closed circuit guitar post

when fender emailed yesterday, heralding the introduction of their new yngwie tribute guitar, i immediately forwarded the link to (actual guitarist/web editor) jon smajda. this is only the most recent offering in fender's series of pre-distressed tribute guitars. everyday clods like me could never play them like yngwie or stevie, of course, but the look and feel of SRV and yngwie's PLAY LOUD has been expertly rendered and commodified by the fine luthiers at fender.

but you've gotta see the video, which surely out-spinal-taps all that came before it. jonny especially appreciated mr. malmsteen's historical reconstruction of the divots in the back: “I think this is from the biting, actually. (Bites guitar.) In fact, I know it is.”

speaking of our beloved contexts web editor, there are rumors afoot that he's starting up a new sociology novelty band, a side-project emanating from his talcott parsons project. a few of the names that jon and chris are kicking around:

• Fleetwood Marx
• Goffman Turner Overdrive
• Death Cab for Cooley
• Gans n’ Roses (or, for local flavor, Uggens n’ Roses)
• System of a Durkheim
• Foucault Fighters
• Crosby, Mills and Nash (Crosby, Mills, Nash and Jung)
• Bill Haley and His Comte’s
• Simon and Garfinkel
• Karl Mannheim Steamroller
• Bellah and Sebastian
• Chris and Coser
• The Mighty Mighty Boss-Tonnies
• A Tribe Called Joel Best
• Arendt in Chains
• Twisted Simmel
• Better Than Elster
• The Rolling Stinchcombes

oh man, if they name it uggens and roses, i can personally deliver one enormous bass player and a talented esperanza in addition to my own, err...., distinctive vocal stylings and arrhythmic guitar. while i like the concept, however, i'm not sure you can beat twisted simmel.