further Prisonship ‘Hollywood’ Content

from Best Week Ever, the 90s Movie Madness tourney. “Remember, the question is “WHICH MOVIE IS MORE 90s?” not just “which movie is better.”

Need I mention I’ve only a-seen seven of ‘em?

From our Boston Correspondent

Since I’m still plenty dismal ’bout certain sociopolitical bad news over at the OG, I thought I’d indulge myself and share a happy, happening bit of fun news I received from David Dougan, my ex-bandmate (Chosen Vessel) who is the current rock-warrior avec the Life Partners and Major Stars.

Dave was in Austin for SXSW, you see, and smart enough to attend the big Van Pelt show:

i talked to chris for like 25 seconds afterwards, he said “send my regards to pat!”

i told him who i was and he was like “i have your demo tape!” and said to say hi to you. they were great. i probably haven’t listened to those records in like 10 years but i instantly recognized every song they played, and it was pretty much the exact set i would have expected.

If Chris Leo still has our demo tape, I’ve got something to be pleased about. Chris got us our second-ever gig in the basement of Dave Lerner, who’d later become the Pharmacists’ bassman-in-chief. Nick Forte from Rorschach/Computer Cougar/Beautiful Skin really liked it, and I kept saying things like “fuck you, Rye Coalition” to ‘em. [Suffice it to say, Nick Forte was never in Rye. Need I mention there was teenage vodka foolishness underpinning our performance?]

Please, please, please let’s have a national Van Pelt tour, huh?

2009, People: 2009

Ladies and Gentlemeeans,

Next installment in the vaunted indie sideman parade: David Pajo is going on tour with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Weird. I’ve never heard the group, so don’t take me as being all “oh no, my beloved Slint guy is touring with some Urban Outfitters-y band.” I’m just saying that it’s interesting to me. Chances are it’ll be better received than El Zwan-o, huh? I happen to think El Zwan-O ruled, while admitting that they never got near their potential, which I am blessed to’ve glimpsed in at Albini’s in Chicago.

David Pajo – Where Eagles Dare (Misfits)

Oh, and by the bleeping way: the new album of Pajo covering Misfits tunes is by no means, by no means, by no means just some sorta kitschy novelty. I love it, it’s beautiful.

The way the kinda comic book-y Danzig lyrics lend themselves to Pajo’s gothic fingerpicking make for a way, way cooler synthesis than you’d think.

Oh, and how do you record an acoustic gtr on a 4track and make it sound that good?

Jackson Browne – Late For The Sky – Live

for Kyle, who a while ago asked where to start avec Jackson Browne:

“Late for the Sky” is the alb I started with, on Anders Parker’s recommendation. Sorta like Bob Seger’s “Beautiful Loser,” it’s the one RIGHT BEFORE JB got huge. I’ve included the title track semi-arbitrarily, due to the obscenely “laid back,” finger-picked gtr solo. But check the youtube for video from the same show of “before the deluge” and “walking slow” to see just how much Seger and the Eagles, respectively, took from Jackson Browne’s vibe.

Also, the much earlier “Saturate Before Using” and “For Everyman” are the kinda “see, Jackson Browne used to be really fucking brainy and cool” albs.

And then, “The Pretender” is, of course, Jackson’s “Night Moves.” It’s half great and half shite.

God I’m fucking old.

Young Widows – Old Skin video

Do I need to tell you people that I’m fired up about this band? It goes without saying that the 2000s have seen a wonderful renaissance of smart, heavy music… but lemme come out and say that I prefer my smart, heavy music to be coming out of the Chicago/Louisville milieu in which the Jesus Lizard is a way bigger influence than, say, Godflesh, Isis, or even Rorschach (who I nonetheless love).

GREAT video, too. GREATER “lead guitar” “riff.”

These guys are from the slightly less Touch and Go-y, slightly more 90s hardcore-y, awesome band called The National Acrobat. I Emusic’d this album but I need a vinyl copy yesterday. Time to play that song again.

SUGAR – Tilted

Did I mention an original, UK vinyl (CREATION!!!) copy of _Beaster_ arriving in the mail for me?

Thus I’m listening again to this ep that I never stop listening to. My fantasy cover band’d play this but there’s no way in hell I could do gtr/vocs at the same time in actual, lived life.

‘No idea there was a video for this song, or that it any way comprised a ’single.’ _Beaster_ and _Copper Blue_ both have these super-layered, MBV-ish gtr sounds that’re nonetheless worlds poppier than the Valentines. (Also, you can sorta hear the words when Bob sings.) Still, I love it that they were on the same label!

rich kids – ghosts of princes in towers

rich kids is the band of glen matlock, the guy who wrote all of your favorite Sex Pistols song but was replaced by 1977 with revered asshole and shitfuck, Sid Vicious.

weird video of a good live performance of a great song. a youtube commenter noted the small faces-y vibe, but i could hear Lizzy doing this, too. wry lyrics for us daughters and sons of privilege to choke on, too.

Dxtr Reviews Wrkng on a Drm on Twtr

Here’s a song-by-song review of Bruce’s Working on a Dream that I twtrd during a horrible morning spent packing outta my shit outta my old, dead house a few weeks ago. Note that I omitted “Outlaw Pete,” the 8.5-minute opening track that Tom Scharpling, APMike and so many others have lampooned, and which needs to be heard to be believed. Note also that Working on a Dream is kinda bad, but that I listen to it a lot. Or at least I did before Brown Beard five-fingered my copy.

1. MY LUCKY DAY reintroduces the “let’s disguise Clarence’s sax by trying to make it sound like a gtr” tactic. it’s rocking enough for me.
2. WORKING ON A DREAM brings it with the very Jeff-Lynne-as-Wilburys’-producer-ish production. Is that Brendan O’brien’s “thing”?
3. QUEEN OF THE SUPERMARKET is wretched, from its’ “Kokomo” bs line to its “Kokomo” backing vocals. Jesus wept! “Adult Rock” balladry, poppas.
4. WHAT LOVE CAN DO brings back the gtr/sax mash, and the result is bagpipe-y. Omnipresent hand percssion i could live without, but this’s good.
5. THIS LIFE, more unabashed Beach Boys vibes during the intro. Pretty chord progression/hook. Clarence drives the outtro.
6. GOOD EYE, oh no! the Call and Response, third rate Estrus Records song w/ the harp and the Bullet Mic. Fuck. Skip!
7. TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS uh, i need a break from this slip-slop. Knopfler and Lanois spawned a giraffe, huh?
8. KINGDOM OF DAYS isn’t the kind of Biblical motif I can get into. Otherwise, more Jeff Lynne and sunken sax.
9. SURPRISE, SURPRISE is more Byrds-y, but the same produkt. Kinda pretty, but not exceptional by Boss standards.
10. THE LAST CARNIVAL has a nice finger-picked figure, than goes to Gospel Choir mode at the end, thus poisoning the well.
11. THE WRESTLER reminds me of my favoritest movie in a long time.

saturday morning on sunday street – in Dublin

for those who need to be able to calibrate my facebook status updates with my record listening tastes.

also for those who are wondering why i could be soiling myself over so much adult-oriented, wispy, weird-glasses-wearing guy rock these days.

remember how i shamefully bought that Simon and Garfunkel rec recently? this record, this Olson and Louris record, kills any Simon and Garfunkel, any CSNY, any Belle and Sebastian and anything not called “Byrds” when it comes to the coupla-dudes-harmonizing-melancholically genre. (and i’m including the clancy brothers here, so nobody give me any shit about that!)

actually, what genre of music IS this?

mebbe it’s just the “i’ve been walkin’ in circles/a new start/and a new place to live/Saturday morning on Sunday street” thing that gets me.