31 March 2009

29 March 2009

Rock N Roll Kings

So Ken's John Brannon/Laughing Hyenas post got me thinking about the biggest names in underground rock n roll from the 80's to today. Or, as I like to call this period, "my time." Below are my results (IN a particular order). Note that to make the list you had to be unreal great for a sustained period of time (although later you could suck), not too popular (hence no Billy Joe, Kurt Cobain, etc) and what I loosely define as A GAME CHANGER.

1. Paul Westerberg (early to mid Replacements era). The best lyricist of the group, wonderful songwriting, surprisingly good guitarist. Westerberg captured the awkward years of your late teens and early twenties, while transforming the furious energy of hardcore into some unforgettable melodies. Granted, the Replacements are now pretty well known, but it's not like KFOG ever played Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out.

2. Greg Cartwright (Oblivians, Compulsive Gamblers, Reigning Sound). May pass Westerberg, might have already. While Cartwright started out as a beer soaked blues punker, his music later became, dare I say it, roots rock? Well at least more traditional, which in his case didn't equate with boring.

3. Kim Salmon (Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists). Dark, hard- hitting stuff whose musical touchstones included Hank Williams, 60's garage groups and, of course, The Stones. Lyrically, Salmon is transfixed by all of the upbeat stuff in life like U.S. trailer parks, Elvis impersonators, and junkie girlfriends. Don't bring this music home to mom.

4. Mick Collins (Gories, Andre Williams' Silky album, Dirtbombs). Granted, his songwriting can be more than suspect at times, but you could easily make a mix with 20 great tunes of his. And it’s nice to hear a brother's voice for a change. Collins brought some much needed soul and vocal talent to the underground.

5. J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr. through Bug). A first class asshole by most accounts, but You're Living all Over Me and Bug are the purest of sugar sweet highs. It's no accident they covered Frampton.

6. The Hunches (the whole freakin band and all of their records). I know nothing about these guys individually and long periods of time go by between plays. But I'm always amazed at how good this band is. Noisy as all hell, but beautiful hooks and musicianship. I suppose you could say The Hyenas started this sound, and you're right. But I just think consistently The Hunches write better songs.

7. Bob Mould (Husker Du up to but not including Candy Apple Grey). Sort of a deconstructionist in terms of the early Husker stuff who gave Ginn a run for the money in terms of aggression. A recent listen revealed them to be more punk (and great) than I remembered. Listen to that live album. The Du just burn through their set like the most possessed of queers.

8. Jay Reatard (The Reatards and solo). The youngest guy here, but his zeal may propel him to the near top of this list in the future. The most recent collection of 45's is just chock full of great tunes. New wavy, but with guitars and a keen sense of melody.

9. Greg Ginn (early Black Flag). Destructo guitar architect for LA's darkest musical moments. Ginn was the most innovative guitarist of the 80's and with Chavo equated to just a beast of a band.

10. Jon Spencer (Pussy Galore, early JSBX). Yeah, I know he became an annoying clown, but the early stuff was pretty ingenious and gasp! He actually had a live schtick and put on a show. An early warped, fun sense of the blues and showmanship are what landed him here.

The on deck circle....The Black Lips, and..... The Jonas Brothers.

Let the brawling begin. But you gotta list your own if you object..

27 March 2009

Everything I Want


I've been listening to a lot of 90's indie rock lately, and it's always interesting to hear what holds up and what doesn't. I'm still shaking my head at how good I thought the Didjits' Hornet Pinata was in my memory but repeated plays say no. Pavement littered its records with melodies, but that lethargy in the vocals and playing drips of a slacker who-cares era I'd rather forget. The biggest winner, by far, in this purely anecdoctal sampling of the old days, is The Laughing Hyenas. I drove over Fish Ranch this afternoon with the top down, and while decorum suggested something light and frothy, John Brannon nearly drove me down the canyon. That voice. That fucking scream. The man gets too little credit. Have you heard anything quite like that sound in the last ten years? The second record wasn't quite what I hoped it still was, but the first one blew my fucking head off. "Love's My Only Crime" defeats all comers in the musical catharsis sweepstakes, especially if you're middle-aged with embarrassingly unresolved issues. Pull it out tonight to dredge up the sludge from the bowels of the repressed.

24 March 2009

Johan Kugelberg on "the Psycho-geography of Record Fairs"

I thought you fellows would enjoy this article as much as I did:
http://www.furious.com/perfect/recordfairs.html
From Jon Savage's into:
"Johan's text captures Utrecht's furious intensity, and carefully isolates the different characters that make up this patchwork of human frailty and death-avoiding obsession. There is the snotty British psych dealer with his rack of perfect originals that, somehow, you just don’t want to buy; the rabid fan of a perversion so unlike yours that it doesn’t prevent an instant camaraderie. "
I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of Dutch fast food.


Personally, I just had my semi-annual Carl's Jr lunch and chose this:

The Kentucky Bourbon Six Dollar Burger™
A Charbroiled, 100% Black Angus Beef Patty, Two Strips of Bacon, Pepperjack Cheese, Garlic-Pepper Onion Straws, Lettuce, Tomato Slices and Kentucky Bourbon Glaze - Six Dollar Burger Shown.
I paid $9.11 for what they are calling the "Bourbon and Coke Combo" which included the Six Dollar Burger sized version, a large fries and a drink so large the cup has an undertow.

I stole that undertow joke from Dennis Miller's Off White Album http://www.amazon.com/Off-White-Album-Dennis-Miller/dp/B000002LFE which I own on CASSETTE

18 March 2009


Here is your winner. All other winning picks cost cash. Email with your needs and I'll send you the winners and a bill. Have a happy March Madness Thursday, suckers!

12 March 2009

The blog is dead!


It's a sad state of affairs when I am the most active poster. What gives?


04 March 2009

Sunday is FUN-Day


Check it out:

1. KUSF Rock N Swap: Sunday March 8th
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC- Regular Admission: (10-3) is $3- University of San Francisco students get in FREE! Early Bird Shopping Special: (6am-10a) is $20.00 (includes bagels and coffee) Location: McLaren Hall on the University of San Francisco campus...

followed by....

Barclay's Beer Bash March 8th
Brad knows the details but there is some event going on involving specials and great brew. Oh, and I checked. Barclay's still serves deep fried pickles.

Get your geek on! Purchase a deeply discounted Japanese Lyres lp on pink vinyl and then brag with your socially challenged friends, while sipping a cold one.

Do it, nerd!