Reviews by Sterling Preston

Zine Review

Pendejo Magazine Winter 2006

Pendejo Magazine’s Winter 2006 issue brings you the insights, rants and nudity of a Hawaii underground you might not have known existed. An interesting development, however, occurred during the weekend I was researching the publication for this review. Ronnie Rucker, the zine’s publisher, posted a MySpace blog entry on November 10th that the U.S. District Attorney’s office is investigating him for tax evasion and the promotion of pornography to minors. The file storage site that was hosting the Winter 2007 issue was told to delete Pendejo’s account, and MySpace has threatened to delete the magazine’s account within 48 hours if they don’t stop providing links to what the government considers pornography.

Ronnie said he will be deleting the MySpace account himself Monday morning, November 12th. The position he expresses through is work is that America is not the home of free, the government is racist, there is no such thing as free speech and that you, in protest of a flawed system, should not vote. SP

From Pendejo:

“From the day we [Ronnie Rucker & Otis O] started publishing Pendejo Magazine in 1995 we have always been the target of someone’s wrath. Unfortunately, while our readership has grown ten fold over the many years so has the numbers of those who would rather see us go away. Some of the topics that we talked about, racism, not voting, legalization of drugs, not paying taxes, Iraq 1 & 2, faulty State of Government, George Bush, and especially sexuality have put us in the crosshairs of all those with opposite views on these matters. I have been the target of many death threats, being placed on the TSA’s special screening list, cease and desist orders, defamation lawsuits and now ultimately under investigation for tax evasion plus the promotion of pornography to minors. The heat has finally been turned up and I have been forced to stop publishing Pendejo Magazine in order to protect those that have helped our publication grow to what it has become today. I take sole responsibility for my actions and do not regret anything. That being said if I end up having to face these charges in court I will fight for my freedom like all those before me that have died trying to gain theirs.”

Ronnie Rucker
Co-Founder
Pendejo Magazine

Book Review

Male of the Species Alex Mindt

Fathers – like their wives, sons and daughters – aren’t perfect, and so the natural course of life provides an endless combination of situations and reactions on all sides. Perhaps because of this, a collection of short stories about fathers can be an unnerving book to dive into. Yet Alex Mindt manages to both amuse and make your eyes well up with tears throughout the 11 pieces featured in Male of the Species. Beginning with “Sabor a Mi,” a story that appeared in the 2006 Pushcart Prize Anthology, the book encompasses a variety of points of view and ethnic backgrounds in a graceful way. Beyond its pleasing entertainment value, the lasting result of reading this book is the lingering feeling that perhaps you should reexamine your own life, and the way you have dealt with your family. [alexmindt.com] SP

A Tiny Little Bit of Poetry Review

MK Chavez Mr. Bukowski, I Didn’t Know You Were Dead

Bay area poet MK Chavez stands out as an especially good writer. Her accessible verse touches on subjects of reality and escapism, sex and drinking, loving and living. It appears she paid her dues in life the hard way, although now I expect you’re more likely to find her giving readings at events such as Acker’s Dangerous Daughters and submitting her work to the small presses. This particular poem is published in a matchbook-sized chapbook by the 24th Street Irregular Press. The idea of these little books is to spread them around town and propagate the exposure to great art, guerilla style, and you can have several sent to you for the price of postage. My hat is off to both Chavez and 24th Street publisher Richard Hansen, two artists doing something worthwhile. [littlebrownsparrow.com, sacfreepress.com/poems] SP

CD Reviews

Molypop

If your life is a movie – and indeed it is – the second track of this self-titled release by carefree French lounge pop masters Molypop would be a perfect accompaniment to the part where you wake up on a sunny morning in excellent spirits, drink your orange juice, shower, get dressed and wear a look of being totally pleased with yourself. Throw open the window and bask in its glory. Feel twenty pounds lighter, ten years younger. The whole disc is a pleasant diversion from the doom and gloom of reality, as this glorious band spins late-morning fairy tales with a gentle swagger and a side of imported mineral water. [myspace.com/molypopi] SP

Daze Slow Down to Speed Up

Spawned in a Swiss garage and mentored by punk rock, grunge and Britpop records, Daze present their North American debut with polish and a lot of heart. The lyrics express the youthful exuberance of notebook poetry, with no small precedence given to the subject of lost love, but in this case it’s not a sappy thing. While their influences occasionally leave less-than-subtle traces, Daze could quite possibly become The Damned of their generation, or at least collaborate with Lou Reed. At least, that is this reviewer’s fantasy. [daze.ch, lividrecords.com] SP

Atomic Bitch Body Shop

The press packet that accompanied the submission of this cd to our offices contained a few gems. The band’s style was described as SKANK ROCK with a Punk Hickey and a SOUL KISS. Promoting “ten new tracks of Biatch Rock and Roll,” the notes mention that the record “combines electronic beats, synths, gold spandex, Bitch Hop and a punk attitude.” Entertaining propaganda aside, Atomic Bitch are the energetic embodiment of the best parts of the 80s mixed with enough whiskey to leave you hungover for two days, a muscle-car drive across the country and a particularly kinky motel rendezvous with someone you met in a dive bar. [atomicbitch.com] SP

V.K. Lynne Black Halo

Nashville took the Greyhound bus to Hollywood and started gigging in bars. Surviving on black coffee, ramen noodles and taco shop burritos, she belted out her homespun blues on sidewalks and street corners, crashed on other people’s couches, and eventually L.A. became her. While this story is a complete fabrication designed only to give you an idea of her sound, the truth is that V.K. Lynne has a powerful, beautiful voice infused with so much good cheer and maturity that it propels her out of your speakers and into your living room, where she sings her heart out to you in person. [vklynne.com] SP

Angela Reed Undertone

Making a bold entrance into the singer/songwriter genre, Angela Reed pours her heart out in 12 tracks of musical poetry. Her lyrical depth and engaging voice leave us looking forward to what she will bring to us in the future if she follows her own self-realized truths. Like she says in “Down the Road,” “But I won’t fly if I stay… Take a chance/ And take your hat off & throw it as far as you can/ Take that risk/ And go beyond where you have been & go on in after it.” [angelareed.com] SP

Belgian Death Metal: Four Cds from Shiver Records

Shiver Records sent us a sampler set of four discs, covering the categories of heavy metal (Crusader: Skinclad), sonic death metal (Welkin: The Origin), doom death metal (Thurisaz: Circadian Rhythm) and brutal deathcore (Moker: Translating the Pain). Belgium has already given us the saxophone, Godiva chocolate, the Smurfs, Audrey Hepburn and some of the best beers in the world. So it’s no surprise that their dark & heavy music is quite extraordinary as well. [shiver-records.com]

Things From the Internet Reviews

Mad Hatters’ Review Multi-Media Literary Journal Issue 8

You could spend hours clicking around the Mad Hatters’ Review website. The beast morphs and shape-shifts, a labyrinth of “Edgy and Enlightened Literature, Art and Music in the Age of Dementia.” Zack Wentz (Kill Me Tomorrow, Tender Buttons) is the reason I stopped by Issue 8. I went to take in his audio feature “Rabid Atween Da Erz” – a fine piece accompanied with text so you can follow along – and ended up a few minutes later listening, mesmerized, to Arun Gaur read his poem “Romance.” I enjoyed the rave by guest editor Debra Di Blasi, discovered a section of Environmental Alerts, and generally got lost and found a million times over. Check it out. [madhattersreview.com] SP

Who Is Chuy Vega?

If you were a tall boy and you ever ran into the front-lady of L.A.-based Who Is Chuy Vega? (formerly Juguete) at a free SoCo-sponsored Flaming Lips show in the parking lot of Petco Park, you’d probably pluck the theatrical balloons out of the sky and present them to her like so many flowers, too. I’ve asked, “Who really IS Chuy Vega?” many times, but the band member and family of said band member I’ve spoken to choose to remain mysterious. For the iPod culture… “Believe” is a must-have. Some songs are in English, some in Spanish. Regardless of who the fuck Chuy Vega really is, this band is worth listening to. Think of No Doubt when they first came out. Then imagine them without the Southern California ska/punk bullshit… just a lot of soul… and you’ll begin to get the picture. [Right now you have to search MySpace’s music section by the band’s name.] SP