Of all the names that could ever be associated with Insane Clown Posse, riot-grrrl high priestess Kathleen Hanna would perhaps be the last (which became the case only after Jack White drank the Faygo). But now, as Village Voice points out, Hanna is tangentially linked to ICP for all of eternity thanks to her set design work in an upcoming theater production inspired by the group.

Producer/creator Neal Medlyn’s Wicked Clown Love is an experimental musical theater production that’s “built around the music and culture of hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse, their devoted fan base the Juggalos, and other forms of male bonding and ritual.” No word yet on what Hanna’s set looks like, but press for the show promises that the “bomb ass music based extravaganza” will feature  ”Medlyn’s dark specter versions of ICP songs, male bonding activities, flashlight wrestling, terror and horror, face paint, underground Midwestern horror rap, Faygo showers, clown love, and more.” Will there be free face-painting for all attendees as well?

The production will hold three performances from February 2nd-4th at The Kitchen in New York City. You can order tickets here.

Two decades from now, how do you think 2011 will be remembered? As the year we lost Amy Winehouse? How about the year three of music’s most iconic outfits – The White Stripes, R.E.M., and LCD Soundsystem — all decided to call it quits? Maybe Lana Del Rey will prove a sustainable force and then we can all tell our children about the great collagen debate of 2011. Or try to explain to them how two rock and roll hall of famers came together to create the worst piece of music imaginable.

Yeah, 2011 was a fucking weird year. Like, a total mindfuck. We lost some great ones, both literally and figuratively, and we wrote or read about them in between stories about Wayne Coyne’s gummy fetus and Nick Oliveri’s standoff with a S.W.A.T. team. Along the way, we were presented with a legal way to listen to a jazilion songs for free, watched that dude from Nine Inch Nails win an Oscar, and witnessed the return of not just Kate Bush and Tom Waits, but Jeff Mangum as well. Yet, at the end of the day, Lana Del Rey’s collagen lips and Odd Future’s misogynistic tendencies won the award for stories with the longest shelf life on my Twitter feed.

Then again, four weeks from now it’ll be 2012′s turn and who knows what that year has in store. Maybe some scientist will be able to revive Jim Morrison’s frozen head so that we can have a true collaboration between The Doors and Skrillex. Whatever the case may be, Consequence of Sound will be here, 24/7/365, ready to bring you all the major headlines. Until then, though, we remember the last 12 months, categorized by themes, in the pages that follow. And, as always, thanks for reading.

– Alex Young
Publisher

R.I.P.: The Ones We Lost in 2011

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011): The soulful, sultry songstress was the first British female to win five Grammy awards. Unfortunately, she also became a member of the infamous “27 Club” when police found her dead in her London home on July 23rd. An autopsy later confirmed her death as the result of accidental alcohol poisoning.

Clarence Clemons (1942-2011): Founding member and saxophonist of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Clemons was a larger-than-life figure, and he’ll forever be remembered for his solos on “Jungleland” and “Born to Run”. Clemons died on June 18th from complications caused by a stroke. He was 69.

Bert Jansch (1943-2011): Acclaimed Scottish folk singer who was both a celebrated solo musician and member of the band Pentangle. Jansch died on October 5th following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 67.

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011): A celebrated musician, poet, and author who was largely credited as one of the leading influences of hip-hop and neo soul. Scott-Heron died on May 27th. He was 62.

Heavy D (1967-2011): The founding member and leader of Heavy D & the Boyz helped bridge the worlds of hip-hop and R&B in the ’90s before transitioning to a career in film. Heavy D (born Dwight Arrington Myers) died on November 8th reportedly from complications of pneumonia. He was 44.

Nate Dogg (1969-2011): West coast crooner collaborated with Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg. Nate Dogg (born Nathaniel Hale) died from complications of multiple strokes on March 15th. He was 41.

Poly Styrene (1957-2011): The former singer of X-Ray Spek was described as the “archetype for the modern-day feminist punk.” Styrene died on April 25th following a battle with breast cancer. She was 53.

Trish Keenan (1968-2011): Founding member and singer of British electronic band Broadcast. Keenan died from complications with pneumonia on January 14th. She was 42.

Hubert Sumlin (1931-2011): Legendary guitarist and longtime collaborator of blues icon Howlin’ Wolf is ranked at number forty-three in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Sumlin died on December 4th. He was 80.

Cory Smoot: (1977-2011): Guitarist for the shock rock band GWAR was the longest-serving member to play the character Flattus Maximus. Smoot was found dead on the band’s tour bus on November 3rd; as of December 5th, his cause of death is still unknown. He was 34.

DJ Mehdi (1977-2011): French hip-hop and electro producer was a member of Ed Banger Records and collaborated with Chromeo, Cassius, and Carte Blanche. DJ Mehdi (born Mehdi Favéris-Essadi) died on September 13th when the roof of his Paris home collapsed during a friend’s birthday party. He was 34.

Michael “Würzel” Burston (1949-2011): The former Army corporal served as guitarist for Motörhead from 1984-1995. Würzel died from complications of heart disease on July 9th. He was 61.

Mike Starr (1966-2011): The founding member and bassist of Alice in Chains contributed to two studio albums — including the 1992 classic Dirt — before departing in 1993. Starr was found dead on March 8th, with an autopsy later finding traces of drugs in his system. He was 44.

Suze Rotolo (1943-2011): The former girlfriend of Bob Dylan inspired many of the songwriter’s early love songs and appeared on the iconic cover of his 1963 classic, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Rotolo died of lung cancer on February 25th. She was 67.

Gerard Smith (1974-2011): The TV on the Radio bassist appeared on the band’s celebrated albums Return to Cookie Mountain, Dear Science, and Nine Types of Light. Smith died from lung cancer on April 20th. He was 36.

John Barry (1933-2011): The Academy Award-winning composer soundtracked 12 James Bond films between 1962 and 1987 in addition to Born Free, The Lion in Winter, and Out of Africa. Barry died of a heart attack on January 30th. He was 77.

Mikey Welsh (1971-2011): The former Weezer bassist appeared on the band’s 2001 The Green Album. Welsh was found dead on October 8th. He was 40.

Welcome Back: 2011′s Reunions

Photo by Colin Athens

While 2011 was a particularly harsh year for band breakups (see the next slide), at least Pulp came back. Long a dream on festival message boards, the legendary UK outfit finally reunited in the summer of 2011 for their first live performances in nine years. Our own Frank Mojica was at the band’s comeback show at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound and declared it “an explosive set that cemented Pulp’s status as the essential festival band of 2011 and will be remembered as fondly and regarded as definitive as their Glastonbury 1995 performance.”

However, Pulp wasn’t the only celebrated outfit to return in 2011. Buffalo Springfield — the folk rock supergroup comprised of Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young — reunited after 43 years for a brief West coast tour and headlining performance at Bonnaroo. Wrote our own Carson O’Shoney of their Bonnaroo appearance: “Even those who weren’t familiar with the band’s work were surely impressed. Seeing Neil Young wail on guitar is simply one of the better things in all of music. But the final three knockout punches of ‘Broken Arrow’, ‘For What It’s Worth’, and ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ were what really solidified it as one of the best sets of the weekend.”

Other 2011 reunions:

After inciting a riot during their first live performance in five years at South by Southwest, hard-hitting Canadian outfit Death From Above 1979 played any and every summer festival, including Coachella, Sasquatch!, Quebec City Summer Fest, Lollapalooza, FYF Fest, ACL, and Treasure Island.

Post-punk icons New Order reunited after five years with a pair of benefit shows in Europe.

Mazzy Star unleashed a two-song single, their first pieces of new music in 15 years.

Ben Folds reunited Ben Folds Five for their first new material in a decade.

UK glam rock outfit The Darkness reunited for their first live performance since 2006 at UK’s Download Festival.

In celebration of their 45th anniversary, The Monkees hit the road for their first live performances since 1997. Unfortunately, the final eight dates of their trek were canceled “due to internal group issues and conflicts.”

Chicago’s own Hum delivered their first performance in a decade.

San Diego-based post-hardcore outfit Hot Snakes reunited at ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas in December.

Austin, TX, noise rock pioneers Scratch Acid toured extensively for the first time in over two decades.

NYC punk band D-Generation hit the road in the fall for their first performances since 1999. A new album is also in the works.

Mexico City rock band Caifanes reunited after 15 years for a performance at Coachella.

The End of An Era: 2011′s Breakups

Bands, like trends, come and go. Some last for decades with deep catalogs, and others only survive a couple years with an album or two. Their presence has a lasting impact on our lives and ears, and thus their disbandment has the same. To the greats we lost this year: Thanks for the tunes. -Ben Kaye

R.E.M. (1981-2011): Seminal, legendary, and unequaled, Georgia’s alternative rock icons ended their career after three decades. From their 1983 debut, Murmur, to their 2011 finale, Collapse Into Now, to the world’s first GIF album cover, the band exemplified how to be successful, innovative, and cool while remaining uncompromising. Their legacy will be felt for decades more to come.

The White Stripes (1997-2011): One of the greatest bands of the era, this garage blues-rock duo left an indelible mark on music with six albums. Jack White will continue on in his myriad of forms, but The White Stripes will be remembered as the band that started it all and his most widely celebrated triumph.

LCD Soundsystem (2001-2011): These modern dance-punk virtuosos left us with three full-lengths and a year-long swan song, culminating in a finale at Madison Square Garden. And we still wish we were getting more.

Rilo Kiley (1998-2011): Fourteen years of indie rock ended rather unceremoniously. Regardless, their sophomore full-length, The Execution of All Things, will go down as one of the best albums of the last decade.

The Stills (2000-2011): These Canadian indie rockers released three albums over 10 years. They will likely be best remembered for 2008’s Juno Award-winning Oceans Will Rise.

The Academy Is… (2003-2011): These Warped Tour regulars dispersed while in the process of recording album #4. At least they got to tour with KISS before it ended.

Dear and the Headlights (2005-2011): Two full-lengths and extensive touring proved too much for this Arizona indie pop rock band. Scared by all the lights.

The Felix Culpa (2003-2011): Unsung heroes of the Midwest post-hardcore scene. Despite the success of last year’s self-released sophomore effort, Sever Your Roots, there will be no more happy mistakes.

Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon (1984-2011): Founding members of Sonic Youth and godparents of indie rock. What the power couple’s separation means for their iconic band is yet to be seen, though side projects abound.

Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel (2009-2011): This pair of indie darlings split after only two years of marriage amidst heavy work schedules for each. While separations are always sad, we can’t help but swoon over the idea that Deschanel is technically available…

Digital Takeover

On July 14, 2011, millions of music fans sighed in relief: Spotify hit U.S. shores, and the end of the war on music drew closer to its end. Now, that’s not entirely true – the labels still aren’t too happy, neither are the artists – but the idea that “music is free” has never been more agreed upon until now. Thanks to Spotify, users can legally check out a variety of new releases in addition to a fully digestible catalog that spans everyone from ABBA to John Zorn, at any time — even on their phones, though that option will cost them. But it’s a price that many will pay, simply because it’s the way of the future.

It’s the death of the mp3 and the dawn of the truly, strictly digital age, where music listeners can immerse themselves in digital clouds of music. This year, Apple, Amazon, and Google Music all introduced similar formats, asking users to upload their collections into digital lockers, where they’ll always have access. Anywhere. Anytime. Where else can you go from there?

How about interactivity? Online forums evolved this year, too. “You should check this band out” is so passe. Instead, online users are opting for more media savvy formats, where they can turn their textual suggestions into aural delights. Through a service like Turntable.fm, which surfaced earlier this year, users now create rooms, throwing online soirees, where they DJ their own stations. All of this comes at little to no price and with zero trouble (although, there are always exceptions). So, it’s been a pretty transitive year in the music industry. A game changer, if you will. -Michael Roffman

An Odd Future, Indeed.

There’s that wonderful exchange at the end of Batman Begins, when Lt. Gordon digresses on The Caped Crusader’s influence over Gotham City, calling attention to like-minded criminals with a “taste for the theatrical,” stating plainly, “You really started something.” So true of the internet. Most of the time, you’ll find a chunky, melting pot of deep-seeded opinions, but sometimes, just sometimes, they all come together to agree on something. That’s when true change is had. And it can happen overnight.

Case in point: Odd Future and Lana Del Rey.

Controversy played a big role in the successes of these two – the former because of obscenities, the latter because of collagen – but, really, it only fueled it. The real credit, however, goes to the blogosphere. It’s the classic “she tells her friends” routine – only to an ungodly nth degree. One blog hypes a track, one site swears by another, and all of a sudden you’re trending on social networks nationwide, then worldwide, then… yeah, it sort of stops there. It’s nothing new. That’s the true nature of a fad (see: Trapper Keepers, Pogs, LA Gear). But, it’s never seen extremes such as this.

And as polarizing as these acts may be – “Aren’t they being misogynistic?”; “She’s not real! Her real name’s Lizzy Grant! OMFG, hate her!!1!” – it’s the way they came to fruition that’s far more interesting. It reveals a true power within the internet, one that may or may not be good. Regardless of its moral worth, though, it’s here to stay. As the Joker, essentially a by-product of Batman, ominously declared in the film’s follow-up, “There’s no going back. You’ve changed things… forever.” Yep. Deal with it, folks. -Michael Roffman

The Return of R&B

Some guy somewhere jokingly called it “PBR&B” and that gained traction for a little while — R&B for “hipsters.” If we take one thing away from this, let it be this: The resurgence and strength of R&B in 2011 had nothing to do with “hipsters,” a word I apologetically use here (and if I had two wishes for Christmas this year, it would be that I never hear that word again). The strength of The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, The-Dream, How To Dress Well, Active Child, and tangentially Drake this year was born from little else than a defibrillator to a dormant art form using a bit of indie sentiment.

The Weeknd’s sudden and (not so) mysterious arrival drew the highest peak in the EKG chart with the hedonistic, dripping-wet jams of his House of Balloons mixtape, sampling Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshees, which of course reached across the aisle to white tumblrites more ostensibly than Aaliyah and R. Kelly ever did in the 90’s. From there, Frank Ocean bowed out of producing pop hits for Biebs and made known his association with OFWGKTA for his Nostalgia Ultra mixtape, a damp and druggy confessional. Kanye took a liking to him, as well.

The cross-cultural movement was just as strong for Active Child’s choir-boy jams and How To Dress Well’s shrouded pangs, both of whom collaborated with each other on the song “Playing House”. There are many more artists working with these tools: production rooted in current trends, voices like butter, beats like woah. Perhaps the response to the hidden vocals of last year’s genre de l’année Chillwave is that these artists are putting the spotlight back on the soul of the human voice.  -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of the Legacy Act

It’s been seven years since Tom Waits released his 23rd album, six years since Kate Bush released her 9th, and 13 years since Jeff Mangum (as Neutral Milk Hotel) released his second. Not all acts that resurface have to have page-long catalogs, and like Mangum, not all comebacks have to include new material, but these three artists made the biggest impact in 2011 after some time away from the spotlight.

Not even just away from the spotlight, but in some cases purposefully reclusive. Before this year, Jeff Mangum appearances were becoming lore, like seeing the face of Mother Mary in a Crunchwrap Supreme. Mangum only did some one-off shows in barns or was seen looming backstage at some gig. But last January, he announced his reemergence for ATP New Jersey at the “I’ll Be Your Mirror” event — a festival! He went from barns to a major festival in like a year! He then went on a small U.S. tour and released a career-spanning Neutral Milk Hotel box set, and there are no signs of him stopping with tour dates already stretching into 2012.

For Kate Bush, pace is the trick. With 10 albums in over 30 years, we’re running on her press cycle — releasing her babies into the world only when they’re ready to leave the nest. With a flurry (ahem), she dropped two albums in 2011 — her self-explanatory Director’s Cut and her acclaimed new studio album, 50 Words for Snow. With no tour or late-night performances, Bush is still staying out of the limelight for now. But it’s not like she needs the press.

And then there’s the categorical Tom Waits, doing his thing for the 24th time with not a hint of phoning it in. Bad As Me is another trophy for his buckling shelf and his most commercially successful album to date, peaking at #6 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Twenty-four albums in 37 years with rarely a misstep or an eye roll, soundtracking movies, musicals, German surrealist plays, and with his release this year, he’s only further cementing himself as an American cultural icon. We await for “Waitsian” to be added to dictionaries. -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of Radiohead

Photo by Nate Slevin

It’s a predicament: A member of Radiohead posts something online (e.g. new track, obscure art, a haiku-like blog entry, et al.), and you’re a.) out at lunch, b.) four hours into a deep sleep, or c.) at your own wedding. Whatever the situation, you’re finding the closest computer and fast. That sort of conundrum plagues every blogger’s life annually, but especially in 2011. As of today, Consequence of Sound has 10 pages of Radiohead-related news for this year alone. Quite a lot. To think, it all started in the eye-tweaking, early morning hours of February 14th, 2011. That’s when the group announced the release of their eighth LP, The King of Limbs, set to deliver only four days later. Naturally, the ‘net exploded soon after; in fact, as one reader put it that morning, “I just pooped my pants.”

That reaction turned sour (or just downright polarizing) when the LP eventually surfaced. Some complained about its length (a copious 37 minutes), speculating on a second part (which never materialized), while others wondered where the band went, calling it a Yorke-centric effort. A week after it was announced, Consequence of Sound awarded the album four stars, hailing it as “one of their most absorbing efforts to date.” (Currently, the album has a Metacritic score of 80.) Despite the general acclaim, critics everywhere levied their slight disappointment between their words.

But that hardly stalled the group. Since 2007′s event release of In Rainbows, the UK collective has stayed ahead of the curve, and this year was no different. Things just got weird. They issued a free newspaper, their “Lotus Flower” video sent dance enthusiasts on edge, and Yorke started hitting the DJ scene hard. But, on the other hand, they struck all the right nerves by releasing an exclusive Record Store Day 7″, “surprising” festivalgoers at Glastonbury, endorsing an album of remixes, and media blitzing NYC for a week (which included stops at Fallon, SNL, The Colbert Report, and two sold-out nights at The Roseland Ballroom). It doesn’t look like it’ll end for 2012, either, what with another LP and a proper tour on the way. That’s okay, though. Our stomachs, sleep schedules, and loved ones won’t appreciate it, but hey, more Radiohead, right? As the old adage with this group goes, “Stay tuned.” -Michael Roffman

The Day Trent Reznor Won An Oscar

When first approached by director David Fincher to score his film about the founding of Facebook, Trent Reznor had just wrapped up Nine Inch Nails’ lengthy farewell tour and was planning to take time off. However, as Reznor later explained, “When I actually read the script and realized what he was up to, I said goodbye to that free time I had planned.” Undoubtedly attracted by the film’s sentiments on isolation, greed, and entitlement (all familiar issues to the Nine Inch Nails frontman), Reznor graciously accepted his new role as film composer.

Teaming with longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, the duo would go on to create a masterpiece of “alternative-rock infused ambient electronic music” that as our Drew Litowitz writes, “mimics the anxious ambivalence that Sorkin’s script and Fincher’s direction convey so similarly.”  The score amplified the angst and turmoil that accompanied the success of Mark Zuckerberg. For a movie with no ostensible “action” sequences, the score built tension to great heights alongside Aaron Sorkin’s signature verbose script. One question remained: Would movie critics give praise to an outside artist who once sang, “God is dead and no one cares/ if there’s a hell, I’ll see you there”?

With 15 nominations for Best Original Score, it seemed Reznor and Ross had created a score that struck an international cord. Even after winning the Golden Globe, skeptics wondered if The Academy would give Reznor and Ross the Oscar over perennial favorites Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat. All doubt dissipated when Nicole Kidman and the all-too-pleased Hugh Jackman called the duo up to accept each one’s first Academy Award. “Wow, is this really happening?” Reznor asked during his acceptance speech.

Reznor’s now working on the score for the Fincher-directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Will he need to make more room on his trophy shelf? Plus, with an alt-rock artist taking home the coveted award, might Reznor’s win, combined with the efforts of Daft Punk and The Chemical Brothers, be incentive for more contemporary artists to try their hand at composing film scores? We’d like to hope so. -Derek Staples

Who is Arcade Fire??!!?

Sunday, February 13, 2011. Talk about a tumultuous 24-hour news cycle: Hours before Radiohead resurfaced to wreak havoc on the ‘net with The King of Limbs (see page nine), Arcade Fire walked home with a Grammy for Album of the Year for their 2010 album, The Suburbs. As Win Butler & Co. cooked up an impromptu cut of “Ready to Start” over the ceremony’s closing credits, fingers raced across keyboards, mouses clicked, and emotions ran wild. Some praised the news – Kanye West tweeted, “#Arcade fire!!!!!!!!!! There is hope!!! I feel like we all won when something like this happens! FUCKING AWESOME!” – while others, many others, updated their Facebook and Twitter accounts in utter confusion. Thus, one of 2011′s most popular internet memes came to fruition: Who Is Arcade Fire??!!?

For days following the Grammys, the widely celebrated Tumblr account reposted countless social media updates from users everywhere, all of whom had no clue who these Canadian indie rockers were. Some were angry, some were frustrated, and some felt victimized – as if the Grammys robbed Lady Antebellum, Eminem, Lady Gaga, or Katy Perry of a truer win. Naturally, as with anything this insubstantial to normal, everyday life, the wake calmed and most of the anger turned to curiosity. This partly speaks for the thousands upon thousands of fans that arrived in droves to catch them headline festivals, or take over their nearby venues. Creation through chaos, so to speak.

So, while recent Grammy-nominee Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) might think otherwise, the Grammys proved that they do still hold some weight, turning an indie rock icon into a household name. Admittedly, you might not appreciate your mother keeping The Suburbs on rotation with Taylor Swift, but hey, it’s an improvement, right? Yep, Jimbo: “Strange days have found us.” -Michael Roffman

Lulu and more WTF collaborations

We’re generally all for unique, head-turning collaborations, but some instances of teamwork insanity in 2011 really had us going “WTF?” For instance, just last week director Darren Aronofsky glorified Lou Reed and Metallica’s Lulu, which our own Jeremy D. Larson so bluntly described as ”a complete failure on every tangible and intangible level of its existence,” with a music video for “The View”. But not even a video by a top-notch director can save an album doomed by its concept and only further hindered by poor production that awkwardly abandons Reed’s vocals on top of the mix

If Metallica and Lou Reed would have spent a bit more time exploring other odd collabos of 2011, they possibly could have avoided their joint tragedy all together. Back in July, SuperHeavy, the supergroup made up of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley, dropped their first single, “Miracle Worker”. The bloated, inorganic track felt stapled together, with many critics and listeners calling it a marketing ploy by Warner Music Group.

Then in August, profanities flew left and right when we were presented with this picture of Jack White and Insane Clown Posse. If the pic wasn’t awful enough, whoever chose to listen to the White-produced “Leck Mich Im Arsch” and “Mountain Girls” were subjected to ICP at their crudest and most bizarre. Once again, we were left with two very important questions: Was this some maniacal plan each shared during their days in Michigan, or was this collaboration the strange payoff of a backroom bet?

Arguably, Re:Generation takes the prize for most “WTF”-worthy collaboration. Presented by the Hyundai Volster, the concept of Re:Generation was to explore jazz, R&B, country, classical, and rock through the eyes of five modern DJ/producers. Pairings included the Crystal Method and Martha Reeves, Pretty Lights, Leann Rimes, and Ralph Stanley, and the most noteworthy, Skrillex and the remaining members of The Doors. All that bass resonating from “Breakin’ a Sweat” had Jim Morrison rolling in his Parisian grave.

Here’s hoping 2012 finally brings us that Celebrity: Apprentice-inspired boy band featuring Meat Loaf, Lil Jon, and Mark McGrath. -Derek Staples

The Year of the Gummy Fetus

This past January, the often-unconventional Flaming Lips did something decidedly conventional: re-sign with Warner Bros. Records for a multi-year deal. However, with the deal came a newfound level of creative freedom, which Wayne Coyne and co. used to build their wildest and wackiest year to date. Seriously, some weird stuff’s ahead.

The band’s 2011 was marked by decidedly gimmicky ploys to sell music. If they weren’t schlepping tunes inside of gummy skulls or gummy female anatomy, they were creating songs that were six and 24 hours long (though proceeds from those massive, massive “songs” did go toward charity). That, or the group was busy crafting tunes about copulating blobs with the use of YouTube. Some of their releases, like where they wrote people’s name into songs, were decidedly hokey (even if, once again, they were for a good cause). If there were any legit music-making endeavors, like collabos with Prefuse 73, Neon Indian, and Lightning Bolt, not to mention super-shows with Weezer and Yeasayer, they were outshined by graveyard gigs and playing human Whack-A-Mole with SUNY students. If it made headlines while generating mass confusion this year, The Flaming Lips were undoubtedly behind it.

There’s no way to catalog these decisions and projects as true artistic exploration. If anything, nearly everything the band did this year were either jokes and goofs or absurd, almost harebrained marketing schemes. But when someone gives the inmates the keys to the asylum, should anyone be surprised when they smear the walls in green paint and dress up like penguins? We, for one, applaud Wayne Coyne and company for doing what they do best: entertaining us with their increasingly batshit hijinks. Here’s to the kooky things the band will cook up in 2012. -Chris Coplan

Stage Collapses

In the span of two months between July and August 2011, a freak trend hit the music world. Four stages in three separate countries collapsed, killing a total of 11 and injuring many more. The first collapse occurred on July 17th at the Ottawa Bluesfest, where strong winds caused the festival’s main stage to implode 20 minutes into Cheap Trick’s set. Gusts blew the stage backwards, which pushed the scaffold to teeter under the force. Three people were reported injured, and the remainder of the fest – one headlining spot by Death Cab for Cutie – was canceled.

Then, just weeks later on August 7th, a similar occurrence befell Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Brady District Block Party. Moments before local heroes The Flaming Lips were scheduled to go on, a lighting rig was struck by wind and fell into the stage. Though the stage was evacuated beforehand, preventing injury to fans, band members, and road crew, some $800,000 worth of the Lips’ equipment was damaged or destroyed.

The summer festival circuit’s worst incident occurred six days later during country duo Sugarland’s set at the Indiana State Fair. A massive gust of wind toppled the stage, sending steel scaffolding, lighting, and sound equipment into the audience. The destruction of the stage had come just minutes after organizers had announced the storm and outlined evacuation plans. Seven people died as a result of the collapse, with another 44 receiving treatment for various injuries at nearby hospitals.

The fourth and final collapse took place on August 18th at the Pukkelpop festival in Hasselt, Belgium. As Chicago-based indie rock band Smith Westerns were playing on The Chateau Stage, bursts of wind uprooted trees and collapsed several festival tents. The band was evacuated offstage just prior to its collapse. (A second construct, the Shelter stage, was also damaged by weather.) Four people were killed, with another 75 reported injured. The festival, scheduled to run until the 20th, was canceled Friday morning (August 19th).

Late last month, in the aftermath of the incident in Indiana, 51 individuals connected to the collapse sued Sugarland, concert promoters, and those who built the stage for breach of reasonable care. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. A state-sponsored investigation of the collapse will be completed before the case moves forward.

On a more positive note, following the tragedies, fans, musicians, journalists, and festival promoters alike have all emerged to sound the call for increased safety measures, demanding better crowd accommodation and weather preparedness. While festivals will always contend with X-factors, better preparation can only benefit subsequent summer festival seasons. -Chris Coplan

And the Rest…

Clearly, as you’ve just read, a lot of things happened to the musical landscape in 2011. Some occurrences, though, were so darn awesome, head-turning, or just downright strange that they can’t be classified anywhere else. So, here they are, the rest of the biggest news stories of the year. -Ben Kaye

Kanye: The Musical: Ya know, this was probably bound to happen. Students at Australia’s Sydney University told the tale of Ye, from making beats for Jay-Z to his solo ascension, in this September production “about a guy who took a shot at the throne and didn’t miss.”

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks hold a “blowjob” contest: Seems the lyrics to “Senator” weren’t exactly FCC-approved. The line “I know what the senator wants/what the senator wants is a blowjob” needed a rewrite for the radio, so Malkmus reached out to fans for help. Turns out the senator actually wanted a corndog (who doesn’t?).

Bon Iver Day: Even a perfunctory listen to Bon Iver’s music reveals Justin Vernon’s strong affections for Wisconsin. That love was returned on July 22nd when Milwaukee’s Mayor Tom Barrett christened the day “Bon Iver Day” in celebration of Bon Iver’s WI ties, musical accomplishments, and the beginning of their world tour.

Beavis and Butt-Head: America’s favorite slackers/social commentators returned to MTV this year for all-new animated episodes. With a whole new slew of modern musicians and pop-culture to mock, this news… hee… errm.. uhh huhuhuh… rules.

2011: A Rock Odyssey featuring Jack White: For three epic nights, Stephen Colbert joined Jack White at the musician’s Third Man Records. The goal was to revive Colbert’s “music career,” and it ended up giving us three awesome segments, a Catholicism-off, and a duet of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Nick Oliveri arrested after S.W.A.T. standoff: When his girlfriend called the police, ex-Queens of the Stoneage/current Kyuss Lives! bassist Nick Oliveri refused to let her leave the residence or let the cops in. Four hours and a L.A. county S.W.A.T. team later, he was arrested for felony domestic violence. While the case awaits trial, Kyuss still lives, though Oliveri, out on $100,000 bail, won’t be joining them for any international tour dates.

Mic Todd arrested for armed robbery: On tour with Soundgarden, Coheed and Cambria bassist Mic Todd went out and robbed a Walgreens in Attleboro, MA, by telling the pharmacist he had a bomb. He was arrested that night at the Comcast Center on charges of armed robbery and unlawful possession of prescription narcotics. A month later, he was looking for a new band.

Courtney Love dates SALEM’s Jack Donoghue: So, Courtney Love thinks Dave Grohl is a dick, but witch-house is sexy. You know, sometimes I just don’t understand that woman.

Metallica Monopoly: Because nothing says “metal” like family game night.

Luther Campbell runs for mayor of Miami-Dade County: Admittedly, it takes some cajones to choose the eighth-most populous county in the country as your first foray into politics. Probably takes more to try to tax strippers. He lost, by the way.

Joe Jonas says he’s influenced by Daft Punk: The middle Jo Bro cites Daft Punk’s Tron: Legacy work as an influence on his solo debut. So, in essence, you’re saying this led to this.

The fans, the fans, the fans. It’s who all bands take the time to acknowledge. At concerts, artists will always shout out partially histrionic statements like, “We couldn’t do this without you…the fans!” And as a result, every fan’s devotion soars through the roof (if not eternally). It’s somewhat silly, though, not to realize that the fans do make everything possible. People like bands, so they buy their records, see their shows, sometimes blog about them (hey there), “Like” their Facebook pages, live chat with them on Twitter, and on super-rare occasions, even get to meet them. It’s all fine and dandy, but sometimes simple fandom turns into lifestyle choices and obsession.

There are a chunk of bands out there whose fans should never be referred to merely as fans. These fan bases are more or less a cult. Somehow, over the years, a few musical acts have completely shaped people’s worlds. Liking them on Facebook just isn’t enough; their followers have to paint their faces or attend every show the band plays. Some of these cult acts you might understand and think, I can see why people like them. And others make little to no sense at all; in fact, you wonder how the hell somebody got into them in the first place.

It’s simple. It’s called loyalty.

-Ted Maider
Media Specialist

X Japan

Sure, you don’t see them make surprise appearances to wow audiences at Bonnaroo, but X Japan is a group of Japanese metal freaks who have the Eastern Hemisphere stoked. For over 30 years, drummer/pianist Yoshiki and vocalist/guitarist Toshi have been successfully issuing metal records. The even stranger, more alluring facet of the group is their stylistic choice. X Japan specialize in making glam metal that is reminiscent of stuff like KISS, or even Iron Maiden.

This is one band that has become too big for Japan. On X Japan’s Facebook, thousands of people leave remarks proclaiming undying love and how happy they were to see them live. Meanwhile, people in Malaysia are stating they’ve been waiting 20 years just to see them on stage! One reason for this may be because X Japan mainly tour Asia; in fact, it was only a little over a year ago that they first hit the States. Because of this, they might not even hit your country. This leaves fans plenty of time to obsess over old records while desperately awaiting their heroes’ return. It’s almost like poetry…

The Smiths

Morrissey has an uncanny ability. He can make your day turn into absolute shit with just a simple lyric.

There is a great quote at the end of 24 Hour Party People where “God” tells Tony Wilson, “It’s a shame you didn’t sign the Smiths,” and I couldn’t agree more. Had Tony Wilson discovered them, maybe Morrissey would have been a little more cheery. (Wilson was kind of funny.) Most people regard The Smiths as two things: 1) a unique 80s act and 2) the most depressing band on the planet. But there is a sub-group of society that believes The Smiths were (or, are) the greatest thing to ever happen in music. They made some good albums and recorded plenty of good songs, but that just isn’t enough for some people.

Morrissey has gone solo, still plays Smiths songs, and his fans eat it up like Jack in the Box. They love him no matter what. Meanwhile, Johnny Marr spends his time with Issac Brock, The Cribs, or Hans Zimmer. The former Smiths apparently hate each other, too, which makes the cult around them somewhat complex. People are constantly praying for Smiths reunions, and if you don’t believe me, go read the Coachella message board. To pass the time, there are Morrissey conventions that are headlined by Smiths cover bands. Bottom line: The Smiths may never play again, and that in no way satisfies the people who get down on their knees, pray, and listen to “How Soon Is Now?” while asking for a  reunion.

Primus

The cult of [Les] Claypool is a pretty diverse one. You can find just about any type of “_____ music fan” in a Primus crowd. This includes metal-heads, hippies, stoners, e-tard jamtronica kids, hipsters, and on a good day, a couple gangsters. Primus and its whacky-yet-talented frontman Les Claypool have established themselves as one of the strangest popular rock bands of the past 20 years. How a band whose motto is “Primus Sucks” got so far is crazy to consider. One minute they’re popping up in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, and the next they’re showing up onstage with Phish. Primus has released a total of just seven albums (five of which are amazing) in over 20 years, but people are still devoted to their lunacy.

It took Primus 12 years to release their latest work, Green Naugahyde, and in between, the cult of Primus still thrived strong. Whenever Claypool brought back the mighty trio, though, the Primus fans came out of the woodwork. Their return show at the Great American Music Hall just one year ago sold out in lighting speed. So it would seem that the less Primus do, the more in demand they are by their nuttiest of worshippers. And now that they’re back and touring regularly, there is more time for the cult of Claypool to further deform and mutate for future generations.

Claypool will inevitably go down in history as the only bass player to lead the masses. Primus certainly do not suck.

Dave Matthews

Here’s something you probably already know: Dave Matthews and his band have made millions off bros, hippies, Abercrombie models, and college kids alike. Over the years, Matthews has become less a musician and moreover a pal to ring up on a rainy day. Most fans feel comfortable enough to call him simply “Dave”; you know, because they’re longtime pals. Somehow, the South African frontman has exuded enough friendly pheromones to keep an amassing cult following.

As a result, wherever “Dave” goes, they go. Just take a look at their live shows. The band hasn’t been Billboard royalty in ages, yet they continue to sell out gigs in every city. They’re a live wunderkind, as diehards will tell you. Whether it’s a solo gig, a headlining set with Tim Reynolds, or the band’s own shindig, aptly titled the DMB Caravan, you’re bound to see the same teary-eyed fans – whom all skipped classes to grab tickets, no doubt. To quote Carmine Falcone a la 2005′s Batman Begins, “That’s power you can’t buy.”

Some may never understand Dave Matthews, or his music, but a hell of a lot of other people sure do.

Elvis Presley

Some people believe the world’s flat, others think Elvis Presley never croaked. To borrow from Jim Morrison, “People are strange.” There’s a reason for the latter, though. No musical artist has left a legacy greater than the King of Rock. Elvis arguably set the standards for what a “cool rock star” is supposed to be. He abused narcotics, he ripped off his superiors, he had an unbelievable live show, he danced sexually, he starred in movies, he sang like an angel, and he had a signature hairdo/slogan. Few in the genre have been as iconic. Note: That’s as iconic.

When Elvis died on August 16, 1977, he left behind the biggest cult of crazies any artist could ever hope to have. Let’s just start off with the tip of the iceberg: His home in Memphis is referred to as “Graceland”. Not even Kanye West would be that bold. His legacy is continued by two different factions of devoted fans. The first you can find anywhere in Las Vegas. Across the sin city, men pose as Elvis and engage in a number of different moneymaking activities, including performances. The other subset consists of obsessed women who feel they should have been born years ago just to have a shot at sleeping with the King. People love him so much that they even make movies about his legacy that have nothing to do with Elvis (e.g. 3000 Miles to Graceland, the underrated classic Rock-A-Doodle).

Salma Hayek once said, “That’s why [Elvis] is the King, and you’re a schmuck.” We’re all schmucks compared to the King; that’s why we worship him.

Radiohead

It’s hard to brand any band that is considered one of the biggest in the world as having a cult following, but the cult of Radiohead certainly exists. In their time, they’ve released three game-changing records (OK Computer, Kid A, In Rainbows), and have only continued to excel in creativity, diversity, and overall uniqueness. There has never been, and probably never will be, a band like Radiohead.

The Radiohead Cult, on the other hand, believes half of the above paragraph. Die-hard fans constantly post setlists online to show how unique their Radiohead show was (thank you, 58hours.com). They also don’t believe Radiohead released three amazing albums; they believe Radiohead has released nothing but amazing albums to a point where they will argue the legitimacy of Pablo Honey all night until you want to kill them. They’re those people you hate who constantly claim “they are the best band in the world.”

It’s hard for this writer to disagree on that one, but that’s because he got his membership card years ago.

Black Flag

Members of the Black Flag cult include just about every famous rock star of the past two decades (like Kurt Cobain), every SoCal skate punk since 1981, Daniel Dassario from Freaks and Geeks, and actual members of the band (Henry Rollins was a huge fan before he was their singer). Black Flag is most notorious for doing the unthinkable: touring the nation with no money, no fame, no agents, and playing in whatever shithole club would allow them to. Today, every band that is on MySpace tries to follow that template. They made some pretty good punk records, most notably 1981′s Damaged, all of which reshaped the sonic assault of punk rock. People even branded punk as something else after that: hardcore.

Nowadays, every punk who takes themselves seriously belongs to the cult of Black Flag. While the band will undoubtedly never reunite again, they still get the respect and credit of any other cult band. Any cult members who have a band today cover their songs ad-infinitum (usually the song “Six Pack”). Many punks, including their singer Henry Rollins, have the Black Flag bars tattooed on their body somewhere. And the thing is, the Black Flag cult isn’t necessarily underground anymore like it was in the ’80s. People proudly pledge allegiance to Black Flag by getting ink, reading the (many) books about them, cranking “Rise Above” when they’re feeling blue, and seeing any former member’s side project if they can.

As long as punk lives, people will buy Black Flag records.

Wu-Tang Clan

When you have nine members in your group, it’s kind of difficult not to get a following. Logic would dictate that at least one person has to be good. The Wu, though, defied all logic; almost all of them were good. Wu-Tang have made some moves in the music industry that are admirable and clearly the ideas of a moneymaking genius (RZA). They have changed the sound of underground hip-hop, released far too many records to count, and are still living large after almost two decades. The only other rappers who have done that well at this point are Public Enemy, Run-DMC, and Dr. Dre,

The reason the Wu-Tang Clan have remained so successful is this: Their fans, or Wu-Disciples, will buy just about anything they stamp that huge W on. Aside from records, Wu-Tang have issued: re-released kung fu movies, video games, comic books, and books with titles like The Way of the Wu. Not to mention a few of them have made appearances in film and television (Ghostface on 30 Rock was just one of hundreds of highlights). Their Disciples buy all that stuff, along with the insane number of solo records that exist beneath the streets. People follow these ninjas blindly through Shaolin, and life, and don’t stop to question where the group is at now.

They have followed the way of the Wu for so long, they don’t know any other rap lifestyle to live.

deadmau5

I don’t think Joel Zimmerman, aka deadmau5, had any intention of leading masses to his glowing cube for the past few years, but if you light it up, they will come. Deadmau5 has had the best past few years any musical act could ask for, despite the fact he only has one commercial album. You don’t see his poster hyping up a new release at Best Buy, but his fans are certainly always waiting for more. He has done it all at this point, including DJing the VMAs, heading the top tiers of music festivals, and slaying the evil Chtulhu with Harley Morenstein and Muscles-Glasses.

The fans of deadmau5 are what constantly make his shows an experience worth remembering. For one, they love to dance, and they know his songs all too well. They know when to jump, grind, and scream perfectly. And people don’t go to his shows to hear him “spin” for hours. No, they go to hear actual songs like “Ghosts N Stuff” and “SOFI Needs a Ladder”. What really separates deadmau5 from many other cult acts, though, is that his fans like to sport his headgear. At any of his shows, you will find Mau5 helmets in different shapes, colors, sizes, and all with different abilities (some have LED blinking eyes). One such fan recently informed me he spent 40 hours on his helmet! Hey man, ask Zimmerman for a job with that kind of dedication!

Soon those helmets will start to be mass-produced, and that will certainly open the floodgates for more members to join the cult of Mau5.

Misfits

I wish I could have been alive to enjoy the benefits of the Fiend Club. When New Jersey muscle-heads and horror geeks Glenn Anzalone (Danzig) Jerry Caiafa (Jerry Only) formed a punk band in the Caiafa family basement, they probably didn’t see their legacy stretching much further than that. Here we are, though, 30 years later, and the Misfits remain one of America’s most notorious cult acts. In their time, The Misfits played a brand of “hardcore punk” that essentially started with the pop sensibility of a Blink 182 riff. Their recordings were low quality, and the songs were simplistic. The lyrical content was a bit on the weird side, and their stage show complimented all of that perfectly, all the way down to their signature Crimson Ghost logo and devilock hairstyle.

As it turns out, most people in the Misfits cult enjoy two things: 1) Danzig and 2) ripping off the Misfits (see: Metallica). The Misfits cult, though, is more a dress code- and attitude-based society rather than a legion that follows them to every show. Lots of darker skateboarders idolize them (e.g. Jamie Thomas, Bam Margera, Adrian Lopez, etc.), goth kids appreciate them, and even the Aqua Teen Hunger Force seems to like Danzig, if not fear him. The Crimson Ghost is still everywhere (like the hood of Bam’s car) in America and is sold on t-shirts at Hot Topic. Some people even wear their clothes without knowing what that skull really means.

I once told a friend that I considered the Crimson Ghost to be “the Stealy of punk rock.” Considering how fiends nod to each other in passing when they see the mark, I feel that remark holds some validity.

Minor Threat

I once got to hear Ian MacKaye speak and, almost predictably, the first question anybody asked was “How do you feel about what the straight edge movement is today?” He replied by saying this was the most commonly asked question in his life.

Ian MacKaye is one of those “accidental rock stars.” He didn’t necessarily want to be famous, but he is, and he also turned a few thousand heads along the way. When he responded to the question stated above, he replied, “I didn’t think we’d be talking about this now. I wrote that song for my friends and myself.” The cult of Minor Threat is one that involves a lifestyle change for sure; you have to be completely substance free. MacKaye started Minor Threat in the mid-80s, and they quickly blew up as one of hardcore’s most influential (and valid) acts. They wrote songs about the things kids went through, the pressures of the Reagan world, and how staying above the influence could help you remain on top.

The best part is that people believed it then and still believe it to this day. The straight edge movement is still at large and will always seem to have a home in punk counterculture. Minor Threat didn’t just get fans to like their music; they got them to completely change their lives. Chuck Klosterman once laughed about a guy who said, “Punk saved my life,” but for some people strung out on H all the time, straight edge music might have legitimately saved them. It showed people that even the toughest and meanest kids on the block could have a good time by drinking milk. Ian MacKaye didn’t just create a cult; he created a movement.

Insane Clown Posse

Two videos have been released recently to convince me that Juggalos are not as bad as we think. One is a documentary on Vimeo, entitled American Juggalo, which chronicles a weekend at the infamous Gathering. The second is the Juggalo episode of Workaholics, Comedy Central’s mashup of Always Sunny and The Office. Insane Clown Posse is one of the most mocked, hated, and somehow slightly underrated rap groups of our time (The Great Milenko is a freaking 90s classic). This isn’t surprising considering they dress like clowns and talk about decapitating bitches. Their words, not mine.

What is admirable, though, is how dedicated their Juggalo fans are, not just to them, but to every band they are affiliated with (Kottonmouth Kings, Twiztid, Dark Lotus, Tech N9ne… I could go on forever). They spend oodles of cash, not just on CDs and tickets, but on jerseys, Hatchet-Man chains, and an over-abundance of tattoos. The Hatchet-Man is pretty much everywhere, whether spray painted on your local 7-11 or staring at you from somebody’s back windshield. The Juggalos have no problem with their undying love for two white-trash knuckleheads from Detroit and go out of their way to prove their loyalty. Sometimes, this involves painting your face and going to the mall.

Consider the Gathering of the Juggalos on this writer’s bucket list. There are apparently 0 conflicts there.

Phish

Phish’s four-night run at Madison Square Garden for this New Year’s Eve sold out in under 10 minutes. The saddest part is that this happens almost every single year.

There have never been fans more ruthless than those obsessed with Phish. The Phans are all out of their mind. Phish is working their way even further up the ladder of jam-band success, and there is a possibility they will some day surpass the Grateful Dead. Their live shows are indeed astounding, complete with a spectacular light show, sporadic song choices, and glow stick wars. Phans (now thanks to the internet) are constantly swapping sets, but that’s even becoming less of a need as the band posts all of them on their site. It’s almost as though they are trying to lure you in. After all, Phish like bait.

While the Phans might appear all hippy-dippy, do not be deceived; they are absolutely ruthless. One such Phish Phriend of mine paid $700 for two Telluride tickets, and he considered that a good deal. That’s dedication. At any festival the band plays (Bonnaroo particularly), the crowd closest to the front goes into lockdown mode, takes a seat, and ensures nobody will get in front of them. The Phish lot scene consists of loads of shirts, all made by different groups of Phans, usually to fund their drug-induced tour of America as they follow the band. And that’s the other thing: People follow the band. Everywhere. If they don’t have tickets, they find a way in. And if they don’t find one, they will sit in the parking lot and listen. That definitely happens way more than you think, considering their shows always sell out.

KISS

If you don’t believe this article, then go watch 1999′s Detroit Rock City.

People who love KISS, love them. Sure, they’re gimmicky, but they’re also skilled musicians and have a stage presence even some 30 years later. (Think about it: Who wants to follow a guy who spews blood and hangs above fire?) Their acclaimed live album, 1975′s Alive, remains a staple amongst the bravest rock aficionados and still motivates kids to pick up axes themselves. But above all, their escapist rock ‘n’ roll fantasies are responsible for one of the biggest cults of the genre: the KISS Army.

During the late ’70s, KISS legitimately owned America. They started as openers for acclaimed rock acts, but that didn’t last too long. In due time, their spell washed over millions of sex-crazed souls, thanks in part to the band’s seminal hit “Rock and Roll All Nite”. The craze spread everywhere. KISS released movies, Christmas specials, comics, lunchboxes, and all sorts of ridiculous merchandise, and the KISS Army continued to arm themselves to the teeth with the memorabilia.

Today, the KISS Army isn’t nearly as strong as it was back in the days of disco, but some embers in the fire remain. The band still cops a pretty penny when they tour (even without two of its original members), Gene Simmons has his own reality TV show (and cologne), and Peter Griffin threatened to divorce Lois on the grounds of not knowing KISS lyrics. Not too shabby.

The Grateful Dead

The original name for the kings of the jam scene was the Warlocks, a title that seems far too fitting. Jerry Garcia certainly was some sort of magical pied piper, as he was able to lead thousands of hippies all over the world. The Grateful Dead are probably the first band to have such a devoted cult following, and rightfully so. Over their 30-year career, the band played well over 2,000 shows! And even though Jerry Garcia died in 1995, people are still following any Dead offshoots, side projects, and former members to this day. The most recent offshoot, Furthur, even headlined multiple festivals last year and continue to tour with full support from Dead Heads around the world.

The Dead Heads are more than your ordinary supporting cult; they go to great lengths to stay devoted. Some of them give up their homes, cars, diet, and all sorts of belongings to stay on tour with the Dead. People usually eat a lot of drugs, which also compliments the chaotic lifestyle the actual band lived back in the day. And unlike any of the other bands listed here, people follow them around the world. In 1978, the band played a huge show at the Egyptian Pyramids, and yes, people followed them there, too. Dead Heads know no boundaries on this planet; they are all about universal harmony and good vibes.

As long as there is music, people will listen to the Grateful Dead. Even if their music someday becomes totally irrelevant, the grandchildren of hippies will keep alive their grandparents’ legacy of taking blotter acid in San Francisco at Ken Kesey’s parties. The Dead Head cult will always take new members, and that’s a beautiful thing, because everyone is always welcome.

“Mountain Girl”, the twangy B-side found on Insane Clown Posse and Jack White’s collaborative 7″ single, has made its way onto the web. Enjoy!

And if you somehow managed to miss the single’s A-Side, the Mozart-featuring “Leck Mich Im Arsch”, it’s right here:

ICP and White’s 7″ single is out now via White’s Third Man Records. In much better news, The Raconteurs are back.

A couple years back, our own David Buchanan wrote about Insane Clown Posse (ICP), to which several – if not hundreds – of you expressed your deep hatred at the group, and how disgusted you were with the coverage. Suffice it to say, Mr. Jack White of Third Man Records was not one of those people. In a release that’s likely to make heads spin (literally, metaphorically, what have you), White has produced a track that not only features ICP, but also, and get this, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

We’ll let the press release explain that one:

Back in ’82, ahem, 1782, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote a piece that’s been left out of the spotlight ever since. The title of the piece is “Leck Mich Im Arsch” or literally translated to English as “Lick me in the arse.” Understandably this piece has figuratively been swept under the rug. So who better to give this piece it’s due respect than the wildly successful, much misunderstood, and divisive Southwest Detroit rappers Insane Clown Posse?

To bring the track up-to-date, White tagged Nashville rock band JEFF the Brotherhood, who dusted off Mozart’s classic melody (complete with operatic German vocals), all for ICP’s taking. Basically, just get ready for your head to melt.

But, why stop there? In addition to “Leck Mich Im Arsch”, there will also be a B-side titled “Mountain Girls”, which “finds Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope telling tall tales about a shotgun wedding, meth problems and moonshine…all pretty common-fare for a twangy country song birthed in Nashville.” So, how do you hear this madness?

The Mozart medley is streaming below now, but to hear the other song, you’ll have to wait until September 13th, when the entire single will be available as an iTunes digital download. However, in typical Third Man fashion, it’ll also be available as a 7″ single, though limited to one hundred tri-color copies, available only at the Third Man Rolling Record Store at the MI Fest in Brooklyn, MI which goes down September 17th. Another 50 copies will be randomly inserted into mail orders via Third Man Records. Yeah, good luck.

Mark your calendars, folks. The world officially ends today. Not with a whimper, nor a bang, but with facepaint and some maniacal laughter. Kudos.

“Leck Mich Im Arsch”

And here’s the amazing teaser trailer:

The 12th edition of Insane Clown Posse’s own festival will take place in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois August 11-14 and feature the usual Psycopathic Records heavy-hitters: Twiztid, Dark Lotus, Anybody Killa, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Psycopathic Rydas, Marz, and of course ICP themselves will be performing at the festival.

As if that weren’t enough (what are you, crazy?), the Gathering will be graced by the presence of several big-name outsiders as usual. Get ready for a list of names that will blow away your inner 1999. Confirmed for the Gathering are Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, Mystikal, Juvenile, DJ Quik, Kottonmouth Kings, Kittie, Dope, and Saliva. Also, not only do they have Ice Cube, but they got Vanilla Ice!

The music lineup is rounded out by George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars, Xzibit, MC Hammer, E-40, Paris, DJ Clay, Lil Wyte, CKY, Tech N9ne, The Dayton Family, and more, including “two huge surprise names” that will not be revealed until the weekend of. We’re banking on Kid Rock and Kris Kross.

Of course, no juggalo gathering would be complete without a bunch of other random shit to distract ticket-buyers from the fact that all the musicians they came to see are washed up. Thus, the Gathering will feature ladies’ oil wrestling, open mics, karaoke, freestyle battles, a Faygo wet t-shirt contest, a “Miss Juggalette” contest, helicopter rides, astro jumps, the neden game (don’t ask), comedy, and of course wrasslin’.

There will be Oddball (hardcore) wrestling and Legends of Wrestling, featuring names from Terry Funk and Jerry “The King” Lawler to Rhino and one-legged Zach Gowen. There will also be Juggalo Championship Wrestling tryouts, so fans who dream of one day falling backwards through a flaming table onto thumbtacks for next to nothing can have their shot at the Gathering.

What might be the most intriguing aspect of this year’s gathering is the comedy lineup. Bonnaroo, you’ve been outdone. Not only will there be names like Brian Posehn, Big Money Hustlas‘ Harland Williams, and Jimmie “J.J.” Walker of Good Times, but the Gathering will provide a forum for several wrestlers to try their hand out at comedy! The Iron Sheik, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Raven, King Kong Bundy, Colt Cabana, and Mick “Cactus Sac” Foley will all unlace the boots and grace the stage. That’s right, Tom Green in 2010, Dude Love in 2011.

If, somehow, this doesn’t knock your fuckin’ wigs off, maybe a corny video featuring Violent J, Vanilla Ice, DJ Clay, and some obnoxious chick (we’ll call her Tila Tequila 2011) will better accomplish that. In the video below, which varies between intentionally and unintentionally hilarious, Vanilla Ice describes the juggalos as the “greatest, most open-minded people on Earth” and, apparently not recognizing any irony whatsoever, he describes the Gathering as “completely void of staleness.” The infomercial’s narrator later champions the phenomenon by which “total strangers become your brothers and sisters” and wonders aloud why it’s so easy to get laid at the Gathering. Let’s hope that question answers itself.

Tickets are available at the Gathering’s website and at select Hot Topic stores. Of course, be warned — this is no Coachella, and as the infomercial suggests, “If you have a problem with juggalos, then you can stay home sitting on your dumb bitch ass!” Or you can go to Outside Lands, if that’s more your speed.

If you’re a juggalo/magnet enthusiast, then you’re probably well aware of the annual Gathering of the Juggalos. While last year was clearly just a huge moment in the festival’s history, the ICP-sponsored festival returns in 2011 in Cave-in-Rock, IL at the HogRock campground from August 11-14. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 14th (more info here) for what Psychopathic Records is calling an event that will “knock your fuckin’ wigs off”. Bring hand sanitizer.

Other notables on the 2011 bill include rappers Wiz Khalifa, Chiddy Bang, and Waka Flocka Flame, R&B star Bruno Mars, and even indie favorites Das Racist. Long Island hardcore band The Movielife is reuniting. Oh, and the fucking Insane Clown Posse is playing too.

Click here to view the entire lineup.

The Bamboozle 2011 runs from April 29 – May 1 in the parking lot of the New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey. Three-day passes start at $99 and are available Front Gate Tickets. Also available is something called Wayne’s VIP Ticket, which includes access to a VIP lounge and backstage tours. Those start at $299.

Psychopathic Records is home to a bevy of artists, all with their own shtick, all with varying degrees of talent, and, I admit, this is not the first time a rap mogul has had a familial take on the role of protege, but the five-year-old son of ICP’s Violent J, known as the anti-climactic Violent JJ (clever), is not on Bow Wow’s former Lil level by a long shot. This premature heir to the ninja clown patriarchy is subject to debate, not on the basis of bloodline, but because, if I were him, I’d disown the family name, sue for being exploited, and go write rhymes for Raffi.

This is not rap. Violent JJ’s sparse lyrics are looped as annoyingly as the beat he’s been given. You might argue that he’s too young to patronize, but this is more an indirect critique of his father’s definite lack in the commonsense department. This, my friends, is a rap video that name drops his little sister Ruby (who is adorable, by the way) and sounds like something easily mistaken for an accidental Internet meme (“Miracles”, anyone?).

You know what? I can’t even legitimize this, just…just watch. Talk whatever smack you like. I’m an ICP fan all the way, and even I cannot endorse this. Hell, JCW is embarrassing enough. Think Corgan will start doing jingles for them, too?

To the line-up — I would say that Coolio being on the bill was a die-hard shock, but given the Juggalo Gathering’s past booking of Vanilla Ice and so on, I’m not terribly surprised. Unfortunately, age and drug use have not been kind to the ill-fated-but-otherwise-positive rapper. Gathered with his son and nephew on stage (yes, his son is a grown adult and also a rapper … a much better one, even), Coolio opened with his most recent song, “From The Bottom 2 The Top”, while hundreds of people stood in the drenching rain to play “spot the downward spiral/upward hairline.”

Coolio’s worst song was the best performance he gave all evening, and this is a shame with a streak of bad luck; couple that with technical difficulties (staged or not) and having the fewest lyrical deliveries throughout his whole collaborative set beyond “From The Bottom 2 The Top” and “Gangster’s Paradise”, the 46-year-old former hip-hop star has become a shell of himself. He should not be touring right now, period — he is embarrassing the remaining fans of his work, old and new, but more importantly, he is embarrassing his own being. Better to burn out, specifically if you’re burning one in the process that you shouldn’t be (not necessarily the ganj).

By the time our weather began to clear, this tiny outdoor setting (complete with no overhang and no press pit) began preparations for Kottonmouth Kings to perform. KK is one of those acts, much like ICP, who do not need nor wish to be taken all that seriously by mainstream media outlets. The lyrics can be redundant or dated at times, and I wholeheartedly agree that their newest album is merely the same ol’ same, but to be fair — that is KK and always has been, and more often than not the members’ respective song deliveries tend to outshine the content with a modicum of worthy skill, even if the subject matter never changes. Meanwhile, the crowd was awash in the aroma of fresh greens (inconspicuously palmed in unison when needed, I’m sure) and Daddy X’s on-stage banter about legalization and finding jobs for the American public. At least he’s adamant, no?

The set list was peppered with tracks from all over the band’s discography, while also introducing the newest steady member, The Dirtball, who was a highlight of the evening’s rap personae. “Full Throttle” and “Where’s the Weed At?” were expected inclusions and brought everything from mosh pits to singalongs, while the newest tracks from Long Live the Kings such as “Stomp” and “Rampage” were proof that even the weakest of KK can still bring a house down if the fans are loyal enough. D-Loc and Dirtball seemed to be the ones most capable on their toes, whereas Daddy X emerged looking like Koopa from the Super Mario Bros. live-action film and came off nearly as ridiculous, despite his attempts to sincerely engage the audience. In retrospect, KK topped Coolio easily, but is that really saying much?

As night swelled and the rain restarted in a mild misting, black curtains and loudspeakers repeatedly cock-teased the Juggalos and Juggalettes before our ringmaster rang in the festivities to announce, verbatim, “The most hated band in the world” — Insane Clown Posse.

ICP entered with the usual bombast and carnival antics, opening on The Great Milenko favorite “Hokus Pokus” for a proper trade-off introduction. To make light of the positives, this set was more about fan service and less about promoting the newest record, Bang! Pow! Boom!, a noticeable difference from the last tour.

Gone were “To Catch a Predator” and “Chop Chop Slide”, instead replaced with The Amazing Jeckel Brothers classics “Assassins”, “Fuck the World”, and my personal favorite, “Terrible” — a song that, while spearheaded by two guys whom we can all agree are not very talented rappers, holds merit for pointing out the misguidance in today’s media and the ignorance of bigotry. There were performances of Bang! Pow! Boom! that everyone did expect and did receive, such as the boastful “In Yo Face”, the finale charge of its titular track, and the newest mock-ful Internet meme “Miracles”, but if there was a complete absence of B!P!B!, people might talk. The party was glazed with some danceable “Tiltawhirl” and “Homies” before becoming a full-on fanatical raucous.

Once again, Insane Clown Posse managed to steal the show away from everyone on board, and while not a big feat as relative to Coolio, Kottonmouth Kings held their own that night, and ICP still overthrew the spectators with typical anarchical celebrations the likes of which no one I’ve seen has yet to top. Let me make this as plain as I can without drowning myself in unneeded superlatives: Insane Clown Posse is not a hearty, intellectual, or quasi-political rap game statement; Shaggy and J are not icons of a burgeoning American music scene, they are just themselves — on tainted Halloween candy perhaps, but that’s open to opinion.

Casual fans can shuffle their iPods and go from Animal Collective to “I Want My Shit”, because ICP is something else — nothing like the roster of Psychopathic Records exists elsewhere; dedicated fans can experience a family aesthetic at these concerts much like a Dylan fan gets intimacy from his acoustic sets, because it is a sense of belonging to be with those who are frowned upon in society and feel welcomed. ICP has repeatedly lauded the deeper meaning in what it represents beyond carnage and necrophiliac-based rhymes, and though we can chalk it off as one publicity stunt after another, people truly believe in the perverse joy this duo brings to the table.

In the end, as pissed off as some of us may be at the world (and its inclement weather, especially during this event), as much as those frustrations can lead us to venting our anger by constructive means like moshing or reciting “Fuck the World” — we still know how to party, and we still know that life’s too short to be taken seriously. Have a Faygo, America, and a happy daze to you all.

Oh, and stay the hell out of Charlotte venues, that city’s staff is about as helpful as an ax to the cranium.

Photography by Sabrina Roman

Well, those messed-up little dudes are about to shit themselves and anyone who is looking for a good group Halloween costume idea has just hit a gold mine. Not only are ICP rolling out a lengthy summer tour, but they are bringing some of their A-list friends, according to the AV Club. Does the name Coolio get you excited? Do you own a Kitty ball-gag? Do you skip over all the words in this story that exceed six letters? Well, this tour is for you (and apparently there are some of “you” in Anaheim, which freaks me out). Kitty apparently has trouble finding tour mates, noting on Twitter: “Finally a band with enough balls to take us on tour.” No, Kitty, it’s not that. Fun Loving Criminals already had some state fair obligations to attend to.

Fans of responsible cannabis use Kottonmouth Kings round out the bill that begins in Memphis on May 9th. Let’s just hope this doesn’t come too close to the Paramore/Tegan & Sara tour because I think that is how black holes are born.

Tickets are now available via Ticketmaster.com.

Insane Clown Posse 2010 Tour Dates:
05/09 – Memphis, TN @ The New Daisy Theatre
05/10 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium Ballroom
05/13 – Louisville, KY @ InnPlace Hotel and Conference Center
05/14 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
05/16 – Columbus, OH @ Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
05/17 – Charlotte, NC @ The Uptown Amphitheatre
05/19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
05/20 – Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Concert Pavilion
05/21 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
05/22 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
05/24 – Cleveland, OH @ Nautica Pavilion
05/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Cabooze
05/27 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Westfair Amphitheater
05/29 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Cap Fed Park at Sandstone Amphitheater
05/31 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks
06/01 – Magna, UT @ Saltair
06/03 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House
06/04 – Portland, OR @ Expo Center
06/05 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
06/07 – Anaheim, CA @ Grove of Anaheim
06/08 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
06/09 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
06/10 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
06/12 – Albuquerque, NM @ Tingley Coliseum

The line outside SouthEnd along Tryon St. was a bit of a low-key gathering in its own right — countless fans in clown paint and Psychopathic merchandise littered the sidewalk (quite literally). SouthEnd being a non-smoking venue due to recent law changes, everybody outside palmed menthols relentlessly, and so it began.

A label known as Suburban Noize hoists up its own rather well; the most successful of this alumni are Kottonmouth Kings, and while due respect is given, October 13th belonged to “stoner rap thrashers” (hed) p.e. The majority of what we caught on stage consisted of banter from vocalist Jared Gomes as he hyped the crowd with braggart speeches about how cool his chick is to watch MMA matches with him, or how screwed up it is that weed is illegal but “they’ll let you drink ’til you throw up.” Donning face paint as a sign of respect to the headliner, (hed) p.e. rocked out to anything that would get the crowd’s attention pointed at the stage. This is how braggadocio operates, everyone…cocky as fuck, and no shit from anyone.

Distortion drowned out most of Gomes’ sung vocals, and ruined some melody on guitar due to overpowering bass fuzz. Barring technical flaws, the audience loved (hed) p.e. and there was no shortage of excitement amongst the family. Hot off the heels of a previous tour with Mushroomhead, and an appearance at this years Gathering Of The Juggalos, exhaustion visibly wore members down, but they took it like a champ; DJ Product kept to himself, scratching the night away, and a performance of “I’m Still Breathing” transitioned onlookers from concert to house party from hell (in a good way).

ICP’s latest album, Bang! Pow! Boom!, was quite frankly a party record with a little less murder and mayhem than previous installments. While said album is indeed a shitload of fun for listening to, a live showing is another beast entirely. A ringmaster entered the stage to greet us with a carny spectacle, as backup “dancers” with clown masks brought out stack upon stack of Faygo — the “official soft drink” of hatchetmen and women.

“In Yo Face” pushed an already-volatile audience; spotlights blasted on, shimmering over an entire venue covered in Hefty bags. Lead-off batter, Violent J, popped into view for his starting lyric before hype partner, Shaggy 2 Dope, entered stage left. The set was decorated like an overblown high school musical meets circus sideshow piece gone psychotic, with spinning axes, caged “freaks” (old school mainstays Ape-Man and Many Faces, otherwise two guys in Halloween costumes), two chicks in monochrome Joker make-up, and rap lyrics shouted amidst joining in from the moshing audience covered in cheap Mid-western diet soda.

Fan favorites (“Chicken Huntin’”, “Tilt-A-Whirl”, “Dead Body Man”) to standard B!P!B! plugs were given optimal facetime. Service never let up, and the party was constantly moving. No one in the room was having a bad night, no one missed a beat; there was crowd surfing, stomping, signals came out, and we all knew the Wicked Clowns were back for more chaos. As previously stated, this was a house party from hell — plenty of tracks were displayed with teenage vigor, a good draw even to my personal favorite record The Amazing Jeckel Brothers. Granted, were the set list containing Riddle Box‘s revenge tale “Toy Box”, some “House Of Horrors”, or perhaps some  “Mad Professor”, the night could round out much better, but all in all…fresh.

Coincidentally, this particular tour stop was also Shaggy 2 Dope’s birthday, so we here at CoS send out a tipping of the hat (in my case, an always classy middle finger) to our favorite serial-slaughtering rock star. The evening had a slew of interesting moments: a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for 2 Dope, an impersonation of Michael Jackson segueing into Bang! Pow! Boom!‘s “To Catch A Predator”, Faygo breaks, stage skits meshed into a performance of “Mr. Johnson’s Head”, and a most remarkable  and memorable inclusion of Jeckel Brothers classic “Fuck The World”, featuring a guest appearance by Colorado’s Hatchet House rap duo, Axe Murder Boyz.

The concert ended with a gathering on set for explosions of confetti and cola for the audience — a fitting finale for a party to remember. Now, I need to wash my shirt and hair before this sweat and soda make me look like a giant peach. The only thing missing was legal weed, and we’d have all been good to go (none of that K2 potpourri garbage, either)

Photography by Sabrina Roman

During the advent of the Joker’s Card album series, which introduced a “dark carnival” as symbolism for purgatory, ICP’s biggest reign rested upon the late ’90s rap rock sound and diminished some even before this lengthy conceptual story arc ended on Shangri-La come 2002. The two rappers that form this devastating duo–Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope–had high profile issues, including a beef with then-budding fellow Michiganite Eminem and splitting from Island Records. Fans (dubbed by the painted pair as “Juggalos”) remained ever loyal, but once the carnival saga concluded, ICP tried moving away from it with minimal success–illustrated by the disastrous sales and shunning of the much-delayed Tempest record.

Bang! Pow! Boom! is by and large a party on CD, with clean production courtesy of Mike E. Clark (Bizaar and Bizzar), generally uplifting tunes like “Juggalo Island” and nostalgic parody on “Chop Chop Slide”. Stand out tunes here include the universal message of vengeance on pedophiles in “To Catch A Predator”, poking fun at groupies on “Boing Boing”, and the anthemic call to arms of “In Yo’ Face”. Taking the signature ICP exaggerations about murder and animated corpses out of Bang! Pow! Boom!, no one could suspect this of being anything but club music and that, my friends, is an utter relief in some aspects, a letdown in few others.

From a twenty-something fan’s perspective, those who harp on wanting another dark record can honestly learn to grow up. The message conveyed by The Wraith was in fact a spiritually positive one, and while venting is necessary (and will probably come back in intervals during this next card run), detractors of B!P!B! who are complaining it’s too poppy are missing out on the inherent fun of it all. Bang! Pow! Boom! is not strictly for the fans, though should one look at this record from a Juggalo perspective, most will eat this whole release up no matter what critics or pissed-off adolescents tell them.

On the downside, ICP has never been able to write truly beautiful lyrics; “Miracles” tries to be such and winds up sounding like self-satire, though probably unintentionally. ICP has always had trouble expanding the fan base on their own terms, as typically word of mouth purists preach Carnival Of Carnage, The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, or The Tunnel Of Love EP at best, thus negating new material out of the gate. While it is well known amongst the duo’s brethren that nobody at Psychopathic gives a damn about the mainstream, it’s obvious ICP do at least want some fresh support based on Bizaar, Bizzar, and beyond. Bang! Pow! Boom! succeeds somewhat in emanating an “everyone’s welcome” atmosphere, whether this was purposeful or not.

We could argue all day long about the relevance of ICP during 2009, the attempt at making a record for dark carnies, and newcomers alike, which in this writer’s humble opinion was partially successful. We could debate for hours about who is more hardcore or what gimmicks this act is willing to take on, but there is nothing to be said that has not already been discussed at great length. It is one-third party record, one-third creep show, and one-third substituting substance for happy trails and funny skits, but for what ICP has always been Bang! Pow! Boom! cannot really be improved past its current incarnation.

All any clown could do at present is piss and moan over “Vera Lee”, rock out to “Vultures” and “Fonz Pond”, or simply putter about until the next card drops, and you know it’s coming. Bring out your Faygo!

Joined by (hed) PE, who are currently touring with Mushroomhead, the monochrome duo are readying serious anarchy to succeed the annual Gathering of the Juggalos, including the ever popular Hallowicked in Detroit, Michigan on October 31st. With everyone enjoying the positive vibes from Bang! Pow! Boom!, we’re certain the tour will be a definite win, but still, questions remain: How does ICP stack up on a major tour this far from its late ’90s peak in career turnout?

As Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope would say: “Fuck the world.”

Tickets for select dates are available via Ticketmaster.com.

Insane Clown Posse 2009 Tour Dates:
09/17 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
09/19 – Billings, MT @ Shrine Auditorium
09/20 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
09/22 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
09/23 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
09/24 – Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre
09/26 – Ventura, CA @ Majestic Theatre
09/27 – Anaheim, CA @ Grove of Anaheim
09/29 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
10/01 – Magna, UT @ The Great Salt Air
10/02 – Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
10/03 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre
10/05 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
10/06 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium
10/07 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
10/09 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
10/10 – Orlando, FL @ The Firestone
10/11 – Hilton Head, SC @ The Shoreline Ballroom
10/13 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ Southend
10/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
10/16 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
10/17 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
10/18 – Worchester, MA @ The Palladium
10/20 – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory
10/22 – Cleveland, OH @ The Agora
10/23 – Louisville, KY @ Expo Five
10/24 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave Eagles Club
10/25 – Davenport, IA @ River Center
10/29 – Columbus, OH @ Lifestyle Community Pavilion
10/30 – Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
10/31 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
11/07 – Wichita, KS @ Cotillion Ballroom
11/08 – Ft. Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
11/09 – Blackfoot, ID @ El Rey Events Center
11/11 – Reno, NV @ New Oasis
11/13 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
11/14 – San Diego, CA @ Canes
11/15 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater
11/17 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
11/18 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater
11/20 – Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen
11/21 – Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
11/22 – Little Rock, AR @ Village Theater
11/23 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
11/24 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
11/25 – Rochester, MN @ Mayo Civic Center
11/27 – Mokena, MI @ Orbit Room
11/28 – Sauget, IL @ Pop’s
11/29 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
12/01 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
12/02 – Jacksonville, NC @ Hooligan’s
12/03 – Richmond, VA @ The National
12/04 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
12/05 – Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock Cafe
12/06 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
12/08 – Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights
12/09 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Zoo
12/11 – Peoria, IL @ East Peoria Event Center

As per the ol’ fashioned press release:

Insane Clown Posse, the Detroit duo of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, are readying their tenth full-length release Bang! Pow! Boom! Already multiple times platinum with albums The Great Milenko and The Amazing Jeckel Brothers now the underground duo is back and poised to strike again. The group’s dark visions and Barnum minds have spawned a carnival of music and mayhem often scorned by mainstream media, but embraced by an entire sub-culture of like minded-individuals.

What does this mean for the fans known as “juggalos”? Based on the audio sample promoting the album (scroll down), it likely means more skits, haunted backdrops and a slew of new tracks guaranteed to please. It also means a pretty extensive, yet-to-be-announced North American tour. Finally, Bang! Pow! Boom! will be released in three different editions coded as red, green and blue — each of which with a different intro and bonus track.

Ahead of the release, the Insane Clown Posse will host the 10th annual Gathering of the Juggalos. This year’s edition, set to take place between August 6th and 9th in Cave-In-Rock, IL, will feature performances by Tech N9ne, Kottonmouth Kings, Ice Cube, Gwar, Coolio, Goast, Haystack, and Vanilla Ice.

Check Out:
Bang! Pow! Boom! sampler

But seriously, this installment of Tricks or Treats is a bodyslam from the past with “House of Horrors” by everyone’s favorite clown rap-metal fusion artists/professional wrestlers, ICP (Insane Clown Posse). A brief period of time back in the late 90s, Insane Clown Posse ruled the white rap game out of Detroit and with 1997’s The Great Milenko, everyone knew what a Neden was and people everywhere called themselves a Juggalo.

This was a scary time.

“House of Horrors” is considered one of the group’s stronger songs and follows people as they are trapped in the titular haunted house. The song itself features a lot of spoken word parts and in general is kind of creepy, with some strong guitar work in various parts of the song.

There is no Nell Carter in this haunted house, but there are clowns and anyone who is anyone knows that clowns are scary as shit.