On A Sundry

Only heard part of the U2/Green Day collaboration last night and of course I missed the Skids cover. Two groups of old punks with the older band still attempting reasonable music and the “young” bucks slowly gravitating towards James Taylor territory. The overwhelming vibe apparently stunned the Falcons who reverted back to looking like a Marion Campbell coached team.

Listened yesterday to The Oblivious’ album from a few years back called “America”. This was a project of Holly Vincent (ex-Holly & The Italians) that came out on Amy Ray’s Daemon label. I think it must have sold about three copies because local stores have always had folks’ promo copies in the discount area. That’s where I probably paid 50 cents or less for mine at Book Nook for what was apparently “Noriko’s copy”, whoever she might be. 🙂 Anyway, there’s hints of a decent update of new wave (Holly was around circa 1980-82) except for the fact that the songs take on Grateful Dead-like lengths. Really, that type of music should average out at around 3:30 per song. Instead, the 14 songs (the hidden 15th track is just gimmickry) time out at over 62 minutes which comes out around 4:30 per. Editing could have helped and maybe more folks would have heard it.

If you can figure out why traffic slows to a near stop during rush hours I’d like to know. I understand some slowing because of volume but, outside of a wreck blocking a lane, there should always be flow. My morning commute from Duluth down Peachtree Industrial slows to a near crawl for close to two miles because two lanes stop trying to exit onto 285 West. Now one lane, I understand. The second lane over, the center lane, generally slows because bastards that decide they’re more important than you wait until the last moment to try to get over TWO LANES into the exit lane. I need to get a tank…..

Watched the Lisa Suckdog “Suckumentary” last night. The more recent comments (circa 2005) from Miss Carver and associates did offer insight but there wasn’t enough. After a few eye-opening performances at the beginning (including one I’m fairly sure was from the 1989 Destroy All Music Festival), it degenerates into silly, less interesting stuff. Also watched part of the video Ryko released that has footage from Graham Chapman’s 1988 tour of colleges. I’m fairly sure some of it consists of his Georgia Tech performance (there’s been a quasi-legit CD of that show floating around for years) but there’s no credits to verify. Thought I might see myself or someone I knew in a crowd shot but the only ones present appear to be from Brown University and they re-use the same shots for what becomes a very cheesy effect. Oh well.

“Turn off the computer, you can learn more” – paraphrase from Pylon circa 1980

Quick Music Run-Down

Went and saw We Are Scientists and Art Brut the other eve with maybe 150 of my closest friends. WAS were better than their album but no big deal. Art Brut actually had several decent songs once you got past the what the fuck am I watching phase. Can’t imagine they’ll have a stellar career, but Mark E. is still rollin’ after so long (we heard some Fall type stuff in Art Brut’s sound) so who knows. More power to them.

May be heading over to Ladytron/CSS momentarily at th Variety Playhouse. Probably going to skip out on going to see my buddy Fred LeBlanc and Cowboy Mouth tomorrow as I have to go to a birthday party (big 4-0) for my friend Scott then and I have to write my Pere Ubu article for Stomp & Stammer at some point. Sorry Fred.

I’m not sure why you’re reading this, but thank you, I guess. You could have wasted these moments of your life using the restroom or reading Chunklet, pretty much the same experience though one is involuntary and I’d really have to strain to do the other……

 

Howdy

This is the first post in a series of what will either thrill you to death or make you want to kill yourself. Your option.

Quick observations on my past week of music related experiences :

Was pushed into seeing “American Idols Live” this past Tuesday, September 12th. While the TV show itself is mildly amusing, the live presentation has absolutely nothing to do with music. It was interesting to see “artists” who had been performing the same set (and I’m sure telling Amarillo/Seattle/Tempe they are the “best audience yet” every night) flub lyrics, come in too early on songs etc. This went on with most everyone from “this is the apex of my career, thanks for coming” Bucky to “seasoned pro” Taylor. These guys were going through the motions like the Cubs do virtually every September. Audience was odd too with a mix of teens and retirees or soon to bes. Mercifully, the “show” lasted just over two hours. Highlight of the night was the oddity of hearing London Calling over the PA as the crowd filed out……

REM were inducted into the GA Music Hall Of Fame. Congrats, though I wish they’d called it quits when Bill left. Saw the show on GPTV and enjoyed the audience shots while they played. I used to live in apartment complex where one of the employees, a lady in her sixties, tried to dance and appear hip. This crowd looked just like that. Guys and gals who had climbed that corporate ladder “rocking out” to a poor sounding sound wise version of what we used to know as REM. Performance wise, rather drab as well. Plus REM allowed themselves to be persuaded by the Hall to perform the tired old Losing My Religion. Unlike Gregg Allman who trotted out some obscure song from 1974, “Oncoming Traffic”. Then REM, sans Stipe, played some song while Gregg played Midnight Rider simultaneously. Whatever.

Playing a Red Temple Spirits album tonite as part of 3rd Sunday of the month feature. Several positive calls, so a pretty good call on my part.

So hello again and hope you enjoy my posts!  

 

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