Asshole Nation by John M. Ellison IV

*British accent* to quote famed ribald comedian “Andrew Dice Clay” “Now we take it down to street level.”
On Sunday April 3rd, 2011 I posted a status message on Facebook that said “we live in a society that condones and enables asshole behavior but the same ones who endorse this behavior complain about it being a cold, cruel world.”

“Wait, asshole behavior? With a site named ‘Ghettopunkrocker’ why are you complaining? Aren’t most punks ‘assholes’ anyway?” Nice assumption…well from my “naive” understanding, punk and is about staying true to you and not conforming to any mold. How is it counterculture or rebellious to conform and indulge in “obnoxious” behavior when apparently being self-centered and mean spirited is quite mainstream? Besides, it’s not my style to be irritating on purpose. Don’t get me wrong, nobody’s perfik and we ALL have our less than tolerable moments at times but being deliberately mean spirited and obnoxious? It just doesn’t make any sense…

“Well, how are people validating ‘asshole behavior’ as you put it?” Simple…

That snide, badly written blog that you read on more than an occasional basis and live through vicariously because you’re too cowardly to speak for yourself? You’re endorsing it by reading it.

The mean spirited comments on whatever social network you’re on, you’re endorsing it by reposting whatever insults like a self-hating lemming.

“Isn’t ‘being an asshole’ a defense mechanism?” Yes and no. Since it’s a “cold and cruel world,” it’s a natural instinct to defend your well being. But, if you’re just starting something at random just to start something or defending your point of view when you’re clearly in error, exactly what does that do? There’s a difference between as my punk friend’s eloquently put it “fucking shit up” and throwing a tantrum.

“Well, obviously you’ve said a few objectionable things so how can you say anything on anyone being an asshole?” Yes, I probably have and I’ll do it again too *mad scientist fist shake and maniacal laughter* But seriously, my intention is to use dry wit to point out the preposterous, I don’t aim to be mean spirited for cheap shock value…I’d rather go for priceless honesty.

In closing, if you’re tired of it being a “cold world,” don’t forget that you’re old enough to reach the thermostat now. Also, yes I misspelled “perfect” on purpose!

Nirvana-Nevermind review by John M. Ellison IV (repost)

To commemorate the passing of Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, I decided to re-post my review on their breakthrough album “Nevermind.”

In an era where you could more weaves and hair spray on the pop charts than a Compton salon, the mutated mix of glam rock and heavy metal known as hair metal and synth pop reigned supreme until the early 90’s, specifically 1991. In this case, on September 24th 1991, two things happened, I turned seven years old and Nirvana released “Nevermind.”

Seriously, nobody expected a band from the Pacific Northwest who was inspired by a mixture of Iced Earth, The Pixies, The Beatles, The Ramones, Iggy and the Stooges, Bad Brains, Killing Joke and R.E.M. to actually a year later knock over Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album as the number one album on the billboard charts? Originally, the label expected Nervermind to barely get to Gold. But, Nevermind has gone Diamond, meaning it’s sold over 10 million copies.

With Nevermind, every song is a classic but, they’re three that stand out to me.

“Smells like Teen Spirit”

Just know that somewhere right now there’s some 12 year old that got their first guitar. More than likely, one of the songs they’re learning is probably “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It’s a simple twangy 4 chord power chord intro (that progression being F5–B?5–A?5–D?5) that goes into a dynamic shift that’s reminiscent of The Pixies. In fact, in a January 1994 Rolling Stone interview, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain revealed that “Smells like Teen Spirit” was an attempt to write a song in the style of the Pixies, a band he greatly admired. Here’s the quote:

“I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it. When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily that I should have been in that band— or at least a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.”

“Territorial Pissings”

The intro sticks with me badly singing the Youngbloods “Get Together” as a jab to the optimism of the flower child era of the 60’s and 70’s that blasts into something that sounds like the bridge between Iggy and the Stooges “Search and Destroy” and just breaks down into pure adrenaline.

“Breed”

When I first heard this, I thought it sounded like the bridge between Iggy Pop and The Beatles. Like Territorial Pissings, this is a hard driving, yet more melodic tune that captures this earnest and sensitive side in the vocal delivery.