Let’s Remember Some Idols

Let’s Remember Some Idols: Hauptharmonie

/ Homicidol Maniac / 1 Comment

Man, this is a tough one. For you newer folks, this may be the kind of unique treat that makes you rue the vicissitudes of idol, the way that many of us from 2014-15 felt about the original BiS (only without the same level of makes-the-scene-happen influence, natch). Veterans may recall Hauptharmonie, though; veterans of Ye Olde Website may recall them as one of Maniac’s most heart-stopping idol projects, an almost impossible synergy of jazz and blues and big-band swing and ska and … well, and idol.

This is what the world misses without Hauptharmonie in it:

That was the lead from their second EP and second full album, the delicious Herz ueber Kopf, which felt at the time like a genuine breakthrough recording. Much as I had with Avandoned, I was a little bit reluctant to cover Hauptharmonie — celebrate personally, yes, but cover? — given that they were never really a rock unit per se. But listen to that song. Watch that video. Tell me that the attitude and approach weren’t there, even in limited quantities. That’s the kind of music that made old biddies back in the day declaim jazz as the devil’s music. It’s totally wonderful. Continue reading →

Let’s Remember Some Idols: HALOPERI Doll

/ Homicidol Maniac

Welcome back, friends, to the wholly irregular and really-meant-to-fill-gaps-on-quiet-days feature known as Let’s Remember Some Idols! Today, we take a long look back to the halcyon days of 2016, when one of the most reliably loud and just as reliably unstable units in the game, HALOPERI Doll, called it quits.

This is what the world has been missing:


Clever dub

Continue reading →

Let’s Remember Some Idols: PIIIIIIIN

/ Homicidol Maniac / 1 Comment

Hey, who else remembers PIIIIIIIN? I sure do. Of course, right about the time that I started to get more into them, their end was imminent. So goes idol!

The uninitiated may be asking, who is this group with all of the I’s in the world in its name, and why is it italicized, and why are we remembering them? In reverse order:

That’s why

I can’t speak for the italicization, but just like how jerk-ass gym teachers will always remind you that there is no “I” in “team,” but in reverse, PIIIIIIIN included an I for every member of the group. So there were seven of them, natch. Continue reading →

Let’s Remember Some Idols! DEEP GIRL

/ Homicidol Maniac / 5 Comments

The other day, when I was re-re-listening to Shiori’s banger of a comeback, I was too busy typing to catch the end of the video before it auto-played something else. And as dulcet tones poured from my computer speakers, I thought:

“HOLY SHIT YES REMEMBER THIS!”

See, a lot of you guys are relative newcomers, and stuff that happened and was like immediately topical and relevant two years ago may as well be ancient history. Such is idol, in fact. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy some real past classics, idols who flickered into the world, crushed some damn skulls, and then were whisked from existence by the cruelties of fate and expiring contractual obligations.

You may be aware / have noticed that that I like to style the editorial here around how the old Gawker sites used to — a little irreverent, a little smart, a little snarky — and Deadspin happens to be my long-time favorite of the lot. They periodically do a feature called “Let’s Remember Some Guys”, which focuses on long-gone athletes who people really enjoyed for one reason or another.

I see no reason to not Remember Some Idols. First up! Continue reading →