Thanks to the Rev. Robert Johnson for the tip!

The MSQ...


Friday, December 18 - 10:15pm
Live at the Redwood Bar
316 W. 2nd Street, Downtown Los Angeles.

Fuck. Died Young Stayed Pretty is on at GFT on the 22nd/23rd December at entirely inopportune times! The trailer features the Shellac/MX-80 poster. I need to look at my schedule...

The great Ray Lowry was light years ahead of the "Hitler reacts" strand on YouTube. Finding this reminded me that I ought to hep you to the fact that "Salford Calling" - The largest ever exhibition of legendary NME cartoonist's work debuts in is now on at Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Salford M5 4WU. It started on 4th December and will run to 7th March 2010.

As we await Sounds of the Sixties, I remembered this thatw as discovered earlier in the week. La Hembra Alfa sent it to my friend Line Cecilie Dahlmann and I intercepted it. By the way kids, I hope the recording today goes spiffingly and look forward to hearing the results when you're good and ready.

You can never get enough Moon Duo...

Duglas reminded me to remind you that Mr Wareham and Ms Phillips are offering up these two tracks for your Yuletide gratification. Special guest star - Mr Boom!

The code is oldtoytrains.

Just last night I was talking about Eagleowl and how they're one of the best bands I've seen in recent times. And then I find out that there's a launch for their new single, "Sleep The Winter" tonight in Edinburgh. An instore at Avalanche in Cockburn Street is also on tomorrow evening at 5.30pm. Go to the bands website for all the details and if you're able to go to either then I heartily recommend that notion. The label is Kilter and there's a great press ref on there that accurately describes them. I'm not gonna reproduce it here, go see for yourself.

Logistically, it's unlikely that I'll make either but this is the best "local" act I've come across in quite some time. Hauntingly groovy in every respect. More about the 45 when I get my mitts on the vinyl. And the reason that I may not make it is because of the event below. "A red hot riot of the rages"? Well that remains to be seen but Bubblegum Winter is an ambitious one off event curated by Gary O' Connor of Bubblegum Records that will take place in STEREO tomorrow night. So I have a logistical quandry in addition to the fact that I'm not entirely down with leaving the house at all this weekend. Either which way, extra kudos for ripping off the "Bop Girl" poster. As far as I know, The Goofers will not be making a surprise appearance.

It was a right pea souper this morning on the drive to the day prison. Never seen fog like it in ages. John Carpenter would have been impressed. No sign of Adrienne Barbeau though sadly. One small advantage was not having to scrape frost for the third time in 12 hours. Like Sony Bono sez "it's the little things".

How wuz the Dolls? Well way busier than I anticipated that’s for sure. It’s a real benefit to have a good venue for this size of bun fight in Edinburgh. Isa and the Filthy Tongues came on at 8pm sharp. Word on the sidewalk (see what I did there, juxtaposed that with pavie to give it that NY feel…?) is that their album is great. They make a lot of the right noises and I'm all for the concept of recycling be it musical or anything else. You might like them. Someone had apparently told Martin Metcalfe that it would be a good idea to dress up as Andrew Eldridge. Oh, an their singer doesn't appear to be called Isa but these are minor quibbles.

Of all the old timers that are hauling around the planet, The Dolls give a bankable approximation of their prowess. While I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first time I saw the comeback, it was a good show. Johansen looks very healthy in comparison to the initial foray and it sticks in my craw that I didn’t go to the RAH to see then with Arthur. But that’s what I do best, cutting off my nose to spite what isn’t much of a face to begin with.

It’s cool when “Jet Boy” seems to disintegrate into resembling “Highway Star”. I swear I heard the harmonic of that in my napper. So of course the closer is “Personality Crisis” and it seems like it’s been a long journey for what was, at the time, a patented five headed Frankenstein.

RIP - Gene Barry

The new austerity or rather that which has become the norm is once again blowing its chill wind around the collective kilt of we folks out this way. Expecting something of an updraft, there's nothing much else to do except hunker down and hope that it passes. It would of course be preferable if one could come out relatively unscathed but nothing, as we all know, is a given anymore. So as they’re inclined to remark in a small village here in the central region, “Fuck it”.

Nothing much to reportez right now as I’m eating and running whilst in between doing this. The Dolls are at The Picturehoose in Edinburgh and all roads and railtracks are leading there.

Happenings coming up in ol' NY and thereabouts in the near(ish) future...

31st December 2009, The A-Bones with The Detroit Cobras at The Mercury Lounge.

1st January 2010, The Fleshtones with Roky Erickson at Southpaw, Brooklyn.

Talking of those super rockin' patron saints of the good time, Mr Zaremba has some kinda foodie/travelogue scene going over at BusyBuddy. Check it oot!

This leaving and returning home in the pitch black is doing my head in. I can’t vouch for global warming or whether it’s not just a cycle but for my money it seems to be darker than ever. Maybe it’s a symptom of the climate change or even my deteriorating eyesight. The reality of it is that it doesn’t half wear me down. Two weeks from today and I won’t have to make the trek again until next year comes a-knockin’. At the risk of wishing my existence down the swanee, it cannae come quick enough.

So pondering the possible explanation for the big jump in visits at the weekend, If I type in here “The Next Big Thing 2010” then all the people who actually google that (other search engines are available) might end up here. Then they’ll get flustered and wonder what the fuck is going on. That has to be a good thing right? Cheating people out of a few seconds that they’ll never get back?

There’s nothing more important today than the fact that Wreckless Radio is back on the wires , either cable or wireless depending on your means of access. And during this half hour you’ll hear The Seekers, Young Fresh Fellows and the debut of Eric and Amy’s new 45 "Bobblehead Doll" that you can buy by clicking right here. If I was you, I’d secure one now because there’s going to be a run on these once it gets “playlisted”. I expect "Teflon Wok" will appear during the next instalment.

I’m listening to the show right now on tenterhooks waiting for it to come on after which there’s stuff to be attended prior to tomorrow evenings excursion to see what a couple of wags have seen fit to call The Two York Dolls.

RIP - Bill Willett (The Imperial Dogs)

(Thanks to Chris for the info)

In Detroit next weekend?
More details here...

(Thanks to The Barman for the heads up)

Metaphors - Chapter 3

I’m completely stumped as to exactly why, on 6th December 2009, the hit rate on this thing would surpass the day after Lux died. Nearly 900 on a Sunday? The second slowest day of the week. Are you impressed with regard to how I interpret the stats? Probably not. But really, I’ve become a little interested in how this information comes together. To the extent of following where this web traffic comes from. I don’t understand it but I’m a little fascinated by the process. Of course, the novelty will wear off. Soon. Still, it looks like this month is flying out of the traps with having clocked up the highest visitor numbers ever in our history.

There’s a Red Star rising tomorrow when the erstwhile imprint assumes a digital position with its debut release in this new-fangled format that’s all the rage with the young and old ‘uns alike. Sonic luddites like myself just have to live peaceably alongside such “progress”, not owning a Pod or a Phone or anything else with an i-prefix.

The first of this wave is the Whisper EP by the Rt Hon Jeremy Gluck. More details here.

And then have a wee listen here...

“You can’t go back, you can never go back” or something approaching that quoth Don Henley. He who Mojo Nixon’s Fatwa upon appears to have come to sod all. Not that I wish the Eagles guy any harm or owt. There are far more more deserving of offing than him to my mind. It’s just the other day when I had to turn off my car radio when Jamairoquia or however you spell its came on. And then there’s the spawn of Glasgow’s Kane brothers – guaranteed to send me into a rage (and not in a positive sense). And lo, a positive tone is what the emergence of The Chairman’s new format shall begat.

And finally for this portion of the evening... Sir Duglas T Stewart would like to see those of you that can, bring yourself along to this...

This week looks like it’ll break all records in terms of visits to this daft portal. Over 4K. Seems like the google search for “The Next Big Thing” drops ‘em off here. Some of them are obviously after some of the places that takes our name in vain. Maybe you are one of the some? Who knows. Anyway I’m hoping some of this good taste will rub off on the casual or mistaken visitor. We be nudging the alleged season of good will after all.

Today I dragged myself out of the bunker to see a French movie called “Home". It’s a sort of meditation on the way progress can affect the idyll and the resultant psychosis. Was it any use? I’d give it a “meh”. I think it was too long. Plus I had to take a diversion because of a closed , flooded road to get there. My intention to search for gifts in a small bookshop that sells children’s books was also foiled because the Sunday opening for Christmas custom hasn’t kicked in yet. So I settled for some milk for cereal tomorrow morning and came home.

Keeping up the French theme, I received the latest issue of the esteemed Dig It! And notice a whole mess of gear that I need to follow up on.

Stuff coming up this week - a trip to the dentist and the return of them New York Dolls...

RIP - Jack Rose