:: First those damn Black Eyed Peas ruined music. Then they ruined the Super Bowl. Now they’re ruining school.
:: The National is curating another album for charity. This time, it’s… wait for it… a Grateful Dead cover album. “It’s not going to be like jam bands cover the Dead,” bassist Scott Devendorf admitted. “We’re also trying to think of unusual [acts].” Hmm, like Weird Al or Ray Stevens? I sure hope so.
In about 63 hours, I’ll be throwin’ some ‘bows at Ear X-Tacy to make sure I get my hands on every Record Store Day release I need. Of course, “need” is hardly the proper term, but when you’re standing there holding the last copy of a Japanese Les Savy Fav import on coke bottle clear and orange swirl vinyl — well, that’s when “need” is the right word.
With that in mind, here is my list of RSD desirables. In looking through the list, there were some entries I objectively knew I should care about. For some reason, though, they just didn’t make me tingle. Below, you’ll find the tinglers. Not all of them are must-haves, but they’re all tinglers nonetheless.
Bad Brains – Pay to Cum seven-inch
Bad Brains – God of Love
Big Star – Third (test pressing edition)
Buck Owens – Close Up the Honky Tonks/My Heart Skips a Beat seven-inch
Deerhoof/Xiu Xiu – Almost Xiu Xiu, Almost Deerhoof seven-inch
Lady Gaga – Born This Way picture disc (for my wife, I swear)
Mastodon/ZZ Top – Just Got Paid seven-inch
Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math seven-inch
Piebald – Vol I-III Triple Gatefold 3LP Special Edition
Rival Schools – Wring It Out seven-inch
The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations/Heroes and Villains 10-inch
Needless to say, my eyes are bigger than my wallet. But what about you? What are your tinglers? And by that, I mean records that you want to buy this Saturday. Perv.
Sure, people talk about how amazing New York, Chicago, Austin and the like are. But that’s easy. When a city is big, you’re bound to find some cool stuff — lots of people live there. What about when a city isn’t some huge metropolis, but it somehow finds a way to be awesome? Well, that’s why we’re on the scene.
This week, Vince Griffin of Bear Colony gives us some insight into what’s hopping and popping with the hepcats in Little Rock, Ark.
What makes your city awesome?
The combination of nature, city and everyone being laid back. It’s big enough to get the things you love and small enough for people to know your name.
Biggest band to come out of your city
Well, Johnny Cash is from Arkansas.
What kind of music is coming out of your city right now?
A combo of indie rock, metal and folk. As far as indie, we have American Princes ( which has a lot of amazing people in it… and they have played with everyone from The Flaming Lips to Apples in Stereo) and The Big Cats, who have members of Green Day, The Stills and Dan Zanes. Both of those bands are on a local record label here called Max Recordings which has been around forever. Definitely something that makes me proud of Little Rock.
At this point, every NFL team has played at least eight games, so we can get a pretty good idea of where they stand. Unless we’re talking about the Bucs or the Raiders. Those two teams are a bit anomalous and as hard to read as Brett Favre’s text messages.
However, the Cowboys sure aren’t hard to figure, and neither are the Bengals. Both teams are underachieving big time, and at least one of them has lost a coach because of it. Ultimately both of them will. Then you’ve got the Bills, still searching for a win. But other than that, no team (not even the Bills at certain points, for that matter) has looked terrible all year. Even the Rams and Lions have been surprisingly competitive.
But what about your team? Has it been sidetracked by suspensions? Injuries? Sexting? Randy Moss? Worse yet, Tom Brady’s hair? Or are you feeling good about Super Bowl chances? Happy with a few moral victories? Are you at least hopeful about the future of your favorite team?
Give me some songs that reflect how your season is unfolding, too. Here’s mine:
“We thought it would be silly to use some chicken blood or something like that.” Why yes Wayne, using chicken blood to print posters would be silly. Unless you compare it to using your own blood to print the posters.
:: If your biggest dream is to own As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis’ clothes, you can now die a happy camper. However, if you’re still hoping for his feces, keep rummaging through the sewer pipes under his house. Something’ll turn up eventually.
What, no crazy Flaming Lips stage antics? No giant hands? No confetti? No LED screen? Megaphone? Pork and beans? Mumbletypeg? Not even hand puppets?
That said, the low angle shot of Wayne Coyne banging the cymbal was inspired. It even made me think he had a comically oversized cymbal on stage for a second. Then again, I was disappointed when I realized it wasn’t comically oversized and I had been duped by camera trickery. Just like that time with that guy. You know the one.
Those nutty Flaming Lips are continuing their streak of strange — and certainly NSFW — videos with this one for The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine. Not sure I’ve ever seen a more violent terrorist kinapping finger painting scene. And hey, the giant vagina ball doesn’t hurt, either. Or it does, I’m not sure.
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Photos: Obits at the Black Cat
Photos: The Promise Ring at The Metro
Photos: Monotonix at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Photos: Valient Thorr at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Photos: Danielson, Welcome Wagon at The 930 Listening Room