All I Want For Christmas...

All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, Dread Zeppelin

Happy Holidays!

-Derek

"...your coffin or mine?"

There is something sinister to say about listening to Alkaline Trio's, “Good Mourning”, during the holiday season. While walking through the local grocery store the other day I was caught a couple times by an older lady singing along with, "This Could Be Love".

Step one -- slit my throat
Step two -- play in my blood
Step three -- cover me in dirty sheets and run laughing out of the house
Step four -- stop off at Edgebrook Creek and rinse your crimson hands
You took me hostage and made your demands
I couldn't meet them so you cut off my fingers, one by one

“Good Mourning” by all means is one of the catchiest sing along albums I own. The macabre has never sounded this much fun. If your into something a little darker give “Good Mourning” a listen.
This Could Be Love, Good Mourning (2003)

Echo Park

Having found some time to actually sit down and read a book I devoted all day Tuesday to Michael Connelly's, Echo Park. If you haven’t read Connelly before you are in for a treat. Connelly, a former newspaper crime beat writer, has written numerous books featuring his gruff Detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch. The series dates back to 1992's Black Echo.
In Echo Park, Bosch finds himself working a murder case that has haunted him for thirteen years. I will not give away any further details but it is a far better book than recent Bosch novels.
So how does this tie into a music blog? Bosch is a devout jazz fan and in every book Connelly peppers little jazz pieces through out. For Echo Park, the album of choice was the long lost Monk/ Coltrane performance at Carnegie Hall back in 1957.

"Evidence” by Thelonius Monk & John Coltrane.


“In November 1957, an unprecedented lineup of jazz artists performed at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall. Now those long-lost recordings have been found, revealing a gem of a set with two giants of the jazz world -- Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane.
Tapes made by Voice of America for a later radio broadcast that were located at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., only earlier this year.
At the time of their performance that night, both artists were at the height of their powers -- and their best moments in the spotlight were still to come.” – Roy Hurst (NPR September 30, 2005)

Brick (2005)

Somehow, over the last year my movie watching has taken a backseat to other projects. When I do sit down to watch a film I want something that entertains me, as well as, makes me say, "I didn't see that coming." Case in point is a very clever film shot just a few cities south of were I grew up. Brick, a detective story that is like no other. If you like old noir films with twists and turns this one will not disappoint.
“In a modern-day Southern California neighborhood and high school, student Brendan Frye's piercing intelligence spares no one. He's not afraid to back up his words with actions, and knows all the angles; yet he prefers to stay an outsider, and does - until the day that his ex-girlfriend, Emily, reaches out to him unexpectedly and then vanishes. His feelings for her still run deep; so much so, that he becomes consumed with finding his troubled inamorata. To find her, he enlists the aid of his only true peer, the Brain, while keeping the assistant vice principal only occasionally informed of what quickly becomes a dangerous investigation. Brendan's single-minded unearthing of students' secrets thrusts him headlong into the colliding social orbits of rich-girl sophisticate Laura, intimidating Tugger, substance-abusing Dode, seductive Kara, jock Brad and - most ominously - non-student the Pin. Only by gaining acceptance into the Pin's closely guarded inner circle of crime and punishment that Brendan will be able to uncover hard truths about himself, Emily and the suspects that he is getting closer to.” - summary written by focus features
"Teen movies often have an unspoken underlying premise in which high school is seen as less serious than the adult world. But when your head is encased in that microcosm it's the most serious time of your life." – Rian Johnson (director)
Sister Ray, Lou Reed.
Lou Reed, Out of the Underground (Bootleg Recording)
January 27th, 1973, Alice Tully Hall, New York City, NY

Here's What You Should Do

Some of you might know our vocalist today by his previous band Gameface. Jeff Caudill was the lead singer/ songwriter for one of Orange Counties most cherished bands of the '90's. I'm totally biased about Jeff's talents as he is a good friend of mine. Twenty odd years ago we met in high school. At lunch time his band, No Such Thing, played in the quad. They put out a seven inch record that sold at the local Peer Records. A few years later Jeff was fronting Gameface with another one of my high school friends brothers, Todd Trout. Long story short, I worked with Gameface when they were on Dr. Strange Records and later Revelation Records. I had some great times with the band. A few years ago Gameface dissolved and Jeff struck out on a solo career. Joining forces with Robbie Rist,Cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch, Jeff released his first official solo record on his own label, Fortunate Son. He still sounds great. Buy his swag at jeffcaudill.com


Worn Out Welcome
Stop Writing Songs
Crazy People Do

Adventures In Good Listening

My favorite late night driving music.
Pere Ubu, for me, could best be described as if David Lynch had a house band.

"I don't care if you never listen to another Pere Ubu record. It's not important. What is important is that you hear this record, as it is marvelous to hear. There are too many ideas here, crafted to perfection, to avoid. Not one swelling guitar riff is uninteresting. No electronic intersection is wasted...." DecoyMusic, Ben Rice
Blue Velvet, from Why I Hate Women (2006)





Suicide, a two man band light years ahead of their time.
"... I never heard anything avant-garde. To me it was just New York City Blues." -Alan Vega 1980
Rocket U.S.A, Suicide (1977)