The Brit Box competition was fierce and heavy, neck and neck. The randomly-selected winner from all the wonderful entries was a “vklj” who said that Common People changed his life. Here’s to hoping the Brit Box is more of the same for you, vklj, and please be in touch with your mailing address.
I have a new contest to launch today. Have you heard the quirky, snarly, danceable-punk Cockney perfection of the Ian Dury song, “Sex & Drugs & Rock and Roll”?
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the entrance of this song and phrase into the lexicon of great English contributions to modern culture, Demon Edsel is issuing a numbered limited edition 7″ single on orange vinyl of the song with a “specially colourised version” of the original picture sleeve (wherein he is looking oh so Lou Reed, if you ask me). The b-side to this 7″ is “Close To Home,” a recording from January 1977 which was only ever issued on an NME cassette in 1981, and has not been re-issued since. Sah-weet!
I have three of these nice little 7″s to give away. Leave me a comment if you would desire the goods.
On the same label, also check out the re-issue of Ian Dury’s first album under his own name, New Boots & Panties (two things we can be grateful for in this mad, mad world). The CD reissue is paired with a DVD that captures Ian Dury & The Blockheads live on BBC’s Sight and Sound In Concert series, recorded at Queen Mary’s College on December 10, 1977. It’s a rare performance that has been languishing in the BBC vaults (along with who knows what all else good stuff) for nearly thirty years.
New contest for the weekend! I am in NYC still this morning, and thankfully the sun finally came out. I think we’re going to Central Park and a pass by the Dakota this morning, brunch at “Sarabeth’s” and then a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge? I’ve walked through about 8 or 11 or a million neighborhoods; feet are protesting but I am continuing to have my way with them, regardless of what they want. There’s just too much good stuff to see. We also may be on a frozen yogurt quest later since we enjoyed this all-the-rage sour kind yesterday in Greenwich Village and we pretty much just keep talking about it.
My friend’s Queens apartment is stocked with many shelves of fabulous books but no turntable, however, I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on this sweet ‘lil prize pack that I’ll put up for today.
CONTEST: I’ve got two 7″ vinyl singles of the new Oasis tune “Lord Don’t Slow Me Down” to bestow on someone’s collection. The song is from their new forthcoming DVD by the same name, which includes both the feature-length documentary that screened in select theatres last year tracing their 2005 tour (and shenanigans) but also a second disc of straight live concert footage from their epic homecoming show in Manchester.
Listen to the song and watch the little video dealie here:
To enter your name to win seven inches of goodness, please leave me a comment, and to amuse me also include a favorite Gallagher brother quote. There’s no shortage of obnoxious, ridiculous, hilarious things these boys have said over the years, so you’ve got lots of options.
As always, make sure I have a way to contact you, and maybe spell out that email addy to avoid spamalot. I’ll wrap up this contest sometime after I get back from NYC, so early next week. Lookee what you win:
Oh, and an update: In all this travel excitement, I didn’t forget about you guys and that Dylan “I’m Not There” soundtrack CD contest that wrapped Wednesday. There were a total of 97 comments, and I wanted to pick a random pair of winners, so I went up to strangers in the airport and asked them to pick a number between one and 97. Um, a few strange looks later, I got my two numbers, and will be contacting the lucky winners. I will probably do a Dylan covers post at some point in the future, since you guys came up with some amazingly random and interesting-sounding versions.
Okay kids, today is a Two Contest Day. This first one is my favorite kind because it involves vinyl (the record kind, not, like . . . the outfit kind or anything).
Side A: Wild Man – The Black Lips (cover of The Tamrons’ 1967 garage rock tune from Atlanta “flower punk” band)
Side B: No Favors Policy – YACHT (funky electronica from one-man band project of Jona Bechtolt, formerly half of The Blow)
To win this fine treat, please tell me the story of your record player. In other words, how will you enjoy this prize? I think you should have a record player to win it, but I guess anyone can enter. Your comment won’t hold the same oomph though, will it? I will pick a winner on Friday (be sure to leave a way to contact you).
Also, in conjunction with the contest, FADER’s gone ahead and put their whole latest issue in pdf for you to peruse. Check it here.
My Pearl Jam fanclub single for 2006 finally arrived in the mail just now, and I have to say that I literally jumped up and clicked my heels together in joy on the walk back inside. Because I am a dork.
I think the cover art is some of the best yet and made me get a little flutter somewhere in my gut. As previously mentioned, the tunes this year are the Who cover “Love Reign O’er Me” (which gives me even more chills with the pure vinyl audio sound) and the Neil Young cover “Rocking In The Free World,” with U2 from Melbourne last year.
This gives me pause to also mention two Pearl-Jam-related items I’ve been sitting on: ** Vedder will induct R.E.M. into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame on March 12 (link)
** Ed is the ultimate Cubs fanboy (more pics here). Cara saw these and affectionately referred to Vedder as “tiny mofo.” I think she means that as a term of endearment.
I’ve been sort of jamming with some gal friends in an acoustic mini-band for fun (and no, we didn’t name ourselves something dainty and/or involving unicorns or sparkly things). I wail on the djembe and we have a grand time — sounds very hippie but it’s not.
In any case, yesterday afternoon we were talking about how one gal just had her guitar swiped out of her car. The best I could come up with was a consolation which suggested that perhaps said thief thought that Takamine actually read, “Take-mine.”
Aaand . . . I crack myself up. I do apologize for that groaner.
On to the tunes for this week (better than the humor?):
F Train Girl The Attachments We’ll start things off today with an unassuming sonnet to a girl on a train (ah, the elusive ones are the best kinds) that sounds like something that could take me along the tracks, looking out the window at the passing countryside. The Attachments are four young guys from Berkeley (CA) who really just want to pay a bit of homage to the Beach Boys, spoon in bed, and write you haikus (see their MySpace). What could be wrong with that?
City Skies Dylan In The Movies I adore getting 7-inches in the mail (sounds dirty. it’s not.). Every once in a while amidst the pile of promo CDs, I get an actual vinyl 7″ to digest slowly and viscerally, and it truly makes my day to crouch near the record player and watch it spin, hear it crackle. American Laundromat Records is a little label with a 7″ series (they also released that fab High School Reunion CD of ’80s movie song covers by folks like Matthew Sweet and Frank Black). I’ve enjoyed the A & B sides of boththeir releases in this series thus far. Pressed in limited, hand-numbered quantities, this truly wonderful song from Boston’s Dylan In The Movies is the b-side from the newest one. The a-side is from John P. Strohm (Blake Babies, Antenna, Lemonheads) and the vinyl is available directly from ALR. It’s also on iTunes, which takes some of the fun out of it, but for those who don’t have a record player (yet). . .
Young Folks Peter Bjorn and John I vigilantly resisted this kitschy song from Swedish sensations Peter Bjorn and John until I heard it out in its natural habitat recently in a loud bar and I found myself irresistibly drawn to it, from the whistles that start things off to the harmonies and the skittery beat that made me shake my hips. I heartily enjoy whistling along to things, and songs like this are in short supply (other than, maybe, Zipadee-doodah and the theme to Andy Griffith). Don’t try to resist, just acquiesce to the blogosphere on this one. From their 2006 album Writer’s Block (Wichita/V2).
HFXNSHC (“Halifax, Nova Scotia Hardcore”) Sloan This song is apropos of nothing else off Sloan‘s recent album Never Hear The End Of It (on Yep Roc), which is a fine double disc that I think you may be hearing more about in the weeks to come from this blog. Its unrelenting thrumming-bass punk rock (squeezed into just over a minute) has been rocking my world these last few days. I’ll leave it at that for now, but hot dang. Who saw that one coming from Canadian power poppers?
Storia Di Un Corazon Jovanotti I feel like ending with some world music today, an irresistable Latin-tinged duet with Italian Jovanotti and Spaniard Pau Dones (of Jarabe de Palo) with a flirty samba/salsa beat and engaging call-and-response verse swapping. It’s from Jovanotti’s excellent 2002 album Il Quinto Mondo, and my absolute favorite snippet of it starts around 3:20. I think this may be the next piece I practice to on djembe, but it’s also suitable for dancing ’round the house, pretending like you know how to do Latin dances (and no, the Macarena doesn’t count).
He can’t look at your skin, ‘cos it’s doing him in. But as for me, I’ve got a sweet Graham Coxon double 7″ vinyl for the taking.
It’s got “I Can’t Look At Your Skin” + “What’s He Got” on the a-side and “Time For Heroes” and “Outta My League, Dear” on the b-side. Plus, there’s fancy-pants packaging with all the artwork done by Graham himself. It’s nice with the lightning bolts and all, but it could use a liger or two — it’s pretty much my favorite animal.
To win, leave me a comment telling me what the hell the lyrics are to Song 2. Actually, just kidding. Leave me any comment, one winner will be chosen randomly. We’ll run it one week, through Wed, Feb 7.
Thanks to Kevin, who rocks all sorts of goodness over on his blog So Much Silence, I’ve added an audio rip of that limited 7″ remix from M. Ward and Jim James. Kevin is the master of vinyl ripping, so you get all that snap, crackle, and pop at no added charge. Thanks Kevin!
The freezing walk to the mailbox was all made worth it yesterday afternoon by the discovery of a very cool flat package containing a 7″ limited-run vinyl from FADER Magazine/blog in a partnership with Southern Comfort. Part of a new series this whole year to release “up-and-coming” artists on limited edition vinyl, the first in the lineup contains:
Post-War (from whence comes the lovely harmonies of “Magic Trick”) is an album that sounds all rich and scratchy and warm –an effect which is doubled on a record player– and I derived great joy from sitting in front of my stereo listening to this small gem. The remix takes out the drums and remixes the vocals a bit more distinctly so the harmonies don’t mesh as seamlessly. It also brings forward the bittersweet harmonica line, giving the overall effect of a Kansas City backporch BBQ. You can win your own copy here. Oh, and check the solo M. Ward shows added. San Francisco gets all the fun. Come to Denver, “M.”!
There’s over a decade of collecting behind this post.
The plan was to hold off for a few more weeks to make this more of a Christmas present but, well, I failed to contain my joy. Today as we decorated our full and lovely Christmas tree that makes the whole house smell fabulous, I pulled out my entire complete collection of vinyl Pearl Jam Christmas singles from the inaugural year (1991) until the 2005 edition to listen to on the old record player. I am expecting the 15th vinyl single for 2006 to grace my mailbox — well, sometime between now and Valentine’s Day. Maybe Easter. Punctuality has never been on the list of reasons to appreciate this divine collection.
But turning these fine specimens over in my hands and reading the labels, looking at the album art, slowly lowering the needle and spinning the black circle gives me a deep happiness every time. The fact that Pearl Jam sends one of these (almost) every year to their fanclub is just awesome. From the earliest one, which started with Beatles-like Christmas greetings and some ramblings, through various live gems and little studio recordings just for the fan club, there is always a fantastic variety from year to year, a small and welcome surprise in the mailbox.
Every once in a while they’ll toss in an actual Christmas song (1991, 2002, 2004), and there are some wonderful covers (1992, 1998, and 2000 are favorites). If I had to pick just one song from this bunch for the rest of my life, it would probably be “Angel,” which is stunning in its wavering purity, and inspired by a poem called The Eloping Angels: A Caprice. I love it fiercely and thoroughly.
I was going to try and walk you through the rest of my favorites, but as I looked over each record, I realized there is no way I could. I’ve written this paragraph 4 times and keep deleting it because it’s getting too long. So just listen to them all — I know not of a better way to spread Christmas cheer (than singing these loud, for all to hear).
1995 History Never Repeats (Split Enz cover, live in Auckland with Neil & Tim Finn) Sonic Reducer (Dead Boys cover, live in New Orleans with Joey Ramone) Swallow My Pride (Green River cover, live in Las Vegas) My Way (Elvis cover with Elvis’ cousin Terry, live @ The Aladdin in Vegas)
1998 Soldier of Love (originally recorded by Arthur Alexander, 1962) Last Kiss (originally recorded by J. Frank Wilson, Ed found a 45 copy at the Fremont Antique Mall)
A few nights ago I was browsing the record bins at Streetlight Records in San Jose (an excellent little independent record shop) and I was realizing how much I love EPs. They are so . . . digestible. Just 4 or 5 little songs, a nice collection or introduction or sidetrack from whatever else you may already have from that artist. They are just perfect.
I recently came across a little 7″ of Superdrag and The Anniversary, a joint effort from 2001 with each of them contributing three songs. It was the first in a similar EP series from Vagrant Records, and is a stellar collection of pop songs that showcase some fine (and thoroughly enjoyable) songwriting with a pleasant & catchy mid-’60s feel.
Name: Heather Browne Location: Colorado, originally by way of California Giving context to the torrent since 2005.
"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel." —Hunter S. Thompson
Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.
I have a new contest to launch today. Have you heard the quirky, snarly, danceable-punk Cockney perfection of the Ian Dury song, “Sex & Drugs & Rock and Roll”?
Name: Heather Browne
