foot set.

club foot set 12/29/08.
best/favorites of 2008 edition!

sex vid- scripture
eat skull- punk trips
human eye- slop culture
mayyors- side b of that damn unicorns 7" w/no track listing
smith westerns- crab man
los llamarada- stressa closer
xyx- nunca nunca
shudders- big heat
black time- scary people
nothing people- suspicious
eddy current suppression ring- which way to go
the pets- heart attack
der teenage panzerkorps- unfavorable meanings
fucked up- days of last
torche- grenades
enslaved- vertebrae
parts & labor- wedding in a wasteland
sic alps- COCA (for p.a.)
thee oh sees- two drummers disappear
no age- teen creeps
king khan & bbq show- teabag party
cola freaks- keder mig...
jacuzzi boys- i fought a crocodile
cheveu- lola langusta
lover!- no more reasons
hunx & his punx- gimmie gimmie back your love
cause co-motion!- which way is up?
muslims- parasites
nodzzz- controlled karaoke
tranzmitors- are you gonna take me
baby shakes- ooh la love
okmoniks- not that good
digital leather- hologram
cheap time- people talk
gentleman jesse- highland crawler
hank IV- my anger
ooga boogas- neon sunset
dan melchior & das broke revue- street of crocodiles
the feeling of love- truth belongs to the brown liquor
vivian girls- tell the world
wax museums- the smell
jay reatard- you mean nothing to me
thomas function- filthy flowers
nobunny- i am a girlfriend
submarine races- part b (where are you going)
deerhunter- never stops
melvins- billy fish
harvey milk- motown
boris- buzz-in
dillinger four- minimum wage is a gateway drug
night marchers- open your legs
marnie stern- the package is wrapped
cut/copy- far away
crystal castles- untrust us
king khan & the shrines- land of the freak
david byrne & brian eno- life is long
nick cave & the bad seeds- today's lesson
the breeders- walk it off
antietam- shipshape
fuck buttons- ribs out
crystal stilts- the dazzled
evangelista- lucky lucky luck
antony & the johnsons- another world
fabulous diamonds- 3
okkervil river- stand ins, two

foot set.

foot set from 12/22/08: christmas party edition
(this tracklist has major holes in it, thanks alcohol!)

charlie rich- santa claus' daughter
wailers- christmas spirit
fat daddy- fat daddy
bobby "boris" pickett- christmas mash
bob b. soxx & the blue jeans- bells of st. mary
damned- there ain't no sanity claus
run dmc- christmas in hollis
el vez- feliz navi-nada
james brown- santa claus goes straight to the ghetto
stevie wonder- someday at christmas
mono men- christmastime is not for sinners
wizzard- i wish it could be christmas every day
darkness- christmas time (don't let the bells end)
rocket from the crypt- cancel christmas
sonics- don't believe in christmas
trashmen- dancing with santa
boss martians- 3 ghosts
dickies- silent night
wild billy childish- a quick one (pete townshend's christmas)
gentleman jesse- christmas hangover
jet boys- merry christmas, fuck you
holly golightly- christmas tree on fire
electric prunes- jingle bells
jimi hendrix- little drummer boy/silent night
raveonettes- the christmas song
clarence carter- back door santa
moonglows- hey santa claus
drifters- white christmas
ron holden- who says there ain't no santa claus?
new bomb turks- christmas (baby, please come home)
bob seger & the silver bullet band- sock it to me santa
big dee irwin & little eva- i wish you a merry christmas
ramones- merry christmas (i don't wanna fight tonight)
pansy division- homo christmas
waitresses- christmas wrapping
kate bush- december will be magic again
soupy sales- santa claus is surfin' to town
bobby rydel- jingle bell rock
low- just like christmas
celia cruz- fiesta de navidad
walkmen- christmas party
national lampoon- a kung-fu christmas
slade- merry christmas everybody
queen- thank god it's christmas
david bowie & bing crosby- peace on earth/little drummer boy
caetano veloso- in the hot sun of a christmas day
ronettes- sleigh ride
brenda lee- rocking around the christmas tree
red aunts- little drummer bitch
elvis presley- blue christmas
pretenders- 2000 miles
john lennon- happy christmas (war is over)
smithereens- auld lang syne

foot set.

club foot set 11/24/08.

a witness- i love you mr. disposable razor
fad gadget- life on the line
PiL- public image
lurkers- shadow
ultravox- saturday night in the city of...
wayne county- paranoia paradise
dead boys- sonic reducer
iggy pop- new values
members- the sound of the suburbs
blondie- rip her to sheds
malaria!- your turn to run
lazer crystal- hot pink bux
can- vitamin c
rodriguez- only good for conversation
black vatican- i don't wanna fight
mirrors- the suburban strate coat
hank IV- car in zebra
black time- scary people
wax museums- safety in numbers
easter monkeys- monkey see monkey do
eddy current suppresion ring- which way to go
bad party- another girl dies
hospitals- friends
clockcleaner- s. dingo
fucked up- no epiphany
black flag- louie louie
naked raygun- backlash jack
pegboy- not what i want
dillinger 4- gainesville
weirdos- happy people
parts & labor- nowhere's nigh
lines- on the air
the fall- fantastic life
black orphan- xx spectrum
wounded lion- carol cloud
pierced arrows- the wait
thee oh sees- mincing around the frocks
davila 666- basura
music machine- see see rider
hunx & his punx- you don't like rock n roll
amber alerts- i her U screemz
MyDolls- exorcism
bosom divine- i'm your animal
lover!- forced to the ground
sisters- everybody...
nodzzz- i was my parents vision
crystal stilts- the sinking
marnie stern- shea stadium
shudders- big heat
nixe- E.O. twit
baby shakes- far away
brian eno- the true wheel
flying burrito bros- man in the fog
irma thomas- gone
sam cooke- bring it on home to me
pixies- velouria

foot set.

club foot set 10/27/08: halloween theme!

goblin- suspiria
bobby "boris" pickett- monster mash
lavern baker- voodoo voodoo
screamin' jay hawkins- little demon
lollipop shoppe- you must be a witch
birdland w/lester bangs- kill him again
roky erickson- i think of demons
dracula (gene moss)- i want to bite your hand
billy demarcus- drac's back
tarantula ghoul & the gravediggers- graveyard rock
monsters- she's my witch
tommy roe- blue ghost
oingo boingo- dead man's party
cut copy- so haunted
ministry- everyday is halloween
joy division- dead souls
mission uk- love me to death
echo & the bunnymen- happy death man
bauhaus- spirit
sisters of mercy- possession
the lines- dance for a drop of blood
45 grave- evil
sex gang children- kill machine
delinquents- alien beach party
gun club- devil in the woods
cramps- creature from the black leather lagoon
night marchers- in dead sleep (i snore zzzz)
blowtops- teenage zombie blues
eat skull- puker corpse
dan melchior's broke revue- hungry ghost
leper print- dead flowers
thee oh sees- ghost in the trees
ran-dells- martian hop
marketts- outer limits
the five blobs- the blob
tyrone a'saurus & his cro-magnons- monster twist
memphis morticians- bury you now, dig you later
don hinson & the rigamorticians- do the rigamortis
vivian girls- my baby wants me dead
jay reatard- death is forming
digital leather- dance til dead
new bomb turks- i want my baby...dead?
deep wound- dead babies
melvins- lexicon devil
vindictives- the terrible monster
ramones- pet sematary
misfits- spook city USA
bad brains- fearless vampire killers
hollywood squares- hillside strangler
dickies- killer klowns from outer space
sam the sham & the pharoahs- little red riding hood
sonics- the witch
a-frames- death train
uk subs- i walked with a zombie
scratch acid- monsters
lake of dracula- plague of frogs
shellac- ghosts
horrors- jack the ripper
motley crue- shout at the devil
macabre- killing spree (postal killer)
suffocation- blind torture kill
at the gates- souls of the evil departed
testament- first strike is deadly
birthday party- release the bats
wade denning & kay lande- pass the witch's broomstick
hank williams III- satan is real/straight to hell
ray parker jr- ghostbusters

foot set.

club foot set 9/22/08.
(short set!)

cabaret voltaire- messages received
severed heads- exploring the secrets of truth
ladytron- seventeen
playgroup- bring it on
chicks on speed- fashion rules
mount sims- how we do
gold chains- nada
gd luxxe- new definition
rapture- heaven
soviet- candy girl
aural exciters- spooks in space
bohemia- all the way
defunkt- i tried to live alone
devo- wiggly world
vibrators- baby, baby
stiff little fingers- gotta gettaway
a witness- i love you mr. disposable razor
fad gadget- life on the line
PiL- public image
lurkers- shadow
ultravox- saturday night in the city of the dead
wayne county & the electric chairs- paranoia paradise
dead boys- sonic reducer
iggy pop- new values
members- the sound of the suburbs
gun club- like calling up thunder
thee oh sees- two drummers disappear
muslims- right and wrong
cococoma- (trying to) read my mind
nothing people- outsiders are
sinks- beat out my brain
lover!- booger in my asshole
king khan & bbq show- teabag party
tyvek- needles drop
joseph plunkett- you ruin everything for me
thomas function- relentless machines
jacuzzi boys- ghost ghost

foot set.

Club Foot set 8/25/08.

gabo brown & orchestre poly-rhythmo- it's a vanity
chic- chic cheer
funkadelic- standing on the verge of getting it on
sly & the family stone- stand
james brown- papa's got a brand new bag pt. 2
stevie wonder- signed, sealed, delivered i'm yours
fontella bass- rescue me
marvelettes- too many fish in the sea
cardinals- choo choo
bobby darin- splish splash
john fred & his playboy band- judy in disguise (with glasses)
standelles- little sally tease
frijid pink- crying shame
can- tango whiskyman
mirrors- my lovely lover
the pets- leaving home
barbaras- summertime road
nodzzz- i don't wanna (smoke marijuana)
icon gallery- declination
wax museums- magnet part 1
sinks- beat out my brains
tyvek- frustration rock
marked men- my eyes fail me
dillinger 4- maximum piss and vinegar
shopping- unconscious overrated
jay reatard- hiding hole
human eye- human eye
king louie & the loose diamonds- montagne de l'amour
elton motello- jet boy jet girl
barbarians- are you a boy or are you a girl
zombies- i want her back
ray charles- the right time
baby huey- hard times
poppy family- where evil grows
cedar st. sluts- sluts in the city
buzzcocks- why can't i touch it?
joy division- insight
big boys- shut up
shop assistants- safety net
le tigre- get off the internet
visage- visage
yaz- mr. blue
peter gabriel- games without frontiers
roxy music- love is the drug
talking heads- girlfriend is better
nina hagen- flying saucer
christian death- spectre
the ex- stupid americans
sonics- strychnine
syd barrett- octopus
lollipop shoppe- you must be a witch
dils- i hate the rich
white savage- destroy your style
mayyors- untitled (side a)
eat skull- dead families
minor threat- screaming at a wall
faith- subject to change
women- shark week
jack of heart- ponytail
king khan- desert mile
platters- sweet sweet lovin'
gene chandler- check yourself
murray head- one night in bangcock
al green- so tired of being alone

foot set.

Club Foot set 7/28/08.

act- ping pong
monochrome set- he's frank
boys next door- shivers
pop group- she is beyond good & evil
blurt- some come
question mark- freaking out
sir victor uwaifo- egbe natete
au pairs- inconvenience
penetration- don't dictate
brian eno- skysaw
cabaret voltaire- on every other street
silver abuse- phases of matter
tones on tail- there's only one
damned- one way love
clash- guns on the roof
queers- fuck the world
hubble bubble- new promotion
the boys- first time
detroit cobras- cha cha twist
nobunny- boneyard
test patterns- fall in place
cheap time- handy man
okmoniks- teenage timebomb
box elders- hole in my head
thee oh sees- visit colonel
vivian girls- such a joke
jay reatard- i know a place
smith westerns- crabman
thomas function- peanut butter and paranoia jam
digital leather- she had a cameltoe
lover!- all alone
headache city- headache city
sic alps- mater
brimstone howl- child of perdition
final solutions- brown panther
carbonas- trapped in hell
spits- 19 million ac
cococoma- fever
jacuzzi boys- a strange hand
gentleman jesse- highland crawler
broken strings- the loneliest girl in 10000 years
dead dog- hate song
leper print- dead flowers
shit eagle- girls in school
homostupids- fang vs. keyman
xyx- nunca, nunca
new bomb turks- tattooed apathetic boys
flipper- shed no tears
nation of ulysses- you're my miss washington dc
the feeling of love- fat bottom against fat bottom
unholy two- porkys
fucked up- mustaa lunta
melvins- i don't know
electric bunnies- beautiful pants
strange boys- baby please don't go
oxbow- time, gentlemen, time
mammatus- dragon of the deep pt.1
boris- statement
witch- soul of fire
deerhunter- oh it's such a shame
pixies- velouria
bauhaus- the man with the x-ray eyes
talk talk- talk talk
shearwater- rook
fleet foxes- he doesn't know why
left banke- pretty ballerina
lynn collins- just won't do right
patsy cline- i fall to pieces
hank williams- cold, cold heart
roy orbison & the roses- devil doll
lloyd price- stagger lee
geechie willy- last kind words

nobunny loves you.

well shit, i keep forgetting to update here even though my mind has been semi-permanently stuck on the Nobunny show, recently attended on June 27 at the Empty Bottle. Nobunny is a very dear old friend of mine who long ago left Chicago for the old west. well shit, all of the western heat must have done a number on him, as he ended up creating the ultimate persona of a shy, twisted, mad genius, freakish bunny rocknroller slash one-man-band of sorts! his live performance at the Bottle consisted of vocals over a CD backing track, cute underpants, and insanely frenetic dancing. he's doing a lot of touring this summer (even an upcoming tour with Chicago's ultimate party band Johnny & the Limelights!), so check him out if ya can.

also be sure to grab the Nobunny LP, "Love Visions," on Bubbledumb records. almost worth it just for the great nod to the Ramones that is the cover...this album is chock-full of some of the greatest twisted, lo-fi bubblegum-pop-punk-rock'n'roll your ears will ever hear.

check out this awesome Nobunny music video!:


check out some Nobunny live footage with an actual band!:

foot set.

Club Foot set 6/23/08.

konk- your life
the hykkers- i want a break thru
pylon- feast on my heart
sarandon- joe's record
crystal stilts- converging in the quiet
this mortal coil- not me
antietam- shipshape
no age- teen creeps
vivian girls- where do you run to
sparks- here in heaven
bauhaus- honeymoon croon
dog faced hermans- fortune
wire- i am the fly
monochrome set- alphaville
999- the biggest prize in sport
plastic bertrand- 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
king khan & his shrines- i wanna be a girl
eater- i don't need it
the black & whites- gonna have some fun tonight
jay reatard- an ugly death
test patterns- i wanna be your boyfriend
nothing people- in the city
cheap time- people talk
a trois dans les we- contagion
throbbing gristle- united
soft pink truth- do they owe us a living
health- crimewave (crystal castles vs. health remix)
cut copy- unforgettable season
the stripes- leaving the suburbs
the sound- jeopardy
100 flowers- california's falling into the ocean
swell maps- spitfire parade
the fall- jawbone & the air-rifle
snivelling shits- isgodaman?
cringer- waste away
fiREHOSE- for the singer of r.e.m.
torche- across the shields
pissed jeans- throbbing organ
black lips- everybody's doing it
the godz- 1+1=?
fabulous diamonds- LP6
mekons- keep on hoppin'
slick rick- let's get crazy
madvillain- raid (feat. medaphor)
GZA- liquid swords
UGK ft. outkast- int'l players anthem
spits- dropout
hipshakes- hurt my pride
pink reason- borrowed time
cabine c- tao perto
tones on tail- go
black flag- tv party
limpwrist- cruisin at the show
eat skull- beach brains
a.h. kraken- verschwende deine jugend
embrace- money
born against- mount the pavement
toothpaste- palestine
harvey milk- motown
shellac- the admiral
jesu- you wear their masks
swans- take advantage
tractor- make the journey
john cale- bring it on up
vanilla fudge- some velvet morning

foot set.

Club Foot set from 5/26/08.

nick cave & the bas seeds- albert goes west
mudhoney- touch me i'm sick
turn pale- come with us
pretty things- scene one
love- the daily planet
magazine- a song from under the floorboards
chromatics- i'm on fire
talk talk- living in another world
okkervil river- unless it's kicks
jarvis cocker- don't let him waste your time
gnarls barkley- blind mary
nerves- when you find out
blondie- x offender
the three johns- atom drum bop
mass shivers- tense and anxious
celebration- fly the fly
public image limited- four enclosed walls
echo & the bunnymen- back of love
gleaming spires- a christian girl's problems
oingo boingo- little girls
gruppo sportivo- mission a paris
our daughter's wedding- lawn chairs
re-flex- flex it!
those french girls- corridor
video sex- mojo mama
alison moyet w/the darts- hitch hike
company b- fascinated
kissing the pink- certain things are likely
duran duran- new moon on monday
human league- don't you want me
erasure- sometimes
total coelo- i eat cannibals
digital leather- thin air
cameo- word up
fire engines- everything's roses
method actors- no condition
slits- typical girls
modettes- paint it black
gang of 4- it's her factory
gina x performance- kaddish
birthday party- waving my arms
adverts- stiff little fingers
winepress- stay awhile
sludgeworth- another day
screeching weasel- i can see clearly now
nofx- the longest line
international submarine band- i still miss someone
sam & dave- hold on i'm coming
vagrants- respect
roy orbison- mean woman blues
the 5 royales- when you walked through the door
alan parsons project- eye in the sky

*new favorite band alert*

i know, i know, i'm a little late on this (as per usual).

but CHEAP TIME, holy shit!

bratty, super pop-infused garage trash punk at its lo-finest. they're doing a lot of touring with Jay Reatard (how can i not stay away from this man?!), which makes total sense. so snotty, so wonderful, and i cannot stop listening to the "People Talk" track from their new self-titled LP on In the Red. apparently 2 of the people in this band were/are in that Be Your Own Pet band (!?!) which is weird because i do not think that band is awesome.

anyway, points of reference = Busy Singals, Red Kross, Jay Reatard, Tyrades, etc.

here's a pretty hilarious video for the song "Glitter and Gold":


in other "new favorite band" news, the Nobunny LP is out now on Bubbledump Records. i'm still waiting for my copy, but if you like fucking weird, pared-down, dirty yet catchy bubblegum-as-all-getout rock'n'roll you must check this out. Nobunny is a very mysterious Tuscon character who is also a dear old pal of mine and i can't wait until he comes back to Chicago to play in June.

here he is playing my favorite song in Austin:

lo-fi for the masses.

surprisingly enjoying the new No Age album, which is strange since i thought the first record wasn't as awesome as everyone else in the world thought it was (except for that killer opening track). i must revisit.

speaking of, this mtv.com clip (seriously?) concerns the current lo-fi movement (really?)...via Jay Reatard's blog. very, very interesting. also, John Norris is still alive (huh?)?

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

very, very interesting. and what, no mention of Pink Reason? the appropriation of the underground arts/music community into mainstream culture is constantly blowing my mind lately. thanks, Pitchfork.

evangelista.

i'm way overdue on this one, but it's still worth making some notations on Carla Bozulich's Evangelista live at Schuba's, way back on April 10. Carla Bozulich (music maker/performer/artist formerly of Geraldine Fibbers, Ethyl Meatplow, Scarnella, etc. etc. etc.) has been making these righteously beautiful albums for Constellation Records, and if you are unaware of these, please get your filthy hands on them. the first, titled "Evangelista," is a solo album with a little help from her friends in A Silver Mt. Zion. a break-up album of epicly tortured propotions, the most scraped-up screaming and intense piece of wax that i have ever laid ears upon, Carla takes elements of her avant-alt-country background and mixes them perfectly with atmospheric noise experimentation, instrumental interplay, and straight-up misery (captured both vocally and instrumentally).

the most recent album, titled "Hello, Voyager" and credited to the band Evangelista, is a step beyond stunning; Bozulich's collaboration with core bandmate, bassist Tara Barnes, proves to be a duo of perfection. the delicate balancing of crackled feedback with gorgeous orchestration, brutal doom with jazzy lightness, and screaming ferociousness with damaged childlike innocence is the best kind of mindfuck that you could ever hope and ask for.

live, Carla had a full band in tow (another guitarist, cellist, drummer, bassist and keyboard/pedals/synths dude) and despite the small crowd (what the fuck, people?!) and slight sound issues (what the fuck, Schuba's?!) she pulled off one of the most emotionally heartwrenching performances that i have ever witnessed. by the second song i was (embarassingly) in tears, and by the first few notes of her fantastic cover of Low's "Pissing" i was a plain ole' glorious mess. seriously for real, i needed my hand held for the rest of the show. the sadness and emotional intensity that wells out from her performances is ridiculously catching. and that fucking voice! that fucking whiskey & cigarettes 'been there done that' angry loud sad pained and tortured voice...it's seriously killer X1000 live. Carla didn't play guitar a whole lot due to a wrist injury (i think?) but danced around the stage in a Twin Peaksian manner and sang her fucking heart to the moon, cried a little and smiled a lot and got off the stage and sang right up to us. her band was awesome and perfect- band members getting on and off stage as needed, creating the perfect creepily orchestrated soundscape, and keeping a rather serious demeaner behind Carla's psychological intensity. it was a beautiful and painful (in the most positive sense of the word) set, for sure.

i'm not kidding when i'm saying you should get your filthy hands on these records, and go see Evangelista live, she's still touring for quite a while!

foot set.

Club Foot set 4/28/08

poison girls- i'm not a real woman
nina hagen- punkwedding
ut- canker
sonic youth- my friend goo
tracy & the plastics- city
cold cold hearts- 1-2-3...many!
instant girl- euphemized
god is my copilot- down down baby
bikini kill- suck my left one
heavens to betsy- intermission 247
slant 6- double edged knife
bratmobile- panik
huggy bear- erotic bleeding
sleater kinney- not what you want
team dresch- hate the christian right!
quails- move forward
les baton rouge- women in control
mika miko- attitude
gossip- standing in the way of control
raincoats- dance of hopping mad
rip rig & panic- those eskimo women speak frankly
vivian girls- wild eyes
pandoras- cry on my own
breeders- happiness is a warm gun
naked raygun- entrapment
marginal man- manipulator
mummies- she lied
birdland w/lester bangs- fade away
the other half- mr. pharmacist
hollies- king midas in reverse
soft machine- we did it again
tv ghost- nodoz
sex vid- nests
karp- dusk
minsk- white wings
sweet cobra- luddite
high on fire- turk
king khan & the shrines- land of the freak
new york dolls- trash
sam the sham & the pharaohs- mystery train
dave clark 5- i like it like that
miss alex white & the red orchestra- future talk
sisters- lust is just
night marchers- i wanna deadbeat you
the carbonas- frothing at the mouth
jay reatard- screaming hand
manikin- death march
cheveau- el tortuga
epic soundtracks- wild situation
jesus & mary chain- down on me
mission of burma- mica
toyah wilcox- danced
kleenex- ain't you
maximum joy- stretch
bush tetras- you can't be funky
delta 5- mind yr own business
bauhaus- too much 21st century
mahjongg- problems
silver apples- whirly-bird
frank black- man of steel
vagrants- respect
roy orbison- mean woman blues
the 5 royales- when you walked through the door
alan parsons project- eye in the sky

reatarded.

i keep forgetting to dote on Jay Reatard and his new single that recently came out on Matador, who is (if for some reason you're living under a rock and unaware) releasing a series of limited-quantity singles by Jay. this is all very exciting news, but also a slight cause for concern, as Matador seems to be a deathtrap label for the rock'n'rollers. yeesh.

anyway, the new single = 2 tracks of what Jay does best, which is expertly executed poppy, fuzzy, fast r'n'r with a new-wave bent. oh, and lyrics that are equally hilarious and disturbing and dark and silly. Sam and i spent a good half hour (possibly more) flipping it over and over and over again ("she creeps me out/ she creeps me in...") at work last week. i've read a lot of disappointed testimonials concerning this single in and around the interweb, but i do not understand the hate. i give it an A- rating, the minus being there just because i will be honest with the fact that these two songs aren't quite as catchy as the "Blood Visions" tracks or (my alltime favorite) "I Know a Place." still, if you're at all a fan, you should definitely purchase a copy.

i must admit to my own bias, though, as Jay Reatard is one of the few people that make my inner cheesy 'fan girl' come out strong. i mean, he's really freakin' hot! he shits gold, for all i care. really though, he's so insanely prolific (short list of bands he's been in being: Reatards/Lost Sounds/Final Solutions/Angry Angles/Destruction Unit/there's a handful more) and his songwriting abilities have been so expertly honed over the years that really, everything he does IS gold. i swear.

and i hate to give attention to Pitchfork (really i do), but this weeks' newly launched Pitchfork TV has a really nice video of Jay Reatard live at the Cake Shop NYC from last October (the WHOLE SET is here!):


(swoon).

lastly, did you know that he has a blog? it's not updated very often but you'll find a minor treasure trove of demos, live tracks, weird tracks, and funny pictures.

(double swoon).

a lesson in why it's dangerous to stray from punk rock.

Pissed Jeans, Empty Bottle, 4/5
working in a record shop with high-traffic sales centering around popular "indie" rock, WXRT adult alternative, and anything doted on by tastmaking Pitchfork reviews has slowly rocked me out of punk/hardcore/under-the-radar weirdness. to my absolute dismay, me and the DIY underground have become increasingly disconnected in the past 5 years. a lot of things can explain this, ie: the end of shows at the Fireside Bowl, growing older, having less expendable income for shows/records, working in an indie-rock stalemate, what have you.

regardless, punk/hardcore is in my heart forever and once in a while i manage to get back into the world and saturday at the Bottle was an instance of punk rock love reinstated. Pissed Jeans, notorious "post"-hardcore sludgey noisemakers (whose newest full-length is strangely out on Sub Pop), raged. they raged my face off, everyone's face off, shoes flying across the bar, maniacal punk raging, it's what i needed. after the first quarter of 2008 being a total shitsystem, rage is what i needed. i've forgotten how much the live experience of punk/hc has been an outlet for the inexplicable rage that has burned inside me since my tender preteen years, and disconnection from that has been problematic at best. all it takes is seeing a fucking righteous show. did i mention that Pissed Jeans' drummer is most definitely the best drummer in punk ever? fuck. did i mention that the singer moves about the stage in such a way that can only be compared to an insane version of Ian Curtis + Mick Jagger? shit. did i mention that the guitarist can make fast punk riffs AND loud noisey psych-y weirdness, like, at the same time? and it's all hollering and blasting and the perfect balance of alienating brutalism and Flipper-esque riffage? FUCK.

this weeks' Onion spotlighted the show by saying:

Slathered in dissonance, misanthropy, and every manner of glandular discharge, Pissed Jeans' breakout 2007 album, Hope for Men, is a fucking wreck- and it's the ideal antidote to the new millenium's overabundance of bland indie pop.

hallelujah. rage on.

foot set.

i had to cancel last month due to life insanity. last night the bar was DEAD. but DEAD = creative freedom and no shitty requests.

Club Foot set 3/31/08.

bob seger system- chain smokin'
brian jonestown massacre- a new low in getting high
sam cooke- that's it, i quit...
lesley gore- that's the way boys are
the beatles- i'm looking through you
creedence clearwater revival- i put a spell on you
jr. walker & the all-stars- (i'm a) roadrunner
the coasters- i'm a hog for you
etta james- tell mama
black merda- prophet
rolling stones- country honk
the music machine- talk talk
13th floor elevators- fire engine
terry reid- superlungs my supergirl
tractor- all ends up
stooges- real cool time
patti smith- free money
robert wyatt- i'm a believer
modern lovers- i wanna sleep in your arms
richard hell & the voidoids- betrayal takes two
nick lowe- heart of the city
devo- come back jonee
klaus nomi- you don't own me
wipers- can this be
cramps- new kind of kick
dictators- minnesota strip
clash- spanish bombs
ramones- i wanna be well
the members- sound of the suburbs
busy signals- matter of time
lost sounds- dark shadows
cococoma- too tired
toy dolls- i've got asthma
zero boys- drug free youth
flamin' groovies- yes it's true
marked men- fix my brain
fuzzbox- love is the slug
split enz- i got you
wall of voodoo- can't make love
quando quando- tingle
calculators- dead is dead
orange juice- wan light
raincoats- off duty trip
shop assistants- fixed grin
bunny drums- little room
ultravox- saturday night in the city of...
mission uk- bridges burning
big country- big country
depeche mode- never let me down again
roxy music- all i want is you
talking heads- don't worry about the government
colin newman- inventory
baltimora- tarzan boy
men without hats- living in china
new order- ceremony
cure- the baby screams
gang of four- it's her factory
birthday party- waving my arms
pegboy- surrender
t. rex- metal guru
peter, bjorn & john- writer's block
stevie wonder- for once in my life
shirelles- mama said
scott walker- next

momentary lapse of...

i always forget about this.

mental note: get in the habit of writing (blogging? typing? reviewing? ranting?) a bit more often.

on the subject of habits: quit smoking, quit chocolate, quit going to sleep at 4am.

a few musical lists to cap off my night:

RECENT RELEASE BUMMERS
1. Vampire Weekend (lo-fi indie pop ripping off...Paul Simon's Graceland....really?!).
2. She & Him (celebrity infiltration of indie culture, cutesy covers, kill me).
3. Steve Malkmus (he actually ROCKS on this recent album but he's still...boring).
4. Gnarls Barkley (biggest bummer for as there are no party tracks whatsoever. for the love of god just make another Crazy!).
5. Atlas Sound (love Deerhunter, but this is too calm).

RECENT RELEASE WINNERS
1. Mission of Burma reissues (i can't say anything that hasn't been said before about this awesome band but these Matador vinyl reissues are beautiful and come with a ton of extra cool shit).
2. Evangelista (Carla Bozulich, please marry me).
3. Baby Dee (tranny carnival freak harpist belting out torch songs in a freakish Antony way = totally my style).
4. Scott Walker vinyl reissues (they look great, they sound superb, and i'm glad they came out because i've always been to cheap to shell out the $$$ for originals).
5. Coathangers (the new single is "totes" rad, post-riot grrrl sleazepunk at its finest!).

best of 2007!

FINALLY, my 'best of the music world 2007' list is ready. only a month late, not too bad!

here they are, my most favorite 25 musical recordings of 07:

25. CPC Gangbangs- Mutilation Nation
stoney, dirty garage punk with a lot of broke-ass fuzz and psychedelic insanity and a little bit of a nod to early Joy Division.
24. Deerhunter- Cryptograms/Fluorescent...LP
the perfect meeting of shoegaze and Factory Records, with a creepily monotonous overall feel.
23. Mammatus- Coast Explodes
psychedelic, proggy, epic, motherfuckin-heavy-ass rock.
22. Okkervil River- Stage Names
i'm typically not a fan of this sort of middle-of-the-road indie rock crap, but i was pretty much bowled over by "stage names." clever, sad, catchy and a bit heartbreaking.
21. Marnie Stern- In Advance of the Broken Arm
Marnie Stern is a mastermind of guitar weirdness. this record is both minimal and completely shredding in the most unusually intricate, finger-tapping kind of way. not to mention the truly weird Deerhoof-like vocals. the album is almost undescribable but so, so great!
20. Fucked Up- Year of the Pig 12"
brutal, punishing and haunting all in one little EP.
19. Of Montreal- Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
everyone knows about this band so i won't say much except that this is one of the funnest, danciest, electro-popish records i had the pleasure of listening to this year, perfectly paired with some of the darkest themes/lyrics.
18. Parts & Labor- Mapmaker
brilliant anthemic punk/electronic weirdness! the most exceedingly triumphant record of 2007! like a modern noise-punk version of Husker Du! i love it!
17. Miss Alex White & Red Orch- Space & Time
Miss Alex White and her Red Orchestra play ballsy, slightly poppy garage rock better than pretty much any other garage bands these days. her 2nd album is seriously fucking ripping. it's like Sleater Kinney if Sleater Kinney were boot-stompin' sneaking-cigarettes-in-the-school-bathroom tough rebel rocker chicks!
16. Jesu- Lifeline EP
everyone else loved the full-length and hated this. i thought the full-length was "eh," but fell for the heavy, airy, dreamy melodies in these 4 tracks. plus a collaboration with Jarboe (of the Swans, duh)! lot's more experimentation from these guys, and i'm loving it.
15. Oxbow- Narcotic Story
weird, scary, weird, scary, weird, scary.
14. Mark Sultan- Sultanic Verses
if you like any of Mark Sultan's other projects (namely, King Khan & BBQ Show), you will love this.
13. Boris w/ Michio Kurihara- Rainbow (technically 2006 but whatev)
Boris + guy from Ghost = pummeling psychedelic beauty.
12. Jay Reatard- Night of Broken Glass 12," Terror Visions LP, I Know a Place 7"
everything he does is brilliant, basically. absolutely PERFECT garage-pop-rnr-whatever. PERFECT.
11. Pissed Jeans- Hope for Men
the new wave of hardcore. a lot of Birthday Party-like snarling and meandering while retaining a sense of Black Flag early-days of 'core.
10. Busy Signals- S/T
Chicago's Busy Signals are waving the banner for late-70s britpunk and doing it better than anyone else. they are so much like the Rezillos that it's almost ridiculous, but goddamn this record is so catchy and great, it doesn't even matter!
9. Bobby Conn- King for a Day
my absolute favorite local talent presents us with another soul/r&b/prog/pop/conceptual/funk/rock mesh of awesomeness!
8. Daily Void- Identification Code
out of the ashes of the Functional Blackouts come Daily Void. straight-ahead, fast, perfectly-executed, mean and dark garage-punk.
7. Familjen- Det Snurrar I Min Skalle
swedish electro-pop. a 21st century New Order, anyone? wish i could understand the lyrics, though.
6. Big Business- Here Come the Waterworks
BRUTAL.
5. Vee Dee- Glimpses of Another World 7"
Vee Dee are finally back! hell yeah! i'm so excited! this single is just a premier of what's to come, but it's 3 songs of sweet sweet psychedelic garage rock. a teaser of sorts, showing us how Vee Dee are growing and changing and entering the land of longer, more meandering, more instrumentated songs...and in this case, change is good!
4. Clockcleaner- Babylon Rules
creepy, dark, flipper+cramps+birthday party+big black, screaming, screeching, ugly, violent, excellent.
3. LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver/45:33
i know, everyone loves this album. the best dance party album of '07, hands down.
2. Coathangers- S/T LP, Never Wanted You 7"
these Atlanta gals really know how to fucking rock. they take Riot Grrrl and turn it on its' head...actually, this is like some post-riot grrrl shit, with songs screaming about how you need to leave their boyfriend alone or else they'll punch you in the twat! no kidding! bass-heavy, danceable grooves with a certain essence of DIY punk and pure rock-and-roll, this is my new favorite band of all time.
1. Grinderman- S/T
duh. anything Nick Cave-related will always make my #1.


honoroble mentions go out to 2007 releases from Panda Bear, Akron Family, Circle, CoCoComa, Om, Andrew Bird, They Might Be Giants, Angels of Light and Neurosis.

best live shows i had the good fortune to attend in 2007:
-mika miko at Bottle
-melvins/big business at Double Door
-deerhunter at Pitchfork
-janeane garafolo & patton oswalt at the Vic
-coathangers at Ronny's
-king khan & bbq/busy signals/johnny & the limelights at Note
-zach galifianakis at Vic
-jay reatard/daily void at Hideout
-jay reatard/busy signals at Note
-plastic crimewave sound/michael younkers at Stop Smiling space
-miss alex white/vee dee at Hideout
-lcd soundsystem at metro
-mammatus/acid mothers at Bottle
-grinderman at Metro

foot set.

i'm back to archiving my DJ-sets. since smoking in bars is now banned in Chicago, i distract myself from all those wanting-to-smoke feelings by meticulously writing out everything i play. soon i'll get around to posting my "best of 2007" list, so keep an eye out!

Club Foot set 1/28/08

the monkees- tear drop city
coathangers- tripod machine
reatards- monster child
vee dee- glimpses of another world
bobby conn- on the farm
OMD- messages
pere ubu- breath
sparks- a big surprise
icicle works- whisper to a scream (birds fly)
nick cave & the bad seeds- train long-suffering
om- unitive knowledge of the godhead
crispy ambulance- bardo plane
sisters of mercy- gimme shelter
and also the trees- suffering of the stream
the names- cut
blondie- x offender
forget the whimpering child & become the warrior- left you lying
kraftwerk- the model
ministry- cold life
heaven 17- play to win
kissing the pink- big man restless
yaz- nobody's diary
pete shelley- homosapien
the three johns- awol
robert ellis orrall- white noise
erase errata- beacon
james white & the blacks- irresistable impulse
red lorry yellow lorry- hollow eyes
killing joke- complications
gary numan/tubeway army- my shadow in vain
the the- uncertain smile
daily void- the man without a face
Q-factor- i'm not that stupid
jay reatard- my family (i KNOW, already played Reatards, this was a request!)
cpc gangbangs- what love is
vindictives- this is my face
deep wound- dead babies
loli & the chones- sick of you
dillinger 4- holy shit
ruts- babylon's burning
stranglers- (get a) grip (on yourself)
sonics- strychnine
animals- for miss caulker
yardbirds- for your love
shadows of knight- tomorrow's gonna be another day
the leaves- hey joe
DMZ- you're gonna miss me
the monks- cuckoo
truth & janey- around and around
kim fowley- the trip
the who- so sad about us
morgen- welcome to the void
clockcleaner- vomiting mirrors
dead kennedys- buzzbomb
bhopal stiffs- product of society
sham 69- hey little rich boy
dickies- rosemary
minutemen- political nightmare
big boys- no love
roky erickson- i walked with a zombie
queen- keep yourself alive
gilberto gil & caetano veloso- bat macumba
psychic tv- good vibrations
captain beefheart- white jam
hamilton, joe frank & reynolds- don't pull your love out
plastic bertrand- ca plane pour ma

been a long time comin'

i'm returning to this blog, after an extraordinarily long hiatus.

for mostly music-related ramblings...stay tuned!