Pre-weekend errata, list-stylee.
1. I went to the dentist yesterday, for the first time since the Carter Administration. I’ve stayed far, far away for so long mostly because 1.) I don’t like people putting their hands in my mouth and 2.) I don’t like having my mouth wide open for long periods of time, unless I’m [...]

Recorded right about the time the Village Voice referred to David Byrne as a “skinny, neurasthenic Roy Orbison with the voice of a psychotic fifteen-year-old and he isn’t even fifteen”, these CBS demos (Heads would sign to Sire soon after) actually do sound like they could have been recorded at a parallel-universe Sun Studios, without [...]

The last twenty years have seen Duglas Stewart, via the BMX Bandits, carve a rather unique lyrical relationship to the female body, boldly fetishizing specific parts while still probably refusing to make eye contact while uttering the actual words. I don’t know if it’s an insurmountable personality quirk or just an interpersonal sex strategy, [...]

Yeah, so I’m not usually one for the self-promotational-ness, but this one’s of the artist-validation of the fan’s fanosity kind–the blogging equivalent of them playing “Max Ernst” when I yell it at them. So, go ahead and ignore if you must that the MoB press page thinking that my “Donna Sumeria” post was, and [...]

The Velvet Underground on Lawrence Welk, 1968….

…and The Archies covering “God Save the Queen” (nothing has made me happier over the past week than this.)

Elsewhere:
“‘In Finland, we have no Eiffel Tower, few real famous artists, it is freezing cold and we suffer from low self-esteem,’ said Mr. Putaansuu, who, as Lordi, has horns protruding from [...]

The first time I heard Elf Power, or heard of Elf Power, I saw them open for Guided By Voices in Louisville, and I still hold them to the standard they set there. They played “Embrace the Crimson Tide” with like 10 extra drummers recruited from the crowd and then closed their set with “I [...]

Would there have been a Swedish goofball anarcho-retro-punk-ish “movement” (I’m really thinking only of Int’l Noise Conspiracy here, so excuse me) without The Make-Up? Is this something the Make-Up should feature on its C.V.? Perhaps no to to both questions. The reason for the season with The Make-Up, as we all know, is clearly lead [...]

So, by some strange turn of events the other day I moved my hand in such a manner as to pretty much break the plastic molded tether that connects the A key of my Powerbook keybord to the computer itself (pictured). It’s now only kind of just sitting there, which requires me to push extra [...]

So, who else is planning on going to Ye Olde Pitchforke Feste? I am, which I suppose could be inferred through my use of the word “else”. I’m most intrigued to see the latest addition to the lineup, Os Mutantes, which rides about even with Intonation’s attempt at retro cred (Blue Cheer and the wonderful [...]

Apropos of nothing in particular, I make no bones about my undying affection to XTC, a band that I consider not only the best to emerge from the post-punk era (barely beating out the Fall), but also one of the two or three best bands of the past 30 years. One bit of evidence is [...]