Tue 30 May 2006
Geetings from Otown…with a quick stop for the weekend in Orlando to check out some top edge talent before I take my ass back to Los Angeles. There will be no crying and shit, but I will leave you guys with some great music that I live my life by!!
The reason why I live my life by these is easy, Rick Ruben is the fucking SHIT!!! So please enjoy, I promise that you will sleep well at night!!
Derick Gallegos
Mon 29 May 2006
“march 23rd hushed the wind, the music died
if you can’t get the best of us now
it’s cause this is forever.”
This is forever.
——————–
One year ago, I was in Florida, just like I am while I type this.
I went out to bar. It was like any other night on a small work vacation.
I got a call from my friend Joe.
You know when you can “sense” something bad had happened?
He told me to go outside of the bar cause he needed to talk to me.
He preceded to tell me that our friend George had died.
————–
March 23rd is George’s Birthday. There is a song by the band At the Drive-in
called Napoleon Solo.
It is about two friends of the band’s that died on March 23rd.
I loved the song and would play it for George all the time,
since it mentions his birthday.
Every second week of March, George would call me and tell me about a party
or something that was happening for his birthday. He would always
sing the chorus to me,
“march 23rd hushed the wind, the music died
if you can’t get the best of us now
it’s cause this is forever.”
This is forever.
—————————————————-
The lyrics mean something completely different to me now..
Just because we lose someone,
they are not gone forever.
As long as people are around who remember them, they never disappear.
“strum this broken harp
we were struck by the chords to your heart”
George, THIS IS FOREVER.
click here to listen, At the Drive in - Napoleon Solo
right click and “save target as” to download
Sat 27 May 2006
That post is no hyperbole. This is one for the books. If you don’t already know this band, you will thank me afterwards, Named after a Sesame Street Skit, this three piece is from Portland Oregon. Meet Menomena.
Pitchfork gave their first album, “I am the fun blame monster!” an 8.7. The packaging is amazing; a full flip book. The vinyl is like a huge origami bird that you pull the record out of its mouth. BUY HERE
The bassist plays the bass (obiviously), guitar and also plays the alto sax and sings. The Drummer also sings. The guitarist, plays the xlyophone, guitar, the keyboard, that little egg thing and sings.
They also have the worst website, known to man. Enter at your own risk.
The first song, is called the Strongest Man in the World. You will hear a bit of radiohead, a little bit of hip hop and a lot of really great music.
Menomena - Strongest Man in the World
They just released 3 song instrumental full length called Under an Hour. I’d post this song, but each song is like 17 mins long.
If you can navigate through their site, there are some free BSides on there. Here is one that I got off site a few months ago.
Here is their only video they have done. It is for a song called Cough coughing.
Be there myspace friend here.
Sat 27 May 2006
This is what Florida looks like to me. Hope you like.
Here are two songs from Currituck County. Currituck County is Kevin Barker from the band Aden.
I believe he is half Hawaiian and lives in NYC. Kevin is such an amazing guitar player, he has instructional videos available on his website here. For FANS OF ELLIOTT SMITH, JOSE GONZALEZ AND OTHER ACOUSTIC SINGER / SONGWRITERS.
This song reminds me of Florida. Maybe cause its about heat …
AntiChrist is one of the best upbeat songs about the antichrist ever written. Swear on the bible.
Currituck County - Anti Christ
Enjoy. Stay out of the heat.
Did I mention that Florida’s hot?
Thu 25 May 2006
So a success story from EBAY.
As I said in an Earlier Post, I was pretty obsessed with this English band named Bob Tilton. Since they were from England, I had a lot of trouble getting a lot of their records online.
However, I did find this rare 12 inch online they did. It was a split record with a German band Reiziger. Now is this post about Reiziger? No not all, they were pretty bad. However, I continued to stay in touch with the kid who I bought the Bob Tilton record from. He told me that him and a few friends were coming to the states and NYC and was wondering if they could crash for me for one night. I said sure.
When they came, they were very nice German kids about 18. They brought me a present, a 12 inch from a German Band called The Robocop Kraus. They left. And I said “Gesundheit!”
I listen to the Robocop Kraus, ALOT. Here are a few songs by them. Think the Jam, the Futureheads, International Noise Conspiracy and Radio 4. They are currently on Epitaph, however they have a lot of older stuff online and available thru their site. VIVE EBAY!
Here is a link to a video of theirs. HERE to see how wacky Germans are!
Be their myspace friend here !
from their album TIGER The Robocop Kraus - Shaking the High Towers
another their album TIGER The Robocop Kraus - Dead Serious
from their new album They Think they are the Robocop Kraus The Robocop Kraus - You Don’t need a doctor
Hope you like. Ich liebe deutschen Punkfelsen!!!!
Wed 24 May 2006
The Black Heart Procession (occasionally spelled The Blackheart Procession) is an indie rock band from San Diego, CA, USA. The band was formed in 1997 by Pall Jenkins (member of the short-lived Ugly Casanova (Isaac from Modest Mouse’s side Project) and Tobias Nathaniel (both members of the band Three Mile Pilot). The group is often augmented by the contributions of Mario Rubalcaba, Jason Crane, Joe Plummer and Dimitri Dziensuwski.
Sometimes they use a bandsaw and sometimes they just simply rock. Either way, they have a new record out and it’s pretty great. Here is an old song and a new song.
OLD Black Heart Procession - It’s a Crime I never Told you about the Diamonds in Your Eyes
NEW Black Heart Procession - GPS
They are playing Bowery Ballroom on July 31st. Buy tickets here.
Wed 24 May 2006
In no way do I try to say I know everything about punk or post punk but I do know that whenever I watch most documentaries on Punk, they always seem to leave out a lot of the bands I really love.
The first band is, in my opinion, one of the most influential punk bands of all times, and is never mentioned in any documentary I have ever seen.. The Misfits. Named after Marilyn Monroe’s last movie, they formed in the late 70’s featuring Glenn Danzig and about 40 other various members. They weren’t very good at their instruments but that didn’t seem to really stop them from putting out ton’s of records.
Most of their musicl were based in Sci Fi, Horror or Conspiracy based themes. Their record label was called Plan 9, after Ed Wood’s ‘Plan 9 from Outerspace.’
Here are two songs. One of them is live from NJ from 1981. It is soo bad, it’s great. Please note that the bass doesn’t work throughout most of the song. This would happen regularly in almost all the Misfits shows. They were one walking castotrophe after another.
Misfits - Halloween (live from NJ 1981) (link expired)
One is a recorded song.
enjoy. So much more can be said but hopefully, the music speaks for itself.
The next one is the Descendents , a band from SoCal that formed in 1978. Hear me when I say, there would be NO Blink 182, No Nofx, No Fall out Boy, nothing, without this band. This band were the very first POP punk band ever. They wrote melodic punk rock before almost anyone.
The Descendents broke up in 1989 so that the lead singer Milo could get his DOCTORATE in Biochemistry.
They have had two reunions. Both records were still great.
The first song, a classic.. Descendents - Suburban Home
Typical Descendents song about food Descendents - I like Food
And finally, here is a Bside of 1996 release Everything Sucks Descendents - Shattered Milo
I once heard that when Milo got married, he didn’t tell his girlfriend that he was in the Descendents, till after they were married. I guess when you are a chemist, it doesn’t matter that you were in a hugely influential punk band.
Tue 23 May 2006
So back when I was completely obsessed with Fugazi and At the Drive-in and Lifetime ( and so forth and so on…)
A friend turned me on to these two groups from England called Spy Vs. Spy and Bob Tilton.
They were in the same vein as Fugazi and similar DIschord Bands. I even heard Bob Tilton called the English Fugazi once.
Anyway, I never got to see them live but I really loved all the releases by both of these bands. Not a fan of either of their names.. but what the hey..
Here they are..
Spy Vs Spy - Helpless, Sign in Please (link expired)
Bob Tilton - Tonight We will Follow him Down (link expired)
FOR FANS OF THURSDAY, FUGAZI, ATDI, JIMMY EAT WORLD, ETC
Tue 23 May 2006
OK so walking to the MOMA yesterday with my roommate, I “rolled” my ankle. Now on 2 vicoden and laid up in my house, all I have is this computer, a unread McSweeney’s and a swollen ankle.
So I will probably do a few posts today. Here are a few pictures from the MOMA that really struck me. Unfortunately i didn’t write down the artists but if you like they are still up at the MOMA, and you can always go on Friday when it’s free from 4p to 6pm.
I got a new wide angle lens for my camera. look.
Here is a picture of yours truly in so much pain..
Here is a great painting. Hope you can see this …… 
and the photo that stopped the elementary class dead in their tracks. No pun intended.
Dedicated to me, Click below and hear Sage Francis rap about my messed up ankle.
Sage Francis - Broken Wings . (link expired)
Tue 23 May 2006
Eugene Mirman, a great local comedian that usually hosts “Invite them Up” a comedy show featuring a lot of local comedians. He just put out a record on Sub Pop called En Guarde Society!. This track is actually from his first record,
Eugene Mirman - Cupid (link expired)
David Cross, I am sure most of you know him from either any bar in the east village, Arrested Development, or Mr. Show. Anyway, he is very smart, political and a NY dweller. He also puts records on Sub Pop. Here is a track from a special he did in 1995.
David Cross - The Funniest thing I have ever seen (link expired)
Todd Barry, a monotone NYC comedian has been doing stand up for a long time. And since I think that handjobs should be the punchline for every joke. Enjoy.
Todd Barry - the Fastest HJ’s (link expired)
Also please check out the Upright Citizen’s Brigade for a lot of new NYC comedians like Aziz Ansari, Adam Pally and Ben Schwartz, Dave HIll, ROb Heubel and many More…
Also since I just finished the BIll Hicks book, AMerican Scream. For those who don’t know who he is, he was the Lenny Bruce of the 80’s. He challenged the Gulf war, the legilization of drugs and American’s perception of what was considered pornographic. He died in 1994 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 32.
“Yeah you really got my act down good, guys. That’ll be great. You know, when I’m done ranting about elite power that rules the planet under a totalitarian government that uses the media in order to keep people stupid, my throat gets parched. That’s why I drink orange drink.” - Bill Hicks, after being asked to do an advertisement for orange drink.
Bill Hicks - the War (link expired)
