Do you know how Halloween started? Be honest, you probably don't.

But the Dead Kennedys knew what it meant to the American psyche!

Black Star - Respiration

This is what plays in my fancy Audio-Technica M50 headphones (http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/57a64f4a9fdbefd9/index.html) when I feel something redeeming about living at the moment history ends, capitalism fails, the most important truths become too hard ignore after  being repressed for far too long, and the dichotomy of human nature (barbaric agression vs. genuine altruism) makes itself lucid. During this time, I also forget that I'm not a fan of rapper Common because to me, he's Kayne West Lite.

The Roots - Rising Down (Unofficial Video)

I'm usually not a fan when Youtube users make their own video versions of their favorite songs, but this works, especially using the Mos Def's part during the Black Star video for Respiration. I've been impressed with the last few albums the Roots put out since 2006. Game Theory and Rising Down are both masterpieces.

Anyway, this song is the reason The Roots have been particularlly good at capturing the madness we're all living through.

Only two good things came out of Houston: D.R.I. and Bill Hicks

And they both did, not only an excellent job at exposing American hypocrisy through their art, but made an everlasting impact. How many hardcore and thrash bands tried to sound like D.R.I. in the late 80s and into the 90s? How many stand-up comedians would sell their kids into slavery to have just a morsel of Bill Hick's talent?