Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Duplicate Problem



Sometimes, I buy a copy of a record I already have because I can't bear to have it languish in a thrift store or used record store. Selfish, I know. Sometimes, I forget I have a record and buy it, only to find it on my shelves already. Sometimes, I get it for free and can't bear to pass it up.

In my routine pruning of my collection, I came across the following duplicates:

The Specials The Specials (already donated to Chris Karwowski, aka DJ Digestif)
Brian Eno Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
Blood, Sweat and Tears Blood, Sweat and Tears
Blondie Autoamerican
Thompson Twins Side Kicks
Squeeze Sweets From A Stranger
Adrian Belew Desire Caught By The Tail
Men At Work Business As Usual

I know, I know. Why the hell should I have duplicates of some that albums I shouldn't even own? Well, the earlier offer for free music stands. If any reader wants any of these, let me know.

And speaking of purging duplicates, I've been saving a bunch of CDs that have been scratched, thinking that there must be a way to revitalize them. Well, I was right. A friend at a video rental store has graciously resurfaced several different CDs for me, saving an imported Caetano Veloso from the garbage, restoring a Bettye Swan that someone gave me, and rendering a scratched-to-hell $1 used purchase of The Eels Shootenanny playable once more. It also left me with duplicates of several CDs, including The Beatles Revolver, Barbara Manning In New Zealand and Trenchmouth The Broadcasting System. Also, I have a few copies of The Eternals High Anxiety remix EP that I bought because I wanted to spread the love. If you'd like one of these, or one of ANY of the records I am getting rid of, email joe dot garden at gmail dot com.

Duplicate Problem



Sometimes, I buy a copy of a record I already have because I can't bear to have it languish in a thrift store or used record store. Selfish, I know. Sometimes, I forget I have a record and buy it, only to find it on my shelves already. Sometimes, I get it for free and can't bear to pass it up.

In my routine pruning of my collection, I came across the following duplicates:

The Specials The Specials (already donated to Chris Karwowski, aka DJ Digestif)
Brian Eno Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
Blood, Sweat and Tears Blood, Sweat and Tears
Blondie Autoamerican
Thompson Twins Side Kicks
Squeeze Sweets From A Stranger
Adrian Belew Desire Caught By The Tail
Men At Work Business As Usual

I know, I know. Why the hell should I have duplicates of some that albums I shouldn't even own? Well, the earlier offer for free music stands. If any reader wants any of these, let me know.

And speaking of purging duplicates, I've been saving a bunch of CDs that have been scratched, thinking that there must be a way to revitalize them. Well, I was right. A friend at a video rental store has graciously resurfaced several different CDs for me, saving an imported Caetano Veloso from the garbage, restoring a Bettye Swan that someone gave me, and rendering a scratched-to-hell $1 used purchase of The Eels Shootenanny playable once more. It also left me with duplicates of several CDs, including The Beatles Revolver, Barbara Manning In New Zealand and Trenchmouth The Broadcasting System. Also, I have a few copies of The Eternals High Anxiety remix EP that I bought because I wanted to spread the love. If you'd like one of these, or one of ANY of the records I am getting rid of, email joe dot garden at gmail dot com.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Singles Purge 1



Less surface space on the vinyl = less words on Needledropper. I bought three of these from the Reckless Records blow-out singles bin for 50 cents each.

Service Anxiety The Persistent Inversion of Solution by Protective Powers EP
Friends of friends, nice guys. I bought this at a show in Chicago. Sort of spazzy punk with Chris Thompson-y singing. Over all, not too inspired on record, but it is one off the thickest 7"s I own. Pretty beautiful in that regard, and I love the letterpress sleeve, but I still wouldn't listen to the record again. Out.

Tulips "Wet" b/w "King Of Sex"
Female singer doing Killdozer's "King of Sex?" In.

Rise Above "Beat It" b/w "What It Is (Unity)" "Real Deal"
Belgian hardcore and all that entails. Out.

Roughage & Masonna "Calendar Girl"/Nimrod "Getting Rained On"
I remember a time when I would have liked this, but I think I'm mostly over my Japanese noise phase. Out.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Best/Worst Rock Songs About Rock, Part 2

Worst
Billy Joel "Still Rock and Roll To Me"
I am consistently baffled that a song about rock could rock so little. Billy Joel consumed doo-wop, new wave and big band and threw up this vile concoction directly into the waiting mouths of the baby birds of the 70s. They begged for more. And this was sustenance? Those pricks deserve Jimmy Buffet.


Best
Savage Republic "Viva La Rock 'n' Roll"
This is sort of a lyrical bust. It proclaims Jim Morrison a hero and New York's new wave–assuming he means Jim Carroll–as a suitable conduit of Rimbaud. My rock playbook doesn't have room for anyone named Jim. They tend toward overrated gasbagism. That said, the refrain "Qu'est que c'est? The people say/Paris is a wonderful city on 40 francs a day" is more clever than it should be, though, offset by the primitive music: a rhythmic anti-groove, siren guitars and chanted vocals. Close second by Savage Republic: "Rapeman's First EP."

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Final Vinyl


Title: Final Vinyl
Artist: Hot Tuna
Purchased: Donation from neighbor
Verdict: Another one squeaks by


This seems like an appropriate album title for consideration on Needledropper. If only it were my final vinyl, I could live the sparse existence that would make my mind clear. I knew nothing about Hot Tuna when I put this on, save that I hate the name Hot Tuna and the longhair with the wacky glassses on the cover didn't change my mind. A little research revealed that the band was an acoustic offshoot of Jefferson Airplane (another turn-off).

When I put it on, it was sort of a nice surprise. Final Vinyl features a lot of acoustic bluesy numbers without trying to be full-out blues, as well as some Leon Redbone-style old-timey material.

By the last song on side one, it slowly starts to slide onto electric white-boy blues (read: bad). Rather than risk ruining my evening further, I tok it off without listening to side two. I don't honestly know if I'll listen to this again, but those first few songs made me feel a little happier while I listened, so, while not a ringing endorsement, this makes the cut until my next cleaning-go-round.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

So I've been immortalized in song.


Or rather, immortalized in skit:
"Fuck you Joe Garden, I don't know you from shit!"
MC Chris, "Twelve Sided" from Dungeon Master of Ceremonies.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Download the new album now on iTunes.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Burn Your Sister


Title: Burn Your Sister
Artist: Horny Genius
Purchased: Don't remember; likely got it as a buyer in a record store when all Horny Genius' label's records were on clearance.
Verdict: Keeper


Hmm. Well, this is hard. One of the members, John McNeil, is an acquaintance-friend from back in Madison. I haven't kept in touch, and we never really hung out that much, but was always a nice surprise to run into him. So now, John, if you're reading, I have to fess up that I've had this record in my stacks and never listened to it until now. And it's cool that you got Michael "Killdozer" Gerald to do vocals on a track. I'm going to see Killdozer this weekend at the Touch & Go 25 anniversary block party. Should be fun.

I have to ask, since my disposition is already colored, can I fairly assess this record? I'm not entirely sure. I can say that it sounds to me like a poppier version of Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, and that's good. There's a pretty instrumental moment in "Goin' Down to Mexico," which is also good. Michael Gerald's vocals are pretty buried, though I'll blame that on the production. It seems like the production could have been better across the board. It sounded like the guy was trying to smooth down all the rough edges and make it a college rock album, not a rock album.

Hey! Here's something interesting, and from the internet no less! The producer, Albert Garzon, also produced 10,000 Maniacs, which definitely backs up my "blame the producer" theory. He's now a burlesque pianist, perhaps as an act of atonement. I think there was a really good (not great) album in here that got buried. As it is, it's okay. And I'm keeping it because there are good feelings attached to it.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Stand Your Ground


Title: Stand Your Ground
Artist: Juluka
Purchased: Entered my collection from my brother's
Verdict: South African't


I've had this album for nearly 20 years, and I listened to it once previously. I held onto it because I thought that I would eventually grow into it, learn to appreciate its African flavor. And Johnny Clegg is a name that I had heard, so I thought that maybe it was something I should have. Simply put, I kept it because of the white guilt that accompanies an undergraduate education in a predominantly white college town.

What I heard this time around reminded me of what I think the soundtrack to the Robin Williams vehicle Club Paradise sounds like. It's smooth, poppy, vaguely ethnic and rife with electronic tom drum fills. They're the kind of band with black members an 80s college student could see without really challenging their world view. Free Nelson Mandella!