Disaesthetic

Going Down to Upheaval

South Park returns for its 22nd season September 26th on Comedy Central. The examiners of America’s petri dish have never looked at a specimen quite like the post-normal Trump dystopia.

Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker masterfully spoofed candidate Trump through Mr. Garrison’s hypocritical bigotry but struggled to reconcile his victory in Season 20.

Wisecrack argued the season long narrative convoluted the revolving story plots.

While memberberries, trolling, and Trump correlate, the season’s conclusion flounders at tying together whatever theme they wanted to convey.

Stone and Parker had prepared for Hillary Clinton to win the nomination titling an episode “The Very First Gentleman” but pivoted away.

They’ve gambled on the election several times using the betting odds to determine plot lines before Barack Obama won both of his terms.

A confluence of Trump’s surprising victory and risking an entire season’s arc on Hilldawg, for once, befuddled the unflappable duo.

In the following season, South Park mostly averted Trump and serialization. In the finale “Splatty Tomato” Garrison gets an assist in avoiding Fox News traps.

“Thank God for The Whites”

The show found its ground again clowning current discourse each week ribbing Netflix for green lighting every project, putting seniors out to pasture, smart speakers taking ‘er jerbs!

Still, Stone and Parker couldn’t completely avoid Trump buddy which brings us to 2018. A question looms for me, how will South Park cohabit with Trump this season? Should they even attempt to address our collective numbness to his rhetoric and policies?

Every comedian, late night, and satirical news host already riffs on Trump daily. South Park stands above all of them yet will demeaning him only add to the rabble? Will they get lost in the noise or possibly recapture the smack down they put on society?

We’re living in a world where The President faces no consequences for any rhetoric or policies. Tomorrow a tape can leak with Trump uttering the n-word upsetting most, not all, of the country for a few days.

Anyone else would get fired or resign from their job.

Trump pimped himself as a deal maker and a fiscally responsible stable genius yet wants a military parade costing tax payers an estimated $90 million and requesting $25 billion for a wall he said Mexico would pay for.

We can disagree about how we structure our government, how much tax to collect and spend. America was founded on the right to disagree, but we’ve lost discourse.

I’m guilty of it too. As Kyle once humbly said “one fourth of Americans are retards.” We’re all wrong sometimes. Unfortunately the current President attacks those who correct him like Mao Zedong and Richard Nixon.

The little mountain town will have their opportunity to dissect the country. Can they decipher The Giant Douche or will they avoid him all together?

Would avoiding him make us eventually question and dethrone South Park as the satirical lords?

All these questions make this 22nd season perhaps the most intriguing season since “You’re Getting Old” the half way point of season 16.

Summer 2018

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Photo: Crooked Books

These past few weeks have challenged the state where I find myself emotionally.

Am I really in position to find professional satisfaction? Some days work beats you to the ground. Everyone tells me living through this job will payoff, but I’m anxious if it doesn’t.

If I don’t move beyond, what happens then?

While agonizing about work I’m struggling with what I want in my free time. How do I balance my career with hobbies, dating, socializing, and everything else?

Sometimes I don’t know what my hobbies are or what I’m good at.

Last weekend I felt fine with spontaneity spending time with friends, family, and someone I care about romantically.

Maybe I can discover a state where I can unwind when I’m not working.

Recently I can’t define what I’m working towards. Even if my career progresses will that satisfy me? I fear it won’t. Finding a purpose will undo my distress.

This woman seems like a solution but only when she’s here. Living on opposite sides of the country nullifies any potential relationship.

Dating other women didn’t work. I’m not compatible with them and inevitably I think of her.

I don’t believe in fate yet a time could come where she and I can couple. In the meanwhile I focus on situating my career.

Feels like a perfect fantasy but that’s years in the making and a lot can change.

Focusing on finding happiness on my own first will open the door to romantic fulfillment.

I miss making music. My enthusiasm for sounds emitting dormant emotions within me has never left.

On Friday I jammed with Greg and we struggled making headway. Not his or my fault. There’s void in my skill and what I want to contribute. I need to spend time establishing my current voice.

Let me speak to where I am now, how this year holted a hopeful individual at the end of 2017, and relinquishing the last bit of withheld grief.

I’m learning there’s more fruition in life beyond making money and professional status. There’s still solace for that in this space.

Halfway 2018

I’m sad to say since starting my new job I don’t think about music as much as last year. At least not in the same way. I had more time on my hands before. Since transitioning to my new employer I spend most of my time working and the remaining hours planning how to use the rest of my time effectively.

Listing a top 10 right now would be difficult. I could rustle up a great list of singles. Beyonce and Jay Z’s “APESHIT” will remind me of this summer forever, reveling in my life accomplishments. Drake’s Scorpion had several memorable singles, most of which came out before its release. Nas and Kanye made a banger out of “Cop Shot The Kid” despite its timely subject.

Code Orange’s singles have feed off Forever’s continued success. Incredibly clever to give fans little bites of new music while they’re having their moment. They’ll face tall expectations on their follow-up.

Hundredth did the same thing with Ultrarare, a dark new wave remix album. I could get away with playing tracks off of it at Blonde Bar (SD reference). Oso Oso’s new single fits nicely on my summer playlist. I’d kind of forgotten about them, but a good single can serve as a great reminder.

Most of the albums I held expectations for entering this year I never got to or were just disappointing. Dance Gavin Dance’s Artificial Selection didn’t grab me like Mothership. I realize they have a style, constant throughout their discography, but this one didn’t stand part enough. Perhaps with time it’ll catch my fancy.

Parkway Drive’s Reverence alienates me further from the band. They still look incredibly energetic live and the audience still responds emphatically, but I feel nothing for their latest project. I could say the same for The Plot in You’s DISPOSE and Kurt Travis’s new band Royal Coda.

Still haven’t heard new albums from oOoOO, Turnstile, or Turbonegro, yet. Frankly I haven’t been in the mood to listen to those records.

Electrum Photography

I’m more excited for what’s to come this fall. Uniform’s third LP The Long Walk drops August 17th. “The Walk” smashes atoms like nuclear fission. Wake in Fright made my top ten last year and I expect similar quality this year. There’s more material for them to attack with everything that’s gone on in America. Gun violence is soooo last year.

In September, Fit for a King and Revocation embark on headlining tours to support their new albums.

Two years ago Deathgrip nearly topped my annual list. “The Price of Agony” and “Tower of Pain” singles offer both blackening brutality and uncompromising radio metal. These are the best elements FFAK offer: savage pit inspiring breakdowns and moments of festival level callbacks. I’m looking forward to working out when Dark Skies comes out September 14th.

In back to back years Revocation had two of the best albums of those years. David Davidson’s reputation as a generational guitarist keeps building with each release. For me, he’s emerging into James Hetfield/Dimebag level kick ass riffs.

I didn’t enjoy their last outing as much but my intuition says The Outer Ones contends for a spot on my list this year, which drops on September 27th.

Perhaps the release I’m anticipating most is Fiends’ debut album Me Time. I reached out to the band but there’s no set date yet. They’re probably waiting for their unannounced label. Check out their singles “Keep Me in The Dark” and “700 Club” on YouTube.

Metalsucks perfectly described Fiends as a Lamb of God and Tool hybrid. Bassist/singer James Hyde sings a bit like Maynard James Keenan and screamer Garrett Moore reminisces of Randy Blythe; however, in bridges and outros the band stylistically shifts to Rise Records post-hardcore. Those singles have a great mix of “pop” heavy music and universally accepted metal.

As I acclimate to my new job my mood should shift back into exploring new albums. I look forward to the rest of this year and hope you’ll enjoy some of these releases.