So I'm working a lot lately. Glad of it, don't get me wrong, but it has cut severely into blogging time. You may have noticed... Anyway, been meaning to put together another post sharing with you some of the nifty gems I've found online and elsewhere. So here's another handful of goodies - the things that I've been seeing, hearing, reading and doing lately, and think you should too:
Being a typical guy, two of my favorite things in the world are beautiful women and delicious food. A beautiful woman who can cook delicious food is, therefore, an awesome thing in my book. If she's funny and has a bit of a sarcastic edge to boot, well, that's downright....um, what's the word I'm looking for here?...ah yes: bitchin'! Coming across as equal parts Riff Randall and Julia Child, and armed with the most unusual accent you'll hear all day (Italian/French-Canadian, for the record), Nadia Giosia made the leap from web show to big-time network TV with her program Nadia G.'s Bitchin' Kitchen, an amalgamation of cooking, comedy and rock 'n' roll that has become must-see TV around these parts. With an outstanding supporting cast that includes the forever henpecked Panos the Fish and Meat Guy, The Spice Agent (whose name Nadia keeps on a handy recording so she doesn't have to attempt to pronounce it), and the slightly creepy Hans, as well as an assortment of her own Italian-slang interjections and catch-phrases, Nadia's kitchen is a damn cool place to hang out. Let's plate this dish.
Speaking of folks who bring the food and the funny, that list must include Daym Drops. With his YouTube series of Super Official reviews (canudigitbaby?), Daym has become something of an online sensation and, in a just world, will be next in line to make the jump to the mainstream. He's a modern-day food critic, but he is no nose-in-the-air epicurean snob reviewing haute-cuisine in four-star restaurants. No, Daym Drops is a regular joe like you and me, reviewing drive-through fast food from the point of view of a guy who loves the stuff and knows he ought to be eating healthier but damn, it's just so good! I discovered Daym through his hysterical review of Five Guys Burgers (which has since been brilliantly songified by The Gregory Brothers); if you haven't discovered Daym Drops yet, it's a good place for you to start as well:
Do you like odd? I mean really, truly odd? Do you enjoy the looks of bewilderment and horror on your friends' faces when you play a Residents album for them? Do you pine for the days when every other album was recorded entirely on a Moog synthesizer? Are you fond of singing along loudly with Wild Man Fisher? Then friends, the Cake and Polka Parade podcast is right up your alley! Your host, Fatty Jubbo, takes you on audio tours of the twisted obscurata of the music world. Like a dour Doctor Demento he curates some of the most wonderfully weird music that is likely to reach your ears any time soon, with enough of a knowing wink to keep the balance just this side of the sane/insane line. Courtesy of the good folks at WFMU. Go on, give it a listen!
I am, as you know, a proponent of grassroots indy music distribution. Which is why I have become a huge fan of Noisetrade, a site dedicated to bringing together those who create music and those who love it, without thought one given to music as a product or - shudder - a business. Artists can sign up and upload their music, and fans can browse and download what they like, all at no charge. The theory is that fans will share the music they find that they like (the opportunity is there to share each download via Facebook, Twitter or email), the artists will reach new fans who otherwise might never have found them, or might not have spent the money to take a chance on an unknown entity, and everybody wins. Fans can also "tip" artists they like - up to $100 if so inclined. I've discovered a few fantastic artists through Noisetrade already, some of which I'll be sharing with you in an upcoming Now Hear This post. Spend some time at Noisetrade and see what goodies you find!
Troma Films is the purposefully shlocky, intentionally low-budget production house that brought us such classics as The Toxic Avenger, Class Of Nuke 'Em High, and Surf Nazis Must Die! Now they have set up a YouTube channel stocked with over 150 flicks from as far back as the 1930s, some of which are Troma Films creations, but all of which could have been. From classics like White Zombie, The Ape, and Africa Screams to more recent titles like Rabid Grannies, Space Zombie Bingo, and Blood Boobs And Beast, there is hours of viewing enjoyment. Gather the family and pop the corn...
Truth is, so they say, often stranger than fiction. which is why a good documentary can capture my attention and fully drag me in, especially given the right subject matter. I was therefore overjoyed to find Top Documentary Films, a website that hosts a veritable treasure trove of free-to-watch documentaries that can be viewed online. The documentaries there range from 30-minute amateur YouTube shorts to full-production theater-quality films, and cover just about any topic you can imagine from 9/11 conspiracy theories to scientific discovery to serial killer profiles to historical reenactments - and beyond! It can all be found here, and you can spend hours watching before you even realize it. Bookmark it!
Real Actors Read Yelp
High on the list of Things I Wish I Had Thought Of is this series of videos from a group calling themselves Gotta Kid To Feed Productions. Real Actors Read Yelp is exactly that: professional actors from film, TV, and Broadway giving dramatic life to the words of actual reviews taken from social user review site Yelp.com. Yes, it's an old concept (those my age and older will recall the great Steve Allen reading real letters to newspaper editors with great feeling and gusto), but it's done well. The actors are chosen well, and are skilled enough to mix overwraught scene-chewing with truly touching moments of emotional focus, allowing you to feel the reviews viscerally. Or something like that.
Now that should be plenty of fun to keep you entertained for awhile, I would be truly interested in your feedback, and maybe your suggestions of things to see and do. Speak up, friends! And, as always, enjoy!
So, the fourth album from The Dollyrots (Kelly Ogden, Luis Cabesaz, and whomever is occupying the ever-changing drummer slot) has been here in the house for about two weeks, and since it's arrival, few other recordings have seen much airplay. With my ever-changing moods and a collection pushing 4000 titles, the soundtrack around here usually changes often. So for an LP to dominate the turntable like this says a lot. The Dollyrots is simply a fantastic record - and yes, mine is a vinyl copy (neat-o clear vinyl, no less!) that actually does claim the turntable as home right now.
In some ways, the album comes across of something of a reboot for the band. After three remarkably solid efforts, two of which were issued by Joan Jett's Blackheart Records, the band went back to a grassroots approach this time around. The record was done completely independently with funding coming from fan contributions through Kickstarter. Often, a band's self-titled album is their debut; by calling this one The Dollyrots, the band seems to be signalling a new phase. Original drummer Chris Black was gone, replaced by Alicia Warrington, and the band recorded an updated version of their biggest hit, "Because I'm Awesome," which is found as a hidden track here. The album even kicks off with a short track called "Starting Over," expanded at the end of the album as "Starting Over Again."
Of course, the more things change the more they stay the same, they say. It may be a new era for The Dollyrots, but they sound as good as ever. They deliver plenty of their brand of high energy punky-poppy fun spiced with Kelly's usual mischievious wink and lyrics that are much more substantial than her kartoon-kiddie vocals suggest they might be. The cuts are more polished these days, and there are a few obvious nods to present-day pop-radio hooks ("I Wanna Go" and "So Wrong It's Right" are noticeably radio-ready), but because the band did it on their own terms, they managed to make those concessions without losing a bit of their personality.
When the album really cooks, though, is when all such trappings are dropped and The Dollyrots just do what they do best. "Twist Me To The Left,""Pretty On The Outside," and the single "Hyperactive" are prime cuts for blaring speakers and crazed air-guitaring; "F U Famous" is one of the best things they've ever done.
Unfortunately, the news is that Warrington is already gone and a new drummer is sitting in during The Dollyrots' present tour. A shame on one hand, because the Kelly/Luis/Alicia trio made a joyful noise this time around; on the other hand, they have survived one drummer change already. This one could lead to an equally fortunate find for a replacement. My work schedule means I'm going to miss the band on this tour (they're in Philly on Monday night at Kung Fu Necktie), so I guess the album will be seeing even more airplay around these parts. Should be seeing airplay in your world as well. Go pick up a copy!
Most sensible people agree the Washington DC scene was an incredible one, packed with talented musicians playing outstanding music in any of several excellent bands, with styles spread across the spectrum of musical genres. Of course, as in any scene, a few names loom considerably larger in importance and legacy in DC's history: The Teen Idles, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, and Razz to name a few. But they were all beaten to the punch by DC's original DIY combo, The Slickee Boys.
Starting out in 1976 and briefly fronted by a female singer, The Slickee Boys crossed straightforward bar-band rock with the emerging sounds of the New Wave, creating an edgy psychedelic-blues-garage sound with more than a little bit of attitude. In their first year, they released the completely independently produced Hot And Cool EP, one of the earliest American DIY releases of the era. An independently produced and distributed debut album, Separated Vegetables, appeared a year later, mixing covers of forgotten '60s garage nuggets and current DC scene favorites with an original or two, the album was pressed up in an issue of 100 copies. Good luck finding an original!
Original singer Martha Hull was soon replaced by Mark Noone, and the best-known lineup of Slickee Boys was in place: Kim Kane and Marshall Keith on guitar, Noone on vocals, and Dan Palenski on drums. Two more EPs were recorded (Mersey, Mersey Me and Third), which were then combined with the original Hot And Cool and released as Here To Stay in 1982.
All of this set the stage for their must-have masterpiece, Cybernetic Dreams of Pi. Released in 1983, the album scorches from the incredible opening cut, "Escalator 66," on through a series of fresh originals ("When I Go To The Beach," "Nagasaki Neuter," "Life Of The Party") and covers both obscure (Hamilton Streetcar's "Invisible People") and almost expected (Status Quo's oft-covered "Pictures Of Matchstick Men"). A stunning album.
Having found their musical footing, they issued Uh Oh...No Breaks! in early 1985 - a collection padded with early Slickee Boys material re-recorded by a more confident band. Only a step or two below Cybernetic Dreams, even retreads like "Jailbait Janet" and "Gotta Tell Me Why" sound sparkly and new.
Two more albums would hit the shelves before The Slickee Boys' run was over: Fashionably Late in 1988 seemed to focus more heavily on the band's affinity for bluesy rock; 1989's Live At Last is an accurately titled collection. In the years since, The Slickee Boys have stayed semi-active by playing at least one reunion weekend a year.
For this week's NW4NW entry, enjoy a pair of clips from The Slickee Boys' classic Cybernetic Dreams Of Pi album: "When I Go To The Beach" and "Gotta Tell Me Why." Enjoy!
North London's Neo-Neon-Rockabilly guys, The Polecats, started out thumping a stand-up bass and slinging their geetars as a trio (Tim Polecat, Boz Boorer, and Phil Bloomberg) joined by a succession of drummers, playing under the name The Cult Heroes around 1977 or so. With Punk Rock being the cultural kick in the UK at the time, they soon discovered difficulty getting booked on Rockabilly shows: their name sounded more like one of those upstart punk bands. Early drummer Chris Hawkes suggested the name change before departing, and by the time Mercury Records scooped them up in 1980, they were forever more The Polecats.
Combining straightforward Rockabilly with a healthy dose of '70s Glam (Bolan's "Jeepster" and Bowie's "John I'm Only Dancing" were among their choices for cover songs and would provide them two minor hits in their home country), and wrapping the whole package up in early 1980s New Wave style, The Polecats became a popular live band. Their 1981 debut album, Polecats Are Go!, was met with positive response back home. With The Stray Cats starting to find radio success here in the States and spearheading a minor Rockabilly revival (see The Rockats, Robert Gordon, etc.), it's no surprise that The Polecats' record proved to be a decent seller here as an import-only LP. It should have been a natural for Mercury's American arm to jump on the fad and issue Polecats Are Go! domestically.
In typical American big-label fashion, they screwed up. They waited a year and a half, and finally issued a seven-song EP, containing a few tracks from the LP and a few single sides. Make A Circuit With Me did, however, include its mighty title track, a killer rave-up that saw minor airplay on MTV, and remains The Polecats' calling-card single to this day.
The inexplicable lack of support from their record label left the band at a crossroads; the gap was filled with the release of Cult Heroes, a collection of early recordings, some of which were vintage cuts from when they used that name. But most of these were also simply early versions of songs that had appeared on Polecats Are Go! in a more polished form. A short live record, Live And Rockin', also appeared and offered some new material, but the time to strike had passed.
The Polecats soldiered on, however, maintaining a presence on the underground Rockabilly circuit and, in 1999, signed with a Japanese label to release an all-new collection, Polecats Won't Die! By now they had dropped much of the Glam edges and New Wave affectations and focused more a traditional, driving Rockabilly sound, a decision that served them well.
In the years since, a handful of "Best Of" compilations have surfaced, all offering different permutations of, essentially, the contents of Polecats Are Go! along with assorted live tracks and studio throwaways. Any of them are fine, but your best bet is to find the CD reissue of the first album.
This week's NW4NW entry offers two clips from The Polecats. First, of course, their classic, "Make A Circuit With Me," followed by a clip of their take on Bowie's "John I'm Only Dancing." Enjoy!
From the release of their debut single, "Ignore The Machine," in 1982 through their present-day incarnation, few bands have staked out such singular musical territory as Alien Sex Fiend. The fact is that, then as now, there is simply no other band that sounds like them.
Alien Sex Fiend is often lumped in with the Goth scene, especially since they cut their teeth playing at The Batcave in London, often cited as the home of Goth. And sure, with their whiteface makeup and stringy Aqua-Net hairdos, they looked the part. But to call them a Goth band doesn't quite convey what Alien Sex Fiend is all about. Those expecting the somber chill of Bauhaus, the retro-glam of Specimen, or the lace-and-cobweb melodies of Siouxsie & The Banshees will find only slight shards of such sounds among Alien Sex Fiend's sonic attack. Instead, the listener is met with rumbling pseudo-mechanical undercurrents, electronic bleeps and blorps firing from all directions, highly processed sheets of guitar noise, and the seeming lunatic rantings of frontman Nik Fiend. Standard verse/chorus song structures are often only hinted at, and once you think you've finally latched onto an actual melody you are thrown off by a sudden sharp turn - or by the complete lack of one where it would be expected.
Their early albums as a quartet (Nik Fiend joined by his wife, billed only as Mrs. Fiend, guitarist Yaxi Highrizer and drummer Johnny Ha-Ha) are all excellent, if daunting, sonic explorations of the insane universe the band created for themselves. Who's Been Sleeping In My Brain?, Maximum Security, and It - The Album each have rather distinct personalities, but each contains some must-hear moments. Their high-water mark, however, is 1984's Acid Bath, wherein you'll find some of their best material: "In God We Trust (In Cars You Rust)," "Hee-Haw (Here Come The Bone People)," and "Attack!!!!!#2" lead a set that more than one reviewer has likened to a soundtrack for a horrific nightmare.
Highrizer and Ha-Ha left in the late 1980s, reducing Alien Sex Fiend to a husband and wife duo; this also freed Nik and Mrs. Fiend (real names: Nik and Chrissie Wade) to experiment more with electronic music and studio trickery. They continued to issue albums at a regular pace (Another Planet, Curse, and Open Head Surgery, among others) as well some killer singles like "Buggin' Me" and "Now I'm Feeling Zombified." They briefly re-expanded to a four piece unit with two new members, but for the past few years have reverted to the Fiend duo. Not nearly as active or prolific as they once were, Alien Sex Fiend nonetheless continues to issue reports from the furthest outposts of musical sanity.
For this week's NW4NW entry, here are a pair of Alien Sex Fiend videos: their debut single, "Ignore The Machine," and the later-era "Buggin' Me." Enjoy!
After a week or so of radio silence from Ruttville, I thought it time to bring you up-to-date on what's been happening, follow up on some previous posts, and just generally present the report from the home front. Those of you who already follow my personal accounts on Facebook and Twitter know most of these things, but for the benefit of those who do not, here's the recap of a whirlwind week or so: FIT AND WORKING AGAIN
Yeah, I suppose that's the biggest and best news - after hitting about rock bottom both in finances and in spirit during a hellish 15-month job search, gainful employment is mine again! Well, it will be, starting September 10 when I begin a roughly four-month temp position with a leading national employee benefits plan administration company. They're heading into their busy time of year, and need to do a temporary ramp-up of customer service folks to soak up the excess business. Having spent much of the past fifteen years working directly with clients and managing a call center, while also being successful in sales, training, recruiting and strategic planning, customer service is practically my middle name.
I landed this gig through a regional staffing service, who have proven to be excellent at placing people like myself in paying positions quickly. In fact the process of signing up with this service, getting scheduled for an interview, and being offered the job all happened in under a week - whereas on my own 15 months had garnered me little more than a collection of rejection letters, an interview with someone who actually responded to text messages while interviewing me, and the growing dread that I would soon be carrying a negative net worth. I have gained a healthy respect for this type of service, and highly recommend finding one to work with if you're still out on the job hunt.
Granted, the job doesn't pay what I'm used to making, but it's reliable income and a foot in the door with a good company. If I prove my worth, this could lead to a permanent position more in line with my skillset and value. Plus, I continue to do freelance work which, while it couldn't support me in itself, goes a surprisingly long way to make up the difference in income I'll be experiencing. Also, it'll be nice not to be the one in charge for awhile. I'm pleased, as are the electric company, the gas company, and the bank who holds my mortgage.
Also making my world a happier place are the two newest arrivals to Ruttville, Edison and Amadeus - two of the coolest cats (pun intended) you could ever hope to meet! In a world often divided into "dog people" and "cat people," I am a card-carrying member of the latter group. My family has always had cats, and once I had settled into my own apartment back in the 1990s, I had a wonderful Siamese named Napoleon. He was an incredible cat - very social, very friendly, a favorite among my circle of friends at the time. Unfortunately, Napoleon succumbed to kidney disease after many years of being a true friend and companion, and making the decision to put him down was, to this day, the singularly most difficult decision I have ever had to make. For many years I thought maybe I'd never be ready for another cat, but I knew that when and if that day came, I wanted another Siamese. Ideally two, so they could keep one another company while I was away at work.
Of course, I wasn't about to jump back into cat ownership without a job, and Siamese are often quite expensive to adopt. It's not uncommon to see ads asking $250 - $400 per kitten! Well, sometimes things just come together because they're supposed to: just two days after finalizing the job with CoreSource, a friend posted on Facebook that her mother was looking to place a 12-week-old sealpoint Siamese - $20 to a good home! After talking with her mother, I also agreed to adopt an 8-week-old Siamese/tiger mix, and last Monday, Ruttville welcomed Edison and Amadeus.
Edison, the Sealpoint, earned his name by being the immediately inquisitive one. He is smart as a whip and investigates everything. Amadeus, meanwhile, was so named for his constant joyful noise. As he follows Edison around like a big brother (they are not actually littermates, but sure act like it!), he mews and chirps happily. He is also the troublemaker of the two, regularly instigating the whole-house chases and ball-of-fur wrestling matches which he invariably loses, being 4 weeks younger and not nearly as big as Edison.
They often say that having pets can be a calming, healthy thing for people - especially anxiety-prone folks like myself. To a person, my friends and family have said they can already see the positive difference these two have brought to my psyche. Sure, they can be exasperating as they play-fight loudly, knock things over, and generally get into typical kitten mischief. And sure, I find myself wondering already why I invested in various catnip-filled balls, fishing-pole mice, and other assorted cat toys for them to play with when their favorite toys have turned out to be, in ascending order, a cardboard box, my feet, and each other. But they are the greatest companions in the world, unfailingly entertaining comics, and will undoubtedly become regular blogpost fodder around here.
One bit of forward-looking news to report, although I don't want to go too much in depth because it might be a few months off. But, the seeds have been planted for what just might possibly turn into a That's What I Was Going To Say podcast! Tossing some ideas around with a few folks as far as what the structure and frequency of such a podcast would be. I need some feedback from you: what would you want in a TWIWGTS podcast? Would you want something weekly? Twice a month? Once a month? Would you even listen? Want to be a part of the fun? Let me know in the comments below, or at the Official That's What I Was Going To Say Facebook Page and/or Twitter Stream.
OK, that's it for now. Looking forward to hearing from you guys!
Brian James' spot in punk history was assured after he joined up with Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian to form The Damned and wrote/co-wrote their classic debut album, Damned Damned Damned. After being such an integral part of one of the most important bands of the Punk/New Wave Era, James found himself fronting one of the Era's most sadly unknown footnotes.
After the second Damned album, Music For Pleasure, James struck out on his own. He assembled a band that included Andy Colqhoun on bass, Tony Moor on keyboards, and ex-Hawkwind drummer Allen Powell. Collectively known as Tanz Der Youth, the quartet issued one positively brilliant single, "I'm Sorry I'm Sorry"/"Delay," in 1978. Both sides of the single crackle with energy and excitement, maintaining the intensity of James' songs with The Damned while clearing moving forward from that sound. In interviews, James declared Tanz Der Youth's sound to be "transmagical" and "the sound of the '80s," a mix of punk rock and psychedelia and old-fashioned garage rock.
Somehow, Tanz Der Youth landed a gig opening for Black Sabbath, but after only a few dates of being pelted with assorted garbage from the lunkheads who didn't want to hear anything but Sabbath, Tanz Der Youth quit the tour and, shortly thereafter, quit as a band. They left behind only that one awesome single as their entire officially released output, although a bit of searching will turn up recordings of a Peel Sessions broadcast they did in September of 1978 which included both songs that appear on the single as well as two others, "Mistaken" and "Why I Die." The MySpace page set up for Tanz Der Youth offers up a few unreleased gems as well, in the hopes that enough interest might be generated to put everything out in official form.
James drifted through the next couple of years releasing a pair of solo singles, "Why? Why? Why?" and "Ain't That A Shame," in 1979, and forming Brian James & The Brains as a touring act, before landing a spot in Stiv Bators' punk rock supergroup The Lords Of The New Church. These days, he heads up The Brian James Gang, and has issued at least one album with that band.
For this week's entry, however, we present both tracks from an undeservedly forgotten band. Here are audio-only clips from Tanz Der Youth for "I'm Sorry I'm Sorry" and "Delay." Enjoy!
