So, after work tonight, what to do... there's James Yorkston at Pilrig St. Paul's, or the Panda Su EP launch at Sneaky Pete's, or Ringo Deathstarr at Cabaret Voltaire. Then tomorrow it's either the Conquering Animal Sound album launch or Come on Gang's final gig (and album launch), also at Pilrig St. Paul's. It's almost like living in Glasgow or London. I'm also - not that I mean to show my age - rather excited about the number of green shoots in the garden at the moment. Our approach to gardening is more than a little haphazard, but [...]
I love driving on the open road. Convertible top down. Wind blowing through my hair . . .er . . . scalp. Whatever. Wind blowing against me, chilling my skin, making me feel alive. With that in mind, I think you can agree that the antithesis of the joyful, freedom abandon of the open road, is being stuck in traffic. And I mean, bumper-to-bumper, flipping-off-the-jerk-who-just -cut-me-off, traffic. So with that thought, today in the Ripple player, I'm only spinning discs that can make anytime on the road a little more joyful and [...]
We both hate Valentine's day and have no desire to take part in its consumerist pantomime. It seems to have created its own little rituals in our house though: we have an annual Valentine's hate-fest, which lasts a couple of days, where we pour scorn on both the event itself and anyone who takes part in it. The problem is, in doing so, we have sort of made ourselves part of what gets on our own nerves. Fucking people and their fucking stupid valentine's traditions like, er... this one. This is only the second in what will probably [...]
Susquehanna was released earlier this year and it marks the fifth album to be released by The Cherry Poppin' Daddies in their 20 year career. The band was formed by college students at the University of Oregon in the late 80's. The founding front man, Steve Perry, wanted to experiment with musical styles through integrating his punk rock roots with a jazz horn section and a keyboardist. The result was something unique and vastly different than what was considered popular at the time. The Cherry Poppin' Daddies are probably best known for their 1997 hit "Zoot Suit Riot" [...]
Even looking at gig listings makes me feel a little weak at the moment. Gigs mean bars, and bars mean booze, and even two days after our Christmas bash at Toad Hall the prospect of ever drinking again feels just a little scary. In terms of industrial levels of weapons-grade levels of drinking I don't think I've ever been to or hosted such a fearsome train-wreck of a party. The Divine Comedy - A Drinking Song Basically, I crashed just after 5am, [...]
If you find yourself driving somewhere near Eugene, Oregon, and a loud musical commotion commands your attention, you are likely hearing Cherry Poppin' Daddies. After almost 20 years of making their unique big band swing/eclectic mix music, there's certainly no shortage of energy in the bands' latest release, Susquehanna. Drawing comparisons to Faith No More and Fishbone among others, CPD's ambitious instrumentals feature trumpets, flamenco guitars and percussion played by real dancing feet only add to the ruckus and gassy make-up of their music. Each track seems to present itself as a three or four minute chapter in a novel [...]
For no apparent reason, the year 1998 seemed to see the sudden emergence of a number of bands playing what the music press would label swing revival music, or Retro-swing. In fact, these bands had toiled in obscurity for most of the 1990s, but why they all captured the popular imagination in 1998 in particular is a mystery. Soon enough, obscurity would welcome them back. Within a year or two, the style, and the bands that played it, had largely disappeared from view. But for that year or two, the music they made was great. [...]
Some seventeen years ago, the first time I saw Cherry Poppin' Daddies (the first time I ever saw any band), it was an opening slot for Sweaty Nipples. Close-in southeast Portland was a bit different those days—sallow proto-hipsters withering on the vine, SHARP/skinhead dialectic an actual concern, small-city hopelessness tangible as weapons are tangible—but, however vivid, the characters and set-dressing at least resembled what television had suggested. The Daddies...the Daddies didn't make any sense at all. Sunken whippet frontman channeling Sammy Davis theatrics and Dorothy Parker lyricism, crack instrumentalists shifting from violent thrash-funk riffage to thoroughly respectful horn-led [...]
After last weekend's heavily gin-related podcasting fiasco I am a little wary of entirely surrendering to the tender ministrations of my Juniperous Mistress this evening. I don't know if any of you listened to the bonus podcast I posted this week, but it is a scary example of car-crash TV er, podcastery at its most [...]
Right, Song, by Toad is off to the pub do drink himself into an alcoholic coma. Think of me when you tuck into your Saturday cornflakes, as I will probably be waking up in a gutter somewhere in the seedier parts of town, in a pool of my own effluent, with a partially shaved head and a liver like the contents of a camel's arse. Here are some bloody good tunes for ya. And this week's bender for the weekend is indeed a particularly fine selection if I do say so myself. If you can't [...]
Some pointless reminiscing today, brought on by a late night viewing of Deep Rising on Encore Action. The 1998 film is no great shakes, just one of a multitude of movies employing James Cameron's " Lifeboat with monsters and machine guns" formula from Aliens , with nothing save a higher gore quotient and Famke Janssen in a wet t-shirt to differentiate it from the pack. It's a Big Dumb Movie from a Big Dumb Era, but watching it gave me a twinge of nostalgia for that [...]
*Cherry Poppin' Daddies* ~ *Zoot Suit Riot* *Jump in the Line* *I've seen the Daddies with Camisha in Eugene, Oregon. Danced, hugged, kissed. Awesome! Got to see them on Haight Street too. Good F*ckin' times [...]
Song, by Toad
The Ripple Effect
Fist Vs. Tact
Local Vertical
Star Maker Machine
LocalCut
Armagideon Time
The Dork Group
J-Ax Meglio Live Tour 2012: la scaletta della data zero a Rovereto con l'omaggio ai Beastie Boys
The National - The Rains Of Castamere [Game of Thrones Soundtrack]
Sound of Summer (v. 3.1)
