Records

Last weekend turned out to be rather disappointing. It rained the whole time, and the usually fun (annual) East Atlanta Strut was extraordinarily lame because of it. I couldn't really think of anything else to do except drink. I did manage to stagger into Reactionary Records a couple of times to pick up some vinyl, though. Here is what I wound up procuring:

Peter Stubb

Selected Cuts, Vol. 1

Family Night Records

LP

Peter Stubb has been around for years, but he's a relatively new discovery for me. I saw him play a set at the Fringe Binge at the Star Bar earlier this summer, and it was incredible. I see a very lengthy post exlusively about Mr. Stubb in the future. For now, suffice it to say that he possesses the savant-like genius of Wesley Willis, but with actual songs, and musical ability. He also possesses a self-destructive streak reminiscent of G.G. Allin; but his is authentic, not bullshit theatrics. Again, he is a real songwriter who can sing pretty well and has pretty good guitar chops. Check some of his stuff out at http://www.myspace.com/peterstubb. Better yet, pop into Reactionary Records and pick this LP up for yourself.

The Maytals
Do the Reggae 1966-1970
Trojan Records

LP

This is a fantastic compilation of early Toots and the Maytals that I just couldn't resist picking up. It sounds great from start to finish. In this purchase, I also learned that "54-46 is My Number" is not the same song as "54-46 was my number". I now need to find a 7" or LP that has the latter on it, because I prefer that song. Goddammit.

New York Dolls

New York Dolls

Mercury Records

LP

Not much needs to be said about this one. This is one of the best and most influential albums of all time. I've never owned this on vinyl before, and I'm kind of ashamed to say that. This particular copy of it came sealed with red colored vinyl. Now I can satisfy my Johnny Thunders fetish in style.

D.R.I.

4 of a Kind

Metal Blade Records

LP

This is another one that I've never owned on vinyl before. I got a hold of this cassette in '88 or '89, and I wore out all the lettering on it. This was my introduction to D.R.I., a band that I still dig very much to this day. This will always be my favorite D.R.I. release because of it, in spite of the fact that Dealing with It and Crossover are undeniably better. This one really takes me back.

Madness

Work Rest & Play

Stiff Recordings

7" EP

This one takes me back even further. When I think of the band Madness, I think of two things. First, I think of a trip to England that I made with my family when I was about 9. At the time, "House of Fun" was a really big hit in the U.K. and I heard it shitloads of times during that trip. I remember loving that song to death and thinking how much better it was than what was getting played on the radio on my side of the pond. The other thing I think of when I think of Madness is the two appearances they made on BBC's The Young Ones, which is pretty high up on my list of favorite tv shows of all time. If I understand it correctly, the reason why they made two appearances on the show (which consisted of just 13 episodes over two series) is that the BBC was considering giving them their own sitcom. I suspect it would have been something like the Monkees, but a lot better. You'll notice in that last clip that Suggsy was a lousy lip-syncher. I wonder if that was the deal breaker. At any rate, 5 bucks for a 7" containing "Night Boat to Cairo" was too good to pass up.



That's all for now. I haven't had much to write about in the last week or so. I may or may not go to the Butthole Surfers show at Masquerade on Saturday (I really don't know why I'm not completely enthused about it, actually), and there are a couple of smaller club shows that might be worth checking out. New releases from The Avett Brothers and Kris Kristofferson drop next Tuesday, so that may be the next time you hear from me. See ya.