Gizoogle
Do y'all know about this already?

Miami action
I'm just back from Miami. You can read all about it, here.

The time of the season...
Putting aside the fact that I'm taking some mild prescription painkillers to deal with my torturous teeth situation (soon to be resolved), its been a really interesting couple of days. Its the first time, in a long time, when I've felt the Chicago social vibe has been so pleasant, in that I've gone out to a few events (the Stop Smiling anniversary party) and come home early having seen many more friendly faces that I was expecting to encounter. There's also something really strange (but not good) in the air, in that I know about four or five couples recently split or on the verge of splitting. Also, there's something about constant pain, or a minor crisis that you can only manage not really escape that puts a lot of things in perspective. Argh, here it comes again.

Listening Station:

Soledad Brothers The Hardest Walk (Alive)
A lot of the Ohio garage stuff is vastly overrated but the SB joint that drops this month is excellent. They come to Chicago March 16.

I just got new music from Dem Franchise Boyz and a stack of Eurasian traditional music with DVDs. I've got the Big Apple Rappin' comp and the Masekela singles comp to dig into but I'm saving my VHS copy of Wonderwall for my op recovery day. Though I considered blowing 30 bucks on the Brigitte Bardot DVD, tripping with Jane Birkin will have to do. For now.

Also, there's been some chatter on the net about the Chisel rarities project and trust me, it is coming along, but very slowly. Some significant material has been put in the post to me but yet to arrive. Then there's mixing, selection, mastering, sequencing and security council approval to happen yet, so maybe 2007?

Also on the release front, the Perfect Panther CD should be out in a month or two. We're wrangling with the artwork issue right now and some DC/NY/Bmore gigs are in the works.



Oh and this is from a protest outside the Homeland Security building in Chicago. My pics of Cabrini Green getting the wrecking ball treatment this past week didn't come out. Something about the fact I was driving when I took them, I suppose.

The Agony
My wisdom teeth have picked this week to cause me constant, unbearable pain making the writing of sentences almost impossible. It's pretty awful. In the meantime, I've been watching the Nick Sylvester situation unfold with some interest. Also, I gotta give props to Simon Reynolds for hitting me back almost immediately about my review of Rip It Up and Start Again. Go buy it, seriously.

Spin finally sold
Considerably less than $5 million?

Can you date this Fugazi show?
I wanna say... Wilson Center or All Souls Church, 1989! I remember the dude in the Gorilla Biscuits shirt... or I want to.

What's Norske for S C O R E ?
Last weekend, I was led by some unseen force to a pretty crappy estate sale in the northwest suburbs. It was semi-cleaned out and just basically dingy, sad and almost the kind of place you walk in and walk right out of. There was, however, a little plastic electric piano (busted of course), lots of LPs in good shape (mostly lounge) and an entire set of vintage couches and loveseat (polynesiany tiki bar style). But I became taken with a painting hanging in the basement, clashing badly with the wood paneling, and on the suggestion of my life partner, went for it and made an offer. So I end up somehow squeaking the painting in the Golf and heading out into the vortex of Ikea and outlet shopping. Turns out the painting from 67 or so, of Norwegian origin and was originally sold to a notable Norwegian architect. Now, I'm not Norwegian, but I seem to be getting pulled towards Norway and modernist (even futurist) Norway in particular. I buy a piece of original art about every 6 years, but so far my track record is really good.

In other news, this blog is doing pretty big numbers on Fridays, which is quite ironic considering I usually work a long Friday, as I did today discounting an afternoon siesta. Siesta and a temperature of 7˚ don't really jive I know.

Also, I really wanted to see a rock band at a house party tonight, but after eating and contemplating the absence of mercury moving conditions I thought it better to retire early after taking in some sleep-inducing bobsled racing.

Not exactly Robert Frank, but you get the idea...

Remembering Sly
I broke into my house, kinda says it all.

Country Ass
We've got this thing at work about "country ass" this and that. We picked up the term country ass from some music message board but believe me we've made it our own. The total opposite of country ass is the band Owls and Crows. They've got MP3s, they play all the time and they rock me in a pleasing manner. I've spent the last hour downloading DC hardcore 7"s and listening to the Fall singles collection. My hate has an appetite of its own. I don't want to name names, but I'm kind of confused as to how a band that sounds like Smog singing for Spacemen 3 made someone's top ten of the year. Maybe in like '98, but come on...

Pazzin' and joppin'
The poll is up. There are some "essays" too, but I don't know that I will be reading them.

Loose
A night (post-gym) of drinking Argentine wine (farewell Marshall Field's wine shop) and munching on Indian flavored crispy things (thank you Trader Joe's) put me in blogging mode, but I somehow lost my first take. Note to self: save drafts. Anyway, I planned to catch up and lay down some things I've had in mind for a while, but all of those ideas seem to have left me right now.

Must have/throwin it on the iPod
Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers (Astralwerks)
Folky, moody but with a soul jazz lightness to it at times, just got this today and I'm loving it, comes out Feb 7.

Actively disliking
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat (Team Love)
This is just kind of icky, thin faux country that leaves me cold. Why is she getting so much press? Maybe because she dated Donnie Darko, I have no idea.

So blogging has not been a priority in the new year and that is unlikely to change. On top of that, I’ve somehow lost all the mental blogging notes that I am usually in the habit of keeping. I’ve been trying to just get the last cough out of my system from this annoying cold I had last week. Which brings me to the story of the cold, and how colds evidently are some kind of reaction to stress. The Tax went to Ohio for the weekend to play some shows in Athens and Columbus with the Tough and Lovely. I ended up renting the vehicle (Mitsubishi Galant = solid!) and doing most of the driving. While driving all day isn’t always a great way to get amped for a live gig I actually think I played better than I have in some time. I’m kicking myself for not recording both nights. I also learned that rockers in Ohio partee all-night in the manner of Quiet Riot and city slickers like me just can’t keep up. So everything went ultra smooth. I particularly like visiting college towns that the hip bands of the moment completely ignore. Athens isn’t all that remote, but its just out of the way enough that it rarely shows up on a tour itinerary, except for that of comedian Jeff Garland who was playing the night after us at the University. So I get home and 24 hours later I feel awful. Ohio thrifting wasn’t as spectacular as I had hoped but one of the guys somehow walked in and found several Flaming Groovies Cds just waiting for him. There was that kind of magic in the air in Ohio.

My Norwegian posse was just in town and hanging with Anita and friends was probably the biggest shot of inspiration I’ve gotten in years. Lots of amazing chit-chat and eating and drinking type action. Typical of Anita… I give her directions to Cabrini Green which she wants to see on the way out of Chicago, the Norwegians hug goodbye and set off in their blue bomber and a I get a text later that she’s met someone at Cabrini who’s lived there their entire life and is making a documentary about the project before it comes down forever and she’s totally psyched. The combination of that enthusiasm for life, desire to follow your own interests and the do-it-now attitude is pretty rare. I wish I could have some kind of infusion of that zest every few months. We’re planning a Numusic junket for the fall with a few days at the family compound in “the archipelego” on the fjords outside of Stavanger, can only be heavenly.

In other news, I’ve just got a voracious appetite for music biographies, documentaries and critical surveys. I’m pounding about one book a week. Don’t ask me why. I’m wading through the somewhat dry Under Review DVDs for Syd Barrett and the Small Faces. The British take a single by single analysis of a band’s career, which makes for some really compelling analysis.

I’m going to see Jah Wobble a bit later tonight after mojitos, expecting a dubby, roots reggae kind of thing, but I have no idea.

As for writing (I just typed wiring), I promise to get back in the swing of things. Entry to come… Whats with friends of mine dating famous writers, getting their book jacket photos taken by famous photographers? Why is it that I’m drawn to the idea of working with undiscovered talent? Its not that I’m cheap, or is it? Or is their a camaraderie of being semi-am or semi-pro that makes things more fun than working with big names and bigger egos?

Lost and found in PA
One of my projects this week is to clean-up and even clean-out my rehearsal space and hopefully find a place for this Sansui RA-500 reverb that I brought home from the keystone state. A new relative happened to have one sitting in his workshop and who was I to stop him from passing on his junk down and across a few generations. I'm reading good things on about the RA-500. I was reminded as I drank wine in a giant 70s resort style hot tub in the Poconos this past weekend of how much I dig Philly, even the slightly gentrified Philly of today. I was taken out in little Italy for perhaps the finest meal ever in PA (more later for my Philly tribe), had drinks in the almost-so-chic Rittenhouse Square and then dragged the relatives down to gritty but still happening South Street strip on the way to the airport. Man, I just might have to move back to the #3 homestate at some point. I'm also burning with that desire, after hanging out with 70+ year old relatives with heartbreaking/inspiring stories of toil and romance in the mid-century factories of the industrial and prosperous USA to construct an accurate family tree, to research the United Mineworkers history, to visit some long neglected relatives. It's interesting how something that seems to drag you down as a youth (extended family) can be so fascinating as you start to ripen.

Top tending
I've gotten a case of Top Ten fever for this end of the year time and I've been reading the magazine, blog and critic's top tens with interest and in some cases, just plain whattheeff. In the past, I considered these things way too nerdy. I kinda think Top 25 or Top 50 lists are just plain silly... and top 100 is bordering on cop-out. Here's some links to a few:
Pitchfork, SFJ, Mark Jenkins, NME...
2004's Pazz & Jop which will soon be replaced by 2005s.

I'd like to throw some other polls out there. What was 2005's most covered song? Over-hyped band? Over-rated record? 2005's worst "underground" trend? And music journalism's worst case of following the prevailing wisdom? Another thing... the year-end issue of Rollin' Stone is quite well-done and contains some genuinely passionate, informed political stuff. Who'd have thunk?

Almost postal
I really don't have it in for publicists. They're cool, I guess, it is just that I was gunning for anyone and everyone yesterday and by that I mean kind of growling at people in my office, but on the inside. No, publicists just happen to throw themselves in my crosshairs by email, phone, mail and IM at every possible moment, so when they also show up in the publications I read, I notice that.

On the catching up with the last six months of culture tip, I finally say Me and You and Everyone We Know... Someone is calling me, gotta go.

Crossing the line but nobody cares
Take a look at the list below and ask yourself: Which of these publications allows publicists to write about their own bands (or write music editorial copy at all)? Which allows people in the employ of record labels (or the label owners themselves) to write for them? Which publications are actually cross-promotional devices for record label/marketing companies? Also ask yourself, which of these magazines allows label owners or publicists to submit year-end top-ten lists which are published? Also, ask yourself... should people currently working publicity be writing editorial copy of any kind, even unrelated to their clients? Just thinking about that kind of thing right now. Comments are welcome.

The Fader
Stop Smiling
Chicago Reader
Time Out Chicago
Black Book
Nylon
XLRBR
Urb
Spin
Rolling Stone

It was hot and then suddenly not
A few days of indulgence... decadent sun, surf and gourging broke up this very stressful month very nicely. With another holiday travel week approaching (yo' DC), my workload suddenly goes from managable insanity to total friggin insanity. I've found that beginning the day with a triple latte from Intelligentsia in the Monadnock building makes the day speed along faster, things get written and suddenly I'm free to go. Still, the contrast between laying on the beach all day and devouring a Big Star biography with a $1.50 Dos Equis lager at my side and being strapped to the eMac for 11 hours trying to transcribe interviews with German DJs done via cell phones has kind of made me crazy. It might my post Playa, winter hibernating instinct, but suddenly building fires, wearing thick wool sweaters, snacking on the couch watching Orson Welles obscurities before retiring early sounds like the ticket, though I suppose I only did that once this week. Either that or just getting home early. Sleep is nice.


Oh and Rob Jovanic's book Big Star : The Short Life, Painful Death, and Unexpected Resurrection of the Kings of Power Pop is just fine, very straightforward with just enough romance and a healthy dose of the tragic to keep a Big Star fan enraptured. It gives the other members of the band a lot of attention. It's difficult to read it and not come out the other side more sympathetic to Chris Bell who didn't have much of a second chance and a bit more frustrated with Alex Chilton, who's had dozens of them.

Had a drink on the rooftop bar at this place Basico in Playa Del Carmen and was simply in awe of the whole design vibe.

Perfect Podcasted
I don't know how I feel about this, but mostly I'm cool with it. Is all podcasting good podcasting? Perfect Panther has been podcasted by the anthem.

NPR archive action
In case you missed it or you are my Mom, check out the 848 segment I did with Steve Edwards. Go to Eight Forty-Eight—October 18, 2005 and hit the headphones. They spelled my name wrong, but I totally forgot Steve's name while we were taping so all's fair.

The Pile Up
I've been reading up on the whole American Apparel sexual harassment suit situation. There are dozens of articles that have come out in the last few months in everything from Business Week to Nerve. Many bloggers seem to have made up their minds on Dov Charney and AA. I'm having flashbacks to the Spin sexual harassment case back in the ’90s. Just to put things in perspective, the EEOC publishes these statistics, showing that on the federal level about 48% of SH cases end with "no reasonable cause."