Today I had my first foray into the world of commercial real estate. I was scouting locations for a new laundromat. It wasn't something I up-and-volunteered for (okay, I guess it was), but I received two free meals for my dedication to the project, and got to visit Palm Springs, which I've dreamed of visiting ever since Bugs Bunny took a vacation there at the end of Daffy Duck's Quackbusters . The plan was simple. Wake up early, head east on Interstate-10 and stop at five or six potential properties that could potentially [...]
I don't know how I arrived at this point in my life without knowing that a film like American Movie existed. One of my co-workers handed the DVD to me yesterday and said that I needed to watch it as soon as possible. The description on the back of the case said it was the hit of the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, and it was the story of a man's obsession to make movies. Horrifying images of Be Kind, Rewind -like terribleness flooded my brain, but I was informed that this was much, much different -- and [...]
1960 Muddy Waters, I Feel So Good (live). Howlin' Wolf, Spoonful. Elmore James, Rollin' and Tumblin'. Lightnin' Hopkins, Glory Be. Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window to be your Valentine. Ophelia, Hamlet, iv:v. Men lies about a little Some of 'em cries about a little Some of 'em dies about a little Everything fight about a spoonful.
I've mentioned in these pages a couple of times how I came to learn about Texas blues. Briefly, I was schooled by a white woman , which on its face seems odd, but she knew her stuff – and she could play an awesome guitar. One of the progenitors of Texas blues was Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins, who is this month's featured artist on my blues calendar. From the calendar's notes: From a family of musicians, Hopkins (1912-1982) played at fairs and frolics, dives and bars, on the streets and in buses. [...]
( Editor's Note: So...the other day, I get an email, out of the blue, from someone who wanted to share an Irma Thoams song with me. I look at the sender and it's John Cameron Mitchell, aka actor/filmmaker/writer/et. al. , best known for his 2001 film, Hedwig and the Angry Itch , which, amongst its finer qualities, introduced me to the German way of pronouncing "Gummi Bears" (like goo-may, instead of gummy) which I have since adopted, much to the amusement and/or annoyance of my friends. It stands to reason that [...]
(Note: After his fast start – posts on Hangar 18 and Too Short – my man J.J. checks back in with a post. I've threatened to remove his right hand if he doesn't post more.) I'm not usually a huge fan of re-releases. The last time I got into big a set was when MCA re-issued Fela Kuti's catalog, which tapped into an unbeknownst Afrobeat gene for a couple years and ruined a couple of relationships. These Vee-Jay recordings digitally re-released by the Orchard [...]
H ere's a heartfelt although belated happy new year to all of you from Buffalo West. All the best for 2008 and thank you for your support throughout the past year. Take it Lightnin'! Lightnin' Hopkins: Happy New Year
It's been quite a week for sports scandals, what with Michael Vick beginning his prison sentence for a dogfighting conviction and home run champ Barry Bonds being indicted for general assholery, but who would have thunk baseball golden child and Scrawny and SkinnySlim hero Derek Jeter would be added to the mix. Seems that Jeter is in trouble with the taxman. He declared himself a primary resident of Florida, which happens to have no state income tax, but has not spent the required 183 days in the Sunshine State required to legally establish residence...
A Little Tooth by Thomas Lux Your baby grows a tooth, then two, and four, and five, then she wants some meat directly from the bone. It's all over: she'll learn some words, she'll fall in love with cretins, dolts, a sweet talker on his way to jail. And you, your wife, get old, flyblown, and rue nothing. You did, you loved, your feet are sore. It's dusk. Your daughter's tall. ------------ REM - Crush With Eyeliner [...]
I guess today is another one of those two-update days. Aren't you readers lucky? Both music related! I guess I'm finally living up to my billing as a music blogger? The thought of it might be sickening, sure, but the reality is that I try to spend as little time writing about music as a music nerd possibly can. I don't want to bore anyone. With that in mind, here's another music related entry. A mix tape! RULES for uninitiated noobs : With 100MB of webspace, I give birth to a weekly Mix Tape to be [...]
I'm taking a break here in Fluville until Labor Day. I'm going out to California to visit my sisters and some friends that I never see, accompany my girlfriend while she plays a few shows out there, and work on a project that I've had on the back burner for quite some time. All this with a broken toe. So, I'll leave you with a few records by Lightnin' Hopkins. That's not so bad, is it? [...]
COOL SHIT ALERT! Saturday night at Philabuster's home court (ie: Medusa Lounge), the dudes from Bleached Black are presenting what projects to be one of the best nights of your entire year. Yes, the $3 PBR and shot specials will get you pissy. Yes, the Mongorock will get you shake-shakin' it. And yes, the staff/ownership of Medusa is hands-down the sexiest bunch of cocktailers in the tri-state area. On top of all that, you get the live US debut performance of Japanese hush-tronica outfit Colette Columbirch (pic'd). The 'Stamps home office has been resonating pretty [...]
I like to hang out at Chango sometimes, because the salty old dude who works there always has something funny to say about annoying customers, and he never charges you full-price for anything. Sure that's nice, but the real reason I like to go to Chango is because I can remain anonymous with my laptop and transcribe entire conversations without anyone noticing. They're all so self-involved with conversations about bullshit that, really, people can only have at a place like Chango. If you supplanted these people and placed them in any other scene, they would be mocked and laughed at [...]
Wow. Last night's dinner party was pretty incredible. Good people, excellent food, an overall great experience. I sampled dishes I'd ordinarily shy away from, and tried my best to liven up the gathering with my particular brand of humor and gregariousness. On a scale of one-to-ten, I'd say my performance was a twenty-two billion, three-hundred eighty-four million, seventy-six thousand, one-hundred and forty two. Thanks, alcohol! Sorry. In all honesty, it was the most fun I've had here yet. Also, in accordance with the laws of full-disclosure, I'm obligated to inform you that I had to choke back a [...]
1959 "my heart longed for him, but my foolish brain cried!" Lonesome Sundown, Gonna Stick To You Baby. Lightnin' Slim, Rooster Blues. Lightnin' Hopkins, Fan It. Jimmy Reed, Take Out Some Insurance. Some blues for a Monday morning: First, here are two swamp blues records from Nashville's Excello, both of which were recorded at Jay D. Miller's studio in Crowley, Louisiana, and featured the
Remember the part in Almost Famous , where Russell pines at the high school party for something "real?" This is real. Lighnin' Hopkins mp3s: You Is One Black Rat (from Straight Blues ) I'm A Crawling Black Snake (from Soul Blues )
Lightnin' Hopkins -- Feel So Bad Acoustic country-blues with Hopkins' distinctive reedy voice and some banging piano backup. [ Blues Kingpins ] Waylon Jennings -- Crying Jennings is not quite up to the melody; his reach isn't as agile as Orbison's, his touch not as deft. He's like a blackhat hacker whose social engineering fails and so he decides to brute force it. It's inelegant but it works. [ Country Giant @ emusic] [...]
I have a lot of writing commitments in the next week, and I still have to make it to #1 on my best of list. I'm not a good reviewer (overviewer?) and so we'll see how I do. Meanwhile, today I have the blues. The blues is like a virus; you get it in your blood and some days it hits hard. If you download these songs, it's likely you'll catch the blues yourself, so proceed with caution. Meanwhile, here's the tune: Bad luck, empty pockets, Trouble walking your way [...]
Swan Fungus
Locust St.
Licorice Pizza
soul sides
So Much Silence
Buffalo West Music
Audible Vitamins
BadmintonStamps
Bon Ton
Boogie Woogie Flu
The Smudge of Ashen Fluff
Tuwa's Shanty
I’ll Just Leave This Here #161
Young Guns - "Winter Kiss"
The Hood Internet - "See Youth" Usher x Santigold (MP3 Download)
Daft Punk graba con Giorgio Moroder
Taste And Try Before You Buy
