Johnny Strangler

The catch heard 'round the world

2006-06-22T09:39:00.000-05:00

Yet another disappointing Cubs season...it was over long before the All-Star break. The only break that we'll remember is Derrek Lee's wrist, which was the point when it all ended for 2006. There's always next year, right? Of course...I've been telling myself that for 33 years now. My grandmother is flying around with the other angels right now, Cubs pennant in hand and a box of Cracker Jacks in the other, smiling down on me telling me it will get better someday. Someday is all we have as fans of the North side. Let's face it...the North side is the only side.

Thanks Steve Bartman. I still think Moises Alou had a legitimate shot at this ball. Then again, a statement like that can be translated as "I would have done anything, sell my soul, say 34632463 Hail Mary's, et cetera, for that ball to be caught"...

The greatest football anthem ever

2006-06-20T10:17:00.000-05:00

During this year's FIFA World Cup, it is important to remember that New Order's only # 1 single was also the greatest football song ever.

UK CD - FACD 293

"World in Motion" (4:30)
"World in Motion (The B-Side)" (4:14)
"World in Motion (No Alla Violenza Mix)" (5:19)
"World in Motion (Subbuteo Mix)" (5:08)

[edit]

UK 12" 1 - FAC 293

"World in Motion" (4:30)
"World in Motion (The B-Side)" (4:48)

The same tracks appear on the 7" and cassette singles.

[edit]

UK 12" 2 - FAC 293R

"World in Motion (Subbuteo Mix)" (5:08)
"World in Motion (Subbuteo Dub)" (4:13)
"World in Motion (Carabinieri Mix)" (5:52)
"World in Motion (No Alla Violenza Mix)" (4:12)

I love Lily Allen

2006-06-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

Infectious. Beautiful. Vibrant. She could have the record of the summer. "LDN" & "Smile" are two of the most shimmering singles in recent memory. Plus, she's dead sexy.

I am in love with Lily Allen. Oh yes.

In a few days...Shag Frenzy w/ Protokoll

2006-06-13T09:20:00.000-05:00

Saturday, 17 June, 2006!!! This weekend!!!

Shag Frenzy w/ Protokoll (from Allston, MA)
The Webster Underground
31 Webster Street
Hartford
18+
$5

This weekend, we have a band playing with us from Allston, MA, called Protokoll. You can hear some stuff here. So yeah, we got this band travelling and we need to play them some dough. Again, support is needed and appreciated. Bring friends, bring yourself, be seen with the mighty and keen.

Doors at 9PM...come in and drink a couple before the band plays. There will be drink specials, we're just unsure of what they are right now. But, rest assured, we will have specials. The Webster is being cool and working with us to make your drinking experience a fantastic one. We'll have the new Futureheads album News & Tributes playing in the background (more info here. We'll have some Futureheads giveaways as well, including promos of the new album, some cd singles, and some 45's on black wax!

Band at 10PM...support independent music, support Protokoll. These guys are talented and you can move and sway to them just like if you were seeing The Cure or Depeche Mode. Yeah, they're that good. Make their first time in Hartford a special one.

Deejays at 11PM...after the boozing and live music, it's time to dance. Sara and I will be playing the beats that keep ya neat. Plus, we'll be giving away Nine Inch Nails/Bauhaus/TV On The Radio (coming 20 June to NE Dodge Music Center, formerly Meadows, yadda yadda) tickets to some lucky patrons, courtesy of WCCC. Also got some Belle & Sebastian, Serena-Maneesh, Peaches, and Mogwai promo cds to give away as well. You can come out of here a winner!!! So don't be a loser!

And, please, vote for Sara (Garage Flower) on the Hartford Advocate's Grand Band Slam poll. In the DJ category, naturally.

120M01

2006-06-12T08:33:00.000-05:00

MIX CEE DEE TIME

1. R.E.M. – HARBORCOAT

2. DRIVIN’ N’ CRYIN’ – ANOTHER SCARLET BUTTERFLY

3. IAN MCCULLOCH – FAITH AND HEALING

4. MEN WITHOUT HATS – POP GOES THE WORLD

5. THE CURE – BIRDMAD GIRL

6. XTC – DEAR GOD

7. THE BLUE AEROPLANES – WORLD VIEW BLUE

8. THE REPLACEMENTS – SIXTEEN BLUE

9. HUSKER DU – DON’T WANT TO KNOW IF YOU’RE LONELY

10. GENE LOVES JEZEBEL – THE MOTION OF LOVE

11. THE DEAD MILKMEN – TAKIN’ RETARDS TO THE ZOO

12. THE CHARLATANS – THE ONLY ONE I KNOW

13. NEW ORDER – TRUE FAITH

14. THE HUMMINGBIRDS – BLUSH

15. LLOYD COLE & THE COMMOTIONS – PERFECT SKIN

16. DANCING HOODS – BABY’S GOT ROCKETS

17. LET’S ACTIVE – BLUE LINE

18. HOODOO GURUS – TOJO

19. THE DREAM SYNDICATE – THE SIDE I’LL NEVER SHOW

20. VELVET ELVIS – AMBITION

21. LUSH – SWEETNESS AND LIGHT

Desmond Dekker, 1941-2006

2006-05-26T08:32:00.000-05:00

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir, so that every mouth can be fed. Poor me, the Israelite. Aah. Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir, So that every mouth can be fed. Poor me, the Israelite. Aah. My wife and my kids, they are packed up and leave me. Darling, she said, I was yours to be seen. Poor me, the Israelite. Aah. Shirt them a-tear up, trousers are gone. I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde. Poor me, the Israelite. Aah. After a storm there must be a calm. They catch me in the farm. You sound the alarm. Poor me, the Israelite. Aah. Poor me, the Israelite. I wonder who I'm working for. Poor me, Israelite, I look a-down and out, sir.

Desmond Dekker was the first reggae star. Before Bob Marley hit it big, Desmond hit with "The Israelites", a top ten hit in both the US and UK. A true pioneer of modern music, finally, he and Leslie Kong can make riddim in heaven once more. God bless.

Ian Copeland, 1949-2006

2006-05-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

From Billboard.com:

One of the most colorful careers in music came to a close today (May 24) as pioneering booking agent Ian Copeland died in Los Angeles of melanoma. He was 57. The sons of a CIA agent, Copeland and his brothers were part of a "law enforcement" clan in the music business: Ian founded Frontier Booking International (F.B.I.), younger brother Stewart was the founder and drummer of the Police; and older brother Miles was the founder of International Records Syndicate (I.R.S.), a record label whose acts included R.E.M., the Go-Gos, Black Sabbath, Oingo Boingo, Wall of Voodoo and General Public. Older sister Lorraine (Lennie) is a writer and producer. "I was the luckiest kid brother in the world," Stewart Copeland tells Billboard.biz, which has more information on Ian Copeland's life and career.

77/82

2006-05-23T10:22:00.000-05:00

There should be a night, at least once in a while, in which I can play a set or two of punk and postpunk. Not just the usual Clash/Pistols/PIL/Joy Division fare, but also the likes of The Cortinas/999/Delta 5/Y Pants/Lydia Lunch. It is needed. I need to play it and I need to dance to it as I play it. Maybe a one-off Shag Frenzy where it's nothing but punk and postpunk, or perhaps 2x a year or something? I think it could happen and the regulars won't be too pissed because everything from the aforementioned bands right through to The Human League and A Flock Of Seagulls would fit in with the theme. Hmmm...I feel like a giant tonight.

Album of the Year (So Far)

2006-05-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

Tiga
Sexor
Play It Again Sam

I Love French Women

2006-05-17T14:45:00.000-05:00

Top: Isabelle Adjani
Bottom: France Gall

New (to me) Tunes That I've Been Diggin' Lately

2006-05-17T14:09:00.000-05:00

Alden Tyrell - Voyager's End
Brakes - All Night Disco Party (FC Kahuna Remix)
Catlow - Kiss The World (Cadence Weapon Good Looks Remix)
Ellen Allien & Apparat - Do Not Break
Eux Autres - Ecoutez Bien!
Glass Candy - Life After Sundown
Kelley Polar - Here In The Night (Long Version)
Ladyfuzz - Bouncy Ball
Lily Allen - Knock Em Out
Love Is All - Busy Doing Nothing
New Young Pony Club - Get Dancey
The Foundry Field Recordings - Holding The Pilots/Holding The Facts
The Long Blondes - Appropriation (By Any Other Name)
The Netherlands - Teenage Sun

And...I have rediscovered some classics, such as...

Ministry - I Wanted To Tell Her
The Slits - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Gang Of Four - Is It Love?
Nitzer Ebb - Shame
B-Beat Girls - For The Same Man (Nasty Version)
Nolan Thomas - Yo! Little Brother
Simple Minds - Promised You A Miracle

This town ain't big enough for the both of us

2006-05-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

The Mael brothers, aka Sparks, were a part of a multitude of guest musicians on the season finale of Gilmore Girls last night. It should have been a great finale. Instead, I was bored to the point of really not being that shocked that Lorelai was naked in Christopher's bed at the ending cliffhanger thingy. Not even Yo La Tengo could save it. Then again, Lauren Graham's tits looked fantastic in the dinner dress, and Alexis Bledel was cute as a London mod. Bah...it was crap.

G.W. McLennan, 12 Feb 1958 - 6 May 2006

2006-05-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

I just found out that Grant passed away this weekend. He was a singer/songwriter. Co-founder of the critically lauded Australian band The Go-Betweens. I've heard over the years that he was a gentleman. His songs were lovely. For instance, "Cattle And Cane" was just brilliant, a tale about his growing up on a farm in Queensland. His pen and voice influenced the likes of Belle & Sebastian and Luna, among others. Rest in peace, Grant McLennan. The music world will miss you.

If Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Maria Callas had a child. Hark! Arthur!

2006-05-05T11:44:00.000-05:00

An amazing record. Stunning in its extraordinary paranoia, its insanity reaching the most infinite levels imaginable, a psychedelic benchmark in a bad acid trip. Essential...and I love it so much.

"That cat's something I can't explain..."

2006-05-04T13:02:00.000-05:00

All day long, and I mean all bloody day, I've been listening to the Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd records (The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn from '67 and A Saucerful Of Secrets from '68). The madness was there for sure, before the drugs took effect. They just made his already-fragile mind become even more brittle, more breakable. They say UK psychedelic music started with The Pink Floyd, and it's hard to argue that fact, unless you declare "Tomorrow Never Knows" as the first UK psych song. Regardless, the breakdown of their leader, the man who guided them to that sound/state of mind, is legendary and oft-discussed, even today.

Extract from Madcap - The Half-Life Of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's Lost Genus, by Tim Willis

At the beginning of the week his hair had been badly permed at Vidal Sassoon, and he was distraught at the effect. The greased-up 'punk' style with which he'd been experimenting would be better. Waters remembers that in the dressing-room at the Cheetah Club in Santa Monica, Barrett suddenly called for a tin of Brylcreem and tipped the whole lot on his head. Producing a bottle of Mandrax, he crushed them into the mess before taking the stage. David Gilmour says he 'still can't believe that Syd would waste good Mandies'. But a lighting man called John Marsh, who was also there, confirms the story. As the gunk melted, it slipped down his face until Barrett resembled 'a gutted candle'. Girls in the front row, seeing his lips and nostrils bubbling with Brylcreem, screamed. He looked like he was decomposing on-stage.

"There rides the Rainbow Demon, on his horse of crimson fire..."

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

Everyone, at least I assume everyone, knows and loves the classic film This Is Spinal Tap. If you don't know about or love the film, you should just kill yourself now. That said, it is important to note that Uriah Heep's 1972 LP Demons & Wizards is, arguably, the (un)Holy Bible of The Tap. This was "Stonehenge" before "Stonehenge". You have your wizards and demons in the lyrics, the mysticism of early 1970's Great Britain, with the foggy streets full of unruly creatures cavorting about in the night with their copies of Deep Purple's Fireball and Thin Lizzy's Shades Of A Blue Orphanage. Sure, Bowie had his pretty boy looks and his androgyny. Marc Bolan had his big hair and bigger guitars. But Heep had the journeys to the land of dragons, witches, wizards, crystal balls and black cats. We laugh and laugh at the ridiculous lyrics of Spinal Tap, yet a record like Demons & Wizards is a classic, one that's taken seriously as a rocknroll staple. In 1972, you had Sabbath, Purple, Zeppelin and Lizzy. They were all bluesy, hard rockin, sometimes dabbling in the occult, always kicking the asses of an Ampeg amp or a Hammond B3. Somehow, Uriah Heep is a bit forgotten, which is sad. You had a US top 20 single here in "Easy Livin" and a record that kickstarted the famed record label started by Gerry Bron called Bronze Records. Without this successful record, Bronze would have failed and we never would have had Motorhead's Ace Of Spades or Suicide's 1977 self-titled LP, both seminal albums in rocknroll history. Even though Spinal Tap was a joke, Uriah Heep was serious in rockin' out and making our heads bang and our toes tap.

But what about "(It's Not Me) Talking"?

2006-05-01T13:23:00.000-05:00

In essence, the 1980's was a time when anyone could produce a pop record worthy of the charts and the wallets of the record buying public. Even ex-hairdressers could have outlandish hairstyles and great synth licks. Take, for example, A Flock Of Seagulls. You had arguably some of the most recognizable hairstyles ever with singer/leader Mike Score, but you also had the songs. "I Ran", "Modern Love Is Automatic", "Wishing", et cetera, were all staples of new wave radio and MTV back in the glory days of 1982 and 1983. Thanks to my lovely friends Maura and Adam, my wife and I witnessed A Flock Of Seagulls on Friday night in East Hartford. Yes, East Hartford. Well, we witnessed Mike Score with 3 other guys who really did not look as if they fit the bill. Then again, Score now is a bit chubbier, has a pony tail and was wearing a ball cap. Hardly the 80's chic that we all witnessed on MTV back then, but the synth setup and the voice and melodies were the same. As far as the other guys went...well...one of them looked like he should be in a death metal band (reminded me of Jesse from Napalm Death actually), the bass player should have been in a goth band, and the drummer, well, he should have been in Whitesnake. The very fact that he kept waving the drumsticks in the air after several songs made it painfully obvious that Mike Score found him at The Whisky, probably in a Rough Cutt cover band or something.

Score: "Hey mate, wanna play drums for my old new wave band, A Flock Of Seagulls?"
Drummer: "What band? Huh? Seagulls? Do you play metal?"
Score: "No, but we like to use hairspray, though."
Drummer: "OK, fine, sounds awesome!!!"

The very fact that I saw them in some old high school that has been renovated into a "cultural center" was creepy enough. There was some nostalgia kicks, though, and I swear that if I found a locker that was near Jen Matheson's, I would have remembered the combination and found my old science books full of band names like The Cure and PIL. Ahhh...memories. All that was missing was the high school dance bit, although, towards the end, we all danced in front of the stage with wreckless abandon. My friend Adam commented how sad it seemed, seeing a once powerful band who was all over television and radio 25 years ago, now relegated to old high school stages for performances. I agreed, but only to a slight extent. The crowd wasn't huge, but the people that were there loved them, remembered them, sang the words, and danced the night away. If you ask me, that doesn't seem so sad after all. They're still making a living, doing what they love, and I am sure royalties from greatest hits albums, retro compilations and commercials will keep Mike Score living ok for the next decade or two. As surreal as it was, it seemed right. I mean, whatever, I saw a band I had never witnessed before playing 5 feet from me as I danced like a 12 year old again. I could even forgive the fact that they did not play "(It's Not Me) Talking".

I'm gonna hit my skull with a blunt object!

2006-04-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

Alright you fuckers! Someone, anyone, please post an entry! It's been since Wednesday and I need some fucking humour! It's really unbelievable how much blogs can be a part of your day at the office.

Scary Bunnies & Totes Umbrellas, I am directing this to you!

Don't be such a drag...

2006-04-28T08:30:00.000-05:00

Personally, "The Fashion Party" is one of the best dance songs ever, whether I am spinning the records or dancing to them. The very fact that I have a fashion show to attend tonight at the University of Hartford has nothing to do with this post. The song, however, does. I cannot stop playing it, even if it is now a whopping 23 years old!

The Neon Judgement's early work is essential.

From the desk of WTF

2006-04-27T10:43:00.000-05:00

You have got to be kidding me here. Is Broadway getting lazy? Why do I hate Reese Witherspoon so? Is it because she has an annoying voice? Or maybe that square jaw that looks creepy? Maybe I am just bitter, but a Broadway musical based on Legally Blonde is just moronic. What's next? Waterworld vs. Ishtar: The Quest For Crap?

Jesus...this whole post is filled with question marks. Why?

Dream Weaver, or how I learned to fight crime with Totes Umbrellas

2006-04-27T08:25:00.000-05:00

So, last night, I had a dream. It was vivid to the extent that I knew who was in it and what was going on. The cast...Totes Umbrellas Crew (all 4 of 'em) and myself. The plot...driving around Hartford and Middletown in a car, thinking about story ideas for the Totes' blog. Why I was there, I have no idea. Maybe the 2 girls of the Totes crew were so cute that I couldn't resist hanging out with them. Maybe Joe John looked good behind the wheel. Eh, maybe I read Totes Umbrellas a bit too much. I think this is the first time I had a dream about 4 bloggers. That is way fucked up. Then again...those cats are probably a hoot.

----------------------

Another baggy disque compact made last night:

Freaky Dancin'
Indiedance05

1. Acid Megajackmix Part 1
2. 808 State: Pacific 707
3. Yazz: Where Has All The Love Gone?
4. EMF: Unbelievable
5. Englandneworder: World In Motion
6. Happy Mondays: Freaky Dancin'
7. The Dream Academy: Love
8. The Mock Turtles: Can You Dig It?
9. Milltown Brothers: Which Way Should I Jump?
10.The Dylans: Lemon Afternoon
11.Moose: Suzanne
12.Flowered Up: Take It (Extended)
13.Spirea X: Chlorine Dream
14.Jesus Jones: Info Freako
15.Primal Scream: Loaded
16.The Farm: Groovy Train
17.Inspiral Carpets: Commercial Rain

"I like your poetry, but I hate your poems..."

2006-04-26T09:44:00.000-05:00

One of the things wrong with The Smiths is they denied a bunch of great jangly guitar pop groups their moments in the sunshine. One of the things wrong with the C86 scene is they were fiercely independent, thus limiting their music to the masses. One of the things wrong with The Trash Can Sinatras is they were as good as The Smiths, were later than C86, right in the middle of Madchester, and they were signed to a major label.

Whatever the issue, they were doomed to critical acclaim and not much else. Their debut LP, Cake, is genius. It is fresh, pretty, melodic, jangly, melancholic, happy, sad, bitter, and so much more, all within a 39 minute masterpiece of pop. "Obscurity Knocks" is one of the absolute, most perfect pop songs ever recorded. How it is not considered a classic today boggles my mind. As much as I loved Madchester and its drugged-out, loved-up culture, the very fact that a band like The Trash Can Sinatras are relegated to obscure status does make me feel a bit ill about the whole thing. Now, the LP is criminally out-of-print in the USA, and you just have to search around for some used copies of it. I'll pit "Obscurity Knocks" against any Smiths single and say that it stands up to them all. It may be even better than some of the Morrissey/Marr compositions.

Life changing deejay moment #1

2006-04-21T13:37:00.000-05:00

CUBIC 22

NIGHT IN MOTION

12" Single

XL Recordings

1991

Baggy Baggy Baggy!!!

2006-04-21T09:21:00.000-05:00

Uh-oh. It's happening again! Yours truly is starting his usual Spring/Summer Madchester obsessions. First it's the cd compilations (tracks so far are below), then it will be the occasional Slow Bongo Floyd or Charlatans track in the deejay sets, only to be followed up with obsessive viewings of 24 Hour Party People.

SHALL WE TAKE A TRIP
INDIE DANCE 01

Guru Josh: Warehouse Requiem
Inspiral Carpets: This Is How It Feels
Northside: Shall We Take A Trip
Pete Wylie & The Farm: Sinful! (Scary Jiggin’ With Doctor Love)
The House Of Love: You Don’t Understand
The Prodigy: Charly (Alley Cat Remix)
New Order: Vanishing Point
Candy Flip: Strawberry Fields Forever
Mr. Fingers: Can You Feel It?
Happy Mondays: Mad Cyril
Paris Angels: All On You (Perfume)
The Impossibles: Delphis (Original Version)
Slow Bongo Floyd: More Than Jesus (SBF Mix)
Blur: There’s No Other Way
New Fast Automatic Daffodils: Get Better
The Apples: Eye Wonder
Chapterhouse: Pearl
The Trash Can Sinatras: Obscurity Knocks

ALL TOGETHER NOW
INDIE DANCE 02

Ride: Leave Them All Behind
Blue Pearl: Naked In The Rain
The La’s: There She Goes
Lush: Nothing Natural
Finitribe: 101 (Sonic Shuffle Edit)
Orbital: Chime Live
The Shamen: Move Any Mountain
Electronic: Getting Away With It
James: How Was It For You?
Top: No. 1 Dominator
The Bridewell Taxis: Don’t Fear The Reaper
Moose: Jack
The Farm: All Together Now
Oldfield vs. The Orb: Sentinel (Nobel Prize Mix)

NIGHT IN MOTION
INDIE DANCE 03

The Stone Roses: I Wanna Be Adored
N-JOI: Anthem
Cath Carroll: Moves Like You (12” Version)
The Other Two: Tasty Fish (Pascal Mix)
Sheer Taft: Cascades
Morrissey: Interesting Drug
Saint Etienne: Only Love Can Break Your Heart
A Certain Ratio: Loosen Up Your Mind (7”)
Curve: Fait Accompli
Adorable: Sunshine Smile
Revenge: Jesus…I Love You
Cubic 22: Night In Motion
Supereal: Body Medusa
The High: More
Primal Scream: Come Together

IN YER FACE
INDIE DANCE 04

EMF: Children
Jesus Jones: Move Mountains
Stereo MC’s: Elevate My Mind
The Farm: Stepping Stone
Happy Mondays: Kinky Afro
Milltown Brothers: Apple Green
Kitchens Of Distinction: Drive That Fast
World Of Twist: She’s A Rainbow
A Guy Called Gerald: Voodoo Ray
LFO: LFO (Leeds Warehouse Mix)
The KLF: Kylie Said To Jason
The Heart Throbs: She’s In A Trance
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine: Sheriff Fatman
The Dylans: Lemon Afternoon
The Charlatans: Indian Rope
808 State: In Yer Face
New Order: Round & Round (Club Mix)

The importance of reissuing Pleased To Meet Me, and other bits of fodder

2006-03-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

I just left TONS of music-related Livejournal communities because I am sick of immature teens and early 20's people posting pictures of icons (ooh!) or starting flamewars when all we need to talk about is MUSIC. I had to delete one of my own communities (fac_off) because of some sniveling shits who are bored and want to start a bunch of shit. I'm fucking 33 years old now and I want to discuss music without all this crap. I'd rather not discuss music at all than have to deal with immaturity. I had some fantastic conversations last night with the fine gentlemen named Koblanski and Danton. We basically discussed why The Replacements are genius, which, of course, they are.

I really hate the younger generations sometimes. Fuckers.

Oh yeah, woman of the day is Warp Records recording artist Mira Calix.

Whatever happened to?

2006-02-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

But, really, what happened to?....

Geneva
My Life Story
Sexus
Strangelove
Rialto
Northern Uproar

Well, in general, what happened to Britpop?

Kids, the saga is hard to swallow, but Oasis killed it back in 1997. Why? Well, it was because every paper and radio show had it in for the lads when they were making Be Here Now. The excesses of drugs, drink, smokes, fights, girl troubles, etc. had taken it's toll on the boys. The record was fantastic, despite the critics slagging it off as a wankfest and way too long. Now, it seems everyone is back on the Be Here Now bandwagon, with ATT playing "All Around The World" in their commercials these days. Hark! The Gallagher Brothers made a great follow-up record to a great follow-up record! Don't slag it off until you hear how much Liam can belt it out.

The other bands mentioned above? They just started the scene way too late. Or were Romo. Either way, they were fucked. Pity that.

I feel so 1995 today. Must be the Cornershop, Massive Attack, Saint Etienne, and Tricky compact discs I brought into the office today.

Definition of a boombastic dance style

2006-02-07T15:39:00.000-05:00

My 5 Defining Moments in Dance Music:

Soft Cell: Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go?: Sire 1982 This was the first record I remember buying, and face it, it's a classic.
New Order: Blue Monday/The Beach: Factory 1983 I was 10 or 11, rollerskating in Lighthouse Point, FL, and the DJ played this one day. I asked him what it was, he said the band name, showed me the "floppy disk" sleeve that Peter Saville designed, the rest is history.
Maurice: This Is Acid: Vendetta/A&M 1988 My first introduction to 4/4 house music was via this classic of the acid house genre. Essential.
Phuture: Acid Tracks: Trax 1988 This is playing as I type this, and 18 years later, it still sounds brutal and beautiful, all in one shot of 12 minutes. The Roland 303, 808 or 909 never sounded better.
Grandmaster & Melle Mel: Beat Street Breakdown: Sugarhill 1984 From the movie Beat Street, arguably the finest movie about breakdancing and b-boy culture in NYC back in the early 80's. One of the first rap records I ever owned was the 12" for this. The lyrics are among the finest in rap music, and the message is clear.

I'm a wild child, come and love me

2006-02-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

The heyday of MTV was a fantastic one. Remember when the “M” stood for music? Actually, it can be argued that it stood for “M”adonna and “M”ichael Jackson, but mostly it was music, There were surely some guilty pleasures back then. Let’s visit some of mine, mostly due to the fact that I was a wee one watching little movies that had music set to them.

1. ZZ Top “TV Dinners” (1983, Eliminator, Warner Bros.) Yeah, so the bearded ones are mostly remembered for “Legs”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, at least when it comes to videos from Eliminator. Well, “TV Dinners” was a single, too, oft-overlooked, mostly forgotten, but it was a great song with a cheesier than thou video involving some regular Joe eating a Swanson’s Hungry Man while playing some arcade game. Some little bastard alien comes out of the tv dinner, and bad explosions and theatrics ensue. Please note that the ’34 Ford is not in this video, at least to my recollection. Or the leggy chicks.

2. Sammy Hagar “I Can’t Drive 55” (1984, VOA, Geffen) Right then…so Sammy is driving a Ferrari in LA, wearing some bizarre yellow and red jumpsuit thing. He gets nabbed by Ponch & John, gets his “ass in the city joint”, and goes on trial while his band are there to back him up as character witnesses. They also throw him a big ass guitar so he can brutalize the legal system with licks that would make Randy Rhoads wake from the dead.

3. Glenn Frey “Smuggler’s Blues” (1984, The Allnighter, MCA) Similar to Sammy Hagar’s video mentioned above, except that our ex-Eagle is a drug runner doing some serious peddling on the streets on Miami with some dude who looks like an extra from Brian DePalma’s Scarface. The partner gets shot while ripping off some druglords, Glenn hits the steering wheel in anger, cleans up his beard, buys a suit, flies to Colombia, comes back, and is killed by the man he ripped off in the beginning, posing as a Miami fuzz. OK, not so similar to Sammy Hagar’s video. They were both criminals is all.

4. Van Halen “Oh! Pretty Woman” (1982, Diver Down, Warner Bros.) This is a strange video, even for David Lee Roth. There’s weird tribal dudes, a damsel in distress, and the Van Halen boys saving the day with some fret work and Jack Daniels bass guitar savvy. Really though, this video is fucked up.

5. W.A.S.P. “Wild Child” (1985, The Last Command, Capitol) Great song, great album. Cheesy metal, sure. Blackie Lawless and co. did the cheese better than most of the other glammy bands. They were darker, evil, all about Satan and throwing raw meat out to the crowds at their concerts. But, even Blackie had a soft side, as evidenced in this clip. He’s riding around the desert on a chopper, saying “I want you” to his lovely, Zuzu Petals lookin’ Harley bitch. The best part is the little climax near the end, before the final chorus, and the W.A.S.P. logo catches fire and burns as the boys play in the desert, where electricity is always plentiful.

More will follow. Johnny Five is alive. But he needs rest.

Enter to the realm of...Satan!

2006-02-03T13:22:00.000-05:00

Nearly 20 years on...still the heaviest record I've ever heard...

In October of this year, it will be the 20th anniversary of the release of Slayer's metal masterpiece Reign In Blood. I still remember when I first heard this album. Unwrapping it from the celophane, placing the record on the turntable and watching the Def Jam logo go round 'n round. This is, bar none, the toughest, most brutal, disturbing, and tightest thrash album ever, and is arguably the best metal album released. Nothing has the staying power of this album. Not Metallica's self-titled black album, not Megadeth's Rust In Peace, certainly none of the bullshit released as "metal" the last 20 years or so It's heavier and more cerebral than any Black Sabbath record, for that matter.

Interesting facts about Reign In Blood:

Def Jam was their label. Yes, Def Jam. Russell Simmons, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, etc. A hip hop label put out the heaviest record of all time.
CBS (now Sony BMG)/Columbia refused to release the record, citing the material as too intense, sickening, and evil. They were Def Jam's distributor at the time. In what was a weird twist at the time, CBS allowed Def Jam to shop it to another distributor. Geffen/WEA took it in, with Def Jam logos, and the rest is history. Ironically, Def Jam and Geffen are both now distributed by Universal.
It clocks in at 29:03 over 10 songs. Metallica's Master Of Puppets from the same year was well over 50 mins for 8 songs.
Producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin has said over and over again that this was the best thing he ever produced.
Slayer were obviously ahead of the beer snobbery game. While all the Euro kids are drinking the Stella Artois now (myself included), they are shown on the back cover holding a six pack of Stella, in fucking cans!

Slayer Reign In Blood (Def Jam, 1986)

She Wants Revenge and I want S&M

2006-02-02T10:17:00.000-05:00

SHE WANTS REVENGE
SHE WANTS REVENGE
(Geffen/Universal)

My friend Rachel, er, I mean, sexy and gorgeous friend Rachel, asked me if I had this at the last Shag Frenzy. I said “no” and she told me they were like Interpol, Bauhaus, etc. and that I would probably like them. So, I bought it last night at Target in beautiful downtown West Hartford. Here’s my take on this new “it” duo.

First of all, to make a record that is dark and new wavey nowadays, a band must do the following steps:

1. Buy a copy of Turn On The Bright Lights. Listen.
2. Buy a copy of Violator. Listen.
3. Buy any one of The Cure’s Trilogy. I recommend 1982’s Pornography as it is the darkest and most postpunk.
4. Write S&M themed songs.
5. Cop a fake Brit accent like Al Jourgensen did when Ministry first came out, long before they were a thrash metal band.

Once you have followed these steps, form a band.

Now, as for SWR, they did this, and I’m not saying it’s bad. The problem is that it is way too derivative of their influences. I heard a song that cops a “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” vibe, a song that nicks from Nitzer Ebb’s “Rope”, and the vocals are so Paul Banks that even Interpol may think they have a new record out. It’s a nice stew, if you can throw a duo into a crock pot and they are holding a copy of Postpunk 101. Standout songs, ones that I will probably throw into my deejay sets this month, are “Broken Promises for Broken Hearts” and “Tear You Apart”. I dig the record, but I am not blown away by it. This is the postpunk Bravery. Y'know...major label band rushed out to capitalize on success (The Killers). Well, Interpol, here's your Bravery.

By the way, one of the guys is named Justin Warfield. I bet no one remembers the rapper Justin Warfield that was signed to Sire back in the early 90’s. Funny. Oh, and the back cover is really fetch. Really fetch. The chick has a wonderful ass.

Soul brothers lost, now in threes

2006-01-31T14:30:00.000-05:00

I read today that Gene McFadden passed away. You may not know him by name, but you know some of his songs. He wrote "Backstabbers" for The O'Jays and had a hit in his own right with John Whitehead (murdered in 2004) as McFadden & Whitehead called "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". It was an important piece of black music, a song that really made the world realise that the black man and woman had enough. On a day that we mourn Coretta Scott King, who passed away at 78, this is a statement that can never be taken lightly.

We've lost some soul greats in the last couple of weeks, with the passing of Lou Rawls and Wilson Pickett as well.

You are missed Gene McFadden. God bless.

Shag Frenzy setlist, 17 Dec 2005

2005-12-20T09:38:00.000-05:00

On top of Shag Frenzy this past Saturday night, it was also my 5 year wedding anniversary. Needless to say, it was a fantastic evening, spent with my love, my friends, and my nightclubbers.

Nipple clamps...$19
Diamond earrings...$200
The image of Sara wearing both...Priceless

Here's what I played the other night:

SET 1

Millie Jackson: All I Want Is A Fighting Chance
Isaac Hayes: Theme From Shaft (Live at Wattstax)
Ann Peebles: I Can't Stand The Rain
Bobby Womack & Peace: Across 110th Street
James White & The Blacks: Contort Yourself
A Certain Ratio: Skipscada
The Specials: Little Bitch
The Slits: Love Und Romance
Tenpole Tudor: Wunderbar
The Cramps: Human Fly
The Raveonettes: Chains
X: Sex And Dying In High Society
The Strokes: Hawaii
The Wedding Present: Dare
My Bloody Valentine: Soon (Weatherall Mix)
Happy Mondays: Wrote For Luck
Inspiral Carpets: Find Out Why
Saint Etienne: I'm Too Sexy
Oval: Photograph
New Order: World In Motion
Erasure: Drama!
The Smiths: William, It Was Really Nothing
The Cure: Why Can't I Be You?
Depeche Mode: New Life
David Bowie: Look Back In Anger

SET 2

Ramones: She's The One
Gloria Jones: Tainted Love
(R) The Jam: Town Called Malice
(R) The Clash: This Is Radio Clash
Stanton-Miranda: Love Will Tear Us Apart
Joy Division: Isolation
New Order: Shellshock
Interpol: C'mere
(R) The Rakes: Retreat
(R) The Faint: Southern Belles
Editors: Munich
The Smiths: Still Ill
The Libertines: I Get Along
(R) Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Date With The Night
Le Tigre: Nanny Nanny Boo Boo (Junior Senior Remix)
Happy Mondays: 24 Hour Party People

How I got through High School with music, Vol. II

2005-05-10T09:50:00.000-05:00

Ah yes, nostalgia once again. Those Buzzcocks had it right all along.

Bad Brains I Against I CD (SST Records)

Last week I mentioned how Minor Threat was one of the first hardcore bands I bought. Same goes for Bad Brains, and this album was the first one I owned by them. The title track is ferocious and "Re-Ignition" is bombastic. But, then again, there are subtle moments like "Secret 77", which is one of my all-time fave Bad Brains songs. A memory I will always have is seeing the video for "I Against I" on 120 Minutes back in '87 or so. The video that came after was Aztec Camera's "Somewhere In My Heart", which sounded nothing at all like the preceeding video. It was a time when music was so real and so new.

The Sisters Of Mercy Floodland CS (Elektra/Merciful Release)

Yeah yeah yeah, The Sisters are goth and Andrew Eldritch is the prince to Peter Murphy's king. This may be correct, and any band writing songs called "Dominion/Mother Russia" and "Lucretia My Reflection" certainly fit into the "look at me, I'm dark and spooky" mold. But Floodland was much more than a goth album. It was a dance album. I remember seeing the video for "This Corrosion", not knowing exactly what goth meant, or even caring. But the song was fantastic, and my feet wanted to move. "Driven Like The Snow" was another fantastic song. I bought this on cassette in Daytona Beach, after my dad took me and my brother to see the Daytona 500. How fucking bizarre is that? Back then, goths and punks and new wavers were just called art fags. Yep, I was one of those art fags. We just liked underground music, and no matter what, we were persecuted for it until The Cure cracked the Billboard Top 10 in 1989. Oh well....

The Cult Love CD (Sire)
U2 The Unforgettable Fire CD (Island)
The Cure Standing On A Beach - The Singles CD (Elektra/Fiction)
The Dream Academy The Dream Academy CD (Warner Bros.)
New Order Substance CD (Quest)

In order, these are the first compact discs I owned. The first three were Christmas gifts from my mom and dad, along with my first cd player, a Fisher model that cost about $400 and only played the damn disc and nothing else. No cool features, no multi-disc playing capabilities. Just a door that opened and played the silver round thingy. The last 2 listed, I bought at Spec's in the Palm Beach Mall with Christmas money, The Dream Academy one being in the cut-out bin for like $5.99. All of these albums, I am sure, can speak for themselves. I still have every single one of these albums, with U2, The Dream Academy and New Order being those original gifts. The Cult was cd was traded in for an import version on Beggars Banquet some time ago, and now that import has gone the way for the remastered one that came out in 2001. The Cure suffered the same fate about 5 years ago when I traded the Elektra one for the Fiction Australia one, which has a nicer inner sleeve showing all of the singles. Yes, I am a nerd.

The art of 45 RPM and handmade disques compact

2005-05-09T15:38:00.000-05:00

1992.
Dung "Worldwide Abuse" 100 song cassette.
Edition of 25.
Area Recordings.

1997.
Chatterbox 9 2-song 7" on red wax.
Edition of 1000.
Run2 Records.

1998.
The Burgundy Romance 7 song self-titled cd.
Edition of 1000.
Movin' On Up Records.
Move 2 CD.
Released in conjunction with Boxcar Records, BOX-012.

Dung was 3 boys who played fierce grindcore from 1992-1995.

My friend Chad was Chatterbox 9. He is now in ultrastar*.

My friend Big Jay Shaner was The Burgundy Romance, along with some guys in The Mercury Program. He is now a truck driver and a bedroom musician.

I have been toying around with the idea of doing these things:

1) Forming another band. It has been far too long. I have an acoustic guitar that is collecting dust, so I better start picking it up and writing some songs. I can play a small amount on guitar, so practice makes perfect. I've been jotting down some lyrics here and there, so the time is right.

2) Putting out another 7" or cd. Every release above I put out on my own, with a bit of help from friends. I designed the sleeves as well. Someday I'll scan them. There's a girl group in England now called The Pipettes that are in dire need of 7" treatment and I want to sign them for the States.

3) Doing some bedroom music like Big Jay. He bought a digital 8 track and has loads of fun recording at home. I've always loved the lo-fi sound, so why not?

4) Grindcore. Mr. Jeff Giles and Mr. Ari are in the same state and Virginia, respectively, and want to do some blistering metal. It needs to be done. Giles and I may perform at a metal festival in CT in the autumn. Oh yes.

Final thought...Fuck whatever people think. This is D.I.Y.

How I survived high school with music, Vol. I

2005-05-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

All of this I write for you. Venture out, try some old bands, try some old scenes. I want my younger friends to experience what I did back when I was a wee one of 14 or 15. Let me know if you would like to hear any of this stuff. Seriously. Open your minds!

Minor Threat Minor Threat LP (DIschord Records)

This was the first hardcore album i remember buying, and I purchased it at Spec's in the Palm Beach Mall during my freshman year of 1987. It really spoke to me, first of all, because of the positive attitude of the lyrics, but also because of the D.I.Y. approach of Dischord and their cheap postage-paid prices for their releases. I think, back in 1987, this was $4 PPD direct from Dischord. I payed like $5.99 for it at the mall, still a very low amount for such wonderful hardcore.

R.E.M. Life's RIch Pageant CS (I.R.S. Records)

So, the first R.E.M. album I owned was 1984's Reckoning. Tnen I bought 1985's Fables Of The Reconstruction, which was a slight disappointment at the time. The next one I bought was this one, although I bought it a year after its initial release. I ordered it on cassette through a friend who was getting those "12 tapes for 1 penny" Columbia House things. He let me order 4 tapes, so I got this one, as well as The Smiths' Strangeways, Here We Come, X's See How We Are, and Aztec Camera's Love, all of which were released in 1987. Life's Rich Pageant was just a beautiful album, and still ranks as my 2nd fave behind Reckoning. "Fall On Me" is one of the most beautiful and uplifting political singles ever relased as far as I am concerned.

The House Of Love The House Of Love LP (Creation/Relativity Records)

The life of UK indie guitar pop started, for me, with The Smiths. However, one of the most important UK indie albums ever, was this one, the first House Of Love album (and last for Creation before signing to major label Fontana/Phonogram). I bought this after seeing the video for "Christine" on 120 Minutes, back in 1989 or so. It is quite simply one of the finest guitar based indie albums money can buy. Before Oasis put Creation on the map, Guy Chadwick & Terry Bickers were 1/2 of the original indie Creation band that was going to put them on the map. It barely did, and although this is now regarded as a classic, it did not dent the charts as much as all parties had hoped. Shortly after the release, Chadwick and Bickers had started doing to each other what Bickers name implied, and Terry left to form Levitation. The last time I remember seeing the two of them together at the same time was on the album sleeve. Now, with HOL reformed and Bickers back to playing guitar with Chadwick, it seems that 1988 is not so long ago anymore.

That's What They Call Dalliance

2005-05-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

So, last night, around 10:45, I get a call on my mobile phone. It's Diane, the ex-girlfriend who is still a great friend. She loves The Weddoes as much as me. Hell, I introduced her to them when we were going out years ago. Anyway, she is in Pittsburgh on business, to help launch the new BMW 3 series. She tells me how she was talking to a co-worker who mentioned the place where they were doing the launch needed the space that night for a band. Diane asks who's playing and the lady says "someone called The Wedding Present". Needless to say, Diane freaked out, saw the show, and called me on the walk back from the gig to her hotel. Just 2 days before I called to gloat how I saw them and how she needed to see them whenever possible, as they were fantastic. I felt so great for her, because Gedge & co. are one of her all-time fave bands. Funny thing is this...as she called me, I was ripping Watusi, the last album they recorded for a major label (Island), onto iTunes so I could put it on Sara's iPod. Ex-girlfriend, the wife, and The Wedding Present. Somehow, it all seemed just fine.

Dorky playlist today is all Weddoes...in order by release date

Seamonsters (1991) Hit Parade 1 (1992) Hit Parade 2 (1992) Watusi (1994) Saturnalia (1996) Take Fountain (2005)

Missing, of course, is George Best (1987), Tommy (1988), Bizarro (1989), and Mini (1996). Those will come later on in the week.

Top 10 Singles of the Year (so far)...in no order whatsoever

2005-05-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

M83 - Don't Save Us From The Flames (Mute) (Air making a record with Chapterhouse...French electronic shoegaze)

New Order - Krafty (London) (another classic New Order single...as if you didn't already know)

The Wedding Present - Interstate 5 (Extended Version) (Manifesto) (an 8+ minute epic about love, longing and sex from Mr. Gedge)

The Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot (Universal) (a slice of poppy mod punk)

The Raveonettes - Love In A Trashcan (Columbia) (sexy and dirty song that sounds like The Cramps mixed with Ricky Nelson)

M.I.A. - Galang (XL) (Sri Lanka-born beauty who relocated to London and started rapping...yes, it does work)

Mercury Rev - In A Funny Way (V2) (psychedelic, orchestral pop that is perfect for the Spring)

Bloc Party - Helicopter (Vice) (Damon Albarn singing postpunk instead of the boring shit Blur is doing now)

Oasis - Lyla (Big Brother) (Liam & Noel, loud guitars, shit lyrics, wall of sound, total glam...absolutely fabulous)

Out Hud - One Life To Leave (Kranky) (if Liquid Liquid and ESG had them dudes named with exclamation points at the mixing desk)

I urge you to check all of these out...if you want.

Razorlight/Muse, UConn, 19 April 2005

2005-04-20T09:16:00.000-05:00

Evening decended onto the sleepy little college town of Storrs, CT as Sara, Megan and I walked into the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts with hundreds of other students, college and otherwise. MTV-U's Campus Invasion Tour 2005 was actually worth paying the non-student price of $15 a ticket, as Muse and Razorlight were on the bill. We arrived shortly after 7PM, as the box office was opening up, and we bought 3 tickets for seats that one would assume would be absolute shit. But, alas, to our surprise, we were handed 3 tickets for 8th row center. The view was amazing and the sound was pulsating. We were set for some rock-n-fucking-roll!

Razorlight came out first, and the bass drum pulsated a tribal-like beginning beat before Johnny Borrell and company cranked out the first riff of "Rip It Up". The band was tight, and Johnny was all over the stage, grabbing mic stand, grabbing mic from said stand, playing guitar with one hand, jumping on the bass cabinet, etc. They stormed through "Rock N Roll Lies", "Golden Touch", "Stumble And Fall", and a host of others from their debut record Up All Night, which this writer has listened to since day one when it came out in the UK. I always thought they were a good band, just normal, UK rocknroll. The record just didn't have as much spunk and punch as their first singles, so I always relegated Razorlight to the "they're good but not great" status. Well, after seeing them last night, I can assure you that they are an amazingly loud, tight, and energetic young band. Playing live gigs is what they do best, and I highly recommend anyone who has the record to go out and see what they are like in the flesh.

The headliner, obviously, was Muse. I am not the biggest Muse fan at all really. I don't own all the records or know much about what they do in their personal lives, etc. I appreciate them and I definitely like them much better than their obvious comparison Radiohead. Then again, that isn't saying much as I would rather listen to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music over anything Radiohead has done from 1997 on. Muse, for playing live as a three-piece, were extremely tight and very intricate. The light show was amazing and kept in time with the drummer's pounding, frantic rhythms and fills. They played a ton from their latest album, Absolution. Songs such as "Time Is Running Out" and "Stockholm Syndrome" received the biggest accolades of the evening, as they are the ones the kids seem to know. Who am I kidding..."Stockholm" is my fave song on the album as well. If you are epileptic or migraine-ridden, avoid seeing Muse at all costs. It can be a harrowing, yet somehow satisfying, experience.

After seeing Muse live for the first time, I realize now, exactly what they remind me of and why I like them so much more than their contemporaries. First of all, they remind me of Radiohead if they were brought up on goth and metal. Let's face it...the guitar riffs are full-on metal licks and the keyboard-driven openings and endings are out of the goth textbook. I find some of it to be a bit cheesy at times, and the singer cops the Thom Yorke vocal way too much. There's only so much of a whiny vocal I can handle. He does it well, at least, and he isn't afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve. Secondly, and more importantly, Muse do not bore me like so many of their UK counterparts. They are engaging and hold my attention much more than bands like Thirteen Senses, Keane, Radiohead, etc. I find it funny that they are a trio, just like those Keane kids, and they owe more to other power trios, such as Rush and Therapy?, than they do to a band without a guitar player. Muse are special. While not entirely original, they are at least ear candy for a boy who owns records by The Cure, Radiohead (The Bends is all I need), Rush, Iron Maiden, and Therapy?.