Thursday, Feb. 19th - With the Showgirls project, and the subsequent bender i went on, i haven't really gotten around to any reviews, or listening to much of anything (well, that's not true, but we'll address that soon). In fact, i'm *still* not quite done, as i have some revisions to make, spelling to be checked, and a whole mess of time code problems from working from two different media. Blah blah blah. In short, instead of new reviews, i instead thought of what i believe will be a very revolutionary twist on record reviewing. I've included it below. Enjoy, and discuss your thoughts on this new feature if you'd like.
The GIRAFFES - EP
Okay, so imagine a movie, one that your weird uncle has actually seen, and maybe he owns a copy of it on VHS that he bought at a video store that was going out of business back in 1989. The movie came out, say, in 1968. Maybe Roman Polanski directed it. It's a spaghetti western, but the heavy is actually the undead skeleton of a slain Mexican peyote kingpin who lives in abandoned garage. In the desert. Anyway, if that movie actually existed (and maybe it does), this EP is the soundtrack. The Giraffes return somewhat to their epic surf-rock origins, but keep their theatrical lyrical sense. Drew plays a mean accordian. Aaron looked like a late 19th Century congressman when they performed the set live. "On Lover's Lane" is both the hit and the epic, and will fit seamlessly into their future sets, if they got the nuts. Even if they don't, they've written and recorded the perfect disc to play when you finally spring for that piano-dancing bordello girl, then shoot her sleezy boyfriend and grab his gold.
Rating: 9.8
Have i listened to it since i reviewed it? Yes
The SPRAWL - (Demo)
I have no idea who The SPRAWL are, or where they're from. Someone must've given Josh this demo while at J.'s studio. So, i can say whatever i want about this band, without any fear of reprisals. Exciting! I'm listening to it right now, actually, and it's very mellow, Luna-like. I haven't paid much attention to the lyrics, but none of them have jutted out in any embarrassing fashion. The voices are smooth and the instrumentation (electric piano, simple drumming, echo-y guitar) goes down nicely. I bet they'd be good to see at Pete's Candy Store on a winter weekday evening. Wait, it just took a strange synth turn, and the lyrics just mentioned Taos, which is a very upscale arteest town in New Mexico. Huh, so they're not just a mellow band after all! Ah, i'm still digging it. Nice work, whoever you are.
Rating: Very Fine
Have i listened to it since i reviewed it? No
Booby Trap - (Demo)
Did it really take this long for there to be an all-girl named "Booby Trap?" And why don't they have show listings on their website? Anyway, i saw them a while back at a Hissyfits show, and i like them, even though they were a little rough around the edges (and were when this was recorded). We all know the all-girl band who have just started out, but write good songs and show promise. Hell, you probably meet one of those per year. You know the type, klutzy but melodic guitar twang, diffident drumming, all the songs are about 40 seconds too long, lots of good looking friends. But, if we're still talking about them by this summer, my bet is they'll be a great band; they're a good one now. Stay tuned ...
Rating: 34B
Have i listened to it since i reviewed it? No
DJ KAYSLAY - Player Hater Eliminator (bootleg mix tape)
Our paths cross again, Mr. KaySlay. You may recall the snowy Sunday when Slay and his crew were filming right outside on my little Freeman St. Anyway, he now re-enters my life in the form of this mixtape (i think it's c. 1999) of his i bought at the Greenpoint Salvation Army for 99 cents. And there's some really good stuff on here too (Jay-Z, Nas, Slick Rick). At least it sounds good to my white ears, even though the tape quality is really substandard and it sounds like it was recorded underwater. There's also freestyles where 4 guys rap over each other at once, but actually those are my favorites. Nonetheless, if Slay does break through, this thing is going straight on Ebay.
Rating: 40 oz.
Have i listened to it since i reviewed it? A shitload
MISHKA SHUBALY - So Long
Somewhere there's an alternate universe, and in that alternate universe there's an alternate Poland. And, in that alternate Poland, they still polka (otherwise it wouldn'be a Poland at all, no matter what sort of universe you are talking about). And they still imbibe plenty of sausages and brooskis, and all manors of hooch. And they dance merrily with their voluptuous corsetted wives. Only in that alternate universe, they don't use the music and earthly pleasures to escape the bleakness and poor weather and ennui of their environs (or am i starting to get confused with Greenpoint?) but instead use these things to embrace, in a very beautiful way, all these complicated and fitful feelings. Not wallowing of course, just accepting. So Long is the soundtrack to that celebration. One of these days, i'll stop being so blown away when a friend (or group of friends) makes such a good recording, or write songs as good as "Home" and "When I Was Young" on this EP. But, between So Long and that damn Giraffes EP, that day still seems a long way off. This thing is great.
Rating: GREAT
Have i listened to it since i reviewed it? Yes
The WASHINGTON SOCIAL CLUB - (Demo) April Long gave me this CD, what, a year ago? So, they've probably already played on Letterman 6 times by now. But, still, a demo is a demo. Do you like Ted Leo? You'll probably like this too. Anthemic, smart, punky, probably fun live. You know, like Ted Leo. Rating: 7/10ths of a full Ted Have i listened to it since i reviewed it? No
The KING of FRANCE - (Demo)
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Blue Öyster Cult Fire of Unknown Origin |
"Thinking Man's Heavy Metal Band", my ass Rating: 2 ½ stars Listened to since? Yes |
What the Bouchards are up to lately ... |
URGH! A Music War |
No one survived. Except for Joan Jett. Rating: $2 Listened to since? Yes |
Hello to you too! |
Kalama’s Quartette Early Hawaiian Classics |
Akakakhukaokahukalaha! Rating: A Listened to since? Yes |
Oops, shoulda gotten the CD ... |
The Rolling Stones England's Newest Hit Makers |
They should get that Ron Wood guy. Rating: 8 Listened to since? Yes |
Inky! |
John Cale Fear |
Shoulda stuck to producing Rating: yellow light Listened to since? I don't believe so |
Other "Fears" |
Sugar Ray 14:59 |
They do that one song. Rating: C Listened to since? No |
Hey, i haven't got a link for everything, you know ... |
The Vitamen demo CD |
Almost as good as King Vitaman cereal Rating: Thumbs Up Listened to since? Yes, but their newer stuff, a lot more so |
Inside joke |
The Swell Maps International Rescue |
I guess that Nikki Sudden show sucked. Rating: 8 Listened to since? Oh, yeah |
Swell essay |
Sir Mix-A-Lot Iron Man 12" |
I put "I'll Roll You Up" on my Florida mix-tape. That's saying something ... Rating: 3 stars Listened to since? Yes |
Mix a lot |
7" records "They're good!" |
Fall in Love With The Bad Popes Rating: 6.82 For the Love of Jesus, Chapters 1-3 Vol. 1 - Elmore Willaims Rating: 7.5 Vol. 2 - T-Model Ford Rating: 6.77 Vol. 3 - Frank Roach Rating: 9 All Scars Rating: 3.76 The Ramones - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (Original 1975 Demo Version) Rating: 9 The Dead C vs. Sebadoh Rating: 7.58 Yo La Tengo - Rocket #9 Rating: 8.7 Sounds of American Fast Food Restaurants, Vol. 1 Rating: Negative 1,000,000 Listened to since? No, No, No, Yes, No, Yes, No, Yes, NO! |
a.k.a. 45s |
Come On The Come On Story: NYC 1976-80 |
Nice record, but why, oh why, did they have to be named COME ON? Rating: B Listened to since? No |
Name-change suggestions |
The Martinets Love! Hate! |
They sound like The REPLACEMENTS. In a good way. Rating: 8 Listened to since? No |
martinet (n.) |
Freddy D. & The Masters We Don’t Joke |
Techno-mall-blues Rating: eh... Listened to since? No |
Not joking? |
Spiral Jetty Begin Responsibilities |
The best '80s band you still haven’t heard yet. Rating: 3 stars Listened to since? No |
The original Spiral Jetty
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Yes House of Yes: Live at the House of Blues, etc. etc. etc. |
Rating: No
Listened to since? See above |
Well, this guy liked it, anyway... |
Jazz "It's good!" |
Thelonious Monk - Thelonious in Action Rating: 4 stars Duke Ellington, w/Mingus and Roach - Money Jungle Rating: A Art Tatum - Classic Solos Rating: 8 The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out Rating: B Listened to since? Yes to all |
Jazz, and more |
The Gary McFarland Sextet Point of Departure |
TV Jazz Rating: 2 ½ stars Listened to since? I don't remember |
No telling what happened to the other 5... |
K-Tel's Country Teardrops |
There's some cheese in my beer Rating: Awful Listened to since? I must confess, no |
This explains everything... |
Genesis Trespass |
Better than Vanilla Fudge Rating: 8 Listened to since? More than i care to admit |
Buy the cover art |
Make Way For... Dionne Warwick |
"Walk On By" is a great song, anyway Rating: B- Listened to since? Yes to "Walk on By", no to the remainder |
Don't ask me what this has to do with anything. |
More Christmas Fun with The Happy Hamsters |
Shit, i wish i hadn't missed the first batch of Christmas fun! Rating: Infinity Listened to since? Ah, i keep forgetting to |
Scary hamster |
Vanilla Fudge |
Spell-bindingly bad Rating: see above Listened to since? No |
Just plain fudge is still scarier... |
Steely Dan Pretzel Logic |
It's no Gaucho Rating: A- Listened to since? Yes |
Did someone say 'Pretzels?' |
Mishka Shubaly Thanks for Letting Me Crash |
And he cooks you breakfast! Rating: 4 stars Listened to since? Yes |
Take home Mishka tonight |
Sun Ra Greatest Hits: Easy Listening for Intergalactic Travel |
Still too eccentric for Jazz Rating: 8 Listened to since? Yes |
Loquacious fellow, too... |
Baldo Rex Self-titled and I Eat Robots, I'm So Sad |
Robin LOVES Baldo Rex Rating: A Listened to since? No |
Hear 'em for yourself |
Xmas Music "It's good!" |
Jimmy Smith Cookin’ Christmas Rating: B The Ventures’ Christmas Album Rating: Almost as good as the barking dogs singing "Jingle Bells" Elvis’ Christmas Album Rating: 8 Rhino Records’ Rockin’ Christmas - The ‘60s Rating: 3 French Hens Listened to since? Yes to all |
Music for an upcoming holiday |
King Of Prussia The Off Season |
Album Oriented Rock, made by smart people Rating: 8 Listened to since? Yes, but not in a while |
Buy it today! |
The Wharton Tiers Enemble Twilight of the Computer Age |
Hear what ADAT machines do to 6 guitars. Rating: yellow light Listened to since? No, but now i kinda feel like it |
"Zany"! |
The Stan Getz Quartet Getz Au Go Go |
Slinky jazz, horrible memories... Rating: 8 Listened to since? Yes |
Where's Stan? |
The Flamin’ Groovies The Goldstar Tapes + More |
The good songs were recorded in the drummer's basement. Rating: 3 stars Listened to since? No |
The Groovies ain't the only thing flamin' |
Bootsy’s Rubber Band "Bootzilla" 45 |
Crappy novelty funk c. 1978, still better than anything c. 2000 Rating: Thumbs Up Listened to since? Yes |
See if you can make any sense of ol' Bootzilla... |
Wash 5-song EP |
Great guitars, strange song-titles Rating: Buy it! Listened to since? Wash, yes; this selection, no |
www.washrocks.com
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Black Sabbath Paranoid |
My copy skips during the intro to "War Pigs" Rating: 8 Listened to since? Y...Y...Y...Y...Y... |
More about the one-time Sabbath vocalist |
Emerson, Lake & Palmer Tarkus |
A record about a robot armadillo tank. And they say prog-rock sucked... Rating: EVIL Listened to since? I can't take that chance |
They beg to differ |