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Friday, December 31, 2010

Epic Interview with Zuben and the Legendary Troy Westfield

Boduvites!

Recently my old pal Mike G aka Troy Westfield of the Troy Westfield Experience conducted a long-ass interview with yours truly about Agents of Venus' album Boduvt.  Mike is calling Boduvt his favorite album of 2010!  High praise indeed from a discriminating musicologist.

In this meandering colossus of an interview, Mike and I go in depth into the song writing process: I explain lyrics pretty specifically for a few songs and give some little known facts about the behind the scenes making of the album.  I also give insight into the mythological meanings behind some of the themes of the album and my at times rather eccentric philosophy behind song writing in general.  Its a cool interview for fans of the record.  I think you just might dig it.

Please check the interview out at Mike's blog Kinde Words: "Her Favorite Album of 2010."


And thanks again for making 2010 the year of the round boat aka Boduvt.  We are truly grateful for the love and support for our album!  Happy New Year!  2011 will kick ass!  I promise....

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Lyrics to the Post Relevant Movement


THE POST RELEVANT MOVEMENT

It comes from nowhere and it goes back into nothin
Zuben El Genubi with his fingee on da button
It comes from nowhere and it goes back into nothin
Post relevant movement gets behind all that is frontin

It comes from nowhere, it flows near, Halt, who goes there?
Infinitesimal tap dancing, microscopic Fred Astair
Climbing Ginger Roger’s dna debuting debonair
It is a spiral without rival and a debutante with flair
It comes from nowhere always something generatin
Puzzlein and piddlein two riddilin for concentration
You can focus hocus pocus on its magic while you’re matin
Rhyme and reason Jackie Gleason sends you “To the moon!” frustratin
Every earthly attempt to tune in the big G’s home station
You can clear and you can repeat, or repeat a clear pause
Applause thanks, and money, too, Zoinks!
Shaggy and Scooby getting greedy snackin oinks
Bong rips and bumpin hips in the mystery machine
Animatin Post Relevancy fancy and obscene
Its obscurity is purity, its wisdom obsolete
Cause it’s over when it started, before it’s finished it’s complete (plete)

I have seen
(I have seen)
Windows to dreams
(Windows to dreams)
Feeding
(A glowing machine)
Breathing

Freedom
A pattern Esher understood
Post Relevancy dances wid da wiccas in da wood
Doin whatever comes naturally to bruddas in the hood
Jumpin ropes at zeotropes, baptisin popes because he could
So all the Chinese in the house say “Post Lerevancy”
The business men see $ and say “What’s in it for me?”
The Eskimos eating ice cream say “Shit, it’s fuckin freezing!”
And all the sisters round the way say “Saltine you crazy!”
No I ain’t crazy, I’m Post Relevantly wack
I ain’t lazy, I post relevant slack
Do I amaze thee?  Then you must PR lack
And can I touch those titties?  You got the PR rack
So don’t be mad or sad because the fad ain’t fake
I’m Post Relevantly rad my dads is bad with the rake
Liftin the Autumn leaves to re-align with the trees
Cause spring is back in rotation modulating a permanent vacation

I have seen
(I have seen)
Windows to dreams
(Windows to dreams)
Feeding
(A glowing machine)
Breathing
Underneath it all

Comes from nowhere and it goes back into nothing
El Genubi with his fingee pokin’ pop n’ fresh’s belly button
Stuntin’
Moving mountains into molehills munchkins
Take a pudgy penguin pavement pounding till that bird’s a puffin
It’s a whirlwind with a spiral generator with a spark
It’s a baby black sheep’s baba, white milk in the dark
It’s an underwater engine serenading all the sharks
It’s the belly of the whale and a walk in the park
It’s a movement 
It’s a movement
To tap in you raise antennae and groove with it
After all, you will recall no need to prove to it
Cause its you when you are through and you are smooth and mint
Mocha chip double dip cream dream so flavoric
Silver surfer smurfing solar systems top of my cool whip
I trip on every possibility, nothing specific
The Movement’s anything wrapped into none just listen to it…

lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Lyrics to Weightless


Weightless

I made a mistake today
And gave my whole life away
To shoulder the burden of your trust

I don’t care you think I’m wrong
I’d rather be left alone
Sifting the sand for light in dust

Should I die for what is gone?
hanging on broken imagination
bear the heavy veil of freedom?
defy gravity or sleep on as  
 

Slaves chained to diamonds

Carbon holding pearls
        Names heal the ages of facelessness          
     We become weightless
When Atlas lets go of the world

Nothing in sight forever
So Atlas shrugs and forgets the endeavor
Wanders straight into the new sun

Billions all tied together
A shift to the side and the old wreck goes over
Left to rebuild or ruin

 Do you know which side you’re on?
Brittle leaves torn in a windstorm
either choice a weight is borne
         defy gravity carry me beyond the

Slaves chained to diamonds
Carbon holding pearls
       Names heal the ages of facelessness          
     We become weightless
When Atlas lets go of the world

Do you know which side you’re on?
Do you know which side you’re on?
Do you know which side you’re on?
Do you know how to carry me beyond the
Slaves chained to diamonds
Carbon holding pearls
       Names heal the ages of facelessness          
     We become weightless

When Atlas lets go of the world


Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Friday, December 17, 2010

Lyrics to 33

33

If everybody wanted to be me
then were would I live?
I couldn't fit them in my American room

if everybody wanted to be as pretty as you
what would you wear?
we'd have to loot the bodies for irregular shoes

if everybody wanted to win
the trophy smelting factory would never close

i had me a dream that didn't have me in the dream
how can I be washed up at thirty three?
I'd like to thank the academy
(for this "greatest lover's" trophy)
but all alone its just a hollow victory

if everybody wanted to smoke weed
then who'd be on time?
we'd change New York back into New New Amsterdam
(if you live in Istanbul then you once lived in Constantinople)

if everybody wanted to be on TV
then you should  check the warranty
cause I don't think this box can handle that density
(I am your density)

if everybody wanted to breathe
we better shut down the trophy factory

I had me a dream that didn't have me in the dream
how can I be washed up at 33?
I'd like to thank the academy  
(for this "greatest lover's" trophy)
but all alone I’m just a pyrrhic victor

I am the winner of a thousand years of emptiness and
A champion of worldwide airwave lies
We’ll turn the graveyards to amusement parks at gunpoint
Singing “Give Peace A Chance”
Hand in hand
All night
To win a hollow victory
a hollow victory
a hollow victory
to win all alone is just as empty

Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Lyrics to Watershaker

Watershaker

Woke up this morning everything had changed
Water shook the evil up and washed it all away
Called out to my baby “something feels brand new today”
She said “what we oughta do is let the water shake”

Shake it for me one more time
One more time
One more time
Shake it for me one more time
One more time
One more time

Driving cross the bridge the light is gold the air is clean
Baby’s hand inside of mine so cool yeah she’s my dairy queen
She says “I feel like I could live forever only more”
We shook up the highway waves till we reached the ocean shore

Shake it for me one more time
One more time
One more time
Shake it for me one more time
One more time
One more time

Annunaki made me I ain’t come from plankton
Trip the deep space set like I was Splangston Angstrom
Drank some protein from queen vagine a water shake
Immortality awaits now I’m wide awake

Every minute hour day yo these are dreams
water bears the ebb and flow of energy to everything
Sip the Aten’s rays till the soul is slaked
Living for this day so let the water shake

Shake it for me one more time
One more time
One more time
Shake it for me one more time
One more time
One more time

Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Lyrics to Political Criminal

 
Political Criminal

Wave your sacrifice around
With a selfless fist
Blow up the ones you mean to save
And save yourself a facelift

the backhand of God
Drunk on power, righteous to shiv
Say “It’s a privilege to kill
For people Dying to live.”

I’m dying to live

You are who you believe you are
But you can’t always see who you believe you are
Take time to see through your beliefs
Believe you are
The morning star is not who you believe you aren’t
And there you are
Right back down at the start
Believing that you are what you believe

Criminals trust their instincts
When the politicians drive us to drink
Pirates spinning spider webs
Liars wielding tridents of truth
You think its all about you

You think its all about you

Now I’m a criminal
Pay no taxes, live off the grid
Do what’s wrong for the right reasons
To mirror your bullshit

I’m forced to help myself
Take my life into my own hands
You take away our rights
For our protection, no

Criminals trust their instincts
When the politicians drive us to drink
Pirates spinning spider webs
Liars wielding tridents of truth
You think its all about you

(but its not all about you)

two sides, the same disgrace
we wear each other’s faces
I’d try to take your place
But I hate what you do

You Lie and do the opposite
of what you say you do
to be the opposition I must do the opposite
and same as you

 Criminals trust their instincts
When the politicians drive us to drink
Pirates spinning spider webs
Liars wielding tridents of truth
You think its all about
You think its all about
You think its all about you
  
lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Lyrics to Alchemical Dependency

Alchemical dependency

Can’t go through life with no in your heart
You can mix pop rox with jolt and sweet tarts
Came to party in this bitch so let the party start
Burn hits up charts, turn farts to art

Call me Al Chemical mold flesh to gold
Drum beats bang booties into tootsie rolls
I’m known to turn the other cheek into a profit
And every time you hear me speak, you hear a prophet

You ain’t gonna stop it
Turn the other cheek into a profit
I’m so sprung when I open my eyes
Every day I wake up and get addicted to life

 I spout off words running my mouf sprung a leak
All the ladies say “honey, Money Shot’s a speak freak”
Burn Hallow’s Eve calories from tricks to treats
The brave inherit the earth, the meek inherit the weak

Call me Mr. Show I’m understandishable
Drinking cokesacola claxic with the new pope
Turn the USA into a UFO
Hear the shit I say, say them shits is doh!
(real doh, on the real)

You ain’t gonna stop it
Turn the other cheek into a profit
I’m so sprung when I open my eyes
Every day I  wake up and get addicted to life

(we should go out for coffee some time)

I'm addicted to change
addicted to weed
addicted to language
fucked from tv
I'm a fiend for  music
g-g-gimme a beat!
strung out from getting your ass out that seat
I'm a fool for the girlies walking down the city streets
when they ass go boom and they titties beep beep
celebrity porn is like heron to me
hooked on phonics, phonetically
you see the more.....

 the more I travel round this crazy world
the less places there are to hide
you might get sprung over a dime or a girl
but I'm deeper than that, yeah,
cause I'm addicted to life

Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Monday, November 22, 2010

Lyrics to Her Favorite Song

Her favorite song

I play dj
Spinning other people’s songs all day
I could blow away this bar
But I can’t play the guitar
She begs me for bon jovi
She’s so drunk she’d promise anything
Buys me an umbrella drink
But will she be there in the morning

She’s screaming
All night long
She keeps beggin’ me to play her favorite song
She’s screaming
All night long
Boy you gotta spin it till the moon goes down
So she can get down


Underneath 9th st
Slackers boogie to the local freaks
I’m stuck backstage running sound
While these honeys run around (lookit all the honeys)
Put a guitar in my hands
I’ll turn alcoholics into loyal fans
When I finally get my chance
Even the chick behind the soda jerk will get up and dance

She’s screaming
All night long
She keeps beggin’ me to play her favorite song
She’s screaming
All night long
Boy you gotta spin it till the sun comes round

She’s screaming “if you play my song for me I’ll be grateful eternally
Shake my thing till 4:03 and leave with you in the morning

That’s what she promises
I stare into her dress
Her hypnotic cleavage
Gets me so distracted and the record skips record skips
Closing time comes around
But c-c-crazy Katie ain’t nowhere to be found
She’s passed out on the backstage couch
Her head will be screaming in the morning

She’s screaming
All night long
She keeps beggin’ me to play her favorite song
She’s screaming
All night long
Boy you gotta spin it till the moon goes down
She’s screaming
All night long
She keeps beggin’ me to play her favorite song
She’s screaming
All night long
Boy you gotta spin it till the sun comes round
So she can get down

Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Lyrics to Hero with 1000 Eyes

HERO WITH 1000 EYES

(THESE ARE DREAMS)

PLEASE HOLD ON
I STILL SEE THE FUTURE WE LET SLIP AWAY
ALL ALONE
IT’S THE EGO’S JOY TO SEPARATE
WHEN DAYS FALL DOWN
AND THE STARLESS NIGHT’S AN INFINITE DECAY
NEW HOPE DAWNS  
ON THE FOOLISH AND THE BRAVE

IN MY DREAMS EVERY REGRET
IS WASHED AWAY IN CAMBELL’S RIVERBED
STREAMS OF NEW MYTHOLOGIES
METAPHORS LIVE LITERALLY
NOW I CAN SEE AS OTHER’S SEE
A LIGHT THROUGH HISTORY

I
I’M THE HERO WITH A 1000 EYES
EVERY LIFE YOU’RE LIVING IS MY LIFE
AND IF YOU SHOW ME JUST WHAT IS RIGHT
I WILL FIND OUR WAY OUT OF THE NIGHT

LIFE’S NOT LONG
FOR A HOLLOW MAN TO WIN A MORTAL DAY
BUT LIFE GOES ON
THROUGH THE GENERATIONS WE CREATE
HEROES GONE
BURNED PROMETHEAN, AND LIVED TO SEIZE THE DAY
NOW OUR TIME COMES
TO REVEAL THE WISDOM THEY ONCE SAVED

SOME ARE FOOLED SOME OF THE TIME
BUT YOU CAN’T BLIND A HERO WITH A 1000 EYES
YOU MAY THINK THE STORIES LIE
I BELIEVE THEY ARE ALIVE
WORDS TO BRIDGE THE GREAT DIVIDE
A THOUSAND SYMBOLS POINTING TOWARDS A SINGLE

I
I’M THE HERO WITH A 1000 EYES
EVERY LIFE YOU’RE LIVING IS MY LIFE
AND IF YOU SHOW ME JUST WHAT IS RIGHT
I WILL FIND OUR WAY OUT OF THE NIGHT
I’M THE HERO WITH A 1000 EYES
EVERY LIFE YOU’RE LIVING IS MY LIFE
AND IF YOU SHOW ME JUST WHAT IS RIGHT
I WILL FIND OUR WAY HOME

THEY SAY ITS DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN
(I WILL FIND OUR WAY HOME)
THE DAWN IS OVER, NOW ITS OUR TIME
(TIME MELTS STREAMS)
STREAMS OF NEW MYTHOLOGIES
(THESE ARE DREAMS)
METAPHORS LIVE LITERALLY
NOW I CAN SEE AS OTHER’S SEE
(A LIGHT THROUGH HISTORY)

I’M THE HERO WITH A 1000 EYES
EVERY LIFE YOU’RE LIVING IS MY LIFE
AND IF YOU SHOW ME JUST WHAT IS RIGHT
I WILL FIND OUR WAY OUT OF THE NIGHT
(I WILL FIND OUR WAY HOME)
I WILL FIND OUR WAY OUT OF THE NIGHT
(I WILL FIND OUR WAY HOME)
I WILL FIND OUR WAY OUT OF THE NIGHT
(I WILL FIND OUT WAY HOME)
(A LIGHT THROUGH HISTORY)
(THESE ARE DREAMS)

Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Lyrics to Stereo





Stereo

I  receive in stereo
And emit a soothing glow
And I’m in your mind
It’s a clever scenario
When you become your own hero
Then you unwind

There’s a real relation you don’t understand
Mythic box of complications opens in your hands
And as I wade through dissatisfaction
I know you lie

Compromise my dignity
To get you to look at me
And I won’t go away
In the spiral of history
I’ll be there, repeated endlessly
A hero to them, but a tyrant today

There’s a real relation you don’t understand
Mythic box of complications opens in your hands
And as I wade through dissatisfaction
I know you lie

Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Friday, November 19, 2010

Lyrics to The Reason


THE REASON

Punked I push the paper boulders up the week forever
Drunk on mediocre missions chasing trash for treasure
Origami time machines fold my life together
To an endless string of Wednesdays holding now to never 

What can I do? I must pursue this money shot into the blue

And what is the reason
When a soul conceived in freedom
Falls entangled in its dreaming
Is the reason to be?

I’ll melt the mirrors till my fire's smoke and sand
I’ll earn enough for us if you trust me to be your man
(8 days a week)
I work a hard days night the paperback rains help
(I need somebody)
to feed the Heavens underneath my frozen over (hello hello hello)

What makes a teenage carnivore become a corporation whore?

And what is the reason
When a soul conceived in freedom
Falls entangled in its dreaming
Is the reason to be?

I shoulda slaughtered every worthless rule
I woulda tore this fucking world in 2
I coulda sworn I’d never bend or bruise
The Buddha grabbed the ring and tagged the moon

Wish I had know how much I had to prove
I woulda whipped the horse’s eyes to glue
I coulda gave a shit and made a move
I shoulda quit this bitch and spit the truth

But now it’s building up inside of me
Still wearing half a heart upon my sleeve
I’m like a dollar bill without a dream
Fallen far off from the money tree

 So now I’m grinding daily finding maybe
All my time is wasted paper chasing
Faced with endless strings the Wednesdays bring
I’m even melting clouds for silver linings

And what is the reason
When a soul conceived in freedom
Falls entangled in its dreaming
Is the reason to be?

Its this conditioning
To fish for pole positioning
That leaves us living wishing
For a reason to be

Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Lyrics to Cobalt Silver

 COBALT SILVER

The whole world’s bust a nut with out a screw
Inside my magic pumpkin room
Magnetic poles have switched
The tiny earth lost her shit
Broke all her marbles two by two

And if it all becomes too much for you
Picture silver rain painting fields of cobalt blue
And if it all becomes too much for you
Picture silver rain painting fields of cobalt blue
The weather shines inside my heart for you
Showers silver rain feeding fields of cobalt blue
And if it all becomes too much for you
Picture me loving you

Scramble cross this twisting burning world
Butterfly nets catch the biggest wave to drown you down the swirl
Girl no matter what you do you’ll never find a love like I feel for you
unless of course you do

And if it all becomes too much for you
Picture silver rain painting fields of cobalt blue
And if it all becomes too much for you
Picture silver rain painting fields of cobalt blue
The weather shines inside my heart for you
Showers silver rain feeding fields of cobalt blue
And if it all becomes too much for you
Picture me loving you

I need you to need me this way
When you trip across my fate
And you drift over so many lifetimes
Now one of them is mine
If love is blind then defy time
and trace my story on my simian line
Know me in your heart as I feel you in my mind

And if it all becomes too much for you
Picture silver rain painting fields of cobalt blue
(I feel you in my mind)
And if it all becomes too much for you
Picture silver rain painting fields of cobalt blue
The weather shines inside my heart for you
Showers silver rain feeding fields of cobalt blue
And if it all becomes too much for you
Picture me loving you
Silver and blue
Picture me loving you
Silver and blue
Picture me loving you

Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Lyrics to Fall Off the Earth

I believe I am going to start publishing the lyrics to Boduvt here, mostly cause I would like them easily available to anyone who might be enjoying the album.  Please stop back from time to time and eventually I'll have the whole album's lyrics on this here blog, for the record, so to speak.

Let's start at the start:


 FALL OFF THE EARTH
paralyzed as you walked by
we'd been talking about you that day
careless coincidence left me behind
while your next victim led you away

can you understand what you have done?
all said and gone I am the stupid one
I lit my last broken cigarette upon the setting sun
 and burned the dawn

now everybody sings the songs they wrote for you to me
since you threw away the comfort of my company
serenaded by a dead end symphony
and searching for a guarantee
guarantee
guarantee
to the mystery

I sat alone on 2nd ave
collecting my debts in a garbage bag
my broken heart safe for a while
from the synchronicities in a circular file

"goin' to the chapel" played in the air
like a dead end symphony when you appeared
for better or for worse I realized you’d left me forever
and ever

now everybody sings the songs they wrote for you to me
since you threw away the comfort of my company
serenaded by a dead end symphony
and searching for a guarantee
guarantee
guarantee
to the mystery

don’t fall apart for her you're one of the many
she’ll never understand what your love is worth
just play your part in her dead end symphony
she’ll lead you on until you fall off of the earth

Lyrics copyright 2010 Towbin/Ristaino

Links to the rest of the Boduvt lyrics are listed in a nice orderly column somewhere just to the right of these words.  Please take a gander at 'ems. 

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

"Her Favorite Song" featured on the newest Invisible World with Frank Todaro show

Agents

AoV's smash hit "Her Favorite Song" was recently featured on the last episode of Frank Todaro's Invisible World interview show (its episode 36 if you want to listen to the show on Frank's site.) The hour long web show features Frank and yours truly (Zuben aka Phil) talking at length about pyramid shaped ufos, the ghost of TV's first superman, George Reeves, underwater orbs, and meaning behind the Agents of Venus name and our album title, Boduvt. Dig in and dig it:


I have to say, this interview just barely scratched the surface of a larger subject I'm looking forward to exploring, either with Frank or here in blog form (probably both). That subject, the seemingly contradicting understanding of the planet Venus being represented historically (in western traditions) as either Venus or Aphrodite (or maybe Isis or Mary Magdelene, perhaps?), the goddess of love and beauty, as well as Lucifer, the first cast out angel from heaven, the Lightbringer, that much maligned representative of all things hidden and nefarious in this world.

I inadvertently seem to blame the Freemasons for representing the latter in our discussion, without being able to really explain why I say it and what I really mean by it. I'm not going to go into it yet here, but I will eventually explain myself in a future post (hopefully in the near future). I do want to admit that I have nothing against those wacky kabalists the Freemasons in general. During the interview, I was trying to spout out a large idea in a small amount of time, and I didn't really formulate my idea all that clearly.
If you'd like to learn more about Venus in relation to Freemasonic symbolism, you might want to check out this earlier post, which features two great video presentations about the subject.

Suffice it to say, when choosing the band name, I was trying to find a way to bring to polarities, two opposing ideas together under one roof, so to speak, in hopes of creating a higher level of perspective on just what the morning star (Venus) means to our little planet and our world traditions. It seems to me that its time to unify polar opposites, not only because we surely could use a fresh perspective on the seemingly endless struggle of good and evil in this world, but because the struggle itself is indicative of a 3rd dimensional perspective, as the push/pull of the polar opposites seems to be (to me) the creative force in action in our world, and I believe, since we appear to be moving into times that call for us to broaden our awareness of higher levels of reality, then the act of unifying these polarities is the action that propels one into these higher levels. I promise somewhere down the line I will do my darndest to explain this further (or "furthur," as the Merry Pranksters might have put it.)

Later on in the conversation with Frank, we talk about several pyramid shaped ufos that have been spotted in the past year or so.  One that appeared above Moscow right after the Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Price and the Norway Spiral appeared, and one much more recently that showed up to dramatic effect over Taiwan.  They are both worth having a gander at, so for those of you keeping score at home, here's video of both pyramid 'boduvts."  Consider it extra material to enhance your experience as you listen to the interview.

Here's the Moscow Pyramid:


and the Taiwan Pyramid (this one is especially cool):


Keep looking up -- there are Boduvts out there waiting to have a conversation with you.....

Zuben

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Fall Off the Earth featured in the teaser trailer for the feature film Blood Was Everywhere

Boduvians

Zuben here.   This summer I (in my alter ego of mild mannered Phil Ristaino) had the good fortune to act in a cool slasher film called Blood Was Everywhere.  I played Kevin, a funny stoner mooch brother of the main character Angela.  It was a great experience, everybody in the cast and crew were top notch, and it should turn out to be an unusual take on a slasher movie-- sort of a cross between Gus Van Zandt's Elephant or Last Days, Linklater's Dazed and Confused, and the original Friday the 13th films.

I also managed to hand out a bunch of AoV albums to everyone involved, which has led to our lead off track, Fall Off the Earth, being featured on the teaser trailer for the film, which was just released this past week.

Grok it:


You can find out more about Blood Was Everywhere at their website or on facebook.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Ride a Boduvt All Over the Web (or, LastFM is pretty cool)

Boduvians! At long last, Agents of Venus' new album is all over the web.

If you look to the right, you'll find links to buy the album on ITUNES, AMAZON, and CD BABY.

The best deal to get the physical CD is on CD Baby, only $9.99 (which also sells the album on MP3 for the same price). You can download Boduvt on Itunes for only $9.99, too! The best price to get the MP3 album is on Amazon - only $8.99! Sweet, yeah? Seriously, this is a freakin steal. You can also purchase the CD on Amazon, (its a little pricier, but if you want to spend the dough, we ain't gonna stop ya). Any of you NAPSTER freaks can listen to full songs and buy AoV:Boduvt here.

And the coolest discovery: LAST FM! This site is great. Not only does it allow you to hear new tracks from our album, you can also add it to a music library, along with music from any other band you may dig, and Last FM will create a playlists for you, free streaming your own AoV inspired radio station. Dope! Make it happen here!

So what are you waiting for? Ride a Boduvt to Synchroni City all over the web, and grok hard with your Agents of Venus!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Venus as a symbol of western civilization

Zuben here.
Two esoteric researchers I've really been enjoying, and who directly influenced the naming of Agents of Venus, are Freeman and Henrik Palmgren.  The former is the son of a freemasonic grandmaster who went on to do some heavy research into the history of the masonic order in America and the occult meanings of their writings, corporate symbols, and government systems.  The latter is a Swedish researcher who has created an amazing website, Red Ice Creations, that carries on the important conversation of understanding the occult symbolism in European and western culture and the European Union.  Sometimes you might find Henrik interviewing Freeman on his site.  Both researchers explore conspiracy, spirituality and gnosticism, lost mythological history, extra terrestrials, world power systems, religion, cutting edge science, and lots of other goodies your not supposed to discuss in polite company.   If you have an hour and a half, I would recommend you check out these two films that explain Venus' relation to the power structures in western civilization.   Its certainly worth your time to attempt to understand what your governments believe in.  Did you know that Venus is the goddess of America and the European Union?  Is she the goddess Columbia?  Is she the goddess Europa?  If you live in these civilizations, and serve their political and economic systems, doesn't that make you an Agent of Venus?

Freeman's Perspective on Venus as Columbia and the symbolism of the US


Henrik Palmgren on Venus as Europa and the hidden roots of the European Union


You'll notice after watching both videos that Henrik and Freeman both draw the connection between the planet Venus and Lucifer, both being known as the "morning star" in popular culture and historical writing. This connection starts to introduce a darker side to the Venus mythology, one I have been working up my courage to explore in this blog at some point. Today I found an excellent article at Red Ice Creations that makes the connection between the planet Venus' movement around the sun, Lucifer, the Roman blacksmith god Vulcan (the Volcano God), extra terrestrial contact, Princess Di and Michael Jackson, Vulcans from Star Trek, Arthur C Clark, the Vatican, the Mayans,  and the world cataclysms we've been seeing, especially the recent volcano eruptions. Please go here to check it out. I'm not familiar with the website this info is from, but the pulled back perspective, the large overhead mapping, the grand level of connections these guys are making are certainly worth a glance.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Agent Lodog gives AoV: Boduvt the big push

Agents....

Good buddy Lodog aka Lorin Kalisky has given a rather well written review of Boduvt, just a testament to the quality of the record, in my (not so) humble opinion.  You can read it at CD Baby, as you also listen to clips of the songs and then buy the album or mp3s, or you can haul ass over to Lo to the Dog's blog and dig in, cause Lorin ain't just whistlin' -- homeboy's a busy man.  Lorin tells me he wrote this review after listening to the album "20 times in a row."   An even greater testament, in my ever unhumbled opinion....

yer pal Zuben

Monday, May 10, 2010

Zuben El Genubi interviews, AoV songs on The Invisible World with Frank Todaro

Agents ahoy!

Your pal Zuben aka Phil Ristaino, Agent of Venus here.  Glad to see you back.  This is a quick post.  Over the past month, month 1/2, I've been interviewed twice on the magnificent The Invisible World with Frank Todaro.  Frank is an actor who lives in NYC with a great voice for radio, as well as a fellow sci fi promulgator and comic book buff.  Up until mid last year, we performed together in the NYC long form episodic improv group Start Trekkin NY.  Frank became a great friend, and we would have long conversations about paranormal phenomena and fictional fascination.  Fortunately, Frank is channeling his love for BSG, Dr Who and the X Men into a weekly online radio show.  It gets better and better every week, so get on over there and download his shows!  You can hear new ones at his show's site every Tuesday night.

In the mean time, Frank was kind enough to feature two Agents of Venus tunes on the show:  Hero with 1000 Eyes in the first interview, and Cobalt Silver on the second.  Hopefully this trend will continue and we will play the entire album over the course of 12 interviews, if Frank says its cool.  Thanks, Agent Todaro!

Also featured in the interviews:  my take on synchronicity, stories of phenomena I've experienced that I can't truly explain, visions, 2012, precognitive dreams, and lots more.  Dig it and dig in!

Invisible World interview 3/23/2010

Invisible World interview 4/20/2010

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

the significance of Venus in 2012


Welcome back to the Agents of Venus blog. In an effort to kick start the project since our record release show about a month ago, I (Phil aka Zuben) will start posting things of significance either to the band or to Venus herself in hopes that it will generate some momentum. I have been having a bit of a hard time pulling it together financially since finishing the album, so I've been focusing more on that than on keeping this blog alive, but there have been some developments I want to report on in the coming days that involve our band, as well as some significant things I've discovered that involve both our world and Venus, and I wanted this blog to be big and small, so to speak, taking on a larger perspective of the significance of Venus to our world and hopefully finding 'smaller' connections to the themes of the AoV project. My objective lyrically was to be 'large and small' simultaneously, so I always wanted this blog to reflect that.

Once the name 'Agents of Venus' was selected for the band (literally as I was finishing the album cover - 7 years creating music under no name, and then in the final hours of production, the name sort of coagulated out of nothing - this is how the universe truly works - things are provided when they are needed and the quester is ready for the answers, and not before), I found that there was so much to talk about that choosing "Agents of Venus" as the name for this band was almost overwhelming. It was like I had opened a door I didn't even know was there and it led to an entirely knew wing to my own house, if that makes any sense. Hopefully this blog will help explore that entire new 'wing,' and together we can get to know the significance of this idea of what it means to be an "agent of love" together. I encourage your responses to any thing you might read on this blog, in hopes that it add more and more facets to this concept over the coming years. With all that in mind (and because my sister wanted to see this video):

There has been a lecture series event about the significance of extra terrestrials going on over the past couple years called Alien Event. You can go here to read up on it. I thought this video in particular was significant to a band calling itself Agents of Venus, as Sean David Morton talks about the significance of a Venus transit across the Sun in relation to Earth in June, 2012.   According to Morton, the Mayans say this is the return of the divine feminine, the restoration of the quantum spiritual side of the brain, the twin flame of Quetzoquatl, the arrival of a female messiah.  He does a real nice job of making things seem clear, so I thought I'd just introduce the idea here and let him do the talking. Enjoy:


ALIENEVENT Sean David Morton The Prophecy Of 2012 The Road To Tomorrow And Beyond LOS ANGELES, NOV 14, 2009 from Saeed David Farman on Vimeo.
PS -- I've mailed out a significant # of albums to the honorary agents who donated to our Boduvt fund, and I'm keen to hear anyone's take on the album. If you have something to say about our record, please drop me a line at agentsofvenus@gmail.com.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Please Donate to Our Boduvt Fund: here's why...

Hey everybody. Thanks for stopping by. If you've gotten this far, please read through this whole post, there's important info at the end.Phil Ristaino aka Zuben El Genubi, Agent of Venus talking to ya. Right out of the gate, I encourage you to click on the music player just to the right of this post and check out three original tracks from Agents of Venus' new cd. Just to get you in the mood, so to speak.

We here at the Agency are super excited since we are just about to release our brand new album, Boduvt (which means "a round boat" according to a 4 year old named Felix, but I'll explain that in another post sooner or later). Its a record that is technically 17 years in the making, since the first song Allen Towbin and I ever wrote together in 1993 is the epic album closer "Weightless," which has existed in at least 3 permutations and 3 bands over the past two decades. Most of this album was written and recorded starting around 2003 up until last year, so its really a Bush-era record, but I personally am amazed at how much the themes of the album resonate with the state of the planet in present day 2010. And there is some serious production going on behind this record. Master Towbin really slaved over the boards for years to get every little ping, twang and thud sounding perfect and in its proper place. Not to mention the top notch musicians we assembled (and many thanks to Mike, Homey, Scott and Stevey D for their contributions and patience with us). I think we might have something special here to offer you.

Which brings me to my call to action. The Agents of Venus want nothing more than to get this album in the hands and ears of any and every discerning listener as soon as possible, but we've hit a slight snag down the final stretch. The album is on its way to being pressed, the websites are being built, it'll be made available for digital download, we'll even be having a record release party in conjunction with my brother Andy Ristaino's gallery show and graphic novel release at Mission Comics and Art on 20th st in San Francisco on April 3rd (more on that later, too). But we need your help to finish paying off the costs incurred for producing the record/art/website. We tried to figure out another way, and we've even gotten some inspiring donations to get us this far, but much to our chagrin, we've fallen short in the 11th hour.

So, you might be sitting there thinking, "Why should I help you? You're just a band, not a 3rd world country ravaged by earthquakes and famine. Get a grip, you drip!" And in that way, well, you may be right.

But we do have wonderfulness to offer you in honor of your donations.

If you go to the side tab of this blog, you'll see a little "donate" button, where, with a simple click you can make two 30 something songsmith's dreams come true. We hope you'll consider anywhere from $5 up.

If you do decide to donate to our cause, we will send you:

1. A copy of our 13 track magnum opus Agents of Venus : Boduvt! This is a rollicking good time, filled to the cd's edge with stylistically and thematically diverse tracks that harken back to the likes of the Beatles, the Cars, Radiohead, Soundgarden, the Foo Fighters, Gnarles Barkley, and Steely Dan, with a tip of the hat to power pop masters like XTC, Jellyfish and Jason Falkner, as well as some hip hop, funk, dance music, total psychedelia, and stuff we hope you've never heard before. Its good! You like very much!

2. A signed print of original Agents of Venus album cover art by yours truly, Phil Ristaino. These will be rare prints, trust me, no one will have these things. If you dig drawings of space people in full regalia, blazing forth into the new frontier, then maybe you'll also like my original work, which is kinda sorta something like that.
Moderately Neato!

3. You will become an honorary Agent of Venus, with full authority to go out and spread love, chaos, and melted marshmallow peeps on anything or anyone in your area! Also, you will be added to our Agents of Venus members list which you'll see to the lower right of this page. There we will link to your particular website or charity of choice, hopefully to encourage Agents worldwide to check out your jam and groove and froth to your gibe! Agents Unite!

4. There is no 4.

So there you have it. IMPORTANT: If you do decide to donate to AoV, and you want to receive your goodies, please contact me (Phil) at agentsofvenus@gmail.com and let us know you donated. Please include your full name and address so we can get you the goods! And if you have a website or cause you want us to link up to, please make sure you mention that too. Excitement abounds!

Sorry for the long winded message, I'm really up to my nose in this thing, and I can't wait for everyone to hear these tunes. They rule! Honestly! I mean it!

No, really, they're actually pretty good.

Thanks again for stopping by, please drop by again, and tell your friends: The Agents of Venus are coming!

love always
Phil aka Zuben El Genubi