Today I wept for the one who created riffs so huge it tumbled down mountains, decimated millions of cemented minds and sprouted thorny beautiful flowers for more generations past and to come. We are all not worthy, if not totally in debt.

from NME: “Ron Asheton, the guitarist and bassist with The Stooges, has been found dead today (January 6). He was 60.” - read more here

“Officers went to the home on Highlake Avenue at around midnight and discovered Asheton’s body on a living-room couch. He appeared to have been dead for at least several days…” - mlive.com

If you guys have never been acquainted with The Stooges before in your life, do dig and dig the many outstanding, pioneering recordings they have done, do avoid the recent reunion album (The Weirdness) tho’.

About Ron: here | The Stooges: herehere

Check out The Stooges, Live in Cincinnati, 1970:

HAPPY NEW YEAR, PEOPLE!

Meanwhile, I picked up some Borneo releases off the merch tables when I went to see the Proletar’s show in Kota Kinabalu recently. Since I don’t have a tape-player at the moment, here’s my thoughts on the CD-Rs first.

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Anjung Bising, the verandah on the Annexe building occupied by both Bau-Bau Cafe & The Ricecooker Shop is going to be silent on New Year’s Eve. Yup. Sadly there will be NO PARTY this year. No, this is not because of the Israeli air raids on Gaza, but it is due to the The Annexe management telling us to NOT do any celebration on the verandah, not on New Year’s Eve and noot on Merdeka eve. Not again.

They say it’s because both nights featured a lot of walking traffic going to and from Padang Merdeka and that the building security had a lot of problems dealing with drunken, violent people on the streets surrounding the Annexe. They say our shows on the verandah contributed to the troubles, such as glass panes being smashed and all that. They say it’s not us but the people who came and hangout around the area. But it’s all crap all the same.

I don’t know what The Ricecooker Shop’s shitworkers are planning. There would not be a gig on the verandah but I’m sure the guys will be celebrating in the shop that night. So do go there and have a good night with friends. Bring food and drinks, bring your fave music to play and just hang out. Maybe The Cover-Ups will be there with Tenderfist and play a few acoustic songs to usher in the new year.

I also would like to announce here that Bau-Bau Cafe has CLOSED DOWN a few weeks ago. It’s a very sad thing but they have been struggling to pay the rent for quite a long time. We are horrified to see they go but what can we do apart from raising a toast to Hisham, Mus and gang for keeping it alive for almost two years! We have numerous beautiful memories with BBC and it will always warm our hearts.

Hugs to all who were involved with BBC for all those times we had. May the roads rise up for you all!

Cheers,

Joe

So Israel slaughtered 300+ people in Gaza, just like shooting fish in a barrel, only this time they re using bombs, tonnes of them. And the Americans sit back and applauded, just as always. Today Reuters reported that “a militant Muslim group in Indonesia said on Monday it plans to recruit as many as 1,000 volunteers to fight in the Gaza Strip in response to Israeli air strikes that have killed more than 300 Palestinians.”

“Fighters should be in good physical condition, have a strong faith and be ready to die,” said Ahmad Soebri Lubis, secretary-general of the Islamic Defenders’ Front. Basically it’s a one-way ticket to hell (or heaven, depending on which side of the sejadah you’re on). Frankly, I’m sick of it all.

It’s the end of 2008 and it’s the same old shit. You go and ask your parents or grandparents about the Palestinians plight, and you’ll hear atrocities committed against them that goes back to way back when your granny was still playing congkak on the verandah. As per usual the world sits idle at the spectacle, it’s just another TV show. Change the channel and you’re on another movie set.

It’s a depressing picture of the year to come but our good friend Al Quint has prepared for us punk people a good selection of tunage to usher in the new bullshit on his excellent radioshow Sonic Overload. It features 70 songs for a “best of” show. Download it, and crank it up really high for the next few days. Sorry Bob, but the times they are NOT a-changing. I believed you but you lied…

Go here: sonicoverload.moocowrecords.com

from Utarid:Booking: 2 Malaysian screamo bands, Josephine & Tyrant, team up with Swiss screamo sensations Dying In Motion and a Japanese one-man-band Full-Chin.

Dying In Motion (Zürich, Switzerland) | Full-Chin (Tokyo, Japan) | Josephine (Ipoh, Malaysia) | Tyrant (Cyberjaya, Malaysia)

more info: Utarid:Booking

DATES & FLYERS BELOW:

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Hello people, as many of you may have known, I’m not in KL. As I’m writing this down there are birds singing in my ear with irregular gentle breeze nudging the bamboo wind-chime for a spot of minimal gamelan. I’m on a lazy chair on the balcony with a ceiling fan over my head. There’s coffee on the table, half-drunk and placed on top of a pile of newspapers - the Daily Express, which proclaims itself as the “Independent National Newspaper of East Malaysia.”

There’s no Daily Express today but there’s wireless internet, so my morning coffee didn’t go stale without a dose of the bizarre world we’re all living in today. According to the International Herald Tribune, Santa Claus went on a rampage in a Los Angeles suburb, killing six people at the gathering of his in-laws, burnt the house down and turned the gun on himself.

On the other side of the city, a plastic surgeon to the rich and famous has successfully converted his fuel-guzzling 4×4 to run on fat, human fat that is. To be precise, it’s “fat removed from clients during liposuction” - basically he sucked out tonnes of fat from your beloved Hollywood movie stars and pumped it into his gas tank as fuel. That means he has Jack Black, Eddie Murphy, Oprah and Farah Fawcett turning the pistons and cranking up the horsepower.

I do wonder when will this technology would arrive here so we can start having a bit of Sharizat and Rafidah in our tanks! I bet some enterprising Umnoputras are already on the case, signing MOUs with the wives and local surgeons, prepping the media with a cemerlang kitar-semula campaign.

By the rate I’ve been gorging myself with food these past few days, I may be able to contribute to the noble cause. Unless I can burn it off at the upcoming PROLETAR show on Sunday. Hopefully I can go there anonymously so I can be that “silly old twat” in the pit without feeling too self-conscious.

Heve a good day people!

Penswastaan ialah satu dasar ekonomi yang dianjur oleh kaum pemodal kapitalis pada tahun 80′an dahulu. Ini adalah dasar ekonomi yang mula-mula dianjurkan oleh Ronald Reagan dan Margaret Thatcher. Ini adalah dasar ekonomi kapitalis fahaman kanan yang ekstrim.

Sebelum dasar penswataan di perkenalkan banyak negara dalam dunia ini masih memiliki harta-harta dan syarikat-syarikat awam. Banyak syarikat-syarikat yang berjaya ini dimiliki dan dikendalikan oleh kerajaan. Syarikat awam ertinya syarikat yang dimiliki oleh orang ramai.

Kaum pemodal meleleh air lior apabila melihat syarikat air, syarikat api, pejabat pos, syarikat talipon, syarikat kapal terbang, sekolah, hospital dan seribu satu macam syarikat yang dimiliki oleh rakyat. Kaum pemodal tidak dapat menahan nafsu duitan mereka untuk merompak syarikat-syarikat ini.

Syarikat-syarikat milik kerajaan bermula dengan cita-cita untuk memberi khidmat kepada orang ramai. Syarikat-syarikat in diusahakan bukan atas dasar mencari untung maksima. Dalam masa yang sama syarikat-syarikat ini juga berjalan dengan pengendalian yang baik dan profesional. Untung bukan slogan syarikat-syarikat ini. Rugi juga bukan moto syarikat ini.

Khidmat untuk orang ramai ialah shahadah untuk semua syarikat-syarikat milik kerajaan. Syarikat-syarikat ini berimankan - khidmat terbaik untuk kesejahteraan ramai. Syarikat milik orang ramai didirikan untuk memberi khidmat kepada orang ramai.

Tiba-tiba Mahathir Muhamad melancar skim cepat kaya pada tahun 80an. Syarikat-syarikat Tenaga Nasional, Telekom Malaysia, MAS, Pembeklan Air, Pejabat Pos, Hospital, Taman Negara, Jalan Raya, Balai Raya, Dewan Orang Ramai, Rumah Rehat – semua ini adalah contoh-contoh syarikat dan harta orang yang ditelah diagih-agihkan oleh Mahathir Muhamad kepada kaum kerabat dan kroni-kroninya.

Inilah skim cepat kaya Mahathir Muhamad yang dijadikan dasar gerombolan United Malays National Organisation. Di tahun-tahun itu, ketika Mahathir ditahta, kita ada mendengar berita Mamat Basikal Buruk jadi towkay gedung-gedung perniagaan. Kita mendengar Mat Driber Lori jadi pemilik empangan terbesar. Kita mendengar Mat Sekolah Tak Tamat menjadi tuan punya syarikat penerbangan. Kita mendengar cerita Mat Tak Pandai Cakap Inggeris menjadi pemilik loji air.

Semua harta-harta dan syarikat yang dimiliki orang ramai telah diambil alih untuk di jadikan milik pribadi. Semuanya dirompak untuk diagihkan kepada kroni. Cara rompakan ini cukup senang: Para kroni mengajukan cadangan-cadangan dengan kertas kerja kepada badan Unit Perancangan Ekonomi - EPU. Bunyinya cukup lunak tetapi hakikatnya amat berlainan. Badan perancangan ini juga dirasuah untuk meluluskan rompakan ini. Para birokrat di badan Perancangan ini juga mendapat habuan untuk meluluskan rompakan ini. Mereka bersubahat untuk sama-sama merompak.

Hasilnya di zaman Mahathir Muhamad banyak lanun dan perompak menjadi kaya raya.

read more: here

SicKL Open Lab (SOL) is back with its 4th season with a special holiday edition! Hot steamboat is served, and you can dance! SOL 004 December season will feature a multi-disciplinary performance by Chan Seau Huvi (performance art), Au Sow Yee (video), Yong Yandsen (video + sound) and Kok Siew Wai (voice), electroacoustic music by musician/music scholar Affendi Ramli and an experimental DJ set with light installation by Jazmok (Bintang Bendehara), Ronnie Khoo (Furniture), Fahmi Fadzil (Projek Wayang) & Lisa Foo.

Come join us, and bring your friends!

————————————————

Event: SicKL Open Lab (SOL) 004
Date & Time: 27th December 2008, Saturday, 7:30pm
Address: 73, 3rd Floor, Amber Business Plaza, Jalan Jelawat 1, 56100 Cheras, KL.
(Just a minute walk from Star Line LRT, ‘Cheras’ station.)

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We have just got tonnes of new vinyls and more at the shop, do checkidout!

ENFORCER
Into the Night LP

Flash back to 1982 when vocal range and musical prowess were king; Iron Maiden ruled the world, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal is in its full swing and bands such as Mercyful Fate and Exciter began to bring heavy metal to places that it had never explored. This is the world of ENFORCER, a world where heavy metal is the law!!!

Includes a full color jacket, full color heavy-stock inner sleeve and a large full color A2 poster!

RM95

EXMORTUS
In Hatred’s Flame LP

Exmortus, armed with influences ranging from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Yngwie Malmsteen to Slayer, Marduk and Deicide, quickly evolved to become California’s foremost masters of guitar-oriented metal, the likes of which have not been seen for many years. Exmortus is an entity unto itself and its music, both complex and thoroughly hook-laden, it refuses to lend itself to easy categorization.

From their technical death-thrash riffage and surgically precise drumming to their neo-classical, twin virtuoso lead guitar attack, their appeal is vast. Fans of death, thrash, prog, NWOBHM and all true metal sub-genres alike would enjoy having their craniums crushed by the fury of Exmortus.

This is a limited edition black vinyl, comes with a full color voucher card for a free digital download of the entire album.

RM95

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CARNIVAL OF CHAOS!
3 days, 2 nights of fun and disorder to end and kick off the year!

music // makan-makan // mabok // noise // fun and games // sleepover!!

details below:

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petang di warung kopi
mydin lembah bangsaT
dan nyaring suara el ar ti,
kau datang
membawa berita
dan cerita.

Petang terakhir pertemuan itu aku mendengar ayat yang sudah kulupa, “tiap-tiap yang bernyawa pasti akan merasai kematian,” kau sebut berulang kali dan aku seperti biasa sudah tidak peduli lagi pada petikan ayat-ayat suci kerana selalu kata-kata tuhan atau sabda nabi jadi isi perkakas kuasa

perisai melindung pura-pura, keangkuhan.

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ESKAPO, a Filipino-American hardcore-punk band based in California, is heading “back home” to the Philippines for several shows next month…

ESKAPO is a five piece filipino from Vallejo, California they play hardcore punk mainly influenced from oldskool like Negative Approach, Black Flag and Minor Threat, The word Eskapo means “refugee” and was a symbol of defiance during Ferdinand Marcos’s dictatorship over the Philippine islands for over 20 years. The lyrics mainly tackle politics, freedom, individual rights with most of the lyrics written in “Tagalog”.

myspace.com/eskapo

from Eskapo:

“To promote our new 4 way split on Take Four Collective and Delusion of Terror records in the Philippines and for some of us to return to our country of birth, Eskapo is returning to the Philippines to play shows in the first 2 weeks of January 2009.

No words can describe the anxiety and excitement we feel.To play with bands we have listened to for years and never met in person, to see our families, friends and loved ones living and dead. They say that you can never go home but we are, after years of playing in the U.S. (the Bay Area respectively) and singing about issues that affect our homeland in our first language, we will finally play in the country to the people that inspired the majority of our songs.”

Jan 05 2009 - Cuerdas Bar, Pasig City
w/ THROW, THE BEAUTY OF DOUBT, TAME THE TIKBALANG and BETRAYED.
Jan 06 2009 - Sampaloc, Manila
Jan 07 2009 - Green Papaya Art Gallery, Manila
Jan 08 2009 - Ten 02 Bar, Quezon City
Jan 09 2009 - San Fernando, Pampanga
Jan 10 2009 - Pulilan, Bulacan
Jan 11 2009 - High Temp Bar, Lucena city, Quezon
Jan 12 2009 - Binan Metroplitan Plaza , Laguna
Jan 13 2009 - Farewell show in Pasig!!! Quezon City

note: here’s a short article on the Filipino underground in San Francisco - Tagalog punk, money troubles, and notes from the Filipino American indie underground

get the four-way split CD, “Deadly Rhythms From The Production Line” from Delusion of Terror

from nunu:

Harap semua dapat dtg.. kalau sesiapa yang pergi ke Femme Fest, harap dapat singgah lepas gig tu.. kami ada menyediakan MINUMAN ISTIMEWA malam itu… semua kutipan hasil dari jualan minuman ini akan diberi kepada movement anti-G8 di Jepun.

cheers!

In conjunction with the International Human Rights Day, The Bar Council in collaboration with Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) would like to extend an invitation to all of you ladies and gentlemen to Teater Bilik Sulit which is going to be held on these dates :

20/12/2008 (Saturday)
21/12/2008(Sunday)
22/12/2008(Monday)
23/12/2008(Tuesday)

Time : 8.30pm

Space is limited, kindly RSVP.

For more info kindly contact 012-4651671 @ fadiahnadwa9 et yahoo dut com

Our good friends working for the upcoming DIY FEMME FEST 2009 are organising this benefit (which includes The Ricecooker Shop as its beneficiary). I’ll be away, sunning myself nekkid on a beach with a good book and a glass of wino somewhere, so the sauna will be sorely missed, especially the rare live appearance by RELATIONSHEEP!!! Do go and support this show everyone!

Year End Sauna Party!

presenting:

THE SCUDS - ‘77 punk (Singapore)
DEPRESS - crustcore (Johore)
RELATIONSHEEP - anarchopunk
THE GARRISON - reggae
THRASH OHOOII! - thrashcore
SOPHIE SWEET FUKK - stoner rock

++ Documentary Screening

Saturday, 27th December 2008 / 3pm, Noisy Studio(2nd floor), Ampang / RM7 entrance

A benefit for DIY Femme Fest & The Ricecooker Shop

Donations of all sorts are welcomed. If you have anything for us to sell to contribute to the fund, please contact us also!

In the meantime, watch out for the Singapore benefit show in January as well as the actual DIY Femme Fest / Straightjacket Nation on 28th February 2009!

More info - DIY Femme Fest 2009 | myspace.com/klfemmefest