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Listing 1-8 of 91
FRANKIE
"it's a long way down..."
YOU'RE GONNA GET IT!!!
by Frankie Delmane.
He was slumped over the oldies CDs.You could tell it was him by that profile you'd seen on record covers and music television for years. He looked older-wrink led, surveying the product in his hands through gold reading glasses. His attire was far from rock n' roll, but these were not the pages of Rolling Stone; This was aisle six at Amoeba Music, and he was Tom Petty. Daniel clued me in on his presence - I got a little nervous. Tom Petty had written some pretty rad FM radio hits over the decades, our very own bar room Dylan. I'd kick myself if I didn't at least go say thanks for 'The Waiting.'
Oblivious to my approach, yet expectantly startled, I interrupted his shopper's meditation to extend my gratitude for the excellent soundtrack to a mid-western youth with my drunken, speed-seeking family; a generous, warm hearted grin of approval for all of those songs about being an independent son of a bitch, damn the fucking torpedos cause there's been a change of heart!
Out of the corner of his eye he assessed me with a paranoiac gaze, giving over to my slightly stuttered appreciation, as I tried to spit out the title of one of his tunes that had been banging around in my brain all month. Victor stood there stone-faced in curious observation as to what would transpire during this verbal exchange.
"That song 'You're Gonna Get It' has been stuck in my head, I finally explained.
"Oh," he mumbled, "That's an old one."
"An oldie but a goodie," Victor smirked.
Tom wasn't really paying much attention to us here, as he returned to the safer confines of the liner notes printed on the back of the CDs he was interested in buying; Until I offered him a copy the CD my band Teenage Frames had just released.
His eyes became frightened, as he cocked his head in a defensive position.
"Oh, no," he stated firmly, "I can't take your CD, man. No."
Tom Petty then went on to explain how George Harrison and himself had been involved in numerous, expensive lawsuits where other "musicians" claimed that both men had stolen a bridge from their song,
thus souring Mr. Petty on trafficking any unsolicited materials by unknown sources into his home - for fear of severe, stiff legal penalties.
"Oh yeah, that's cool," I nodded.
"Well, maybe I shouldn't give you this CD anyhow," I continued, "you might sue me!" As Tom Petty grinned, acknowledging the humor set forth by Victor further ribbing me about Mr. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers actually suing for the fact that the CD was no good, I noticed the cheese quesadilla Tom must have eaten at the Baja Fresh prior to his coming over to visit us. I then backed away, once more thanking him for the hit singles.
As the night came to a close, I caught a glimpse of Tom Petty skulking around, as a fellow employee circled the soul section - singing a lighthearted, funky version of Petty's own "You Got Lucky" (you better watch what you say/you'd better watch what you do to me...), loud enough to which the man himself must have heard it. At that instant I knew that no matter who you are or where you're at inside of this world, you're just another person wandering around with food stuck in your teeth.****
NOW GO BUY
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits - found new & used quite regularly.
- Teenage Frames - Let's Break Up! single(2005)
- The Quarter After CD (2005)
- The White Widow CD (2005)
MIKEY H.
It still floors me that from one end of my hometown you can see the other, whereas I've never seen even a hint that the city of Los Angeles even has an end.
- Paul Weller - As Is Now
I know, big surprise me picking the new
Paul Weller. So what?! I likes what I likes! After what was, for me at least, the disappointment of Studio 150, my faith has been completely restored in the man and his music.The most energetic and "young" record he's recorded in years, harking back to his early solo efforts. Incredibly satisfying.
- New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Newman, Case, et al. return, and thank god they have. The Pornographers don't necessarily break any new ground on this album, but they're certainly doing what they do well! Happy, poppy, indie rock in a swell package.
- Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow
I DO NOT understand Devendra Banhart. He dimly reminds me of this kid I went to middle school with who played D&D while his brother dyed his hair purple with Rit in the kitchen sink. All that aside, though... His previous efforts have had this haunting, abstract, bizarre quality that continually eluded me. I was relatively sure this was going to go on forever, and was totally prepared to live like that, if you can truly call that "living." But along comes "Cripple Crow," and I think I'm beginning to get it. A modern day folkie drenched in psych with rough edges and subdued energy, Mr. Banhart isn't something that's easily digested. He just isn't.The production and arrangement on this album particularly make me tingle a
little bit.
- No New York - various artists
Now, to say that I've been waiting for years and years for this album to come out would be a big fat lie. I've known of it, but figured it was just going to be one of those musical curios that I might stumble upon some day, I might not. I CAN, however, say on behalf of all those rabid stereophiles out there that HAVE been anxiously awaiting a domestic cd release, your time is come, and it's worth the wait. Another one that's not easily digested. No Wave is a tricky genre, but you can see its influence all over the place nowadays. Jagged, raw, nervous, yet catchy. I wanna dance right now just thinking of it. One of (if not the) defining album encapsulating a unique sliver of time in music, seriously consider getting this, just in case it goes out of print again.
- Danger Doom - The Mouse & the Mask
I'm a big, BIG nerd. I watch cartoons late at night and I'm not really ashamed.The fact that this phenomenon has reached a wider audience PROVES that I'm a true trendsetter... or that there's just a bigger market for nerd-dom out there than I'd initially realized. Anyway, this is kind of a product tie-in, and if there's one thing we nerds like, it's licensed product tie-ins. Formidable beats and samples, Master Shake, and a dude in a Doctor Doom-style mask. Synergy & zeitgeist all in one!
Oh, and 2 gigs of my heart will ALWAYS belong to Morgan Webb.
COURTNEY
What?
- Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
A beautiful ode to love, life, and nature. Neko's voice gives me the chills - I heart this album.
- Supergrass - Road To Rouen
A more mature album by Supergrass, with string-filled highs and lows perfectly matched setting the mood of the album. Each release has grown more and more somber, placing this one right in step with
the others.
- The Hellacopters - Rock & Roll Is Dead
Pure Rock & Roll. High energy, dance party time! I love these Swedes.
- Turbonegro - Party Animals
The title of this album is long overdue for Turbonegro. This album reflects the usual anthem glam-rock with a punk rock twist you've come to expect. Over the top lyrics, loud guitar, a fur cape & wild boar cod-piece - you can't go wrong!!
- Queen Adreena - The Butcher and the Butterfly
Twisted, dark, and at times, kinda fucked up. Adreena's precious high-pitched vocal style fits perfectly with the contrasting hard rock/goth fuzzy-guitar.
- Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 4
By far, the funniest show on T.V.
- The Descent - DVD
One of the scariest movies I have ever seen, and for sure the best movie I've seen all year. Only available as an import DVD right now, do yourself a favor and go buy it.
- Thin Lizzy - Greatest Hits "Sound & Vision" 2CD/1DVD import
Same DVD as on the "Greatest Hits" DVD that came previously, but this package includes two CDs with a bunch of live stuff. Thin Lizzy is brilliant band live, the perfect model of what a Rock N' Roll band should be.
Other albums I like: Early Man, Diamond Nights,The Sword, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
JON LIU
"mistake not longevity for experience, nor experience for wisdom"
- my morning jacket - off the record (instrumental end)
while much of jim james & his cohorts most recent piece seems to this listener to parallel wayne coyne & co's galactic canoodlings, major tomish transmissions, little hymns to hum to the hiss of oxygen slowing leaking from your homemade spacesuit, the early black francis like strains of this ditty, putting the lie to jimi's cosmic credo that "you will never hear surf music again", with its twanged out six strings and shouty brill building verses, metastasizes somethin mighty, like the codas of eric burden & war's "day in the life" or rare earth's "I couldn't believe what happened last night", morphing into a sub dubbish meditation on oblivion, going from the pixiesque to esquiesse (parisian dmitri's first foray), tellingly, this prehensile tail end being the one collabo on an otherwise wholly jamesed creation.
- boot camp clik (buckshot & 9th wonder) - chemistry
- smif n wesson - reloaded
- sean price - monkey barz
- donkey sean jr./tek - it is what it is
- steele - amerikkka's nightmare
like sulfurous gases pushing up through the inky muck of the la brea tar pits, the bcc'sbeen bubbling on the under since their storied reign of glory circa 1993-96. unlike said foul fumes, though, ain't no hint of less than freshness on these be-timbed vet'rans (less'n you find the stank of dank rank). don't get um twisted, this ain't n.o.'s boot camp clikk (anybody remember them?) much heralded by mystikal (heck, anybody remember him?) and the source of nuff squabbles betwixt the 2 sets, this' pretty much the whole squad, sean price (ruck of heltah skeltah), buckshot shortie, tek n steele (smif n wesson) exceptin 5 ft (having, like the aforementioned mystikal, taken that up north trip) and maybe the representativez. these cats just keep steppin', scoopin up some new co-conspirators (like 9th wonder) whilst bailin deep with established accomplices & associates, chiefly da beatminerz, bringing the gully with the grimey, manifesting the difference between classic and dated.
- nas - we march as millions
speaking 'pon classics, young escobar gets deeper with culture, name checking assassinees malcolm & george jackson (perhaps gleaned from his days linked up w/ murder inc & ja rule, who proved you can call your album "blood in my eye", and still not be about the movement nohows). in a (david) banner year, for the re up, come again of the empirical lyrical with mighty tightness from vetted vets like ras kass and oc, unregarding the studied ig'nance and thugged out gun talk, nastafari is still one of the nastiest on the mike, above and below the ground, literal and literative.
- leftside & esco - jamaica
from one esco to the next. while righteous bobos clamor for mo' fire burn to the heathen, the jolly double threat producer/dj duo of leftside & esco, with madly precise enunciation, show & prove that bringing the funny na have conflict w/ speaking pon serious biz.
- dave ghetto - love life
if'n you're feenin' for a mos def fix, and "new danger" didn't really do you, you could do worse than the sound alike pipes of dave ghetto. akin to the big wind's diverse, the flow, tone, and timbre of mssr. ghetto favor those of dante bizet nee smith sumpin mighty, but much like the hevster, he's got his own thing, droppin this solo i.p.o. after credit for time served w/ da nuthouse. there's even likkle bit croonin, though dg's not the perpetrator. a little assist from folk like 9th wonder & phonte makes an easy transition to...
- little brother - minstrel show
kinda the concept album that wasn't, dare i say it, this here might coulda benefited from a few more skits to develop the theme of what all's goin on in the "industry", how many mc's're shilling for death culture and, as jeru ministried way back when, "ain't the devil happy". but, on the real, it's nice just to hear a major label album that just sounds true and undiluted, immune to demographics and market demands (not to discount the inspired warblings of percey miracles), kinda like a wooly mammoth, locked in arctic ice and reverse gengineered. - maspyke - no big deal
- cesar comanche - up & down
funny, almost broken kinda beat (not that surprising seein as how abb, little bro's former stronghold, dropped antipodean mark de clive-lowe's brucked up "tide's arising"), you got the old in the game, short in the tooth chaps of maspyke deliverin hard, simple truths about consequences, kinda remindful of all natural's "it's ok", whilst erstwhile little bro compatriot and justus league co-founder, cesar comanche, floats over a loungey track, advocatin non abdication. - marc mac - how about a game of chess
yet another joint from the stable of the perspicaciously precognitive beni b's abb, one half of the hallowed and revered 4 hero, master mac, eschews the fused out era that seems to be guiding much of dego's current ouvre for the untouchable soular brillance of chess &cadet's catalog. unlike many tribute albums, where the "remixer" often seems unfamiliar and downright antithetical to the source material, mac done did this as a labor of love, crafting brief crush notes to his favorite tracks. marc mac boom bap.
- chess pieces/psychedelic jazz & funky grooves - various
as well crafted as "how about" is, though, it still pales in the luminesence of the original standard. pretty much the cradle of rock & roll and chicago blues,wet nursing soul and soul jazz, the chess empire's getting nuff love of late, with some fine selections on these two comps. the first runs tings from "rocket 88" and "bo diddley", up through "woman of the ghetto" & billy stewart's beat boxing "summertime", touching on the whole scope of their spectrum. the second offering, largely dominated by covers, provides duo doses of the criminally underrepresented soulful strings, the reverently sublime "black gold of the sun" and "les fleur", the mania of rotary connections "tale of brave ulysses", as close as woody herman ever got to funky, and a whole passel of other treasures(tragically missing any archie whitewater, though, odd spawn of the brief cadet concept label, retrofitting/renovating experiment of chess fille, marshall) really adding up to a homage to the supreme overlord of all tings soulful, charles stepney, details of whose accomplishments would do damage to the already depleted forests of the world or the overstressed bits & bytes of the web, but who's basically unrivaled in a pantheon of one, putting on terry callier, ramsey lewis, minnie ripperton, maurice white, earth wind & fire, deniece williams, hooking up muddy waters and howlin wolf with the illest funksters like louis satterfield, derk wreklaw (both later of the proto ewf pharoahs), phil upchurch (yet to receive his due for gems like "black gold", "voodoo chile", & "inner city blues"), & master henry gibson. charles stepney. chant it like a mantra.
- mizell brothers - mizell
- david axelrod - the edge
as sir stepney worked his wonders at cadet, los bros mizell spun sophisticated concotions, synthy jazz-funk gold, all bright & glittery, for helluva folk from the j-5 (abc, i want you back), thru donald byrd, taste of honey, johnny hammond, gary bartz, bobbi humphrey, ad flippin ceterea. nasa affiliate larry channeled his cosmic experience on the apollo rocket program to craft stellar space jams with fonce, shiny beasts, all sinuous and slinking, cool as brushed steel, and slick as mercury, machined to exacting tolerence. with the mizells looking to outer space, david axelrod, abetted by the deadly rhythm twins carol kaye and earl palmer, was charting the constellations of inner space with his blake-beat classics, songs of innocence & songs of experience, whilst navigating the dark, saturnine passages w/ david mccallum, lou rawls, letta mbulu, hampton hawes, & his road dog, cannonball adderly, and some odd peregrinations under the auspices of the electric prunes.
- dwele - some kinda
and, from the capitol of way back when up to ahora mismo, the d's own dwele, extricating himself from the half formed sophomore fumblings of "subject"(a surprising retreat from the fully realized confection that was his debut, rize), reestablishes his reign as lord of slumber-soul. like that early morning, half baked, half waked reverie when the air's the same temperature as your blood and you can't quite tell where in ends and out begins, where dream slurs into the real then stumbles back again, andwele's tunes thrum and pulse, rarely moving past a murmur, not much demanding your attention, insouciant, blithe as all beauty. putting the nod into head nod.
- marc mac/visioneers - dirty old hip hop
more amp from the camp of the innumberably nomenclatured, marc mac (usually ably abetted by man called dego) aka/bka 4 hero, mannix, nu era, tom & jerry, jakob's optical staircase, nature's plan, etinfinitum, goes it dolo with rootical business, kinda akin to dego's own tek 9, crafting crafty, largely unvoxed versions of smooth perennials like pete rock's "world is yours", jay dee(r.i.p)'s "runnin", the virtually eponymous "dirty old bossa nova"(transmogrified into tribe's "the jam"). whilst dego soars ever further into the brucked up cosmic ether of fusionistic indulgence(dkd, pavel kostiuk, 2000 black), young master mac reps lovely w/ the groundation.
- lupe fiasco
sure he caught some shine on kanye's "touch the sky"(probably big payback for putting mssr west up on game about what's really real about "conflict diamonds"), but this bad lad is gonna make it crack somethin' fierce on the strength of a fresh, thoughtful, and natural flow, remindful of a pre-remix common before he was stripped of his sense suffix. take it ez, indeed. some kinda sun'n in the severe atmosphere of the big wind, cause this cat's fitna blow.
- scientifik:criminal - new shine for a lost jewel
and here it be, one mo 'gain, back for the first time, twelve years on and a dime after scientifik's return to the essence, the first and final release of his still born "criminal" lp, deaded at birth by a failed label, truth crushed to earth shall rise again, and these ten bangers, crafted by diamond, fellow ditc technician buckwild, and the rza, beam & gleam like bezels. along with the resurrection of long neglected relics like the krown rulers "paper chase" and the skinny boys pre jive "weightless", the findation of "criminal" burnishes the "golden era" of yore versus the dull leaden lackluster of today's grilled out bling error.
JUSTIN HUNTER
- The Mae Shi - Heartbeeps
The new kings of krunk! much more concise than "Terrorbird" but still really spastic and surprising. This is really weird noise punk retarded by computers in the best possible way. Also look out for the less guitar based but still wonderful split record they did with Rapider than Horsepower called "do not ignore the potential." And if you're really digging it, pick up their incredibly confusing but entertaining dvd "Lock the skull load the gun."
- Silver Daggers - 7''
The most brutal punk band in LA. Saxophone and synth mixed with an incredibly busy rhythm section.They could have been the house band in Blade Runner. Once half jokingly referred to as "POST
PROG PUNK."
- Deerhoof - The Runners Four
Pop, j-pop, classic rock riffs, noise breakdowns and deconstructions...this is probably my favorite Deerhoof record, though most of my friends still prefer "milkman." I say go for it!
- The Ex - Singles. Period.
Listen to this amazing Dutch collectiveevolve from an anarcho punk band into an anarcho noise punk band. Great stuff!
- Delta 5 - Singles
I still have yet to purchase this myself but it's only because all of my friends have it and play it all the time anyway. Super catchy "post punk" from the actual initial "post punk" era. Thanks kill rock stars!
- Jeremy Jay - Oh Bright Young Things
Fantastic pop songs that make you feel all good and warm. His music reminds me of the Modern Lovers or early Go Betweens or even Beat Happening sometimes but all through some ‘50s pop filter. There's even some Buddy Holly covers!
- Karl Blau - Beneath Waves
Beautiful songs, beautiful voice, even someoccasionally dubby production. Karl also puts out great records through his online Kelp Monthly record label, especially a record that he made with Phil Elverum called "AM." Definitely check both out! One of my favorite K records in a long time.
- Judee Sill - self-titled and Heart Food
A bizarre mix of early ‘70s am pop radio, classical and hippy dippy mysticism. That might not sound so good but it is really amazing pop music. If it helps at all, Jim O'Rourke loves her music!
tips: Some other stuff to watch out for... look for the Mika Miko album coming out on kill rock stars and PPM in July, should be some super great punk rock. There's an amazing band from Olympia called Lake who make lovely folk pop who should have a record coming out (maybe with Kelp Monthly?).Watch Abe Vigoda and buy their tapes and 7''s.Watch No Age for sure, they are epic. And look out for the Holy Buffaglow, they will be LA warehouse punk all stars.
VIOLA
- Dark Wing - The Hidden Sacred
Dedicated to peace, a project by local Iranian group, Lian Ensemble, a fusion of New & Persian music, featuring a beautiful marimba.
- Epifani Barbers - Marannui
New Italian roots- mandolins, emotional, and unexpectedly funky.
- Ali Farka Toure/Toumani Diabate - In the Heart of the Moon
Sublime & peaceful, two greats performing together in a relaxed mood. A new recording.
- Lagos Chop Up & Lagos All Routes (both on Honest Jon)
2 compilations of the older types of Nigerian music- juju,fuji,highlife…
- Daara J - Boomerang
Senegalese international style rap
- Fikret Kizilok - Anything (since not easy to get)
Progressive Turkish folk rock, mostly acoustic, melancholic, poetic.
- Emmanuel Jal & Abdel Gadir Salim - Ceasefire
Swinging Sudanese rap by former child soldier & older musician.
- Thandiswa - Zabalaza
Undoubtedly the new M i r i a m Makeba of South Africa - a new sassy, funky pop diva. - Anouhar Brahem - Le Voyage de Sahar
Anouhar Brahem plays the oud, sort of the Arab guitar, and lives in Tunesia, though he tours Europe a lot. Like his previous recordings (all on ECM), "Le Voyage de Sahar" (Sahar's voyage) transports the listener into a poetic universe where Arab and European sensibilities perfectly fuse. The instrumentation is sparse - a chill - out album for people that enjoy Mediterranean, jazz, classical and oriental influences.
NATHAN LAMBERT
"Buttertooth"
There once was a boy named Nasty
He rode his bike very fast(y)
He liked to take pictures and swore like Keith
Richards
And ___________________
(FILL IN THE BLANK)
- Children of Nuggets - Various Artists Box Set
- No More - Dreams / early recordings 1980 - 1982
- Deerhoof - Runners Four
- Broadcast - Tender Buttons
- Veronica Lipgloss & The Evil Eyes - The Witches Dagger
- LOVE is ALL - Nine Times that Same Song
- Ulrich Schnauss - Far Away Trains Passing By
- ButterTooth Box Set 2007
- Thai Beat A-Go-Go.Vol. 3 - Groovy Sounds From the Land of Smile - various artists
(FILL IN THE BLANK)
Last night I was walking down the street
and__________. So I told em to "Cool
Out" and go Buy some Records at Amoeba
Music!
- A.R.E Weapons - Free in the Streets
- GRLZ:Women Ahead of Their Time - Various Artists
- Adult - Gimme Trouble
- !!!ERSATZ!!!!!!!!
- Galactic Zoo Dossier #6: A Drag City Presentation
(this book includes two CD's and 72 GUITAR GOD TRADING CARDS!)
- New York Noise,Volume #2 -Various Artists
- Analord (Aphex Twin) - 1,2,3,4,5,6,and7,8,9,10, & 11 LP
MUSIC TIP? "My IPOD chipped my tooths, so now I wear a mouth-piece". buttertooth.com
AIMEE (DJ IMI)
I don't care WHAT people say... I LOVE L.A.!!! Los Angeles LAKERS, DODGERS, KINGS, CLIPPERS..... YYYOOOUUU KNNNOOOWWWW!
- Soul Sides- Various Artists Vol. One (Zealous)
- Miami- Funk It Up: Best Of... (Stateside)
- Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - Super Hits (Rhino)
- William Bell - Soul Of A Bell (Stax)
- PRIDE FC - FIGHTS (Collect Em All) DVDs
- Big Apple Rappin'- Various Artists (Soul Jazz)
- Bitty McLean and the SuperSonics- On Bond Street
- Louis Armstrong- Essential Collection
- SIZZLA- Jah Protect (Penitentiary)
- Jay Dee/J. Dilla- Donuts (Stonesthrow)
- Studio One - Various Artists Best Of... (Studio One)
- DJ Westafa - Rumors of War (Mixtape)
- Brooklyn Doo -Wop- Various Artists (Collectables)
Gosh, there's just so much stuff out there that moves me... I couldn't put it on paper anyways... it's all mood, really. All I know is.... music saved my life! Thanks Amoeba!!!!
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