If you paid attention to my old blog at all you would know how much I dig Comet Gain so I’m biased. That being said this is the best record I’ve had my hands on this year.
P.s. After seeing Weekend last week and getting a v-day mixxx w/ a lot more Slumberland Records bands it turns out SLR is my new fav label. Who would have thought?
Favs: Weekend Dreams, Some Of Us Don’t Want to Be Saved, Working Circle Explosive! and
In A Lonely Place,
Dramathanxxx
I held this fucking record every fucking time I went to Rhino Records saying to myself “Next time” but when I finally had the means to get it I could find it! I had already missed out on the Marie Antionette soundtrack (vinyl for 50 bones) and the Morrissey singles (vinyl boxset) from fucking around like that so I was SAAAAAD. Then I looked up at the wall and it was sitting just there as if it were saying “gotcha”. There was another fan club Blondie wax right next to it but it was like 20 bux more and it didn’t have Puerto Rico on it which was the deciding factor for me. Neither had my fav blondie song Poet’s Problem so whateves. This album is the same as the Blondie Live cd recorded in texas but has a lot of demos towards the end. And though it’s live has great sound… we all know not even the greatest concert can recover from shit sound but it’s all good.
Favs: Thin Line, Sunday Girl (french version), 11:59 and Puerto Rico
P.s. Lesson for this week don’t put off what you can do today.. cuz you just might be out a really cool record.
Dramathanxxx
This album is so distracting when trying to “review” it. I keep giggling like a little school boy. I am really bummed that I missed them played the Eagle L.A. esp. since John was there but I have this feeling I will see them again. Deflowered has really great songs I sometimes wish some tracks weren’t so funny because they are super well written and I don’t want boys and girls to just write them off as a silly band. They aren’t btw they just have a rad sense of humour which can be lacking w/ a lot of scenes and peeps. Perfect cover for V-day time.
P.s. we will miss you Lookout Records
Favs: Groovy Underwear, Fluff City, Anonymous, A Song of Remembrance for Old Boyfriends and Beercan Boy
“Negative Queen”,
Dramathanxxx
I only ever had this on cd and it was cool but I didn’t care to own it on vinyl. It wasn’t until I was at rhino w/ my bff and saw it on sale for 4.99. Don’t ask me why it was so cheap.. at first I thought it was a mistake. A record, live dvd and poster for 5 bux??? I’ll take it. I only have a couple a things to write about this this album but that’s because there isn’t a whole lot I haven’t said about the Gossip. This band is RAD. From the their first release to their very last the Gossip has managed to do something that is really rare and that is keep their cred. No matter if they are being labeled as soul, dance, riot grrrl they will always have punk following right after. Beth Ditto is the only artist who makes me feel good about myself and is practicing what she preaches about self love and positive body image. Plus who else rips up the stage and still manages to sing the way she does.. I mean the most seasoned singers remain close to stationary to hit notes while Beth is dancing for her life. BAD ASS!
Fav traxxx: Fire Sign (still one of my fav breakdowns), Standing in the Way of Control and Are You That Somebody (cover)
P.s. Nathan is my only current rock n’ roll crush…Click The Pic.
Yr Mangeled Heart,
xxxDramathan
Totally random that my mother actually got me this record while on vacay in Santa Barbara. She came home and handed it over on Patti Smith’s fucking birthday! And yeah my mom is cool but she had no clue it was her bday. I guess this record was meant for me :) When she was describing it to me on the phone and telling me the track listing I was like.. it’s official my mom has lost it. There was no way 3 of my fav song were on the same record. I mean 2 were on completely different albums! I guess if it was a bootleg or live maybe but not on a legit Arista release. I was stoked when I saw the cover because even though I’m no stranger to Patti Smith vinyl I had never seen it before not even the cover pic. So score one for ma! Even though the cover is not in the most pristine condition (and was still 25bux) there aren’t any rips or tears. Plus it’s not like I paid for it.
Rad points for having live traxxx like 25thfloor (recorded in Paris Easter Sunday 1978) and the coolest poem ever Babelfield (recorded live in London Feb 28th 1978 on Brian Jones Bday)
“Set Me Free”,
xxxDramathan
Ok so I personally like sex & drugs in my rock & roll but here is one of many exceptions to my rule. I’m also not big on concept albums but this album is just beautiful. Supposedly about a business man who is cheating on his wife who later in the album kills the bastard. I personally never bought a Pedro album, not even the one I am holding (retro Rec-A-Day style) in my hot little hand. Unfortunately the born again christian leanings of David Bazan has prevented me, a self proclaimed atheist, from doing so. I totally dig that this album isn’t christian rock even though David Bazan is all about his faith. Sure it permeates through the album it isn’t sending a message of conversion or full of silly lyrics on top of cheesy power chords synonymous with christian holly rock n’ rollers. I mean I even write songs that talk about angels when milking my muse of Los Angeles. After lots of research and Internet googling I discovered that Bazan himself loathes the idea of that. Plus if I simply dismissed this work of dare I say genius just for the simple fact he himself was born again I would be no better than those pushy pious holier than thou assholes… I now understand that it comes out in his writing because like most writers it is an extension of himself. Bottom line is that this is a great album.
Pros: Rad lyrics, toured w/ Cursive and David Banzam is hot in a bearish sort of way.
Cons: Obviously religious tinges (but like I said used in artistic metaphor)
Favs: “Penetration”, “Magazine” (wins the swoon), and “Indian Summer” (amazing lyrics)
“Rapture”,
xxx Dramathan
Ok so I dig this record… though it has some of Yo La Tengo’s better received songs on here it is still not my fav. I got to see YLT twice once was at Matadors’ 21st and once in L.A. which I am going to talk about right now. I never was fully able to talk about what went down at that show because I was friends with the dude I went with but things have changed and it looks like my tell all book is never going to happen so I might as well spill the beans. I thought it would be a cool bday present for the dude I was hanging with at the time… he did fly all the way down from Glasgow to record me and put me up in a Silver Lake apt that he sublet where he recorded my demos so I figured it was the least I could do. I remember a couple of things from that stay. How he told me he loved me though I had a dude, how he inadvertently put me in bad standing w Abe Vigoda (by telling one of their close friends who was stalking him that I was his man, that I was coming from Las Vegas and if he didn’t leave him alone would be him up, how he incessantly talked about himself, and the how shitty he was to me at Yo La Tengo. That whole stay I was tired and hungry (had lost 40lbs in the most unhealthiest way) but still put on a happy face to go and see them. The night got so bad I remember crying when Georgia sang “I want to go home” because I did! I ended up making up some big horrible lie just to leave the situation. It sucks because I thought he was a cool guy but he ended up telling me that he couldn’t put up with my bullshit just because I wasn’t willing to share personal details about my relationship. Months later after civil emails he told me to never email him again and I replied with a bitchy “cool :)”. Totally lame I know esp. because I like to think I’m not one to burn bridges but everything I am saying is truth and what is a bridge good for when it leads to NOTHING! Anyway he was totally upset that Yo La Tengo had their wheel at the time where someone from the audience got to go up on stage and spin it at whatever it landed on they would play. Some of the choices were Condofucks in it’s entirety and 30 mins of spongebob squares pants.. it landed on Spongebob and he was not happy. Thus marring the night and his attitude towards me. Whatever. There is a shit ton more stuff I could write about him but it’s not worth it. If I was a total dick and cared enough I would write in fine detail everything that happened and actually share emails, text and songs but I’ll digress.
This album came with a sticker on the cover… you know the ones you have to peel off carefully to not rip so you can put it on something else. I don’t know if you do that sort of thing but I do. The album really shows their range which is sonic youth large and the songs range from drugged out psych-noise-velvet-underground esque jams to shoegazer fuzziness. Totally worth collecting.
Favs: “Nowhere Near”, “From A Motel 6” (duh), “I Heard You Looking”, “Double Dare” (very SY) and “Big Day Coming” (swoon)
“I Was the Fool Beside You for Too Long”,
Click The Pic
Dramathan
Ok, so I finally have a little time to really rec shit up. I recently got this album on vinyl a couple a weeks ago @ rhino which is quickly becoming my go to waxxx shop since hauling ass to the I.E. I figure what it at times lacks in selection and size (compared to let’s say Amoeba) it makes up for in distance and gas :) I must admit when I first heard The Whitey Album years back it was semi hard to get through… and yeah.. the madonna covers made it easier to come back to but it was still decidely cool. I mean there was definite noisy take on early hip-hop and a lo-fi edged take to the polished pop songs of like well… Madonna that I dug but I didn’t get ”it”.But then again the track I went away with was “two rock chicks listening to neu” so maybe I kind of got “it”. At any rate it’s a must have esp. for a gotta-have-em-all-record-hound like myself. I ended up taking the record w me downtown half trying to get into the sold out Best Coast show for the smells’ 14 yr anni and of course wound up at Jalisco (see picture below). Though somehow crawling w/ hipster trash my friends and I managed to dodge them even further by heading to the secret ”smoking” section. I gave it to Chris as an impromptu birthday gift I figured if gay dudes must listen to Maddy they should do it via SONIC YOUTH. Here’s to getting back into the grove of Rec-A-Week. Thanx for being patient as I get my sea legs.
P.s. Obviously Ciccone Youth is a mysterious reference to Madonna’s real last name but who knows why.
Favs: “Burning Up”,”Addicted To Love” and that one song where kim is all “do you wanna fuck me” (already a horrid blunder)
Reminder…. ALWAYS click the pic!
“Get Into The Groov(y)”,
Dramathan
