12.25.2008

Jet-Fret Life (the Battle of Midway) - First Portion

You know about my travel-troubles already. Flew to airports 6 times- went nowhere (fast), and it took two days.
The net effect of my traveling and time was, effectively, this:



No control, no certainty of where I'd be moved next: I felt like a puppet!



Don't be scared of the above: it's not more recent Lee Perry; it is from before his brain was crushed up like apple sauce by too many drugs. Back when it was merely drug-fueled and still runnin' smooth. So it's not all WayFuzzDubMush, but just way pleasant, sunny day, grin-music. Like Modern Lovers, sort of, some of it. But of course, ol' reggae stylee.

(Oh, obviously I mean it's like Modern Lovers in feel, not really in sound. Jonathon Richman will do Calypso songs sometimes, but that is a different Caribbean beast altogether, innit?)

12.15.2008

Dead-Metal (Turbonegro and Betty Page)


Betty Page died the other day. (These things do happen.)



The above song, retrospective of her passing, must be considered a loving, rather moving tribute.

Download TURBONEGRO's "(I Fucked) Betty Page"

Turbonegro are a sorta punk, sorta metal band. I just got into them recently, but supposedly they have 8 albums. (That's more than you.) This is how the lead singer typically performs:

(With that physique, you might be forgiven for being surprised that he didn't die BEFORE Betty Page...)
They are somewhat daffy, but it stays fun and doesn't get old. Partly because, musically, they are way rad. But even the lyrics, which are where the tomfoolery enters into it, rarely are straight-up stupid.
Turbonegro are daffy in that they talk about sex and coke and erections (independent of sex- see below) and "ROK und ROLL" and ask questions like "Do you do you Dig Destruction?" (to which they answer "Latino lovers often do" ???). They obviously aren't taking it all so very seriously, but they aren't in it just to joke either. So when, in "I Got Erection", they say:

"Every time I walk down the street - Erection -
When I think of blood I think of love - Erection -
When I set a house on fire - Erection -
When I dig a hole in the ground - Erection -
When I hear that death punk sound- Erection"

they are probably mostly joking. But when they say that 'Turbonegro Hate The Kids' (you know, 'the kids'), I get the feeling that they mean it.



They played at Madison Square Garden a little while ago, which is a slightly odd venue for them. And, slightly related: when uploading "(I Fucked) Betty Page" (click to download), A pop-up ad informed me that The Hold Steady (who I don't know about, but am sure that they are "The Kids" and very dumb and bad and all that) and their tour are sponsored by Duracell. they are sponsored by the Pink Rabbit!



This is why we all need bands like TURBONEGRO, by the way.
Well, one more for the road- and I promise, you all will like this song; it has homoeroticism, international travel, the bars of "New York, New York" (they call it that because they are from Norway, by the way).

12.10.2008

If I have to Walk, I'm a get There just the Same - Wilbert Harrison goes to Kansas City

It's been a while, hasn't it. Chomping at the bit again, I'm sure. Here's a 'your new favorite song' to hold you over until I drop some serious mixes *plop* right in your lap.



There are about 5 in post-production right now (all in the "AMX" series which I mentioned); a long-finished mix called "Pretty Pretty Songs" that even a grizzled homeless guy would like; and a more recently accomplished mix in a series called "SHOWER JAMZ!" (yes, it must be in all caps- you'll grasp the enormity of it all, which requires decisive use of graphic effects, in not too long).

But for now, a little ditty by Wilbert Harrison:



...Download Wilbert Harrison's lil' corker of a tune, Kansas City...

I originally heard this song on a tape of old rock business. Don't think I'm faking, please: tapes are not picked over at Goodwills e.g., to the high degree that vinyl is. This would be a moot point, except I was at the time cruising around Portland, OR, in a car with a tape deck (and a SUNROOF boom! and red blam! and a goddamned SPOILER!). So I dug around a bit in the tape bins, and now that I think about it, that was the beginning of me listening to oldiesrock.



So, lucky me and lucky you: sunroof = tapes = Wilbert Harrison.


...Download Wilbert Harrison - Kansas City...