Monthly Archives: June 2016

1966 , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The Ballads and the Beat!

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BalladsHarry James was a music making machine throughout his illustrious career. Having put out five studio albums between 1965 and 1966 alone, this trumpet-pumping, band-leading barbarian gathered a ton of much deserved respect throughout the swing scene, and his timeless music has pushed him to the front of this historical genre. Dot Records was Mr. James’ fourth label, having released several other noteworthy albums for Columbia, Capitol, and MGM, and as you can clearly see, knew how to design an album cover circa: 1966. Enjoy a bit o’ the swing, now n’ again.
Misc , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Aloha Bitches

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Aloha BitchesUkulele Hiro’s (gimmie) custom compact disc is something forged from iconic gold. From Johnny Cash to Descendents, and Billy Joel to The Sex Pistols, this one-man-band militia, armed with a snub-nosed ukulele and a silver-tongued kazoo, offers 18 tracks of pulsating, energetic joy. Thanks to the Viper Room for housing this PBR drinker between stage setups for their headliners.

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Sadness in a Box

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Box2My fresh, new, filtered copy of Front 242’s 2003 electro masterpiece, Pulse (also the band’s last studio offering), 1) is limited to only 242 copies on gold vinyl and 2) arrived bloody damaged! I’m currently in communication with Alfa Matrix, the label, with the hopes that they’ll send out another, undamaged sleeve. I had high hopes to display this one, with it being the first time it received a vinyl release. Fingers and toes crossed Alfa Matrix makes nice!

1989 , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

“It’s Easy. Just Point, and Shoot.”

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ScreamWinston Smith’s, The Money Tree pairs perfectly with Jello Biafra’s anti-military, socially-conscious-Kool-Aid-drinking, leave-no-stone-unturned-rant-machine on Alternative Tentacles’ 1989 release, Last Scream of the Missing Neighbors. One of the two records spun today (the other being The Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle, side 2… twice).

Misc , , , , , , Leave a comment

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

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BMBWritten by Burt Bacharach and made famous by Dionne Warwick, Do You Know the Way to San Jose got its best makeover (of about a thousand), by the the Baja Marimba Band back in 1968. This lovely little sketch is featured on the back of said band’s album cover and, I thought, needed sharing. Tomorrow is Friday, kids. Don’t forget to smile… it’s free.

7" , , , , , Leave a comment

Check, and Mate

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ChessA recent acquisition from the inquisitive mind of my fiance, this 7″ from Wilko Johnson & Roger Daltrey. Some may say that years have not been kind to the almost unrecognizable Roger Daltrey, but man-oh-man is this 7″ a rockin’ good time?! One shouldn’t figure otherwise from the the prestigious Chess label, I mean, let’s be honest. And further along that truth train, I was a bit skeptical about this guy. Boy, man, and superman, was I wrong?! I’ve just added this team’s full length LP to my wantlist in Discogs, if anyone is interested…

Inserts , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

R O C K

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RockIt’s crazy to imagine a world where Led Zeppelin’s IV was not only new, but was also featured alongside Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara’s Laugh When You Like. I think I found this sleeve tucked inside Rich Grech’s The Last Five Years (from ’73) which is, an amazing blues / classic rock collection. Had some free time this past weekend and dug through some of the lesser spun albs. You’ll recognize Rich Grech from Traffic, Ginger Baker’s Air Force, and Blind Faith if the name escapes you. Short story shorter, it’s well worth the $1.70 a seller over at Discogs is asking.

2005 , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Ultraviolence

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A pleasant surprise was found today whilst digging through the “B” section of the home library. A forgotten purchase (apparently for $10.99 from Amoeba, way back before their prices skyrocketed), Jello Biafra with The Melvins’ 2005 effort, Sieg Howdy! To say I was giddy would be putting it mildly. That, was the upside. The downside… maybe my collection is getting away from me…

Vinyl Club , , , , , , Leave a comment

Wells Fargo

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FargoI’m not often one to advocate for an unnecessary, payable service… unless when it’s wholeheartedly worthwhile. Such is the case with Vinyl Me, Please, the monthly record club of extraordinary proportions. This month’s chosen selection is Zimbabwe‘s own, Wells Fargo… a “heavy” rock collective from the early 1970’s, or so I can immediately gather. Honestly, I can’t wait to dive into this record, which is just another supportive indication that I made the right decision to join this noteworthy club. Cheers.

1990 , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

In (Cassette) Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up (Live)

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CassetteCaseWhen it comes to groundbreaking albums, no format is considered too outlandish to the avid collector. Take for example, Ministry’s 1990 live album, In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up (Live). I own it on compact disc, twice on vinyl (US pressings), and cassette (featured here, obviously). This is one of the few dubbed tapes I had kicking around the truck back in high school (I believe Operation Ivy’s Energy was the b-side), so when I ran across this genuine, slightly grubby tape at a thrift store a few years back, I couldn’t help but part with my hard earned $2.

1977, Album Ass , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hsalc Eht

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JanieJonesI had the pleasure of obtaining a UK original of The Clash’s debut album, neatly titled The Clash a few years back. Of course, there is an alternate tracklist on the UK version that differs slightly from the Canadian and US versions, and since both of those versions came out a full two years after this 1977 original, this UK version is strongly considered the only true full-length debut from the band. For those of you into such things, there you have it. For those of you who aren’t, you can show yourselves out.

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The Hype of Monolith of Phobos

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Claypool-LennonI can’t wait for the sun to go down, and then re-emerge tomorrow morning. For when that celestial journey yet again occurs, I’ll have the allotted time to dive into The Claypool Lennon Delirium. This double LP, featuring Primus’ Les Claypool and John’s Sean Lennon, seems like just the whimsical duo for an overcast (forecasted) Sunday morning. Drink responsibly tonight, kids, and check out Monolith of Phobos.