ON DECK: playlist from the past

Drunken Butterfly - Sonic Youth

For a little while Greg, Tommy and I were doing a weekly show on IM Radio. At this time (It's since moved to Echo Park) IM Radio was broadcasting from a rad little spot in the window of the MJ Higgins gallery, which at that time (It has since moved a few blocks east) was on Spring between 5th and 6th; my block!

At that time we were all DJing together. We all found ourselves with Spring St. addresses (we have all since moved on, Tommy and I to the retired comforts of Silverlake and Greg to fuckin' Mexico City) and thusly operated under the banner of "Bruce SpringStreet" a local, very local DJ collective. It was a fun way to listen to Punk Rock records, stay out late on weeknights and drink enough pints of Schlitz to float a manatee.

Our radio show was a rather moist affair, as well, with bottles placed among the begged, borrowed and stolen Internet radio equipment. We always had fun but I wanted to banter. I felt like Greg always wanted to "get back to the music", leaving me silently screaming, "just let me get to my punch line!!"

Well, on the night which hosted this particular play list from the pleasant past was different, I was alone. Engagements of natures forgotten kept both of the boys away. I was alone to banter, ramble and play as much "new shit" as I pleased.

Knowing that I had no buddy at my saddle, ready with a vinyl life vest, I scratched the following play list. No song titles, just band names and denotations concerning medium; "vinyl", "7 inch","CD".


Set 1 (I call this my, "geez, go to The Smell much?" set)
1. Ponies
2. NO AGE(2)
3. Silver Daggers
4. Mika Miko
5. Abe Vigoda
-talk-

Set 2 (This is my, "I'm old but I still like drugs and only listen to KCRW sometimes" set
1. Phychic TV-Godstar
2. Feathers(7)-LSD MUSIC
3. Animal Collective-Feels
4. White Flight
5. Violent Femmes(18)-American Music
-talk-

Set 3 (Um???? this is like a "I go to college in Oregan and have mad natty dreads coming in" set. weird one)
1. Aesop Rock (last song)
2. Dangerdoom
3. Ghostface Killah
4. Paul Barman
5. Kimya Dawson
6. Juiceboxxx
-talk-

Set 4 (This is like a "fuck you I'm gonna play bands from high school and a couple from nowadays...and Buddy Holly" set)
1. Propaghandi
2. Black Flag
3. Upsilon Acrux
4. Buddy Holly
5. French Film Blurred
6. Clip'd Beaks
-talk-

Set 5 (This is my "raddest set EVER" set)
1. Raooul
2. Old Tyme Relijun
3. Econochrist
4. XBRX
5. Elvis Costello
6. Sonic Youth
-fin-

My favorite parts were when I got to -talk-

P R O T E C T ME, The Strange Boys and Mika MIKo-The Smell, 6/29/09

I really like to push my gas tank to the razor's fucking edge. It's like I refuse to admit to myself that I WILL be using more than $8.50 worth of gas in the coming week. Or maybe I think that someone else will end up throwing duckets on the petrol. Whatever my thought process is, I really hate to break a Jackson at the gas station.

This being said, I set out for The Smell last night with only fumes and moxy to see me downtown. I took a right onto Silverlake Blvd, left onto the 101, pumping strong to the 110S interchange and put, put, put, I run out of fucking gas before I reached 3rd street.

The fumes had expired but the moxy kicked in, I coasted onto third, down the hill toward Beaudry coming to a cock-eyed stop in the parking lot made famous by the presence of Kike's "authentico" tacos and dogs.

Assuring the good people of Kike's that I would return, i set out, on foot, toward the 2nd street tunnel and the warmth and comfort of The Smell.

By the time I hit the alley Strange Boys was mid-set. I was bummed to miss it but soon re-stoked by one of the most fun Mika Miko sets in a hella long time.

"I danced to THREE songs and was soaking wet by the end of Mika Miko's set"-Raul Perez

no shit!

I then had to deal with the stalled whip, driving around with birthday boy Chris Zacher trying to find a gas station that sold fucking cans. When we finally do it's like this super-complicated gas can with all sorts of bells and whistles and levers and locks. You had to have earned a fucking 2-year degree to operate the thing.
Stopped at Sunset and Alvarado and broke the cycle, put in like $14.00. Off into the night bumping my newly acquired tape from P R O T E C T M E.

I got this too:

It's Strange Boys, Strange Boys and Girls Club on In The Red Records. This is only mildly noteworthy because it was the second In The Red album I had bought that day as I had JUST picked up The Oh Sees, HELP at Amoeba:



In The Red; Come to think of it sorta relates to the car scenario. Funny how that works.

ja, bitte

High Places/Abe Vigoda 10/10/08, The Smell

As I walked up the alley leading to The Smell I noticed what looked like an in-between-set alley crowd of a smallish variety; strange given the year of popularity New York’s, High Places has enjoyed.

I soon found out that was because Ponytail was mid-shred and the fucking place was packed; SOLD OUT sign on the door. “High Places is playing for free at Family Bookstore, tomorrow” Jim was assuring turned away show-goers.

“FUUCCKK, I shouldn’t have stopped for that burrito”, I thought.

We stood around in the alley contemplating for a moment when a drunk-ass Blaque Chris, in his constant effort to con me into making him an Afrika print spandex bodysuit, gets us some looks in the door.

Inside, we were bummed that we only caught the last two songs by Ponytail but Abe was next and they were fucking loud; like super-loud for The Smell.

This was their last hometown show before heading on tour with Diplo and Telepathe and you could tell that they are fucking fluffed. Such a good set bringing new intensity to old songs and executing new ones flawlessly. They really are LA’s finest.

As Abe exited, my ears were noticeably fucked but High Places were already setting up a fence of flight cases along western border of the main stage. I posted and watched Mary and Robert, the boy/girl duo that comprise H.P. fine tune many knobs, pedals and drum pads necessary to what they do.

Soon the crowd flooded back in and I couldn’t help notice how fucking young this band’s fans are, like Menudo young!

So, High Places tweaked and twittled, the music constantly chasing Mary’s vocals like a kindergartener chases a kitten in the sunroom; almost catching up, only to have the thing once again spring away. It’s child-like only in it’s refusal to wear a cloak of contrived seriousness that none of us were looking for that night in the alley.

On Deck: Marnie Stern drops today

So, marnie Stern dropped her new record, "This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That" on Kill Rock Stars, today. which is the raddest album name ever, BTW!

If you're not familiar with Marnie's jams, she sounds like Yoko Ono fucked the band, Yes. Yes's amalgamated sperm created a baby, that baby raped Upsilon Acrux in the alley of The Smell and, voila, Marnie was born.

Of course, I neglected to pre-order this biatch so I can't actually review the new record. I mean, I'll get back to you, but unless she did a collab with the drummer of The Bravery, I'm pretty sure I will fucking love it.

ok, now let this bitch melt your face, real quick



uno mas...



thank you and good night.

I Love Rock N' Roll

When I fucked Becky Stark from Lavender Diamond, she hit that high note that’s how you know I be shinin’

After I boned down Black Black, I never text back, now I have the whole band paging me like, “Where that Dick at?”

Juan from Abe, he’s been giving me brain. We keep it on the hush cause in the hood I’m not gay

Dean and Randy, I aint gonna talk shit, but I had ‘em on their knees like a couple of chicks. I was fiddlin’ with their asses like a couple of clits

Ariel Pink took two in the stink. What do I say, I’m in love with them twinks

Mika Miko had to get a new drummer; I filled Kate with so much jizz she was fucked all summer

Even Jim Smith got a slice of dis dick, only he was on top, yup, I was HIS bitch. Dude was stone-cold, he didn't say shit!

Dear Mae Shi, your record was horrible but your cheeks spread open; now that was adorable

I made Baseck taste it. Sprayed jam in his eye that’s my kinda lasek

Jesus Christ, I love L.A. A pretty good sound and a damn good lay

on deck: New Bloods, The Secret Life

New Bloods are a Portland trio that has found themselves on Kill Rock Stars and in my life.

They played this week at The Smell and they are most definitely all girls. This surprised me because the poster I received folded into my copy of The Secret Life LP looked, to me, to depict a male violin player. The ripper with the bow was indeed vagina-equipped. In my opinion she was actually the looker of the squad.

New Bloods plays Punkish Folk jams with stabbing strings that make you think, “This band is fully from Portland, but they have for sure hung out in Oakland”.

The Secret Life reminds me of why I love the Northwest, but why I would never, ever fit in there.

KILLROCKSTARS.COM

thenewbloods/NEWBLOODSMYSPACE

New Bloods and Hornet Leg at The Smell

When I saw her dancing and bouncing about to New Bloods, she reminded me of you.

Your hair was much curlier, but she had things about the way she looked that made her different, like you.  Your curly hair is what made you look different.

She was dancing and bouncing and looking at her friend the way I imagine you looked at boys back then; the way I hope you looked at me on occasion.

She was imitating her friends dance moves, mirroring them.

You NEVER imitated me.