The College Crowd Digs Me

"Clear Spot" - Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band (1972) Captain Beefheart is an acquired taste, I get that.  His vocals recall a blender mix of Dr. John and Wolfman Jack.  His lyrics are a lot of curveballs and change-ups.  And the music walks a crooked beam of avant-garde blues rock with unexpected misdirections.  Nothing should work and yet, somehow it does.  "Clear Spot"  was the Captain's 7th album and one of his more "commercially" attuned offerings.  The album satisfies both itches, falling almost smack dab between surprisingly accessible and expectedly wtf.  The band's musicianship is top-notch and sounds as fresh and exciting as ever.  If you're new to the Beefheart scene and feeling adventurous...this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. "Clear Spot" - Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band (back) Favorites include "Low Yo Yo Stuff"  and "Big Eyed Beans From Venus" with their fun and bohemia...

(4 For Friday) *  Here is the Curl with a Pearl Earring .  Make me a t-shirt.  Put it on the back. *   Jittery White Guy takes a look at The Beau Brummels fine 1968 square... "Bradley's Barn." *   Here are all of the  19 Coen Brothers Movies Ranked From Worst To Best .  I've only seen twelve, so I don't know if they got the order right or not. *   There are two kinds of people... "Fell In Love With A Girl" - The White Stripes (Live on Top Of The Pops / 2002) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK  

"The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette" - The Four Seasons (1969) The Four Seasons throw down the gauntlet by diving into the psychedelic pool.  Nothing heavy or in your face, but the music's definitely been dusted.  Pop psych filled with baroque vibes and unexpected arrangements that flirt with the head.  A little bit of studio shenanigans like looping and bouncing and fade-ins and outs show up occasionally, but without getting too wanky.  Influences of Beatles and Beach Boys and Zombies can be heard and their vocals keep everything steady as she goes. I've always thought of Frankie Valli and   The Four Seasons as a singles group, not an album band.  But "The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette" is a legit album.  This is a solid offering easily as good as other, more well-known pop-psych offerings.  They don't knock it outta the park, but it's a keeper, for sure. "The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette" (back) Favorites include the excellent  “S...

(4 For Friday) *  News clipping announcing that Stephen King sold his first book . *  A batch of  very cool and rarely seen photos  of celebrities when they're a might bit younger. *   And then there's the unique lip-sync style of Jimmy Slonina .  You're gonna wanna see this! *   This fellow created a self-portrait while under the influence of 50 different drugs.   "Mystic Lady" - T. Rex / "The Slider" (1972) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"Live" - Frumpy (1973 - Rei 1985) Out of Hamburg, Germany... Frumpy is a fantastic band that throws down some jammy acid rock and heavy prog spank and frames it with some killer vocals from Inga Rumpf .  Inga's vocal timbre is tailor-made to rock your asses on down the road.  They're real.  And they're spectacular.  This was Frumpy's last album, a double live square that captures the band at the top of their game before disbanding in 1972. Frumpy toured with some great bands like Yes, Spooky Tooth, Humble Pie, but I don't know that they ever crossed the pond to perform in the States.  It would've been a brushfire if they had.  Three studio albums and this live recording.  Frumpy albums are all highly regarded and originals can get a bit pricey, but deals can be had.  Finding one in the wild, however, might be a unicorn. "Live" - Frumpy (back) Favorites include  "Duty" clocking in at nearly 18 minutes  The guitar jamming on th...

Night Film by Marisha Pessl (2013 ) Hardback, 599 pages NO SPOILERS: Even at 599 pages, I was slicing through this book like butter.  It was a really fast read for me.  I really enjoyed the writing.  Night Film is not exactly horror as it's often labeled, but it does have an unsettling creepiness about it that never leaves the reader at ease.  The daughter of a famous cult-followed horror director is found dead and her death is quickly ruled a suicide.  Our protagonist in this trippy tale is Scott McGath, an investigative journalist who has doubts about the cause of death and goes to work.  There is a good cast of supporting characters and plenty of twists and louies to keep you stretching your shoulders.  So many secrets.  The story moves in a spooky, off-kilter aura where nothing ever feels quite right...in an almost  David Lynch way.  And that makes for a lot of frustrating fun. To give the story an even more authentic flavor, t...

(4 For Friday) *   Wow!   John Lennon 1966 and John Lennon at the end of 1967.    "Got any...grapes?"  *   A couple of minutes showing what it was like working on the Empire State Building - March 17, 1930.  Safety was in your own hands, my babies.  You're gonna wanna see this! *   A cool and  all-too-brief gif  taken from the mind of animator  Wayne Unten . *   Here are 5 pretty cool Google Photo tips that can really make a difference.  Maybe you forgot a few of these tips, or maybe like me, wasn't even aware you could do that.  Check out Steve at DottoTech .    "Saturday's Child" - The Monkees / "The Monkees (1966) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK  

"Spaced Out" - Enoch Light (1969) Not as spaced out as the cover would have you believe.  Still, I didn't dislike this.  The music covers Bacharach, Beatles, and Bach...each song is thankfully arranged in various pleasant skews and has a mostly Austin Powers-like grooviness that flavors the vibe.  Some songs work better than others, but the musicianship is great.  And the vinyl sounds terrific. It's true the curtains never quite match the drapes, but they do provide some shade.  And besides, the drapes are so delightful to look at.  Together the album makes for a charming snapshot of a time gone by.  Display the album cover proudly and let that round square spin in the background.  "Yeah, baby!" "Spaced Out" - Enoch Light (back) Favorites include: "Eleanor Rigby" "Walk On By" "Bond Street" My copy was still in shrink when I found it.  The song "Michelle" is mistakenly listed on the front cover, but is not ...

"Brain Cycles" - Radio Moscow (2009) A bit of ass-kickery from the little ol' band from Story City, Iowa.  That's right!  Iowa.  Radio Moscow brings some tasty acid rock ferocity into the house.  The kind of fuzzy, wah-wah, whammybar goodness that falls nicely in between the Hendrix Experience and Blue Cheer , but with the biting sprinkle-dust of Jack White attitude .   The album captures that late 60s, early 70s acid-stone rock that just feels right.  No kowtowing from this band.  I love me some psychedelic acid rock and "Brain Cycles" is a lot of fun to spin. Radio Moscow is mostly a duo with Parker Griggs throwing down guitars, drums, and vocals while  Zach Anderson brings the bass bravado.  Sometimes "Blind-Beard" Apple provides some keys.  I haven't heard any of the band's other squares, but "Brain Cycles" is considered by many longtime fans to be their tour-de-force.  Radio Moscow has released five studio albums to...

(4 For Friday) *   Fun to imagine.  Historical persons in real life.   Alexander Dumas and Jane Austen please me. *   Thirty  “Unwritten Rules Of Life”  everyone should be aware of.  Don't be found on the dark side. *   Nostalgic McDonald's commercial from my yoof!  This one I still remember.  Whaddyagonnado? *   Fingering Michael Jackson.  No, that's not what I mean.  Check it out. "What's He Got?" - The Producers / "The Producers" (1981) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK  

(a short jaunt) "Feelin' Blue" - CCR / "Willy and the Poor Boys" (1969) "Hey, look over yonder behind the wall, They're closin' in, I'm about to fall. Now I'm no coward, but I ain't no fool Feel it in my bones, my book is due." Man, but does this beat ever swing.  They may be feeling blue, so why does this make me feel so happy?  I don't remember ever hearing this one before. Nothing special about this song, but it scratches all the itches.  When it comes to CCR , the music seldom lets you down.  The band released three studio albums in 1969.  Three!  Let that sink in a moment.  And this one was released just three months after "Green River" hit the shelves.  Holy shitola, these guys were on fire! (NEED)   "Hard Times in America" - Willie Nile / "Live From The Streets Of New York" (2008) "They say it's getting better. We're closing the gap. You know as well as I do That's just a...

"In The Court Of The Crimson King" - King Crimson (1969) Everyone is familiar with this prog-rock classic, so I'll not write an epistle.  If not the mind-teasing music found here, then the screaming face on the album cover, for sure.  This was the band's debut album and it's quite the tap-on-the-shoulder attention-getter on many levels. The music is both jarring and beautiful and trippy.  King Crimson would never foray into the psychedelic shrubbery quite like this again.  "In The Court Of The Crimson King"  is not necessarily the band's best album in their catalog, but it is considered an absolute must-own for vinyl collectors.  It's certainly my favorite spin from the band. "In The Court Of The Crimson King" - King Crimson (back) I never lift the needle playing this square, however my favorite song is the thrilling title track... "The Court of the Crimson King" ... which closes out the album.  And of course "...Schiz...