Our Lady of Perpetual Hell

I couldn’t resist. From CineFile Video, this mashup is the newest addition to my t-shirt drawer:

Am I Demon & I’m The One are from Danzig’s first coupla albums.

Serendipitously, Herzog’s Encounters at the End of the World has finally come out on dvd.

Inspired by this year’s inaugural Salt Lake City Zombie Walk, my SLC friend Todd designed the newest addition to my wardrobe…

Over the years I lived in SLC–a Gentile amongst the Latter Day Saints–I learned remarkably little about the exact nature of LDS spiritual beliefs (my own fault, natch–it didn’t take long for the local missionaries to stop knocking on my door when I’d greet them with a hearty “Hail, Satan!” that would rock them back a step or two off my Unwelcome Mat), but I did learn a little bit about LDS culture… Including the weekly Family Night they hold on Monday nights. I never attended one of these Family Nights, but from what I understand it is a weekly evening reserved for wholesome group activities designed to strengthen familial bonds.

When Todd showed me his shirt, I flipped for it and immediately sent it to my other SLC friend, Craig—who, along with his wife & kidlets, observes Family Night each week. Craig revealed that there’s even a song that goes along with it—which you can listen to here (choose the “words & music” radio button in the top-left corner & play the song)–and he suggested to Todd that he add the song’s wonderfully-fitting opening lyric to the back of his t-shirt…

How perfect is that?!

Now, I reckon only Mormons are gonna get the joke, but I can live with that.

At Zazzle, you can create a one-of-a-kind shirt because you can choose the shirt style, colour, and if you choose the design with the “Family Night Song” lyric on the back, you can choose the font & font size. You can also choose the design without the lyric on the back. Order yours here.

My latest fashion statement. And it makes about as much sense as any other statement I’ve ever made, doesn’t it? I just love that the rhyme is so, er, unexpected.

While, as someone who grew up Sir Graves Ghastly on Detroit Saturday afternoon television and, thereby, developed a deep and abiding love for all things Gojira, I am well acquainted with the film called Destroy All Monsters, I must confess that I’d never heard of the band of that name before I saw this shirt (designed by band member Jim Shaw), even though they’re from (nearby) Detroit. And now that I’ve heard some of their stuff, I, er, don’t quite know what to make of it. The songs (if that is the right word for them… and I’m not sure it is… I think, rather, of the word “soundscapes” when I hear them) posted at their MySpace page (including the shirt’s song) certainly make it easy to understand why the band was labelled “anti-rock”, since pretty much none of the expected elements of a rock song (like, say, verse-chorus structure or, umm, melody!) seem to be present. The noise of rock is there, though. From what I’ve read, the band went through a bunch of different phases and I found a song called “Nobody Knows” that they did later in their career that sounds very similar to that of one of my favourites, The Flesh Eaters–so much so that I wonder if they knew each other…

Where’ll I wear this one? Well, hrm, it’s prolly a little too too for casual Fridays at work, and it would likely scandalize the Saturday morning shoppers at the local farmers’ market, so… it’s prolly just for concerts in Tronna.

Tip o’ the hat to Tcritic for introducing me to the shirt, and to band member Cary Loren at Book Beat, who answered a crapload of questions from me and took such good care of my order! Order yours here.

Hey, cool–my pal Todd has a design submission at Threadless, and if it gets enough votes, they’ll make it into t-shirt! Please click on the image below and gwan vote, ‘cause I wants me a Merman tee!

…you know who you are.

Ooooh, lookee what I got!

When I was up at Albert’s Rolling Lunch’s new digs earlier this month, I noticed that the employees weren’t wearing the Albert’s-emblazoned t-shirts they useta wear in the truck. My heart sank a little, ‘cause I thought, “Uh-oh, have I missed my chance to get one…?” (Remember how I was jonesing for a blue one?)

I beckoned the owner, Suzy Laviolette, over and asked if she would sell me one of the t-shirts they useta wear. She looked surprised, thought for a minute, and said she wasn’t sure she even had any left. I began to weep and wail, fell to my knees and grasped her ankles beseechingly. (Not really. Just said for effect.) Actually, I just said I really really really hadda have one. Really. Hadda. She must’ve thought I was a bit of a nut. (Shaddap, youse, down there in the peanut gallery!)

But when I got back from Toronto I dropped in again, et voilà!

And she just gave it to me. Free! No charge! Here! Please take it and let go of my ankles!

Thank you, Suzy!! I will wear it with pride!