What’s in A Name, Anyway?

GreenThe Ric Ocasek produced Weezer (the band’s third album, which is not to be confused with their first… or their sixth) was released in May of 2001, and sported three, summer singles (AKA the soundtrack to the 2001 summer) with Hash Pipe, Island in the Sun, and Photograph. I was living in Milwaukee at the time, and not that one tried, but one could not escape the constant one-two punch of Hash Pipe and Island in the Sun, the latter being featured in the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen film, Holiday in the Sun. I feel I must add here, that this Holiday in the Sun knowledge is present only because I was working at a Hollywood Video at the time, and not a frequenter of anything Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen.

The Green Album, as it is often referred, was a return to form (not only in name) of the blueprinted pop classic, 1994’s Weezer. Pinkerton, the band’s second album, still remains a personal fav, but for the summer of 2001, everyone was seeing green.Hash_Pipe_Sticker

Record #3000

WhiteThe road to 3000 has been a long and winding one, and the choice of the mighty 3000, being the featured white vinyl version of the Beatles 1968 self titled album, is nothing short of exaccurate (exactly accurate).

I’d been hunting this monster down for more than a few years. The hefty price tag ($100+ complete w/ all four headshots and poster) always deterred me from pulling the trigger. That is, until I found this beaut off ebay last week. Knowing the inevitable 3000 was rapidly approaching, my once torrid, vinyl-hording obsession turned into a frugal-minded halt, as I forwent the “casual” purchasing phase until the mighty 3000 came home. I certainly hope #4000 isn’t for quite some time, as space is really starting to become an issue… one that every collector knows all too well.

Divided… No Vinyl

Trail…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead didn’t release their fifth album, So Divided, on vinyl, so we’re left with this 7” single. Wasted State of Mind b/w Eight Days of Hell is an insufficient representative of this band’s (in my opinion) greatest achievement. So Divided needs a proper vinyl release… their previous four albums each had one. So Divided, what gives?!

653 on Navy Blue Vinyl. No Longer Available.

GRWe just got back from picking up our international friends from their international flight at the international airport, so please forgive the lateness of this evening’s post.

Originally released on February 1, 1995, For God and Country, the first studio album by angry punks from Santa Cruz, saw a recent (within the last five or so years) reissue on limited colored vinyl. This version, described from the Fat website as “Navy Blue” is more of a transparent midnight blue than a straight navy, but whatever. Limited to only 653 colored copies, this classic album gets the proper Fat respect that it greatly deserves.

Refuse Nothing

White_vinylSongs that fan anything, are worth a healthy listen. Song fanning the flames of discontent… well, that’s a horse of a different color. White, in this case, and a European RSD (Record Store Day) exclusive, Refused’s 3rd full-length offering, Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent saw both a red vinyl 2010 reissue, as well as a 2012 white vinyl reissue after the initial bomb-dropping 1996 release.

SongsColors shouldn’t dictate a quality listen, but in this case, pure white (or anti-black), fits like a glove.

Unofficially Tool

Tool_DiscIn 1996, Tool released Ænima, their 2nd and most prolific album to date. In (roughly) 2012, various colored, and reportedly unofficial reissues began hitting the record racks. With originals going for $200 – $400, logic told me that $30 for a double translucent orange, high quality bootleg (“unofficial,” likely not a bootleg) of Tool’s masterpiece wasn’t necessarily a bad idea, but that was back in 2012.

ToolThey go for close to $60 now (still not a bad deal), and the unofficial, roughly 2012 version came in the following, furious flavors: Orange (featured here), Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow Marble.

Spawn of the Dead

SpawnOk, so file this under “why the hell haven’t you digitized this yet?!”

Although I’m not a fan of about half of this amalgam, the boisterous pairing of the other half of this comp / soundtrack is what gets me excited. Have a look at a few of these team-ups:

Prodigy & Tom Morello

Metallica & DJ Spooky

Butthole Surfers & Moby

Slayer & Atari Teenage Riot

Spawn_creditsIt’s this last one that sets the adrenaline dial way past 11. A UK release of only (lol, “only”) 5,000 copies on triple translucent red 10″, Spawn the Album was released in 1997 in support of the New Line Cinema film, Spawn or, Spawn the Movie.

It’s difficult not to mention a similar (and far superior) superstar-filled comp / soundtrack, 1993’s Judgment Night (Music from the Motion Picture). In both cases, the accompanied soundtrack greatly outweighs the films in which they support.

RFTMFC

RFTC_Orange2002, and the 365 days inhabiting its sultry innards showcased, for me, a laughable “everyday” but, managed to offer an extraordinary, and fulfilling foundation for, what’s turned out to be, a lifelong appreciation for Rocket from the Crypt. Why was 2002, some seven years after having seen them live, a turning point for me and this prolific band? Well, as a Wisconsinite, lamenting over a San Diegan band, 2002’s Live from Camp X-Ray, represented a short, but welcomed, fresh breath.

The inevitable soundtrack to that Fall’s pizza delivering extravaganza, Live from Camp X-Ray scarred me with the maturity I didn’t necessarily know I was ready, but eagerly waiting for.

This jobber is a reissue on “Ltd. Edition Colored Splatter Vinyl.” I can’t sing the endless RFTC praises enough… if they can help me through my questionable adolescence… they can help you through anything.

There’s a Lag in the Wagon

Lag WagonReleased in October of ’92 to help promote their debut album Duh, the first 7” by Lagwagon (or, listed here as Lag Wagon) is a bit of a beast to find. I’ve personally never seen an original, but one can be had over at Discogs for a cool $107.29. As the label, Fat Wreck Chords states:

Lagwagon’s first 7″. 2 songs from Duh. WAY outta print. Good luck finding this one. We don’t even have one.

LabelwagonFortunately for us Johnny-come-latelies, Fat re-issued this 22-year-old record back in 2011 with the mega-11-record box set, Lagwagon – Putting Music in its Place, which is where I was finally able to get my grubby little hands on a copy.

1979

ReactionariesWhen you’re sick and tired of the Minutemen (which is an impossibility), check out the band before the band… the Reactionaries. Worthy of the hunt, this EP / LP harnesses the voluptuous ramifications of early Minutemen, but with a modern day influence. Side A is the shit, while side B is a San Pedro area, local musician proud, collective remake of the original, done with deep respect, and unquestionable angst.

Dancing for Decadence

TheSaiteCatherinesThe Sainte Catherines, arguably Quebec’s finest punk-rock sextet, released only 220 copies on yellow vinyl of this, their fourth LP, Dancing for Decadence. Their first (and only) release on Fat Wreck Chords, Dancing for Decadence dropped back in aught six, and is one of maybe a handful (a giant’s handful) of records that I’ve yet to listen to… but she sure is a beaut!

Arthur We Know and We Sympathize

newA hearty thanks to JWick1 for this amazing double LP (proper post forthcoming). Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) is a personal fav, and this graduated version is, simply put, the bee’s knees. A collector and avid Kinks fan cannot go wrong with both mono and stereo versions of this outstanding album. Thanks again, senior choch!

Two-Three-Seven

Room_237So, Room 237 was something… and so was its soundtrack. Composed and created by Jonathan Snipes & William Hutson, this ominous and eerie soundscape is perfect, no… PERFECT blanket noise for that special evening when the boring normality of the everyday meets the heightened expectations of the ethereally abnormal. Essentially, a bullshit way of saying that this soundtrack is meant to unease your tensions, while drawing you in for the big score, like a discounted (free toppings) soft serve. Is this something you could rock every Tuesday on your way to the telecine studio, well, no, but it’s certainly something worth having at the ready if and when the peculiar strikes.

Pretty, No?

Judge2There is something about the abnormality of a non-traditional vinyl disc that is both alluring, and instantly gratifying… specifically what that is will (fortunately) have to wait for a future engagement, when and where I find myself with more time and adequate resources with which to report.

But in the meantime… here is a pretty record by Judge, and please enjoy your weekend responsibly… somebody should.

Let’s Be Honest

GrainThis is a picture of a recent (as of a few years) reissue of Bad Religion’s 1990 staple, Against the Grain. I’m certainly a fan of BR, even though I wouldn’t be the first to admit that once you hear one BR song, you’ve heard every BR song, but I’ve always tended to pass up BR releases every time I ran across one. Not entirely sure why, considering their history amongst my favorite genre, but perhaps BR’s role in my chronological music timeline has yet to come to true fruition. Time will only tell, but in the meantime I’ll simply forgo the spin, and admire Against the Grain for its aesthetic beauty.

About Time for Smoke

About TimeOwning a hard copy of an album more than twice is usually an indication of some pretty stellar grooves, but my (excuse) rationale behind owning three copies of Pennywise’s 1995 effort, About Time, is purely for nostalgic purposes. Dubbed to tape more than a few times, About Time was one of the 8 or so cassettes sliding around the pickup (a 1989 Ford Ranger) for much of my Junior year of high school. I distinctly remember driving to and from work, and to the occasional bonfire, blasting Perfect People while hollering along to the lyrics (usually at full roar, and much to the dismay of my frequent, punk-deaf passengers).

Southern California pop-punk at its finest, About Time recently (as of a few months ago, I believe) saw a limited run (500 copies) on smoke colored vinyl. Seeing frisky releases such as this that incorporate the album cover into the vinyl color get me excited for upcoming reissues that will undoubtedly acquire my money (the smoke colored record ties in nicely to the timebomb on the cover, don’t you think?). For nostalgia’s sake, owning an album more than twice makes perfect sense to me.

Kill All the White Man

LongestLineNOFX, the pop-punk outfit you love to hate, or love to love (as was the case throughout the sprouting years of my 20s), has been pushing their nimble-tongued, middle class anarchy since 1983, and it’s sometimes easy to forget that one of their paramount members, the illustrious Aaron Abeyta, didn’t appear, gloriously manifested as El Hefe, until 1992 with the EP (featured here), The Longest Line.

WhiteLineProviding guitar, vocals and yes, trumpet on the fan-favorite Kill all the White Man, El Hefe was the last “new” member to join the crew, a brigade that’s still selling out shows some 31 years later. If you can stomach rock-n-roll with a bratty attitude (brattatude?), punk of any sort, or are generally game for tongue-in-cheek wit, then NOFX may be just the bastards you didn’t know you were looking for.

Clearly Spun

ClearI don’t have much to offer tonight except for this half-assedly composed (that’s the industry term) action photo of my all-time favorite flavor-shade (read: color) of polyvinyl chloride. One would think that the absence of normality (in this case, white), would tickly my ear’s fancy, but I rather find myself a gullible sucker for the opacity of clear records. My exhaustion has taken its toll, and the Groove is taking the blow.