A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Recreational Hate LP by Lemuria. The coolest thing about the moment after a new album gets released, people begin to find it and it proves to really connect with them in a popular way is that time seems to stop for a minute and everything the band did prior to the release of that album becomes a footnote. From the moment that record breaks the band into the popular consciousness, all...
Magnolia Motion Picture Soundtrack and Score Where does one even begin with a director like Paul Thomas Anderson? Where does one even begin with Magnolia? Yes, PTA has gotten the reputation of having his head up his ass. Does that have any merit? I don’t know. I do know that his movies are nothing if not thought-provoking, whether you love them or hate them. The man writes and directs his own projects and each of his movies are a unique...
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Murder of the Universe Photo: turntablelab.com I’m hard-pressed to find a band that’s been as prolific as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. It makes sense seeing as they run in the same crowds as Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall. What is this – a race against time? Jay Reatard once said that he considered his musical creativity to be limited to a specific period of time. As in, he would only...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Meet King Leg LP by King Leg. The beauty of working in a pop culture-identified medium like pop music is that, while the music does initially have finite appeal as ‘new music,’ the basic structures and forms can easily be revisited, re-purposed and re-presented as often as new artists are willing to rediscover them. Any music can be reborn with the power of belief Take King Leg’s new album, Meet King...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Trinity Lane LP by Lilly Hiatt. I must confess that I slept on Lilly Hiatt and her Trinity Lane LP when the album first arrived in my office. Regrettably, there was no good reason for it; given the timing of when it arrived, the album just kept getting shuffled under one thing after another. I did not give it the attention that it deserved, and it was only very recently –...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Certified edition of Oooooooohhh… On The TLC Tip by TLC. From a historical standpoint, it’s always remarkable to observe how and when a dynasty began. Take TLC, for example; to date, the group comes second only to The Supremes in regards to how far their influence reaches on both musical and cultural levels. That statement is made here with no hyperbole at all, it is just a FACT. The group’s sophomore...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the TX Jelly LP by The Texas Gentlemen. It might not be so easy for readers to remember now, but TX Jelly – the debut LP by Texas Gentlemen – actually springs from a tradition which once favored allowing an album to build and develop organically as musicians made it in the studio. Back before punk rock and all its myriad sub- and side-genres instilled a sense of brevity, “get in, get...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Water Records vinyl reissue of the Album – Generic Flipper LP. In music, as is the case in chemistry, the most important element is the one that ultimately provides the catalyst which sets everything else in motion. In chemistry, for example, the right combination of sulfer, charcoal and saltpeter can still remain perfectly inert but, when a spark gets added to that mix, the results are explosive; the aforementioned chemical compound...
Mike Watt Contemplating the Engine Room All artists are defined by one piece: the one thing that defines their work the best, has the most appeal, or has made the greatest impact. Few bands are lucky enough to have their One Work actually be good. But “luck” isn’t something that comes to mind when thinking of Mike Watt. Contemplating the Engine Room is Mike Watt’s One Work. The man has had an incredible history and is beloved by many. He’s...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the “Flesh & Bone” 7” single by Dan Rico. On first play through Dan Rico’s “Flesh & Bone” 7” single, many listeners will likely be struck and dazzled by what they hear. They’ll be excited by the tone and tenor of both “Flesh & Bone” and its B-side, “Gold Volvo,” because both tracks sound tightly and classically composed, in the finest tradition of the best power pop records. That is indeed a...