Podcast #112, “Rescued”

RescuersIt was a panicked podcast host earlier yesterday morning, upon the realization that his turntable stylus was going out, and there was no way he’d be able to dig into any of the new vinyl he picked up during Record Store Day last weekend. What to do?!?!

Then he remembered that he’d totally switched up the last episode at the eleventh hour, and so had an entire show’s worth of trakcs already in the can. Thus, your Monday morning entertainment was saved, and your host didn’t have to come up with something last-minute and frantic.

Podcast #112, “Rescued”
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Rev Gusto, “Still There” 7-inch

rev gusto header
With the second installment of the Too Much Rock single series, we have the first-ever physical release from Kansas City power-pop group Rev Gusto. As longtime readers will recall, we were super-hyped on their first EP when it was released digitally. It’s good to see that the band has managed to both retain their loose, shimmery tones, as well as tightening up their melodies and harmonies.

The a-side is an original, “Still There,” which balances that shimmering guitar with tight drums and bass, resulting in a song that bridges the gap between slightly psychedelic ’60s and early ’80s power-pop. The cover of Graham Parker’s “Local Girls” on the flip only makes that comparison more accurate. I’d not heard Parker’s original in years (it’s not like anything along those lines except Marshall Crenshaw’s “Someday Someway” ever makes it on the radio anymore), and it was interesting to revisit the song after hearing Rev Gusto’s take. They do a lovely job of energizing the slightly-lethargic original, in the process rendering it less morose, and more snotty.

The band’s goddamn catchy and everyone who sees or hears them just can’t help but fall in love with these guys. Here’s to hoping some of you pick up the single and do the same. It’s a delightfully catchy pair of songs, just in time for summer.
https://soundcloud.com/sidmuchrock/rev-gusto-still-there
More info on the single series can be found at Too Much Rock.

McGowan’s “Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon” offers a dystopic view of the Laurel Canyon music scene

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Headpress might have outdone themselves with their latest book, Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & the Dark Heart of the Hippie Dream by David McGowan. Anymore, it takes me about a week to finish a book, with the day job, writing, family obligations, and the ever-pressing need to sit on my ass and gorge on movies and shows.

That being said, I got Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon on Friday, and had it finished by Sunday morning. It’s entrancing. Once McGowan starts spinning his stories, you can’t help but fall under his spell — ironic, really, given the number of Svengali madmen who populate the pages of this book. I can’t imagine fact-checking this publication was anything but a nightmare, encompassing as it does hidden rooms, allegations of incest, mind control, government involvement, and outright murder, amongst the obvious discussion of drugs and deviant groupie use.
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“Hardcore, Punk, and Other Junk” demonstrates aggressive music has more to offer than the mosh

book cover - hardcore punk and other junkIt’s a shame that Hardcore, Punk, and Other Junk: Aggressive Sounds in Contemporary Music is sort of marketed as an academic book. This collection of essays, edited by Eric James Abbey and Colin Helb, with a little tweaking, could easily fit into any popular punk or metal magazine’s pages with little change in approach.

The essays run the gamut from deeply scientific to historical to a trifle fannish. The editors’ approach and aim is to discuss “the important need of aggressive release in our world.” You’ve got the scientific approach, which breaks down both Sid Vicious’ take on the Sinatra standard “My Way,” dissecting lyrical changes and chord alteration to make the point that the song transcends pure cover and becomes a sort of “cannibalization” of the original.
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Sean Hoen on writing “Songs Only You Know”

sean hoen
Sean Hoen‘s memoir of his youth, Songs Only You Know, came out yesterday from Soho Press. It’s an emotional read, fraught with stories of a family of the brink of collapse and finding personal expression within the arms of the Detroit hardcore scene. Hoen isn’t afraid to tell his story with raw, open, honestly, and the result is a book that instantly drops you into a whirlwind of feelings.

I spoke with Hoen by phone a few weeks back, and we discussed the book in detail, as well as his writing process and influences.
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Podcast #111, “Epic”

viking fire
Not even kidding — I spent about two hours digging our records, recording tracks, and getting everything ready for this podcast. Then I came up with this idea and thought it was so fucking cool, I had to do it right away. So, What we have here is the shortest playlist the podcast will ever see. It’s four epic songs, sort of suitable for a rainy spring night where the weather’s going all kinds of sideways.

Will it rain? Will there be thunder? Might we have to take shelter?

DOOM! COME THE DOOM! ALL SHALL PERISH!

Um … yeah. So. I did this as a radio set once, with the idea that it all had to be rock songs longer than 8 minutes — no electronic music, no jazz. It was a little more varied than this, but then I had four hours to roam free.

<b Podcast #111, “Epic”
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Earth Wind and Fire frontman Bailey’s “Shining Star” a shining example of ghostwriting gone awry

book cover - shining starBeing familiar with pop culture memoirs, I understand the purpose of the the “with” which comes after the ostensible author’s name. The celebrity, musician, actor, whomever — it’s their story. They sit down with a computer, knock out some stories, do an interview with their collaborator, and then that person shapes everything into a narrative. Some are better than others, allowing the voice of the subject to come through, while authors are basically cranking out something.

Word to the wise: if an “autobiography” has not one, but two “with” credits on it … it will suck. Terribly. Oh my god. Philip Bailey‘s Shining Star: Braving the Elements of Earth, Wind & Fire was written with Keith and Kent Zimmerman, and I just don’t know what happened. It’s written in such a way that the historical context often takes over the story, because while Bailey’s story is the constant, every other page features some sort of historical digression. You’ll go from a fine piece of malapropism like “her nice round booty ass” to a stentorian explanation of Juneteent which might as well have been taken directly from a textbook: “an American holiday celebrated by African Americans in more than forty states, commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865.
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PUP’s self-titled LP out today from SideOne Dummy; BUY IT

pup teeth

Toronto’s PUP have the stateside release of their self-titled debut out today via SideOne Dummy. I’ve been listening to it pretty regularly since I was turned onto them by Wade from Black on Black, because it’s a monster stereo record — it’s the sort of thing you put on, and just steadily crank the volume until things are rattling on shelves and your ears are ringing. It’s exuberant and raucous and holyfuckingshit have you heard “Reservoir”?
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Graham Jones’ “Last Shop Standing” a friendly tour of the UK record shops

book cover - last shop standingGraham Jones, the man behind Proper Records — makers of some of my favorite box sets and compilations — has the sixth edition of his Last Shop Standing coming out just in time for this year’s Record Store Day. It’s appropriate, as last year, the documentary based on the book was the official RSD movie.

The book is combination memoir and tour of the record shops of the UK. It’s like taking a tour with your favorite uncle, as he introduces you to all his pals and shares their best stories. Granted, the story-telling is pretty bog-standard: there’s a bit of a sense that these stories are much funnier in person.
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Espectrostatic releases “Phantominom VGS” as benefit

phantoninom
Good news: Hex Dispensers‘ Alex Cuervo has finally followed up his debut Espectrostatic LP on Trouble in Mind!

Bad news: it’s to benefit the medical expenses of the Hex Dispensers’ Rebecca Whitley. She had to have a 23-pound ovarian cyst removed from her. You can see the VERY uncomfortable images of that here (not recommended if you’re planning on eating anything involving tomatoes for the next few days).
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