1,2,3,4...

All you hard-hearted hipsters can suck it. This video is adorable:

The Cops Finally Busted Madame Marie

RIP, Marie Castello

I've always had half a notion to drive down to Asbury Park and pay her a visit, even though I think she had closed up shop there years ago. So it goes...

Shackles of Youth

Vicky didn't ask me if I wanted to go see REM. The conversation went something like this:

Vicky: Want to go see Modest Mouse & the National??

Me:  Yeah, sure.  Where are they playing?

Vicky: June 19th at Madison Square Garden. They're opening for REM.

Me: Ooh!  Yes!   

Now, I haven't bought an REM album since I don't know when. (Automatic for the People, maybe?) But if you ask, I'll tell you that Life's Rich Pageant is one of my all time favorites. And then maybe I'll laugh and talk about listening to Fables of the Reconstruction while lost somewhere in central Jersey and Debbie having a panic attack in the backseat of my car and literally rending her garments because if she was late getting home again she was going to be grounded forever. My ringtone when Debbie calls now? Driver 8.

Or maybe I'll tell you about sitting on my bed with my boombox, obsessively stopping, rewinding and replaying Document until I had deciphered and transcribed all the words to It's the End of the World As We Know It.

Or about the time Michael Stipe came into Tower and bought Bruce Springsteen's Ghost of Tom Joad album (which is, in my opinion, not one of the Boss's better efforts). He asked for directions to a camera shop and my friend Anthony and I proceeded to get into an argument in front of him over the best way to get to the shop that was just around the block. He smiled, thanked us and as he was walking out the door I overheard him say to his friends, "We're never going to find it. Let's just go back to the hotel." Sorry about that, Michael.

So yeah.  The band pretty much provided the soundtrack t o my youth.  Anyway, here are pictures & a setlist. Pretty great, huh?

And while we're on the subject, take a look at Pop Songs 08, Matthew Perpetua's quest to "write about every REM song, eventually."

The World is in the Terlet

It's my new favorite song.

Tom and the Friends of Tom wrote the Lyrics. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists wrote the music & recorded it. This all happened between 8-11pm on Tuesday. It's been stuck in my head ever since. It's the repetition of phrases. And the hand claps. And the line about the corpse going to Enid's for a drink and some palaver. And the way Ted sings/snarls/howls the final line.

You can find links to both the song and the entire show here.

Everybody Loves the Sunshine.

While I'm getting my vacation recap together, I'd like to direct you over to my other blog, where you will surely delight to early-90s footage of Alice in Chains cavorting at my former place of employment.

Riff Randall, Rock & Roller

How great is PJ Soles?

I would not be nearly as calm if I found Dee Dee Ramone in my shower, but hey, that's just me.

Good Guys Win!

I wrote a little something for the WFMU blog to accompany Evan Savitt's great videos from Tuesday night's completely amazing Best Show. Please check it out, and remember to pledge! Clown time is OVER!

The Boss of Me.

One of my co-workers confessed to me this morning that he doesn't get Bruce Springsteen and that he felt lost when the people in his area started debating the relative merits of everything from Greetings From Asbury Park through Magic. I told him that the best thing to do whenever he found himself in a situation like that is to confidently state that Born in the USA is a great album that suffers because of its production. In addition to being true, it's the kind of statement that makes you sound like you've given the matter a lot of thought. Whoever you're talking to may disagree, but that's fine. Springsteen fans are an opinionated bunch. And they (okay, we) are used to being on the defensive. It's the Jersey thing, I suppose.

Anyway, observe the E Street Band in 1975:




And covering the Arcade Fire (with Win & Regine lending a hand) in 2007:



I love the audible audience reactions. So much joy....

And as a bonus, here's Badlands. Just because it's awesome.

It's not Michael Bolton, that's for sure.

Oh, Steve Sanders.

My Beyond the Valley of the Dolls post reminded me that Russ Meyer guested on 90210. I went looking for a clip, but I found this instead.

I made my mind up back in Hoboken

I went to Maxwell's yesterday for the Glen Jones Radio Programme's annual Holiday Party. I was a little apprehensive to go in, after the Incident on New Year's Eve, which I shan't go into here, suffice to say it earned me a dedication on the Cherry Blossom Clinic. The song? New Year's Bathroom Magic by the Starlight Desperation. Anyway, the Skels and Holmes played, but my favorite moment, by far, was the sight of X-Ray Burns prancing about the stage, chest exposed in his Santa Clown outfit, to the strains of Cabaret.

(Many more photos can be found here.)

Amazing. Liza who?