Playing with Simply Saucer!

PANIC Release Show Poster!

Courtesy of the great Michael Comeau -- who has been discussed here before -- a brand spanking new show poster for PANIC's record release on June 6th at The Smiling Buddha, with Wyrd Visions
and DJ Chico!

Press Club November 5th!

A new Ryan Halpenny poster masterpiece here can mean only one thing - a new No No Zero show to announce! Facebook event link!

Coming up soon: November 5th at The Press Club in Toronto, with two of the city's finest - Bruised Knees and Planet Creature.

Bruised Knees have been described by none other than Lonely Vagabond himself as, "avant-garde trance-rock splashed with an electronic sheen, primal drumming, and haunting vocals. Hypnotic and raw."

Does this convey that they're good & noisy? I think that's important.

As always, the proof is in the pudding -



Planet Creature are a quintet with some beautiful harmonies (and flute!). Optical Sounds, who released last year's Pigeon EP, call them, "bubble-gum babes with pop-garage sensibilities."

Their own twitter feed (!) describes them thus: "5 girls. 1 part bubble gum 2 parts punk 3 parts pop 4 parts rock. shake, serve and repeat."

If you're still not sold, check out their very sweet video (shot in Kensington Market) for "Das Pirates" -



9PM $5

Remember, remember, the fifth of November!

Poster for our next show!

Ryan Halpenny has mad skills, as any long-time blog followers here will know. But with this, the poster for our upcoming extravaganza at the Silver Dollar, he sets new standards for wickedness. I'm blown away and I don't know what else to say.

Hopefully, we'll have a few copies for sale at the show.

Foolish Male Faces in Sex Comedy Posters!

In the 1970s and 1980s there was a phenomenon of men appearing on film posters bearing what can perhaps be safely described as overtly dumb expressions. Particularly popular in the area of sex comedy, such posters typically feature a beautiful woman (seen head-to-toe), while about her on either side are the faces of 2-6 very average, even unattractive men who look as though they have lost all reasoning capacity, are in fact made fools, struck dumb by the beauty they see before them.




From Jack Stevenson's Fleshpot: cinema's sexual myth makers & taboo breakers --

"In the excessive content of the Italian sex comedy, the constructed nature of masculinity is revealed... the sexual space of [these films]... are so over-the-top in their celebration of heterosexual ideas that today they are almost parodies"

Are such posters, and their images of men as idiotic figures of moronic lust, conservative, retrograde? Certainly their brief popularity in mid-1980s Hollywood was historically tied to the height of consumerist Reaganism. Maggie Günsberg's Italian Cinema: Gender and Genre suggests much the same was true of Italy*; I don't know enough about Italian politics to comment on any equivalences there, but I do know such male expressions were stock comic relief in not only Italian but also Mexican sex comedy cinema of the 1970s.

Should we consider that such male-dominant, even macho, societies might be confident enough in their masculinity that said masculinity could be safely depicted as something foolish, fun, even brainless - silly slaverings to sirens, evoking not the handsome male of so many a standard cinematic artwork, the mutual attraction, or romance portrayed in so many 'rom-com' film posters, but instead a tongue-out sort of pig lust? Or is it the reverse, exaggeration masking deep insecurities? I don't know. Still, I confess when viewing these ridiculous faces, I can't help seeing something of value in them, however unattractive it may be.





filmreference.com --

"Lina Wertmüller established herself in the 1970s as Italy's most important female director. Her best works were all typical of the commedia dell'italiana genre: The Seduction of Mimi (1971); Love and Anarchy (1972); Swept Away (1974); and her previously discussed masterpiece, Seven Beauties . Wertmüller's comedies, filled with stock characters and presented with the typical vulgarity of traditional Italian slapstick farce, treated controversial political subjects, such as feminism, women's rights, working-class chauvinism, and the opposition of love and anarchy, with grotesque humor."

When women going out to male strip clubs became chic in the 1980s, I recall men's sexual stoicism quickly coming under the gun - women were whooping it up in these clubs, thrilled to finally be seeing men dancing naked before them, so we were told. These women were in touch with their lust, it was fun and healthy to be vocal and enthusiastic; by contrast, men sat sullen and silent at their own strip clubs, apparently bored out of their minds. What was wrong with them? Were the gyrations of naked bodies not something to be celebrated? Made merry over? Perhaps even get downright silly over?




I don't mean to excuse these goofy grotesques, but perhaps cast them in a different light, give them another context. As a young man growing up and focusing obsessively on anything that smacked of this mysterious magnet called sex, such posters (or late-night viewings of lusty Italian comedies on CHIN TV) conveyed that goofy, foolish, unattractive men, and sexy busty bombshells went together like a fork and spoon. I for one salute this lost ideal; we certainly can't all be George Clooney.




This 'lusty fool' type was not limited to the posters of such films of course but was in fact a mainstay character type of sex comedy, pre-AIDS; in Italy and latin countries, often an older man, apparently past his prime; in the U.S., a young man, eager to loose his virginity at any and all costs. In these films, certain aspects of reality are turned upside down: clumsiness and awkwardness are endearing, not off-putting. Physical comedy often serves to 'accidentally' undress a woman, there being no acceptable means to view the vaunted T&A other than voyeurism, cliche soft-focus romance, or frequently aggressive 'accidents' (at this time, that could include basically just grabbing a woman's top off). Private School is one such film featuring all three types of nudity, for anyone looking for examples.



* from a review of Maggie Günsberg's Italian Cinema: Gender and Genre --

"Chapter Two ('Commodifying Passions: Gender and Consumerism in Commedia all'italiana') is dedicated to the commedia all'italiana, and especially the relationship between sex and materialism. The Italian social context is brought into play here, with a discussion of the increased commodification of Italian social relations during the boom years (which coincided with the peak of the commedia). It begins by looking at consumerism and commodity fetishism within a theoretical framework marked by psychoanalysis (Freud, Lacan) and Marxism (Baudrillard) and then explores how one commodity (the car) functions in a number of films, and the effect on gender relationships of the commodification of relations. It also examines the commodification of the female body (through its sexuality) and of the male body (through its labour power). The films which provide the focus for this chapter are Germi's Divorzio all'italiana, De Sica's Matrimonio all'italiana, and others, such as Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti."

Girly With An Axe!

Eh, more properly a hatchet, I suppose...

Back in the spring, I did a couple of picture posts featuring Sexy Women With Axes. Some of these pictures were movie posters and, if I'd had this Girly poster (and a couple of variations thereof) at that time, I'd surely have included them there.


I could hold onto the pics in some file, I suppose, for a theoretical future third installment. I think they're quite glorious enough to merit a post of their own though; not only is the topmost poster aesthetically appealing in a Salome-esque sort of way, it has a bit of an interesting backstory all its own.

From the indispensable IMDB --

The original poster art for the film was an eerie black and white family portrait of "The Family," dressed in traditional British attire (six form uniforms for Girly and Sonny, a maid's outfit for Nanny, and a World War II era dress for Mumsy). Though this iconography would have struck a chord with British viewers, it was deemed that US audiences wouldn't understand the image. For the US release, the distributor commissioned a poster of an anonymous girl standing in for Vanessa Howard, wearing a cutoff skirt and clutching a... bloody ax.

Sadly, even a sexy anonymous girl with an axe didn't do the trick, and this Freddie Francis-directed horror died a death at the box office, becoming so obscure that, until released on DVD earlier this year, it was well nigh impossible to find.


And while I mention Freddie Francis, would anyone mind if I snuck another of his horror flick posters into this post? It really is such a great one, that of his film just prior to Girly - the mostly decent Dracula Has Risen From The Grave.

Poster Show V!

Proud as punch am I to announce that No No Zero are playing the closing night of Ryan Halpenny's week-long gala gallery art retrospective, aka. Poster Show V. This year's festivities are being held at Function 13 (156 Augusta Avenue, in the heart of Kensington Market), and run from December 4 - 10.

Opening night features The Weirdies, Catl, and the 159 Manning Sacred Harp Choir; closing night includes your hosts No No Zero as well as Induced Labour, Early Abstractions, and Thee Soupcans. A fine, fine pair of shows from Mr. Fort Polio, and yes, another opportunity to post one of his very-pleasing-to-the-eyeballs posters (albeit far too small here).

NOTE:
Show originally advertised as being on Saturday, Dec 11
but is actually Friday, Dec 10

September Show Poster!

And here's the poster for our next show! By now you know the artist, of course - Mr. Fort Polio himself, Ryan Halpenny. Where he got the idea from is anyone's guess...

Free Drawings 8 Poster!

Just released today, here's Jesjit Gill's poster for the upcoming Free Drawings 8 release show at Double Double Land August 27th.

Don't misunderstand, the show is only *three* bones.

Four Corners Poster!

Here it is -- Ka-BLAOW! -- the quadriffic animalistic stylistics of thee grandiose Fort Polio art foremost boast in this post. Drop your LSD tablets and spend all your money on booze, this show is FREE!!!

Anagram, No No Zero, Ancestors and Teenanger all playing simultaneously July 23rd at Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil Street, Toronto. 9pm BBQ 11pm show.

FREE FREE FREE

COME OUT TO FOUR CORNERS

JULY 23 2010

Catl Has A Record Release Party!

If you weren't lucky enough to score a ticket to tonight's sold-out Catl / Bradley Boy New Years Eve show at The Dakota Tavern, you may want to make a note of their upcoming record release, January 15th at the Silver Dollar. The bill includes the always-awesome Anagram (who should have a new record of their own out very soon), the legendary John Borra & Sam Ferrara, and the 100% guaranteed good vibes of DJ Anousheh.


The new Catl record - their second - is entitled "With The Lord For Cowards You Will Find No Place", and it's being released in the same fashion as their first record - as a 12" vinyl LP with CD version included inside. This is Sarah K's first record with Catl, the first Catl-as-a-trio album, and comes on the heels of much playing of shows - I can't wait to check it out.


Both posters here by the fantastic Fort Polio. Live shot by Michael Helmer.

Another poster for the Mitzi's Show!

Wowzers! Check out this poster for our show at Mitzi's Sister on Saturday, designed by Tracey Thompson, ex-Slutarded, and now working at Mitzi's. See some more examples of her posters here.

This one just drips with sensational horror vibes -- looking forward to making it a reality!

Poster for Mitzi's show!

Before No No Zero gets down to work on the next record, we have one last show in Toronto, this Saturday at Mitzi's Sister, 1554 Queen St. West, Toronto. It's $6 at the door, or $5 if you're wearing a Halloween costume. Doors open at 9, first band on at 10.

We're headlining this one -- also playing are Filthy Rich, The Ultimatemost High (ex-Guitar Army and The Brown, most of whom played in The Starkweather Fix at one time or another), and 'Classy' Craig Daniels' new band The Bon (recently featured in this very blog). The poster we see here was designed by Mark Laking of The Ultimatemost High; you might remember that name from a previous post here too.

So come out this Saturday night dressed in your spooky best, lay down a Laurier, and enjoy some fine punk rock action party!

Poster Show IV poster!

Another great poster by Fort Polio, this time for Poster Show IV (which No No Zero is playing of course) -- not just a great bill, but a wicked poster exhibition and a fundraiser in honour of the late great Mr. Majewski himself (that's him on the poster, in case you couldn't figure it out).

I can tell you that we will *not* be a trio at this show after all, and should have some 'special guests' joining us onstage... aaaaaaaannnd the Michal Majewski fundraisers just don't stop! September 18th will see No No Zero return to the super-sleazy Atria in Beautiful Downtown Oshawa, to raise money for a Majewski trust fund, along with The Diplomats and The Ancestors.

Please note also the new-fangled Upcoming Shows sidebar - which hopefully will be around for awhile.

No No Zero Back! Majewski! Poster Show!

I didn’t want to prematurely announce that No No Zero were back before we had a show booked, just in case everything fell through and I looked like an overexcited moron. Now that we do have a show (of which more below), I am happy to announce that the band is back in gear & have been working up a blistering new set for the last month or so.

Perhaps the first thing you should know is that No No Zero is greatly reduced in personnel, at least for the time being – aside from yours truly, we have Zak Hanna on the guitar & Mark Jarrett on the drums. And that’s it! Maximum ARGH, minimum membership.

Alumni Josh Bauman (also of Quest For Fire) joined us for one jam while he was in town, and Greg 'Sweets' Sweetland has tried to make it back too, but is simply in too many bands right now for that to work. Jamie & Johnny meanwhile are still happily rocking away with Catl.

Will we be three at our first show back? Only time will tell. As to the show –- it is Poster Show IV, the last in a very successful series of events in which bands mingle happily with band posters, and both the eyes and the ears are left well satisfied. This year is supposedly the last ever, and is taking place Friday, September 4th at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall Branch 344, 1395 Lakeshore Blvd. W., Toronto (near the Palais Royale).


This is a special edition of an already special show, not only because it may be the last, but because it's honouring one of the best poster artists on the scene, as well as a hell of a great guy, the recently-deceased Michal Majewski. Proceeds are to go to Mike's family & loved ones. They'll be a display of his posters at the show, in addition to the usual amazing cornucopia of poster artists and their posters.

Mike was a musician as well as a visual artist, playing bass in the heavy, heavy FATO, and the musical bill at Poster Show IV is what has me most excited of all. The line-up is: The Ancestors, Sun RaRaRa, No No Zero, Quest For Fire, and finally those fabulous funky kings from Oshawa named Anagram.

This is a great, great bill, and I am really looking forward to seeing everybody play. If I weren't expected to actually, you know, perform, I know what I'd be putting under my tongue beforehand, and it wouldn't be a breathmint.

7PM
SEPT 4 2009
LEGION HALL
1395 LAKESHORE W

Jesjit Gill!

Last Sunday I went to TCAF for the first time -- that's the Toronto Comic Arts Festival -- and it was a whole mess of comic artists taking over the Toronto Reference Library, a weird & wonderful gathering of talent, including such legends as Chester Brown, Adrian Tomine, Seth, and Yoshihiro Tatsumi.

Seated at a table with long time friends Davis Weir & Fiona Smyth was a guy I had not met previously, whose art made the greatest impression on me of the festival - Jesjit Gill.


Mr. Gill has been screen-printing for about five years now and, not only does he make fantastic screen-printed band posters and artwork (as well as the free Free Drawings newspaper), he teaches other people how to do it as well. Very punk rock & I am happy to say he was a really nice guy too.

Catch his work at the Public Address show on now through June 11th!

Below is some of his work I've nicked from these various sites.