Josh Dies
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| Born: | June 12, 1983 Savannah, Georgia |
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| Occupation(s): | touring musician, entertainer, novelist . |
| Literary movement: | Postmodernism |
| Influences: | Chuck Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, Franz Kafka |
| Website: | joshuastephenporter.com |
Joshua “Dies” Porter (born June 12th, 1983) is an American author and musician. He is widely known as the singer/songwriter for the post-punk hard rock band Showbread. His debut novel The Spinal Cord Perception which is to be released in December, 2006. Is said to feature a dark, Postmodern style similar to Chuck Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, and other Generation X novelists.
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[edit] Biography
Born in Savannah Georgia, he was raised in the small rural town of Guyton in a Christian household. He briefly worked as a music journalist at the age of 14 for an online magazine, and though he excelled in writing courses and was heralded by his English and Literature teachers, Porter maintained an adamant stance against the school he attended and withdrew from Effingham County High School at the age of sixteen and acquired a GED.
Around this same period, he began working with brother Patrick Porter creating and evolving the band Showbread, which was birthed in 1997, and became a full-time international touring act in 2002. In 2004, following several independent albums, Showbread released No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical, featuring music and lyrics written by Porter, and arranged and completed with by he and his band mates. "No Sir..." expectantly failed to achieve commercial success, the songs being relentlessly chaotic and with mostly no traditional song formats. However, Showbread’s already respectable and rabid fan base was propelled by the thousands.
In 2006, Showbread released Age of Reptiles, a drastic and controversial departure from the spastic, frenetic style of their debut album. The record, featuring straightforward, almost traditional rock songs garnered drastically polarized reviews, heralded by many as an unpredictable work of creative genius and by others as an uninventive sell-out.
Later that year, Porter announced through Showbread's website and his own Official homepage, that he would be releasing his first novel, The Spinal Cord perception, at the close of 2006. A limited edition version of the book is said to be self-published by Porter and sold via his web-store and on the road with Showbread. Any plans for mainstream publishing are currently unknown.
Porter has also teamed with acclaimed produced Sylvia Massy Shivy to design artwork for her Psycho Empire T-Shirt line. Porter’s designs reminiscent of John Kricfalusi, are sold on tour with Showbread and feature crazed cartoon creatures mutilating each other.
[edit] As A Lyricist
Showbread’s lyrics are often a focal interest among their fans. Porter uses satire, strange metaphors and pop culture references to convey what some believe to be intensely profound and spiritual ideas. Notably, the lyrics throughout No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical tout connections to Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, and the ultra-thematic lyrics of Age Of Reptiles include countless references to various reptiles and the act of vomiting. Some fans have found the advanced vocabulary peppered throughout Showbread lyrics difficult to decode, when questioned about this in interviews, Porter claims that his vocabulary comes from reading Calvin And Hobbes.
[edit] As A Singer
Porter has often stated that he is unimpressed with his own singing abilities and merely tries to recreate Refused front man Dennis Lyxen’s trademark scream. The notable lack of screaming on Showbread’s latest record however leaves him rendering a more guttural, often melodic, throaty wail.
[edit] As A Performer
Donning strange costumes and theatrical make-up, Porter has become notorious for his outlandish stage persona as Josh Dies. He rants nonsensically, and showcases a performer’s aura similar to David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Marilyn Manson.
[edit] As A Musician
Porter claims to write all of Showbread’s songs on the same acoustic guitar. The Showbread writing process has been described by the band as being started by Porter, who writes the basic music for the song, and completed by the band members who all style in their own handy work. Incidentally, Porter also writes and performs some of the synthesizer parts and acoustic guitars heard on Showbread albums and is also credited as Showbread’s original drummer.
[edit] Criticism
Porter has been involved with several controversies having to do with his work, namely with some Christian groups who feel that some of the subject matter of his writing is contrary to Porter’s personal stance of faith as a devout Christian, as well as his apparent interest in Horror Cinema and secular artists like Nine Inch Nails. Some of his lyrics are tinged with dark, violent, and obscure subject matter. Many Showbread fans and fans of Porter’s writing style defend his work avidly and commend him for what they believe to be a deep and powerful way of conveying important spiritual truths. Porter has been open in sharing his ideas about accusations brought against him and his work, and has posted several informative articles dealing with these topics on Showbread’s website.
