Two and 1/2 Pounds of Bacon - music, politics, etc in brooklyn

Treepeople

2007-08-10T22:57:00.001-04:00

What?

2007-08-02T08:43:00.000-04:00

I don't think I would ever have guessed that those were, respectively, Peter Murphy's front and Trent Reznor's back. But indeed, that's what you're seeing here. The collab doesn't quite work, but the most depressing thing about this video is when the camera swings over to reveal the throngs of voracious fans.

Philly-Style : Steady B

2007-07-23T11:48:00.000-04:00

B., we hardly knew ye.

Steady B.
Going Steady (12" remix)
Ego Trippin' (album version)
1989 Jive Records, NYC & Pop Art Records, Philadelphia

Read the sad story of Warren McGlone at Wikipedia.

More Music Momentarily

2007-07-22T09:46:00.000-04:00

Hilarious and infuriating:

Just infuriating:

World, where is thy dash o' justice?

2007-07-18T21:33:00.000-04:00

The Brilliant Corners from Bristol made clever, bouncy, jangly pop music that didn't make them as famous as the Housemartins. If there were a dash of justice in this world, things might've been diffo.
Sigh.

The Brilliant Corners
What's in a Word
1986 McQueen Records, Bristol

Side 1
Laugh I Could Have Cried
Brian Rix
I Never Said That
Delirious

Side 2
A Very Easy Death
Sweet Brendan
Egotistical Me
Boy and the Cloud

I'll leave it to the authorities to tell you all about them:
TweeNet
Wikipedia
Trouser Press
Themselves on MySpace

Blake Schwarzenbach teaches at Hunter

2007-07-17T18:31:00.000-04:00

I read that somewhere and thought it was really very awesome.

But let's get to the point, shall we? Journey back with me. It's 1990. Jawbreaker are fresh out the box, coasting on the strength of their first LP, Unfun, and the sensi-tough ache of that song "Want," which always went next to Rites of Spring's "For Want Of" on my mixes. I was a wanter. Big time.

New Red Archives sees fit to release a comp on clear vinyl that presents the punk state of the union, featuring Samiam, Ultraman, Crucial Youth, Hogan's Heroes, Kraut, Bedlam Hour, and more. And Jawbreaker steals the show. (channeling my inner Kasem) Here's Blake Schwarzenbach, Adam Pfahler, and Chris Bauermeister -- Jawbreaker-- with "Rich."

Jawbreaker
Rich
Hardcore Breakout USA (vol. 1)
1990 New Red Archives, San Francisco (NRA18)

Here's AllMusic's take on the JB's.

Would-be civil servants, unite!

2007-07-16T19:07:00.000-04:00

Hopes for the next administration:
1. There is still a government.
2. Responsible, intelligent people with big dreams want to work in it and on its behalf.
No small thing to ask for, considering what's gone down in the last six and a half years.

Eggs
The Government Administrator
b/w Sugar Babe
1993 Hemiola Records, Leeds, UK (Hemiola #3)

John Rickman
Evan Shurak
Rob Christiansen
Andrew Beaujon

What a fist-pumper this is. No wonder John Peel dug it so deeply. In spite of all the joy provided by Christiansen's trombonery on the B-side, it's when he "plays guitar now brother" on this A-side that he kicks it like the go-to utility player, just matter-of-factly upping the ante per Mr. Beaujon's request. And it just keeps stepping on up for the remainder of the song, making it a jam to end all indie rock jams.

For more on Eggs, here's what AMG has to say.

Philly Style #2147a

2007-07-15T10:27:00.000-04:00

The Electric Love Muffin
Playdoh Meathook
1987 Buy Our Records, Vauxhall NJ. BOR 12-012.

Side 1
Backstreet Ride
I Should Have
Look For Me
Norwegian Wood
This Time I'm Gone

Side 2
Blackness That Could be Blue
The Muffin March
One Year Removed
Tomorrow's Regrets
Magna Opus

recorded at Spectrum Studios, October 1985.
engineered by "Baba O' Schlepski"
mastered by chris gehringer at frankford/wayne nyc

The Muffin brought it, man. They bra..tit. Thrashy stoner punk, rave-ups, power pop. You couldn't find music more perfect for a Lazy Philly Summer (TM). If you think you could, play it for me and I will tell you you're sorely mistaken. And don't even make me post another track from Rassafranna.

More about the ELM at Everything2 and Trouser Press.

And they have a MySpace page.
And here they are covering Norwegian Wood live at CB's in March 1987.

2.5+7 #2

2007-07-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

Fat Tulips
~~On The Seventh Day~~
1991 Sunday Records, Rolling Meadows IL. Sunday 001

Mark D. (guitars)
Sheggi (vocals)
Paul (bass)
Matt (drums)
Virginia (backing vocals)

All songs written by Mark D.

For more on the Fatties, check out their wikipedia entry.

2. 5 lbs. + 7 in. #1

2007-07-14T15:12:00.001-04:00

Love Child
~~Know It's Alright~~
1990 Trash Flow Records, Hoboken NJ. TF02

Love Child are:
Rebecca Odes
Alan Licht
Will Baum

Mixed and Mastered by Scott Hull.
Read more about them at Trouser Press.

I need 3 packs of Marlboros? You need?

2006-08-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

An unusual barter request found on craigslist NYC.

NYC: snowden + delicious sandwich social + make out party

2006-08-26T09:18:00.000-04:00

Some upcoming happenings in the city:

Jade Tree Record's buzz kings Snowden played the Sine-E on Thursday and hit South Paw in Park Slope, Brooklyn tonight. Their heavily reverbed, drone-heavy sound is indebted to Interpol for sure, but (thank god) without the Ian Curtis fixation. This tune got stuck in my head bad:

Snowden - Anti-Anti (from itstoolong.com)

Attention sandwich-makers and sandwich-lovers: the Delicious Sandwich Social happens this afternoon at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Bring a sandwich, keep 1/2 and submit the other. The sumbitted sandwiches get redistributed randomly so everyone gets a different 1/2 sandwich (and the name of the person that made it - thus "social.") Something new for sure.

Central Park Makeout

Date: Thursday, August 31st
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Sheeps Meadow (enter at Central Park West and 66th)
Cost: Free
Summary: "Come hang out and make-out at Central Park's Sheeps Meadow. The makeout party is free, and for no particular cause, other than to promote shameless kissing in public. (This is a kissing-only event, so all you exhibitionists contain yourselves, please!). In conjunction with Central Park Makeout, The All State Café 250 w72nd St, just west of B-way) has agreed to do some cheap and fun drink pre and post makeout party. "

eko vino: beef & iron wine

2006-08-25T00:04:00.000-04:00

A perplexing medicinal, usually found in the "Hispanic" or "Ethnic" section of the drugstore. I have picked up this bottle several times but never mustered up the courage to buy a bottle. It does actually contain 7% alcohol, which, of course, has led me to fantasize of wild, beef wine fueled orgies (So drunk! So strong!!!)

Strangely, The Daily Slope also ran a brief story last year featuring the Eko Vino and other Hispanic-marketed medicines, remedies and cosmetics. I find it hard to believe that these products are only available in Park Slope, Brooklyn (where I also live.) Anyhow...

The product is a relative of a whole range of crazy old remedies that contained sherry or port, iron (and/or other minerals) and beef broth or sometimes, cow's blood. Hearty.

Iron & Wine / Calexico - History of Lovers

fast & jittery: orange juice + the wedding present

2006-08-24T00:04:00.000-04:00

The UK has a grand tradition of fast, chaotic and vulnerable pop that reaches back to the post-punk era. Pehaps one could even trace the thread back to Skiffle and Mersey Beat, but that's probably more of a stretch.

From Glasgow, Scotland, Orange Juice pioneered the nerdy and romantic art-punk jangle that has has become a permanent part of the indie landscape. You might even call them pre-twee. An impressive collection of their first recordings (1980-1981) was released by Domino last year as The Glasgow School, and contains the track below. Orange Juice never really made any cash, but frontman Edywn Collins eventually had a big (and unlikely) hit with "A Girl Like You" in 1994.

Orange Juice - Blue Boy
buy it

David Gedge, the singer-songwriter who fronts The Wedding Present is a doomed romantic, as well as being an avid student of the spastic jangle. First emerging in mid 80's, TWP also represent a bit of a missing link between the depressed British alternative rock of that decade (The Smiths, The Cure, New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, etc) and the rowdier American indie-rock of the 90's. Plus, they were produced often by Steve Albini. All the Albini trademarks are here on this track from 1989's Bizarro: crushing bass, abrasive guitar, buried vocals, huge drums.

The Wedding Present - Crashed

ear protection for babies

2006-08-23T11:29:00.000-04:00

The Peltor Junior Ear Muff is just right for concerts, races, shooting and other general noise protection...Another benefit to these muffs is that they don't pose a choking hazard, as earplugs sometimes can when used by very young, unsupervised children.

close: duplomacy + pedro the lion + sebadoh

2006-08-23T00:44:00.000-04:00

Duplomacy have released a beautiful album of sweet, intimate songs, arranged with lots of hard, buzzing edges and sonic detail. A very close, organic record. Give these two a spin:

Duplomacy - Stars
Duplomacy - Coppertone
buy it

Duplomacy's first foray into professional recording was an EP recorded by TW Walsh, one-time partner of David Bazan in Pedro The Lion, another group who always had a great grasp of the intimate, although in usually in a more morose, sin-haunted way. This is the lead-off track from 1999's "The Only Reason I Feel Secure Is That I Am Validated By My Peers ."

Pedro The Lion - Criticism as Inspiration

With the recent re-release of Sebadoh's 1991 masterpiece "III", Lou Barlow has been getting some good ups lately. Lou crafted some of the most beautiful, honest, uplifting and self-loathing music there ever was. And, oh yeah, he's real good with that intimate thing too (wrapup!) This classic is taken from 1992's "Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock." and has been covered by both Superchunk and Death Cab for Cutie.

Sebadoh - Brand New Love

Farewell World Wide Wing Commander

2006-08-22T17:29:00.000-04:00

Robert Brooks, the founder and chairman of Hooters died last month.

Mr. Brooks...was affectionately referred to as Hooters World Wide Wing Commander

Fly on, little wing.

page france + wimp factor 14

2006-08-21T22:06:00.000-04:00

A very nice track arrived in my inbox the other day. Baltimore's Page France make some folksy and twee indie-pop. They are on the excellent Suicide Squeeze label, also home to Minus the Bear, Crystal Skulls and Chin Up, Chin Up.

Page France - Junkyard

The song called to mind the similar stylings of long forgotten Wimp Factor 14 from Pittsburgh. I always had a soft spot for those boys. This tune is from a 1991 7" on Harriet Records.

Wimp Factor 14 - Train Song

bivouac - Avant | Après

2006-08-20T23:56:00.000-04:00

I had the good fortune of attending the Avant | Après event last weekend. It was staged by bivouac, a NYC based label specializing in avant garde electronica and noise.

The higlight of the show was Nim was from Sweden. His rig was extremely simple: a cassette walkman (with cassette), one signal processing unit and a pair of scissors. He manipulated the transport machinery of the walkman with his hands and the scissors to create a percolating set of beats. He then moved cassette tape over the heads of walkman with his fingers, essentially scratching and dropping samples. Very musical, focused and well thought out.

Download this track from Nim. No title, just this explanation:

I found two interesting pieces of metal in the faculty cellar: a piece of a ladder and an oblong surface.

The setting was also striking: ISSUE Project Room, an arts space located on about a 1/2 an acre of ground overlooking the Gowanus Canal.

See more pictures of the event on Flickr.

Silent Disco

2006-08-18T13:26:00.000-04:00

Something for the folks in NYC - event to be held in Washington Square Park, West Village:

Saturday, August 19th 4:00pm-10:00pm: DJs spin music transmitted directly to wireless headphones, and people dance like crazy to sounds no one else can hear. Bring your own FM headphones, or borrow a pair from presenters The Madagascar Institute. Located on the Big lawn (northwest quadrant). FREE.

Presented by the The Madagascar Institute, also responsible for "Silent Fireworks" and "Dueling Re-Enactments."

The Art of the Shiv

2006-08-15T18:21:00.000-04:00

Just found this striking and frightening photography piece, Dangerous Beauty: The Art of the Shiv.

The shivs shown here, from the collection of designers Chris Kasabach and Vanessa Sica, were confiscated more than twenty years ago from New Jersey’s Rahway Prison (now East Jersey State Penitentiary), a maximum-security facility that houses more than 1,500 inmates serving sentences of twenty-five years to life.

New Ill Lit album "Tom Cruise"

2006-08-15T18:00:00.000-04:00

Ill Lit traffic in a mournful and convincing strain of rootsy indie rock, spiked with noise and electronics. Tom Cruise is their third full length (or fourth if you count the Burakumin - Early Mourning album from 2000, also featuring vocalist and songwriter D. Ahearn.)

After two years in and out of the studio, the completed Tom Cruise shows the Los Angeles group reaching a new level of songwriting and studio sophistication, and even, dare I say, slickness. Gone are the clumsy reaches at drama and rudimentary folk structures that marred some the band's earlier efforts, replaced here by soaring arrangements and genuine pop diversity. Take a listen.

Ill Lit - This is not a good time
buy it

global warming & some strong opinions about horses

2006-08-14T21:24:00.000-04:00

Been having some fun (if you can call it that) at StopGlobalWarming.org lately. It allows you sign an ongoing petition (almost half a million onboard now,) calculate your carbon savings (via actions that you can take) and assess your impact via the amount of people that you "invite" to sign the petition. Laurie David (wife of Larry) is the top organizer, having brought on 83,045 people. I also noticed that Andy Stern of Wal-Mart Watch and the SEIU has brought in almost two thousand people. You can also check out who has signed up in your neighborhood through a cool little Google map mashup. Nice.

On a funnier note, horsehater is the most gut-busting thing I have come across in ages. Nasty and vulgar laughs. Avoid if you are sentimental about horses. If not, dive in and don't forget to check out the merchandise section.

Mark Mallman vs Tom Petty

2006-08-13T14:19:00.000-04:00

I recently received some information about Mark Mallman's new recording on Badman, Between the Devil and Middle C. He's described as similar to Elton John and David Bowie with a "theatrical Freddy Mercury-like Delivery". Now I enjoy the glam rock quite a bit more than the next guy and have been deep into the Queen lately ("Spread Your Wings" anyone?) so this got me interested.

However, it seems to me that (at least with the track "Death Wish") Mallman really uses Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky" as his blueprint; not so glam at all. You do the A/B.

Mark Mallman - Death Wish
buy it

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - You Got Lucky
buy it

Never Mind The Coifed Man Behind The Curtain

2006-08-13T10:27:00.000-04:00

BoingBoing this morning here is pointing to a piece at MSNBC that suggests that much of the terror and attendant inconvenience (as selfish and short-sighted as the word "inconvenience" sounds in this context) related to this past week's revelation of a nascent plot to explode as many as 10 commercial airliners en route from the UK to the U.S. was probably amplified by the Bush Administration. Here's a quote:

"In contrast to previous reports, the official suggested an attack was not imminent, saying the suspects had not yet purchased any airline tickets. In fact, some did not even have passports."

The nut of the article is that British agencies felt less urgency to arrest the alleged terrorists/suicide aspirants than their American counterparts and intended to surveil the suspects for an additional week (on top of the year they had already been monitoring some of the participants) before acting. The U.S. apparently pushed for arrests immediately. And we all know who got their way. What's that new Thom Yorke number: "I'm a dog, I'm a lap dog, I'm your lap dog..."

I am particularly annoyed by this occurrence because I have to at least partially agree with sentiments expressed this morning by commentator Nancy Giles of CBS Sunday Morning (and the voice behind some of your favorite pharmaceutical ads), whose overblown oration and facial close-ups so early on a Sunday regularly irritate me. Ms. Giles' comments, which I can't track down on the CBS web site, relate generally to a sinking feeling that the announcement of the arrests last week was in some part intended to divert the attention of everyday Americans away from something else.

On the upside, I love how BoingBoing refers to the suspects as "hair-gel terrorists." If I hadn't seen pictures of the suspects I'd probably picture them as a shiny-haired band of Pat Rileys and Ricky Ricardos. So I don't know, maybe the whole thing is a wash. Incidentally, the lead story at CBS Sunday Morning's web site right now: "The Carefree Lives Of Slackers."

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Kairo"

2006-08-13T01:44:00.000-04:00

Just watched the 2001 Japanese version of "Pulse", which has been recently remade (probably poorly) for the American audience . The original is not the most frightening of horror films, but it manages to wrap two of the most disturbing trends in modern Japanese culture (Hikikomori or "social withdrawl" and mass suicide) into a remarkable existential ghost story. Alienation and loneliness are the real horrors of the film, pushing society to total collapse. Definitely recommended.

Matt Bailey lays out a succinct survey of the cultural issues at play in the film at notcoming.com
Maggie Jones wrote a fantastic piece on Hikkomori for the New York Times Magazine.

Mastodon/Converge coming to NYC

2006-08-10T23:01:00.000-04:00

My stomach has been churning, anticipating the punishment to come at the Mastodon/Converge/The Bronx show on September 8th @ Webster Hall. Mastodon specializes in a muscular, technical and very textural brand of metal and they have been my starting point for all things hard and heavy over the last year. Their 2005 album Leviathan is a sprawling concept album based on, of course, Moby Dick. These bruisers are serious.

Mastodon - Island

Their new record, Blood Mountain, arrives on September 11th. Stream the Maiden-riffic new stuff from their myspace page.

Converge are coming from the more progressive hardcore side of things; I was just introduced to them last week. Omigoditsfullofstars. These guys are smart and pummelling and even know when not to play. They also have mastered that art of sounding completely unhinged and in-control at the same time. Definitely my new favorite band.

Converge - Last Light
buy it

Lieberman loses in Democratic primary

2006-08-09T00:36:00.000-04:00

18 year Senate veteran Joe Liberman conceded victory to Ned Lamont in the Conecticut primary an hour or so ago; it has all got me a bit worried.

Lamont basically ran againt Lieberman's support of the Iraq War and of the President. Now as anyone can tell you, I'm no backer of Bush or of the war. But I get a little nervous when a man who sponsored tough, bi-partisan climate change legislation, is endorsed by NARAL because of his pro-choice views, is fighting for lobbyist and campaign finance reform is being villified as some kind of Republican stooge. Also, his close association with President Bush has allowed certain pundits to paint him as a hardcore social conservative. This is the same guy that the Christian Coalition awarded a score of ZERO on their 2004 Senate score card, the same score as Hilary Clinton and Chuck Schumer.

We all need Senators who can reach across the aisle, not to mention guys like Lieberman who are smart and usually on the progresive sides of the issues. The Democrats will dig their own grave if they try make themselves over into a single issue (anti-war) party and purge their ranks accordingly. Keep that tent big.

Hockey Night upcoming album preview

2006-08-09T00:03:00.000-04:00

I posted a track by Hockey Night many months ago, placing them next to a post about Thin Lizzy. As it turns out, these guys are way into the Lizzy and their new album looks like it will trading in their faux-Pavement moves for a more arena-rock oriented style. Very pleasing to one such as myself. The band was kind enough to send me a few demos from their upcoming album (but forgot to put me on the guest list to their show at Cakeshop! Bastards.) Anyway, they rocked that little basement as it was meant to be rocked: with jokes, shirts off, spilled beer, over-loud guitar solos and two drummers that absolutely bring the party. Positive vibrations. Apologies to the band for posting this so long after the fact...

Hockey Night - Psychic Lightning (demo)
Hockey Night - Save the Clock Tower (demo)

someone at Opera should be fired+

2006-08-07T17:02:00.000-04:00

OK - this has to be the phoniest, most obvious and utterly unconvicing marketing campaign ever. These "archetypes" (Candy, Kyle, Monica, Ellen, Glenn & Marcus) are so far off the mark, they look like characters from a terrible TV show... plus why do all the graphics look like they were stolen from Apple?

Also, the new Yahoo avatar generator is good for an hour or more of solid laffs. Don't miss the pets and the angel wings. Requires a Yahoo account.

songs sung in unexpected languages

2006-08-07T00:56:00.000-04:00

I have a themed posting to offer tonight: songs sung in unexpected languages by famous artists. I'll bet there's a whole blog dedicated to this somewhere.

The first track should come as no suprise; ABBA are Swedish and the Scandanavians are always good with the foreign languages (they kinda need to be.) In fact, ABBA recorded songs in Spanish, German, French, Swedish and English during their career and have an entire version of their greatest hits album in Spanish! Fellow Swedes Roxette do too.

ABBA - Waterloo (German Version)

Rockabilly crooner Roy Orbison provides the next track, also in German. Strangely, this sounds like it would be perfect for a slow dance under the stars at the Biergarten. Gotta get out to that spot in Astoria at some point. Roy also recorded a song in German called San Fernando, which besides being funny for the obvious reasons, would would have connected nicely to ABBA (through their song Fernando.) Unfortunately, that song was pretty boring.

Roy Orbison - Mama (German Version)

A few obscure facts:
1) David Lee Roth speaks fluent Spanish.
2) David Lee Roth recorded a Spanish language version of his solo debut, "Eat 'Em and Smile."
3) David Lee Roth released an album in 2003!!! It's called "Diamond Dave." This man will not be stopped. Please click and help me figure what the hell is up with the cover photo.

David Lee Roth - Asi Es La Vida (That's Life)

Crockpot Pulled Pork

2006-08-06T15:31:00.000-04:00

I made this recipe last weekend and it made my whole building smell like pork. I served it on soft rolls with a Coleman's mustard, rice vinegar-based cole slaw. It was, as they say, the shit and I got much kudos at the Sunday cookout.

This recipe is mostly combined from a few I found online, with a few "twists" (AKA I forgot to buy some stuff at the store.)

PORK
4 pounds pork shoulder
1/2 cup cider vinegar
medium onion - quartered

RUB
2 1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp janes crazy mixed up salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp colemans dry mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt

BBQ SAUCE
1 cup of cider vinegar
2/3 cup of water
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp hot dried red pepper (those long mexican style ones)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper

trim fat from pork shoulder with a filet knife (this worked well for me)
cover with the rub, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 8 hours.

place pork, onion and 1/2 cup of cider vinegar in a crockpot and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

drain crockpot of all liquid and remove onions. pull pork apart completely using two forks. remove excess fat but leave the bones. add the BBQ sauce and cook on LOW for 3 hours. remove bones and cook for another hour.

Tilly & The Wall bring smiles

2006-08-05T03:09:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been mighty long since I posted anything here. I did get married, go on a honeymoon and find out that I'm having a little girl, so I think I can be excused.

I would also, in the interest of keeping this blog active, like to broaden the topics we cover here. Look for music and more politics, as well as all sorts of other items like urban planning, food, technology and whoknows.

In terms of music, Tilly and the Wall have been bringing me the smiles lately. They have an exuberant, pop-centric thing happening that is reedy and ultra-earnest. More uniquely, they use marching band figures and melodies seemingly stolen from some forgotten high school musical - like I said, smiles. These guys would go great on a bill with the New Pornographers...

Tilly & The Wall - Bad Education
buy it

how to get to universal health care

2006-08-05T02:49:00.000-04:00

A truly astounding piece profiling Andrew Stern of Wal-MartWatch was printed in the June issue of the Atlantic Monthly. You may know Walmart Watch from their efforts to unionize Wal-Mart and pass Fair Share legislation in various states: laws that target large employees and basically force them to raise their level of health coverage. All worthy causes to be sure, but what captured my imagination was Stern's vision for how the USA (finally) might attain universal health coverage:

Spending around $5 million annually, Wal-Mart Watch has pushed anti-Wal-Mart laws in dozens of states, leaked damaging internal documents, and helped make the company known as much for its exploitation of government health plans as for its business acumen. Over the last year, and very much against its will, Wal-Mart has been moved to the center of the national debate over health care, and Stern has drawn one step closer to what he’s really after.

Stern has something much grander in mind even than unionizing Wal-Mart. “Ford wasn’t created to be a health-care provider; it was created to produce cars,” Stern says. “My goal is to get Wal-Mart’s leadership out there in traffic and holler, ‘We can no longer compete in the global economy when health care is factored into the cost of our products.’ If Wal-Mart’s CEO, Lee Scott, were to come out and say, ‘We need a national health-care system that works for everyone,’ then it’s a whole new ball game.”

In Stern’s thinking, if the world’s largest company could be coaxed or bullied into publicly favoring a national health-care policy, here’s how things might play out: a rush of other companies already beset by health-care costs and accustomed to mimicking Wal-Mart would fall in line, putting business on the same side as labor. Governors burdened with soaring Medicaid costs might also join in. The pressure on the federal government would be overwhelming. Stern, in other words, is seeking to turn the Wal-Mart effect to his own ends, harnessing it to transform health-care policy just as it routinely transforms business policy. It’s an audacious plan…

Read a more complete excerpt here.

Ghosts In The Mobile

2006-06-14T19:35:00.000-04:00

Despite getting the promos months after the records streeted, we were pleased to receive copies of the both the new Glenn Kotche (the Wilco drummer, you know) and reissued/expanded Brian Eno + David Byrne records. We got hip to the latter, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, about six years ago when a friend emailed the title over as a recommendation to complement our growing interest in listening to electronic music. The reissue comes with what looks like some really interesting and detailed liner notes -- so detailed in fact that we put them aside to read when we have time to pay proper attention. Our favorite track on the original issue remains our favorite on the new version of the record: the twinkling ambient experiment "Mountain of Needles."

Brian Eno + David Byrne -- "~~Mountain Of Needles~~" -- My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts [buy it!]

Somewhat surprisingly, the Kotche record goes very well with the Eno/Byrne thing, as its brand of conceptual 20th Century plinky minimalism of the Glass/Cage/Reich variety isn't too distant an acoustic cousin to Eno's electronic constructions. Kotche's record is called Mobile, and it sort of concerns itself with mobiles of the Calder variety, seeking to translate that visual structural expression into an aural one. We're particularly fond of the first two sections of the "Mobile" pieces, so here they are. They are grouped as a single cut on the record, and we present them the same way.

Glenn Kotche -- "~~Mobile Parts 1 & 2~~" -- Mobile [buy it!]

The Shoegaziest

2006-06-07T21:25:00.000-04:00

Somewhat (well, completely) inspired by the Mars Needs Guitars group post here about shoegazer music, we thought we'd throw up a couple of our favorites for the kids to gnaw on. What with the latest releases from current indie luminaries Asobi Seksu and Dirty On Purpose (well, the DOP record is officially out at the end of the month) among others, it does seem like there is a resurgence of the form, and we want to do our duty to ensure the youth of today know what the old school set did back in the late '80 and early '90s.

First up is "Today" from Ride's Today Forever EP, the existence of which completely escaped us until a couple years back. The short-player was released in between the acclaimed Oxford, England quartet's two landmark sets, Nowhere and Going Blank Again. If you surf over to YouTube you can find a video for "Today," but it is filled with some bad emoting, so we won't link to it ourselves. But here is the song, and it's perfect for the endless rainy weeks we're having.

Ride -- "~~Today~~" -- Today Forever [buy it!]

Second: We were please to see MP3hugger's contribution to the MNG post, a very fine Drop Nineteens cut from the landmark record Delaware. Our love for Drop Nineteens is pretty well-documented, so we'll hold off on any gushing. But suffice it to say that hearing the band's "Kick The Tragedy" on the local college radio while still in high school led to a lot of other great things, including pretty much our entire college radio career. As such, we prefer the tune below to MP3hugger's choice, while recognizing there isn't really a wrong choice to be made when it comes to choosing tunes off Delaware.

Drop Nineteens -- "~~Kick The Tragedy~~" -- Delaware [buy it!]

The Shape Of Shapes And Sizes To Come

2006-06-04T19:35:00.000-04:00

The forthcoming self-titled debut from Shapes And Sizes is many things: smart, articulate, earnest, whimsical. We've reviewed it here. At the close of the disc the Canadian quartet serves up a delightful alt.country swinger that recalls one of our other Canadian favorites, the undersung and now defunct Royal City, whose "And Miriam Took A Timbrel In Her Hand" closes the band's 2001 set Alone At The Microphone. The two tracks we're posting aren't chosen for any specific similarity, but we think they are both winners. Shapes And Sizes streets July 11 on Asthmatic Kitty.

Shapes And Sizes -- "~~Boy, You Shouldn't Have~~" -- Shapes And Sizes
Royal City -- "~~And Miriam Took A Timbrel In Her Hand~~" -- Alone At The Microphone

[Pre-order Shapes And Sizes from Insound here]
[Buy Alone At The Microphone from Insound here]

The quintessential Gut-Twister

2006-05-27T15:36:00.000-04:00

G.W. McLennan, 1958-2006

2006-05-24T21:28:00.000-04:00

To lose a great songwriter at the relatively young age of 48 is simply not fair. J helpfully points to this tribute post at Moistworks by Franklin Bruno, and there's this piece by Steve Kilbey from the Church, who, with McLennan, made up the larkish Superduo Jack Frost. I don't have much to add except that a Go-Betweens soundtrack makes marking this unfortunate news even sadder.

The Go-Betweens - Cattle and Cane
Buy it.
Watch it.

The Go-Betweens - Streets of Your Town
Buy it.
Watch it.

G.W. McLennan - Lighting Fires
Buy it.

Jack Frost - Ramble
Buy it.

Oh man

2006-05-24T16:28:00.000-04:00

I've got a lot to catch up on. Not to mention that I only today discovered that Grant McLennan died earlier this month. A McLennan/Go-Betweens post soon.

Seven Times The Same Song: Spinto Band

2006-05-14T21:05:00.000-04:00

Recognizing that there may be a possibility out there that someone, somewhere, still may not have heard Delaware-based sextet Spinto Band's transcendent pop masterpiece "Oh Mandy," we've plumbed the murk over at YouTube and turned up seven video clips of the band doing what it does best, synths wailing, bass guitar flailing, hair flipping and all. Here's Spinto Band totally killing at the 9:30 Club with the hit. And again. And again, somewhere. And again at yet a different club about a week ago. And here in Montreal in March. And again here, acoustic with minimal accompaniment in a booth in a cafe in Paris. And finally, on TV in Holland sometime this year, kinda looking like Echo And The Bunnymen.

Gut Twisters #2

2006-05-08T19:54:00.000-04:00

More slow, deep cuts in the deep, deep guts. These three all from the high school years, and representing as wide a cross-section as you mighta got on one of my old mix tapes, which is to say, quite a narrow cross-section.

Specific is the balm for the wounded or aspirationally wounded high school heart...

The Replacements - Achin' to Be
Buy it!
Though there are no strings in it, per se, I tend to hear a lotta viola. Certainly not their best record, but this song is way up at the top of my Westerberg list.

Ian McCulloch - Start Again
Buy it!
This song starts off with the line "woke up sad," which made it easy to take literally as a teen, though McCulloch suffered considerably without his Bunnymen.

The Cure - One More Time
Buy it!
The Cure became, at a certain point, so adept at penning Gut Twisters that one might say it was a flaw. This song is ridiculous, and it comes even before Disintegration, which for my money is more of an extended gut-flaying.

A-Sides on YouTube. Commence Rockage.

2006-05-07T21:33:00.000-04:00

Well, would you look at that -- exceptional Philly quintet The A-Sides have a live-ish video for their awesome track "Sidewalk Chalk." Thanks YouTube! The sound quality gets pretty dicey, but the clip is clever and the song was in our top five for last year. So much rock. So much.

It's Citrus-tastic, Citrus-alicious even

2006-04-30T11:06:00.000-04:00

So as promised here is a taste of the forthcoming Asobi Seksu record, which is threatening to assume the title of "my favorite record of the year so far" with each passing listen. Incidentally, just Friday we received the remastered version of Meneguar's triumphant tour de force I Was Born At Night, and if it wasn't disqualified from contention due to its release and our excessive fawning over it in the 2005, that would be at the top of our list. But that's not why you called... Asobi Seksu's Citrus is at turns delicate and powerful, dreamy and forthright. It's hands-down the best shoegaze record of the last 10 years. If you are into that sort of thing. Which clearly we are. The guitar-heavy and melodic set is a series of spine-tingling moments, not the least of which is the seven-minute epic "Red Sea," whose pummelling conclusion you will be sure to play over and over again. Have a listen. Citrus streets May 30 on Friendly Fire, but you may as well pre-order it because all the cool kids will be talking about it all summer.

Asobi Seksu -- "~~Red Sea~~" -- Citrus
[Pre-order Citrus from Friendly Fire here]

I'm so glad to be back.

2006-04-29T12:06:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. You missed me. A couple of things I learned while I was gone:

1. On-board delay effects on your average coffee shop mixer are not things to which you should tether your professional future.

2. I don't look jewish by the standards of a sampling of Lubavitcher Hacidim.

3. Fastbacker prefers to go oldies-heavy at the karaoke.

4. Keith Sweat goes over surprisingly well at the karaoke.

Onward. I have long been gone. As a special gift, upon my return, I've decided to give you this track from the new Appleseed Cast record, Peregrine (as if it were mine to give). Appleseed have long been one of the few indie bands that the wife and I can agree upon. So let's consider this post a tribute to meeting in the middle. Without further ado, all three of the indie rock bands, present and past, that my wife listens to with some regularity:

The Appleseed Cast - February from Peregrine
Buy it!
The Appleseed Cast - Innocent Vigilant Ordinary from Two Conversations
Buy it!
The Appleseed Cast - A Place in Line from Low Level Owl Vol. II
Buy it!

Pedro the Lion - A Mind of Her Own from Winners Never Quit
Buy it!
Pedro the Lion - I am Always the One Who Calls from The Only Reason I Feel Secure
Buy it!

Knapsack - Hummingbirds from This Conversation is Ending Starting Right Now
Buy it!
Knapsack -Casanova from Silver Sweepstakes
Buy it!

Undersung Indie Pop 2006

2006-04-23T20:43:00.000-04:00

There are a couple acts I think people have been sort of sleeping on in the 2006 so far, namely Okay Paddy and The Five Mod Four. Okay Paddy's record The Cactus Has A Point is particularly strong, and besides a following among certain Philly-area cognoscenti it seems the act isn't getting enough attention out there on the Internets. Yes, they sorta have a Weez-ment/Pav-er thing going on, but no one has ever convinced me that is a bad thing. Feast your ears on the track "Where's The Taste," a mid-tempo jam that should be inciting in-car sing-alongs the nation over.

And then there's The Five Mod Four. If I had to quibble I'd say that the band's recently issued set Whiskers probably isn't as strong song to song as Okay Paddy's, but there is still plenty of great stuff to be heard. The track "There Will Be No More Cahoots," besides having a great title that reminds me of some high school Model U.N. sloganeering ("There will be no linkage!"), is one of the more lo-fi numbers on the record. I like the quiet handclaps and maracas, and the way the song sort of dangles the possibility of something big around the corner until it peters out.

Okay Paddy -- "~~Where's The Taste~~" -- The Cactus Has A Point
[Buy The Cactus Has A Point from Insound]

The Five Mod Four -- "~~There Will Be No More Cahoots~~" -- Whiskers
[Buy Whiskers from B&N]

I Know It Looks Bad But Believe Me I'm Innocent

2006-04-19T19:32:00.000-04:00

There is one track in particular whose name escapes me on Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's Extra Width during which a guitar solo is laid in too hot to tape, mixed up way too high, and the whole thing is so rock and roll it hurts. We think it might be the album opener "Afro," come to think of it. Anyway, this whole McLusky track is like that ridiculously boffo guitar solo. It rocks so hard it makes me want to take off my sneaker and smack myself in the head like Jeff Spicoli ("Do you hear that? That's my skull!"). We suspect you'll feel the same way. Batten down the hatches, this one is a barnburner.

McLusky -- ~~Light Sabre Cock Sucking Blues~~ -- McLuskism
[Buy McLuskyism from Insound]

I'll Never Love You

2006-04-17T15:20:00.000-04:00

To mark the release tomorrow of the Dresden Dolls' third full-length Yes, Virginia [which you can stream here] we thought we'd dredge up our favorite Dolls track, the live version of "Coin-Operated Boy" from the band's debut, the live set A Is For Accident. We've expounded at length on this track previously for Junkmedia back in 2003, so we'll reiterate that the song "mashes together a nursery-rhymed verse and an anthemic bridge [and] offers a case study of the key components of the Dolls' work: clever wordplay, alternately clobbered and caressed 88s and jerky drums. The number also features an intelligent, pulsing 5/4 section that suggests a skipping record. And its melodic and forlorn bridge alone (which asks "will you persist even after I bet you a million dollars that I'll never love you?") is worth the price of mail-ordering the record."

To re-reiterate, the bridge to this song is the kind of thing that will stick with you. Permanently. We weren't as fond of the studio version found on the self-titled joint, and in fact that record probably ranks last in our ranking of the duo's three records. On the other hand, Yes, Virginia at first listen is clearly strong enough to vie for first place. Anyway, here's the download.

The Dresden Dolls -- "~~Coin-Operated Boy (Live)~~" -- A Is For Accident
[Buy A Is For Accident from the band here]

You Keep Me Coming Home Again

2006-04-16T10:27:00.000-04:00

We suspect many of you are partaking of the same Easter celebration we are: listening to some rock and roll music. Started off the morning with coffee and a little Here Come The Warm Jets, and then moved on to the forthcoming Sonic Youth set Rather Ripped, which streets in June. In the spirit of the holidays (Passover too), we thought we'd share a little bit of the Sonic Youth with you.

Judging from the sudden swamping of the :: clicky clicky :: hit logs with searches for it, the venerable indie act's forthcoming record leaked about a week ago. We are pleased to say the record is a really nice listen. At first blush Rather Ripped comes off less arty and dissonant than earlier records, even the relatively straightforward but thoroughly excellent 2004 set Sonic Nurse. Here is one surprise: The verse of album opener "Reena" is reminiscent of Unrest, which we know is sort of putting the cart before the horse in terms of who probably influenced whom initially. But still, it sounds like an Unrest track, albeit more dense, until the heavy jam in the middle of the song. This song will only be up for 24 hours -- get it while it's hot:

Sonic Youth -- "~~Reena~~" -- Rather Ripped
[Buy Sonic Youth records, and eventually pre-order Rather Ripped, from Insound]

Hiatu Temporare

2006-04-12T17:01:00.000-04:00

I'm on temporary sabbatical from the bacon, but will return in the month of May or sooner with renewed vigor and cherry-red pvc trousers.

In the meantime, j may or may not drop by on occasion, and fastbacker and enemy lemon may or may not do the same.

The Greatest Rock And Roll Band. Period.

2006-04-07T21:08:00.000-04:00

News that a Replacements best-of and box set are in the offing made us dial up The Replacements on our IPod this morning and listen through the entire catalog in one stretch throughout our workday (alphabetically by album title, if you must know). And goldang it, if there is a single rock song better than "Left Of The Dial" I defy anyone to name it. Considering what gems might make it onto the box set is a pleasant way to spend some time. The wealth of Mats live bootlegs out there is pretty evident from a simple search of the blogosphere, especially recently. As far as the population of Twin/Tone-era non-album tracks kicking around, which would be the really exciting stuff, it's anybody's guess. Actually, I know a guy who could give me the definitive answer, but that's not the point of this post.

Anyway, here is "Lookin' For Ya," a Twin/Tone era non-album track that fans will recognize as a ballsier version of Hootenanny's "Lovelines" with real lyrics. The story as best as we can remember it, is the band wrote the tune to be considered for use in a Miller beer commercial. Of course, The Mats couldn't help but intentionally hamstring their effort, and as such Paul closes out the track by hollering "Keep your riches, get me a BUDWEISER!" We just did a Google and found this recent Record Robot post that gives bit more color on the genesis of the track and its release history, as it is. So maybe this cut isn't as rare as I had thought, not anymore. But what the hell, I took the trouble to write it, you took the trouble to read it, so here it is.

The Replacements -- ~~Lookin' For Ya~~

Bit o' honey

2006-04-03T21:36:00.000-04:00

Some new-ish pop confections to tide you over, although i know how one jelly bean can sometimes seem barely to hit bottom.

York-ish Tales of Jenny make pleasantly off-kilter bashy B&S-inflected pippity pop.
Tales of Jenny - Trotsky of our Time

Stockholm's The Happy People (pictured) bring us this new demo, one of three you can enjoy for free from their site.
The Happy People - Quiet One

J. W. Hindle is newly installed in London, where one hopes his sun-tinged pop can strike the mist just so, making things nice for a spell. Sigh.
James William Hindle - Silence

More odds and ends, 1993

2006-04-02T10:43:00.000-04:00

I haven't had the time over the last week to formulate my usual super-tight, pointed style of blog post. But in the interest of keeping things...interesting, I'll just keep throwing up random tracks from the party shuffle, nineties edition.

1. Versus - Let's Electrify!
Versus busting onto the scene like Mission of Burma with delusions of grandeur.
Buy it!

2.Chisel - Sunburn
Ted Leo, just on the cusp of the Weller/Bragg infusion. Just goes to show some people were good even before they were good.
Buy it!

3.Madder Rose - Beautiful John
Just a perfect piece of '93.
Buy it!

Baltimore, The City That Breeds

2006-04-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

Another post about why I love the Internet. In the Fall of 1993 I was minding my own business in Mr. Obb's dorm room when he hipped me to a comp of Baltimore indie bands. I taped a few hits that I've listened to often in the intervening years. I had no recollection of the title of the comp, which included songs by Candy Machine and a slew of other acts likely unknown to many, but have always been interested in hearing it again since my musical tastes have developed a lot, and there may have in fact been more gold in the set than I first realized. Anyway, a quick post the other night to a certain cr(u)cial message board, and 24 hours later someone posted the goods for me. Yes, I love the Internet.

I learned that the comp is called Baltimore, The City That Breeds. There is virtually no information about it on the Interweb. I think it had a red cover, for whatever that is worth. Below are my three favorite cuts from the disc. I don't know anything about the bands below, except that Sun Of Earth had somebody's brother in it that Mr. Obb knew from his Baltimore days. I can tell you that Pedge's "Lesa," which we've also seen referred to as "Lisa," is a moody rocker; S.Q.U.I.D.'s "On And On" presaged a similar aggressive sound that was big with Chicago band in the mid-'90s and has an awesome opening line; and Sun of Earth's "Zero" is the sort of emo that would have fared well on a club bill with Sunny Day Real Estate. All of these cuts sound amazingly better in 160Kbps MP3 than they do on the crappy MP3s I've ripped from my aged cassette dub of the original comp. Hooray.

Pedge -- ~~Lesa~~ -- Baltimore, The City That Breeds
S.Q.U.I.D. -- ~~On And On~~ -- Baltimore, The City That Breeds
Sun Of Earth -- ~~Zero~~ -- Baltimore, The City That Breeds

[photo lifted from site of Baltimore punk act Thee Katatonix, who only existed in the early '80s and do not appear on Baltimore, The City That Breeds]

Racing In the Sheets

2006-03-26T18:26:00.000-05:00

I heard Demographer Phillip Longman on NPR about a week and a half ago, arguing that the discrepancy in birth rates between religious conservative families (higher) and more liberal families (lower) presages a continued, inexorable slide toward political conservatism in this country and generally, around the world.

This means that, not only will Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) dominate the discourse here, but ultimately, that they will vie with conservative Muslims for what's left above water in 2200.

Here's a USA Today editorial expressing his theory in a nutshell.

If you sit where I do, it's a depressing thought. But I can't allow that kind of deterministic view to take hold; after all, there are all kinds of social and political forces at work independent of what our parents' political views are.

Still, for those of you who find yourself on the left side of the current cultural divide, I offer these songs as a musical plea to indulge your procreational impulses along with your recreational ones. Get thee to a sack! Or a spermbank! Or an adoption agency!

For those on the right, give yourself a break! Kids are a handful!
Mobius Band - Multiply
Buy it!
A Certain Ratio - Shack Up
Buy it!
Bad Religion - How Much is Enough?
Buy it!
Chino - Uno Mas
Buy it!
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
Buy it!
Nice and Smooth - Sex, Sex, Sex
Buy it!
Queens of the Stone Age - Do It Again
Buy it!

Odds, ends

2006-03-24T08:12:00.000-05:00

Just a few danglers I had floating around on their own, from early forays into digitizing my old collection. Really good things here.

The Lavender Faction - In My Mind
1990. Became an immediate obsession of mine upon joining up with my college radio station. Bought the two things I could find. Played them often. Swirly guitar pop of the sort that Slumberland bands were just starting to dip their toes into.
Buy it!

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Plan B
1981. Kevin Rowlands has received enough press praising him as a genius before his time. I agree, for what it's worth. This track, in particular, takes you through a variety of scenic, souly moments with Kevin and his raggedy band of street urchins.
Buy it!

Tuxedomoon - In A Manner of Speaking
1985. The lonely voice of Winston Tong in a cavern of despair. Martin Gore covered this on his "Compulsion" EP many years later.
Buy it!

That Petrol Emotion - The Deadbeat
1986. Fresh out of the Undertones, the O'Neill brothers made an incredibly creative, underrated record of guitar pop. Allmusic tells me this record includes a cover of Pere Ubu's smash-hit Non-Alignment Pact, but my copy, unfortunately, seems to be missing that track. Maybe it's vinyl-exclusive...hey, is that my belly button?
Buy it!

The Church - A Different Man
1982. For some time, this standout single was only available in the US only on an import CD. Now it's only available (I think) on a different import CD. For the record, I prefer the sound of the German polycarbonate to the French. Still one of my fave Church tracks.
Buy it!

Gut Twisters #1

2006-03-20T23:10:00.000-05:00

I think it's time for another sporadic feature, this one devoted to songs from my pre-teen to adult years that have shredded my guts with slow, deep cuts. These aren't just run-o-the-mill sad songs, but the ones that struck hard, penetrated thoroughly, and just refused to let go.

Or maybe it's just a bunch of cheesy breakup songs. Whatever it is, embarrassment will surely fall upon my house for it. But that's the price I'm willing to pay to assemble my love-history in song. In any event, dig into a box of kleenex, and let's get started.

Barry Manilow - Mandy
As a youngster, my love of this song was a harbinger of the long, sap-filled existence still to come. I used to think it was all about how this Mandy "kissed him and stopped him from shaving," which isn't that cute, but is an indication of how influenced my mind was by commercials from the idiot box.
Buy it!

The Halo Bit - Let You Know
Alex Kemp's (Small Factory, Godrays) second or third band, the record was a little hit-or-miss, but mostly hit, like this epic little yearner that made for all kinds of good-bad-sad-sad in my little basement hovel in college.
Buy it!

Depeche Mode - But Not Tonight
Holy crappenstein, this song, which I managed to live without from high school to thirtysomethinghood, has only recently returned to my player, and not a moment too soon. How many times this accompanied various overcoated nighttime meanderings in my Valley Forge Military Academy walking loop, I cannot say. But times-a-many. Prayers for rain, Philly Titans, and whatever other drama I could milk out of by charmed life.
Buy it!

Lloyd Cole - Loveless
Another from the high school rain period, this one coming to prominence during my first foray into true love. Not sure how I ended up buying this record, but I remain utterly unable to shake the Cole, in spite of the many cooler-than-Cole periods I tried to go through.
Buy it!

Courtney Love - The Second Most Beautiful Girl in the World
Just to be clear, in case you haven't heard, this was a band named for the lead singer of Hole, and did not feature said personage. It was the work of Pat Maley and the gifted Lois Maffeo. This song is the definition of wistful, and it shaded a certain period of college with a kind of generalized, gossamer lovesickness.
Pester K Record to re-release it.

Future Gut Twisters promise to be far more embarrassing. xo

Music for Global Overheating

2006-03-19T23:14:00.000-05:00

Forgive me my tirades (tire-aids?) on the issues of the day, for they come bearing gifts of good music. On 60 Minutes tonight, NASA's Jim Hansen took the Bush administration to task for doing nothing about the problem of global warming, and worse, attempting to muzzle NASA scientists when they've tried to raise the alarm. Meanwhile, Hansen and other scientists have discovered all sorts of evidence that Global Warming is accelerating at a much higher clip than previously guessed. (The image of Greenland's ice sheet, above, I believe, is already out-of-date) This means that, unless things change, LA and Lower Manhattan could be underwater much sooner than scientists had guessed. Wildly unpredictable weather (I bring up once again WinterSpring and SummerFall, the seasons that are already alternating every week, it seems), drought here, flooding there, ice age somewhere else, etc.

To me, this is kind of the ballgame, if we don't do something to slow it down. The NRDC has some suggestions. There. That wasn't really a tirade at all.

Why not fire off a Letter to the Editor or your Senator while you listen:

Mountain Goats - Warm Lonely Planet
Buy something else!

Zwan - Endless Summer
Buy it!

Microphones - Ocean 1,2,3
Buy it!

Joy Division - Ice Age
Buy it!

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Cities in Dust
Buy it!

Joan of Arse - Buried at Sea
Buy it!

Everything But The Girl - Riverbed Dry
Buy it!

Codeine - Sea
Buy it!

!Exclusive! The Get Quick -- With Synths

2006-03-18T13:41:00.000-05:00

Over at the other blog I promised another dose of exclusive The Get Quick demos and b-sides, and here is where I deliver. As I've editorialized elsewhere, The Get Quick's debut How The Story Goes, released last summer, is a purposefully slick piece of power pop. In the context of the motherlode of unreleased stuff delivered to my door recently, the record is a middle ground that lies between other moodier, spacey material and really amped-up, lysergic rock. Below we're offering two tunes of the former flavor. The first, "Arp Music," is a surprisingly serene, synth-led instrumental that wanders up to a cliff and then falls right off. The second cut, a ballad titled "April Fools," has an undeniable hook that packs a bit of Westerbergian power a la "Answering Machine," (well, with an acoustic guitar). The tunes'll be up for a week, get 'em while you can.

The Get Quick -- ~~Arp Music~~ -- Unreleased
The Get Quick -- ~~April Fools~~ -- Unreleased

[Buy How The Story Goes from Insound]

The M Notes, Entry No. 702

2006-03-16T18:36:00.000-05:00

[The following is true, and is transcribed with a nod to the excellent short story "The Albertine Notes," a sample of which you can read here]

"...By the mid and late '80s I was using so much M that, some 20 years later, I still live with its irreversible effects. Of course, we're talking about MTV. Kell, McNeil and I, we called it M back in the day. Virtually unregulated in its early iterations, you could score it just about anywhere with a TV in any decent-sized suburb. Later we would casually refer to it by new sub-brands, usually "Yo!," to which we dutifully tuned in at "10 and 10 again" at the behest of Dre and Ed Lover. Through much of the drug's first decade, I used for hours at a stretch. Thank God, the new, allegedly more potent M of my post-collegiate years just simply doesn't fire my neurons, as the active ingredients have been swapped out for others designed to hook those seeking cheaper, eternally teen kicks.

Thing is, my neurons still autonomously fire at the behest of long-gone stimuli from the *old* M. Like an amputee still feels pain in his or her missing limb. These days the effect of mainlining all that pure M is a constant buzz underpinning my daily activities: walking the dog, document review, blogging -- the M is always there. And it is when my mind is at its most blank (and, ergo, most vulnerable) that the M flashbacks strike hardest, hijacking my consciousness and blasting a seemingly random song (with video accompaniment, of course) behind my eyeballs. This happens every single morning between the time I rise and the moment the hot shower hits the back of my neck. Only the songs aren't really random. In order of most-often "played," they almost always are one of the following:

Sammy Hagar -- The Two Sides Of Love -- VOA (1984) [buy it!]
.38 Special -- If I'd Been The One -- Tour De Force (1984) [buy it!]
Daryl Hall -- Dreamtime -- 3 Hearts In The Happy Ending Machine (1986) [buy it!]
Insiders -- Ghost On The Beach -- Ghost On The Beach (1987) [buy it!]
Y&T -- Summertime Girls -- Down For The Count (1985) [buy it!]

...."

[image lifted from http://www.culturaspettacolovenezia.it]

The Anti-Sex Revolution Continueth

2006-03-16T10:06:00.000-05:00

I'm on my way out the door, but what the fuck? Is there no end to the backward slide? The Republican-controlled Missouri House has decided to bar condom distribution at county clinics...again. Since 2003, county clinics in the MO have been unable to provide contraceptives and infertility treatments.

A quote: "If you hand out contraception to single women, we're saying promiscuity is OK as a state, and I am not in support of that," [Susan] Phillips, R-Kansas City, said in an interview.

I guess the short of it, in my humble, alarmed opinion, is that anti-sex conservatives are on the march in South Dakota, Missouri, (fill in the next one). With stories like this, stories about pharmacist "conscience" bills, anti-gay legislation here and there, and even in the details of anti-choice legislation, the narrative should be screamingly clear. There is a serious movement afoot not to save the fetus, not to prevent unintended pregnancy, but to (bit-by-bit, bedroom-by-bedroom) end recreational sex as we know it, straight or gay, married or not.

Troubling if you like sex. Do we have any sex-likers among our readership?

Songs for your trouble, penny for your thoughts:

Billy Bragg - Sexuality
Buy it!
The Beastie Boys - Shake Your Rump
Buy it!
Bloc Party - Always New Depths
Buy it!
Cat Power - Maybe Not
Buy it!
Desaparecidos - Survival of the Fittest
Buy it!
Le Tigre - Deceptacon
Buy it!
Liz Phair - Fuck and Run
Buy it!
Massive Attack - Teardrop
Buy it!
The Notwist - Off The Rails
Buy it!
Pretty Girls Make Graves - Sad Girls Por Vida
Buy it!

Boys, feelings.

2006-03-14T08:31:00.000-05:00

Feelings. If we are not dolts, how do boys get them out in our formative years? Do we opt for the all-out arty sensitivity of The Cure? Or do we try something just slightly tougher, like Rites of Spring?

In the mid-nineties, there were plenty of bands who were finding a middle way, a way that tamed the manic angst of hardcore and twisted it up with the heartbroken poetry of more mainstream alternatives, all tightly tucked beneath an almost fifties-era clean-scrubbed boyish exterior. These guys verged on being boys you wouldn't mind bringing home to mom, and their music made sensitive boys and girls (present company included) get all clenchy-chested (even if present company happened to already be too old for that shit).

But generally speaking, Crank! and Jade Tree managed to strike the gold vein just at the right time, unleashing boy-bands of the tolerable sort on confused suburban teenagers from Omaha to Austin to Chicago.

From Crank!:
Mineral - Parking Lot
Buy it!
Cursive - Downhill Racers
Buy it!

From Jade Tree:
Cap'n Jazz - We Are Scientists!
Buy it!
The Promise Ring - Red and Blue Jeans
Buy it!

Of course, these were bands that kept on giving. Cursive is the only one that survives somewhat intact, but half of these guys started playing together when they were like ten, so they have all kinds of years left in them, having played in multitudinous ensembles from then until now. Many of them have also learned how to sing, which may be a plus or minus, depending on which book you read. I lean toward "plus" as I slide into my Adult Contemporary years.

Didn't plan on a bonus, but why not catch up with some of the boys...
Make Believe - Say What You Mean Tim Kinsella's latest (Cap'N Jazz, Joan of Arc, etc.)
Zookeeper's (Chris Simpson from Mineral, Gloria Record)MySpace consulate.
Maritime - Calm Davey von Bohlen (Promise Ring) continues to make it count.
And, because JB once said somewhere that that Maritime song recalled this band for him, why not a dash of K.O.D.?
Kitchens of Distinction - Within The Daze of Passion
Buy it!
And with that, I believe I've come full circle.

Aye, take me back, ye laddies!

2006-03-13T20:16:00.000-05:00

The thing about blog darlings Two Gallants is that Adam Stephens sings like all the hippy kids you ever knew in high school or college. His delivery has all the nasal, mildly off-key, quavery, emphatic! delivery of the hippy bard. But good God, this is how it should be done! Skip the quiet jam in the old cafeteria during free period, forgo tentative buskery in front of the Sam Goody in the Ardmore Village mall. Nay, this music should be played loudly, to the back row, with much crashing and bashing, and with conviction, man!

Two Gallants have nailed it. They make it urgent, they make it punk, and they make it fresh to order. Plus, they're about to start touring again, so get your tickets while you still can.
Two Gallants - Age of Assassins
Buy it!
Two Gallants - Fail Hard to Regain
Buy it!

20 Reasons to love Fred Armisen

2006-03-12T15:20:00.000-05:00

1. His SNL characters are fantantastastic, weird gutbusters (Nüni, Fericito, Prince).
2. He opened for Jeff Tweedy.
4. He used to drum for Chicago art-punk heavies Trenchmouth.
7. He's guested with Les Savy Fav live.
20. He knows how to rock it right, as evidenced by his December iTunes playlist:

Kraftwerk - Pocket Calculator
The Damned - Love Song
Prince - The Ballad of Dorothy Parker Buy it!
Oval - ====
Bow Wow Wow - Go Wild in the Country
Wilco - A Shot in the Arm
Petra Haden - Tattoo
Talking Heads - Crosseyed and Painless Buy it!
Lungfish - Put Your Hand In My Hand Buy it!
Gorillaz - Last Living Souls
Joanna Newsom - Bridges and Balloons Buy it!
The Clash - This Is Radio Clash
The Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods (12" Version)
Sleater-Kinney - Rollercoaster Buy it!

Apart from the fact that he's got both my favorite Lungfish and Style Council songs in there, that's just a damn good list.
Here's Fred guesting in a new short from the women of Variety Shac.

And here's my favorite Trenchmouth single:
Trenchmouth - Making Money for the Freak Machines Buy it!

I think I saw them open for Swervedriver maybe at Cabaret Metro in college. Can't say I remember Armisen, beyond noticing that the band as a whole was "tight" (my attention was rightly focused on charismatic frontman Damon Locks, who went on with Wayne Montana to form The Eternals). But still, Nüni clearly has pedigree.

I almost forgot-- he also appears to have directed this video for the Helio Sequence.

March (Twenty-)One-Offs: Josh Rouse, Tunng

2006-03-11T08:55:00.000-05:00

When blogging against the clock as I do each night the process of weighing every single thing against every single other thing too often gets in the way of appreciating a single song. Today I present two very good tracks from respectable records that on the whole just didn't set my music-loving soul ablaze. However, just because an entire set may not catch our fancy doesn't mean they didn't feature individual tracks that made me internally exclaim something akin to "hot diggity!"

Josh Rouse is making waves in the blogosphere and the NPRosphere with his forthcoming Nettwerk release Subtitulo, which streets March 21. Mr. Rouse's brand of airy pop can be a bit too feather-light for my taste; I have the same issue with some of Archer Prewitt's solo stuff. Even so, Rouse's music reminds me of certain great tracks on Sean Lennon's splendid solo set Into The Sun. Check out the cut "The Man Who...," which has arresting girl/guy vocals and a nice dynamic chorus. The whole package, right down to the whispered "1-2-3-4," is really delish.

Josh Rouse -- "The Man Who..." -- Subtitulo [buy it!]

Also hitting American racks March 21 is Tunng's Mother's Daughter & Other Songs [Ace Fu]. The UK-based act does the folktronica thing as well as any, and Tunng's record has already piled up accolades in the UK when it was released a year ago. The various elements at work in the pretty track "Beautiful And Light" are optimally balanced. Acoustic guitar emerges from a passing train and catches a ride on insistent bass and clicks and tones; Warm, fuzzy (not in the Hallmark (c) manner) vocals provide a more comprehensible narrative than you may be used to getting in your light electronic diet. This is a great track for a quiet summer morning at the beach.

Tunng -- "Beautiful And Light" -- Mother's Daughter & Other Songs [buy it!]

Bonus:

Sean Lennon -- Into The Sun -- Into The Sun [buy it!]
Archer Prewitt -- In The Sun -- In The Sun [buy it!]

Thrills!

2006-03-10T08:36:00.000-05:00

No great shakes here, just the small thrill that comes from comparing a solo performance to that of the full ensemble. Put on your thrill pants, and let us ride.

Wilco - I am Trying to Break Your Heart Buy it!
Jeff Tweedy - I am Trying to Break Your Heart

Red House Painters - Mistress Buy it!
Mark Kozelek - Mistress (live on KCRW)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Born To Run (Hammersmith Odeon, 1975) Buy it!
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (live) Buy it!

American Music Club - What Godzilla Said to God When His Name Wasn't Found in the Book of Life Buy it!
Mark Eitzel - Nothing Can Bring Me Down (live) Buy it!
The title change! An added thrill!

It's All A Part Of Winter

2006-03-06T19:58:00.000-05:00

Between the near-exhaustion of its Fugazi influences and the onslaught of the jazzy forms that forever divided its fan base into two camps, erstwhile Boston act Karate made a really superlative record. I'm not ragging on what came before or after, because there is a lot of hot stuff to be heard thereabouts. Anyway, I identify listening to Karate with autumn for some reason, but I also always think about the band at this time of year, too, 'cause I saw them play the old alma mater the March after I graduated. So lets take a little time to celebrate some great songs from Geoff Farina's sometimes trio/sometimes quartet's 1997 record In Place Of Real Insight. The first is the rocker "New Martini," with a real toe-tapper of a melodic verse that demands in-car sing-alongs (and attendant in-car ad libbing from The Missus; Farina: "I Can't Remember!!" The Missus: "Me Neither!!"). The second is a sad one, the kind of tune that could get you crying in your sweater if you are walking around with a banged-up heart.

~~Karate -- "New Martini"~~ [buy it!]
~~Karate -- "Today or Tomorrow"~~ [buy it!]

Where the buck stops, or, rather, loses its effectiveness

2006-03-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

In an age where what's held up as "punk" is about as punk as a nice pair of khaki slacks, and theaters and ballparks are owned by car companies and airlines, I'm happy to announce that there are still limits to the Sellout. Thanks be to God, Inc., Int'l (a division of Coca-ColaColgate-PalmoliveExxonMobilWal-Mart).

I do believe that's the punkest thing I've ever written.

To be honest, I'm of the mind that, if you believe in the product, or you just don't not believe in the product, and you stand to make some money, why not take in a little cash and get your song slathered all over UPNWB. You can always donate half the dough to the liberation of something or other.

But there are limits, and some products are just un-believable-in. And this story brings us the news that Hummer have had a somewhat problematic time finding an indie song, current-ish or otherwise, to hawk its 10mpg machines. Although I do recall, I think, hearing a really excellent Dabrye track in a previous Hummer commercial.

Anyway, it seems that both Trans Am and The Thermals have passed on the substantial wads that Hummer has thrown at them, not to mention 80s Swiss punkwave pioneers Liliput. And Hoboken/Matador Recs rock luminary Lyle Hysen, formerly of Das Damen and a host of other good bands I wish I could remember (The Skunks?), and now works as a middle man in the field, gets quoted in the story too.

I suppose you never know, but my first instinct would be to guess that bands like Trans Am and the Thermals, who make a lot of explicitly political music, would be a hard sell on the hard sell, a hundred grand or a thousand grand (which is, like, a million) notwithstanding.

Here are the songs that you won't hear hawking Hummers. To limits!

Trans Am - Total Information Awareness
Buy it!
The Thermals - It's Trivia
Buy it!
Liliput - Hedi's Head
Buy it!

Big Ol' Dump o' Delight

2006-03-04T18:27:00.000-05:00

Snailhouse - Birds and Bees
Mike Feuerstack did double-time for the amazing Woodentops, who spent some time on Fastbacker's floor while on tour with god's gift to sad, lovely people, Julie Doiron. Feuerstack, who continues to perform and record as Snailhouse on his own with various chums, makes marvelous sad music on his own, as evidenced by this gorgeous, languid track. To recap: amazing, marvelous, sad, gorgeous, languid, download.
http://www.snailhousemusic.com

Raising the Fawn - Carbon Paper
Keeping with the theme of North-of-here stars pollenating bands here and there with their talents, here, sometimes Broken Social Scene member John Crossingham's Raising the Fawn do a strident, huge, towering guitars thing, enough to leave you pleasantly exhausted at the end of it all.
http://www.raisingthefawn.com

Sarah Asher - Where the Grass is Green
After all that, why not a dash of simple, melancholy, countrified folk from Columbus, Ohio's Sarah Asher to cleanse the palate? Tickling the tongue and lingering long on the finish, like some kind of wine or something, Asher's music recalls all kinds of vocalists I'm too lazy to think of right now. Somebody help me. Come on.
http://www.sarahasher.com

Bakelite - Pay Back the Weight
Bakelite come on like a ton of flying electrified manhole covers, so heads up. They bring their particular brand of crush right up in your face and spray you with motherfucking chocolate syrup. And hey, has anyone noticed this Canada thing? Somebody should get on that. I think there might be a "scene" there.
http://www.bakelite.ca

Lying In States - QG
Chicago's Lying in States hit the indie rock sweet spot, somewhere near where American Analog Set and Death Cab do their thing. This reminds me very strongly of Ditch Croaker and the Walkmen. There, I managed to cram in four solid references while also avoiding use of the word "guitar."
http://www.lyinginstates.com

Ecstatic Sunshine - Wavechop
Matt Papich and Dustin Wong make ridiculously delirious guitar-on-guitar spazz music that still manages to pack in melody and enough homespun, dramatic twists and turns to make listening to their music a little bit like watching that old Fischli and Weiss video art piece The Way Things Go, which was ripped off for a Honda commercial.
http://www.ecstaticsunshine.com

Distopian Dream Boys

2006-03-04T15:33:00.000-05:00

Yeah, we know we spelled "distopian" wrong there, but we're aping Built to Spill there, so pardon us. Because of the inherently adolescent nature of trad rock and roll, themes of rebellion against authority are almost as old as the popularity of the affordable electric guitar. This realization can fuel some interesting conjecture about comparing the relative "punkness" of acts. Take for example our old friends Pat Boone and the Sex Pistols. Was Pat Boone more punk for *not rebelling* (since rebellion was an expectation of rock and roll even as early as when Boone was cleaning up versions of songs by early rock artists) than the Sex Pistols were *for* rebelling? Just because the Pistols rebelled more fervently than, say, The Nuge, is taking an expectation (rebellion) to an extreme actually as subversive as eschewing the expectation altogether?

These aren't the most well-formulated thoughts or examples, but they aren't really intended to be. What they're intended to do is set up this look at the widespread employment of dystopian police state imagery in 1980's rock videos. What better way to show how rebellious you are than to cast yourself in a (fortunately for us, often laughable) situation in which you can show preteens glued to music videos how much you like to stick it to The Man? Who better to laugh at than Kevin Dubrow and the boys in Quiet Riot in this silly clip for the ~~sort of~~ abominable track "The Wild And The Young"? YouTube link below. Watch to the very end for Wink Martindale warning the nation about censorship -- it'll take you back. Post YouTube links to your own favorite relevant videos in the comments.

Saturday, It Is My Day

2006-03-04T09:22:00.000-05:00

I feel like I am going to develop a rep around the blog as the "Saturday Poster." So rather than pussyfoot around it, here I embrace it. Below are four tunes sequenced to accompany activities of a perfect Saturday. Call it a musical Saturday biorhythm, if you will. First some notes:

MantaRay's never-released "Saturday" kicks off with an alarm clock, not a wholly accurate representation of how I get up on Saturdays, but it's an appropriate start here. The band, now reformulated under the moniker The Get Quick, inserted my name into the verse at a show on my 24th or 25th birthday. Although it's always been a favorite of mine, that move seals the song's place in history. The Flaming Lips' song is from the band's first perfect album, IMHO, 1992's Hit To Death In The Future Head. The Eggs track, from the sprawling Exploder record, has an amazing Emerson, Lake & Palmer-styled bridge. This is a band that confirmed its genius on almost every song, but incorporating the album's theme into the final moments of this track? Damn... And finally, the Yo La Tengo tune is a nice cool-down track for stirring that last drink and putting and end to any day, not just a Saturday.

9AM-1PM -- ~~MantaRay w/ Ernie Whyte -- "Saturday (Norristown Version)"~~
1PM-5PM -- ~~Flaming Lips -- "Gingerale Afternoon (The Astrology of a Saturday)"~~ [buy it!]
5PM-10PM -- ~~Eggs -- "Saturday's Cool"~~ [buy it!]
10PM-1AM -- ~~Yo La Tengo -- "Saturday"~~ [buy it!]

Skout's Honor

2006-03-03T10:35:00.000-05:00

i've been really enjoying san francisco-based Boyskout lately. their sound has been described as new wave punk electronica, which is fitting. check out a few of these tasty tracks as a free sample. don't let the name fool you, they're all ladies and might be the current dames of the indie radio airwaves.

boyskout--secrets
boyskout--imaginary
boyskout--school of etiquette

buy it!

Bleep Bleep, Ah Yes...

2006-03-02T22:39:00.000-05:00

The good folks at Berlin's Morr Music have brought us more indie-tronic niceness with Ms. John Soda's new album, Notes And The Like. Cut from the same cloth as fellow Germans The Notwist (whose Micha Acher is in MJS as well) and Lali Puna, Ms. John Soda are sleek, moody and dense, topped with cold as ice vocals from Stephanie Böhm (of Couch) and (of course) strings...I can't get enough of this stuff.

Ms. John Soda - Outlined View
Ms. John Soda - A Million Times
buy it!

Fast Money Spray!

2006-03-01T23:06:00.000-05:00

Here's a little audio money spray for you to spritz around your apartment to bring you money and success. I admit I was inspired by the opening to beauty and the geek, but then, i sheepishly admit i'm inspired by a lot about the show. today's a fine day to buy a lotto ticket. good luck!

Pet Shop Boys--Opportunitiese (Let's Make Lots of Money) buy
ABC--How to Be a Millionaire buy
ABBA--Money Money Money buy
Violent Femmes--More Money Tonight buy
Liz Phair--Shitloads of Money buy

Shit List

2006-03-01T12:41:00.000-05:00

Will we stand idly by as the FCC steals our shit? They already took our fuck!

First, for old times sake:
The Kills - Fuck the People Buy it!

D'Angelo - Shit, Damn, Motherfucker Buy it!
Silverfish - Shit Out of Luck Buy it!
Lord Finesse - Save That Shit Buy it!
Propagandhi - Bullshit Politicians Buy it!

Will we be forced to fall back on tortured pig latin, Snoop Speak, and asterisk-heavy constructions to slide by?
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Tha Shiznit Buy it!

Libertie, Equalitie, Fraternitie

2006-03-01T02:03:00.000-05:00

With all the attention being paid to the musical happenings in Scandanavia these days, I think it's important to remember who really started it all. That's right - the French.

Well, actually, the French are probably a bit more world-signifigant for such things as early studies of radiation, existentialism & deconstructionism, imperial city planning and living healthy on nothing but animal fat and booze.

However, French pop, specifically the breathy and sultry wayss of the Chanteuse have always given my heart a flutter. Where, in the name of heaven, did you get those French pants?

Pauline Croze - Larmes
www.paulinecroze.com
buy it!

Francoise Hardy - Et Meme
buy it!

Why Do Birds Sing So Gay?

2006-02-28T23:21:00.000-05:00

I travelled a few hours north of the city this weekend with my lovely fiance (who may be a contributor to this blog, ahem.) We stayed in the beautifully preserved little town of Saugerties, just off the mighty Hudson. We hiked up to frozen waterfalls, visited some antique shops and ended up going to an enormous flea market at the local high school. The cafeteria was even serving lunch.

I suppose this had me yearning for simpler times, because I ended up purchasing a 3 CD doo-wop collection from a very nice man at the flea market. I then tormented my fiance with said collection throughout the weekend.

One track really popped out at me, "I Want You To Be My Girl" by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, best known for their mega-hit "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" The group was only together for 18 months from 1957 to 1958, but managed to record dozens of tracks, almost all of them quite good. Lymon's voice is the kicker, sailing over everything, clear as a bell, quavering with emotion and just a little swagger.

I was remarking how young he sounded; I chalked it up to 50's rock marketing: find somebody who sounds like a kid. As it turns out, Lymon actually was only 13 when the group had its first hit! His voice changed a few years later and that was essentially the end of his career. He got deeper into heroin (which apparantly he had discovered at age 16) and ended up dying of an overdose in 1968. What a waste.

Notably, Lymon was America's first black teen idol and Berry Gordy modeled his early Motown groups (especially the Jackson Five) very closely on The Teenagers. Enjoy.

Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - I Want You To Be My Girl
Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Silhouettes
Frankie Lymon - Little Bitty Pretty One (solo)
Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Creation Of Love

buy it!

Beat Planet Mix Tape Track 4

2006-02-27T21:46:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I returned to the totally lost, much fabled Beat Planet Mix Tape. I remember trying to rally the bands I played in in high school to cover this particular track from LA power-pop geniuses the Plimsouls, who were widely known thanks in part to repeat appearances on the Valley Girl soundtrack. I never got anywhere. Peter Case & company's studio work, which I discovered only after buying this live record in 1988, paled in comparison to the dirty, beery rock sound I had come to know and love and try to imitate. For my money, One Night in America is an essential rock record, worth having not only for these songs but also the selfless bevy of covers performed herein--ranging from The Outsiders ("Time Won't Let Me") and The Kinks ("Come On Now") to The Easybeats ("Sorry") and Larry Williams ("Dizzy Miss Lizzy"). Recorded in Cleveland (maybe-- even Case doesn't remember for sure) in 1981, this is the best way to hear the Plimsouls.

The Plimsouls - Now (live)
Buy it!

As a bonus, here's another cut from the cd.

The Plimsouls - I'll Get Lucky (live)

And then, on a slight bonus tangent, because these two records go hand in hand for me, here's two helpings of Boston's Real Kids, also at their live rockingest, this one recorded live at Cantone's Italian Restaurant in 1982, and featuring the full, extended glory of "All Kindsa Girls" with the big breakdown.

The Real Kids - Senseless (live)

The Real Kids - All Kindsa Girls (live)
Buy it!

True Confessions: This Is My Favorite Video

2006-02-26T19:46:00.000-05:00

This brief detour from pure MP3 blogging is to tell you that I have had the same favorite music video for about 25 years. Below is a link to my favorite video of all time. It's the original lineup of Van Halen performing the track "Unchained" from their 1981 album Fair Warning. Watch the video with the sound off and you'll see how amazing this performance is, tight football pants or no tight football pants. My best friend from elementary school and I would stay up all night on nights I would sleep over watching MTV waiting for this video to come up in the playlist cycle every four or five hours. It is absolutely necessary that you watch this video to the end, because the best part is when Alex Van Halen lights the gong on fire and gongs the crap out of it. Simply amazing. I love you, YouTube.

Van Halen -- "Unchained (Live)"

Sunday Rumination: Sexual Frustration Nation

2006-02-26T18:52:00.000-05:00

JB's post got me thinking about another kind of frustration, of the sort that's being helped along by the current policymakers in DC and their proxies around the country.

I'm talkin' bout abstinence-only sex ed, y'all(!) Given preferential treatment by the sado-masichists in DC, and guaranteed to make American teens think outside the box, it's humming along on a government cash infusion. And its road-show brethren and sistren, the Silver Ring Thing are bringing their hot and bothersome act to a town near you.

And in South Dakota, at the beginning of the winding road to the Alito/Roberts Supreme Court, politicians have decided it's best if even pregnant rape and incest victims are forced, by law, to carry their babies to term. Meanwhile, there continue to be some folks who are determined to find ways to make contraception more difficult to obtain.

So, now that non-procreative Sex is the newest arm on the Axis of Evil (carrot or stick?), let us turn, in our lather, to music for solace and helpful hints.

The Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict
Buy it!
Broken Social Scene - Handjobs for the Holidays
Buy it!
The Regrets - Play With Yourself Until You Faint
Buy it!
Dead Prez - Mind Sex
Buy it!
Prince - Jack U Off
Buy it!

They Cut You

2006-02-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

Brooklyn's Knife Skills work a raw, rockly, post-something sound through a new-wave setup, reminding me alternately of Silverfish and Romeo Void. Check it out.

Knife Skills - Get Home Safe
Knife Skills - Our Summer of Teenage Lust

Saturday Rumination: Frustration

2006-02-25T12:36:00.000-05:00

My intention to have something cogent to say about about the state of political affairs has come to nought. Everything I wrote looked like empty sloganeering when I reviewed it on the screen. So I started to think about other things people should be cognizant of. Here's one: There have been some horrible stories about animal cruelty in the last week. It's the kind of thing that is always there, particularly if you have a pretty wide definition of cruelty, but only makes headlines in more spectacular instances. Here is a link to the most recent 1,680 hits at Google News, if you really want to wallow. But if you want to rock, here are some songs that I think do a solid job of conveying general frustration, a mood I think applies to many persons' feelings, whether they be about the current administration, puppy trafficking, you name it.

Some highlights: Westerberg's vocal breakdown in "Hangin' Downtown," when he spits out the line "Anyway, I ain't got no place else to go;" Mould's multitracked vocals on "The Act We Act," perhaps the heaviest post-Husker song he's ever written, delivering the line "and the hours slipping by, as we watch the worlds collide...;" the cacaphonous final two minutes of the Unwound track reminds me that, while many assert the dominance of Unwound's Leaves Turn Inside You over the rest of the Unwound catalog, in our opinion Repetition is their best set of songs.

~~The Replacements -- Hangin' Downtown~~
~~Sugar -- The Act We Act~~
~~Unwound -- Fingernails On A Chalkboard~~

And some links:

ASPCA Aid for Animals Effected by Hurrican Katrina
Greyhound Welfare
Peta2

Philly-Style #9

2006-02-25T08:43:00.000-05:00

A lot of rumblings about Philly's Man Man lately, and with good reason, because they sound fucking good. Frizzled Weimar-era circus hippy music.

Man Man - Van Helsing Boombox
Man Man - I, Manface

BC Camplight works in the tradition of Badly Drawn Boy and the Eels, making really nice, crafty baroque pop.

B.C. Camplight - Couldn't You Tell
B.C. Camplight - Blood and Peanut Butter

Get ready for the G-O-P to get G-A-Y

2006-02-23T20:48:00.000-05:00

Word on the street is that Republicans are planning on using a novel ploy to rally their base and get out the vote in November. Their hope? Put the Fear of Gay in you, by dusting off the ol' Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, and, on a local level, by rallying the haters against gay adoption.

Oh, well done! Well done, conservative message-crafters! It's such good sport, playing politics with the lives and loves of American taxpayers, isn't it? Bravo!

Look, you and I can have a reasoned debate on the merits of this or that policy in almost any field, but if you're one of these people who supports this kind of institutionalized bigotry, this kind of tacit support for gay-bashing, I'm done. The conversation is over. You are an ass.

If, on the other hand, you're one of this group of squishy people who think this is just about dominion over a particular synonym for union, which must be preserved for the union of a penis and vagina, fine. Call it a civil union, call it pookiesnackenburger for all I care, just make it legal. Just make things right.

One thing I admired about now ex-Senatorial candidate Paul Hackett (ex-D-OH) is that he didn't go weak-kneed on this issue(scroll down), like so many Democrats unfortunately do. I just don't see how it's that hard to make the obvious, reasoned, forceful case for why this is a civil rights issue, and why in a civil, diverse society governed by laws (not commandments) your religion doesn't get to dictate which pairs of loving adults get to enjoy the benefits of marriage.

It took an old-fashioned hell-raising in Ocean County, NJ, (within earshot of NYC!) to persuade the Board of Freeholders to allow dying police Lt. Laurel Hester's long-time partner to inherit her meager estate and benefits. Even a heartwrenching videotaped plea from the cancer-afflicted Hester herself had no immediate effect. Thankfully, the board, embarrassed, eventually relented, just before Hester passed away.

This story ended with a little justice. How many stories don't, and how many won't, because some compassionate conservative has a stick up their ass? Hate the sin, but love the sinner...by wrecking the sinner's life, shitting on their relationship, and ignoring their loved ones when they die.

End rant. Music now.
Hüsker Dü - Could You Be The One Buy it!

Heavens to Betsy - She's The One Buy it!

The Magnetic Fields - All My Little Words Buy it!

Tegan and Sara - Time Running Buy it!

The Smiths - This Charming Man (Peel Session) Buy it!

Mirah - While We Have the Sun Buy it!

Brief Follow-Up

2006-02-22T23:53:00.000-05:00

I realized that last post was a little more about here than there. Baghdad Burning, as usual, is a good place to go for a little native, on-the-ground perspective. More music tomorrow. Probably more politics (if that's what you call it) too. You can always read around them.

A little more calm

2006-02-22T19:13:00.000-05:00

If you haven't made yourself familiar with Prof. Juan Cole's Informed Comment blog, now would be a good time. In the last 48 hours, things on the ground in Iraq have gone from very bad to worse, as Sunni attacks breed Shiite reprisals and vice versa.

It's not getting so much front-page coverage in the US press yet, but even über-dick Bill O'Reilly, albeit in a necessarily (for him) semi-sarcastic cop-out, is calling for "cutting-and-running" all of a sudden. If it takes O'Reilly to get people to realize that we need a plan like Murtha's or even the more tepid version that may soon be put forward by Dems, then so be it.

I hope that calm can prevail somehow.

Piano:

Debussy - Clair de Lune Alexis Weissenberg
purchase
Arvo Pärt - Spiegel im Spiegel Dietmar Schwalke, violoncello; Alexander Malter, piano
purchase
Chopin - Ballade No. 4, Op. 52 in Fmin Arthur Rubinstein
purchase
Ryan Adams - Elizabeth, You Were Born to Play that Part
purchase
Nina Simone - I Think It's Going To Rain Today
purchase
Cat Power - In This Hole
purchase

Songs for Dreaming

2006-02-22T10:53:00.000-05:00

God knows, there are hundreds of songs that could fill this niche, but here's a sampling of my favorite sleepy-time tunes. Here's to hibernation, friends.

The Appleseed Cast - View of a Burning City
Dream: Mildly apocalyptic, with submarines.
Buy it!

Iron and Wine - The Trapeze Swinger
Dream: Yellowed bibles, knowing glances, salad.
Buy it!

Bilal - Soul Sista
Dream: Smoky.
Buy it!

Crooked Fingers - There's a Blue Light
Dream: Eric Bachmann in my bedroom. The mix is so vocal. Subconscious went literal.
Buy it!

Mishima USA - Up the Branch
Dream: Wedding reception, slo-mo fistfight.
Ask for it!

Red House Painters - Have You Forgotten?
Dream: Casey Kasem's radio show, AFN radio, sweatpants.
Buy it!

Jack Frost - Providence
Dream: Kilbey, McLennan, me: two chord jam, sculpture park in Canberra.
Buy it!

Royksopp - Sparks
Dream: Traffic, schlieren, coffee and peanuts.
Buy it!

Rebecca Gates - I Received a Levitation
Dream: Snowfall, ghost with cat.
Buy it!

Yo La Tengo - Don't Have to be so Sad
Dream: A little soft shoe with my elementary school principal, high and low fives.
Buy it!

Mogwai - Burn Girl Prom Queen
Dream: Utter, bloody tragedy, hope for renewal, sulfur smell.
Buy it!

killer covers 101

2006-02-20T12:40:00.000-05:00

although the originals of these songs are stellar, i think these covers deserve their own special attention. here are a few to get you started...

Jane's Addiction--Ripple buy

Tortoise and Bonnie Prince Billy--Daniel buy

Bill Frissel & Petra Haden--Moon River buy

Weird Summer--The 15th buy

Johnette Napolitano--The Scientist

Sonic Youth--Superstar buy

The Muffs--Kids in America buy

Ben Kweller--Lollipop buy

Erasure--S.O.S. buy

Anthrax--Got the Time buy

A Chapter in the Life of Isobel

2006-02-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

Isobel Campbell may be best known as the fairy queen voice behind Belle and Sebastian, but her solo projects inspire a court of followers as well. in preparation for her SXSW performance on march 17, here are a few tracks from her Gentle Waves project. I hear her latest solo record is quite lovely too.

The Gentle Waves--A Chapter in the Life of Matthew
The Gentle Waves--Evensong
buy

Tiny (American) Idol Also-Rans

2006-02-18T23:25:00.000-05:00

My acquaintance Mark is responsible for a series of indie rock comps focusing on the sounds of the '90s. The series is called Tiny Idols and the first disc came out last year. Now compiling his second set, Mark hit me up to see what obscurities I have kicking around. I ended up throwing together six discs of stuff for him, and today I present some cuts I burned for Mark's consideration.

1. Air Miami -- "Pucker" -- All Virgos Are Mad 4AD comp

If you ask me, and I recognize you didn't, this song is the most transcendent thing Mark Robinson has ever been a part of. The guitars literally chime in places with some sort of heavy chorus effect, the bass pulses high across the neck and the production casts the whole thing in a very ethereal ambient wash. And of course all along you're never quite sure: Is Robinson saying "sit up and puck her" or "sit up and f*ck her." I think he's saying both. Anyway, the Teenbeat site here makes it look like the track was sposed to be released separately from the comp as a 12" [Teenbeat 197], but it was never. Too bad.

2. Barnabys -- "Gargamel" -- Jiffy Boy Records' Ten Cent Fix comp

Philebrador Joey Sweeney here finally gets his erstwhile rhythm section to really rock, or he layers so many glorious electric guitars in this track it just sounds that way as he finally approaches the electric heights of Barnabys' sort of sideways namesake. We'd argue this is the best Barnabys track, and one where the Sween's wordsmithery approaches earning the inebriated praise our man Zoz would sometimes throw out while we drove around in the car, praise wherein he linked JoJo's name with those of Dylan, Springsteen and Westerberg. More shockingly, this cached web page suggests someone recently requested the song be turned into a ringtone.

3. The Grifters -- "Queen of the Table Waters" -- Sub Pop 278 7"

While hardly rare, what with its release on Subpop, so far as we know this rocker was never issued on CD. The track holds one of the top spots on my unmade list of songs best suited for accompanying activities like driving fast or drinking shots. The final gleeful and nihilistic "yeah yeah yeahs" that close out the song press some sort of primal fun button in my head. This web page purports to show the cover art to the single, but we remember it being red and yellow -- perhaps we're remembering the back.

4. Clark Wallace -- "Brooklyn" -- Cities

Clark is a friend from college who was the first guy I knew to move to Brooklyn, which is where he ended up in 1996 or so. He tracked Cities in Jersey City in a room above a funeral parlor from what I recall. This is the biggest rocker on the record, and it is never far from my thoughts for some reason, which is odd since I don't think I've ever set foot in Brooklyn in my life. Even my wife likes to sing this song at random moments. RIYL Superchunk, you can buy the disc here at CDBaby.

5. Jeff Stern -- "Never Say Goodbye" -- Homemade Cassette

This is probably the best Bon Jovi cover you'll ever hear. Nothing counters the sap that drips from the original better than this spare, Casio-and-deadpan vocals version. Funny thing is, I feel like Stern's flatly delivered take lands more emotional punches than the Jovi version (Sorry Jon!). Stern is a friend from the other college I attended. He currently does time in The Farmhands (the only band to ever cut a double record featuring one song for each baseball franchise) and Girlfriend2000 (who have a live date in the Boston area in March).

shoot shoot shoot---why don't you kill me

2006-02-18T14:50:00.000-05:00

kaito manages a layered sound that is at times staccato, at times discordant, at times urgent and chanty, and at times just plain silly.

i saw them play a few years ago at SXSW and was really blown away. "shoot shoot" is by far my favorite song and has made it to the list of enemy lemon classics.

take a listen:

kaito--shoot shoot
buy
kaito--johnny demo

To Bed Then

2006-02-16T00:16:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia's Buried Beds have officially released their impressive full length debut Empty Rooms. I had really loved their initial EP but was fired up for the album - I knew that they would be fully exploiting their new string section. The album is a little unfocused and meandering in parts, but there are lots of moments of icy beauty and mood to revel in. For fans of glacial and orchestral indie-pop.

Buried Beds - Perfect Skyline
Buried Beds - Forever In You

buy it!

Pandacide, not as bad as you might think

2006-02-15T23:13:00.000-05:00

When it's a record label, not an act of murder. Petaluma's Pandacide hosts a tight little, tastily diverse roster, with music ranging from the sublime to the good version of the opposite of sublime.

The Bay Area's Velvet Teen make seriously epic music that'd be comfortable on a bill with the Doves or the Sharp Things.
The Velvet Teen - A Captive Audience

Sonoma county's Devon Rumrill's Little Cat appear to do the Schnabelesque electro indie that will ring familiar to fans of Carpark and Ghostly stuff. Not my area of expertise, but enjoyable.
Little Cat - d

And then there's lovable Swedes Henry Fiat's Open Sore, who keep it fast, loud, and rock.
Henry Fiat's Open Sore - 4

Buy it all at the Pandacide shoppe.

Philly-Style #8

2006-02-13T21:20:00.000-05:00

This installment of the "popular" Philly-Style feature brings us two gems from entirely separate Philly days of yore.

Frank Brown has always been a man about Philly Town. Having achieved a modicum of local and national acclaim with Buzz Zeemer, Brown is currently making excellent, hummable Petty-meets-McGuinn-y stuff on the solo tip, under the name his mama (presumably) gave him. But before all this, there was Flight of Mavis, whom I saw open for Roger McGuinn himself one overcast day at Penn's Landing. They made jangly pop, somewhere in the realm of REM and Dramarama. It was all up in my high school tape deck, and still makes me all emotional when I put it on today. Here, evidence of the goodness that they brewed-- Brown, drummer Ken Buono, and bassist Dave McElroy, all of whom continued on as the core of Buzz Zeemer (supplemented with erstwhile Philly rock dignitary Tommy Conwell). Buono continues to play in the modern era with the Wishniaks' Andy Chalfen in Trolleyvox, certain to be featured in a future Philly-Style edition. This is from their eponymous 1989 debut.

Flight of Mavis - On My Mind
Buy it!

Recliner are harder to follow up on, in spite of their having made music more recently than FOM. This is largely due to me not knowing any of their last names, which leaves me at a loss on google. I'm pretty sure we played with them once, or maybe I saw them open for Moped in the second set of yore of which I speak. They made good, slightly weird, sleepy guitar pop and I don't know what happened to them. This is from the album "Cookies," which appears to have come out on Kept in the Dark records during probably 1996 or 1997, and was engineered by Jason Cox at the former Studio Red and someone else at Dead Beat Studio. Anyone with information on their current whereabouts, the comments section awaits.

Recliner - Elle

Feelin' a lil' punky.

2006-02-13T13:41:00.000-05:00

I'm not punk. Never was, never will be. But, being human, I must listen to the punk now and again, even though it's only to pretend that I'm angry and youthish for the benefit of maintaining a salaried position at a job that caters to the youths. Here I present a sampling of recent things you might find in my collection.

From Toronto, Brutal Knights are indeed brutal and chivalrous whilst discussing the art of gaily pleasuring oneself whilst watching in the mirror.
Brutal Knights - Self Gay Handjob
You should be able to pick it up here.

Santa Rosa, California's Ashtray employ a multi-gender vocal front, providing the kind of aural irritation that good punk should. Reminds me of East Bay punk heroes Blatz.
Ashtray - Joe Morato Bomb
For purchase.

Then there's Manitoba's Propagandhi, who have been making searing, articulate metal-inflected radical leftist punk for almost 2 decades. In an era where bands prefer to stick with more generalized "political" speech, a new Propagandhi record always means a good solid lyric sheet full of underreported stories, and movement-stirring leads.
Propagandhi - Die Jugend Marschiert
You can buy it here.

Jade Tree manage to consistently put out a solid blend of the indie and punk. Orlando's New Mexican Disaster Squad fall right into line with Paint it Black, Kid Dynamite, etc..
New Mexican Disaster Squad - Tightrope
Preorder now!

Picking up where Lifetime left off, and throwing in a hefty dose of power pop, Philadelphia's Loved Ones, who have also worked with Jade Tree, do a decidedly more melodic thing. Dirty enough to set itself apart from mainstream pretenders, the Loved Ones' music (or at least this track) gives a lyrical tip o' the ol' cap to the Boss.
The Loved Ones - Jane
It's buyable very soon.

to the birds

2006-02-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

when i met danny barria freshman year of college, 1994, we bonded over our mutual love of suede and his virginia is for lover's t-shirt. at the time, danny's favorite suede song was "to the birds," a rare bside on the "animal nitrate" single. i think we should keep it, and a few other stellar suede songs, in rotation. danny is now a part of the big sleep--tasty and dense like homemade, whole grain bread.
here are a few favorites:
suede--ToTheBirds
suede--theLivingDead
suede--MyDarkStar

buy it!

We're Gonna Make It After All

2006-02-11T16:12:00.000-05:00

Parks & Recreation are from Portland, Oregon and are about to release their debut album What Was She Doing On The Shore That Night? on the very excellent Hush label. The track below is from that album and is an homage to the grand musical spectacles of old. If the lyrics don't give you a smile the outlandish orchestral arrangement surely will. I'm surprised this is not being used as the theme song for some hipster sitcom. Gotta dance!

Parks & Recreation - Break Into Song
buy this!

Leroy Says Hello

2006-02-10T22:56:00.000-05:00

my friend sara played "Anchorage" for me sometime in college and I never forgot it. i instantly had a taste for Michelle Shocked, which later butressed by my love of "The Liars Club" author Mary Karr. recently i heard the song played over the sound system at marshall's. that's a bit scary i know, but just keep in mind, that surburban philly sensation, Garden Party (FB, KRM), did a killer, never recorded version of "Anchorage" back in '89. recall dreams of east texas right here.

Michelle Shocked--Anchorage
Michelle Shocked--TheL&NDontStopHereAnymore
Michelle Shocked--MemoriesOfEastTexas
buy it

Pandacide, not as bad as you might think

2006-02-10T21:45:00.000-05:00

Metal Discourse

2006-02-10T12:54:00.000-05:00

It is well known that metal bands have a penchant for exploring the themes that haunt the male adolescent: medieval warfare, science fiction dystopia, black magic, getting laid, rocking harder than anyone else, etc. Also, the particular literary references in metal almost always point back to the books we read in high school:

Hemmingway - "For Whom The Bell Tolls" - Metallica
Coleridge - "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" - Iron Maiden
Huxley/Orwell - "Operation: mindcrime" - Queensrÿche
Tolkien - "Battle of Evermore" - Led Zepplein

I could go on.

Where are the mp3 links you ask? Why do I tease?

This post is about a stranger pattern. Heavy metal bands (two of them British!) singing heroic and epic songs about...Native Americans. Just to make it completely insane, two of these tracks are sung from the Native perspective, as in Freddie Mercury singing things like:

"White man White man
Our country was green and all our rivers wide
White man White man
You came with a gun and soon our children died"

Enjoy.

Manowar - Spirit Horse of the Cherokee
buy this!

Queen - White Man
buy this!

Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills
buy this!