Song Of the Day: February 13, 2005
Tonight I made a trip to one of the local vomitoriums to see Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Do not miss them should they venture into your burg. They are, as promised by MC/guitarist Binky Griptite, a "funky soul experience."
Anyway, I noticed a patron wearing what could have been a Salem 66 T-shirt. This piqued my interest, as they were a band that were making waves during the years of my formative musical experiences. I moved closer thinking "Hell, I don't know what the kids are doing these days; maybe it's some other band called something like, I dunno, 'Salem 60' or something." As I moved closer, it became apparent that this was in fact actually a Salem 66 shirt. I approached the gentleman upon whose person the shirt rested, and said something clever like "Hey, is that a Salem 66 T-shirt?"
I was taken aback by his curt reply, which was something similar to "Yeah, I know. I'm old." Perhaps my shock was apparent because he then informed me that he knew my name, and that I had approached him previously in a similar setting when he was wearing a Texas Instruments T-shirt. "Is that a Texas Instruments T-shirt?" I had asked. He responded in the affirmative, foregoing a wide variety of available sarcastic comments to the effect that, yes, in fact the shirt did represent the band named thereon as opposed to Aerosmith. I then tactlessly informed him, "You're old."
He quickly re-introduced himself in a much friendlier fashion. Turns out he's a faculty member at KU. We had a brief chat about common musical interests. The point here is not that I'm a bit boorish, as that is far too obvious. It's also not that I should try not to drink so much; again, perfectly clear. The point is...well, I'm not sure what the point is, but I'd like to thank him for making me recall how much this particular song meant to an 18-year-old kid driving around in Pratt, Kansas, blaring the tape player and looking forward to the time when he would leave the place he had lived all his life.
Song Of the Day: February 12, 2005
The sun has come out and is bearing down on the snow, causing it to form gray and brown lumps and then dissolve into dirty puddles. Which reminds me of a story. Grandpa loves stories.
I don't actually believe that a record can save anybody's life. I do believe that occasionally a record will create the illusion of doing so convincingly enough that it's practically the same thing. Consider: In early 1988 I had just been thrown out of school and was working at a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant to pay the bills, as my parents had decided that they no longer wanted to subsidize my drinking and long naps. I was living in a horrid basement apartment, with paint coming off the walls in damp chunks, and a puddle of water in a new and different place every day when I got home from work. Now, I realize that only someone who was terribly privileged and had never really met with any hardships in his life could find this so awful, but I was, and I hadn't, so I did. None of this, of course, kept me from spending whatever money I did or didn't have to spare on records, and one record that came around that winter was the first ChooChoo Train 45 on Picture Book. I believe I had mail-ordered it along with a few others on the label; the only other one I can recall is by the Witching Hour. Anyway, I went out and got the mail one morning, retreated back down into the dark hole, and played this record. Then again. Over and over until I had to go to work.
When I went back outside, the sun was shining brightly and the snow was melting, and I was so happy about finding a terrific new pop record that everything seemed much easier than it normally did. I was in love with the world at that moment. In a couple of months, spring would arrive. It was the start of a wonderful time in my life. I moved into a much nicer apartment with some new friends. Ric Menck and Paul Chastain became the standard-bearers of a renewed search for the true meaning of pop that continues to this day. I joined my first real band. How could anyone hope to convince me that this record isn't magical?
The songs on this 45 are available on The Ballad of Ric Menck CD on Summershine Records. I had intended to provide a link to the Velvet Crush here, but their website seems to be down.
Song Of the Day: February 11, 2005
The Cymbaline-Matrimonial FearsPhilips Records (UK) 45, 1967Available on: Rubble Four:The 49 Minute Technicolour Dream LP , Past and Present Records
Rubble 1-10 CD box set, Past and Present Records
This is a fine example of the slightly psychedelic, yet very commercial pop (sometimes referred to as "pop-sike") that many beat groups had moved on to after they heard Sgt. Pepper, and for that alone it would pass the grueling Mix Tape Test™. What moves it into the upper stratosphere for me is the perverse pleasure that comes with hearing glorious multi-part harmonies on the words "I'm using you, using you."
Song Of the Day: February 10, 2005
Yung Wu-Shore Leave
From the Coyote Records LP Shore Leave, 1987
If the intro makes you immediately think "Feelies," then you're nearly there. Yung Wu was simply the Feelies with percussionist Dave Weckerman out front, singing his own songs and a few covers, including a marvelous version of Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera's "Big Day." If you can imagine the Feelies strumming guitars around a campfire, you might get some sense of the relaxed, expansive nature of this LP, an atmosphere that doesn't often surface on their proper albums. A wonderful, but neglected chapter in the history of one of the most fascinating American bands of the 80s. Was this ever issued on CD?
Song Of the Day: February 9, 2005
It's snowing as I write this, and you know, we get a bit moody. The cats are all nestled snuggly in front of the various heat ducts, and we're enjoying one of the somber numbers from Tall Dwarfs' staggering body of work. While the most obvious American approximation of Alec Bathgate and Chris Knox's beautiful home-recorded weirdness is capable only of dealing in smug irony, these New Zealand hippie punks have zeroed in upon both the beauty and absurdity of existence over and over on geez how many albums now. This one was actually issued as three 10" records, but one CD holds 'em all.
Song Of the Day: February 8, 2005
The Tony Head Experience-Debbie One
"Sleeper EP," Big Internation Records, 1991.
Another indie-pop single picked up from picked up from Parasol Mailorder back in the days when it was housed in Geoff Merrit's basement. Although this UK band did have other releases, I really don't know anything about them other than this track resembles Blondie a bit, and it has made its way onto plenty of mix tapes over the past 14 years.
Song Of the Day: February 7, 2005
Bomp Records 45, 1978
Not exactly legendary in terms of collectibility/rarity, this gem from the Bomp Records empire has been known to change hands for as much as $5. It spins frequently in the Little Hits compound however, because as Mickey says "It's bold and brash and noisy and sweet - like me!" The Boyfriends had a second, much rarer single called "Wrapped Up In a Dream." It's a Wings-like affair, and we could use a copy, if anybody's selling.
We were saddened to hear of the passing of Bomp Records founder Greg Shaw late last year. He will be missed.
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