As any Lou Reed or Keith Richards fan can tell you, few things go together like music and drugs. And with that in mind, the NME is celebrating that cosmic connection this week, in a feature counting down the 50 druggiest albums of all time — tied to a special issue celebrating the 20th anniversary of Primal Scream’s Screamadelica. (Guess which record comes in at #1?)
It’s a strong list, full of classics from the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix to Spiritualized and Missy Elliott. We do have one complaint, though: Where are all the new albums? Sure, there a few obvious choices(Lil Wayne, MGMT) and some questionable Brit picks (Libertines, Klaxons). But, with the help of Flavorpill’s shrewd staffers, we’ve come up with our own list of ten great 21st-century drug albums — those that were made on drugs or about drugs, along with those that seem designed to listen to in an altered state. Add your own suggestions in the comments.
Watching the video for “Synchronize,” Discodeine’s new collaboration with Jarvis Cocker, we couldn’t help but be taken with its darkly beautiful, drug-laced imagery. And it occurred to us that, despite the undeniable synergy between drug-taking and music-making, we actually don’t see too many controlled substances in music videos — perhaps because that shit is bound to get you banned from TV, not to mention condemned as a horrible influence. Now, we certainly don’t endorse (or even, in all cases, understand) the behavior in the clips below, but we can’t deny that they do make drugs look awfully glamorous.
When you name your mixtape Cocaine Waitress, you’d better have the artwork to back it up. And thanks to The Awl, we now know exactly what the cover to that album, by the Atlanta rapper Diamond, looks like. It is so deadpan wonderful that it made us think about all the other incredible drug-themed record covers we’ve seen over the years. Check out ten of our favorites, picturing everything from heroin to sizzurp, after the jump and link us to any we missed.
This hilarious PSA from the ’80s that we spotted over on The Daily What reminds us that kids don’t have to meet some shady dope dealer from the mafia to get their hands on drugs. They just have to want to run around looking like Madonna. Or to hear colors. Take the trip to K-land after the jump — unless you’re worried about destroying your life.
Movies and TV shows have found many ways to integrate drug culture into their plots and even character-development arcs, whether they be beneficial or detrimental — and we don’t mean to their healthy constitution. They’ve served as the gateway into the viewer’s world, contextualizing a scene so it is more palatable, more relatable — even if not everyone has a didgeridoo at their disposal.
Find out our favorite television moments that feature the unlikeliest of substances to be abused. Let the hilarity ensue.
Remember the last time you did drugs? Maybe not. Remember the last time you watched an anti-drug commercial? You probably laughed. Really hard. Because, after all, most of them are seriously dumb. How scary can an egg frying in a pan be — even when the situation involves Rachel Leigh Cook and she’s going crazy? However, we recently came across a couple of ads that will make you cry. These are not the anti-drug commercials of our childhood. This is some scary shit — even for adults. Prepare to be FREAKED out. Read More »
There’s a new promo for the upcoming season of Weeds floating around the Internet that’s basically an advertisement for weed. Not that we’re complaining; we just find it an interesting marketing move on Showtime’s part. Last year’s Season 4 premiere was the network’s most-watched telecast on record, so it makes sense that they’re pulling out all the stops to create some viral buzz (we’re looking at you, Alanis and nude Nancy), but why bet on pot instead of your product to lure new viewers in? It seems kind of juvenile. Also: we don’t know any stoners who watch the show. Do you? Read More »
2. The War on Drugs is rebranding itself, placing “a greater emphasis on rehabilitation and treatment for drug offenders.” Meanwhile, marijuana is more potent than ever. [via DTB, Salon]
3. Are people sick of Anderson Cooper and Rachel Maddow? Or are we just watching less news? [via LF]
4. Fans of Cold Case, Without a Trace, Numbers, Law & Order, The Unit, My Name Is Earl, Scrubs, and The New Adventures of Old Christine, you’re going to have to wait to find out if your show gets renewed. Because the networks hate you. [via THR]
5. The cast of Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty dropped a few f-bombs in front of some kids during an in-store performance. [via NYP]
Because according to this pretty (and kind of surprising) infographic from Good Magazine, local law enforcement officials in New York and New Jersey make more drug-related arrests due to marijuana and cocaine. Is anyone else surprised to see that heroin is so hot in New England? Or that coke is so big in the Southeast? Both seem rather antithetical to what those regions of the US are known for (being a buttoned-up Puritan and moving really, really slow). We’re going to need fire up the green monster and ponder this. Thanks for the tip, Leah.
Will Arnold Schwarznegger legalize and tax pot in California to help lessen his state’s deficit woes? At this point he’s only open to discussing it, so we’re in for a bit of a wait. In the meantime, let’s take a look at his track record — on the big screen, that is. After the jump, five films where Arnold single-handedly did us a solid. Note: our beloved Kindergarten Cop didn’t make the cut — in that movie he goes undercover to find a drug dealer. It just didn’t seem appropriate. Even if we were dying to link to this. Read More »
