Five

I am kind of a sucker for this kind of stuff. so far I have tried the Mint, The Brown Sugar and the Vanilla, all of them have been heavenly. I am waiting for the Licorice--- I might have to go to Finland and see if they have it.

Onion Year Long Music Feature

Nashvlile or Bust is a new feature over at the Onion where their Hip Hop reporter  Nathan Rabin is going to spend a year looking into country music. So far he has posted in into essay and one on Johnny Cash and his final years with the American Recordings projects. Anyone out there who likes to tell people 'I like all kinds of music--- well everything but country' needs to check this series out and see if the above statement is still true a year from now.

FFCD? My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult- Hit and Run Holiday

It is in fact a Forgotten Friday Books, Friday off…. Only I feel I need to post something…..

Forgotten Music (I don’t want to say album cause it’s not an LP, or CD because they are dead… )

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult- Hit and Run Holiday.

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult (who I will just call MLWTTKK from now on) were one of those weird 90s bands who had one radio hit, and because they were a fusion of to many things never seemed to get a foot hold in the main stream. Their hit was Sex on Wheels (if that isn’t an Orrie Hitt title I don’t know what is) was from the film Cool World and was a dancy-dark-alt-rock- tune that was fun…. And gained MLWTTKK some fans… I wasn’t one of them.

A couple of years later they returned with an album called Hit and Run Holiday, a concept album that tells the story of a Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! type weekend. Musically it’s shimmering 60s dance pop with touches of goth, garage rock, and most dreaded of all… disco… but for some reason it worked for me. It was like a sleazy 60s girls, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, to hell with the square world ride. I find it to be a fun, accessible and respectful retro look at the kids of stories I have mentioned.

I hope that out there somewhere is a 30 something middle class Mom (like any of those still exgist) who drops her kids off at school each morning and then plays this album in the solitude of her mini-van and thinks back to her so-so wild days back in the 90s.

I watch the - Watchemen

I saw it yesterday, and enjoyed it. I am not sure it was either pure and utter bollocks or it was perfect. Yes I would have much rather seen a Terry Gilliam 12 part mini-series for HBO, and I didn't really dig Malin Akermang that much.... however I did think that  Carla Gugino was great, and was reminded that she is a very under rated actress...   

One thing that it reminded me of was just how bleak the 80s were for many people. Where I lived there was always talk about the evil republicans dropping the bomb. I grew up expecting this world to end or radically change and the fears of Watchmen echo that environment. I also thought it was amazing how relevant the themes of the film were today. I did like the changes that were made, I think they were logical made the story more cohesive. 

Over all I want to see it again.

Friday Forgotten Books- The Long Haul

The Long Haul by  A.I. Bezzerides

I came to this book after having watched and enjoyed the film Thieves' Highway, directed by Jules Dassin. That film was based on his book Thieves' Market. I had to inter-library loan his three novels and was shocked that I enjoyed The Long Haul more than Thieves' Market. The book tells the story of Nick and Paul, a pair of brothers trying to make a living as wild cat truckers. They drive long hours, deal with few lucky breaks and lots of hauls that go poorly or don't pay off as promised. Clocking in at just over 200 pages, Long Haul is a look at the American Dream in failure, as the hard charging and working man pulling as hard as he can on the boot straps can't get any traction. The book was made into the film They Drive by Night in 1940. Bezzerides was a better than solid writer who deserves to be better known and more wildly read. The copy that I was able to get was from Wayne State University, and appeared to be a 1938 edition, complete with a letter from Bezzerides in the front, and I love the fact that the library card pocket still present in the back pocket had the words "Depression Novel" typed neatly on it. 

thoughts, comments, spare change?

New Neko Case album

Yeah, I dig Neko Case.... a lot, she's got a new record out, for everyone that thinks that there isn't any good music out there these days, she'll prove you wrong. 

She's a little bit alt, a little bit country, a lot punk rock and just seems like a cool chick all the way around.

2 2009 Playlist

This month, I just want to say

This month's playlist
Bag of Monsters by Nova Express
Caught Between Heaven And Hell by Ripsnorter 
People Got A Lotta Nerve by Neko Case
All the machines are quiet by Robert Calvert 
Tribute To Buddy Holly by Mike Berry & The Outlaws
Everyday by Buddy Holly 
That'll be the day by Buddy Holly 
The Natives Are Restless by The Cramps
Cornfed Dames by The Cramps
Voodoo Idol by The Cramps
Bop Pills by The Cramps
I Walked All Night by The Embers