Truck Stop Love - How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1995, Backyard/Scotti Brothers)

Though I don't recall what particular entry it was under, someone belonging to the band Truck Stop Love posted that I had the proverbial green light to share their music on Wilfully Obscure.  Well, here's a considerable slice of their back catalog.  How I Spent My Summer Vacation was in fact the Manhattan, KS group's lone full length.  It's only been in recent years that I've acquainted myself with their earnest, and sometimes downright raucous strain of Midwest rock, swinging in several directions, including riff-roaring grunge/punk, but even more notably recalling the robust Americana persuasions of Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown.  As for ...Summer Vacation itself there ain't a bad apple in the bunch, rather it's just a matter of what you're in the mood for.  This mere paragraph hardly does the TSL justice, so head over here for a more exhaustive biography.  You can also check out their self-titled 1993 ep over at I Hate the '90s blog.

01. You Owe
02. Other Stars
03. Bitter Boy
04. Walton's Mountain
05. How I Spent My Summer Vacation
06. Old Flama
07. U*S*A Dad
08. The Letter
09. Benny
10. Whiskey Waltz
11. Can't Hear It
12. Carolina's Eyes
13. hidden track

http://rapidshare.com/files/445564877/truckstoplove.rar

Tall Tales & True - s/t (1986, Survival)

Last October when I shared Tall Tales & True's Shiver CD, I mentioned that I was eager to become acquainted with some of the group's earlier records, particularly this self-titled mini album.  Not only did someone lend me a hand, they air-mailed me the actual record along with four more scarce TT&T eps as a Christmas gift, wrapped and everything.  A hearty thanks to the bloke who went to all that trouble (you know who you are)!  I'll get to those other eps at a later date, but the seven-cut Tall Tales & True is what I'm sharing today.  For those of you who helped yourselves to Shiver, you'll be familiar with this Aussie trio's Americanized roots rock slant that was still taking shape on these occasionally twangy and even dissonant tunes.  More San Antonio than Tall Tales native Sydney one might say.  Really nice to hear this. We finally get to hear their nascent recordings and satisfy our collective curiosity (well, at least mine anyway).  Enjoy.

01. Purple and Green
02. Strangers
03. It's Not What You Say
04. Sunshine Man
05. Who Will Buy
06. Wasted Life
07. Hey Sister

http://rapidshare.com/files/445400142/tt_t_ep.rar

GOLDEN GLOBES

SO THE 'NOVA DANDO AWARD FOR PERSONAL FAV LOOK OF SLEBS RED CARPET OUTFIT AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES' GOES TO...
ANGELINA JOLIE IN VERSACE

























EMMA STONE IN CALVIN KLIEN

























JANUARY JONES IN VERSACE

Various - Black Brittle Frisbee (1987, Hit City)

Taken straight from the liner notes of the album insert:

Brittle Black Frisbee is in every sense of the word a compilation.  Without exception, every member of the seven bands on this record has had a say in what the project has become.  The scene in Indianapolis is that way though.  Venues for non-top 40 bands are virtually non-existent, but the quantity and quality of bands thrive. 

Well , I'm not sure about the quality quotient, at least in regards to consistency.  Indeed, however, this is an accurate snapshot of the late '80s Indianapolis indie/punk circuit.  BBF was curated in large part by Paul Mahern of Zero Boys and Datura Seeds renown.  The most obvious bait offered on this collection are three tunes from the low-brow as-all-get-out Sloppy Seconds, who would solider on for two more decades as one of the longest running jokes in punk rock.  Pointless is what I say.  As for myself, the real draw here was the otherwise unavailable Datura Seeds nugget of gold  "Eatin' You."  I've featured the Mahern-helmed Seeds on here before, and can best describe them as a sassier and more vigorous spin on Let's Active.  Their Who Do You Want it to Be long-player is a must listen.  Furthermore, if I'm not mistaken, the version of "S&P '69" on here differs from the Toxic Shock single.

Technically from Bloomington, Indiana, you might ascribe Right to Left as the only 'straightforward' pop act on Black Brittle Frisbee, declaring their presence here with measured tempos and insightful songwriting, loosely resembling a quieter REM, or the Posies circa their Failure album.

That about wraps up side two of the album.  Going backwards, the first side is quite a mess, predominately occupied by three rather amateurish, albeit artsy hopefuls - Jot, Modern Vending and Bramble Grit, with the first one of that lot striking me as cheap imitation of the then burgeoning Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Modern Vending's moniker holds more currency than their finished product, and Bramble Grit at their best (say "Alibi in the Nude") would have been a near miss for Homestead Record's roster contemporary to this album.

Jot
01. Dusty's Diner
02. Going Bowling

Modern Vending
03. Cicada Baby
04. Hook's Brand Jesus
05. Weigle Moves to Dayton

Bramble Grit
06. Velvet Lipps
07. Alibi in the Nude
08. Hoosier A-Go-Go

Datura Seeds
09. Eatin' You
10. S&P '69

Sloppy Seconds
11. Germany
12. The Men
13. I Don't Want to Take You Home

Right to Left
14. When Company Comes
15. Change the World Around

Mikes House
16. Townshend Nose
17. I'm So Proud
18. Indiana

http://rapidshare.com/files/445073426/va_bbf.rar

Singles Going Single #159 - Olivelawn 7" (1991, Sympathy for the Record Industry)

I had a request for an Olivelawn single, and what do you know, I happen to have one (though this secondhand copy was not partiularly well preserved, and has some pretty painful surface noise to drive that point home).  Although he didn't materialize in the original Olivelawn lineup (this single included) Fender-wrangler Otis "O" Barthoulameu would soon after spearhead fluf.  As for Olivelawn themselves, these San Diego miscreants spewed a righteously heavy noise, out-grunge-ing their most raucous contemporaries up north in Seattle, and posessed the kind of heaving chops that would have wiped the floor of Blue Cheer in their heyday.  If this wax strikes your fancy, their albums Sap and Sophomore Jinx are to be consumed immediately.

A. Beautiful Feeling
B1. Carvin' the Devil's Paintbrush
B2. untitled

http://rapidshare.com/files/444747134/olivelawn7.rar

Singles Going Single #158 - My Life in Rain "This is Your Ballistic Helmet" 7" (1993, 50%)

Bearing a moniker that just oozes 'emo,' My Life in Rain had always struck me as the runt of the litter of the D.C. scene.  Ultimately, this crew never quite meshed with any of the sub rosa contingents of their day, be it punk, hardcore, or again, emo.  A trio of albums were released during their mid-90s lifespan, but according to this handy discography, the single in question (produced by ex-Gray Matter/Senator Flux figurehead Geoff Turner) was their debut offering.  The three-cut ...Ballistic Helmet is a sturdy slice of hard-strummed, no frills indie-rawk, just not particularly revelatory.

A. Handcuff
B1. Exependable
B2. Lost

http://rapidshare.com/files/444745561/mylifeinrain7.rar

Slumber - demo tape (1995)

Listening to any given song on this cassette makes me ponder if Tsunami's Jenny Toomey made a clone of herself, shipped it off to the Twin Cities (circa 1995) and started a side-project called Slumber.  Yes, Sara Garry, the voice and bass behind this long departed Minneapolis trio is that much of a dead ringer for Toomey, and even if you're not particularly enthusiastic about Tsunami, I think you'll at least side with me regarding the comparison.  Amidst the clangy fret-work and tuneful inclinations is a bittersweet, downer-pop vibe that seems to work wonders on my often pensive psyche.  I'd also recommended Slumber for you Spinanes fans out there.  This was a really sweet surprise, and leads me to wonder if there was any more where this came from.

01. Valliat
02. Sister Sandy
03. Snoop Jane
04. Dan's Song

http://rapidshare.com/files/444566503/slumber.rar

The Werefrogs - Swing (1993, Ultimate)

Going back aways to the summer of 2008, I shared a nice lil' slab o' wax from The Werefrogs, a downstate New York indie coconglomerate.  What I didn't realize at the time was how much more prolific a discography that had amassed throughout their early '90s tenure, the vast majority I don't have.  In addition to that aforementioned single is this nine-cut album, Swing, issued on the British Ultimate Records imprint.  It wouldn't faze me if some of their other singles and eps didn't bear some mighty succulent fruit, but it would have to stack up to Swing's most exemplary tracks, including but not limited to "Potvan," "Nixie Concussion," and "Green."  The Werefrogs seemed to occupying the same lofty airspace as post-shoegaze cases Fudge and the Drop Nineteens, and elsewhere they brought on the howling guitar melees that Pond were so effective at.  Portions of Swing kinda sag, but it's choicest offerings are downright sublime and rewarding.

01. Jellyfish
02. Doctor Pain
03. Nixie Concussion
04. Lighthouse
05. Goddess
06. Potvan
07. Green
08. Transfigured
09. H. Dumpty

http://rapidshare.com/files/444384786/werefrogs_swing.rar

Watch Out!


Love the mix of bright stockings with the platforms in this image from http://seaofshoes.typepad.com/

Juliana Hatfield & Evan Dando @ The Mercury Lounge, NYC 9/30/10

Between the Lemonheads, a Blake Babies reunion gig in 2001, and many, many solo performances, I've witnessed Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield onstage in various incarnations roughly a dozen times, but I have yet to see them together (and frankly, if you live outside of Boston, you probably haven't either).  However late in 2010, the once romantically linked "alterna-hunk" Dando, and his on again/off again '90s collaborator Hatfield doubled up for a short run of acoustic shows in the northeast.  I didn't have the opportunity to partake in any of them, which is why I was in luck when I found this rather well recorded audience show from the Mercury Lounge in New York on the last day of September.  As was the case with many a cynical outsider at the time, the Blake Babies reunion a decade back was deemed a nostalgia cash-in.  I'm sure the this collaboration elicited a similar reaction, but for those of us who opt to prioritize the music, these shows served as a more than welcome early holiday present. 

Evan and Juliana split the song quotient almost evenly here, though it's Jules who "carries" the show, so to speak, with  a more pronounced effort than her counterpart.  Both eschew a lot of obvious singles and should-have-been hits, and all the better I say, considering there's so little to argue with on this set list, which even dips into a few Blake Babies tunes, including the Earwig-era "Rain." And of course, there's the requisite banter, and a smathering of covers, like the Dead Kennedy's chestnut "Too Drunk to Fuck," and one of Evan's longtime favorites, Gram Parsons "$1000 Wedding."

01. Paid to Smile
02. Choose Drugs
03. Rain
04. Hospital
05. Butterflies
06. Cells (Teenage Fanclub cover)
07. Down About It
08. Waiting for Heaven
09. All My Life
10. When You Loved Me
11. What is Wrong
12. Ride With Me
13. Bottles and Flowers
14. Brain Damage
15. Bit Part
16. Tourist
17. Too Drunk to Fuck
18. The End of the War
19. $1000 Wedding
20. It's About Time
21. chatter
22. Evan
23. chatter
24. Baby Gets High (Madder Rose cover)
25. My Drug Buddy

http://rapidshare.com/files/443970119/juliana_evan.rar

Oversoul Seven - s/t (1988, Edge)

Oversoul Seven were an export of Vancouver, BC, Canada, who seemed to be angling towards the left end of the dial (and probably could have were they a bit more savvy), but strayed a few notches shy.  More "modern rock" than "indie" if you get my drift.  This trio weren't nearly as distinguishable as I had hoped to encounter, though ringleader Adam Gejdos vaguely resembles Cactus World News frontman Frank Kearns, vocally that is, but it's improbable that one was ever aware of the other.   The clangy "How Many Times" has some real spark to it.  As for the rest of Oversoul Seven, do things catch fire elsewhere?  Guess there's only way for you to find out.  The band released an ep, Fool Revelation, a year prior to this that I hope to get my hands on soon.

On a sadder note, bassist Len Morgan (the one in glasses) passed away in 1993 at the tender age of 27.

01. Crack
02. How Many Times
03. Nineteen
04. Fool's Gold
05. Superman Pillow
06. Ellis Island
07. Bring Me Round
08. 1 and 1 is 3
09. Simon Says
10. Follow the Leader

http://rapidshare.com/files/443670140/oversoulseven.rar

Four Million Telephones - Save You ep (1988, Summerhouse)

Here's yet another obscuro record-type-thing I obtained on Ebay.  Per the sellers description, and from what I was able to glean from the record jacket, my ears were pricked up to hear a long lost jewel in the mold of countless C86 and Sarah Records bands.  Um...no, I don't think so.  Nevertheless, I bid on it, I paid for it, it's mine and I'm going to blog about!

In actuality this co-ed, UK sextet were too complex to fit into that aforementioned realm.  The arrangement of the exuberant title cut recalls The Teardrop Explodes, courtesy of the horn section (actually mimicked by synths) though Four Million Telephones had nothing on Cope and Co.  "After That" maintains some of the momentum, with it's chorus cruising on the wave of a fairly savvy melody.  As for the tracks on side two, I'm still trying to figure 'em out.  Maybe you'll have better luck than me.  Save You is certainly what you would call a "grower."  It appears that FMT had another ep preceding this one. 

01. Save You
02. After That
03. If I Was There
04. This Sleep

http://rapidshare.com/files/443490767/4milphones.rar

Mockers - Culprit and the King (1985, RCA NZ)

I'm probably going to keep this one a little short, as I'm feeling under the weather tonight, and as luck would have it, I don't have much in the way of background details to extol on the Mockers (or for that matter, an actual copy of this album).  From what little I've read, this New Zealand troupe did quite well for themselves during their tenure, borrowing liberally from a myriad of UK wave/power pop acts of the era.  A quick listen to just about any selection on Culprit and the King will provide ample evidence that the Mockers had some serious mainstream radio crossover potential, without all the fluff and excessive posturing.  Catchy too.  I even have some visual evidence for you below.  Incidentally, there is a Mockers best-of available, that is if you live in New Zealand.



01. Friend of a Stranger
02. Phone Call at Midnight
03. Seven Years Not Wasted
04. Casualty
05. A Winter's Tale
06. Forever Tuesday Morning
07. New Day Dawning
08. One Black Friday
09. Another Boring Day in the Amazon
10. Home Again (Miss Toffolesse)
11. Culprit and the King

http://rapidshare.com/files/443148542/mockers.rar

Warm


OH LA. Sigh. Nothing to do but embrace the warm weather. And enjoy the glowing warmth from this image via jakandjil.com.

Our Sale Is On!

All our shoes and hats are now 30% off! Come by to see the goodies.

MENS FASHION WEEK MILAN- BIG TREND: DOGS ON CATWALKS : )



WISHED I WAS IN MILAN BUT THEN THOUGHT NO BETTER TO CHECK OUT THE SHOWS ON STYLE.COM FROM THE COMFORT OF MY OWN SOFA : )

DOGS ON CATWALKS AT MONCLER!!!!!! YEY!!!!!!

















AND DOGS ON CATWALKS AT TRUSSARDI 1911 !!!!

























MY FAV PIECES IN THE SHOWS WERE...

THIS JACKET AT COSTUME NATIONAL


























THIS SUIT AT BOTTEGA VENETA



























DRESSING GOWN WITH MATCHING BOXERS
AT DOLCE & GABANNA
PLS BOYS DO THIS PLS!!!!!



THIS JACKET AT PRADA































THIS JACKET AT PRADA



























ALSO IM NOT SURE IF BOYS REALISE THIS BUT THEY SHOULD WEAR MORE VELVET AS GIRLS WOULD CUDDLE THEM MORE IF THEY DID...

DOLCE & GABBANA

ROBERTO CAVALI


DOLCE & GABBANA





DOLCE & GABBANA
























































I AM ALSO IN LOVE WITH THIS SUEDE COAT AT TRUSSARDI 1911 (FOR ME)
AND MEN WEARING LIPSTICK & THE HAIR AT WESTWOOD...




MoDEL FUNNIES...










 I LOVE ANYTHING THAT TAKES THE PISS OUT OF FASHION & DOESNT TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY. CAME ACROSS THIS TUMBLR BLOG WHICH HAS PUT LOLZ COMMENTS ON FASHION SHOOT PHOTOS. ITS LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN THE DONT'S & THE FUNNIES... http://www.ihurtiaminfashion.com/

I DO FEEL SORRY FOR MODELS... I STAND THERE ON SET WITH LOADS OF CLOTHES ON FREEZING. WHILE THEY STAND THERE WITH NOTHING ON FREEZING MORE.  AND HOLDING A POSE FOR THAT LONG... LIKE NOT GOOD FOR YOUR BODY YOGA.