The Earth Died Screaming.

Last night at dinner Penny Modra suggested that every Tom Waits song was essentially a variation on a basic twelve bar blues. By the end of the evening Leith had convinced her that there were some exceptions, but not many. Now, I'm a pretty big Tom Waits fan, and though I'm a little taken aback by her claim, I'm not quite willing to dismiss it altogether. The thing is, I don't really care. It doesn't really matter that Tom Waits has been stealing his riffs from the blues for over thirty years now. Hell, in some songs John Lee Hooker only really uses one note, and he's another favourite of mine. While I agree that structure is important for songs, it's not the be all and end all. And it's the other stuff that Tom Waits does that make his songs fucking amazing; the flesh he puts onto these basic bones is like one one else's in the world.

Also, Flesh vs Venom are playing their last ever show at the East Brunswick Club on Friday night. The Diamond Sea are supporting, as well as Default Jamerson and Dead Boomers. A varied lineup, just like the days of yore. Attendance is highly recommended.