The pursuit of securing car insurance is akin to having the soul sucked out of your shell to the power of 10. I hate it. It's even worse than going into those huge DIY stores. A few years ago, I went in to an insurance agent in town and she sorted it all out for me. The stage I'm at now is that I feel that there's a better "deal" to be had, if only I could handle the process.

The only thing that's really driving my non-capitulation is that I'm skint and don't want to spend any more on this racket than I absolutely have to. It would be so easy to just roll-over and renew. Then I wouldn't have to bother. However, I feel like I owe it to myself to at least try. I've struck out with these comparison sites they advertise on the telly. You'd have to be a Philadelphia lawyer to figure all that shit out. My attention span is perilously short at the best of times but these things are designed to trick people like me into a rash decision. The implied simplicity of using 'em is lost on me.

I'd rather pay more and deal with a human if that's possible so I'm about to go on the phone and attempt it that way. If it turns out like the time a guy in Bangalore was trying to tell me how to get from Edinburgh to Stonehaven then there could well be a gasket blown. I've been to Apoplexy a bunch of times, it's cool to feel like a local someplace...

COMING SOON # 27 OF UGLY THINGS:

Here is UGLY THINGS #27. 216 pages / perfect bound / full-color glossy cover. Co-headlining our big cover story this time are The Who and The Small Faces as Andy Neill reports on their controversial 68 tour of Australia and New Zealand, complete with an array of WOW-inducing unpublished photos. Also, for the first time anywhere, the story of Garden Grove garage rock teens The Spats ("She Done Moved," "Gator Tails & Monkey Ribs"), Brooklyn, NY psych rockers The Koala, and 70s NYC punks The Victims. Also on tap, Jon Savages revealing interview with Beatles publicist Derek Taylor about Brian Epstein, a conversation with Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine, drop-dead delicious Sixties beat girl/style icon Gillian Hills, R&B songwriting genius Alonzo B Willis, Mike Hudson of the Pagans, and Johan Kugelbergs countdown of the best junkshop Glam Rock discs. And theres more. Sixties garage rock a-go-go with The Heard ("Stop It Baby"), The Persuaders, The Lost Souls, plus more Garage Rock history from Californias Inland Empire. Also: Exotic beat music from Chile and Venezuela, Jack Downing & the Other Side, and Ade Blackburn of Clinic picks his all-time Psychedelic Top 10. All this and more-including, of course, our extensive review section, covering all the latest reissues and music-related books and DVDs.

The Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby myspace experience is ready for boarding!

Couple or three weeks or so ago I was listening to NoFoSo and heard a track by Mike Edison and the Rocket Train Delta Science Arkestra. “Pornography, Part 1” isn’t the kind of thing you’d hear within a conventional radio format. If Terry Wogan gave it a spin on Radio 2, I’d consider that there might be hope for humankind but that’s unlikely.

Anyway, that sparked a chain reaction that has resulted in a hook up with the book of the album the cut came from. “I Have Fun Everywhere I Go” (Faber and Faber) is the memoir of that documents Mr Edison's adventures in smut, wrestling, rock’n’roll and just about everything inbetween.


To call it inspirational would be to damn it with faint praise 'cause I haven’t been this glued to a tome in recent living memory.

If you take Hunter S., Meltzer and Tosches and froth ‘em up in a blender (or Turmix ha ha) then you’re beginning to get a beat on the tempo of this prose. As the printed word as entertainment goes, this is the shizz. Good old, ragging on everything, writing the way it’s seemingly never done anymore. There are a ton of great lines in here. Old school NBT-readers will find much solace in these pages. It’s forged of the stuff that brought us all together in the first place. Jeez, there's even a section where the man ends up as a prize in an A-Bones dance-off!

The companion “album” with “songs” culled from the material in the book is neck deep in the filth and the fury of the printed page. The oratory is propelled by a soundtrack of equal squalor conjured up by Edison, Jon Spencer, Mike Chandler, Mykol Fornasero and Joey Valentine. It’s not for the faint of heart but it’ll put a big, fucking grin on your kisser. Check it out for yourself here, nothing I could write about it could come close to the experience. It’s not work friendly, nor is it likely to endear you to anyone of a nervous disposition. What further fucking reco do you require?

I’m not finished it yet but with the pound/euro currency agin the dollar situation, you should treat yourself. Quit bellyachin’ that they never make them like this or that anymore because they do. It’s true, such kicks are rarer than hen’s teeth so when a supply presents itself then it’s wise to stock up.

UK Amazon

US Amazon

Today has been something of a bust. It started out productive enough when I dragged myself outside to do a bit of garden choring. It was pretty grey-looking, overcast. Like it was gonna thunder. Buoyed by this, I figured I’d maybe head into Edinburgh and catch the “Berlin” film. Not having made it to the real thing in June. But since then I haven’t been able to move my carcass outside at all. And now the weather is great and it’s pretty dumbass not to take advantage of that but you should just colour me stupid now.

Tried to put stuff on ebay too and it won’t let me because of some fuck up with a “zip code”. Of course we don’t have those and it was never a problem in the past. So hopefully they’ll sort it out because I want to get on with this life laundry idea. Time to lose a few kilos in the stuff department.

As exercises in procrastination go, I think that I’ve surpassed myself today. Soon it’ll be time to go back to the coal face and that’ll piss the hell out of me even further. The weekend started off so full of promise and yesterday’s schlep around Glasgow with Anette and Margaretta will be another fleeting memory punctuating this perfunctory existence. So back to "I Have Fun Everywhere I Go", damn it’s good!

This is gonna be pretty short and sweet for today. Lot of folks on holiday, no access to computers stuff like that plus I'm gonna take time out to get in about the Mike Edison book that just arrived.

Whilst in Glasgow the other day, I was told - in the biggest Zavvi (formerly Virgin) store that they no longer stocked 7" singles. last time I was in Edinburgh there were plenty so maybe it's just a store by store thing but I urge you not to encourage ANY record shop that doesn't stock 45's.

They're getting relegated to the furthest corners of a lot of the places that do stock them too. Can anybody tell me if the Sharleen Spiteri single is available on vinyl? I guess not but if that is indeed the case then why not? It's got Kaiser George Miller on it and the "A-side" bears more than a passing resemblance to the Shangri-las so what the chuff is Universal thinking about? I wouldn't buy the album but I'd certainly have picked up a few copies of a 45 to share with fellow enthusiasts for that sort of thing.

Anyway, I've been in Glasgow again today and am just about to fix up some food so I might go into those exploits later. Probably not though, the gallavanting has fair puggled me.

SAT JULY 26th

The Bullys are throwing a big summer party at Rehab and they asked us to play!!!

A bunch of groovy bands and special guest appearance by Jeff Magnum of Dead Boys fame. Should be a gas. Don't miss it! Show starts at 9pm. Come early!
(Club Rehab. 25 Ave B, btwn 2 & 3rd)

MONORAIL FILM CLUB THIS SUNDAY
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My Best Fiend (15)

Sunday, 27th July at 7.30 at GFT

In the 1950s, when Werner Herzog was 13, he was sharing an apartment with Klaus Kinski. In an unabated, 48 hour fit of rage Kinski destroyed every piece of furniture in sight. From this chaos, a beautiful albeit volatile partnership was born. In this personal documentary, Herzog traces the often violent up and downs of their relationship, revisiting the Munich apartment where they first met and the various locations of their films.

This screening is introduced by Davy Henderson of the Sexual Objects, who previously played in influential post-punk groups, The Fire Engines and The Nectarine No.9.

Was a bit pissed off to find out that the Daniel Johnston gig that I thought was this coming Saturday was actually last night. It was a beezer by all accounts and not sold out. What's going on that a festival taking place next year can hoover up money but something like this doesn't?

No don't answer that, I know...

Mr Spence wishes it to be known that his new combo, The Brutes are in Auld Reekie tomorrow night. Info on the other two bands can be found on the B's myspace.

The Blasters live in Seattle with Mr Bateman back in the drum seat.

(Thanks to Ben for the link)

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ATTENTION ROCK & ROLL LOVERS

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Using the finest chord changes and the freshest melodies, garage rock super group: The Master Plan (Andy Shernoff, Keith Streng, Paul "Peppermint" Johnson (Waxing Poetics) and Bill Milhizer) have completed a new album that is sure to entertain you for years to come.For the first time ever, these high quality recordings are available for purchase directly from the band, via MySpace.

Special thanks to musical guests - Dave Faulkner, Kevin Kinney, Linda Pitmon, JP "Thunderbolt" Patterson and Marek Pakulski.

Photo by Anne Streng

RIP Bo Diddley -------------- Respect the Rock!

The discipline of regular blogging is going through fits and starts here. There are more pressing matters to attend to and those, in conjunction with an alarming ability to procrastinate, generally dictates that it's hard to see anything through to completion. Add to that the almost daily problems with my ISP and losing my internet connection, there's a strong urge to just bodyswerve this damn thing altogether. Call it time out for reasonably faithful behaviour.

How much more information do you need anyway? You're probably stappit to the gunnels, I know I am. Attempts continue to be made to post daily but what I'm essentially trying to say is that there are perhaps situations where that won't happen. Damned bollocks, logistics and plain old lethargy are a lethal mix.

Plus I just got episodes 7, 8 and 9 of the 4th season of The Wire. Tomorrow I'll probably have the first two slices of Generation Kill also. So I have to find an extra five hours somewhere to break even. And that garden ain't gonna tidy itself irrespective of how much I wish...

RIP - David Kahn

Following the other day's post regarding the Rev J. Gluck, it transpires that there is indeed an album. It's available on i-tunes now with the physical version coming your way very soon. Details will be served up as and when.

Related/co-incidentally, here's a link that literally just arrived courtesy of Brother Patrick. It's a cut from the forthcoming Chris Wilson album.

And, while we're on the subject of revisitation, I found this clip from The Nagz first ever show at Debaser in November '07.

37 years ago, I was in the Edinburgh Tattoo. Somewhere around here there's photographic evidence of that. We were paid three quid for the trouble, and I bought Electric Warrior by T.Rex with my divvy. So it's a little odd to be back there on the esplanade watching Wreckless Eric rip it up with The Proclaimers all these years later. 8500 people on a Saturday night, and the rain stayed off so that was a result. It was also just a stone's throw from the place I first encountered the Reid brothers with The Cateran. In fact we walked past the Onion Cellar when we (Amy, Eric and I) were looking for a quiet place to have a coffee and a natter.

We found said sanctuary in The Elephant House. A nice, civilised place away from the stowed pubs that were full of folks limbering up to scream several alternative national anthems til hoarse. I know that's the way we pronounce another animal name up here but I'm referring to the vocal condition. Despite the huge flock and the train coming back being sardine-like, it was all good-natured and there were no real signs of noisy, drunken bastardism at all. There were a couple or three rubber individuals but they stayed schtuum. All I really wanted to do was get back and listen to Eric and Amy's album. Didn't even go for a haggis samosa. It was a full shift but it was great to see those two and they're headed for Inverness to do it all again today. Massive props to The Proclaimers for making it possible.

RIP - Jo Stafford

The Nagz “Wrong Direction” (Radio Obligato)
Thanks to Ms Mona, I finally got my paws on this and you need to do likewise. It’s a fine slab of Swedish powerpop that combines elements of The Shivvers with some sleek Slade overtones. The concept itself is fairly attractive but when you hear ‘em pull it off, then that’s a major result. I believe their next release will include a cover of “Frantic Romantic”. Great kids with exquisite taste, plus the bonus of Jens "Ubi" Lagergren on guitar. Start queuing now but not before you hit up the people at RO for a copy of this.


Glasvegas “Geraldine” (Columbia)
This starts like the opening of a Simpsons episode and soon hits a timeless pop stride. The drum sound is exquisite and it’s a great song. As mentioned before, being sung in James Allens’s brogue adds a whole ‘nother dimension. As the Spector torch goes, this is pretty much spine-chilling the way that “Cheree” is. How in the name of Rev/Vega did that happen? And that fucking drum sound, The Cramps should bounce Drumdini and get this girl in.

Jeremy Gluck “I Am Time” (Perpatrator)
Very remiss of me not to have blogged about this 7” on the Auckland, NZ label before. I’ve been reading Jeremy’s book “Victim of Dreams” and although beautifully written it sort of scared me. He’s been to some dark places and manages to unlock scenarios that maybe some or all of us have faced at some time. “I Am Time” is utterly unlike The Barracudas, it’s more darkly ambient. A downbeat, intoxicating sonic fugue. Hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg and there’ll be a full length JSG in the works.

Attlc Lights "Bring You Down" out on 7", cd and download this coming Monday...