Janine Ohnoski

Knife the Symphony EP

admin — Sat, 26 May 2007 18:17:00 +0000

I was having a particularly foul day when the Knife the Symphony EP arrived. I distinctly remember being angry at music, and wishing I had something new to listen to that didn’t bore the crap out of me. It was as if someone from Feminist Review was reading my thoughts, and I threw on the five song EP immediately. I’ve never been a huge fan of indie rock, but this band is enjoyable and not terribly monotonous as others as the same ilk. It sounds like their inspiration could be drawn from bands as The Minutemen, Joy Division and even Zounds, at times. The most notable of the tracks might be "Summer’s Decay," which evokes a late nineties post-punk spirit reminiscent of “Paranoid Time” on quaaludes, or a lost Sonic Youth track. Geez, that sounds pretentious. Then again, most music reviews do, so I don’t feel that bad.

Though depressing to listen to on repeat while eating an entire box of cereal in bed, pining for your lost childhood, I’m sure under normal listening circumstances, you won’t want to knife the listener. Grab a walkman and go for a jog; you’ll thank me later.

Written by: Janine Ohnoski, May 26th 2007

Cantankerous Titles and Obscure Ephemera, Volume 1

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:08:00 +0000

By Joe Biel

Microcosm Publishing

This DVD of short documentaries by Joe Biel was probably the best thing that’s come in the mail for me this month. I mean that; I don’t even get a lot of bills! Maybe, as someone who enjoys interviewing people, I am a bit biased, but I really enjoy the subjects Biel presents, as well as the way personal commentary figures in, yet is not contrived.

Among them, Martinis In The Bike Lane is probably the highlight of the collection: a short about the improvisational graphics in Portland’s “bike only” lanes, and the crew who made them. Of Dice and Men explores the competitive world of the board game RISK among anarchists and college students who would normally consider themselves rational, anti-imperialist and non-competitive.

Although a really good concept, the interviews - with women about their interactions with family members and men who seem to change faces when playing the game might be of interest to those exploring, but it goes on for a bit too long (almost forty minutes). Also noteworthy is the tongue-in-cheek Central Kansas: Canvas Central, about patches as media and the punk relationship with them. It’s really worth checking out, especially for fans of Christy C. Road or Aaron Cometbus.

Written by: Janine Ohnoski, March 20th 2007

Greenzine #14

admin — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:21:00 +0000

By Christy C. Road

Microcosm Publishing

Any radical unfamiliar with the art and writing of Christy C. Road by now should check this out, in addition to visiting her website at http://www.croadcore.org to get caught up. That being said, everyone already acquainted will know what to expect with Greenzine #14, but this proves to be a good thing. This issue explores similar themes present throughout her work in a classic Road fashion - namely, the musings of a queer Latina feminist deconstructing identity, her love/hate relationship with Miami and moving from her hometown, orgasms and the personal being political.

Written like a journal, you almost feel like you stumbled upon something private that you shouldn’t be reading, but can’t stop because it’s so damn gritty and real. Prominently displayed between entries are her signature drawings of friends, punk rock kids, social issues and, of course, making out. These serve more as snapshots than illustrations, as anyone who has seen them on everything from show fliers to the pages of Jane _magazine knows. I can’t recommend this enough to anyone who sounds interested already. When you’re done, pick up her latest book, _Indestructible (also reviewed by Elevate Difference), which was originally meant to be Greenzine #15, but ended up its own entity.

Written by: Janine Ohnoski, March 15th 2007