From Shan Nicholson, director of Downtown Calling, comes this new documentary on New York City gangs called Rubble Kings.

From 1968 to 1975, gangs ruled New York City. Beyond the idealistic hopes of the civil rightsnmovement lay a unfocused rage. Neither law enforcement nor social agency could end the escalating bloodshed. Peace came only through the most unlikely and courageous of events that would change the world for generations to come by giving birth to hip-hop culture.

 
Via Stupefaction

 
Another tasty Jim Steranko cover, this one from Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s second issue, published in July 1968. The title is charming: “So Shall Ye Reap Death!”

From Charles Johnson’s Lizard collection over at Little Green Footballs.

 
From an ad on Craigslist. I appreciate that these Republicans are at least self-aware enough to add that this is for Jersey Shore lookalikes who “wouldn’t mind coming to a Republican party.” No pay, but free booze. Something tells me that most people who fancy themselves a ringer for the Situation or Snookie, free booze is probably pay enough…

We are looking for people who look like cast members of the jersey shore and whom wouldn’t mind coming to a republican party. We want basically anyone who even remotely resembles a cast member of the Jersey Shore, or who would not mind dressing up like a cast member of the show to come to our party. We want everyone to fill at least one role. Snookie, Situation etc. Send a pic with your response and your phone number. If you decide to attend we will cover your drinks and etc for the party. It’s not a big party, just a little get together very casual. It’s for a college club. Send an email if you are willing to show up to our party posing as one of these people (Anyones welcome, even if it’s a long shot to the way you look). Just send your number so we can call and talk about arrangements. Anyone looking to have some fun should apply!

On the other hand, Democrats who look like the IQ-challenged Guido and Guidette cast-members, might want to consider showing up in Jersey Shore drag, drinking all their Republican booze and puking all over the place. It would be more in character, anyways, don’t cha think?
 

 
Truly one of the most ravishing and mindblowing songs ever recorded: epic, beautiful, cinematic. Hearing it for the first time in 1967 was one of the lifechanging events in my life as a young rock and roller. ‘A Day In The Life’ altered my sense of what a rock song could be, it expanded the scope and vision of rock and roll in the way that Walt Whitman enlarged poetry, it opened the field for future artists to experiment on a new scale of creative imagination that was fresh to the form. The extraordinary Pet Sounds had preceded it by a year. But, as groundbreaking as Brian Wilson’s masterpiece was, The Beatles took things to the next level (argue amongst yourselves).

Released both in stereo and mono as a track on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, here’s the 2009 stereo remaster of ‘A Day In The Life.’

The video is cool too.
 

 
When I posted here in March about Zak Smith’s blog, Playing D&D with Pornstars, it was a merely a popular blog, but now it’s a Internet video series called I Hit It With My Axe, with a couple dozen episodes released so far. In the below clip you will witness Sasha Grey, Kimberly Kane, Mandy Morbid, Satine Phoenix and others, including Smith himself, participating in the favorite hobby of geeks everywhere. (Er, maybe their second favorite pastime, I guess, but this sort of incorporates both interests, doesn’t it?)
 

 
See all episodes of I Hit It With My Axe (The Escapist)

 
As part of their promotional push for Robert Rodriguez’s controversial exploitation flick Machete, 20th Century Fox commissioned filmmakers to do ‘lifestyle’ videos of the folks involved with making the movie. This first one, directed by Estevan Oriol from SA Studios, features perennial badass Danny Trefo lowriding in East L.A.. with his buddy Mr. Cartoon.

Rodriguez knocked me out with his zombie gorefest Planet Terror, so I have high hopes for Machete. Trejo as a ridiculously over-armed desperado looks like my kind of hero, Billy Jack on steroids.
 

 
Apparently, Lewis Floyd Henry (graffiti artist KNOWN) performs regularly at Tottenham Court Road Station and Portobello Road in London. This guys kicks some serious ass! Do watch.

More Lewis Floyd Henry after the jump…

 
During the early 60’s, The Ventures were one of the most popular bands in the USA. But their American success was soon overshadowed by the British Invasion. They went from being huge hitmakers to yesterday’s papers practically overnight. So they went to Japan where, for awhile, they were as big as The Beatles. The Japanese nicknamed the group ‘The Beloved Invaders’ and called their sound ‘teke teke’ music. They were the Godzillas of the surf guitar.

I have several theories as to why The Ventures were big in Japan, most of them having to do with the sound of Mosrite guitars, koto music, Zen and radioactive sea-dwelling monsters.

Don Wilson who formed The Ventures with Bob Bogle in 1958 recalls touring Japan:

We played in downtown Tokyo, in a big place that holds 3,500 people. They were lined up around the block, about five abreast. We played three shows, one after the other. People were still trying to get in. We played in Yokohama and Osaka, the big cities. Had I known we were that popular, I would’ve asked for more money!

Earlier this year The Ventures received the illustrious Order Of The Rising Sun Award from the Japanese government honoring their contribution to Japan’s musical culture.

Here’s footage from The Beloved Invaders documenting The Ventures first tour of Japan. After suffering through decrepit looking bootlegs of this film, it was a thrill to come upon some pristine looking footage. And the sound is awesome.
 

 
Beatnik chicks rule. Phillipa Fallon and Vampira move imaginary furniture in the coffeehouses of our minds.

Two groovy clips from High School Confidential and The Beat Generation.

The words to ‘High School Drag’ (the poem in the HSC clip) were written by B-movie screenwriter Mel Welles who seemed to have the right credentials for writing bop prose, “I was an expert on grass in my day…”  Welles also wrote hep talk for hipster royalty Lord Buckley.

Swing with a gassy chick.
Turn on to a thousand joys.
Smile on what happened, or check what’s going to happen,
You’ll miss what’s happening.
Turn your eyes inside and dig the vacuum.

Vampira went on to have a full-blown TV and film career, but what happened to the exquisite of Phillipa Fallon? She only made two films after High School Confidential, which is hard to believe considering the indelible impression she makes in that brief moment when the planets aligned and beatific angels kissed the foreheads of teenyboppers everywhere as Phillipa laid the beatnik gospel upon us. Ms. Fallon should have been a mega-star.

Check out the rat Vampira is cuddling while she versifies.

 
After the jump, Dennis Hopper as a beatnik in a 1964 episode of Petticoat Junction and the full text of the poem ‘High School Drag’ in all its glory.

The Mudd Club (did I fuck anybody in this picture?)
 
Frank Zappa performing at New York City’s Mudd Club in May of 1980. From the German documentary Ein Leben als Extravaganza - Das Genie Frank Zappa.

This clip includes a brief interview with Mudd Club owner Steve Maas.

The video quality ain’t great, but it’s rare and and I know of no better quality copies anywhere.

I basically stopped listening to Zappa after the first couple of Mothers albums. But, as someone who spent many nights at The Mudd Club, I consider this a worthy contribution to the history of New York’s downtown music scene.