Thursday, August 25, 2011



Pricing up a massive amount of quality jazz at BLACK GOLD RECORDS Check it out...if that's your thing.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Smiths 90's Press Video & TV Advertisement




(Above: The Smiths lost press video and Below: 1995 Ad for The Smiths Singles release). Thanks James D for this one!


Monday, August 15, 2011


Bob & Gene

It's Not What You Know (It's Who You Know)

Ever-Soul ES-104/Daptone Dap-1057


A recently unearthed treasure from Buffalo, NY circa late 1960's / early 1970's. Bob and Gene were young, broke, and full of soul…and all during a time of great financial and racial turmoil. It's Not What You Know…contains two solid three minute plus tracks of pure heartfelt melody.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011



Conor Clark passed away last night. He was a guitarist in one of the most incredible bands to come out of New Brunswick, NJ in the past decade or so. The band was called Give Me Danger and they were phenomenal, both recorded and live. Their singer Andy Brennan and I have been close friends for many years and I, as well as many other fans have been harassing him to round the guys up to reunite. It's never as easy as it sounds and sadly a reunion at this point would be missing a crucial element. I didn't know Conor well, but he ran in circles with a lot of people that I grew into my twenties with. Rest in Peace and respect to you and all affected by this loss.

Thank you Devildance Records for permission to post this track.


Gibby Haynes

Untitled [2006]


Acrylic on watercolor paper with watercolor and pen. I purchased this from the Jonathan Levine gallery in 2006 and it's time to let it have a new home. Gibby is not only known for being the eclectic and energetic front man of Texas psychedelic noise punk group, Butthole Surfers, but he is also an artist and current resident of Brooklyn, NY. The work is in four squares, each measuring approximately 11"x 11". I'm currently accepting fair offers for this piece.

Monday, August 8, 2011



The Kidds

To The Top

Leisure Records [1984]


This record sounds pretty close to how it looks. It's a super obscure independently released LP from a group of Long Islanders who were very aware of the sound of popular rock in the early to mid eighties. Some songs sound like a slowed down Benjamin Orr Cars track while others rock like a one hit wonder that you just somehow missed out on. It's the soundtrack to that date to the roller rink…after-hours Camaro makeout session included.


Listen to It Ain't Worth (All The Pain)

Saturday, August 6, 2011


Sermons

An Augury

self-released [2011]


I'm a sucker for nostalgia yet currently somewhat self-aware of my issues with it, however, I've accepted nostalgia as a yearning for the true pure love I've felt in the past and not a cheap exaggerated source of emotionally-driven memories. With that said, I can tell you that Sermons tap into a part of my brain that flashes me to a time in the 90's where San Deigo screamo was one of the most important things to me. Although influences for this style were also scattered across the states at that time, something evil and real was coming out of Southern California that no one else could touch. Well, maybe until now.


Bands like Swing Kids, Mohinder, and later The Locust and Camera Obscura (no not the Scottish indie-pop late bloomers) set a tone that awoke a monster in the decade to follow. A horrible onslaught of make up wearing tightpantsers stole the formula, ruined the formula (isn't this how it always goes), and made me and many others not look back. Now that the public has mostly been made aware of the sold out sounds of the 00's and its lip ring rockers, recovery and revitalization can finally commence.


Sermons not only touch on that memorable sound of the abrasive 90's, but they add a new relevant flavor using desirable elements both past and present. They commendably pass right over the past fifteen years and land in present time with something we all hoped we 'd someday hear. Imagine a frantic Jeffrey Lee Pierce on vocals with a supporting group who sound influenced by early Ink and Dagger and even more recently influenced by the works by Nick Cave and Grinderman. The record is hardcore, but it's not necessarily a hardcore record. It's oddly melodic, but maybe that's just the hellishly eerie keys or the Peter Hook influenced bass playing. Regardless, these Jersey/Philly men are truly onto something.


Listen to POSEIDEON'S TEARS by Sermons



Friday, August 5, 2011


PYLON

Cover+Remix

DFA/Revolver [2011]


In the early years of the Athens, Georgia art/dace/proto-indie/"we invented college rock" weirdness scene, then emerged what we now know as household music natives such as the obvious top two: R.E.M. and the B-52's. What people often forget or never had the chance to learn or experience was the fast moving third place local act who called themselves "Pylon".


Pylon were the states' answer to the turn of the eighties dance punk / new wave sounds of the U.K. à la groups such as Gang of Four or Au Pairs. Flash forward thirty years to the indie underground in America, introduce a cover by Atlanta's Deerhunter and another track by NYC music critic Sash Frere-Jones a.k.a "Calvinist", and you have the ingredients to a really hip discussion on relevant and skillful alternative rock. Both tracks are satisfactory in production and sonically pleasing in execution.


Deerhunter's Bradford Cox may have only been a twinkle in his mother's eye when Pylon released their debut single "Cool" almost exactly two years before his birth, but Cox's influence is evident in his music, which, most likely is a result of growing up in the very town that spawned Pylon. His take on "Cool" isn't too far off from the original, or at least his comfort and ease in relaying the impression that the song had on him isn't too far off.


"Calvinist", with the help of Sleigh Bell's Alexis Krauss, chose the track "Yo-Yo" which appeared over three years later than "Cool" on Pylon's 1983 LP Chomp More. Pylon was picking up speed at this point (but unfortunately heading towards a lack-luster career outro. The Calvinist version has a more modern minimalist indie dance feel to it. The vocals, like the vocals on the original track stand out as very strong and listenable.


My only complaints about this release are as follows: 1) I wish this was available as a 12" (and I'm sure I'm speaking on part of many people with that), and 2) I wish this single was more affordable (but the green-eyed industry is clearly to blame for that one, not the groups).

Thursday, August 4, 2011



One of the many piles of goodies found at The Leo & Xero Media Warehouse.