Temporary blissitude

House all to my self (bar cats). Music on the big stereo. Cookin’ and mucking. Full up with Indian food. Cool, lovely rain. Head wet from same. Grumbly thundering. Ahhh.

A meme about stuff I actually care about

The 15 (really 16) albums that blew up my world, in the order of doing so, and why

1) The Court Of The Crimson King - King Crimson

I have told this story so many times it’s become almost apocryphal by now. But, when my brother brought this home and put it on when I had just turned six, my life was literally saved by rock’n’ roll. I would have been one of those kids who had had a “tragic accident” or something because I was so, fucking, out of here. But Fripp told me that I just had to wait patiently and when I got old enough I would find a different reality and it would be good. And he was mostly right.

2) Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd. - The Monkees

Let’s just get this straight. I am, un-apologetically, a fiend for a well crafted pop song. And The Monkees had the best writers in the business. Boyce & Hart, Carole King, Nillsson, Neil Diamond, Don Kirschner and more, and Michael Nesmith turned out pretty good as well. The Monkees just ruled me in childhood popland.

3) Paranoid - Black Sabbath

The first 45 I ever went out and bought with my own money was Iron Man b/w Electric Funeral. I freaking loved Electric Funeral when I was like 10. Then when I heard War Pigs and Planet Caravan - oh man, that was just some really, really, good shit. Of course, just to balance that out I will confess that in that same outing I also bought Dancing Machine by The Jackson Five and Werewolf by Five Man Electrical Band.

3 - again cuz it’s a tie) Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy - The Who

So it was a best of. So what? It was either this or Tommy that had to be included and while I listened to Tommy incessantly down in my brothers room with the earphones on from 1970 to 1972 and then again for all of 1976, I think this one had far more far reaching influence on my whole life. These are, with the exception of The Seeker and Pinball Wizard consistently my favourite Who songs.

4) Love It To Death - Alice Cooper

This was the first album I ever bought with my own money. It was at a garage sale. I remember just seeing those crazy eyes, having no idea what it was at all, and being mesmerized into buying it. Then I took it home and listened to it. Oh my freaking god it was the coolest thing EVER! To this day I will kick the shit out out of anybody at karaoke by doing “Is It My Body”

5) The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars - David Bowie

I was at the Earthworks “meet and greet new recruits” party at the Boehnkes house in the summer of 1977. I was wrecked on weed, morning glory seeds, some kind of low budget sweet alcohol and visions of becoming, finally, one of the really, truly, cool kids. Pete Grobner put this on the stereo. My glam self was born in that moment. T-Rex came a little later, Bowie was my ambassador and probably still is. Again, most of my favourite Bowie songs except “Eight Line Poem” are here.

6) Freakout - Frank Zappa

More Earthworks revelatory experiences. I had heard some Zappa, but I think it was mostly Overnite Sensation. While I was appropriately 12 year old titillated by Dirty Love I never “got” Zappa till Josh Ezekiel played the whole “Freakout” album for me at music appreciation class. I think I learned it by heart in a week. We used to sit stoned in the middle of the diag singing “Who Are the Brain Police?” and “You’re Probably Wondering Why I’m here” almost everyday. It was some sort of protest I suppose. I wish I could jump into someone’s brain (who had one) who saw that and retrieve their memory impression of it. That was some really serious backwards trippingness. I think we did it at Briarwood once as well and were escorted off premises by security.

7) Horses - Patti Smith

Dec 26, 1977. Julia got this one, the eponymous “Runaways”, and Rod Stewarts “Tonights The Night” for X-mas. Rod Stewart lasted a week. Horses and Cherry Bomb lasted forever. That was when we really knew once and for all we were going to make great art out of being bad, bad, really bad, girls.

8) One Nation Under A Groove - Parliament Funkadelic

What can one say about their first conscious experience of George Clinton? I immediately promised to funk the whole funk, becoming a lifelong funkateer. Early exposure to Mojo helped I’m sure. The nazi-like punks I was hanging out with had the horrors. To this day I believe it’s their loss.

9) Germ Fee Adolescent - X-Ray Spex

This album excuses any weirdnesses Poly Styrene later came out with and keeps her one of my musical heros forever and ever, world without end. What an inspiration to my 15 year girl self this was. I could and would do anything I chose.

10) The Clash - The Clash

Truly humorous punk with “pop sensibilties”? Be still my beating heart. I was just never so angry that I didn’t want to laugh a lot as well and this was fun, fun, fun, and smart.

11) Sunrise On The Sufferbus - Fela Anikulapo Kuti

I love this guy. Another one of those “I remember exactly where I was when I first heard that” moments. “Sorrow, Tears and Blood” In Gab Ugwu’s dingy aptartment above the Guild House ministries offices. Probably ‘78 or ‘79. “Who is this??!! What is this??!!” O, it’s Soca... I want more.

12) A Saucerful Of Secrets - Pink Floyd
The epitome of my brain on drugs. But I hated “Corporal Clegg” passionately because I was always too high to remember to drag myself up from laying on the floor and flip the album before that jarring, non-conducive, awful part came on. I finally wised up and taped it w/out it. It took a while to think of that. By the time ripping and burning became available I’d stopped doing acid. You kids don’t know how good you have it.

13) Rain Dogs - Tom Waits
Was in a pile of albums left behind by one of the ever revolving lineup of roommates. If you are out there anywhere Steve Curl, bless you a thousand times. I now love a whole lot of Tom Waits a whole lot. But this one is ever so close to my heart because it was my first and it is just so fucking good.

14) Another Green World - Brian Eno

Something about the line “I’ll come running to tie your shoe” brought me back a little piece of my lost innocence at a time when I really needed it. If I am ever on a rampage just put this album on and I’ll stop being The Hulk immediately.

15) Swingin’ with Django - Django Reinhardt

Somehow along the way, I was the victim of one of those weird misinformation, brain shorts that can happen when pieces of disparate information come in around the same time and get fused in the memory banks. Consequently I was always under the impression that Django Reinhardt was somehow in the same category as or affiliated with Wavy Gravy. I was having none of that so I never explored that avenue any further even though I had heard various people being excited about him at various points in time.
Fast forward to summer of 2000 and move me to London. I am standing in the Borders in front of the amazing discount racks of cd’s they had at the time. There is a disc called “Swingin’ with Django” and the cover has a 1930’s B&W photo on it that doesn’t seem like hippie shite at all. With the exchange rate it comes out to about $6.50 so I picked it up. Took it back to the flat, noone else around so I crank it up. It’s all pretty dang good and then comes on Bolero De Django. Total mind fuck. Turn it up and play it again. I am all hot and cold. Apparently I am not too old and jaded to have a piece of music blow up my world.

Not to be confused with the other pieces frequently listed under Django and Bolero. This IS the one covered by The Dave Grisman Quintet except that their version sucks balls. Accept no substitutes for the Django at the Hot Club version.

Good Morning Viet Nam

I was having an interesting dream, that I was trying to cross an elevated spillway while being subtly menaced by an ordinary looking yet mystical crow. This was somehow an off shoot of having coached many character building vague field games for odd, multiplying, packs of ragged urchins which caused me to find the magic packet of paperwork that would resolve all issues if only I would stop losing it again.
Suddenly Patsy Cline requested that I stop the world and let her off. This seemed incongruous and rather loud. Mainly because it was actually happening.
Apparently, the mighty, the clever, the very handsome, recklessly agile and ever curious Jetson had managed to: turn on the computer, bring up itunes, select the Patsy playlist and then hit play.
This seemed so very astute of him that I did not at that time apply the spray bottle as I knew in my heart that I would need that impact when a few minutes later he rejoined the task of destroying my jewelry boxes that he had left half done earlier.

When Potatoes Kill

As I was waking up, a miraculous thing was occurring, which was that Oliver was also awake. And we then got into a conversation which engendered this dialogue;
ME - “Oh, it never occurred to me to put harmonica into the same realm as oboe, bassoon, saxophone and clarinet”.
OB “That’s because it’s not”
ME “But you just said about reed instruments...”
OB “Yeah like that thing” (hand gesture)
ME “Accordion?”
OB “Yeah and that keyboard thing you have...
ME “Harmonium?”
OB “Yeah, and probably that little electric organ too”.
ME “Oh. But what about the fact that if you play a harmonica, and you have it all broke in good, that you move those things with your tongue?”
OB “That’s just air openings not the reeds”.
ME “Hmmm”.

Which brings us to the next question. Which is, if those are manipulatable air openings, then is one required to use an embouchure to play harmonica? And if so shouldn’t the music snobs be a little less smug about harmonica? And also if so, wouldn’t that put it back somewhere between organs and woodwinds? I know in the old days they did actually call it mouth organ but....
And another thing, embouchure was a word I had never seen, only heard. So all my life I had said it with an R, more like brochure, (if the C was an S). Then I read it the other day in Anthony Burgess’s autobiography. And I said to myself “Oh crap.” and “Duh” and “stupid, stupid girl” as all the millions of times I had mispronounced it went flashing in front of my eyes. This is my version of dying apparently, the embarrassment of unintentionally mangling the language.

Hmmm....

Iffen you know someone.
I guess it’s semiofficial. I guess we’re looking for a bass player or a keyboard player that can handle both sides like the Doors, or both.
Our bass player started shrinking and shrinking until now he has just sort of disappeared....
I’m starting to feel like Spinal Tap.

AM earworm

Dope is For Dopes - Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids

Also: Found it extremely revifying to start the kitchen work-a-day off with Danzig - Lucifuge. I’ll never, ever purchase anying new from him because he’s such a mook & a dumbhead but man, I love that voice. He is truly the Elvis Presley of the Devil -Worshipping teeny bops. But without his band he would be that lounge singer demon on “Angel”.

Speaking of The Grantchester Question

I will be adding a link to our new myspace page as soon as I get less lazy.
As well as that it appears we will be @ The Old Miami on Aug. 23 with The Czars and one other band whose details I don’t have yet.
New, insider, dirt intimates that The Czars have a new singer, none other than Nitro Von Borax. This should prove to be a VERY interesting development!

Free show, new band

Saturday, August 2nd, Liberty Plaza, noon.
The Grantchester Question
Followed by The Czars @ one.

AM Earworms

The Tall Grass - Jinx (because An Skellington has been summarily dismissed as there was a late 80’s band from Austin named Skellington. Jinx has not been searched yet so it’s in the running at the moment. Also under consideration are: Matilda’s Safe Haven, Unsub 440 and outsideout. I contend that even if there is a Jinx there probably, maybe, is not a Jinks. Also, the one I really loved, “Thunderhead”, has around 10 pages, mostly metal bands.)

Edit: Of course there is a "real metal" band from Amsterdam called Jinx!. Fuckers. You guys probably suck.
Edit Edit: And there is a creepy white boy rapper called Jinks. And as it was on YouTube I can verify that it sucked.

AM Earworms

Omission - Stella & Oliver currently being performed by the new band which is tentatively named “An Skellington”

AM Earworms

Hungry Freaks Daddy (again), & Willie The Pimp - Frank Zappa

What’s the dealio? Is it FZ’s birthday or something? Because he’s been “on the screen” quite a bit lately.

One of my life dreams had been to sing with/ for FZ. When he died, so did that. But then I had an actual dream very shortly after, I think within a few days of his death. He came to see me at the tattoo studio. And we had this great conversation, him sitting in the green chair next to the stereo, me cleaning the work station. We talked about art & music, life & death, you know, my favourite subjects (besides soup & psychology).

The thing about it was, that it was extremely realistic. Even down to the way he sat and that when I lit a cigarette he coughed and waved and bitched at me about it.
I could (almost) swear that it was, on some level, real. Like this was the way he finally found some time in his busy schedule to have a little time to visit with people who sincerely admired his life work.

We rule, all others drool

Here, so that all may look upon and envy, the cool kids who played the game, (and because I have nothing cogent or scintillating to say other wise), is the awesome play list(s) of SwimClub Radio Volume 1.
For those who may have just tuned in; the idea was to make a disc of ones all time favouritest or most representative of ones musical soul at this time, to intrigue and edify the other players.

I think that worked quite well. The disparity is fascinating to me. I love that.

I also find it really interesting that of the ones that didn't have a particular theme like DJ Barry's did, the two artists that made two different lists were, David Bowie and Siouxsie Sioux. That is just odd. Although had I had just a smitch more room Donovan would have also been in that category with his song "Ferris Wheel". I suppose technically Frank Black also made that distinction as he is represented both with The Catholics and The Pixies. So that is four artists who can make the interesting slide between so many different tastes.

DJ Barry's disc was really, really cool for me as I never heard a single thing on it previously. I really tripped out on "Las Lomas de New Jersey". I also liked "Patricia" a lot. It is ultimately playable, and I'm thinking it may just be one of the soundtracks for Oliver's 40th birthday dinner next weekend.
DJ Nigel's was really good for me as well, as he is an expert on a whole era of music I completely missed - The '90's. Seems I am always either 400 hundred years, or a decade or so, behind the 8 ball musically. It was only last year that I discovered Bach after all. And it had The Cramps on it, 'nuff said.
DJ UBU's was a study in classics. I think everybody said something about liking the Beachboys tune. I had never heard the John Cale piece before so that was a treat. Albeit as usual with Cale, a challenging one. I had also never heard the Springsteen before and it totally justifies why I am always having to say to people who are music snobbing on him, that they just don't know him from before.
DJ Oliver, I think, (prejudicially of course) just has marvelous musical taste. I can always count on him to keep me pulling forward into the future because as you can see from mine-
DJ Stella's, I have a tendency to stay firmly mired in the late 20th century, especially the 60's, 70's and 80's. So even though I know people have heard my selections (with the possible exception of Flirt) a zillion times, I think my segues and transitions make it all fresh again. At least that was my hope. And I can tell you that it is as good a representation of my musical soul as anyone may ever see. Well except for volume II which I have already been working on!

So without further ado:

Swim Club Radio: DJ Stella Magdalen

1) The Avengers Theme - The Laurie Johnson Orchestra
2) What'cha See Is What You Get - The Dramatics
3) Cherry Bomb - Joan Jett
4) Eight line poem - David Bowie
5) Cissy Strut - The Meters
6) Degenerator - Flirt
7) Valleri - The Monkees
8) Think About Your Troubles - Nilsson
9) Sex & Drugs & Rock n Roll - Ian Drury
10) The Old Main Drag - The Pogues
11) Mirror In the Bathroom - The English Beat
12) Over At The Frankenstein Place - Rocky Horror Soundtrack
13) Fire - Ohio Players
15) Blank Generation - Richard Hell & the Voidoids
16) Scarecrow - Pink Floyd
17) Soldier’s Things - Tom Waits
18) Spellbound - Siouxsie and The Banshees
20) Five ‘O’ Clock World - The Vogues
21) Jungle Boogie - Kool & The Gang
22) Art-I-Ficial - X Ray Spex
23) Piece Of My Heart - Erma Franklin
24) Is It My Body? - Alice Cooper
25) World Destruction - Time Zone
26) Feeling Good - Nina Simone
27) Salt Of The Earth - The Rolling Stones

Swim Club Radio: DJ Oliver Blades

1) Free Man - Awesome Color
2) Ghost Highway - Mazzy Star
3) Set You Free - The Black Keys
4) Empire - The Black Angels
5) Roi - The Breeders
6) Heart Of Snow - Black Mountain
7) Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies
8) Beyond The Fields We Know - Dead Meadow
9) The Desperate Kingdom Of Love - P. J. Harvey
10) Spaceboy - Smashing Pumpkins
11) Where Eagles Have Been - Wolfmother
12) Looking Out A Mirror - The Ponys
13) There Is An End - The Greenhornes
14) Broken Boy Soldier - The Raconteurs
15) Theresa’s Sound World - Sonic Youth
16) Introduction 17) Frustrating Sound - Radio Moscow
18) Different Stars - Trespassers William

Swim Club Radio: DJ Nigel Patel

1) Vampeeee 2) Silver Turkey - Buffalo Daughter
3) 5 Years Ahead of My Time - The Cramps
4) Sister Madly - Crowded House
5) From Chapel Hill - Tam Hart
6) Dean’s Dream - The Dead Milkmen
7) Feeling Numb - The Fall
8) Chip Away Boy - Frank Black & The Catholics
9) Pop Scene - Blur
10) Together - Suede
11) Tether - Indigo Girls
12) Thoughtforms - Lush
13) Walk Out - Matthew Sweet
14) Must Believe - Sarah Dougher
15) Burn-Up - Siouxsie and the Banshees
16) I Don’t Wanna Be Your Man - Sherman Electric
17) Your Stripes - Buffalo Tom
18) Two Beads At The End - Minute Men
19) Cowbirds - Throwing Muses
20) Light Years - Sloan
21) Nightmare Stampede - Split Enz

Swim Club radio: DJ Barry

1) Buenos Hermanos - Ibrahim Ferrer
2) Caballo Viejo - Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban
3) El Divorcio - Marc Ribot & Los Cubanos Postizos
4) Guanqanco‘ Callejero - Ibrahim Ferrer
5) Jaguey - Marc Ribot & Los Cubanos Postizos
6) La Luna En Tu Mirada - Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban
7) Las Lomas de New Jersey - Marc Ribot & Los Cubanos Postizos
8) Mil Congojas - Ibrahim Ferrer
9) No Puedo Freinar - Marc Ribot & Los Cubanos Postizos
10) Oye El Consejo - Ibrahim Ferrer
11) Patricia - Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban
12) Perfume de Gardenia - Ibrahim Ferrer
13) Secret Love - Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban

Swim Club Radio: DJ UBU

1) Ghost Song - The Doors
2) Sweet Jane - Lou Reed
3) Captain Hook - John Cale
4) High Heeled Sneakers - Jerry Lee Lewis
5) Pineola - Lucinda Williams
6) No Surrender - Bruce Springsteen
7) Laughing - Pere Ubu
8) Insight - Joy Division
9) We Are All Prostitutes - The Pop Group
10) (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
11) Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks
12) We Are The Dead - David Bowie
13) Catch The Wind - Donovan
14) ‘Til I Die - The Beach Boys
15) Chicklets - The Patti Smith Group

I got three neckties & a glass of gin

Wow. Jandek last night. Wow. How excruciatingly hypo-tizing. Harpsichord, trumpet, dancer/howler and the man, the mystery man. Who has the blues real, real, bad.
Not for the faint hearted that.
I loved how the art school brats who all wanted to be seen at the scene fled in droves after each song. No really, about 30 or more people ran for their lives after each song ended. What were they expecting? If one had actually ever listened to any recording he has made, one would know exactly what to expect.

He looks like Boo Radley in a black cowboy hat. He squalls like a banshee (albeit a subdued one). And his playing is difficult to understand to put it mildly. I found that I had to really focus on the words and the trumpet player (rather Miles Davis-ish in terms of emotionality) to be able to hang. The fact that the dancer was built, I think helped many people remain seated.

I have to admit 2 hours of it was a real test. Not just for my brain and my emotions (he’s just a tince depressing), but for me bum. The seats. Yarg. I couldn’t get comfortable.

Jandek

I hope I don’t regret this but, there is a free concert with Jandek on the 17th @ 7:30 @ Lydia.
I hope this doesn’t create some kind of rush where I can’t get a seat.
All 3 of “the house of relaxing smokers” will be there. Possibly some Destruction's and Von Borax’s as well, if they can find a sitter for Boris and Natasha.

Whoosh!

I was just given a row A ticket to Joe Jackson for tonight so I am so outta here. Whatevs for homework apparently, I guess I’ll play extra stress out catch up later.
Make HEY! While the full moon shines I suppose.
Later Skaters.

“Chills run up and down my spine”

O’ man! I am sitting here trying to write a ten page research paper on “Miracles, revelation and the nature of personal reality”, MLA style, for my Philosophy of Religion class.
I actually have had the TV off all day, as there was not one, single, thing worth turning it on for (since I missed Soul Train) today! So I thought I would run a little music on the iTunes since I’m working on the computer anyway. Well, the best thing on my iTunes right now is the Swim Club Radio comp I made for ya’ll. On it goes, and now I can’t concentrate on David Hume’s arguments “Against Miracles” for nothing!

I fricking love this comp!!!

I must think I’m a bloody genius. It makes the hair raise up on my arms to hear it, because every song on it, I love down to the very roots of my toenails.

So because I am being torturously slow with it anywise, because I’m trying to flippin’ graduate and maintain my GPA simultaneously here! I’m going to give you a couple of mischievous hints:
It starts with The Avengers Theme, it ends with Salt Of The Earth. The in-between is cuts from the likes of Nina Simone, X-ray Spex, Afrika Bambaata, John Lydon, Nilsson, The Vogues and Flirt.
Does that wet your whistle?

I need to give some serious time to the ones from you’all that are new to me as well... I can’t wait to really learn something new (as soon as I’m done learning all this other new stuff for grades.)

Edit: I had to switch to Chopin Nocturnes to be able to get any work done

Diamanda Galas says:

“My voice is an instrument of inspiration to my friends, and a tool of torture to my enemies.”

I’ve been carrying that around in my music notebook for almost 20 years now. I thought I’d share.

Request lines are open

There was no overt, instantaneous earworm this morning. However I made the head radio play several nice pieces in succession, due to immediately beginning to fret and second guess myself over compilation list choices. Some Bowie (I shan’t say which until the disc comes out) then XTC - Senses Working Overtime, then the Dukes Of The Stratosphere - Collideascope. Each just flowing one from the other as ideas do.

Yesterday’s was a little embarrassing so I tried to pretend it didn’t happen. But I’ll fess up now. It was Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”. My excuse is that I had read several days ago about him and some other “liberal” musicians essentially giving Republican politicians stand down and cease and desist type directives concerning using their music as campaign theme music.
It’s not that I don’t actually like quite a lot of Tom Petty’s stuff. I just didn’t want to have to admit it in such a public forum.

Excitement is a’brewin’

I have already gotten Nigel’s “Best of Nigel”. Apparently Oliver is almost done with his. And I am (of course) making a list first, then to be translated to disc. We have an offer from the Northwest. SO, who else wants in?

AM Earworm

Pink Elephants On Parade - Dumbo Soundtrack
Yesterday it was “I Wanna Be like You” from the Jungle Book Soundtrack. No surprise as I just bought that. But the apparent ongoing Disney fest? I dunno. Much as I hate Disney (and I really, really do) they had some great songwriters.

The Sherman brothers wrote a lot of that 60’s, 70’s Disney stuff and I just love the Shermans. Robert was sort of the 60’s placeholder between Spike Jones and Weird Al. Somehow we were exposed to him (I’m not clear who amongst my parents chose to bring home the LP) and I became enamored. Enough to have picked up one of those 5 disc Rhino Records collections a few years back when there was actual money in my life. I had to admit after a couple hours of it, that unless you’re 6 there is only so much song parody, room, in one’s head.