Writing by Patrick Sullivan

Ode to the Tattooed Irish

St. Patrick’s Day is here and though it’s possible that by the time you read this it may have kicked your ass in a drunken Irish twister of green beer, Clancy Brothers sing-a-long, and maybe a brawl or two, I thought a quick and semi-scattered minute on Ireland and tattoos might be fitting.

Gangland

There’s no clever introduction here. This Sunday starting at 7pm (EST) the History Channel is running a marathon of Gangland, its series that takes an hour-long look inside some of the United States’ most notorious gangs –– and their tattoos.

Hair Metal!

Probably one of the best parts about having a successful career as a barber or hairstylist is the freedom to tattoo those sacred parts of your anatomy that would otherwise cause you some serious pause: hands, fingers, neck, etc. At least, that’s my impression, and it probably stems from my own pipe dream to be one of those slick barbers who wields a straight razor by day and wins the lottery by night. And works as a brew master on alternate Saturdays.

Faux Tattoo Stuffers

Everyone can enjoy some good old-fashioned peer pressure, especially when they’re the ones applying it. So what better way this holiday season to have a little fun with (and possibly bug the hell out of) your non-tattooed friends and family, than with some temporary tattoos?

Me Against the World

With corporate America raping – er, reaping – the benefits of tattoos and tattoo-inspired artwork, it’s damn near exhilarating when something new comes along. Something original, something you can’t find at your local mall. So, America, meet Me Against the World.

Deftones Bassist Chi Cheng in Coma

Chi Cheng, bassist for Sacramento-based band Deftones, was involved in a car accident two nights ago and is currently in a coma, listed in stable condition. Yesterday, Deftones front man Chino Moreno posted a short summary on the band’s official blog, though few details are given.

Empire City Press Calendar and Launch Party

Headed up by tattooists Alex McWatt and Matty No Times out of Three Kings in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Empire City Press is releasing their second fantastic calendar full of fantastic artwork by fantastic artists. Launch party set for Saturday, October 18th at 8pm.

Tattooed Cho Rocks Radio City

Writer, producer, burlesquer, political activist, and one of the most current and relevant comedians of our time, Margaret Cho never fails to be insanely hilarious, startlingly poignant, and abundantly raunchy. In the good way, of course.

LAS Batch #2

All right, here’s the second – and final – roundup of pieces from Lost at Sea. I’m still a contributor for them, so it’s possible more will be on the way. To read the full article, click on the title. For current information on myself, check out the “Patrick Sullivan” page to the right.

Music

The Gaslight Anthem

Having recently released their second album, this New Jersey quartet has proven adept at channeling the determination and hope of punk rock’s roots and then shaping them with coolly executed riffs and cutting lyrics, all offered up with a tinge of rockabilly reverb.

Swervedriver/Longwave: LIVE

What should have been the triumphant return of former UK rock giants, backed by an under-appreciated local band, was more like “a gig for your older brother’s band” where mercy guests reveal themselves as true fans, causing me to wonder, “seriously, where did all the die-hard Swervedriver fans come from all of a sudden?”

Cinema

Punk’s Not Dead

Released to DVD after visiting film festivals from Cannes to Cleveland to Copenhagen, Susan Dynner’s indie documentary Punk’s Not Dead is a 97-minute D.I.Y. dredging of the sand banks lining the now decades-old channels of punk rock. Highlights include Keith Morris, Jake Burns, Ian MacKaye, Fat Mike, Henry Rollins – just be prepared for all those new guys from Sum 41, My Chemical Romance and Good Charlotte as well.

Albums

Gavin Rossdale; Wanderlust

Ouch. Wanderlust traipses through just about every rock cliche of the past few decades, leaning on a crutch of mediocrity long enough to hobble through to the next track. For all its wanderings, the album ultimately falls flat.

LAS Batch #1

In February, the online magazine Lost At Sea was generous enough to offer me a Staff Writer position. LAS is full up with great reviews of music, movies, books, shows, and even comics – a really pleasant and chaotic sea of content.

Since then, due to the ol’ 9 to 5, I’ve been relegated to Contributor, which makes more sense anyway; I got enough to do during the weekdays and I want my weekends. So in an effort to batch everything together in one place, I’ll post the older half here, the newer half sometime soon. These aren’t timely anymore, but at least they’re all in one place now. And an extra thanks to the editorial hand of Eric J. Herboth.

Cinema
Super High Me
Making its New York premiere to a theater full of shockingly punctual audience members two weeks ago at the New York Underground Film Festival, Super High Me is a hazy mixture of stand-up, skit and stoner comedy, skillfully rolled into… some sort of delicious cigarette filled with marijuana.

Heavy Metal Baghdad
The United States, as a body of people, seems to have contracted a severe case of “Iraq fatigue,” and a film like Heavy Metal Baghdad can only serve to provide the benefits of perspective to everyone. Far from the ambiguities of a Hillary Clinton chopper landing in Bosnia, Moretti and Alvi bring war to the screen in a palpable way, with all the violence, paranoia, and humanity that comes with it…

Albums
Carl Creighton; Minnesota
Like an insightful child picking daddy out of a Santa Claus lineup with a shrug and a sigh at how obviously sad and ironic the whole thing is, Carl Creighton offers up Minnesota, a matter-of-fact collection of 11 humble and patient songs.

The Last Shadow Puppets; The Age of the Understatement
The story is that Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane of the Rascals/the Little Flames wrote an album together. They got producer and percussionist James Ford to sit in on drums, and approached Owen Pallet (Final Fantasy, The Arcade Fire) to add a few subtle strings to be performed by the 22-piece London Metropolitan Orchestra.

Music
Brooklyn Basement Country
Once described by the Village Voice as “a good place to break in your little sister’s band,” the basement of The Charleston, an unassuming black-awninged dive on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, played host to Saturday night’s late-winter hootenanny, billed as “a small country showcase.” (I got a fantastic David-Cross-esque-looking photo of Whiteshoes here – worth a look.)