pick just one topic/event to mention. From the free food, to the free shows, the constantly crowded streets, to the singing homeless bums - there was always something to be a part of or shake your head in disbelief at. Here’s a very random list that sums up my experiences.

10. A Bum Playing Drums, Without Drums:

He had two sticks, a change cup, and that’s it. Somehow he thought that banging two sticks together, or on the sidewalk, was drum playing (at least that’s what I heard him tell someone.) Let me just say, his change cup was pretty empty.

9. Ungdomskulen, WTF?:

Your guess is as good as mine on the pronunciation of this band's name. I don’t really know much about these guys (and I’m not making it a point to find out) except that they’re from Norway. The only reason I’m mentioning them is because they were so outlandish. The one thing that guys with handlebar moustaches, gargantuan beards, and shiny jumpsuits do for me is make me laugh; I can’t possibly take them or their sound seriously. Maybe it’s different overseas..?

8. Attempting To See Obits:

I showed up early at the Radio Room with every intention of seeing Obits. About one hour and three drinks later, the back patio was filled to capacity, leaving me with the tiniest bit of space to view the show. Obits definitely did not disappoint, but it sucked having to watch them ten heads deep in a crowd.

7. Sneaking Into The Fader Fort:

Though many places and day parties suggested you RSVP, they never really checked and it more or less was first come first serve. Not the case with this. You weren’t on the list, you weren’t getting in - that simple. Let’s just say a friend of mine knows a guy, and so I had the ability to meander about the Fort for a few hours. It was totally overrated. The bands I heard were decent, but nothing so memorable that I still remember any of them. Sure, it was kind of cool. There were beds to lay down on, a tree with Skull Candy headphones hanging from it, and even a Levi‘s store. But for all the hype that was built up around it, the place wasn’t incredibly impressive.

6. Being “Cat-Called” In The Middle of A Crowded Street:

Now, I’ve gotten my fair share of cat-calls and I’m fairly used to them by now. But this was something that I think I’ll remember for a long time to come. In the process of making my way from one venue to another, I, like most, had to fight my way through the raging crowds on 6th Street. The way I was darting and weaving through people, it’d be obvious even to the most brain-dead twit that I was in a hurry. But that did not stop one very loud man from coming to a dead halt in front of me to let all of Texas know that I had a, “mighty fiiiiiiiiiiiine ass.” Seriously? No thanks, buddy.

stgvipsxsw

5. Getting VIP For Shiny Toy Guns:

This is one of the times I can truly appreciate my habit of talking too much! Essentially I ended up unknowingly speaking to the “right” people and got myself and another BRM-er into the Shiny Toy Guns VIP section. Not only did we both get to meet the band and chat them up for a bit, we also got to enjoy an hour of open bar and very comfortable cushy seating. Though the second floor of Vice was pretty packed with other VIP’s, it was definitely no comparison to the main level, which was a homogenous sea of faces by the end of the night. I know I may not have the same kind of luck, but I can’t wait for the next time I see Shiny Toy Guns!

4. Free Shit!:

Free stuff was EVERYWHERE. It was amazing! I’ve never been handed so many free cd’s, t-shirts, sunglasses, lanyards, stickers, buttons, and pieces of American Apparel underwear in my life! And let me just say, I’m a sucker for free shit. Additionally, if you knew where to look, there was free food and drink (alcoholic and not) everywhere. As long as you showed up early enough to get it, stuff was yours for the taking. Let me add that although I may not be the biggest fan of American Spirit cigarettes, I’m also not complaining that I walked away with enough free packs to last me for the next 3 months!

3. Bomani Armah & Project Mayhem Doing “Read A Book”:

Recently, everyone at the BRM office has been obsessing over Bomani “D-mite” Armah’s Youtube video for “Read A Book.” Sure, it’s a couple years old, but that doesn’t make it any less funny. In any case, when we found out that he was playing, it became a must to see him. I myself was completely unfamiliar with any other work by Bomani Armah, but was thoroughly impressed upon hearing him. It wasn’t an entire shock that he was all around amazing, but at the same time I half-expected his other work to be slightly gimmicky. To both my surprise and delight, that was not the case. As the end to his set “Read A Book” was performed. Although at that point I was totally taken by the rest of Bomani and Project Mayhem’s music, it would be a lie to say anything other than “Read A Book” was the icing on the proverbial cake.

2. Playing Bass For Peelander-Z:

At the BRM magazine release party, held here in NY, Peelander-Z performed a literal show-stopping set. The most memorable moment (for me) was being pulled up onstage to play bass, while the rest of the band had a go at some human bowling. Upon seeing them for a second time at SXSW, I expected nothing less than sheer insanity and was pleased to have gotten just that. What was totally unexpected was being pulled up onstage to play bass again! That’s cool on so many levels, but primarily because I can honestly say I played onstage at SXSW.

1. Discovering He Is Legend:

I’d heard of them but never listened to them prior to SXSW. I went with one of my fellow BRM-ers to see the show and was completely enamored with them and their set. The raw energy and charisma exerted from every member was mesmerizing. There was not a single song that the audience was not singing along to. Let me also mention that it was pretty impressive to initially show up and see a crowd of only about twenty, and leave to see a crowd of easily over a hundred.

-Lilly Ryden

Also Check Out:

Boyuan's SXSW Hip-Hop Hot Box

Kyle's SXSW Highlights Countdown

Shannon's Top 10 SXSW Performances

Boyuan's SXSW Hip-Hop Hot Box

Navigating your way around the infamous SXSW festival is a difficult and somewhat daunting task. There is always so much to see, and not enough time. Under the blaring sun, meandering through streets stagnant with pungent aromas of street BBQ meat, taquería, beer, and drunken hipsters, the blocked off downtown areas were saturated with music lovers and mini-celebrities partying like it was Mardi Gras. Aside from making an interesting spectacle to view, the entertainment available represented the music world’s progression into the New Year. For hip-hop heads who were privileged enough to attend the festivities, the week offered unbeatable all-star showcases, glimpses into untapped talents, and an advanced look at the artists who are about to blow up in ’09. Here are 10 hip-hop artists/acts that you must absolutely not gloss over (in no particular order).

1. Blu/Exile:

For the past couple of years, Blu and Exile’s 2007 collaborative album Below the Heavens has been on heavy rotation in the underground circuit. Since his debut, Blu has been featured on tracks with everyone from Dela to Evidence, and Exile has been making parallel moves, having just dropped his solo joint “Radio.” These dudes have been grinding hard and receiving the appropriate accolades for their talents. At SXSW they were featured in multiple showcases ranging from one for new L.A. artists, to some downright straight hip-hop sessions from Blacksmith on Thursday, Smoking Section on Friday, and Okayplayer on Saturday. With Exile’s transcendental production style— multitasking proficiency of DJing, beat-boxing and serving as Blu’s hype dude all at the same time—and Blu’s candid and self-conscious-personal narrative-mode rhymes, this duo was one of SXSW’s favorite hip-hop acts of this year.

2. Asher Roth:

In opposition to most of the reviews on this man, Asher Roth is not to be compared to Eminem. Though he is a white rapper, the comparison stops there. Roth’s youth oriented, light-hearted party musi asher

c is what opens up his avenues to the mass market. Whether that’s his advantage or the subject of his demise, his potential is looking quite endless. Roth pulled out the tricks at the Biz 3 showcase at Club De Ville on Friday night, including a fully choreographed dance routine with his hype man and DJ Wreckineyez to Soul for Real’s “Candy Rain.” His now infamous “I Love College” track inspired a full on sing-along session with the audience, with extra oomph in crowd participation at the “chugchug chug” chant part concluding the bridge of the song. Roth’s charisma, sincerity, talent and youth-friendly content have gotten him near the top of iTunes sales, and music video airs on MTV. With the drop of his upcoming album, you can expect huge things from this cat in ’09.

3. U-N-I:

L.A. rolled deep this year to SXSW. U-N-I is another group that is on the brink of some loud hype. First appearances may lead you to believe that the Dunk obsessed, plaid sporting duo could be no more than merely fashion obsessed hipster rappers. In actuality, Y-O and Thurzday are boom bap influenced emcees who are politically driven in their lyrics without the braggadocios claim to consciousness. Rocking the unofficial SXSW Okayplayer showcase on Saturday afternoon (concluding the hip-hop portion of the conference), U-N-I got on their mics with a full force of energy, as the rest of the venue was still in progress of waking up and shaking their hangovers, and managed somehow to revive some sleepwalkers. Y-O and Thurzday’s progressive highly stylized, and obviously L.A. derived appearances, coupled with their conscientious and intelligent lyrical content give them a good shot at longevity. It’s not exactly the type of thing that L.A. is known for, but U-N-I seems to be one of the many fantastic things to come out of this new L.A. surge in hip-hop/soul. Their new feature length album A Love Supreme drops at the end of the month.

4. Keelay and Zaire:

This new production team does not play around; they get down to straight business. Their 3/10 release of Ridin' High, featuring everyone from Blu to Phonte of Little Brother, exhibit all of the ways that these new dudes, Keelay and Zaire (K and Z) are able to drop endlessly exciting fresh melodic instrumentals down on edgy beats. For the past couple of months, they’ve been rapidly serving them to us right off the press, and they can even do it live. The Speakeasy show at SXSW featured a live band, and numerous guest emcees, giving the stage somewhat of a clown car effect. Fortlive, Evangillest, and Icon the Mic King were amongst many other guests. The Bay Area/Virginia partners are incredibly humble, as they are still new kids on the proverbial block of hip-hop. Considering the collaborations on their debut, this year will be even more expansive.

5. Res:

Res has been on the low for a couple of years, yet it’s interesting how she has maintained to continuously increase her fan base, despite the fact that her one and only album How I Do res_again
was released all the way back in 2001. With Talib Kweli, and Canadian based vocalist, Graph Nobel, the trio performed together as Idle Warship and performed at the Blacksmith showcase at SXSW. Res and Graph as the power vocalists took over the show. Talib sat back as somewhat of a setback—definitely the weaker link of the outfit. Res’ solo set at the Okayplayer showcase brought out the loyalists, marinating on every lyric to “Golden Boys” and “Sittin’ Back,” with hopeful thoughts that there will be more of solo Res soon to come. In the meantime, Idle Warship is due for a release this year.

6. Buff 1:

Right around the tracks from the rapidly burgeoning hip-hop scene in Detroit is another city eager to make its mark. Ann Arbor is the place, and Buff 1 is the dude. This cat was seen everywhere throughout SXSW, rocking the mic on the same bill as Mickey Factz, B.o.B., and a bunch of other buzz-worthy emcees at the Smoking Section joint, and later that week with Invincible and Mr. Lif at the Back Alley Social. Buff recently teamed up with DJ Rhettmatic of the Beat Junkies to form Crown Royale, something to get die-hard backpackers hyped about. Buff’s good-natured, self-exposing (but not self-deprecating nor self-absorbed) lyrics were exhibited passionately on stage. Buff was one of the most engaging emcees to see this year. With the drop of his sophomore solo album There’s Only One, hopefully you’ll be able to catch a live show and see for yourself.

7. Mayer Hawthorne:

For an artist to be signed to Stonesthrow usually indicates that they have a knack at the absurd, are forward thinkers, and are also possibly very bizarre people (think Madlib, and Georgia Anne Muldrow). It also indicates— on the consumer side of things—that unless you’re really in the know or are down with hip-hop eliticism, you will most likely not know of this artist. But lastly, the most important thing that it indicates is that the artist signed is probably a genius. Mayer Hawthorne played multiple SXSW shows DJing, crooning and playing the xylophone with his soul band The County, and rocking the mic whilst on the turntables with his hip-hop group Now On. Hawthorne’s Motown-style harmonious hooks and colorful beats make him a force to be reckoned with. This is future soul music.

8. Janelle Monae:

Janelle Monae is possibly the greatest live entertainer of our generation (think Michael Jackson performing Thriller in the ’80s) that has graced the janelle music scene in our recent memories. Having the ability to sing operatically, transition to gospel and call it soul music, accompanied by a DJ, electric guitarist and drummer, while wholeheartedly assuming the role of a glamorous automaton, makes Monae a standout. The whole package deal is beyond replicable. From Monae’s tuxedo and saddle shoes, to the semblance of a Pompadour-fro atop her head, to her soul/punk/Motown inspired sound, Monae has upped the bar of live performances. There is much circulation of skepticism out there claiming that she is merely an internet fad with an expiration date. Live testimonies contradict that sentiment. The reactions of real audiences who are newly introduced to her live shows—almost without fail—become eternal devotees. Monae performed a new song at SXSW in front of a packed house at Stubb’s on Wednesday night. Later that week at the Fader Fort, Monae’s daytime performance had an unusual effect with the smoke of the smoke machine hitting the sunrays through the tent, serving as her backdrop while she mixed a robotic Chuck Berry jig across the state. In heavy anticipation of her next release, it would not be wise to miss an opportunity to watch this cyborg-chick live.

9. Black Spade:

Nelly has painted and tainted the image of St. Louis hip-hop as a monotonous/misogynist/gross-misrepresentation of the true talent that exists out there. Black Spade is evidence that their time has come; the real artists are on the rise. As a notable SXSW mention, Black Spade is another cat who is blessed with multiple talents, doing in his thing on the keys, making live organic beats, delivering rapid fire rhymes at the Smoking Section hip-hop showcase on Friday afternoon, and the dude can sang. The fact that he has collaborated with Foreign Exchange is proof enough that he’s someone to be on the lookout for. And now, with the Charles Hamilton beat beef, you’ll be hearing a lot more about Black Spade.

10. Rockwell Knuckles:

If Rockwell Knuckles didn’t ring a bell, it shouldn’t. Rockwell was another St. Louis highlight at the Smoking Section’s showcase, one that most folks previously were not privy to. This emcee’s furious theatrical maneuvers onstage leave a lasting impression. Rockwell’s perfect diction and his animated movements are stylistically Shakespearean, though his flow resembles something more like Pharoahe Monch. Accompanied by DJ Trackstar—urging there to be more balance in hip-hop—Rockwell may just tip the scale in favor of the St. Louis underground. His live performances perhaps shadow his recordings, but that’s just to say that you should find the opportunity to catch him in person.

* An added bonus for good measure.

* Keys N Krates:

If shit goes down in Amurrrica, and you’re actually going to move to Canada this time instead of just threatening to, it might not be such a bad idea, especially if you are a golden-era hip-hop fan. The Music Gym Patio hosted keynkrates a Canadian hip-hop showcase, putting the shine on some insanely talented acts including Keys n Krates, a trio of cats who claim that they “invented the remix.” K n K are comprised of a keyboardist—and as “krates” would suggest—a turntablist, as well as a drummer, and in the case of the SXSW show, a bass guitarist. These guys recreate everything from Snoop to the Fugees, using samples and livening up the originals with stupid arrangements of synthesizer manipulations, a quality of turntabalism on another plane, and the hardest breakbeats you’ve heard for decades. I’m not sure what their marketability is in the recording world—but live—these Canadians are bananas!

These above artists only reflect the highlights of shows that BRM was able to attend.

Words by Boyuan Gao

Also check out:

Lilly's List of SXSW Randomness

Kyle's SXSW Highlights Countdown

Shannon's Top 10 SXSW Performances

Kyle's SXSW Highlights Countdown

To relay my entire SXSW experience would no doubt result in a novel-worthy and all-too-epic gonzo version of what really happened. So let's spare the frightening details of packing peanuts and four dollar slices of pizza, and just stick to the highlights.

15. Asking the meanest looking biker on the block for directions, and getting the most precise and politely delivered directions I've ever gotten in my life. People in Austin, TX are incredibly friendly.

14. Seeing our favorite (and most frequently played in this office)YouTube music video, “Read a Book,” performed live by Bomani Armah.

13. Resisting the temptation to run up to Eugene Mirman in the airport and yell, “It's a Mer the_bronx man!”

12. Watching a group of random black dudes jam out with a group of goofy white dudes (Akron/Family) on stage in front of a tie-dyed American flag. So many levels..

11. Lone Star, the official beer of Texas. It's like PBR, but good.

10. Seeing some guy from a Snickers commercial open up for the Circle Jerks with some stand-up comedy, and bomb so bad he got shit thrown at him like it was the Middle Ages. The Circle Jerks were cool too.

9. When Janelle Monáe stole my heart.

8. Watching the singer from The Bronx (the band, not the borough) jump into the pit and start fucking up all the teenage wannabes.

tesla

7. Seeing a real live Tesla Coil flashing along to some house/trance/techno... whatever the hell it was, I need more!

6. Getting to see our good friends Peelander-Z, and watching them wow crowds, hanging from rafters, crowd surfing, tent surfing, body bowling, jaywalking (or jayrunning) and of course, picking their noses.

5. Seeing thousands of drunk and rowdy people roaming the streets of Austin for an entire week, and never once seeing anyone get arrested. pos