Embodiment of an Era

The decision was made to spend the afternoon at Eric's before going out for the night.

A train ride from Astoria. A walk.

Eric was there. Tom as well. It was nice out, but the afternoon was destined to be spent indoors.

Certain moments stick out. The rest a fog.

Tom standing. Leaning. Sliding against the wall to the floor.

The Hives. Listening to The Hives.

And what Eric billed as the hot new thing out of the U.K. Provided by a friend.

Andrew W.K.

It was something new. It was something fun. It was something the entire room thought came from England.

Party music. Party punk. It left a mark. Although not one that sparked an interest in import buying.

Virtually forgotten until a return to Philadelphia pushed Andrew W.K. back on the map. He was everywhere.

Everywhere among a certain scene or scenes. Getting bigger. And as it turned out. Definitely not from the U.K.

He being one of those American anomalies that seem to make it overseas before breaking here. Reverse success. The Strokes.

This might not be true. Only an impression. Resulting from the total disregard of the domestic music press.

Missing homegrown hype.

Andrew W.K. - I Get Wet. eBay. New.

Nirvana More Important, Second in Preference

The beds were lofted in their dorm room.

Video game consoles taking up a portion of the wall.

Putting the desks under the beds.

Mike near the door.

Ben closer to the window.

Hours spent. Grades reflected how many hours.

Between games. Music talk. Ben's tastes were slightly different. With some overlap. Even more overlap. Over time.

The singles. The silly videos. Post-Nirvana. Nothing sparking more than a casual interest. Passing.

Not for Ben. Ben owned the album. Loaned the album. Still nothing.

It took the follow up.

Foo Fighters. eBay. Used.

Third Party Politics

Did anyone actually ever subscribe to the politics of an Ian Svenonius project?

Did people adopt the Gospel Yeh-Yeh lifestyle the way others embraced straight edge?

Is there a Hickey Underworld?

Who is living it?

The Make-Up - Destination: Love, Live! at Cold Rice. AKA Music. Used.

Pushing on Others as Genius

We'd drive around listening to music. Stopping occasionally at a seedy bar or two. Games of Golden Tee.

Most of our friends were away at school. I had transferred to Temple. Michael had not yet left for Seattle.

Most of the driving was soundtracked by Frank Zappa. Michael was obsessed with Frank Zappa. Continues to be obsessed with Frank Zappa.

I learned about his history. His various phases. His wit. His sarcasm. Doo-wop. Thing-Fish. His many albums. His "offensiveness."

I learned this was someone I could appreciate.

Before the listening parties my knowledge of Frank Zappa was limited to the PMRC, Dweezil and Moon Unit.

There was more too him.

It was different than what I usually listened to. Musically speaking. But the subject matter. the substance. The sentiment. It was right there.

Almost punk. Sarcastic and sardonic.

Around the same time I started to listening to Momus. This was unrelated to the Zappa car rides. However, it had everything to do with my new found love of Japanese pop and rock.

I made an effort to add Momus to the mix. I believed Momus and Zappa to be kindred spirits. Operating on the genius fringe of rock n roll.

Michael was receptive. Appreciative of the lyrical content. The music, not as much. He was a fan of traditional instrumentation. Guitars. Drums. Bass. Rather than Moogs. Casios. Computers.

Recently he's fallen in love with Kraftwerk. Perhaps the time has come for him to revisit Momus.

Momus - 20 Vodka Jellies. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

Merry Christmas from Iceland

Enjoy your holiday season. Whatever it may be.

Hopefully days off come with it.

Music perfect for a wintry-mix. A snowscape.

More where this came from.

My "Icelandic Period."

Everybody has one.

Apparat Organ Quartet - Romantika. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

Pop Will Not Be Eating Itself

I grabbed the 808 State disc knowing it was 808 State.

The problem with that. I thought I was buying Pop Will Eat Itself.

Or at the very least, the sound of Pop Will Eat Itself.

I saw the 808 State disc. My mind went "grebo."

I had been looking for it. At least I thought I had been looking for it.

That night I realized my mistake. 808 State was 808 State. Nothing to do with grebo. Nothing to do with Pop Will Eat Itself.

All was not lost. I managed to pick up an album featuring Bernard Sumner and Bjork.

My mistake netted me a better album. An unexpected success.

Pop Will Eat Itself continues to elude me.

808 State - EX:EL. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

Fat and Stagediving Were Mentioned

For some reason, the size of the singer was a selling point when Colin first told me about the band.

He had seen them at the Trocadero.

I ended up buying the cassette.

For years, I only had the cassette. Played exclusively in the Volvo wagon.

More recently I only had the cassette case.

The cassette. Lost.

Finally replaced with a compact disc.

Black Train Jack - You're Not Alone. Generation Records. Used.

I'll Find Out Thursday

A lot of time was spent at Sound Garden in Armory Square.

I was there at least once a week. Buying and selling compact discs.

Mostly buying. Although I'm not sure where I was getting the money.

Occasionally I had a job during the school year. My final semester, I didn't do much of anything. I completed Final Fantasy VII. I did not complete any of my coursework.

The lack of gainful employment did nothing to curb my spending. Imports. Full-lengths. Singles.

When it came to box sets. I exercised restraint. A sense of responsibility.

This. I regret.

I passed on two box sets in particular. They were pricey. I shouldn't have cared. I did.

Putting off the purchase. Always for next time. The Jam. The Style Council. No one would buy them. No one ever did.

Waiting for next time. And the next time.

There was never a next time.

I returned to Philadelphia. This time for good.

Paul Weller - Wild Wood. Princeton Record Exchange. Bargain rock.

Mike Judge Music Club

In addition to 120 Minutes, Beavis and Butthead had been one of the better places to see alternative videos on MTV.

These videos were often the subject of ridicule. That didn't matter.

It was more important that the videos were on television. Even if it was for only for a few seconds.

Already listening to some of the bands, it was fun to see them on MTV.

Plenty of others were new discoveries. An introduction. Something to look for.

Another resource for new music. Underutilized.

Whale - We Care. ??? New.

I Can See Japan

I was a fan before I knew it.

It was curiosity that put it on my Christmas list.

My first listen. Driving to work. Imagine my surprise when I recognized songs.

Songs sampled by Kahimi Karie.

The Japanese reinterpretations of Western music, mainstream or otherwise. How they then assemble those reinterpretations into songs. Sampling. Emulating.

It never ceases to amaze me.

The Soft Machine - Volumes One and Two. Christmas 2007. New.

Christmas Should Deliver One or Two

Deluxe editions. Reissues. Remasters. A fan necessity.

The updated release is no reason to abandon the original.

No reason to delete the digital files.

No reason to sell the compact disc.

Double up. Triple up.

Keep them all in play. For playback.

The Cure - Three Imaginary Boys (Original). eBay. Used.

The Cure - Three Imaginary Boys: Expanded and Remastered (Disc 1) (Disc 2). Barnes and Noble. New.

Select Selections

Select provided the introductions.

Blurbs. Reviews. Advertisements. Compilations.

Select made convincing arguments to overlook silly names.

Morcheeba. Gay Dad.

Select expanded listening. Purchasing. Collecting. Completing.

Then one month. It no longer appeared at the newsstand.

The next month. Same thing.

Faded away.

Morcheeba - Big Calm. ??? New.

"Velocity Girl" as a Generalization

There had been a rash of Velocity Girl pretenders within the hardcore scene.

Try to argue that they weren't part of the scene. One of the many sub-genres falling under the umbrella that was hardcore of the nineties.

Today, expressing an interest in many bands of the era often results in ridicule.

Denial after the fact. Running rampant.

At the time. Others were listening. Others were buying.

Proudly standing by some. Copper. Ashes. Endive. Samuel.

Ashamed of others. Beta Minus Mechanic. Baby Gopal.

Idle Hands - Treaty. Generation Records. Used.

Remembering Songs, Not Sights

The same trip. Summer 1994.

A stop in York. Purchased in York.

A walled city? There are photographs of the trip. Scattered.

Adding to the Simpatico! portion of the soundtrack.

Velocity Girl - Sorry Again. Somewhere in York. New.

I Can't Always Tell You What I Saw, but I Always Know What I Listened To

There are two albums I distinctly remember taking with me to the U.K. during the summer of 1994.

The Downward Spiral. Simpatico!

Both received heavy play on my early era Sony Discman. A brick. Nearly three jewel cases thick. Received for my twelfth birthday.

My dad did the driving. England. Scotland. Wales.

The soundtrack to a trip. On repeat.

Velocity Girl - Simpatico! Newtown Book and Record Exchange. New.

Yes, Dance

Nick texted me around 7:00pm.

I was killing time at Urban Outfitters before making my way to the performance at Penn.

He suggested I meet him at the Darker My Love show. The Asteroid #4 were also on the bill. Bobb was with him.

I figured my first experience with watching live dance would last until 9:00pm or 9:30pm.

There was no reason I couldn't make the show as well.

University City to Fishtown. No problem.

Between sets we discussed music. Whether I was wearing a t-shirt of an obscure 90s band. His move. My blog.

I asked for requests. He delivered.

Sugababes - Round Round. Sounds. New.

Questionable Associations

Their careers will always be related in my mind.

I began to read about both bands around the same time.

I first listened to both bands around the same time.

I bought the debut albums of both bands around the same time.

And the follow ups. And the ones after that.

With one release. I'd see the other.

Great debuts. Near-perfect second efforts. Strong thirds. Trailing off. One stronger than the other.

The pattern isn't absolute. It may not even exist.

Late 2008. The trend returned. A new release for one. A greatest hits package for the other.

Stereophonics - Pull the Pin. Amazon.com. Used.

Forever Linked to a Bachelor Party

The event started with early afternoon grilling in Conshohocken.

Dave made the burgers. They were delicious.

The secret was a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix. A technique used many times since.

After eating, everyone piled onto a rented school bus.

Destination: Day Dreams.

A classy adventure into the Northeast. BYOB. BYOK.

The group brought their own keg.

It didn't last an hour.

It was only a matter of time before the alcohol of others was stolen. And stolen it was.

Before a fight between bachelor parties managed to occur, the group was back on the bus.

The party continued. Things began to wind down. An early start. A long day.

Sleeping on a couch in Bensalem sounded like a good idea. The alternative being a floor in Conshohocken.

Waking up at 2:00am. Making some calls. A drive to Philadelphia.

Listening to the Swiz discography to and from.

Remembering that detail. The night was the most important part of the day.

Swiz - No Punches Pulled. eBay. Used.

Four Letters, an I and an A

I had been hearing a lot about Mika. Mostly from the U.K. press.

I filed it away. Something to keep an eye out for.

The exact same thing had been done with Tiga. Filed away.

At AKA I confused the two.

Buying Tiga. Thinking it was Mika.

Once home, I realized I had made a mistake. It wasn't a real loss. I enjoyed the Tiga purchase.

A week or two later. I ordered Mika.

Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion. Amazon.com. New.

I'd Like to See Bjorn Again Singing Erasure Singing ABBA

Stumbling on Bjorn Again was inevitable.

My love of ABBA made sure of that.

Inevitable or not, the manner in which I first heard of Bjorn Again was surprising.

A Kurt Cobain interview. Referring to Bjorn Again as his favorite band in the world.

He might have been joking. I like to think he wasn't. Regardless. I had been introduced.

Bjorn Again - Erasure-ish. eBay. Used.

He's Something Special

Clueless introduced the world to a number of fine actors.

Hot Stacey Dash. Ageless Breckin Meyer. Trashy Brittany Murphy.

Sisto. Faison.

None matched the on-screen genius of Paul Rudd.

He made an already good movie, great.

He makes all projects better. Bad to good. Good to great. Great to perfect.
Romeo + Juliet. The Object of My Affection. Wet Hot American Summer.

All good films on their own. Add a dose of Rudd. They become something special.

His turn on Friends was a disappointment. Through no fault of his own. It was Friends after all. While the show may not have been worthy of his talent, it brought Paul Rudd into millions of homes. Adding to an already growing fanbase.

Anchorman saw Paul Rudd at the very top of his game. It is the kind of film that comes along once in a lifetime. It was only natural to have an actor of Rudd's caliber cast in the role of Brian Fantana.

As a Judd Apatow Player, Rudd continues to make those around him great. Like Lisa Kudrow before them, Steve Carell and Seth Rogan owe him so much. He is selfless. Sharing in Hollywood glory that is rightfully his. His alone.

Clueless. Cathy compact disc.

[Image via www.geocities.com]

Technical Difficulties

There has been a string of events keeping me from my daily updates.

Holidays. Funerals. And finally, DSL failure.

Regular posting to resume as soon as possible.

Hands Tied. Generation Records. Used.

Repost

Supersuckers - Must've Been High.

Please let me know if a link is down. I will repost. You can leave a comment in the original post or email me at hedancesfornickels@gmail.com.

If you would like something removed, please email me at hedancesfornickels@gmail.com.

My Favorite Band

They were my favorite band. One of dozens.

Some come. Some go. Some hang around longer than others.

Days. Weeks. Months. Years.

Once a favorite band. Not always the favorite band. Yet always a place close to me.

I bought everything. Everything available. Compact discs. Seven inches. T-shirts. Posters.

When the honor of favorite band is bestowed upon you. I deliver. I put forth the effort.

Nothing is forever. But for that moment. However brief it may be. It is everything. All consuming.

Right now. If you asked. The answer would be New Order.

Farside - Rochambeau. Amazon.com. Used.

Repost

Velocity Girl - Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts.

Live from Pittsburgh

I'm behind on the Internet. Posting. Reading. Job hunting.

The holiday. Hours of Good Times. A drive to Pittsburgh. A funeral.

Busier with nothing to do.

Playing catch up.

Velocity Girl - Copacetic. Newtown Book and Record Exchange. New.

Happy Thanksgiving...Sort Of

This was supposed to be published Thursday.

It is now Friday.

Nearly Saturday.

For those of you celebrating. Enjoy the holiday weekend.

Velocity Girl - 6 Song Compilation. eBay. Used.

English Only

Understanding lyrics has never determined how much I like or dislike an album.

I have always been willing to buy albums that are not in English.

French. Swedish. Japanese. Icelandic. Spanish. German. I am equal opportunity.

Sometimes there is a choice. Native language release. English release. I'll buy either. I'll buy both.

Kent - Verkligen. Amazon.com. New.

Solo Disappointment

With the exceptions of Ian Brown and Robbie Williams, I am almost always let down by solo endeavors.

The two biggest offenders. Without a doubt. Bernard Butler. Richard Ashcroft.

I had high hopes for their solo careers. These hopes were dashed on the first listen. Then with repeated listens.

Richard Ashcroft was given another chance to convince me with his follow-up.

After one listen, I was ready to weigh in with an opinion.

"Brian Wilson couldn't even save this record."

Thankfully I didn't buy the disc. It left with my relationship. Neither was missed.

Only one stayed away. It wasn't Richard Ashcroft.

Cathy made sure he found his way back into my life.

Here he is.

Richard Ashcroft - Human Conditions. Generation Records. Used.

Crown Confusion

I occasionally confuse The Crownhate Ruin with Crown of Thornz.

One I liked and actively search for. One I didn't like and stumbled upon.

I once located Crown of Thornz on Amazon.com. An obscene amount of money. Passed.

(Although a current search is showing me otherwise.)

I stumbled on The Crownhate Ruin at Generation Records. Used. Purchased.

When I find the Crown of Thornz compact disc. I may be let down.

With The Crownhate Ruin. I was pleasantly surprised.

The Crownhate Ruin - Until the Eagle Grins. Generation Records. Used.

Not Knowing What to Expect Is Half the Fun

Simple Machines, she's singing the songs of someone I don't know.

Wikipedia knows: Franklin Bruno.

Jenny Toomey - Tempting: Jenny Toomey Sings the Songs of Franklin Bruno. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

Repost

Edgewise - Silent Rage.

Please let me know if a link is down. I will reupload. Leave a comment in the post or email me at hedancesfornickels@gmail.com.

Also. If you would like something removed. Leave a comment in the post or email me at hedancesfornickels@gmail.com.

Sorry, I Thought You Were Someone Else

I knew Tanya Donelly had been in Throwing Muses with her sister.

I didn't know Kristin Hersh was her sister.

I didn't know Kristin Hersh was in Throwing Muses.

I thought Kristin Hersh was in Bratmobile. Or a similar band.

I thought I knew a little about Tanya Donelly, Throwing Muses and Kristin Hersh. Even Bratmobile.

I don't.

I know less than the little I thought I knew.

Throwing Muses - Red Heaven. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

Keyword Search

Somebody has been landing on my site via a search for Elements of Need.

It could even be somebodies.

All I have is a rip of the self-titled seven inch.

Although I would recommend tracking down the split with Jasmine. It came out on Kidney Room Records (I think). Both sides are worth your time.

Great live band. If you were into that sort of thing circa 1994/1995.

Elements of Need.

[Image via www.askdavetaylor.com]

Reposts

Super Furry Animals - Phantom Phorce (Disc 1).

Super Furry Animals - Phantom Phorce (Disc 2 - Slow Life EP).

Ova Looven - 58:34.

If a link is down, please let me know. Leave a comment in the post or email me at hedancesfornickels@gmail.com.

On the other hand. If you want a link taken down, please let me know. Leave a comment in the post or email me at hedancesfornickels@gmail.com.

Go Buy It

Blacklisted - Our Youth Is Wasted. Relapse Records. New.

Absolutely Nothing

I recall seeing the release when it came out.

I knew the label. New Age Records.

Nothing else.

I never owned it.

With most hardcore bands, I have some sort of reference point.

Members. Scene or locale. Prior bands. Post bands.

With this.

Nothing.

Nothing then. Nothing now.

Collateral Damage - Let Me Be Broken. Generation Records. Used.

Leaving No Room for Discussion

I've called them perfect albums in the past. I will continue to call them perfect albums.

Not only perfect for the particular band or artist.

Perfect overall.

Violator. Disintegration. The Joshua Tree. Automatic for the People.

R.E.M. - Automatic for the People. eBay. Used.

Young Pico

During December, January, February and sometimes March we would head to Vermont.

Not every weekend. Two or three times each month.

Mike's family owned a house in Quechee.

It was near Okemo. Pico. Killington.

An agenda of skiing, drinking and hot tubbing.

The drive took us through upstate New York. Heading east from Syracuse.

Me. Mike. Ben. Adam. Jennie. Packed into Mike's Buick. The Thule rack filled with skis and snowboards.

Mike often dictated the soundtrack. As a result, I developed an appreciation for Speedwagon. Rush. Journey. Buffett.

And Steely Dan.

"Mike, I don't know anything by Steely Dan."

"You probably know every song on the greatest hits."

With the exception of a few tracks. I did.

Influenced by these trips, I began to trade Strife and Earth Crisis for Mellencamp and Moody Blues.

A foray into normalcy. My music tastes are better for it.

Steely Dan - A Decade of Steely Dan. eBay. Used.

Slipknot and Modern Life Is War aka The Only Things I Know About Music from Iowa

The plan was to go to New York. Me. Rich. Zac. Nick.

Rich would drive.

We wanted to get there before the snow.

Modern Life Is War came up in conversation.

Nick was of the opinion that because he went to shows in the nineties, he didn't need to see bands doing a rehash of the era.

From there the conversation moved back to sneakers, My Bloody Valentine and making fun of freaks.

We never did make it to New York. Only as far as Cherry Hill. Stopping at the mall for a few hours.

Snow had started by the time we made our way back to Philadelphia.

The snow was getting worse when I decided to go to New York anyway.

I risked my life driving to the Hamilton train station. I arrived in Manhattan around midnight. I took the subway to the West Village. And met up with some friends.

Waking up. The snow was gone. Lunch at White Castle in Jersey City. Then dropped off in Newark. I went home.

Modern Life Is War - My Love. My Way. Very Distribution. New.

With A.R.E. Weapons and/or Glass Candy?

I might have seen them play. A few years ago.

It's entirely possible I'm confusing them with someone else. Something else.

Regardless. I bought this based solely on the artwork. The sticker/liner combination.

Their sound was unknown to me. Or not remembered.

One or the other.

Ratatat - LP3. AKA Music. Used.

No Alternative

To think about the bands that were once considered "alternative."

It was an umbrella term. Encompassing college rock, indie rock, grunge, punk, Britpop and everything else. Everything else that wasn't traditional rock, hair metal or rap.

An umbrella term pushed by MTV. Pushed by the record labels. A meaningless genre. That everyone understands the meaning of.

Nirvana. Soundgarden. The Smashing Pumpkins. The Breeders. Liz Phair. My Bloody Valentine. They were the alternative.

But Toad the Wet Sprocket. Blind Melon. Gin Blossoms. The Lemonheads. They were lumped in as well. Listening to any of them today. They all sound so safe. So accessible. So mom-friendly.

The Coldplays for Generation X.

I find it interesting when listening to any of their albums. To think about how they were once part of the alternative in music. Edgy. Different.

Lemonheads - Lovey. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

Reposts

Kent - Isola.

Embrace - Come Back to What You Know (Single 2).

Morrissey - Now My Heart Is Full.

Embrace - One Big Family.

Please let me know if a link is down. Conversely, please let me know if you'd like a link taken down.

Leave a comment in the post. Or email me at hedancesfornickels@gmail.com.

Story of My Life

They were not at all what I had expected.

When I first picked up an album at the Newtown Book and Record Exchange I thought I was buying something a little more punk.

They were on Dischord. I expected Fugazi. I expected Embrace. I expected Minor Threat.

Instead, I got something completely different.

After a few years. I finally sold it. As much as I tried. I was never able to get into it.

This was as a seventeen or eighteen year old.

Fast forward ten years or so. My tastes have matured. I'm buying a lot of items I had dismissed in the past.

Lungfish an obvious target.

I feel like I missed out on it. My own fault.

Every album that doesn't "wow" me. Should be filed away for ten years. Reanalyzed.

Money saved.

Lungfish - Indivisible. AKA Music. Used.

Of All the Bands to Show Up in the Game

Outside of a handful of friends. And myself. I didn't know anyone who showed more than a moderate interest in the band.

So it was surprising when I received the text from my brother.

I had just come out of the movies.

W.

He wanted to know if I had any Kent. I told him I did.

Only yesterday I realized why. It was because of Guitar Hero.

It's great that video games now introduce somewhat forgotten bands to a wider audience. Wider than it would have been when the album was released.

There is potential there. For underrated and undersold catalogs. Renewed interest.

Kent - Hagnesta Hill. eBay. Used.

Ebert? Roeper?

I couldn't tell you anything about the film.

Before stumbling on this soundtrack, I had never heard of it.

The soundtrack does not disappoint.

The film might. It might not.

There is no way it will match the star power, the guest power, of the album.

Including the deceased.

Shudder to Think - First Love, Last Rites. AKA Music. Bargain bin.

I Want That Era Saab

Matt asked me about the first Whale album.

I told him posting would not be an issue. As a bonus. I would post the follow-up as well.

Looking through my files, I realized I had never ripped the compact discs.

This meant I hadn't listened to either album in a few years. Tragic.

I love both. Especially the second one.

It's a shame more people aren't familiar with it. It is a strong release for the era. Sweden or otherwise.

Ten years since. I don't suppose another release is forthcoming.

Stranger things have happened.

(Portishead.)

Whale - All Disco Dance Must End In Broken Bones. ??? New.

Laid Off

And so ends my time in the mortgage industry of America.

You'd think with my newly found unemployment I'd have more time to post.

So far, that has not been the case.

Vegetating. Video games. The purchase of a new suit.

Somewhat productive.

Now the weekend has arrived. I will play catch up.

The Music - You Might As Well Try to Fuck Me E.P. eBay. New.

My Discount Went Towards Ridiculous Items, Most Ill-Fitting

I needed a job. The Carousel Mall seemed like a good place to start.

The mall did not have an Abercrombie and Fitch. So a transfer from my summer store was out of the question.

At the time I was lukewarm on Banana Republic. I decided to apply to the Gap.

I was hired.

Training was fairly intense. A focus on customer service. The total opposite of my experience at Abercrombie. For better or for worse. Actually for worse. Working retail with little or no focus on the customer made for an excellent social environment.

All of that changed at the Gap.

Things were strict. My manager meant business. She was older than me. I was into her. Not seriously. More like a teenage crush.

Almost every dollar I earned went right back into the store. Clothing for me. For family. For friends. For Christmas.

Shortly after my start date there was a big event. The release of Gap Blue. The store's focus was on the fragrance. I don't remember anything about the scent. I do remember an impractical square bottle. That constantly fell apart.

And more importantly. I remember an in-store soundtrack of "blue" songs.

Including my personal favorite: "Bluuuuuuue Savannah song Ohohohhhh it's a bluuuuuue Savannah song..."

It was only my favorite. Reviled by the rest of the staff.

Erasure - Wild! Princeton Record Exchange. Bargain rock.

Congratulations, President-Elect Obama

Kicking off a new era of American politics with: Mudhoney.

Mudhoney - Superfuzz Bigmuff plus Early Singles. Princeton Record Exchange. Unsorted bargain bin.

GOTV

If you are registered. Get out and vote.

Preferably for my team.

Waiting in line? Why not listen to Ride?

Ride - Smile. Princeton Record Exchange. Bargain rock.

When Doesn't It Snow Between Syracuse and Buffalo?

A two-plus hour drive through the snow.

Syracuse to Buffalo.

I guess it was a date.

Even with the time I spent in and around Buffalo between 1995 and 1997. Various trips from Syracuse. I never became familiar with the city.

So I was lost. Looking for the venue.

I couldn't tell you the name.

There were seats. Almost a concert hall. It was a concert hall.

We weren't there for the symphony.

My memories are of an empty venue.

It surely wasn't empty. Likely sold out. At the very least. Close to it.

People threw the obligatory flowers towards the stage.

The atmosphere was different than it had been in Philadelphia. Far less intense. A lack of people rushing the stage.

The whole night. Somewhat unmemorable.

Morrissey - Irish Blood, English Heart. Princeton Record Exchange. Bargain rock.

Beyond the Long Hair and Dirty Clothes

Outside of a few compilation tracks, I didn't listen to them. Even with my love of the Judgment Night soundtrack.

This was at the height of their popularity. Their relevance.

I ignored them.

If asked to venture a guess. A reason why. I think I perceived them as "hippies."

Viewing a lot of other Seattle bands of the era as more "punk." Or more "metal." More acceptable to me.

In the end. They were all "rock." Though I didn't see it like that.

The name. Something about the name. The name had me thinking "hippie."

Like many things. No real reason. Definitely no good reason.

Mudhoney - Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. Princeton Record Exchange. Unsorted bargain bin.

When the Men Were Faceless and the Arms and Legs Would Not Move

Like a lot of people. I didn't really have an interest in the band until the Legos.

My favorite toy.

Animated. Represented. In a music video.

Although my interest in the band has waned.

I still thank you Gondry.

The White Stripes - White Blood Cells. ??? New.

Shoegaze, Shoegazer, Shoegazing

I had been listening to the genre via My Bloody Valentine.

Unbeknownst to me.

To me. My young self. It was punk. All-encompassing.

My Bloody Valentine. Agnostic Front. The Cure. Nirvana. The Clash. Fugazi. Depeche Mode.

With time. Things separated.

Dutifully reading Thrasher. One of my top resources for finding new music. Between 1986 and 1996.

In or around 1993. I'm guessing the Sounds section of the magazine. I am introduced to Velocity Girl.

Mentions of Primal Scream. In regards to their name.

Mentions of My Bloody Valentine. In regards to their genre.

"Shoegaze."

I had the word. I ran with it. Ride. Slowdive. Lush.

Although not Velocity Girl. Except for a few tracks on Copacetic I don't consider them part of the genre.

Even if they indirectly introduced me to it.

(That's not to say they aren't one of my favorite bands in their own right.)

Chapterhouse - Whirlpool. Princeton Record Exchange. Bargain rock.