May 11, 2010

Another Piece Missing

Big news. Another ex-girlfriend is getting married. Wow, the ol’ saying is really true! Living well is the best revenge.

Ouch.

Here’s a song courtesy of Brooklyn’s power-hooksters the Walk Ons, from their latest LP on Drug Front Records. Don’t let their brash, cheery anthem stop you from hating life as much as I do right now.

The Walk Ons – “Ready to Leave”

Rick at 12:00 am

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April 20, 2010

Ol’ Zipper Lips Is Back

By request of Wade, here’s a short clip of me getting a verbal beatdown from funnyman Neil Hamburger at a recent performance. This man is a living legend who needs no introduction.

In other news, I have really been enjoying the long-playing record Neil Hamburger Sings Country Winners, which came out two years ago on the Drag City label but which I got from my neighbor Virginia for $1 at my own yard sale last Sunday.

And, for the record, those penis-sized holes in the bathroom at Spaceland have always been there.

Rick at 7:45 pm

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March 4, 2010

Cheese

Copyright © 2010 Rick S. Hall.

The Cheese Band – “I Like Cheese”

Rick at 1:57 pm

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February 22, 2010

A Current Affair

There’s this band from Melbourne, Australia called the Eddy Current Suppression Ring that rocks the fuck out live, people say. Don’t believe those people? Go on YouTube and do a search; you’ll see a lot of audiences going all goo-goo and having fun. I won’t tell you which video to watch. There’s a million of ‘em.

Oh, all right. Watch this; it’s a cute seaside video of the song “Which Way to Go,” which I like a great deal.

ECSR all met while working at a record pressing plant, and their first (self-titled) LP came out in 2008. Since then, these polite, clean-cut lads have released a second album called Primary Colours. Order it direct from Goner Records in Memphis, USA. The band appears to be always touring worldwide, so check out their band page for dates. There’s more music there as well. They’ll have a new record titled Rush to Relax out in March sometime.

Ladies seem to like the singer, Brendan, not only because he’s a nice-looking kid, but because he’s notoriously shy (supposedly Brendan took to wearing his signature biker gloves to overcome stage fright) – thereby wrapping up the daughters and the moms in one easily-swooned demographic. One thing that’s remarkable about this band is their humility and levelheadedness. They didn’t start off with the rockstar attitude, so now it’s harder to dismiss their growing success as mere hype-fueled puffery. And they’re Australian, which is always a good sign.

The music… I picked the first song from their exciting debut full-length. It’s refreshingly rock ‘n’ roll. It’s simple and it grows on ya. Give them a listen, won’t you?

Eddy Current Suppression Ring – “Get Up Morning”

Rick at 12:01 am

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February 1, 2010

Parasite

Copyright © 2009 Rick S. Hall.

Peter Peter & Kyed – “Acoustics of Crime”

Rick at 2:47 pm

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January 31, 2010

Tunnel of Love

Here, the pride of Brookline, Massachusetts – power trio Tunnel of Love – covers an obscure blues tune. These fellas put on a great live show. Go to their MyFace page here to see insane live videos and find out where ToL can be seen in person, if they haven’t already broken up due to the immutable physical laws of the universe.

Tunnel of Love – “Hey Joe”

Rick at 5:54 pm

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January 17, 2010

Road Trip, Y’all!

Outrageous Cherry – “Pale, Frail, Lovely One”

Rick at 8:32 pm

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October 19, 2008

Hacienda

Here is a band named Hacienda; this rock-steady rocker is from their Loud Is the Night CD on Alive/Total Energy Records. Check out the amazing bass work and the cute latinas.

It looks like these guys might be blowin’ up. We can only hope.

Hacienda – “She’s Got a Hold on Me”

Rick at 6:52 pm

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September 18, 2008

Headache City

Here’s a band I have never seen and know relatively little about. However, their music rocks my goddamn balls. This site is therefore incomplete without a plug.

They are called Headache City and they hail from Chicago. During my grand Illinois trip last year, my pal Melissa (who currently grooms the future Midwest rock ‘n’ roll hotties and poets of the coming decade through her Chicago little girls’ rock camp) loaned me their full-length self-titled CD. You know what happened next (hint: it involves my goddamn balls – see above).

The Headache City sound is a little bit garage and a little bit punk, but instead of the chaos or potential blandness of the latter they have substituted a steady pounding authority. It’s simple, catchy and unusual, yet there’s room for lots of variation. Could I get any more vague? Put it this way: Having never attended their gigs, I picture a few of their fans twirling like Ecstasy-addled hippies at a rave and still others solemnly headbanging like the crowd at an Emperor show. Anyway, it’s all real hooky and very fun, even during midtempo bum trips like “Tearjerker.” If you ask me, the band’s namesake song is the hit side – a hard charging, infectious, straight-down-the-middle anthem.

The City currently consists of Mike Fitzpatrick (guitar, bass, vox), Dave Head (bass, vox, guitar) and Lisa Roe (drums, vox). The player of groovy synth on the album is Norah who also runs the label Shit Sandwich upon which the full-length was released (as well as some of their singles). Norah is apparently no longer in the band… my sources can’t tell me when or why… so I think they’re a three-way now. Go hit the MySpace if you want more, better info.

Two of HC’s members (Lisa and Mike) also play in the fierce farfisa group Cococoma who are quite punishing on the aforementioned balls as well. They have a new-ish LP out on Goner Records, one of our favorite labels.

So that’s it. And now, if after skimming the previous text, you actually want to download these songs and listen to this fine, fine band, perhaps even purchase their records and “support” the “scene,” then I have succeeded in my mission. Hooray for public relations!

p.s. All photos shamelessly stolen from the band website and defaced by me.

Headache City – “Headache City”

Headache City – “Ha Ha”

Headache City – “Tearjerker”

Headache City – “Down the Drain”

Rick at 12:35 am

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March 28, 2007

Shibuya Bound

Bye bye for the next couple of weeks… I’ll be over in Tokyo, getting showered with cherry blossoms, attending noise-rock shows and sleeping in the finest of capsule hotels. Not like I would have updated much anyway, but hell, if you’re still reading this blog I suppose you’re owed an explanation. A weak one.

To balm those injured feelings, enjoy this tune from Canada’s Del-Gators. It’s taken from the 2001 Pound Down! CD on Sympathy; the band featured King Khan’s cute sister Cocobutter Khan as well as other garage royalty. While you listen, picture me soaking in a sento bath. Don’t worry, there will be photos.

The Del-Gators – “Move Mr. Man”

Rick at 3:42 am

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February 13, 2007

Fucking Up is Hard to Do

Did anyone notice I was away, studying Japanese, trading CDs and wallowing in my own wastes? I hope so; a fella likes to feel noticed, even when he’s hiding in a dark apartment. Welcome to my world!

Let’s see… Whoa. Six weeks since my last post of any literary substance! S’pose it’s time to type some words again. And just so’s you don’t call me shiftless, here are some curious videos I uploaded to YouTube: douzo. I’ve also been spending my listening time on certain popular artists (like Cat Stevens) it might’ve been inadvisable to post about, given the current confused copyright climate (How’s that for an excuse? It’s all the fault of lawyers). Finally, in other Internet news, you can click on that right photo of the Goddess Bunny for additional pictures captured on my recent travels, proving that a hipster’s life is bigger than bloggery.

Upon first listen, this 1995 Blag Dahlia EP with Tania Hearst on the cover entitled Venus With Arms is not as good as the best of the Dwarves’ albums. Apparently this was released during a two-year period when the actual Dwarves band was temporarily nonexistent due to drugs and some silly shenanigans with their record company; I wasn’t paying attention at the time. Anyhow, I was just about to chuck this CD into the trading pool when I played the fifth and last song, and suddenly my dick got hard. “Theme From the Vicelords” contains all the most lovable elements of the Dwarves: short, loud, filthy and fast, clever lyrics from the perspective of a self-described loser asshole, over-the-edge macho posturing with a sense of its own ridiculousness, anthemic chaos and Blag’s high-energy sneer – topped off with a completely retarded guitar phase-shifter siren sound in the second half. That’s comedy, my friend. I also dig the wooden Streets of San Francisco-style voiceover intro.

Sure, not everyone agrees with this assessment, but that’s why I have this bully pulpit – to bully you with my personal opinions. Let me point out that this is my second post in two months with the phrase “Fuck Up” in the title.

“Everywhere that we go / Everybody knows / You only can trust us / As far as you can throw…” Sing along with me, dammit.

Blag Dahlia – “Theme From the Vicelords”

Rick at 6:06 pm

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