Ode to a Mixed Tape – "2003"

Text © Robert Barry Francos
Images from the Internet

This was another tape made for some long drives I was making at the time. As always, I have tried to find the original release of the song as it appears on the tape, and if that’s not possible, a live version. However, much of the music I listen to is indie stuff, so it’s kind of hard to find.

Oh, and FYI, I strong resent and hate the new ads that are popping up on video sites like Vevo and YouTube.

SIDE ONE

Cadallaca – The Trouble with Public Places
Closely associated with Sleater-Kinney, this Cali trio has a great alt-indie sound that’s sharp, in both intelligence and beat. The live version of the song below (mine is off the studio CD EP) is hard to make out, but it tells of being pestered by some drunk (or druggie) while waiting for a band to show up, leaving the question of whether go home to get away from this tool and miss the band, or stay and be annoyed. I loved this song from the first time I heard it, and still do. Best cut on the EP.
myspace.com/cadallaca


Mike Brown and the Sneakies – Fuck You
While the whole CD is great rock’n’roll in a bar/garage format, this song is a killer. It starts off with a callous phone message from the girlfriend telling the singer she’s leaving him, while bragging she’s been “lying and cheating…so, fuck off.” This song is the response, and it’s so well written, with lines like “Fuck you and your suicide sidekick / Fuck you as you both spiral down / I’m through with the lies and the bullshit / I won’t be there when you both hit the ground.” There’s a very catchy chorus that has to go through the mind during a break-up after the listener has heard it.
myspace.com/mikebrownandthesneakies

Syd Straw – Think Too Hard
Syd was in the Golden Palominos, among other collectives, and has a great rock-meets-country sound. Surprise, the album this cut is taken from, though, is solid pop (with a country flair). Lots of pounding rhythm, gloss studio work, and I think a weakening of a great sound. That being said, there are a couple of really good cuts on it, including the Michael Stipe joined “Future Forties”, and especially this one. It’s a foot pounder, for sure, and manages to show Syd’s unique range. Sadly, I couldn’t find the video that goes with it, which is directed by Diane Keaton, of all people (who also did her “FF”) .
sydstraw.com

Mystic Eyes – Turn and Kiss Me Goodbye
There are a number of compilations that feature the Mystic Eyes, and this is one that made it onto the Lonely Planet Boy comp, but not either of their (excellent) albums. This tune's a rip roarin’ number, with Bernie Kugel getting’ all in your face, with a scream of “We’re the Mystic Eaaayyyeeeeezzzz.” As with most of Bernie’s songs, there are a couple of amazingly great written lines, one such as in this case “I see your face / I see your eyes / The genius things / That only I surmise.” And, as is usual with a BernieTune, it has a melody line that is both sing-a-long, and a pleaser. When is someone going to do a tribute album of his songs, already? I mean, the Cynics did a wicked cover of his “Girl, You’re on My Mind,” and the Dark Marbles have already covered “Walk Around the World.” There is just so much more that needs to be heard. (RIP Eric)
mysteyeco.20megsfree.com/index.htm

Molly and the Haymakers – Jimmy McCarthy’s Truck
Solid country, this is another rave-up. I found this CD at Sounds (St. Mark’s Place) for $2.99 a while ago, and keep coming back to this song about first love. She states, “Jimmy and I, you know that we were tight / In that cabin we learned about the night / My mama said, ‘What do nice girls do / ‘Til 25 to 2?’ / We were riding around in Jimmy McCarthy truck.” There’s a couple of lines I’d love to excise from the song where she states that growing old “becomes a growing fear,” which brings down the mood just a bit. Still, every time I hear this song, I’m happy.


California Speedbag – Shitlist
Off a compilation collection called Pies and Ears, this is one of the great punk country “I kilt my wife” songs. Takes a long time to get to its point, with a slow pounding melody, and then Gary Lupico’s creaky vocals come in, to a song that never lets up. The protagonist, in prison, wonders, “Am I on your shitlist Jesus / I know I’m no saint / They tell me that I’m worthless / Jesus tell me that I ain’t.” He further explains, “I never would have loved her / If I know’d she walked the line / And I never woulda shot her / If I know’d I’d do the time.” His voice sounds like he really has had a rough and tumble, hardscrabble life (RIP Gary).
myspace.com/californiaspeedbag

Melanie – Almost Like Being in Love
I heard this as a bonus track on the CD release off the Melanie album. She takes the tune from Brigadoon and makes into something completely else, using dissonant notes and a sweeping melody (rather than the original hokey love ballad). With harmonious backup singers, she shows that she wasn’t just some hippie singer, but a well-rounded, talented New York musician. Though I’ve seen her in concert a few times, I regret that I didn’t get to meet her when she was recording in a studio while I was working in the office (early ‘80s); didn’t know she was there until after she left. The live video below is pretty close to the studio version on my tape.
melaniesmusic.com


Life Underwater – Lead Me On
Author/musician/poet JD Glass is the core of Life Underwater. This live cut is one of LU’s strongest cuts, though all of them are well written and played. They’re sort of a cross between rock and singer-songwriter, depending on the line-up at any particular time. LU have a new name now: The Charm Alarm, and I’m looking forward to hearing more of their tunes.
Read an interview I did with lead singer JD here (Part I; see list on right side of page for link to Part II: ffanzeen.blogspot.com/2007/12/co-interview-with-writer-musician-jd.html).
myspace.com/lifeunderwateronline

Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom – The Party Starts Now
When rhythm guitarist Top Ten left the Dictators, they broke up, but they couldn’t stay apart (yet). Handsome Dick Manitoba, Andy Shernoff and Ross the Boss (along with a new drummer) reformed into essentially a leaner, meaner Dictators. This song is a kick-ass rocker that equaled the ‘Tator’s material. The video is kinda cheesy in a rock-chick filled mess, but the song holds up. Yankees lovin’ HDM’s gum-chewing is a more funny than distracting, but the only sad thing about this song is more people know this video than any of the Dictators canon. Perhaps it’s the women wearing sports gear? Not sure, but this is solid fun anyway.
last.fm/music/Manitoba's+Wild+Kingdom


Slickee Boys – Going All the Way / Glendora
The Slickee Boys were one of those bands who deserved to get a lot further than then did, whether Martha Hull is singing with them or not. Mark Noone’s vocals are great on these songs, and Kim Kane (the tall thin guy) has such a great presence. The medley of these two songs are so good, that I had to add in another song that I love as much as the one’s here (I’ve seen them live a couple of times, once at CBGBs, and they are an amazing live band). “GAtW” has a strong driving melody and rhythm, and “G” is a hilarious cover (once sang by Perry Como, though the SB’s take is closer to the underrated Downliners Sect’s version). See two early renderings of this song after the blog) about falling in love with… naw, I won’t give it away.
myspace.com/slickeeboys

Bonus Video, just because it is so good:


Barbara Manning – Smiling
I only have one album by Manning, and it’s really decent lo-fi, high kitsch, in a way that twee artists like Adam Green have been trying to reach for years. Her voice is vague on melody, but so full of richness, it doesn’t matter. Just very simple and easy. (Note that I may have the name of the song wrong!)
myspace.com/Barbara Manning

Media Ecology Unplugged – Hands of Captain Ludd
MEU is acoustic songwriters John McDaid (taking lead here) and Bill Bly, who tend to sing, both directly and indirectly, about culture, technology, and politics. For example, “HoCL” is about the Luddites failed violent revolt against the rise of the industrial revolution. This dissonant chorded (hence tense) piece tells not only the story of one of Ludd’s followers, but a technological history of how machines have been used as a means of control (“When the Roman Empire fell the Church used the bell for a hell of a devious scheme / To summon their flock they invented the clock, they made time with their new machine”). MEU have songs that are hysterically funny and deadly serious. You can download all their songs free here: www.infomonger.com/meunplug/


SIDE TWO

The Cramps – Garbageman
“You ain’t no punk you punk!” starts off one of the great songs of the Cramps that came in their important transition period, between voodoobilly and garage-billy (i.e., post-“The Way I Walk” and pre-“Goo-Goo-Muck”), when they were arguably at their strongest. There are lots of driving rhythms and wild guitarwork around this drug seller tale, but it’s the great bon mots that come out of it that helps make this such a great take-away: “If you can’t dig me you can’t dig nothin’” Lux spits out. With fevered pitch, he repeatedly asks, “Do you understand?” The video was shot in less than an hour, and looks as good as many of the MTV-level ones from the period. (RIP Lux; RIP Bryan)


Joey Ramone – Stop Thinkin’ About It
Joey’s one and only solo album was full of songs of hope and promise, as he was battling the cancer that claimed him. “Nuthin’ lasts forever, and nothin’ stays the same,” Joey looks positively ahead. The song is slick without being overly so, in a non-Top-Ten kinda way; he certainly didn’t embarrass himself like the “Funky Guy.” Joey could have had a long career as a lone act, more so than the other bruthas, but was tragically cut short, just like the other bruthas. (RIP Joey)


Mary Lou Lord – Lights are Changing
MLL opened her 1995 EP with this Bevis Frond tune (backed up Juliana Hatfield). It sounds almost out of place with the rest of the release, with its high production value (the rest on the EP is simply her voice and guitar). That being said, the whole thing is amazing and I can listen to all the songs straight through (except the last cut, a cover of “Speedy Motorcycle,” a song I never cared for whoever did it). The video is a different version from a EP release, but it holds up as a great song nonetheless, using imagery of her history of subway busking in Boston. MLL is another who deserves a bigger shot (read my interview with her here: ffanzeen.blogspot.com/2008/10/mary-lou-lord-who-is-mary-lou-lord.html)
myspace.com/maryloulord


The Murmurs – You Suck
The Murmurs have a phenomenal and dedicated (mostly female) following. This song is just one of the reasons. From their sophomore release (before they became more rock based and then changed their name, eventually broke up both the band and their relationship). This song is one of their strongest, and one of two videos that were made off this album (the other is “Bad Mood”). People who have seen the video know it for the chorus “Right now there’s dust on my guitar you fuck / And it’s all your fault / You paralyze my mind / And for that you suck.” But there’s also redemption in the song that’s no less clear than in “I Will Survive.” The harmonies are sweet, the melody is memorable, and the tension just builds beautifully. I haven’t seen a video where the “f” word isn’t cut out, so here you go.
last.fm/music/The+Murmurs


Transparent – Anything (In 3)
In the heady Punk Temple days in Bensonhurst during the early 2000s, I saw Transparent play. They were one of the first bands to give me their (4-song) CD to review. From Providence, RI, the band had (I’m using past tense assuming they are not a viable as a unit as their Web site doesn’t exist) a strong sound. This particular song, which stood out during their live show as well, is a great grinding punk piece, with singer Keith Allen yelling out on the chorus, “And I would do anything / Just to keep you satisfied.” Pure romantic angst at its finest. Some bands may not last long, but they have the potential of releasing some excellent sounds, such as this one. Other members were Adam Riley (guitar), John Farley (rhythm guitar), Sweet Chris (bass), and Rich Bocchini (drums).

She Wolves – Hundred Bucks
There are different versions of this song by varied line-ups of this band (though two of the three have remained the same), all of which are worth a listen, but this one from the first EP is my favorite. Solid Ramones-influenced metal gnashing with Donna She Wolf screaming out “All I fuckin’ need now / Is a hundred bucks / it’s not for drugs!” The music is solid drive. This tune is short, simple, and relentless. Newer versions are more Ramones-metal than Ramones-punk, but it’s still just killer stuff. Check out the She Wolves’ (so far) masterpiece full sludge-crunch-metal CD, 13 Deadly Sins. While this type metal is not a genre I commonly listen to, the She Wolves are so amazing that it is one of the bands I truly miss being away from NYC. Big hugs Donna and Tony (and whoever is playing bass now).
shewolves.com (though their MySpace page seems to be more up-to-date).

John Otway – Beware of the Flowers Cos I’m Sure They’re Gonna Get You (Yeah)
John Otway is one of those guys who either you’ve never heard of or you just like. There is an amazing greatest hits collection that I listen to all the time. From the first time I heard him in the late ‘70s (when he had long hair) and had the opportunity to not only see him play a couple of times, not to mention interview him for my fanzine – thank you Janis Schacht - I knew he was worth a listen. He reminds me of a British Willie Alexander, but more in a more rock vein. Along with then-partner Wild Willy Barrett, he would tour around and just smash away, but with imaginative tunes and lyrics that were, well, John Otway written as only Otway could. Whether he’s writing about “Louisa on a Horse” (a song produced by Pete Townsend) or “God’s Camera,” he takes simple concepts and blows them up into a sing-along melody and words. There are so many wonderful songs he’s written or covered and made his own. And so, this is the big one, proper.
Johnotway.com


Morphine – You Look Like Rain
Actually, I find most of Morphine’s output to be pretentious and boring, but I really do like this song. It’s almost growled and could have been easily turned into a leer, but it’s more about desire than lust, and that’s to the singer Mark Sandman’s compliment. Morphine were trying to reinvent rock’n’roll, but ended up being some cross between rock and jazz, and, in my opinion, failed at both. But even artists who do not interest me in general may have a cut that I will enjoy. I’m usually open to find some nuggets. (RIP Mark)


Planet Smashers – Fabricated
Message to Gwen Stefani: this is ska, not the crap you produce (or ever had). Okay, the Planet Smashers are a ska band from Toronto, and from the first listen, it was solid Madness / Specials / Bad Manners, but even faster. As a student of Media Ecology, “Fabricated” spoke to that side of technopoly that Neil Postman and Jacques Ellul posited. The chorus states, “We are fabricated / we are regulated / We will fight to control the truth.” I don’t have much more to say about this, except give it a listen.
Planetsmashers.net


Waldos – Sorry
Do I really need to explain about Walter Lure? Is there anyone who reads this that needs more info on him? Well other than checking out the interview on this blog (ffanzeen.blogspot.com/2009/10/walter-lure-on-gross-state-of-art-part_27.html: the second part is on the same day in the blog). The Waldos still exist, and their Rent Party album is as fine piece of work all the way around as the Heartbreakers. In the song, Waldo kicks out a groupie who was expecting more (“Next thing that I know you’re making eggs and cheese / Next thing that I know you want to live with me / I gotta go, what can I say / Sorry you took it that way”). As with most of the cuts on the CD, this one is guitar-driven and chain-saw revs. The video is a more recent live version. (RIP Tony; RIP Richie)
myspace.com/walterlure


Washington Squares – D Train
Made up of an ex-New Wavers (Lauren Agnelli of Nervus Rex) and two ex-punkers (Tom Goodkind of U.S. Ape; Bruce Jay Paskow of the Invaders), the WS developed a beatnik look of wearing black (or black and white horizontal stripes), including sunglasses and turtlenecks, and sang both modern and traditional folk, but they did it with a sense of both respect and irony, playing the Civil Rights edge as a response to Reganomics. About half their songs were covers, the others original (all three contributed). This one touched a nerve, not just because it’s a rave-up. At the time, my pal Alan lived on the D line, so he could relate. Ironically, after some major subway construction, the D train was rerouted in Brooklyn (replacing the B) and became my train. But the song isn’t really about the subway, it’s about being stuck in a mundane job. Other WS videos are available, but not this one. (RIP Bruce)
www.washingtonsquares.com/

Linda Ronstadt – Close Your Eyes
As I’ve stated before (much to the chagrin of a reader), Linda’s country period of the early-to-mid-‘70s was her strongest (before she started trying to be more pop with covers of Buddy Holly and Motown). This James Taylor song is a strong example of why I believe that. It’s smoky and sensual, definitely Linda at her best.
lindaronstadt.com
Gotta go find it as embedding not permitted by these corporate suits: youtube.com/watch?v=5UVBXOCd_fc

Mystic Eyes – I Thought I Saw a Tear
Mystic Eyes – Share
I was relistening to their Our Time to Leave album when I was making this tape, and as I love these songs (actually, I like all the of the material on it), I added them on. “ITISAT” is typical Kugel pop; in other words, a marvel of songwriting, in this case fueled by Scott Davison’s rapid-fire drumming. But with “S,” bassist Craig Davison takes charge, writing / singing / playing just about everything in his then-home basement studio, proving that he is a Renaissance man with this strong kiss-off tune that has a hint of pathos (“Go to your cross-town love / You are now his alone / You’d rather share your love / Than to be mine alone”). Oh, and check out Craig’s blog at who-really-cares-anyway.blogspot.com (link is also on the right of his page).

Mason Williams – Classical Gas
This is one of my favorite instrumentals, period. I own a large collection of his works (both music and print), and the album this comes from, The Mason Williams Photograph Record, is one of my favorite records of all time (along with The Mason Williams Ear Show and Music). “Classical Gas” had a resurgence when it was used as the theme to the Bruce Willis / Michelle Pfeiffer ’99 film The Story of Us (redone by Eric Clapton; youtube.com/watch?v=bX9wE6TA80Q&feature=related), but I’ve been listening to it all along. This is a guitarist’s dream piece, and I’ve heard it played excellently by the likes of Glen Campbell (youtube.com/watch?v=YX6kCqgBffY) , Chet Atkins (youtube.com/watch?v=DRtvALWlKK4&feature=related), and Jim Stafford (youtube.com/watch?v=xdWXo-mMjZk). The video is a live version, but has the integrity.
masonwilliams-online.com/home.html


Bonus videos:

Public Reading: JD Glass and Sarah Schulman, March 25, 2009

Text and live photos © Robert Barry Francos
Book cover images from the Internet

It was a cold evening last night, March 25, as I drove to the feminist-focused Bent Pages bookstore at 391 Van Duzer St., on Staten Island. It is directly across from the Cup (nee the Muddy Cup), and diagonally from music scene legendary bar, Martini Red.

This spot is a sort of trifecta for JD Glass: Her band, Life Underwater, has performed at the (Muddy) Cup, she had DJ’d at Martini Red, and now she has read from her newest book, X, at the Bent Pages.

When I arrived, JD was deep in discussion with co-speaker Sarah Schulman at a local restaurant, so after dropping in to say hello to her, I spent some time hanging out with her friend that I had met just a few minutes earlier in the warmth of her car, waiting for the magic moment.

At 7:30, as JD and Sarah arrived, we disembarked from the car and all headed into the compact bookstore, which was packed. All were eager to hear the speakers read.

First up was Sarah Shulman, a multiple award winning author and activist who was reading from her newest novel, The Child. Currently, Sarah teaches at the College of Staten Island (CSI), where JD attended for a while a few years ago. Sarah is a prolific writer of novels (The Mere Future [forthcoming 2009], The Child, Shimmer, Rat Bohemia, Empathy, People In Trouble, After Delores, Girls, Visions and Everything, The Sophie Horowitz Story), nonfiction books (The Twist: Familial Homophobia And Its Consequences [forthcoming], The Gentrification Of The Mind [forthcoming], Stagestruck: Theater, AIDS, and The Marketing Of Gay America, My American History: Lesbian and Gay Life During The Reagan/Bush Years), and plays Carson McCullers, Manic Flight Reaction, The Burning Deck, and Enemies: A Love Story.

In The Child, from which Sarah read a chapter, a gay man is entrapped by the police after a sting in a bathroom. It was humorous and terrifying at parts.

Then JD Glass read a chapter from her newest novel, X. She is also the author of Lambda Literary Award finalist Punk Like Me, its follow up Punk And Zen, Lambda Literary and Ben Franklin Award finalist Red Light, and American Goth (I have read – with enormous pleasure – all of these previous novels). She also has the forthcoming Yuri Monogatari 6 anthology with a side story from American Goth (Sakura Gun (London)), and graphic novels Sakura Gun, and Legacy Of Stone, an anthology work in progress with fellow author Gabrielle Goldsby.

This new book, X, is different from her previous exercises in a number of ways. The first four were dark modern gothic novels with a supernatural bent. This new one is more of a cyberpunk mystery. Also, as JD pointed out to a round of humor and applause, this novel is not in first person narrative (the crowd reaction a positive acknowledgement of growth of the author’s style). I look forward to reading it.

Next, Sarah came up and read the acknowledgement part of the book, which focused on her struggles to get it published, followed by an open discussion with JD and Sarah over many topics, such as JD’s separation from her present publisher, the media, government, and cultural changing views of lesbians and gays in the Obama era, and what I found most interesting, the question of what makes a fiction “lesbian” (e.g., the author, the story, the characters), and on which store bookshelf should it be found. Sarah also described her debt of thanks to musician Diamanda Galas for her contribution in getting it out. It was a lively discussion from the authors and many in the audience.

For an interview this blog did with my good friend JD Glass, check the FFanzeen Blog archives: December 8, 2007 (Part 1); February 19, 2008 (Part 2).

[JD Glass and Sarah Schulman discuss over dinner]
[The book table]
[Sarah Shulman reads a chapter]
[JD Glass reads from her book]
[Sarah's acknowledges]
[JD leads the discussion]

CD Reviews: Fall 2008

These are the CDs that have been reviewed at my Jersey Beat: Quiet Corner column, at JerseyBeat.com/quietcorner.html.

Due to computer issues, I had lost a bunch of reviews I had written to be published here. If you sent me a CD and it still has not been reviewed, please let me know!

Talk about international: PAT ALLEN and ANDY BUCKLE are two British musicians teaching grade school in Connecticut, who have recorded this CD, Through the Same Eyes (kef4kids.org), to help build a school in Africa (Kilimanjaro, to be precise). While the collection is all over the map, from solid rock to children’s songs (think Wiggles) to ballads, to Hall & Oats-ish soft rock, to singer-songwriter, it comes together as a cohesive effort, thanks to the blending of both their mellow voices to the central themes of encouragement, empowerment, and positivism. Now, I know that this all sounds kind of preachy and has a high possibility of a yecch factor, but yes, they do pull it off, and quite well. As for the charity aspect, hey, we did the Rock Again Racism, Rock Against Reagan, and Hands Across Your Face, so why not help these kids in Africa? I don’t know if we are the world, or if they know it’s Christmas time, but I do know that this is a solid piece of work worth listening to on its own. It’s a bit steep at $25, but think where it’s going.

This seems to be the year of all ABBA-all the time. To add to the pile is Australian band AUDIOSCAM, who have produced their own interpretation on their CD Abbattack (australiansunrecords.com). All the hits that are in the movie, on the radio, coming out of storefronts, etc., are here. But what makes this different is that it is done in a poppy hair metal milieu. Yep, guitar solos, and all. It’s kinda interesting in its own twisted way, and would be more so if I was a fan of the Swedish acronym. One song that actually comes across especially well here is “S.O.S.,” on which they put just the right sheen. “Momma Mia” seems as if Queen arranged it, so I guess that works as well. Problem is, I was sick of these songs by 1985, so it was a tough listen at times, not because of Audioscam, who do a fine job, but because, well, as I said, all ABBA-all the time. Wonder if they’ll do a similar-yet-more-fun (to me) band next time, and cover The Seekers: “It’s a long, long journey, so stay by my side…”

For those who don’t know, KEVIN AYERS is a legendary British musician who was an original member of the psychedelic Soft Machine back in the late ‘60s, playing often with the likes of Syd Barrett. The Unfairground (giganticmusic.com), which is also the name of his back-up group, is his first release in 15 years. While his voice has mellowed, as it were, he is not just “famous for what he did before,” as his songs are top notch. The psychedelia is mostly gone but there is definitely a late ‘60s-early ‘70s feel that leans more toward glam (without the over-the-top exuberance that is usually iconified by the style), but mixed with some folk and even Tex-Mex! It is often said that the quality of a musician can seen in the company they keep. Backing Kevin in various songs include the old guard like Roxy Music’s Ray Manzanera, Brit folk marvel Bridget St. John, and Soft Machine bassist Hugh Hopper. Some of the newer ones include Teenage Fanclub singer/guitarist Norman Blake and Frank Reader from the Trash Can Sinatras. All the cuts here are musically superb, and even Kevin’s rough voice works well within the frame.

JOHN BATDORF and MARK RODNEY were cult favorites in the early ‘70s, with their mellow folk rock output. They broke up in 1975, but got back together again recently to record Still Burnin’ (johnbatdorfmusic.com), a mostly live recording at XM Studios, which is mostly their own covers plus two brand new songs. Have to say that before this CD, I hadn’t heard of them (though my go-to-guy, Bernie Kugel, who is a ’60-‘70s musical encyclopedia, knew them right off. Of course). I can only go by what I’m hearing here, and I have to say, as much as I like folkie stuff, this was the kind of material that originally made me want to listen to the Ramones. B&R would probably fit somewhere between Seals and Croft and CSN (sans Y). After all, in one form or another, B&R had toured with the likes of America, Hall and Oats, and, well, you get the picture. Yeah, the songs are okay, with a deep view of personal growth and heartache, and I don’t mean to put that kind of musical stretch down, but they are not my cup of tea. Melanie was more ‘core than they were (I loved Melanie, to whom I lost my concert cherry, so back off). That being said, for those B&R fans out there, please don’t get me wrong, I am not saying they are bad. Their musicianship is tight and Batdorf still has his voice (“Burnin’” comes across as Batdorf BACKED BY Rodney more than Batdorf AND Rodney) after all these years, but to me it is just…meh, whatever. Get this if you like Kansas and Poco.

THE BUGS (myspace.com/zodiackillerrecords) is a Cali post-hardcore band that owes a lot to the Ramones and the Descendants. Their self-titled release is 11 songs in just over 13 minutes. From what I can see, there are three main topics here. In no particular order, one is drugs (e.g., “Back on the Weed,” “Meth on My Mind,” “Dopefiend”), looks at culture (e.g., “No More Emo Haircuts,” “I Wish I Was a Mexican,” and my favorite in this category, “Dave Navarro’s Goatee Fucking Sucks”), and the most outstanding one is about homosexuality (“Lesbo! Lesbo!,” “Never Went Gay,” “I’m Turning Gay,” and “Email From a She-male”). I don’t know these guys, and despite the very humorous and sophomoric tone, they seem old enough to know what they are saying. Are they homophobic or homo-core, I’m not sure, but they made me laugh. The songs are little paragraphs of statements with a grin and elbow, and can be summed up by something in the one-page booklet that thanks someone “who was supposed to play drums on this record but could not due to state issued mandatory jail time.” If you like your ‘core with a non-serious bent, well, here ya go.

CAMERA-HEAD SHARK is the kind of band that just gets better the more you listen to it. Oh, You (cameraheadshark.com) at first came across as a slightly skewed pop rock band, but oh, it is so much more. With a sharp sense of melody and harmony, layered under the off-kilter but actually quite fitting vocals, the songs have memorable hooks, and a sound that if not unique is certainly in short supply. In other words, they don’t sound like every other damn band you hear these days. Some of the better cuts here, and they are actually all worthwhile, are “Baby Midnight,” “Pack Up Your Suitcase,” “It’s So Evil,” and especially the opening “Punched” (which could have been written by They Might Be Giants) and what should be their breakout single, “Since the Stone Age.”

It is amazing how much STEVE CARLSON at times sounds like Greg Brown on Stripped Down (smokinglionmusic.com or stevecarlson.com). Mind you, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. And please let me be clear that Steve’s material is really well crafted, and not reductive. From “Without You,” the opening cut, his emotion is on his sleeve in a powerful performance. Yeah, he looks like he w/could beat the crap outta ya, but there is definitely some heart in there and is not afraid to show it, evident by the one cover: the Ronnettes’ “Be My Baby.” It’s brave to go up against Ronnie Spector’s voice, especially as raspy as Steve’s is, but his heart definitely pulls it off. This CD, Steve’s fourth, is actually full of really strong material, like “All That I ever Wanted,’ “Happy Hour,” straight through to the finale, “Love Your Or Leave You.” If you like singer-songwriter with just a hint of western flair (sans country), check it out.

Seems when bands focus on horror flicks, they fall into two general categories: you have the non-human monsters, such as Children of the Night and The Scared Stiffs), or the human monsters (e.g., cannibals and mass murderers), such as The Cramps and now CHESTY MALONE AND THE SLICE ‘EM UPS. Their CD, Now We’re Gonna See What Disaster Really Means (Wrecked; c/o chestymalone.com), is a fuckin’ hoot. Post-hardcore speed with a New York ‘80s style, they pound their way through 13 numbers, such as “Trouble With Cannibals” (one of my faves), “13 Killers” (what, no mention of New Yorker Albert Fish?), “Meat Factory,” “Skincrawl,” “Livereaters,” “Dotti Douchebag Sings the Blues,” and “Beavershot.” Thing is, from the first to the last, this is such a fun release, that its 30 minutes goes by so quickly. Chesty Malone, in her latest incarnation (she was the lead singer of Lady Unluck), is Jaqueline Blownapate, whose throaty voice is not so much a death rattle, as it is a body slam, using a 24-pounder. The rest of the band, which includes her partner/co-writer/guitarist Anthony Allen van Hoek, keeps up with her (or she keeps up with them…either way it works). There are a lot of cool subtle film references throughout, such as “Spiderbaby” in “Livereaters” and perhaps “The Corpse Grinders” in “Meat Factory.” I haven’t caught them live, but it’s definitely on the agenda.

The Colorado-based MICHAEL HARRISON BLUES is – of course – Michael at the center, and a bunch of studio musicians, releasing Lost in the Blues (michaelharrisonblues.com). This CD is mostly blues standards, with some originals thrown in. Gotta say, Michael’s electric blues style is right up there with Stevie Ray and Eric C, with a sharpness like a razor. And what he lacks in the vocal area with a tendency to be flat (both literally and emotionally), he certainly makes up for with his flying fingers. Some of the covers include “Mean Mistreater” (a Muddy Waters’ wailer), Robert Ross’s 1991 “White Boy Lost in the Blues,” “CCR’s “Wrote a Song,” Buster Burnett’s Jumpin’ at Shadows,” and the late and underrated Tommy Bolin’s “Sweet Burgundy” (which is vocally the weakest here). It is nice that Michael’s originals fit in pretty well with the standards. Jennifer Burnett’s vocals on the opener and closer helps, but I do have to say that as a release that is put out by Michael himself, he did an above decent job. Maybe an instrumental release next?

Rather than producing the usual concept of songs, HOLLER, WILD ROSE! uses each cut of Our Little Hymnal (blacklightrecords.com) to create a soundscape experience, which is almost a world of their own. There are multiple instruments ranging from the classic guitar/bass/drum to all different types of synthesizers. For well over an hour, they stream out sounds that all flow together. No bleep or blurps, but rather texture and waves. It is hard to imagine them playing out, as each member of this group is listed as playing numerous instruments which are all blended. The vocals are wispy, sometimes in a John Lennon-ish way, other times, more pastoral. Despite such heady music, the lyrics are actually very accessible, which helps the whole project be approachable.

When I was in high school, I had a friend named Robert Gordon (not the rockabilly singer) who introduced me to his three loves: Bob Dylan, Jethro Tull, and pot. It took me a few years to appreciate Dylan, the other two not. Back then, I found arena rock really, excruciatingly dull, perhaps because I was not a lover of pot? I took chances and went to see Led Zeppelin at MSG, and was bored to sleep, literally. Now I was given the opportunity to review the new DVD by JETHRO TULL, Jack In the Green: Live in Germany, Recorded Between 1970-1993 (Aviator-Entertainment GmbH). There are 18 songs covering a few performances, the forefront of which is in 1982. Since high school and now, I have learned to value Celtic music, which is a large part of Tull’s sound (along with rock, jazz, and fusion). As the DVD started, at first I thought, oh, wow, this isn’t bad at all. Maybe Robert had something here. I mean, I still remember the main riff from “Aqualung,” but I didn’t recall anything else from that album or “Thick as a Brick,” which were quite prevalent in my high school days. Then, somewhere around the fourth of fifth song, I started looking at my watch. The quality of the DVD is excellent, with the visuals and the sound being very crisp. As the DVD went into the second show (1986), and the 10th song, I subconsciously I caught myself fiddling with the remote in my hands, feeling restless. About halfway through the ’86 shows, I started fast-forwarding a bit through the instrumentals. The ’93 part, taken from TV appearance, is nearly pure jazz, and the two songs kept my interest. The last part is from the “Beat Club,” also TV, one song from 1970, and one from 1971. While I was amazed at the sharpness of the image (with the typical German way of superimposing the full names of the band members), I was totally bored out of my mind, though it was interesting when Ian Anderson grabs his side in pain, walks off the stage, and end the song short. Of all the cuts here, the 1982 ones are the best sound, lighting, and most entertaining, showing Anderson at his best, but that’s limited for me. I think I’ll still with my “just Dylan,” though I appreciate the chance to see if I was missing something. Speaking of absence, there are no extras on this disk.

The handsome JANN KLOSE resides in the Bronx now, but throughout his life, he has lived on numerous continents, all of which has affected his music views. His latest is Reverie (janklose.com), which was recorded in New Jersey. It’s kind of hard to put a handle on Jann’s material, but it is somewhere in the theatrical jazz singer-songwriter area. His songs take you on journeys though emotions and styles, sometimes with basic guitar (by Jann)-piano-bass-drum, and on others, the lovely Jann’s voice, piano and cello. I can see this ensemble playing Carnegie (Hall, not Deli), or some of the ritzier jazz spots. Yet, the style never tries to talk over the listener’s head; I admire that. Jann’s vocal stylings are reminiscent of Sting, but with some major exceptions: first, Jann has a very beautiful and pure voice, where Sting has that nasal twang that is sorta chalk-on-blackboard; and most importantly, Jann comes off totally sincere and not focused on “self,” unlike…you know who. There are a lot of really enjoyable cuts here, such as the lush, jazzy “All These Rivers,” and the subtle “Questions of the Heart.” The instrumental “Ithaca” is pretty, and this ends on a high note, ironically, with “The Beginning.” I haven’t heard Jann play live yet, but I have met him (tremendously intelligent and nice guy). On the other hand, I have heard Sting play but have not met him, and don’t need to do either with Sting again.

EDDY & KIM LAWRENCE have released their first folkie singer-songwriter (including blues and country influenced) duo-focused cleverly named CD, My Second Wife’s First Album (snowplowrecords.com), but Eddy has been releasing solo stuff for over 20 years. Based near the northeast corner of New York State where Quebec meets Vermont (though he’s original from deep south), they recorded this on their own. Kim plays stand-up bass and adds minimal vocals, and most of the rest, such as writing, singing, and picking is by Eddy. Unlike some other DIY work, they seem to have good control of their material and recording (i.e., no over-indulgent “what will this button do to the sound?” here), thankfully. Eddy is a fine songwriter who takes his everyday life into accord, including addictions, presenting the likes of “Rescue Somebody,” “Camp Cumberland,” “Black Ice,” “Turnpike,” and “Apology.” Sometimes it gets a bit “hunh?” (like “Sammy From Massena” and “Weekend at the Muggles”), but even there the melody takes you, and his framing works. But there is a certain level of deepness that comes through when you least expect it, like on “Your Mama Likes Me,” “One Day at a Time,” “Truth or Consequences,” and “Step 8.” At a bit over an hour, this may have been able to be edited down a bit, perhaps to the next CD, but still good to hear what’s on his mind. What I like the most is that the crisp recording that makes it feel like they’re sitting in the room with the listener, all homey and comfortable. Kim seems to be good for him!

[Life Underwater photo by RBF/FFanzeen Prod]
There are lots of double things to mention when it comes to Staten Island’s LIFE UNDERWATER (liveunderwateronline.com). First, sometimes they’re a group, as in their Live at Café Verboten, and now they are back to a duo with their self-titled release. Sometimes lead singer Jamie Glass plays guitar, and sometimes bass…oh, and sometimes she’s just Jamie (the other part of the duo is her partner, Shane, who plays great guitar), and sometimes she’s amazing novelist JD Glass (Punk Like Me, Punk & Zen, Red Lights, American Goth, and yes, I’ve read them all; there is a huge interview I did with her linked to their MySpace page, but I digress). Both these CDs are their own flavor, and are superb in their own rights. The live CD is solid straight through, as a four-piece. I like the drum sound, and the songs on there are among my favorites of Jamie’s, such as “I Fall,” “I Say Goodbye,” and especially “Lead Me On.” The band helps give it a beautiful bottom rhythm. The self-titled one is stripped down to just Jamie and Shane, who play off each other well. Once again, Jamie’s wonderful use of melody and lyrics in her songs keep the listener’s attention. All the songs here, including “The Kiss,” “Complicated,” and “What Am I Fighting For” show solid songwriting in my melody and lyric. So, basically, check out their songs on their site, get the CDs, and read the books; you won’t be disappointed.

MICHAEL LINDNER is one of those DIYers who does it all, from playing all musical parts, to engineering and recording (his “day” job), to even designing the packaging of Cocktail Napkin (alleyonemusic.com). This CD consists of 8 original instrumentals, and 4 cover songs with vocals. His own pieces are lounge-based, with a strong surf guitar influence. Many of them remind me of the kind of music playing on the soundtracks of ‘60s exploitation films, such as those by Russ Meyer. Believe me, I mean that as a major complement, as those tunes were amazing. While multi-instrumentally talented, Michael’s main axe is the bass, which he uses as the cornerstone of pieces like “Tremulux”. All of these Linder-penned songs are strong. The only weakness seems to be in the vocal tracks, which are very vanilla. He opens up with the Bararach-David tune made famous by Love, “Little Red Book”; mind you, it’s hard to follow someone like Arthur Lee, or even the Stones on “2000 Man.” He just does not have the of the blues heartfelt singing chops. Even the post-doo-wop era “Party Doll” comes off flat. But that’s just four uninteresting songs for eight pretty amazingly fun ones. Definitely the odds are good, and worth a listen.

When the press release starts off with a quote by one of my old mentors and professor, Neil Postman (from “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” I believe), I’m going to pay a little more attention. THE LOVE KILLS THEORY takes Happy Suicide, Jim (xomu.com) as a look at Huxley’s version of dystopia, which is blinding ourselves with consumerism. Rarely does this post-pop group hit the listener over the head with its message, but it is definitely a theme throughout, from specifics, like giving up smoking (“This Thing”) and computers (“Suicide Girls”), to general ownership (“The Love Kills Theory”: “Things you’re wanting become things you’re hating/What sustained you now makes you weary”), to just general cultural morass (“Dream of Sleep”). Now before you start saying, “Ya commie bastids,” it’s not that at all, but rather a request to look inside. These guys are more into the Situationalists than Lenin. The music is quite interesting, in a pop way, with an industrial/electronic influence, though I thought a few more songs would have more power if they hadn’t been electronically affected: a couple times works, but about half are processed, which is overkill. Despite the down-tone of the lyrics, it is actually a positive message (much like Postman). And the final chorus of “Dream of Sleep” is hard to get out of one’s head.

JON MACEY & STEVE GILLIGAN make up the core of Boston pop rockers FoxPass. Now they expand into their own foray with Everything Under the Sun (Actuality Records, Box 408, Arlington, MA 02476; jonandsteve.com). Here, Jon and Steve have the support of percussionist Barry Marshall (of the classic Boston ‘70s band, The Marshalls, who double-duties as producer). I had the pleasure to see Jon and Steve doing their duo stuff up in Boston last year at the Cantab, and they are amazing together. Their material could have been right off Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks,” but it is all their own. In pure partnership, they each wrote 5 songs apiece, and two together, and yet all are seamless. The songs of life, losing oneself and redemption are woven together through various stringed instruments (such as guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, mandocello), and both their individual and harmonious voices. Truly, I could not pick out a fave because there is not a bad cut here, and each is as impressive as the rest.

While it is safe to say that the ROBERTA PIKET TRIO is built around Roberta’s piano on Love and Beauty (robertajazz.com), it is also fair to say that Ratzo Harris’s bass and Billy Mintz’s drums are equally strong in their mostly support role. Roberta is quite the fingerer. She flits and floats around the keys like a magician as much as a musician. Frickin’ impressive, really. The trio’s sound, for those who lack familiarity with jazz, is reminiscent of some of the “Charlie Brown Christmas” flavoring, but she definitely brings something of her own. Whether it’s the hyperness of “I’m My Everything” to the ultra romantic “Love and Beauty,” the trio shine. While mostly originals, there are interesting riffs on Jimmy Webb’s (known by the Fifth Dimension, though) “Up Up and Away,” and Cole Porter’s “So In Love”. If anyone uninitiated and is looking for a chance to step into some jazz, it would behoove them to seek out this nearly an hour of beauty.

Going to a cool She Wolves show at Delancey (of coz, all She Wolves shows are great), I met some guys who do a cable access metal show. Having worked on a cable show myself (Videowave), I understand the work it entails. They presented me with their DVD, Reality Check TV Presents Collector’s Series Volume One: Real Rock Divas (realitychecktv.com). These dudes know their stuff, and they have managed to interview and record shows by some amazing talent. And yet it is all looking two-cent, which I mean as a total compliment as it is appropriate. This is the video equivalent of a fanzine, sort of what Wayne and Garth may have done if they had balls and gotten out of the basement and actually attended shows. The list of bands is long, but I’ll rattle off a few, like the Donnas (who really open themselves up), The Runaways drummer Sandy West and ace underrated guitarist Lita Ford, the overrated Bif Naked, the ultracool Lunachicks and L7, Barbee Killed Kenn, Doro Pesch, and so on. Sometimes the sound quality is questionable, and subtitles may be helpful, but I repeat, “fanzine.” I am certainly looking forward to seeing Volume Two, which hopefully will include the likes of the She Wolves, maybe the Vesties and Chesty Malone. Oh, there is so much great talent, and I expect Reality Check TV to be there!

It takes all four names to identify Brooklyn resident MILES BENJAMIN ANTHONY ROBINSON, which is appropriate since the music on his freshman eponymous CD (sayheyrecords.com) is just as complex. Miles is an ex-homeless junkie who has knocked around Coney Island for a while, and has settled into a musical groove that I would identify as anti-folk. His songs are dark and gloomy, sometimes nearly dirge-like, aided (and abetted) by members of TV on the Radio and Grizzly Bear, who fill in the music and some haunting harmonies. And speaking of that sorta thing, each song is overdubbed with Miles’ own voice, but not to add in harmony, but more as a counterpoint. It certainly does not add a pleasant or enhancing element, and is in fact disconcerting, which I’m guessing is the point. The songs about his life of hardship are made all the more dissonant this way. To add to this, the songs are either played slightly off-key, or off melody, I’m not certain which, making it all the more poignant. The only real issue I have is because of the double voice recording, usually with an echo, the sound is a bit muddled, making the lyrics a bit hard to make out (and no lyric sheet included). Still, I am impressed with the work, taking the risk, and doing something a bit different than the norm.

STACIE ROSE is a both a musician and humanitarian, who has a history of releasing her own quality pop material and compilations for various charitable organizations. I have reviewed some of both before, and this time I have the pleasure to pass on her new works in Shotgun Daisy (Enchanted, c/o stacierose.com). Stacie has a velvety voice, and her songs are equally as lush, looking at relationships – both positive and negative – with extremely catchy hooks, such as on “Hit Me in the Head,” “Mr. & Mrs. Happily Ever After,” and “Not Listening,” though it’s hard to pick a favorite. While they all are better than anything one can hear on mainstream radio these days, which is where a lot of this could be, Stacie needs to be careful not to overproduce her material. Producer Jeff Allen has played bass for Avril Lavigne, and it seems like he’s trying to make this sound like “Complicated.” Stacie’s material is too precious to take the chance to squander. Luckily, her voice and songs rise above it.

It is sort of an understatement to say SCRIBES OF FIRE is a metal band. Zauberer (myspace/scribesoffire) is loaded with a sound that roars, which is amazing considering they have only one (very talented) guitarist, Phil Salvagione. Backing him on rhythm is an acquaintance of mine from the Brooklyn Punk Temple/Peggy O’Neill’s days who is an equally strong bassist, Mike Delfino, and Dan Kurfirst on drums. The centerpiece is, of course, Ben Abelson on soaring vocals (and lyric writing). Now, when I say metal, I don’t mean either the death metal growl-scream that is seemingly omnipresent, or the sludgy kind that is sodden and molten; in fact this is the crisp fire that melts the metal. There are five songs here, over a span of 42 minutes. Yeah, long songs, but each one is practically a suite, broken up into sections to tell the story not only lyrically, but also musically. If you’re into intelligent headbanging rather than just the usual girls and drugs as so many metal bands are these days, than I suggest digging this up. Only negative thing I can say is that there are at least four typos in their booklet.

Hamilton, Ontario, is some ways is a mystical city. This is especially true when it comes to music. As Boston was to New York City during the mid-‘70s explosion, the Hammer was to Toronto. One of the first bands to come out of that rise was SIMPLY SAUCER, let by Edgar Breau. Despite a shoddy recording history on fan labels, mostly consisting of an album, Cyborg Revisted, put out by writer/musician Gary Pig Gold, and then by writer/local music historian Bruce “Mole” Mowat (both great guys and great writers, by the way), Simply Saucer (SS) have reformed recently, and recorded Half Human/Half Alive (sonicunyon.com). The first half of the hour-long release is a newly recorded record of their earliest material, which had not seen the studio before. The second half, recorded live, is their LP and single recently re-recorded before an audience. Now the thing that is important to remember is that SS is a band of their time, leaning more towards the Detroit MC5 sound than the New York Ramones style. The music is kinda rough and popish, with more than a hint of a synth. SS were highly experimental and thereby influential. Even with a limited recorded history, they managed to help change the face of what was cool. This is a worthwhile historical record of the music was like on the verge of revolution.

Now here is an interesting concept: STRATOSPHEERIUS is the brainchild of Joe Deninzon, and the result of his group is Headspace (stratospheerius.com). What makes them so unusual is that Joe is a classical-level violinist, who uses mostly 6- and 7-string electronic fiddles that he uses in place of a lead guitar. When Joe and southern blues guitarist Mack Price duel and play off each other, as they do on “New Material,” it’s pretty amazing. Now, one would think violin/fiddle = country, but not so here. The style is more classic R&B, rock, and jazz. Yep, one might say “Jew-Eyed Soul,” especially on cuts like the instrumental “Heavy Shtettle Part II: Heavier Shtettle.” Joe has a very sweet, high tenor voice, which actually gives this a bit of a glossy feel, and the occasional over-production also makes it kind of slick, and yet it is easy to appreciate them bringing something interesting and a concept to liven things up.

This is the first time I’ve heard JIM WHITE, though Transnormal Skiperoo (luakabop.com) is certainly not his first release. He’s known for being alt country, but other than a couple of twangy guitars here and there (mostly not, though), he comes across as pretty straightforward singer-songwriter. Anyhoo, Jim has a sort of sweet Jimmy Buffet kind of voice and tone, and the songs are, with one exception, deep and personal, either looking at his own life, foibles, and missteps, or his imaginings of those he knows. What I like about his work is that while I was not blown away by it, still I was impressed that even though it is heartfelt and layered, it is also extremely accessible. Personally, I wish it was more alt country, and perhaps his earlier releases were (MOJO called his work “Sweet hillbilly swing,” which I found very little of here). There are some standout numbers here, like the opening “A Town Called Amen,” “Take Me Away” and especially the haunting “Jailbird”. I’m curious to see where he’s going, musically, and hopefully I’ll get the chance to find out.

I love the concept of Born To Shine, Vol. 5: Seattle, WA, 01.27.07 (trixiedvd.com) DVD. Actually, as exposition, the press release says it perfectly and succinctly: “Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie brought together 14 of his favorite bands on one day to create a portrait of one of the world’s most thriving music scenes. Each band plays one song each and it is delivered here as it happened, in chronological order, in a jam packed 55 minutes.” Also, Fugazi’s Brendan Canty (Fuzagi) produced this collection, and was recorded by Eli Janney (Girls Against Boys). This is the fifth of (so far) six collections in different cities, and a wonder to behold. With this one exception, all of them are performed in condemned houses (this one was moved, as shown at the end of the DVD). The performances are quite crisp as they are performed in a living room, and the viewer can see as the sun as it goes through the day, and darkness sets through the windows. Since the 1990s, Seattle is basically viewed as the “grunge” city, but as with every other town, there are actually a full arc of styles one can see perform, and that is evident here. There’s the poppier rock sounds of Spook the Horse (who open the collection) and Harvey Danger, the anti-folk of the wonderful Tiny Vipers (aka Jesy Fortino), total psych-out instrumental Kinski (who have been known to play single songs for 45 minutes), dissonant (may have been called No Wave at one point) of the badly named Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death (and I thought When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water was a awful moniker), the rap duo Blue Scholars, post modern rockers Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, and the – yes – grundgy Minus the Bear. What is also interesting is what is sort of missing. Dave Bazan (ex-Pedro the Lion), Benjamin Gibbard, and Eddy Vedder (Pearl Jam) all sing with no back-up other than their acoustic guitar (or in Vedder’s case, an electric ukelele). There are a few previously unheard before songs by Gibbard and Bazan, for example. As a side note, it amazes me how many musicians in Seattle have beards. Not the Cobain two-day growth, but full-on bushes. I am looking forward to hearing the rest of this magnificent and yes, historically important, series.

There are a number of reissue labels, some cheesy like K-Tel, and some are a blessing, like Rhino, which specializes in ’60-‘70s. Now there is a new label, AMERICAN BEAT (myspace.com/americanbeat), whose vision is more ’70-‘80s. I contacted them, and they sent me 25 of their products. Truly, there is stuff there I’m certainly not interested in, like the works of Billy Squire, but there is so much more that made me salivate. And that is what I will discuss here. David Johansen’s Here Comes the Night was from his early solo period (post Dolls, pre- Buster “Hot Hot Hot” Poindexter). I remember many of us mocked it at the time, but it certainly stands up after 20 years. The Simthereens’ Green Thoughts was a solid CB’s band from New York, who had a pretty dedicated following that even touched some mainstream listeners. Peter Wolf’s Long Line was one of his post-J. Geils Band that was noteworthy. Graham Parker came so close in the early ‘80s to breaking through in the States, but was considered too close in style to Eric Costello here. His The Real Macaw shows that he wasn’t reductive. Tex-Mex cult hero and should-be legend Joe Ely recorded Live Shots while on tour with the Clash. This re-release also includes his Texas Special EP. After Ian Hunter left Mott the Hoople, he released this underrated All of The Good Ones Are Taken, which produced a title song that should have been at the top of the FM charts at the time, and is still one of my favorites. The Tubes were known for two things: humor and it’s lead singer, Fee Waybill. While Remote Control doesn’t contain their one charting hit, “Sushi Girl,” it shows how much fun they were, and that they were way ahead of their time. Todd Rundgren, who also plays on the recording, produced this collection. I once insulted Joe Jackson to his face around the time of “Is She Really Going Out With Him,” but his later, jazzier stuff, such as the rerelease of Beat Crazy, is much better. What I particularly like about American Beat is when they release two-on-one-disks. Some of the noteworthy ones they sent along are Ian Hunter’s live collection Welcome to the Club and Live, Gary U.S. Bonds’ Dedication and On the Line, and especially Robert Gordon’s With Link Wray and Fresh Fish Special. This is the rockabilly material he left Tuff Darts to do, and actually started a fresh movement (which led to bands the Rockats and the Stray Cats). He covers such material as “Red Hot,” “Boppin’ the Blues,” and “The Way I Walk” (though I have to admit I like the Cramps’ version more). I hope American Beat stays around for a long time, and I thank them for sending me hours of great music.

A co-interview with writer-musician JD Glass, Pt 2

[JD Glass in Life Underwater]
FFoto by Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen]

JD Glass is having a good year in 2008. Her fourth book is out now, "American Goth". I've read the first two, "Punk Like Me" and "Punk and Zen"; I'm almost done with the third, "Red Lights". Meanwhile, she's continuing to work on her music. And through the new year, we've continued our correspondence. This was published first on her blog, and now I am publishing it on mine.

I don't get to see JD as much as I would like, but I somehow feel better knowing she's in the world. And the characters in her book, as I told her recently in an email, are starting to feel like old and familiar friends, and that's due in large part to JD's character development.

Anyway, here is the second part of the back and forth, MySpace interview:


RBF: As for you, I've seen Life Underwater in various incarnations. Have you played in any other bands, and how would you describe your musical contribution? And I promise you, I will ask more questions about your own novels soon...

JDG: I have played in a few other bands. I started composing songs at 7. When I was 8, my mom left us a tape recorder so we could "tell" her events that happened from the time she left for work until she got home (to save her from us calling her incessantly) and...whoa. I started singing my compositions into the recorder, then stole her guitar (a Yamaha classical that I still have ..) and taught myself how to play, so I could make her buy more tapes every week, since I filled them. That same year, my mother played one of those tapes for a co-worker of hers who played guitar for his local theater group and gave lessons.He didn't believe a kid wrote those - and when he came over so he could evaluate me and give me lessons or something, I did my thing, and instead of giving me lessons, the next thing I knew, my parents were helping me fill out Copyright forms and we actually went to DC to drop them and some tapes off. That was his recommendation.

The next summer saw my "first" band - my brother playing something resembling guitar with me, while my sister and a neighbor sang back up. My very first "real" band was Person-L - I used that name because I, in my mature high school way, thought the corporate world was dehumanizing, reduced us all to numbers, and I wanted to reflect that. What this really meant, was that I wrote songs, a friend of mine and I practiced harmonies on them, and somehow we had a clap machine for a drummer - it was awful, but the melodies and harmonies were actually pretty decent and I mastered my instruments.

A few years later, I was a founding member of the original Adam's Rib (lead guitarist, song writer - I wrote everything but the bass and drum lines, back up and occasional lead singer) formed as a direct response to then lead-singer's boyfriend's band, the very popular Two Minutes Hate. We thought we were political, socially relevant, and egalitarian. It was heaven and hell. Our first drummer quit about two weeks before our first real gig at CBs because her mom didn't want her to play there (which we were all like, WTF? because, heck, we were 19-20 something year olds) so we ended up with the drummer from Two Minutes Hate. We had a great show - a great set. I still have the tape from it somewhere :-)

After our first gig out we were offered an opening slot with the Toasters and Bim Skala Bim (or something like that ..) but instead of rehearsing and finding a new drummer (we couldn't use the one from TMH - weird boyfriend/girlfriend competition politics with the lead singer's boyfriend - again, the lead singer for TMH) they wanted to hang out and get stoned. Me, I don't do that (never did) and next thing I knew? No band. I never really did understand what happened there - and while I recently wondered what would have happened had I "given in," I'm really glad I didn't.

Not too long after that, I joined XXY for a bit and played bass, but the scene was wearying (the lead singer occasionally performed naked and did weird things with microphones. He also like to throw food into the audience - hot dogs, chicken parts, bologna) and while performance art can be very cool, it had nothing to do with the music or the message in it and frankly, I started to feel bad for the chickens ;-) and the waste of food in a world where people are starving to death seemed really anti-punk to me. I got out of that, and did solo projects with some side-man work either singing, or playing guitar or bass, until I became a part of Life Underwater. I've been there ever since, and very happy about that. I get to float between lead and occasional rhythm guitar or bass, and I write the melodies and lyrics, which is what I started out doing in the first place .

..So...you and music. Did you ever pick up an instrument, then do that "required" thing, join a band? Or if you haven't, have you thought about it? Not necessarily the "band" part, but playing an instrument?

RBF: Yeah, I played acoustic guitar for a little while and then tried bass. Found out very quickly that I have zero talent: no sense of chord formation, no sense of rhythm. Worthless. Even for punk rock. I bought a cheap electric bass to jam with Bernie Kugel, who was much more adapt at guitar. We jammed in his bedroom, and called ourselves Les Bien. His mother freaked out: "It sounds too much like lesbians!" Ah, Bensonhurst. So he changed it to The Good, and when he moved to Buffalo to go to college, it became his first popular band (now-actor Vincent Gallo was in the band, and they still keep in touch). Oh, and that bass...in about a year, the neck began to warp, and after the third or fourth fret, you'd need a C-clamp to hold it down. I paid like $40 for it. Probably still have it somewhere.

JDG: If you ever find it, I'd love to take a look at it - you never know, maybe I could fix it ...

RBF: That is why when I started wanting to give back to the scene I was enjoying so much, I started writing about it to promote the bands I enjoyed. No one wanted to print what I was writing, so I figured, screw it, I'll print myself. I had some interviews I had done when I was Arts Editor at Kingsborough College (at The Scepter), and needed a couple more. I walked over to Miriam Linna one night at CBGBs and asked if I could interview her band, The Cramps. She said sure, and I ended up being the last person to interview them before Miriam left. I had them all sign a flyer and used that as my back cover. Some book on the Cramps has the page (uncredited) inside.

JDG: That's amazing - you'll have to post that sometime on your blog so we can all see it.

RBF: So, in any real terms, I never was in a band. Would I want to be? Part of me says yeah, because it's cool, but it's not the kind of work I'm interested in. I'm more happy knowing that people are reading what I write and enjoying my photos. I've had a number of people tell me they like my stuff. In fact, a writer friend of mine, Mary Anne Cassata, once interviewed the lead singer of Iron Maiden, and he voluntarily admitted that he was a big fan of FFanzeen, without Mary Anne even bringing me up. I've never been a Maiden-head, but I have all this mail from them when they toured then-communist Poland. But I've hung out with Joey Ramone more than once, interviewed many musicians I've enjoyed, and know a whole bunch of up and comers. I've interviewed Lynyrd Skynyrd and been calm, and yet was totally stone-mouthed the first time I met Willie Alexander. I may not be in a band, but I have my place among musicians, which is equally fine with me.

JDG: The spot you occupy is an important one - and I'm betting quite a few people agree with that.

RBF: So, I was wondering, just how much is Nina, the main character of most of your books, based on yourself? I can imagine you hanging out at (Jim Hanley's) Universe comic store over on New Dorp. Bernie and I used to go there, too. Also when they had that branch at the Staten Island Mall, but I digress.

JDG: A lot of people ask me that. Nina and I certainly share a lot of background, but then again, I tend to share quite a bit with my main characters. Thing is, they're not me, they're themselves, we've just felt or experienced same or similar things, if that makes sense. And yes, I spent a LOT of time hanging out at Jim Hanley's Universe - in Eltingville, in New Dorp, and I even worked for a little while at the ones in Eltingville and in the Mall. You know, it's funny - you have to wonder how many times you and I probably unknowingly crossed paths before "officially" meeting!

I don't get to hang out there (or anywhere, really) nearly as much as I'd like to, but it's always home to me, and I honor that whenever I can by doing things there, because everything starts in the Universe ...

What's really funny (in a good, irony kind of way) is that the first book I ever wrote (which was a comic book) has finally come out as a novel - American Goth - and in a strange full circle, that main character is going to be in a comic anthology later this year or early next, and more than likely also appear in her own series of sorts afterwards. When that comes out, you can bet Universe will be the first place I go to!

So...do you still read and/or collect comics? What are titles that have appealed to you and still do over the years? And...graphic novels...any faves?

RBF: My first memories of comics dates back to the early '60s, when my grandfather was hospitalized with what would have been easily resolved now with a pacemaker. We weren't allowed in, being kids, so our parents bought my brother and me comics to keep us occupied. I remember having Spidy 1, Hulk 1, Fantastic Four 1, and many others, which were ripped up by my dad when he caught be reading them after I was supposed to be asleep (is that the sound of cringing I hear out there?). Hell, I even loved Charlton and Classic's Illustrated.

JDG: I think I might be having a small seizure, actually! Oh the pain, the pain!

RBF: When I went to high school, I sat across from this kid who we both shared an instant dislike for each other. After about a week, waiting for the class to start, we both took out comics. That was Bernie Kugel, and we've been truly great friends since.

JDG: Isn't if funny how some of the best friendships start out that way?

RBF: Truly. He was more into Marvel, with it's arc stories and envelope-pushing art. I was more into DC, with it's straightforward issue-by-issue stories. Batman was, and still is, a fave.

JDG: Marvel has always been a bit more...psychological...in some aspects. DC has expanded their story telling with their graphic novels and with the Vertigo line...and Batman always rocks ...

RBF: The next semester of high school, we took a class about comics, led by the late Phil Seuling. For those who don't know, Phil had the first comic book-only retail store (20 Ave & 85 St, Brooklyn). He brought us to his home which was covered in original art from the '40 onward, took the class on a field trip to the DC Comics office where we met Jim Steranko (still have my oversided "History of Comics" signed by him...1st edition), and even had guest lecturers like Grey Morrow. A couple years after we graduated, Phil was fired for giving (selling?) a student an underground Robert Crumb comix, after the student's parents complained. I remember him as having a very sharp and occasionally bitter sense of humor.

JDG: Poor Phil!

RBF: I like a lot of indie stuff, but find a lot of it not only badly drawn but sort of esoteric to the point of pointlessness. I'm still a fan of straight lines, as with Concrete, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, and I also have an appreciation for the beauty of Love & Rockets. Some of my favorite artists are Archie Goodwin and Richard Corben. But the comic art that blew me away was David Quinn and Tim Vigil's Faust: Love of the Damned. Phenomenal work (wish the movie was as well done).

JDG: We're on the same page - and of course, I'm a huge Love & Rockets fan ... I love the way the do homage to the classics like Hank Ketchum.

RBF: Bernie and I used to go to many of the comic stores around the city, even heading over to New Dorp. However, I remember going to the closing sale of JH's Universe at the Staten Island Mall. They were selling their stuff at 60% off one weekend, 70% off the next, and so on. We got there and bought a ton of them when they were at 90%. Even graphic novels. I spent HOURS enjoying them.

I haven't really collected any comics in the past 10 years or so, but recently a co-woker, Ken, gave me a graphic novel of Batman: Dark Victory, which I devoured.

JDG: Any of the Dark Knight works are simply fantastic. And I tend to think DC does graphic novels (like the Watchmen, which will also be a movie) with a grittier intensity than it's "serial" runs.

RBF: Watchmen was an instant classic, totally canon-worthy.

By sheer coincidence, now I work in an office directly across from DC Comics, and I look at all this cool stuff in the windows, like a life-size blow-up Batgirl doll, Superman posters, and a great yellow neon Batman insignia sign that I covet.

JDG: LOL - I wouldn't mind passing those windows!

RBF: Phew, that went on a bit! Now, what I'm reading is a book you may have heard of called Punk & Zen by this wonder author named JD Glass. Though it's fiction, I enjoy that you actually use lyrics that you've written for your group, Life Underwater. That was an interesting choice. What were your thoughts about doing that, mixing fiction and fact? You talked earlier about how some of the events in Nina's life are similar to yours, but this is a lot more direct.

JDG: Now you're making me blush. As to mixing fiction and fact, it seems (and this is a generalization) that most authors, whether they're creating something out of a whole cloth or basing on whatever, do in fact end up mixing fiction and fact.

What I thought when I did that was that it was appropriate - Nina's a musician, and so am I, and there were songs that simply fit perfectly. That, and I'd already started a tradition of naming chapters after songs in Punk Like Me. This seemed like an opportunity for me to really play with that a bit more, give a little more depth to the each chapter.

JD's blog and info can be found here:
www.myspace.com/jdglass

TBC