Music Mondays - Jim Kettner (artist)

Ok, it's summer time, and that means The Nojons are back in constant rotation on my i-pod. Some of the catchiest songs ever about not growing up, keeping a PMA, time travel and the perils of dating a zombie. The Nojons know a simple truth, fun > everything else.

Listen to Whistling While You Work...

I am starting to feel like an old fogey in the music scene and I'm finding that my ear is further from the ground when it comes to knowing new bands to listen to…fortunately the folks in Rowsdower are my good buddies (actually we just moved Cody into my basement…) so I couldn't help but be aware that some amazing new pop punk jams were coming into existence. But I can honestly say that even if I didn't know these guys and someone just handed me this tape I'd be just as hooked. Super catchy punk rock songs and their band is referencing the MST3k classic "the final sacrifice"? Amazing.

Maybe this is another consequence of feeling old in the scene, but I thought if I had to recommend anything that I'd actually want folks to shell out their hard earned money for, it would have to be a record where I felt that every song justified every penny spent. And of course, that brought me back to the 90's….

So Journey with me to the turn of the century with Kill The Man Who Questions.

This was a very important record to me in college. Intelligent hardcore punk that was pissed off, but still managed to convey radical politics with a sharp sense of humor (it doesn't hurt to have a wise-cracker like Mike Mckee as a frontman) It's loud and noisy and catchy. It's confrontational. It asks important questions, and challenges the listener. Being in the NYHC scene in the late 90's I was inundated with some pretty dumb macho HC and seeing this band at ABC No Rio made me so jealous of the Philadelphia punk scene.

Here's where I break from the "music" part of music monday and try and recommend other rad stuff that I think folks should be paying attention to.

If you've never read a Paul Pope comic before, you are missing out. I got an advance photocopy of Heavy Liquid at a convention in 99, and then quickly discovered his extensive self published works like THB and Escapo and the Ballad of Dr.Richardson. His work is vibrant, imaginative his drawings convey movement in ways that most cartoonists just can't manage. His stories are anarchic, tragic, funny. It's worth checking out pretty much any of his published works, and hopefully next year, readers will be thrilled to read Battling Boy, The story of a kid who's the son of a Jack Kirby styled god-hero, who lives in a cloud above continent sized city called Monstropolis filled with history's greatest monsters…there is no way this will not be fun.

I'm adding a category cause, hey, I'm one of the IYMI comix folks right? I can't get through this without another comics pick. This will hit closer to home with the punks.

John Porcelino is a DIY hero. He's been putting out King Cat Comics for years. Extremely personal and thoughtful memoirs. Thus guy really bares all with his comics. They are unflinchingly ,sometimes cringe inducingly honest.

Perfect Example is a comics snapshot of John's life in 1986. His simple drawings convey a level of feeling that is inspiring. Skateboarding, Husker Du, young love, young heartbreak.

Ok so I am actually writing this music monday from the last day of Chaos In Tejas....and last night....this happened.

Today i am a walking bruise, but it was well worth it. Youth Of Today inspired so many positive changes in my life, and it was amazin' singing along to all my favorites. Stay posi everybody.

Is there anything that we missed this week? Let us know in the comments. Next Monday's post will be by Michael Campbell of Laura Stevenson and the Cans!