Dawg Will Hunt!

(Mr. Mason the Boston Terrier)

"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." - Edward Hoagland

So I just recently got to dog sit over the course of a couple of weeks for two of the best dogs I have ever had the pleasure of taking care of. They were loyal, listened well, sweet, and loved to show and receive affection. I have always loved dogs, and would consider myself a dog person. I have grown up with dogs at my house as a kid, dogs are rampant at work, and have consistently lived with people who have dogs until recently.  I was reminded though during this temporary guardianship how amazing dogs can be for the soul, and found myself at the end of the week feeling pretty emotional and saddened by the impending separation. 

A lot of people I know would wonder what is so sad, that it is just a dog and they are just an animal. These are the kind of people that I cannot understand, and feel sorry for. Dogs are animals, but so are people and I think we think too highly of our own species to always recognize the complexity of the emotions and feelings that are quite obviously there in others. If you have been a dog owner, and invested emotionally into your companion you will see and experience a true and genuine connection that forms. A dog’s emotional intelligence may not be as “evolved” as ours, but to act like it is not there is ridiculous. Communication is more than just the words we speak, it is composed of our tone, body language, facial expressions, and even just the look in our eyes and if you are in tune with this you can understand our canine friends on a different level. You can sense when a dog is sad, scared, happy, excited, anticipatory, upset, confused without them being able to convey through their words. Everything they do is part of their communication, and truly great dog lovers pick up of these and work as a friend, parent, companion rather than an owner. As I dropped off an adorable Boston Terrier last night to his parents’ house before they returned, I could see the worry and confusion in his face as he stared out the window as I walked back to my car. Just in that gaze I could imagine and feel what he must have been thinking. It also easily could be seen as a case of transference in that my grief of leaving him, I projected on to him.  Or It is a little of both. The bond that was formed by both of us was separating, and as we are saddened by the loss of family and friends, dogs become emotionally distraught by the loss of a member of their pack.

(Romper Stomper the dog made of spare parts!)

"Dogs are better than children. Even my friends with children say that. As a dog friend of mine likes to say, children are for people who can't have dogs."              - Anonymous

People who view dogs just as a status symbol, a tool, a servant, and in a way as just a pet don’t really get it in my eyes. Dogs are more than just some animal we keep around the house to show off to others, to have guard the property, or even more disgustingly have to prove how tough we are. Dogs are intricate parts of the family, and play a role that is hard to fill with a cat, fish, or even a child. Dogs have an unconditional caring and bond to those who love and support them, they are there when you are depressed, when you are elated, and a happy and loved dog is always super stoked to see its owner. It is a beautiful display of caring that is not corrupted by ill-will, bad intentions, greed, self-serving motivations, and so forth. Dogs are in tune enough with their owners to recognize when they are not doing too great, and come to comfort and look at you with empathetic eyes.

Just with that understanding it is easy for me to see how dogs have become such a big part of the American culture, and many others throughout the world. They have transcended beyond just the ordinary house pet, or a domesticated creature that serves a single purpose. They are representative of much more, and that is demonstrated in colloquialisms, literary references, metaphors, and as you may have guessed in music.

(Cody, the most well behaved dog)

If you look through time dogs have made different impressions, and definitely with the evolution of their role in human lives we see different ways they are viewed. In commonly used dialect, dog can refer to numerous different things or characteristics. It can mean friend or compatriot (dawg being a variation of this spelling), it can refer to an ugly person and characteristically of the female gender, it can refer to a chauvinistic male or person of reprehensible character. Dog can even be used as a verb in describing someone who is critical or annoying to another, or to follow andr track like a dog, especially with hostile intent, with hound being another substitution. 

"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain

Through these definitive derivatives countless sayings have arisen and been used in conjuncture with the actions and qualities of people. “Dog will hunt” is a common southern saying that refers to when something will work out just fine, and an action that is taken is the correct one, and was featured to many in Primus’ “Jerry was a race car driver”. “Dogs of war” is a phrase that has been cherry-picked by many of bands for song titles. The phrase has its origin in Shakespeare’s line from Julies Ceaser, "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war". In looking at songs by Pink Floyd, Skarhead and Ghostface Killah, we see the dogs of war representing those out in reality that are full embraced in a street life or part of a system and that is actively and aggressively battling for wealth, status, and power. “Every dog has its day”, “a guilty dog barks the loudest”, “if you cant hang with the big dawgs, stay on the porch”, “let sleeping dogs lie”, and so many more have entered into our vernacular. The word “dog” has come to have so much meaning attached to it, and we are able to interpret those just by context. 

(Zoe the smiley dog!)

I think it is interesting in the split between negative and positive connotations that dog sayings place in our mind.  For the most part I have never experienced the negative connotations of dogs. Sure I have met mean dogs, barking and biting dogs, feral dogs, and so on. I see dogs usually as a reflection of their person though. Dogs definitely take on the traits of their owners, sometimes to different degrees depending on the breed. But you meet and angry, mean dog, you can usually assume that owner is not too great of a person. Dog’s are similar to children in that we can help to shape who they become, and along the way other factors will make their way in. Looking at a negative saying, I understand the connotation of dogging someone, or hounding them and I think that it speaks more to the tenacity of dogs, rather than the annoyingness of the person taking on that characteristic. The word dog being used in the chauvinistic connotation makes sense. When a human male acts in a hounding manner towards a woman, or humps anything it can, I get where they are coming from. Still dogs tend to have a lot more class then a high percentage of individuals in our culture, so maybe it is too nice a comparison for the person.  Calling someone ugly as a dog makes sense because you probably don’t want to look like a dog, but aren’t there so many more animals that would be better used to describe a non-attractive person, like a tapir, or baboon.  

(ODIN aka Deathtrain)

In music, one can see the dog as the ultimate metaphor, and has been continually coopted by new generations to attach their own meanings. We see a history traced all the way back to Shakespeare, to the blues of the early 20^th century, and now the hip-hop of the modern era. But even with all the meanings attached, and ideas that dog’s can bring to mine, I still believe it’s the relationship that we have attached to them that keeps them as present and significant in music. 

"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

 I do enjoy a good jingle just about the life of a dog, or its person. “Walking the dog” by the Slumlords always makes me smile, as it is just a song about walking the dog. A simple and genial task that many can relate to, and a very enjoyable part of my day when the opportunity presents itself. “In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog” may be an overstatement because some homes probably shouldn’t have dogs. Going through the list, there are not many songs I have about just being a dog in a dog world, which makes sense since we can only imagine. I do think that the popularity of speaking dogs in movie and cartoons though is something that will be around forever. “All dogs go to Heaven”, “Ren and Stimpy”, “101 Dalmations”, “Homeward Bound”, and “Snoopy” are all good examples of anthropomorphic dogs, and also children’s programs (though still enjoyed by adults!). This is also where I think a majority of the songs about being dogs would come from. Overall, it always makes me think that the love of dogs was engrained from such an early age. The movies and shows highlighted these furry friends that just wanted to have a good time, and not be beaten, abandoned or turned into coats. I just know that I love my dogs, and I am pretty sure they love being around me as well.

Charlie the Basset Hound

To close up this entry I just want to pay tribute to some of the good dogs in my life. This past year I have gotten to meet and live with some great dogs, see some weekly at work, and dog sit here and there. They all range from size, to mannerisms, but they all had one thing in common: they were loving dogs. Quite a few would be on my dogs to steal list, if I was into that sort of thing. In a higher respect, I do want to pay tribute to my two dogs from my childhood.

Ginger the Sweetest Dog Ever

Both of these dogs were present in my life for many of years. Charlie was a great, loving dog and was hard headed, but that's just because he was too smart and   did what he wanted. That was a lot of barking, howling and slobbering and just wanting to be by your side.

Chloe the Fancy Puppy

Ginger was probably the moved well-behaved dogs ever.She was sweet, made silly noises to get attention, and would try to split up play fights between me and my little brother. Just seeing her jolly face makes me smile. 

Now they are both succeeded at my parents house by Lil' Dooks aka Chloe, who is a sweet and loving Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Fancy, yes I know) and she is also spoiled and very snobby.  But definitely a sweetheart. Well enjoy this weeks mix, and check back shortly as we have some more coming soon.

 Link: SFMTC Vol. 5 - Dawg Will Hunt 

SFMTC Vol. 5 - Dawg Will Hunt Tracklist:

01. Hi-Standard - "My Sweet Dog" - 'Angry Fist'

02. Jello Biafra with the Melvins - "McGruff the Crime Dog" - 'Never Breathe What You Can'

03. Agnostic Front - "Pauly the Dog" - 'Somethings Gotta Give'

04. Roky Erikson - "Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog)" - 'I Have Been Here Before'

05. MC Chris - "Robot Dog" -  'Eating is not Cheating'

06. The Slumlords - "Walking the Dog" - 'Slumlords'

07. De La Soul - "Dog Eat Dog" - 'Stakes is High'

08. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Thirsty Dog" -  'Let Love In'

09. King Missile - "That Old Dog" - 'Fluting the Hump'

10. Bob Dylan - "If Dogs Run Free" - 'New Morning'

11. Skarhead - "Dogs of War" - 'Kings at Crime'

12. AC/DC - "Dog Eat Dog" - 'Let There Be Rock'

13. Swans - "Black Eyed Dog (Nick Drake Cover)" -  'Omniscience'

14. Method Man & Red Man - "Big Dogs" - 'Tical 2000'

15. Junior Wells - "Hound Dog" - 'Hoodoo Man Blues'

16. Pentagram - "Mad Dog" - 'Sub-Basement'

17. Reagan Youth - "In Dog We Trust" - 'A Collection of Pop Classics'

18. Uncle Tupelo - "I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges Cover" - '89-93: An Anthology'

19. The Might Could - "Mad Dog Blues" - 'The Might Could'

20. Dawnwind - "Dogs of War" - 'Looking Back...'

21. Tom Waits - "Rain Dogs" - 'Rain Dogs'

22. DS-13 - "Pavlovs Dogs" - '???'

23. Trampled by Turtles - "Dog on a Leash" - 'Blue Sky and the Devil'

24. Nazareth - "Hair of the Dog" - 'Hair of the Dog'

25. Phish - "Dog You Dog" - 'The White Tape'

26. The Bevis Frond - "Old Sea Dog" - 'Any Gas Faster'

27. Johnny Copeland - "Every Dog Has It's Day"- 'Dedicated to the Greatest'

28. SNFU - "Mutated Dog" - 'The One Voted Most Likely to Succeed'

29. Atmosphere - "3.2 Red Dog" - 'Headshots'

30. Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - "Dog House Blues - 'Boot Heel Drag'

                                         

                                                                                                 

 

Which bands? The Witch Bands!

(Gross...)

I have had a hard time writing this article, and it is frustrating because I really enjoy these mixes and the overall idea of a “Witch list” for bands. I think what has made it hard is that I am not super interested in witches and magic, but just in the sweet music that come from bands sporting deviations of the word. Would it make it more interesting if this included the words wizards and warlocks? I don’t think so, although I do think the idea of a Warlock just sounds sweeter than a witch. It has war in its name, and overall just gives a much sweeter metal vibe. Both of those are pretty much just the male equivalent of witches, and fall under the same category. Today people may argue that due to the eruption of the wizard phenomenon known as Harry Potter. Overall though, they are the same, yet when we think of Witches, it is definitely a female persona that comes to most people’s mind I can guarantee.

This brings up an interesting point, and doing some research on witches I definitely saw some of the early misogynistic roots and oppression of women that was created through the witch hunts and demonization of witches by the prominent religions of the time. The demonization of witches came from persecution notably by Muslims and Christians during the medieval period. It can also be seen as an early form of misogyny being integrated into the culture at the time. While witches weren’t only seen as women, the female version is what became most popularized. Once again, according to the Wikipedia, “The Malleus Maleficarum, an infamous witch-hunting manual used by both Catholics and Protestants, outlines how to identify a witch, what makes a woman more likely than a man to be a witch, how to put a witch on trial, and how to punish a witch. The book defines a witch as evil and typically female.” This put a damper on a lot of religious and spiritual practices of indigenous folk where the female played an important role in their culture, and began to brand them as blasphemous or heresy. Witches later on gained a nasty reputation as being affiliated with Satan. It was from the dark lord that they received their abilities, and often a mark was emblemized on their bodies to signify the contract that they had made with Lucifer. The men of god at many points have been in a battle against Satan and his evil witch army, which led to the persecution and execution of thousands of individuals.

So as found on Wikipedia, there are three common classifications for witches:

• The "neighborhood witch" or "social witch": a witch who curses a neighbor following some conflict.
• The "magical" or "sorcerer" witch: a professional healer, sorcerer, seer or midwife, or a person who has through magic increased her fortune to the perceived detriment of a neighboring household; due to neighborly or community rivalries and the ambiguity between positive and negative magic, such individuals can become labeled as witches.
• The "supernatural" or "night" witch: portrayed in court narratives as a demon appearing in visions and dreams.

Reading through and learning more of what is means to be a witch, a common theme came up: Most witches are being labeled as being in a practice that contradicts the beliefs of the majority. For a majority of history, Witches in most cultures were looked at in a dark light. Each region of the world also seems to have their own version of a witch and all can be connected through similar traits and characteristics. Witches all were connected with the practice of some dark craft that usually ended up with a harmful effect to another. There is also the area of white magic in contrast, and it seems that it has been adopted by a lot of modern day witch covens. Early white magic was usually the practice of local religious leaders that were outlawed by invasive religion and cultures.

These days the idea of what a witch is can definitely be rooted in hippy paganistic ideals.  It was in the 1900’s that the idea of “white magic” was more so introduced to the masses. Before it had been present, and for the most part any sort of voodoo jive was branded as the practice of black arts. But let’s move past this magic business and look at these witch bands.

For the most part, these mixes are pretty heavy mixes. We can see a high proportion of doom layered throughout each mix, and if it is not doom, then it is mainly metal of some sort. That makes it easier to look at the non-metal bands of the list since they stand out in comparison. 

First there is Witches, a Japanese ska band. I do not really know much about these guys besides they are Japanese and ska, which always makes for a silly kind of combination. In fact, I really thought that the brand of ska they played died out in the 90’s, but well into the 00’s Witches was going strong and bringing us those summertime feel good ska tunes that we used to enjoy while wearing our plaid converse at a 9^th grade battle of the bands. Two Witches is probably my least favorite band on this list. They have put out a number of records during the 90’s in the gothic rock category. The witch label is definitely fitting and in line with what they sing about, and for myself definitely fit the image of what I would originally imagine a band with witch in their title to sound like. A bunch a nerdy kids who love vampires a little too much and listened to a lot of Sisters of Mercy and The Cure. 

 

The Wicked Witch is just kind of out there. The album I have from them is a collection of songs from the 70’s and they are a crazy jazz-prog fusion type band who doesn’t really make too much sense. The one thing they do is whatever they want, and I can definitely respect that. White Witch is a funny band. They are from the 70’s, Florida and wanted to write heavy, psychy, proggy music that had a happy feel that helped to spread “white magic” in comparison the more evil feel of Sabbath. They have some really cheesy songs, but they are fun and make me smile, so I keep them around. Finally, the fifth of the non-metal bands is my favorite and it is the band Witch, and not the American version but the 70’s Zambian band.  A forerunner of the Zamrock scene, these guys played music that incorporates prog rock, psych, funk, and some traditional African sounds. This song is from their third album “Lazy Bones” and it is the only one I have heard. While it does not blow the mind away in comparison to a lot of what was happening around the globe, it impresses because these guys were from fucking Zambia. The difficulty of being exposed to underground music, gaining access to recording equipment and putting out an album is way more of an impressive feat in a smaller African country than in the state of California. Here’s a little snippet from a review site that I feel is a very apt description:

"...inspirational psych/rock group blasting out of Zambia in 1975. A soul-shouting edge combines with hard driving punk/garage guitars, tons of wah-wah, mesmeric melodic constructs, heavy African rhythms and powering blues testifying that sounds like a more militant/low-down take on South American psych."

So the rest of these bands are heavy in some form of the word. I think there is just something about witches that inspire that in bands. Overall it makes sense. Most metal bands aren’t really about the Christian imagery, and witches are an easy symbol to attach to one’s band that immediately lets your audience know where you stand. The witch trials themselves produce some pretty metal imagery, which is captured by Witchsorrow’s song “The Trial of Elizabeth Clarke”.  Another reason that could have led to so many witch metal bands is that the witch has been a persecuted figure throughout history for thinking differently and acting in a way not in line with the popular belief, and metal music tends to attract those who have been picked on, persecuted in some way or casted out by society. 

Looking through the list it seems that we have some doom metal, heavy metal/proto-doom, thrash metal, death metal, crust punk, stoner rock and some power metal. Out of these the doom bands are definitely my favorite. We have a second appearance in our collection by Witch Mountain who provides us with another heavy ripper. Witchfinder General is arguably one of the more important bands on this list. They are up there with Pentagram and Black Sabbath as the forefathers of modern day metal and doom, and have influenced legions of heaviness since the 70’s. You have Witchcraft who provides us with some retro-throwback proto-doom styled rock that just worships early pentagram. They could be said to be more of a tribute band to that era, and I appreciate the candor they have for wanting to play that style. 

So I am going to wrap up this week’s installment and provide you with a couple of mix’s with just one entry. I hope you enjoy the witches of the music world as much as I do, or at least some of them!

Download link: SFMTC Vol. 4a - Witch Which?

SFMTC Vol. 4a - Which Witch?

01. Witchery - "Fast as a Shark" - 'A Tribute to Accept'

02. Witchburn - "Heaven's Wake" - 'This is How We Slay Our Demons'

03. Hellwitch - "Mythologicalies" - 'Omnipotent Convocation'

04. White Witch Canyon - "Thirty Three and One Third" - 'White Witch Canyon'

05. Seven Witches - "Metal Daze (Manowar cover)" - 'Metal Covers'

06. White Witch - "Done Close Your Mind" - 'White Witch'

07. Witches Hammer - "Legions of the Undead" - 'The Stretching into Infinity'

08. Witch - "Old Trap Line" - 'Paralyzed'

09. Witchfinder General - "Death Penalty" - 'Death Penalty'

10. Witch Hunt - "By a Thread" - 'S/T'

11. Mountain Witch - "Throne of Blood" - 'Scythe and Dead Horse'

12. Icarus Witch - "Black Candles" - 'Draw Down the Moon'

13. The Wicked Witch - "X-rated" -  'Chaos 1978-86

14. Black Witchery - "Hellstorm of Evil Vengeance" - ' Upheaval of Satanic Might'

15. Stake-Off the Witch - "No One Cares About the Sun" - 'Medusa'

Download link: SFMTC Vol. 4b - Witches be Burning

SFMTC Vol. 4b - Witches be Burning!

01. Witches - "Noonmool" - 'Broomstick'

02. Burning Witch - "Communion" - 'Crippled Lucifer'

03. Burning Witches - "Burning Witches" - 'Demo'

04. Witchcraft - "Queen of Bees" - 'Firewood'

05. Wykked Wytch - "Seduced by Fear" - 'Nefret'

06. Witchfynde - "Stagefright" - 'Stagefright'

07. Witch - "Motherless Child" - 'Lazy Bones'

08. Angel Witch - "Gorgon" - 'Angel Witch'

09. Witch Mountain - "Wing of the Lord" - 'South of Salem'

10. Witchkiller - "Day of the Saxons" - 'Day of the Saxons'

11. Acid Witch - "Witchblood Cult" - 'Witchtanic Hallucinations'

12. Arkham Witch - "Legions of the Deep" - 'Arkham Witch'

13. Skeletonwitch - "Vengeance Will Be Mine" - 'Beyond the Permafrost'

14. Two Witches - "Bites and Bloody Kisses" - 'Bites'

15. Witchsorrow - "The Trial of Elizabeth Clarke" - 'Witchsorrow'

ALBUM SPOTLIGHT!!!!

William Elliott Whitmore – Field Songs

Not many artists move me as much as WEW. It is rare to find someone who puts out consistently great music through and through, and someone who feels as sincere in their work. “Field Songs” is the latest full-length from Mr. Whitmore and will definitely please fans of his previous work and hopefully catch the ears of those who haven’t.

In recent years we have seen folk music breakthrough into the mainstream again, and a lot of it has taken a more modern approach. Many bands infuse folk with indie rock, alternative leanings, or make it more pop friendly, but WEW continues to play in a traditional bare-bones style that can bring one back to the roots of this sound. The music overall is some of the most genuine songs I have heard, and it is exuded through the overall record.

Lyrically, “Field Songs” takes a different direction that his previous effort “Animals in the Dark”. Where we had protest songs and political leanings are replaced by songs about a hard days work, and life for the little man out in the fields, and the invasion of the factory farm. What makes this record feel so believable is that Mr. Whitmore has lived this life, and still does. A small town farm boy from rural Iowa still works the fields at the same farm he grew up on, and in between he writes us some great tunes.

The lyrics are great, and they are backed by some old-time rustic tunes to match. The twangy banjo, the simplistic guitar, and the sometimes ever present bass drum all help to create a soundscape of what it must feel like working in the fields. The best part, and the main focus is definitely found in Mr. Whitmore’s vocals. So powerful, and soulful, they are characteristic of a man who has seen a whole lifetime of labor, hard times, and character-building shenanigans. You are surprised when you see who Mr. Whitmore actually is, and more impressed on how such a man can produce such a striking sound. Much love to you WEW, and too all you should pick up this new album, or check him out next time he comes your way. A legit soul and musician is great to see, and this is one of the finest.