Titan: It's All Pop! - Various Artists

Unearthed rarities from the Midwest. Kansas City to be exact, better known for its barbecue and humidity. This collection makes K.C. seem like the land of a thousand Raspberries, and that's a good thing. You might not be bowled over at first but don't give up. Like Dwight Twilley or 20/20, the songs grow on you with each listen and you start to imagine your own top 40 in 1975. The Boys are at the top of it sounding like a punky-hayseed Hello, all glammed up and nowhere to go. The rest of it is a bunch of Badfinger wannabe's ripping through pseudo-hits with flares, flying V's and bad haircuts. Fantastic stuff. Power-Pop!

The Nerves - One Way Ticket

All cranked up on San Francisco beatnik speed and trying to sound like the Beatles at the Cavern, the Nerves basically perfected Power-Pop. Jack Lee, Paul Collins and Peter Case, their names are legendary. They moved to L.A. and put it on the map as a force to be reckoned with, putting on shows at the 'PUNK PALACE' on Sunset and Gower in the mid-seventies. They were DIY to the extreme, booking their own tours and putting out their own EP. Don't be put off by the fact that Blondie bled one of their songs of all of its neurotic energy and made it a hit. Jack Lee said, "We didn't want to be in the scene, we wanted to BE the scene." They were, are, and always will be. Power-Pop.

Milk 'N' Cookies - Milk 'N' Cookies

Double Vinyl gatefold re-issue of the highest quality with great photos and even something to hang on your bedroom wall next to your Sweet and Slade posters. Ramones quality rock disguised as teen fluff, Milk 'N' Cookies were too cool to try too hard. The songs are pulsing hymns to high school chicks and rock 'N' roll. Find out where the Go-Go's discovered the sound of "We Got The Beat." Find out what happens when the Sparks and the Bay City Rollers meet for a drink in a dive bar and they both get roofied by the New York Dolls while the Hollywood Brats look on unamused. Like cigarettes dipped in maple syrup, Milk 'N' Cookies are tasty and addictive. Power-Pop.

La Dusseldorf - La Dusseldorf and Viva

180 gram vinyl reissues of post-NEU! sublime krautrock new-wave perfection. The NEU! beat remains intact, but the rest of the music bounces along with a warm, organic, fuzzy, synthy hum (I guess I can overlook the hippie-ish sentiment of Viva because it's foreign and out there). Stadium rock from deep outer space as produced by "Shadow" Morton or Spector. Perfect for driving through the desert at dusk. The future IS calling and the future is these LPs from the past. Kraut-pop.

Nick Lowe - Jesus Of Cool/Pure Pop For Now People

I think the title pretty much sums this one up. Actually both titles are pretty genius. It's a record with something for damn near everyone. Leave that Animal Collective record in the bin and take this one instead (it has a better jacket). Pretend it just came out last week and play it for your friends and enjoy the 'retro' feel of authentic British pop rock with intelligence and wit.

Groundhogs - Blues Obituary

The anti-Cream. The broke-ass Blue Cheer. They don't waste their time being heavy, they skitter along like a wounded cockroach. Tony McPhee plays what you wouldn't expect always. The drum sound is as crude as oil straight from the ground. The songs are strange and raw. This is the true sound of British Blues. It's a new sound, not a rehash of the American blues, a different beast altogether. Blues Obituary is primal, brutish and garagey more than it's bluesy. It's unclassifiable like that Kapt. Kopter record that Randy California made that someone should reissue. I'll bet this record pisses off Clapton and that's good enough for me.

tip: R.I.P. Ron Asheton. Your guitar playing on the first two Stooges records perfectly sums up Midwestern frustration, boredom, isolation, and alienation. Every single person in a rock band since 1970 owes you something and Iggy owes you the most.

White Lies - To Lose My Life...

One part Joy Division, one part Muse, one part Interpol; a fresh face in the 00's post-punk alternative clubhouse. Lead single "Death" has been responsible for some near car accidents while listening to this song, due to some extremely zealous steering wheel drumming on my part! "Death"'s intro blasts you into another world and evokes anticipation and excitement in the same fashion as the opening chords to Joy Division’s "Love Will Tear Us Apart." The churning atmosphere of melodies is bombarded by blasts of drums that can only be described as the sound of canons firing on the 00’s Post-Punk Revival battlefield. And in a sentiment that would make Shakespeare proud, the chorus of title track "To Lose My Life" makes one of the greatest proclamations in the history of love songs, "Let's grow old together, and die at the same time."

No Age - Nouns

A lo-fi fuzz/art rock duo. One on guitar, one on drums. But don't expect the White Stripes...more like Sonic Youth. If you want to be able to say to the kids, "...I was there when (insert legendary band and time/place) happened..." buy this album now and go see them play live...anywhere!

MSTRKRFT (master-kraft) - Fist of God

In 2006 Daft Punk landed their spaceship and claimed sovereignty over the Coachella "Dance Tent." In 2008 Justice closed the weekend with one of best dj/electronic sets I've ever seen. Sprouting from the same branch of the family tree as the previous two, MSTRKRFT is set to follow suit in 2009 at Coachella and beyond.

Thenewno2 - You Are Here

Paul McCartney is not going to be the only one with Beatle blood at this year's Coachella. Dhani Harrison, son of the late great George Harrison, and Oliver Hecks comprise the creative mind of Thenewno2. The result is an accomplished debut that sounds like one would expect if post-Beatles George joined Radiohead.

Shepard Fairey (aka DJ Diabetic)

You'll probably never recognize him on the street, but if you don't recognize his work, I don't think you've been alive for the past year and a half. Shepard is the man behind the "Obey Giant" street art phenomenon, the infamous Barack Obama "Hope" poster, and some just plain and simple cool DJ sets at the hippest events around Los Angeles.

The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

A Place To Bury Strangers - A Place To Bury Strangers

The Washington Post decsribed this trio out of New York and their debut album as, "the most ear-shatteringly loud garage/shoegaze band you'll ever hear".....I'll leave it at that!

Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

Originally released in 1991, what can be said about this indie rock/shoegaze masterpiece that hasn't already been said? This album is the indie rock musical equivalent of a 74 page Master's Thesis. Wait....maybe that's because I just uncovered an actual 74 page Master's Thesis by a Florida State University Graduate Student analyzing Loveless. While that might give you an idea of the complexity of Loveless, it's more than just an academic composition, it's the Pet Sounds for the college-rock generation. It's an album with unprecedentd experimentation, approach, technique and manifestation, yet it doesn't ever forget its pop foundation and timeless emotion. The album opens with one of the most abrasive, yet beautiful anti-guitar riffs of all time, and at the height of its tension, drops into a verse so aesthetically soothing you can almost feel physical weight being lifted off your shoulders, foreshadowing an emotion felt by myself and (I believe) our collective society on Presidential Inauguration Day this past January. You don't know what's waiting just around the corner, but you know you feel good. The handful of shows performed since MBV's 2007 reunion have received outstanding reviews, which will make their Coachella performance one not to miss. Besides a trio of shows in Santa Monica and NYC late last year, the upcoming performance at Coachella will be their triumphant return to the West Coast and the American music scene since dropping out of sight in the early '90s. MBV's live shows are legendary for their eardrum shattering volume output (two decibals over the threshold for pain and eardrum damage) and LA Weekly writer, Randall Roberts, described it best when he said, "To truly appreciate what MBV is doing, you actually have to damage yourself!" At Coachella we'll see if we can get any closer to answering Roberts' question, "Why must something so pretty be so dangerous?"

tip: If you like music, pop culture, personal memoir, and want to check out something that can't be consumed with headphones, check out these books: 
Killing Yourself To Live by Chuck Klosterman
Love is a Mixtape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield
Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life by John Sellers
If I was British I would call it "Brilliant," but since I'm only part British.... ahh....hell, I'm just going to call it "Brilliant!"

Swervedriver - Raise and Mezcal Head

I seriously dug these guys back in the early '90's, but I could never quite figure out why they got lumped in with the so-called 'shoegazer' scene in the U.K., other than playing with some of the bands in that scene. Where the other bands wanted to strum their guitars, look at their effects pedals and mumble into the microphone, Swervedriver always seemed like they would rather run you over, throw you in the backseat, and take you for a long drive in the desert someplace. Raise had a lot of good songs, and had that "Hey Kids, we're making a record!" energy to it, but I thought the band really hit their stride on Mezcal Head. They took the post-Stooges fury of the first album and stretched it out into songs that stick in your head for years to come. After hearing "Blowin' Cool" off of Mezcal Head again, I realized it still runs through my head every once in a while, all these years later. Both albums got remastered and have added extra tracks, and are well worth checking out.

Loop - Heaven's End and Fade Out

Again, another band I was heavily into in the '90s. These guys were and are unique in their own weird way, combining heavy, psychedelic guitars with the motorik rhythms of Can and Neu and coming up with something that is equal parts cathartic and hypnotic (at least for me). These reissues sound great and include some cool extra live tracks and radio sessions. I remember seeing them live back then and having bruised neck muscles for a day or two from banging and twisting my head around. Turn these reissues up loud enough to make the floor shake, and you'll get an idea of the soundworld I was in. (I'm going to wait until my neighbors are gone one day, and then I'll do the same.)

New Order - Movement and Power, Corruption, and Lies

Back when I still loved New Order. These sound great and it's great to hear the b-sides included with them. My friends Tom Pixley and John Darnielle and I got to see New Order on their first tour in the United States, (in '83, '82? I dunno...), at Billy Barty's Roller Disco in Fullerton. Being the Joy Division/New Order dorks that we were, we decided to get down to the venue at around 5 in the evening to make sure we could get a good position up front, and found we were the first ones there. One of the roadies had left a side door open, and we got to sneak in and see and hear NEW ORDER SOUND-CHECKING AND PRACTICING! We stayed in the shadows for probably about 45 minutes until Peter Hook noticed us, and told us to "Secrete ourselves elsewhere." The fact that I remember all of this shows what a big impression it made on my little music-mad mind, and these album reissues bring it all back.

tip: Ok, that's all I got for now. I promise I'll dig up some new stuff for the next booklet.

I know things are rough right now, but as tough as things are, there is more optimism in the air than I can remember in a long time. November 4th was the beginning of the 21st Century, so let's try to truly band together and make ourselves the people we deserve to be. Music is the Message, Love is the Reason, Let's Kick Out The Jams, MF!

The Dead Science - Villainaire

This is a band I always try to see whenever they come out to LA from their dwelling in Seattle. Dark and romantic! They're the boys you'd like to take home for dinner. Your grandparents would love them; their old fashion threads, manners, divinely handsome sex appeal... Aye Caramba! Sam Mickens with his voice reminiscent of Nina Simone and David Bowie's potential love child, it's impossible not to be swooned! Upright/standard bass from Ribbons' Jherek Bischoff & abstract jazz influenced drums of Nick Tamburro. The best band from Seattle, and yes, quote me on that! The album also features Celebration's Katrina Ford & Craig Wedren of Shudder To Think. (Myspace.com/TheDeadScience)

Dalmacio Von Diamond - The Other Side Of Darkness

This band is out of control. Features members of Holy Curtain, SWFT Wings, Jesus Makes The Shotgun Sound, Lion Fever & countless others. Released on the Albino Crow label, it's far from the Smell's noisy party-scene-sound that's been saturating the wood-works like raging rain drops. Recorded by Moribund Descuzi (JMTSS), the album is bound to have a moody, intimate feel reminiscent of Nick Cave, Pulp & Scott Walker. While still simple pop songs, there's an intensity not heard in many of LA's currenty creeping genius. It's music for tormented lovers, introverted and corrupt. (Myspace.com/ASilentHistory)

The Kinks - Picture Book (Boxed Set)

Yeah, yeah. I know you're sick of hearing about it but, The Kinks are forever my favorite band! Ray Davies' Kinks have been a huge influence and companion in my lifetime. The record I would undoubtedly take with me if ever I were stuck solo on an island is The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (which is where the set's title comes from), 1968. It's chock full of his memorial visions of youth, innocence & sprinkled with humorous songs of poverty and class wars. Interestingly enough, as I dove farther into The Kinks catalog, I was happy to find that these were recurring themes for Ray - themes that we can still relate to today.

This is a punk compilation, The Kinks were the first punk band - EVER! Don't even think about arguing with me. First band to sing about sticking it to the man on a regular basis and to sing of real life issues. I wonder if Ray even believed in flower power. Because, in a time when everyone was holding hands and singing songs about love, Ray was singing songs about you, me, gas prices, poverty, wealth, love, hate, government, religion and freedom - all of this before The Beatles had the chance to drop acid and dress like gurus in drag.

Ray Davies himself helped in compiling this incredible collection! Over 100 tracks, over 6 CDs (more than 1/3 of which were unreleased or new to CD). 60-page booklet with intro by Ray. Contains interviews with all band members, rare photos & other memorabilia surprises.

gris gris - Live @ The Creamery

It's terribly important to allow yourself the freedom to fall in love with this band, especially if you're a fan of lo-fi, reverb & psych(o)edelia. This is the final release from the band that Oakland lost. Recorded in brainchild Greg Ashley's warehouse-residence for your creamery dreamery. A poet & dreamer from the farthest dimensions, once lost to triumph, now regained through a hazy memory perpetually caught up in the flashing reds and blues & lots and lots of smoke. (Myspace.com/TheGrisGris)

Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired

I plucked this DVD from my personal long list of interesting and exciting releases because I am such a fan of Roman's work. Anything relating to his complex history or devastating life is of great intrigue to me. This film focuses on Roman's being banned from the U.S. due to (ahem) sex with a minor. The focus is mainly directed towards our own government's systems for dealing with such issues. It's a fascinating documentary that will leave you to make your own resolutions.

The Clean - Compilation

For some reason I tend not to like bands from New Zealand, However, The Clean are one of the best punk/post punk/pop bands I have ever heard. This compilation which is available on vinyl is a good alternative to their original vinyl records which go for $50+.

Crocodiles - Neon Jesus B/W Neon Autobahn 7"

Blue Jungle - Baby Don't Cry LP

limited to 500 copies

The Mae Shi - HLLLYH

tip: Allah Las (myspace.com/allahlas), Babl Bijits (myspace.com/bablbijits), Man's Assasination Man (myspace.com/mansass)

Gran Torino

Being from Ohio, the Midwestern racial humor had me crackin' up. I thought he did a great job. One minute I was crackin' up & then the next, crying like a big baby! Great movie.

The Wrestler

Wow. Being 47 and living a full, tuff life this movie had me thinking (or tripping I should say) for days afterwards!

Mad Men - Season 1 & 2

It goes back to the early 60s when I was born & it's a whole other world.

The Shield

Once again, start with season 1 & you can't stop watching.

Lakeview Terrace

This movie was a trip. I was with my youngest & she hated Samuel L. after this movie. He was great, like always.

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

Well he did it. I never thought it would come true but Axl Rose seemed to know how bad of a year I was having and by putting this out, I felt a lot better. Thanks Mr. Rose. You may be an old school fan of GN'R and a little reluctant to check out what feels like a solo record but fear not, it ROCKS! Axl's lyrics are amazing and the new band is tight. The Best Buy thing sucked but this is Amoeba. We have everything. So check it out.

Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea Partying Through Tornadoes)

All can say is "WOW." There is so much going on in this record. It's a wonder that MTV hasn't tried to rape this to the kids. Or maybe they have. I have no TV. Nevertheless it's some really good music.

RocknRolla

It's kind of funny Guy Ritchie with Madonna. Bad without Good. I really had a fun time in this movie.

Transsiberian

If you don't know Brad Anderson's work now's a good time to get to know a master. Every one of his films is pure cinema magic. In Transsiberian we are in an intense train ride from Beijing to Moscow. And things get odd. Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer and Ben Kingsley give remarkable performances in a movie filled with deception.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

I'm a sucker for movies of Love. I thought this was a comedy. Turns out it's a love story, a good love story.

Why? - Almost Live From Eli's Live Room

If it weren't for Jonathan "yoni" Wolf I would still be listening to music from the '90s. Damn this guy and his band are the most amazing musicians I've seen in a long time. Check out anything from Why? and you shall see.

Brigitte Bardot - Brigitte Bardot

Her stuff got reissued on vinyl. It was a good choice on their part. You should probably get it, and you should probably dance a little bit more. Hooray French pop!

Trash Talk - Trash Talk

I get pretty mad when I listen to Trash Talk. It's pretty awesome when a record boils your blood, in the best way possible. Hooray for hardcore.

David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.

This cd is the perfect combination of layers. Gloom pop at its finest. Hooray David Byrne!

Flux of Pink Indians - Not So Brave

Post punk at its best. Someone told Flux that angry dancers are the best dancers. They were right. Hooray for danceable anarcho punk.

Des Jeunes Gens Modernes - Various Artists

This is a French compilation of the post punk/electro/dance scene from 78-83. It's track after track of electric mayhem, and I like it. Hooray for dancing.