072 Cats and Dogs (and a Monkey)

I have something very special lined up for tomorrow. Very special indeed... We’re on our way to Detroit from Champaign... and a funny thing happened to us in Champaign. The club, the Cowboy Monkey is outfitted with a lovely outdoor patio and it attracts quite the attractive crowd. Quite the crowd that tends to be uninterested in anything onstage and more interested in the drinky drinks. Hence, for Carolina and Rescue’s set, the showgoers were inside and the leisurely drinkers stayed outside, cleverly avoiding the cover charge, yet still taking advantage of the inside bar via the wait staff... But then, just as we were about to take the stage around midnight, boom! A thunderstorm! It started raining cats and dogs! When we started the first song I looked out in the crowd and the place was packed! Everyone was forced to come inside and that made me feel good. We played to a crowd of at least 150-175, and even though a good amount of people were loud and obnoxious especially during the quiet jams, I thought it was an altogether fun night...

And at the end of the night when we were settling, the promoter said the paid attendance was 68. “68? There was at least 150 people in here. Do you mean that when it started raining, everyone got in for free?” “Yep.” I didn’t know exactly how to react and the promoters could tell I felt a little gipped. But it all ended on good terms... However, It brings up an interesting point. What are your thoughts? Should they have been given a free refuge and a free show to boot? And should the showgoers who paid earlier feel a bit cheated as well? And lastly, and this question is more hypothetical, would the show have been a better experience if the rain never came and the place was only half full for the show? I just don’t know.

I need some book recommendations. I may pick up another Paul Auster, which has been on my list for oh about 2 years now....

071 Shotgun

We are in the van and we’re in between St. Louis and Springfield and i’m riding shotgun writing this little letter to you.

The tour with Rescue has been amazing so far. It started with a quaint 21+ warm up show in Milwaukee with our friends in Carolina. And then it did a complete 180 as we played a Knights of Columbus hall in Arlington Heights with Junior Varsity & June. Average age of that show: I would guess 17. Next night was at the Chicago hotspot, The Bottom Lounge, where Unique Chique and Unwed Sailor tore it up, and i almost had to pay $200 for a broken club speaker. It was an honest mistake. Afterwards I watched a drunk madman harrass Rescue in the alley behind the club. A cop on a bike was involved. Last night was St. Louis at the Hi-Pointe with our friends Nathaniel Carroll and Geoff Koch. The soundman didn’t arrive until 10 minutes after doors opened. And we decided to get a big hotel suite with a jacuzzi and squeeze 7 people into it. We drank a lot of beer and swam in a pool that had the consistency of milk. And now, we’re on our way to Springfield... Passing St. Cloud. You never hear about how that guy became a saint. Mr. Cloud. Cloud Raines. Rainclouds. And it’s pouring rain all of a sudden... hopefully it will cool us all down.

Todd is driving and “Twiggy Twiggy” by Pizzicatto Five is playing on his iPod. Tour dates for the August jaunt with Jeff Hanson will start popping up here and here within the week... and there’s much more to come after that including a stop at CMJ for the Redder Records showcase sometime around September 15 or so...

070 Twice On The Pipe

You know that Dawn / Tony Orlando song about knocking three times on the ceiling and twice on the pipe? Don't worry, i don't expect you to. It was on some random radio station when i was in the van yesterday and i thought to myself... hmm, "Twice On The Pipe" would be a pretty good name for a song. No one would ever guess it was a Tony Orlando thing. But what would it be about? Charles Nelson Reilly? Pete Doherty?



And speaking of something something, I wonder if there is a legitimate list of songs with titles taken from Simpsons episodes like Yo La Tengo's "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House" and that one Hey Mercedes song that I forget...

We have a ton of stuff to do today, as it's the first day of tour! Well, the actual touring starts tomorrow, but the first show is tonight. I am giddy with excitement! YEAH!

069 Introducing

Hey hey. The CD comes out today! And the LP's just arrived at Todd's house. It's a glorious afternoon here in Milwaukee... although I tell you what, i'm exhausted. Booking shows is hard work. Luckily, I have someone to do it for me now, but this upcoming tour was mostly my doing. What an undertaking... promotions... advancing... venue changes... constant crisis managment...

We are prepared! We have a full set and now we're just fine tuning.... More to come...

068 Just Another Manic Monday

After the most hectic week of my life (hands down), i'm back in Milwaukee and we've started practicing for the tour. One million thanks to Maritime for letting us use their space. And after a few sound adjustments, we really started rolling. I think it's going to sound amazing thanks to my talented crew of cohorts...

And speaking of cohorts, immediately after practice, we hightailed it over to the Marcus Amphitheater where the Warped Tour was well over and the post-show partying was well under way. The parking lot was one big bash with special band tents, barbeque pits, dice games, and even poker tables! We were more interested in the free flowing drinks and such. Damon, who is on tour with Senses Fail, gave us a rundown of the operations, and our friend Tim told us of wild nights in Dublin with ex-Pogues members... Fun indeed. I passed out pretty quick once i hit the bed here at Todd's.



As I said, once i actually hit the road, there will be wholesome barrelfulls of time to talk, but today, I have to send out a bunch of rummage sale posters, a bevy of film crew fliers, a sack of tour posters to the UK, design and make some buttons (including one that says "The City On Film - Th'shit is B. Nanna's"), and some other stuff that isn't even worth mentioning.

But one last thing that is worth mentioning: The In Formal Introduction CD/LP will be available tomorrow! You'll be able to get it immediately from the Grand Theft Autumn site and soon it will be in your favorite local record store as well. Or of course, you could just pick it up at one of the upcoming shows!!

Btw, i was wrong in my prediction in the top 10 wrapup...

09 Kelly Osbourne - Sleeping in the Nothing (#2 heatseeker, which means it didn't even crack the top 100. ouch)
07 Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business (#2. #1 R&B/Hip Hop, #1 Rap)
06 Pat Benatar - Greatest Hits (#47)
03 Coldplay - X & Y (#1)
02 The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (#3)
01 Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This To Memory (#72, #2 independent)

and here was last week's top 10, which never passed the list stage:

10 Backstreet Boys - Never Gone
09 Art Tatum - Live 44-52
08 The Oranges Band - The World and Everything In It
07 Stewart Copeland - Orchestralli
06 The Pernice Brothers - Discover a Lovelier You
05 Hall & Oates - Essential
04 Bear Vs. Shark - Terrorhawk
03 Up Up Down Down Left Right - Perris, CA
02 John Coltrane - More Coltrane For Lovers
01 Foo Fighters - In Your Honor

As Todd said in his note to us this morning: Eat cereal, drink coffee, be merry.

See you tomorrow.

067 Good Morning

Hey, I don't mean to neglect the blog, i've just been SO bogged down with pre-tour shenanigans. Oddly enough, once I get out on tour, i'll be able to write a lot more given the long car rides...

One quick thing. I'm taking down the rummage sale tomorrow to make sure i can get everything sent out before next Thursday! So if you want to get something, today is your last chance. I will be taking some posters on tour with me to sell, but who knows what will actually fit in the van! Thanks!

066 Wrap It Up

So, yesterday was only the SECOND day without a post since I've started this Daily. Hey, I was busy. Numerous trips to the post office. Kinko's. And then of course there was The Next Food Network Star... So there's a lot to talk about... but I have to eat first. And watch Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends.



Sometimes I have so much to do I want to rip out all of my hair! Argh. Seriously, argh.

065 The Time Has Come to Make or Break

Well, i've ordered a replacement Firewire cord. A retractable one to boot! Hopefully it will last a little longer than this broken one I'm staring at. Maybe if I don't slam it in as many car doors....

So for now, we take you to 2003 when I bedroom-recorded this cover of Breakout by Swing Out Sister. Dig that crazy drum breakdown.

064 The State of The iPod Address

It's not good. However, I think I know what the problem is. It's this damn Firewire cord. Perhaps through years of neglect and willy-nilly wrapjobs, it has finally bitten the dust. What does this mean for us? Well it means I have to get a new one and you'll just have to listen to these awesome songs that are vacationing off-iPod and on-iTunes. Damn, i have a lot of posters to send out...

"Strawberry Blonde" was my introduction to Ron Sexsmith, and so it probably shall be yours. I was hooked by the simple little story line, his fragile yet expressive voice, that catchy line of a refrain, and especially the last lyric. Hopefully you dig it and dive in for more. He has at least 25 great songs. When will America wake up and embrace this Canadian artist? Well I guess we're all doing our little part since I'm going to have to cover this song in the months to come... And ditto for "Void." Old Ramon was the album that hooked me for Red House Painters. I know, I know, I was a latecomer. I was a holdout. But songs like "Void" and "Cruiser" just couldn't be ignored when I had them on in the background.

***



MP3: Strawberry Blonde - Ron Sexsmith
MP3: Void - Red House Painters

063 Rummage Sale, Episode 1: The Poster Pit

Hey everybody! I've posted the first installment of the City On Film / Hey Mercedes / Braid rummage sale whereupon we have a poster party. Some of the items are very limited and once they are gone, they are gone for good! So please, take a look.

Rummage Sale, Episode 2 is coming soon and will feature the large heavy expensive items that we'll probably haggle over. It will be known as the Haggle Hut.

Both "stores" will only be open until June 25, so act fast!

062 Top Ten Records of June the 7th, Yeah!

Ugh... I woke up really sick this morning. The allergies are tearing my sinuses apart... It's been attacking my nose, my throat and even seems to be creeping over to my ears. I'm a total mess. In other news, it was a pretty great day of new releases yesterday, so let's do that super Wednesday thang...


*** The Top Ten Records Released on June 7, 2005 ***

10 Bad Manners - Ska Party

I really wish I knew more about this crazy British video show I used to watch in the early 80's, because that's where I was introduced to Bad Manners... and henceforth prone to nightmares starring their large bald singer, Buster Bloodvessel. I think his name had something to do with it. I never got that into ska back then, no matter what my rogue high school friends tell you. I never dressed the dress or walked the walk. I did try my hand at playing some ska, though. That was pretty terrible, but in a fun way. The best part about being in a ska band is you can invite 20 of your friends onstage to fulfill various unnecessary roles. Just look at that dancing guy from the Bosstones. He's not even that great of a dancer.

Bad Manners' best song is "Lorraine" and it's second to last on this compilation sandwiched between two (of three) versions of, um, "Ne-Ne-Na-Na-Na-Na-Nu-Nu." This CD also looks like it might be just for the UK. I don't think they made much of a splash here in the US. Insert joke about Buster Bloodvessel cannonballing into a wave pool.


09 Kelly Osbourne - Sleeping in the Nothing

Now before everyone goes bitchcakes, let me explain. This album and Kelly's previous records and singles are true testaments to how far studio trickery has come these days. Even though I believe they were consciously trying to recreate the 80's with the contemporarily bland arrangements, they seem to have forgotten that Pro Tools and the Autotune function didn't exist back then. But then again, who really expects Kelly Osbourne to create her own music on some ratty old analog guitar or bass or even worse... sing in key? She needs a lot of help in that field and auto tune is right there to lift her flat pitches up to their correct height...

And no one really expects her to actually write her own songs, right? That's why Linda Perry was brought in! You may have read about Linda's recent signing to Kill Rock Stars? This proves a point that songwriting can be a plain ol job with all of the pride and originality sucked out. Linda (most likely Linda's agent) probably got a call one day from Kelly (most likely Kelly's agent) and was asked to write a bunch of songs... specifically for Kelly Osbourne... for Pink... for Lisa Marie Presley... for Gwen Stefani. So now a respected songwriter can don a mask so to speak and create songs in character! The whole argument i think would be better explored and pondered in a different blog. I have 8 other records to get to.


08 Cal Tjader - Solar Heat

Cal Tjader is the undisputed king of the vibraphone in my book. I have to mention the really great tune "Soul Sauce" which was skillfully remixed by Fila Brazilia on one of those Verve Remixed comps. I'd suggest tracking it down. I'd also track down Time For Two, an excellent collaboration with one of my favorite jazz singers, Anita O'Day. The standout track by far is the absolutely delightful "Peel Me a Grape." Come Friday Come, with your mp3's so fair and topical....

Solar Heat was recorded in 1968, released in 1995 and given a grand re-release... yesterday on Passport Audio. It's a bunch of crazy interpretations and 2 original Tjader compositions. It's way better than the Kelly Osbourne record. I haven't heard it, but i'm confident in my declaration.


07 Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business

Seriously, Don't Phunk With My Heart? It's cheap and the song isn't great... but damn it's catchy. Just yesterday they were playing it in Blockbuster and even though i was in there for maybe 2 minutes, i left with that dumb melody in my head. Curses. Did you know that Justin Timberlake sings the hook on one of the songs? "My Style." Same problem. Bad song. Very catchy. Thankfully, I've found a song on this album that isn't catchy. The anti-war tune, "Union" which features ugh, Sting on one of the verses singing the exact same melody as "Englishman in New York." Yuck. It's not as bad as that P. Diddy collabo, though.

Did you know that Hey Mercedes played a show with Black Eyed Peas? As is usually the case with University sponsored events, the powers that be want / need to please all of the students, so Washington University in St. Louis asked us to open a Jurassic 5 / Black Eyed Peas show! And it turned out to be a really swell time. Enough people were there to see us so it wasn't uncomfortable at all... and I watched most of Black Eyed Peas set... and I was impressed. They played with a full band and the crowd was mesmerized. We had to leave for Jurassic 5, but it's quite possible that their set was rained out anyway... on with the show.


06 Pat Benatar - Greatest Hits

It's Krazy Fest 1999 and i'm just offstage. I'm upset because of some inner band conflict. I'm a little nervous since we're up next. And... i'm also watching in awe as Araby (of Jejune) totally kills "Heartbreaker" in the karaoke contest. She was the winner by far! I wouldn't even dream of attempting "Rio" after that performance.

Anyway, Pat Benatar, whose real name is Patricia Andrzejewski (Polish?), was the classic tough girl singer of the early 80's, with the very famous haircut to boot. Probably notable boots as well... Back in the day, I put "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" in the same punky league as "Bad Repuation"... however, Pat began to do straight up pop with the gag-worthy "We Belong" while Joan Jett (Joan Larkin) kept rocking till the Light of Day with Michael J Fox. Still, there are some hot jams on here like "Love is a Battlefield" and "Little Too Late." You only wish it came with a greatest videos DVD so we can watch that awesome "Battlefield" epic again.


05 Bullet Train To Vegas - We Put Scissors Where Our Mouths Are

Any band named after a Drive Like Jehu song is ok in my book... and their name should give you a pretty good idea of what they sound like. Imagine Jehu with the singer of McLusky, maybe? All of the songs I've heard have been frantic, fast-paced, energetic, and at the same time, very tuneful. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. They're going on tour soon so you should check em out. I have a feeling the live show is incredible.

In other news, I haven't forgotten about the rummage sale I mentioned on Sunday. I'm working on the page right now. I have a feeling i'll be the purveyor of the ultimate summer fashion accessory... Seriously, your outfit just won't look right without your color coded Braid All Access wristband. Yes, that's right. I said it.


04 Need New Body - Where's Black Ben?

I just have no idea where to start. My friend Courtney introduced me to Need New Body a few years ago and the whole time I felt as though my head was going to explode. They are damn near impossible to describe. There songs range from straightforward folkrock to frenetic They Might Be Giants-esque heavily detailed novelty rock to surfy instrumentals. Actually, I think They Might Be Giants may be a good place to start. You know where is a bad place to start? Their website. An intentional jumbled mess. A whole lotta Alf dolls. Headlines that read "Yo Blurfy Blops Everybody!" Um.

It is now 2:48 PM eastern time and although i know what the top 3 will be, i still haven't settled on the actual order. Woe no banana.


03 Coldplay - X & Y

It must be 100 degrees outside. I would consider this Coldplay weather. I know you're probably thinking that maybe it should be cloudy or rainy, but I liken the music to walking really slow and sweating a lot. And maybe passing out... But I like it. I'd much rather listen to Coldplay than pass out from heat exhaustion. Who wouldn't? Show of hands? I remember the first time I heard "Yellow." I was on tour in LA and I think it was K-Rock that played it constantly. None of us had ever heard of em. We thought Chris Martin sounded a bit too much like Dave Matthews. Seems like a weird comparsion, huh? Or do you agree? Show of hands?

Truth be told, I really like a lot of Coldplay songs, including "Yellow" (By the way, not an available Braid all access wristband color)... and on this album, there are a handful of new classics like "Fix You," which I thought was amazing on SNL and "Swallowed in the Sea." They have this way of writing songs with very simple and catchy vocal melodies that sound as if they took little or no effort to write. Upon first listen to each of the songs, you knew exactly what patterns Chris Martin was going to fall into. When it works, it's brilliant. When it doesn't, it's boring to me. And then I start listening to the lyrics, which usually aren't that great. Luckily, It works most of the time.


02 The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan

My girlfriend and I were the White Stripes for Halloween. I think that went over really well. You've really reached a lofty platform of fame when you've become a popular Halloween costume. You've also reached a lofty platform when you can choose to get married one week before your new album comes out. Hmmm, cross-promotion. You just know someone smoking a cigar behind a desk had that brilliant idea. Russell Crowe, too. The guy throws a phone at a hotel manager and oh yeah, he's in a new movie! It's such a sneaky way of getting publicity, but hey it works I guess. I'm surprised Kelly Osbourne didn't do anything outrageous last week. Maybe she did but no one really cared...

Love em or hate em, you know you're in for a treat with each White Stripes album. And this one largely ditches the guitar for the piano. Especially on songs like "My Doorbell," I love that big empty space... and that unmistakable (lack of) production. Maybe you think it's gimmicky but it's just such a welcome change from 99% of the junk that gets peddled around these days...


01 Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This To Memory

They always seem to get grouped in with a bunch of substandard junk, but Motion City Soundtrack is something very special, my friends. Upon first listen to them I just couldn't deny it. Justin Pierre has a powerful voice, a great ear for catchy vocal melodies and he rides that fine line between clever contemporary analogies and cheesy pop culture references. And the actual music itself is always interesting and never boring or mundane. It's no wonder that Justin is so vocal about Jawbox being his favorite band. I'm a fan. A huge fan. And these new songs are better than ever.

As for the wrapup that will come a week from Sunday... my money is on The Black Eyed Peas. What do you think? Will they out-debut Coldplay & The White Stripes? I'm fairly certain and excited that MCS will debut in the Top 100. I don't know why I get so giddy about this stuff. Maybe it's because I've been a fan of Billboard and the Top 40 since I can remember. I used to keep track of the charts when I was 7... I have proof. Tomorrow, the rummaging begins.

061 I Wanna Be Your Sledgehammer

A few weeks ago someone left a comment and incorrectly grouped Peter Gabriel in with Phil Collins and Huey Lewis. I'm here to say that even though "Sledgehammer" and "Steam" aren't exactly gems, songs like "Solsbury Hill," "Games Without Frontiers," "Biko," and even "Shock the Monkey" are bonafide classics! Do you remember the "Shock the Monkey" video? I'll never forget that shot of Peter dancing in unison with that larger than life desklamp thingy. And... look what i just found: Watch the video right here! And since i couldn't find a pic from that video, here one from the old familiar... You could have a bumper car...



There is a reason why I'm all sledgehammered out. I've been ruthlessly destroying a wooden backyard deck for the past few hours. I'm tired. It's hot. My hands are all blistery and sore... so i'm staying in for the remainder of the day. Much to do... and for you, too! For instance...

GO DOWNLOAD THE NEWLY POSTED CITY ON FILM MP3! Only 2 weeks until In Formal Introduction ships out!!!

060 The Next Food Network Star

Ah yes, I did happen to watch the premiere of The Next Food Network Star last night and as i expected, it was great. However, I didn't really agree with their choices of finalists. Some of those semi-finalists were pretty entertaining. Did you see that egg spinning trick? We're still in the "getting to know you" stage of the competition, but i've already chosen some favorites and some that will surely be eliminated soon. I know I shouldn't even get into it... i mean, i have 200 other things i should be doing... but oh well... sit back, relax... this may take awhile.

BROOK, you androgenously named pepper mill twirler, we hardly knew ye. Although your taped submission had a few laughs (nice use of The Clapper) and a lot of fire, you didn't impress me half as much as the egg spinner. Wow. He spun the egg on a spatula, flipped it into the air and then cracked it into a skillet on the edge of the utensil! Bring that guy back... You know what, Brook? You were the first one eliminated and you really didn't deserve it one bit, even with your misguided salmonella remarks. You know who really deserved elimination?

HARMONY. That's right, Harmony, you will not be the next food network star. I'm sure you're an absolute blast at Trader Todd's Karaoke night, but when the camera's rolling, I just couldn't be more bored and uninterested. If you win, i'm just going to have to switch to the Lifetime network. Seriously, though, i think the blogging community is unfairly ignoring the important works of Meredith Baxter Birney. But i digress. You really messed up that egg dish, even worse than our next contender. You had poor Gordon Elliot burying his head in his hands. Maybe Bobby Flay was fooled by your charm, but not me. Any Good Eats watcher would have went for the ziploc bad when the piping bag clogged! That's nothing special! You survived this round... barely.

Now, DEBORAH was one of those finalists whose tape wasn't nearly as good as the semi-finalist she was up against, but she got by the judges with her "stay cute in the kitchen" line and that winning smile. She completely botched the omelette. I mean, seriously, even I can make a swell omelette. I think this episode will come to haunt her in the end. Like the egg she was trying so desperately to cook, she cracked under the camera's pressure. However... she had a really great reaction to the lights going out and Bobby Flay seemed to notice her on-camera charisma once her nerves subsided, so she's not out of the running yet, but she's definitely near the bottom of the pack.

DAN & STEVE are a gay couple and if you missed it the first time, they were sure to remind us over and over. As can be seen by their egg demo, their off-the-cuff skewer remarks, and their seamless teamwork, they are truly a force to be reckoned with in this competition. I'm not sure if it's exactly fair that the next food network star might actually be starS, but i'm sure the judges will take this into consideration. Personally, I'd like it if they won. They know their food inside out and out and they're from Chicago! And plus, i don't believe we've ever seen a "couples" cooking show, gay or otherwise. I think it's an untapped well of ratings. But what if they break up? Anyway, in terms of adorable, they have one main rival...

His name is ERIC. You just want to hug him. He even prepared that little Bobby Flay shout out which was nice. Sort of suck-uppy, but whatever. This network is the geographical center of cheese, so he'll fit right in. Unless he screws up royally, he's on his way to the finals. Did you see the judges just salivating over the guy? His one flaw is that zombie-like stare that he gets when he's trying to keep up with the teleprompter. Or when he's trying to frost a cake with a potato peeler.

I get the feeling that SUSANNAH will be painted as the enemy. Every reality show needs one and here she is. She was the only person who even mentioned the words "competition" and "wanting this job" in her interviews. She's going to be problematic. As for her skills, she's got em. She seems in control, in charge, and sunny... but with threatening rainclouds to come. If she is indeed painted as the antagonist, her chances for winning dwindle away. I mean, Rachael Ray may be the meanest person on the planet, but none of us know that for sure, so people watch her shows. Who will watch Susannah's Aggressive Kitchen? Who will watch Backstabbing With Susannah? Who will watch Evil Susannah's Grillin With Contempt? No one.

MICHAEL. Anyone who dares to do a tofu dish in their audition tape deserves an ovation. From me. Bravo, you've earned it. I think Michael is going far in this competition, simply because people want to see him. I believe the next contender is a little better, but if the end result is determined solely by the viewers votes, crazy haired tofu spanker, Mike, may just take it home. His flaw is reading off of the teleprompter. When he wasn't allowed to ad-lib and dance around, he was flat as a fritatta.

And lastly, HANS. The hands down winner in terms of food knowledge and style. That egg crepe strip soup was impressive, and even though he seems to be constantly interjecting tales of his childhood and such, the judges want more of "him" and "his personality." Personally, i think I got enough, but I guess not. I think we'd be shocked to know what Bobby Flay is like in the real world, yet he wants more of Hans to show through. Hans won one viewer vote, but if he wants to ultimately defeat Michael, he better start dancing.

And so we wait until next week. We know that Susannah will go awry with the knife and require a tetanus shot. And speaking of cuts, goodnight Harmony. That's my prediction.

***

And now, a little feature that I hope to move to Sunday next week: The Top 10 followup, where we check in on my Tuesday picks and see how they fared with the merciless buying public. How did the records debut on Billboard? Let's see...

10 Gorillaz - Demon Days (#6)
08 Common - Be (#2, #1 on rap chart)
04 Stephen Malkmus - Face the Truth (#7 on indie chart)
03 Alkaline Trio - Crimson (#25)
01 At The Drive In - Anthology: This Station is Non-Operational

(#95, #3 on indie chart)

Common wins.

***

And lastly, I promised an Aphex Twin story... My cousin and I were chatting about how electronic music translates so poorly in a live setting. I mean, who really wants to see a bunch of guys onstage checking their email, right? He then told me about the time he saw Aphex Twin at the Metro. Apparently, in front of a packed house, Richard James came out on stage, put his CD into a player and then just sat on a couch for the whole set. The reaction was not pleasant.

059 Rummage Sale!

Hey everybody. Keep your browsers pointed right here because this week I'll be posting up a major rummage sale. Not only will we be selling a lot of posters and whatnot from the ol Braid tour, but Hey Mercedes is selling a lot of our old flight cases... and of course our trailer. I have a nice list going, so if you're interested, drop me an email with what you're looking for and i'll let you know what we've got...

For now, some more random mp3's! "Gangsterville" is the first track on Joe Strummer's debut solo album, Earthquake Weather. I love it because it's so rambling and has so many lyrics. It seems as though he's having trouble remembering the melody of the verse! But I still love it. I hated the rest of that album... And "Gasoline" is the first track on Karate's self-titled solo album... If you're only familiar with newer, jazzier Karate, I urge you to seek out their first 2-3 albums! You will not be disappointed.

I think tomorrow i'll do a Top 10 followup and on Tuesday... another mp3 from the City On Film record!!

***



MP3: Gangsterville - Joe Strummer
MP3: Gasoline - Karate

058 Fill the Bathtub Up With Sand

Just a random 3 pack today... inspired by my most recent trip from Detroit to Chicago. I have a really funny Aphex Twin story, but that can wait until Monday. More driving today... Also, I'm not sure where I got this Loquat track and i know very little about them... but this song is incredible... Enjoy.

***



MP3: 4 - Aphex Twin
MP3: We Belong On Rooftops - Decibully
MP3: To The Floor - Loquat

057 A Crazy Haired Guitar Spanker

That title comes from this article detailing Jack White's recent marriage to Karen Elson. They were married at the confluence of 3 rivers in Brazil: the Rio Negro, the Salimones, and the Amazon. In attendance were one million mosquitoes. I'll say it again... A crazy haired guitar spanker.

Another funny article I came across was this battle for Neil Armstrong's hair. It's no big deal, right? Someone yoinked some clippings from an Ohio barber and sold them to a collector for $3,000. The guy has the largest collection of hair in the world so I bet it's a common thing... but slightly not so common is this vial of air supposedly exhaled by the supposed moonman. As of right now it's been bid up to... $5. Hmm. A vial of air. A crazy haired guitar spanker.

Hey that reminds me of another thing Screamin' J told me on one tour or another. Think about this. The moon landing had to be a scam, i mean, it was only 1969. The Pong video game wasn't even developed until 1972!

And if hair and air weren't creepy enough, imagine what disgusting and highly profitable stuff you may find in a bathroom garbage can!

It all adds up to mp3 weekend. Firstly, a request! "My Funny Valentine" from Rufus Wainwright, also on the Sweetheart series mentioned last week. And then a really great cover of "What a Fool Believes" by Self played entirely on toy instruments. Don't worry, you won't even notice. And lastly, Wednesday got me thinking about Seaweed, so i posted "Squint," the instant classic from Weak. Enjoy!

***



MP3: My Funny Valentine - Rufus Wainwright
MP3: What a Fool Believes -Self
MP3: Squint - Seaweed

056 June, My Favorite Month

Ah yes, for so many reasons, i welcome you, June. Come on in. Make yourself comfy... and in celebration of the joyous occasion, my lovely companion and i went off in search of a wave pool. Around Detroit, there are these healthy areas of greenery and nature, usually situated near or on a lake or river. They're called Metroparks. And the one nearest Lake Erie has a wave pool. Oh yeah. It's been at least 15 years since i've last been in such a thing. After driving around for an hour and a half trying to find it, inadvertently taking the most backwoods route you ever did see, we finally arrived and paid the $4 entrance fee. And rising like a phoenix among the bright yellow rafts and picnic benches... the wave pool! And it was nearly empty! We'd have the whole thing to ourselves!

But alas, the hand of fate stepped in. It turns out that the swimming trunks I had chosen to don did not meet the regulations of the park. My Old Navy board shorts or whatever the hell they are were not equipped with the necessary netting. And they checked, too. And so we were given the royal boot. The big flipper. The buoy to the gut. The oar to the back of the head. We weren't even allowed to casually lounge near the pool! So we waved goodbye and did what any normal people would do. We made artichokes.



I have something exciting to tell you about the Pittsburgh show on Saturday, July 2. Or should I say showS? Oh yeah, that's right, there's going to be TWO! The first is all ages at 4 PM at Brave New World Records and the second is 21+ at a venue to be named later. Apparently it's all booked and ready to go. Nobody told me the name of the place, though. It's a good thing I now have a real booking agent. Tomorrow, it's back to the mp3 scene... oh so quickly.

055 The Top Ten Records That Came Out Yesterday

I have to be honest with you, it's been quite the dull week of releases. I blame the holiday weekend. No one in their right mind would release a record after Memorial Day weekend. Ah, whatever. It just makes compiling this list even more challenging... You're not going to believe number 10.


*** The Top Ten Records Released on May 31, 2005 ***

10 The String Quartet Tribute to Yellowcard

I just don't believe it. Vitamin Records is churning these bad boys out at an alarming rate... and coming out soon is a piano tribute to John Legend, a string tribute to Alanis Morrissette, and a piano tribute to Dido? I just have to wonder, especially in the case of Yellowcard, is there a set demographic that is dead set on getting the entire collection of string and piano tributes no matter who it is? Or does Vitamin assume that at least a third of Yellowcard fans would feel that a string tribute would be a nice addition of culture to their CD collection? Perhaps they just want to sell it as a novelty? I even checked the Yellowcard site and there was nary a mention of this.

...wait a goshdarn minute here. Their Piano Tribute to Pink Floyd contains an "original composition." What the hell is that all about? That just makes no sense at all. And i can't help but feel some condescension in this sentence: "When all of the studio trickery and texture is removed, the emotional resonance of these now classic songs endures." I listened to the snippet of "Us and Them." Please bring back the studio trickery. That sounds like a tape of one of my piano lesson from fifth grade. Ugh. They also fucked up the title of the song "Pigs on the Wing." I am so mad right now I could just change the subject.

I had a really great time in Harrisburg PA on Sunday. It all began with a trip to the city that is actually one big store, Hershey PA. I've always seen it on the map, we always seem to pass it, and i've even sent postcards depicting the "chocolate kiss" streetlights downtown, but i'd never actually been there. Until Sunday. The drive from DC was quick and we had a few hours to kill, so we headed down 322 to chocolate heaven, unsure of what to expect.


09 Tears For Fears - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending

Hey, did you know that the two members of Tears For Fears (Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith) were originally in a ska band called Graduate, releasing singles such as "Elvis Should Play Ska" ? I wonder if you can even get their record "Acting My Age" anymore. Maybe in Bath UK, where they were based... a city originally listed on our tour itinerary, but soon to vanish just like Liverpool. Ah well, it's a good thing no big bands came out of Liverpool.

But seriously, I owned the cassette Songs From the Big Chair as did many of my grade school colleagues, but it was always something we were hesitant to advertise. It wasn't necessarily very cool to like Tears For Fears back then. By the time Seeds of Love was released in 1989, I was already in the shallow end of high school and i couldn't care less at my compadres complaints as to what was housed between Talking Heads and Television. Actually I only had the "cassingle" of "Sowing the Seeds of Love." And the record after that boasted "Break It Down Again" which was a staple on the adult contemporary stations, not to mention the shopping mall PA... but it was still pretty catchy. So.. all signs point to Everybody Loves a Happy Ending having at least one good song. But really, how should i know?

I do know that Hershey PA is one big sugary money pit. I suppose that if you had all day and a hundred bucks to waste, you could have an ok time. Paying to park your car, maybe riding the rollercoaster at Hersheypark, doing whatever it is you do in the Giant arena. But we only had two hours, so we had to park in the free lot and trudge on over to Hershey's Chocolate World. And what, pray tell, is that?


08 Melvins - Mangled Demos From 1983

The year was 1996. Braid was on tour with Castor in Florida and via some random connections, we were granted access to the Lollapalooza show happening in West Palm Beach. Much like my recent chocolate excursion, we only had a few hours to kill, so our exposure to the event was limited to a few side stage bands. The first band we saw: The Cows. How the hell did The Cows get on a Lollapalooza side stage? That's a whole other ball of wax, but immediately after their set, on the stage to the left was... The Melvins. If I can reference an old post of mine... it was very loud. And King Buzzo, if that is his real name, had quite a lot of hair to work with. I remember just staring in awe as it waved back and forth in the Florida sunshine. It reminded me of one of those troll guys you used to put on the end of your pencil. You know you did. He must have put so much product in there to get it to stay like that.

As you can probably tell, i didn't care too much for the music, paying way too much attention to the hair and way too little attention to my aching eardrums... But i do give The Melvins credit for consistently being weird. They once contributed a song to a 7" comp that was silence. They actually delivered a DAT to the label with 30 seconds of nothing. That is commitment. From what i know of these Mangled Demos, Melvins started out as a regular ol fast noisy punk band. That's sort of interesting, but as for plopping down hard earned monkeys on demos from 1983. I think my monkeys would be best spent on cupcakes at Hershey's Chocolate World.

Hershey's Chocolate World is just a money pit plain and simple with a few marginally exciting attractions, such as a 3D movie and a walkthrough tour. The best one seemed to be a Factory Worker tour, where you actually took a picture and got a photo ID and then proceeded to create your own candy by turning some cranks and dancing. I'd like to see the real factory workers. I'd like to see kids take a real factory workers tour. Can't you just imagine all of the crying kids trying to operate heavy machinery while Big Brother watches and laughs from above? ... We did purchase two cupcakes at a reasonable price of $1.50 each. One was topped with Reese's Pieces and one with a Peanut Butter Cup, both Hershey products. They were ok, i guess. As we left, a kind Oompa Loompa-esque man took our picture in front of the dancing Hershey bars. OK ready, say "Hershey Corporation!" "Hershey Corporation!" Click.


07 Kent - Du & Jag Doden

I am right now eating fake pepperoni slices and drinking coffee. Disgusting. I just thought i'd tell you that before we went any further. I think Sweden's Kent gained their greatest amount of fame here in the US after their tour with Oasis in 1998. Duing the first City On Film west coast tour, our driver / keeper played Isola nonstop and even Damon keeps that CD close at hand for every tour. I never really got into it that much although I thought "If You Were Here" was a catchy number. But then it seemed as though they disappeared. In fact, they've been steadily releasing albums since, but no one really seems to talk about em here too much. This new album, Du & Jag Doden boasts some really odd artwork for a band of this nature, but as i said, i'm not sure they are interested in making that big of a splash here. I'm also not sure what the title means. Maybe it is the names of the two characters on the front?

The show was not really in Harrisburg proper, rather Lemoyne across the river. Quaint little town. We got there too early so we hit up a nearby Thai restaurant and talked about how the show was going to turn out... City On Film with some hardcore bands and a local garage rock act. Hmm. If it wasn't for the delicious massaman curry in front of me, i'd be pretty gosh darn pessimistic about the event... When we got back to the venue, the parking lot was packed, the hardcore was blasting and my old pal Charile was there waiting for us. Let's go get a drink, shall we?


06 Electro Goth Tribute To Prince

Soon this will all end. I've run across so many cross genre tribute albums, it's disgusting. And no one really seems to care. Cleopatra Records, the label responsible for this tribute album, hasn't updated their website in over 6 months... and i can't find the cover art anywhere. So I did what anyone would do. I superimposed Peter Murphy's face over Prince's body and that is that. I'm not even sure what Electro Goth is, but I guess I'm curious. I was able to find a tracklist though and... what's this I recognize THREE bands on there! Dead or Alive, best known for "You Spin Me Round Like a Record" doing one of my least favorite Prince songs, "Pop Life." Information Society, of course from "Pure Energy (What's On Your Mind?" fame doing "Controversy." And Heaven 17, whom you'd only know if you watched an obscure British video program growing up, doing "Sign O the Times." Wait a minute. Heaven 17 is Electro Goth? I can't keep track of my genres anymore...

OH MY GOD i just noticed something. Look at track 13!


05 Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell On You: The Best Of

I am so miffed right now at the lack of available cover art online for all of this week's releases. The cover you see here is not for the best-of compliation that came out yesterday. Rather, it's for Voodoo Jive, a compilation that came out in 1990... But anyway, let's talk about Screamin' Jay Hawkins. You know the song "I Put a Spell On You," right? Well, there is such a rich rich history behind that song and the man himself. We'll touch on a few interesting points. The song was never a hit for Screamin' Jay. In fact, it was banned by a healthy amount of radio stations that disapproved of the grunts and yells of an obviously heavily inebriated Hawkins. Nevertheless, it became a huge novelty hit and till the day he died, he couldn't perform the song correctly until he was well medicated with scotch.

Screamin' J Robbins seems to know a lot about Hawkins and during a conversation at Pachyderm Studios he told me about the time he actually saw the man play live in DC. Apparently Hawkins was not touring with a band, but rather alone in a car and then he would have the venue provide a backing band for him. I'm not sure if he required the club to furnish a coffin for him to arise from as he was known to do back in the day... but I do know that the band was so unfamiliar with Hawkins' songs, that Screaming Jay actually had to scream out the notes for them during the song! J said it was awful and completely embarrassing. Can you imagine. "I put a spell on you... G SHARP! ... because you're mine... B FLAT! ...stop the things you do... A MINOR SEVENTH DIMINISHED!"

J also told me about the staggering number of children that Jay fathered during his 70 years of R & B. So many that every year there is a "convention" of sorts where all of his children (and their children) come together and throw a party. The children of Screamin Jay Hawkins convention. What an event.

So Charlie and I headed down the street to a local Lemoyne bar with an outside deck and we caught up on all of the new gossip and news and I downed some Yuengling's. Half an hour before my set was to begin, we headed back to the club. I dropped him off and I warmed up in the car.


04 Smog - A River Ain't Too Much To Love

I am a huge Will Oldham fan. From the day I heard his debut record I was so hooked... and what a joy that the guy put out a few records a year and all under different monikers! Like a scavenger hunt. Yes, my friend and I would spend hours drinking and talking about Will, pondering over his lyrics, his voice, his artwork choices. I wouldn't doubt it if i was the only person in the world who sports a Will Oldham tattoo... My fascination has since calmed. My friend's hasn't as much, and so when I introduced Iron & Wine into the mix, he was leery. "It just sounds too much like Will for me to get into it." Whereas it was easy for me to separate Iron & Wine as an entirely different beast than Palace, the same cannot be said for Smog. Maybe it's the label similarities, but I just never got into Bill Callahan's solo endeavors because, well, it's too much like Will and it's just not as good. So, eventually, I may give it another chance. With that being said, I'm sure that A River Ain't Too Much To Love is a great record. Way better than the Melvins demos.

So even though my set was sandwiched by hardcore, it went over so well. Everyone was very cool and responsive and I need to get back there right away. Although... no one was able to identify the original artists behind "Secret Santa Cruz" for a $2 prize. But i don't hold that against anybody. I did enjoy the outburst during the first verse though... "Is it Cannibal Corpse?!"


03 Swervedriver - Juggernaut Rides 89-98

It's just not my week, i guess. I totally missed out on the whole Swervedriver craze. They are one of 2 bands that all of my friends went bitchcakes over but somehow I was left out. The other one is Seam. Before you start throwing tomatoes, let me explain! There were bands that I went crazy over, too! Bands that everyone seems to have ignored or forgotten about since. Can we talk about Seaweed? Now there's a band that needs a proper retrospective. Sub Pop, get on that. The old records, especially Weak and Four, hold up so well... and anyone who knows Weak knows that it got a weak mastering job, so that needs some help... but this isn't about them. It's about Swervedriver. This 33 song, um, juggernaut, should satisfy new ears and old fans alike, given all of those extra tracks and demo versions.

Todd Bell searches far and wide for rare Swervedriver stuff, so you may want to contact him if you want to talk all superfan-like... As for me... During a ride home from Louisville with new friends, i was chosen to be the DJ given the eclecticity of my iPod. Not too far into the ride, the driver asked if I had any Swervedriver and the whole rest of the car erupted with "yeah! Swervedriver! Play some Swervedriver!" and i felt as though i had missed out on the new Beatles or something. Luckily I had raided Todd's ipod the week before and i had one Swervedriver song: "Last Train To Satansville." Everyone sang along and loved it... I just whistled to myself and waited for it to end so i could play what i really wanted to play: Dexy's Midnight Runners.

And here's another embarrassing anecdote. I don't know what I was doing at this party, but there i was at a hipster Chicago affair that may or may not have been at Rebecca Gates' house. As i said, I don't really remember how i got there. So anyway, I'm drinking a little and talking to my friend about music and she brings up Seam. I say, "You know, oddly enough, I never really got into Seam that much." I swear to God it was like the fucking record scratched. Everyone in this backyard shot me the most horrible looks! I turned to my left and the guitarist of Don Caballero was giving me this look like I just ran over his dog. So I think i probably left soon after that... In my defense, I now know and enjoy Seam. I still need help with Swervedriver.


02 The Clash - The Collection: The Clash / London Calling / Combat Rock

This is the biggest no-brainer in history... Sony, in their infinite wisdom, has realized that it's not a good idea to release a record after a big holiday weekend, so instead... we go to the classics. I think Bruce Springsteen got a similar treatment. I'm not sure who decided to bundle these three gems together, but... i guess it works. By now, you all should know and love London Calling. The Clash is also so great because of its genre bending ways. Straight punk rock, then a cover of a reggae song, and then a reggae'd out original! And of course Combat Rock, where I first started my Clash infatuation. It was "Rock the Casbah" that drew me in good. It's a real shame that it gets such a bum rap nowadays. I really think it's a great song yet inevitably i hear a sigh or two when that old familiar drum intro launches. I think "Atom Tan" deserves a little credit as a nice pleasant hidden ditty.

Any other week, I wouldn't even bring this up since there are no extras on it, no nothing... and The Clash have already been remastered, recompiled, re-examined, added to, demo'd up, and shipped out. Seriously, i doubt there's any Clash recordings left that we haven't heard or even want to hear... But I just had to. The week was such a letdown. I mean, this is the first record on the countdown from a band that i actually know and like. Curse you, memorial day!


01 Oasis - Don't Believe The Truth

Everyone who i've talked to agrees that "Lyla," the first single from Don't Believe The Truth, just isn't that good. And i agree. I didn't like it one bit when i heard it... so when it came time to hear some other tracks, I was waiting patiently to be impressed. And "Let There Be Love" did it! It's a really great song, albeit in that typical Oasis fashion. You know what you're going to get and when it's good, it's really good. I'm really digging the odd jangly percussion in the background. I also enjoyed "Keep the Dream Alive." I wish i had more to say about the album and Oasis in general... but instead I should just direct you to the proper authorities.

For all things pro and con regarding the Gallagher brothers, i direct you to Nervous Acid. Along with them, you can keep up to date on what sort of mischief Pete Doherty has gotten himself into. You wouldn't even believe it.