Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for Pachanga! Antobal’s Latin All Stars under the direction of Obdulio Morales manifests afro-Cuban greatness with their 1962 release from Brunswick Records titled, Pachanga… PACHANGA! Just when I was thinking how my late March, Thursday evening needed some soulful cha-cha, this lovely, and immensely exciting album came to mind. That is all.
Monthly Archives: March 2016
Bruce Lee
This 1997 reissue of The Bruce Lee Band’s debut album was the fourth release from Asian Man records, and features legendary label owner Mike Park (previously of Skankin’ Pickle) on sax and vocals. What’s more, the album’s backing band consists of the roaring Floridians, Less Than Jake (yes, that Less Than Jake). If you’ve not heard this tireless album, it’s actually much better than you’d ever imagine, and comes highly recommended. It’s taken me 19 years to find a vinyl version of this flawless album. Don’t let nearly two decades go by before you find yours.
Cards & Analog Entertainment
Tonight’s rendezvous with social abnormality was Gin Rummy and the Beatles’ self-titled release on 8-track. What I lost in strategy, I gained in audio entertainment, and solid company. It’s all about the random Tuesday evenings in front of a lifeless television listening to vintage mediums and playing card games made famous by our grandparents… or, at least, it damn well should be.
Break it Up
This 1998 UK release on Elemental Records by the sultans of sleaze, San Diego surfers Rocket from the Crypt, is the latest checked mark on the slowly shrinking list of remaining Rocket records. This journey to acquire their discography will likely take me another decade to achieve, but the full result will have been well worth the wait… or so I’m telling myself each and every day I search for my missing, spinnable links.
With Love
8-track obsession!
Pharwalk
Need to digitize this one ASAP!
King for A Day, Whore for A Week
It’s difficult to subjectively analyze Operation Ivy’s sole album, Energy. First introduced to these ears by means of bootleg cassette (in 1994), then rebranded by a Best Buy purchased CD (in 1996), then refurbished by various vinyl incarnations throughout my 22+ years of record collecting. Save for London Calling, there is no better pure punk-ish classic, as far as I’m concerned, than Energy. Think the Abbey Road of punk, for those not in the loop. Anyway, those who know me, know that clear vinyl records represent both the epitome of any given release, and the buck with which I stop. Proper, legitimate albums graduate to clear vinyl, then they are never purchased again.#onmywaytosavetheworld
Mining the Bowels of 50-Year-Old Technology
So, yeah… didn’t know this photo existed until today… this photo of me adhering the intricate nuances of the cabinet record player’s newly lubricated intestines. She’s a solid, working machine, now, and I’m a prideful, greasy funnel for 33 1/3 rpm joy.
Remember, Kids…
…Unlawful duplication may be hazardous to your health.
Part 2
I was all excited to post about my favorite Beatles album on an obscure and improbable medium… until I test them out. Part 1 works like a champ, but Part 2 done do shit! I contacted the seller and he suggested that the tape may have flipped over… not at all sure what this means. Anyway, White Album party will have to wait for the damn Part 2 to get its shit together.
…
Today was a solid day of ear-shoving Fantomas through the brain canals, and lame-sauce vinyl-digitizing, to shine a romantic light onto things. Physical, protruding virus notwithstanding, these ears are callused beyond acceptable comprehension, yet, these loins long for more…
Vinylhead
Emerald records on Sunday evenings cast vivacious shadows on work weeks ahead… or, so I’m told.
Life…
Yesterday was a laborious day of (regular work) and tickle-fixing the1966 Philco. She’s fully functional, speed-accurate, and bass-nasty (as she always was). This, for those keeping count, is the 3rd time I’ve opened her up to correct the speed issue, and six albums / 38 hours later, she’s running smooth and strong as ever. 50 motha’ flippin’ years old (1966 -2016), this tired ol’ bitch, and she still sounds absolutely amazing!
On Safari
On Safari With… 2 was one of my first colored records as a Senior in high school. Having seen The Skolars a few months before, the bright yellow wax, and the $3.25 price sticker, grabbed by eye, and it wasn’t until a few years ago while on a birthday record run that I discovered the On Safari With… red vinyl older sibling. Four tracks each, these limited runs (of 1000 each) are a great, albeit quick, representation of 3rd wave ska that was strikingly popular during the mid-late 90s. Beat Happy! Music, the distribution label, doesn’t seem to have pressed any other records, and only made two various artist CDs through 1999 before closing shop. It’s a shame, because both of these records are essential listening material.
O and O
1. a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune
and
2. a person (as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a deity is believed to speak
(thanks MW: www.merriam-webster.com)
Fat Stacks
Ok, so how this works is, the pile on the left is TBD, or “to be digitized,” while the pile on the right is NTLT, or “need to listen to.” There was a time when the NTLT was something like 30+ records deep, and as you can see, we’ve covered some good ground, but the problem with continuing to accumulate records we couldn’t possibly live (or be caught dead) without, is that the NTLT, then subsequently the TBD, remain to be long-lasting stacks consistently fixed in these slightly varied plies on the floor. Either I need to adjust my ingestion process to amuse my morbid fear of clutter, or I need to listen to more damn records. I think the solution is painfully obvious.
Jeremy Hates Art
Billed as the poor man’s Neil Young, Lucky Jeremy’s Hates Art suffers from only one, principle issue… being too damn short. This charmingly unpolished collection of acoustic rants was a sought after gem during my early-to-mid twenties, and it only took me a decade to finally acquire it. Limited to only 500, hand numbered copies, Hates Art is a steal for the $1.50 asking price on Discogs.com. So, you know, when you’ve had your fill of Neil, Jeremy is your go-to guy.
Spectre
You know, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from a new Laibach album, having not heard anything by them since their 1988 masterpiece Let it Be (now 26 years old). I’d been a casual fan, to put it mildly (also the owner of their 1987 Wax Trax! Records release, Opus Dei), so when Spectre found its way into my eye while on a weekend getaway up in Ventura Country, I couldn’t help but snatch it up thinking, why the hell not? I’ll be honest and say I’d (wrongfully) thought of Laibach as a long, running joke, what with their over-the-top fascist military uniforms and “totalitarian-style aesthetics.” What I found, thus far, from the six or so tracks I’ve consumed, is a collective sticking to their guns, or marching to their own beat, or waving their own flag (I’m tapped out of military references), while still maintaining their classic, oppressive, industrial sound. Like with any Laibach track, the beauty is found within repeated listens, and Spectre is no exception. Certain hilarious lyrics stand out that cue certain track repeats, but not one time, thus far, have I regretted my purchase, if only for feeding my overflowing curiosity.
Happy Birthday, JP!
Today, my favorite person in all the world celebrates the day of her birth. I’m going to marry her later this year, and with help from The Zombies, for us, This Will Be Our Year. Happy birthday, Jillian!
Bone
This pressing of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s diabolical debut is limited to 300 copies and is sold directly from the label, Relapse Records. Bone white with orange and black splatter is the description of this pressing, and is the 4th since September of 1999 when it originally debuted. A quick check at time of posting reveals that this record is still avail for a cool $17.99 from Relapse, so nab one before they’re history!
The Prudent Groove 