Das Crazy Germans

When I think light-hearted Web apps in the style of American television icons, I immediately think Germany. I mean, who wouldn’t?

Interestingly enough, it is these wacky Europeans who have favored us with South Park Studio (Ver. 2), a South Park character generator. It's a handy-dandy device that uses a simple Flash interface to select various colors and styles of standard South Park body part fare to create your own delightfully profane little ragamuffin. You can even put your character in such famously fictitious locales as "Stark's Pond" or "the bus stop."

Go there now and South Park-ize your friends, family, and favorite member of the Facts of Life cast... (*psssst* Think Tootie!)

Mid-Week MP3

A Deadsy fan, or as the band might refer to him: one of the Legions, once described the group to me as “completely unmarketable.” This is both an apt description and a damn shame, as the sound and the very concept of the band is nigh indescribably unique.

Deadsy is probably best known as the pet project of frontman/lyricist/guitarist Elijah Blue Allman, the son of Cher and Dwayne Allman. Rounding out the band is bassist Creature, Dr. Nner on synth, Alec Püre on percussion, and Carlton Megalodon on a delightful little instrument called the Ztar, which is a basically jacked-up MIDI guitar controller. This unique makeup allows for music that is simultaneously dark, ethereal, heavy, and melodic.

A common observer might call the sound Goth (more Type O Negative or Orgy Goth than The Cure or Bauhaus Goth), but the band insists that their low and dissonant style of music is "Undercore." This distinctive aural presentation, coupled with a lyrical predilection for sci-fi, the occult, and odd pop culture references, is only matched by the truly bizarre conceptual image flaunted by the band.

Each member is representative of a color and an element (or “Entity”) which drives society. For their 2002 album Commencement, this took the form of creepy prep school uniform that each member customized with his own shade and sigil. This gave the impression of a cabal of the idle rich freed from the trappings of mortal life to pursue some preternatural, haunting truth. It also made them look quite dapper for a Rock ’n’ Roll band.

The band has recently shifted away from the “boys’ club” look of their previous work as they prepare for the immanent release of their new album Phantasmagore, presumably on Dreamworks Records. Their Web site has change accordingly, and now sports a new take on the ubiquitous television test pattern of old.

In the meantime, Commencement is still available from retailers in its official 2002 incarnation (from whence this track hails) and, for those of you looking for something a little more raw, a less-than-official 1999 release of the album exists that supposedly sports extra tracks. Band merchandise for the new album is also available.

1modernboy humbly requests that you use these MP3s solely as a means of evaluation. If you like what you hear, please buy records, CDs, t-shirts, or other merchandise to support this band/artist and his/her/their label-mates. Seeing them live probably wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Should the features artist, or the related label or distributor take issue with my inclusion of the song file, please don’t hesitate to contact me, so that the offending file can be removed.

Deadsy -- Winners

And they call it puppy love.

For all of you non-gamer-type parents out there still reeling from the GTA Hot Coffee debacle, I have some alarming news. Your children are again being corrupted by the sinister machinations of “them there video-tronic games.” Witness the Nintendogs Hot Biscuit mod!

Somebody get Jack Thompson on the phone…