I was here...

Photos: Bonnie "Prince" Billy [Jeffersontown, KY; 07/26/08] | Pitchfork

It was quite a day, and thankfully I have a commemorative kazoo to show for it. The rock didn't stop though. Got home in time Sunday to walk to Wicker Park fest for Red Sparrowes and Isis, then kept walking to the Bottle for Witch Hats and Cococoma. I thought I would have been dead today, yet I somehow managed to make it back to the Bottle tonite for the Dials. I guess I will rest when I am dead. Or at least super legitimately exhausted.

Lego Album Covers

A little heavy on the Beatles, but adorable nonetheless. I have a lot of Legos around but not much ambition.

on the road to Louisville

we're off to see Bonnie "Prince" Billy in a field! For updates see http://twitter.com/samorama !

Oh yeah, the review of that super amazing show July 19...

I thought it was cruel when Pitchfork divided two of the artists I gave a crap about into different days, so when I initially caught wind of this Bottom Lounge show on Cheap Time's MySpace I was pretty excited. There was also some fear that it would somehow suck since I was so stoked, but it in no way sucked. Tim and I got there early and found regular customer Shaun at the bar and hung out with him 'til doors. I lingered around until it looked necessary to grab a spot at the front of the stage and I somehow managed to maintain it the whole evening. The Duchess and the Duke were pleasant enough and didn't incite the crowd to riot. A/V Murder were tough as shit. I will absolutely make sure I see them again. Cheap Time started out with the slow building then exploding all over your face "Trip to the Zoo" and kept right on going. The crowd was an odd mix of dudes who had been at P4k all day drinking and other folks who knew that was the best thing going on all weekend, and the collision in the "mosh pit" of the two was pretty silly. While I may be a little rusty in the "mosh" department I will say it would have taken like 10 of those kids at once to even budge me. I did get a few hard earned bruises. Oh yeah back to Cheap Time... so good! I could barely contain my pogo during "People Talk". Buy their album! Then there was Jay Reatard! Seeing him live is a whole 'nother story from listening to his records, because they play the songs so damn fast and hard that you barely realize what song it was before they start the next. I know he yells them out to the band but you kinda can't understand that either. Asian Paul flanked Melissa and I up front, which was nice to have someone sing and swoon along with. (Melissa may try and deny this, but I think she was swoony a bit.) While it seems crazy to think anyone could follow up The Jay Reatard Experience, sho nuff King Khan and his Shrines did so! It was their first US tour, and I don't know if this country is yet ready for them. The show was everything I hoped for, though it seems a bit silly that "moshing" continued during their horn-drenched stomping go-go soul, but so it went. There was also the girl kneeling on stage in between the monitors that was a "huh?" Oh well, I was scouring the room for my ass afterwards because I danced it right off. BEST SHOW EVER, and too drained for the Fest on Sunday. Crappy photos here.

(Oh, yet it might get a run for its money with King Khan and BBQ Show back at the Bottom Lounge on Halloween! yeehaw!)

7" Round Up

My attention span is short lately, as evidenced by the lack of postings, so here's some quick reviews of some singles you might find digging in our 7" section, or on my actual in-store pick rack:

The Barbaras "Summertime Road"
Take some awesome 60s sunshine pop and listen through a paper bag full of airplane glue and you've got this 7". It's the #1 jam of the summer, no foolin'!

Vivian Girls "Tell the World"
Warning: listening to this over and over will put you in a hazy trance. "I Believe in Nothing" is my favorite of the three songs that work together to make a pretty ugly low fi foe funnn sandwich of something I can't put my finger on.

Cococoma/Hipshakes split
Oh this is the sort of stuff that will turn the youngens into rabble rousers. An original by each and a loving cover by each. There will be dirt on your leg when you are done listening to this and you won't be sure where it came from.

Happy P4K Weekend!

Sorry dear readers, I did not disappear after my vacation as my lack of posting would indicate. My energy has been sapped by these dog days of summer, which means one thing: It is hot enough to listen to rock music in a park! As per tradition, I will avoid Lollapalooza and will probably only be in Union Park on Sunday. There are some super terrific OTHER shows this weekend if hanging out with hot sweaty people and eating meat on a stick is not your thing. Friday Night's Victim of Time Snooze Fest lineup at Beat Kitchen should be rad and weird. After work Saturday I am heading over to Bottom Lounge, of course, for what should be the SHOW! OF! THE! CENTURY!!!! with King Khan and the Shrines, Jay Reatard, Cheap Time, & A/V Murder (I so hope this doesn't suck. It can't suck, right?). If Sunday's weather doesn't suck I'll hang in the park a bit, but what about the metal at the Bottle that night? Boris, Torche, & Nachmystium! F Yeah! Drink lots of water and don't go too nuts on the Sparks!

A Holiday Muxtape

Buiding up to the Finale...

So imagine my surprise when I get back from jukeboxing it up at the Gingerman and there's Rhett Miller at my table. How did I know it was Rhett? Well, the guy says, as I sit myself down "Hey Samorama, I'm Rhett." Paul really made this one the most FUN yet as we got out of the cab and Ken immediately starts yakkin' away, but somehow thinks he's talking to a guy named, uh, Daniel. Paul is of course too nice to correct him. Somehow Rhett got me right though. Oh, the show? Tons of fun, the new songs sounded good (I am holding out for the vinyl, for reals!) and the classics (Barrier Reef! Er... Rollerskate Skinny, um, help me out here)... anyhoot, so far the most FUN I have had this week (Jamie still holds best in show). Wow, three more nights left!

Tuesday - Wednesday

Tuesday: The show at Martyrs was a sit-down-spectacular good time. The first openers were good, Jeff Parker trio was fantastic, and Nels Cline Singers made a lot of really great noise. Sadly, I didn't try to get a picture. It would have been all blurry. They even played something off my favorite Nels album which isn't a Singers albums: the Inkling.

Wednesday: Holy Cow, Jamie Lidell was AMAZING! It's going to be hard for any show to top it. The Abbey was packed with a sold out sweaty hot dancing crowd. He was great solo at Pitchfork fest a few years ago, but he had a band (including a sax player!) and the new songs were so totally rad live! Seriously, he is so GOOD. The album is great, but live, holy shit!! Besides Lollapalooza, I'm sure he'll be somewhere much bigger next time he comes.

Old 97s tonight! I still haven't heard the new album...

Saturday-Monday

Saturday: Started out at "Do Division" with Meg and Bob, mostly heard and sort of saw Mucca Pazza. Meg is fortunate enough to live in the middle of the fest, so we saved a lot of dough on beer. Bob and I made our way over to Metro, with a brief pitstop at the Gingerman, and got in right as the Breeders were starting, and we mainly heard them. They played the hits, the new weird stuff, it all sounded good. One more brief pitstop at Gingerman and then I made my way to Quenchers to catch the tail end of the Boogie Band, aka Baby Alright. Adam, LeRoy, myself and Wassup! magazine and who knows who else all crammed in the photobooth for posterity.

Sunday: Did Division with Sooz and Paul. We caught the opening set from Tullymonster, and there was totally a kid with a pet rooster. After lunch and hanging in Meg's hospitality suite we did make our way out for 1900s, Gil Mantera's Party Dream and Ted Leo and Pharmacists. I know it was a $5 street fest, but man the sound was terrible.

Monday: I actually went to possibly my least favorite venue (Logan Square Auditorium) for Islands. The sound wasn't too terrible, and despite being there COMPLETELY alone I had had a good time. I was amongst a bunch of loners, I guess I should have introduced myself.

Nels Cline Singers/Jeff Parker Trio tonight!

Craigslist Post of the Now

This seems like a good deal. Unless you're against that sort of thing, sorry!

Going on Vacation (In Chicago)

I am taking a week of vacation starting Saturday to stay in Chicago and go to shows. Yes, there is actually a show I am going to every night (and some days) for one whole week. I get to go to almost all my favorite Chicago venues, and some that I really hate (i'm not naming names). However, there is some sort of fun tax being imposed upon me by the city of Chicago; I have to report for jury duty in Rolling Meadows at 9:00 am Friday, and work afterwards. As you can see, I am still awake per my normal sleep cycle at 3:33 am. I have to "wake up" in 3 hours.

I'm going to do my best to post about every show, the schedule looks something like this:

Saturday May 31: Do Division with Mucca Pazza, Breeders @ Metro
Sunday June 1: Do Division with Tully Monster, Ted Leo & More!, Johnny & the Limelites, the Spits @ Beat Kitchen
Monday June 2: Islands @ Logan Square, Baby Alright @ Sonotheque (looking for someone to come with me this evening!)
Tuesday June 3: Nels Cline Singers @ Martyrs
Wednesday June 4: Jamie Lidell @ Abbey Pub
Thursday June 5: Old 97s at Metro
Friday June 6: MAYBE R.E.M., Modest Mouse, the National @ United Center
Saturday June 7: Detholz!, Baby Teeth, Danny Black @ Hideout, with DJ Bobby Conn dance party to follow!
Sunday June 8: the M's, Centro-matic @ Schubas

The New Weezer Single/Video

OMGWTF I kinda like this!!!

Beardo of the Week

Sesame Street's Bert as Beardo! Dude, I would totally go out with him. Isn't that a great look for him? So one day Ernie was painting Bert's portrait and somehow made him into a beardo (Ernie's longing for Bert to be a bear?). Bert of course gets pissed so Ernie somehow makes Bert look just like the portrait! It's on the Sesame Street Video site, Grover's introduction about it being in beta is adorable.

Emmett Otter Bound for the Stage and Muppets Etc.

I'm not sure how a live action otter puppet musical is really going to work, but Paul Williams is involved. I've yet to hear his Happy Days musical. That Muppet Central site is pretty cool, the news about the Sarah Marshall guy writing the next Muppet Movie is pretty interesting. For further Muppet information, get lost in the Muppet Wiki. Finally, we have The Muppet Show Season 3 in stock. The first two are great of course, but it gets really super awesome with this one. I've just started disc 2 but there's already a few standouts: Gilda Radner paired with a giant carrot doing songs from Pirates of Penzance, Alice Cooper's "School's Out" with giant monster choreography, and Loretta Lynn's appearance taking place in a train station instead of the usual theatre.

Planet Earth Is Back!

Melissa and I will be womaning a table at the new Planet Earth at Subterranean this Saturday! I'm very excited since it had been a while since I went to Neo for the Thursday nights, but how can you lose with a Saturday night of dancing close to home?

Check it out! Buy tix in advance for $5!

Bonus video: (Is Simon LeBon wearing knickers?)

Why no child is safe from the sinister cult of emo

Wow, I thought this sort of media idiocy was rampant only in the US. I actually went to a My Chemical Romance concert and didn't even want to kill myself. Hannah Montana is more likely to cause that.

Beardo of the Week

Devendra Banhart! Dude is dating Queen Amadala. Yeah, that last record was okay. I just want to go to a party with them.

BubeTube #3 - Salute to the Golden Age of Silver Screen Music Videos of Platinum Caliber!

1. El Debarge - "Who's Johnny?" - Short Circuit
I'm starting out strong with this one. Amazing interaction between the stars of the film and El Debarge. Even the robot Johnny 5 makes an appearance, as does a cardboard Steve Guttenberg. THUMBS UP!

2. Peter Cetera - "The Glory Of Love" - The Karate Kid Part 2
Does anyone remember the song from the first Karate Kid? I doubt it. Peter Cetera really gives his all in this slow dance favorite of the mid 80s. Nearly all of his solo hits after this sounded EXACTLY THE SAME but they don't remind of us cute lil' Ralph Macchio and a sexy tea ceremony. 4 and a half stars!!

3. Phil Collins - "Against All Odds" - Against All Odds
This one hits the ground running by morphing Phil's mouth with a movie prop. He had a whole lot of "great" movie hits but this one just has legs of its own. A++!! (bonus for weird neon set pieces)

4. Kenny Loggins - "Footloose" - Footloose
This was a tough choice, as most of Kenny's great hits are from movies: Top Gun, Caddyshack, Over The Top, uh, Caddyshack 2... none of those have Kevin Bacon cuttin' a rug though! 5 Degrees of Kevin Bacon!!! Kenny Loggins gets a lifetime achievement award!!

5. Ray Parker, Jr - "Ghostbusters" - Ghostbusters
Aw hell yeah! This one is classic for so many reasons: Neon set pieces, acting of the lyrics, movie scenes popping up in weird shapes and (drum roll please) random celebrity lip synching of the word "Ghostbusters!" John Candy! George Wendt! Al Franken! Then the finale... Ray and the Ghostbusters dancing through Times Square! Green Slime Covered Two Thumbs Up!!

6. Billy Ocean - "When the Going Gets Tough the Tough Get Going" - Jewel of the Nile
Okay, this one is not that great until they work the stars of the film into Billy's already large band (THREE SAX PLAYERS?!). Who would have thunk Michael Douglas, Danny Devito and Kathleen Turner could learn such complex choreography?! B-.

7. Soul Asylum - "Can't Even Tell" - Clerks
This is probably the last of the golden era of movie music videos. Nice job getting it in under the wire Kevin Smith. Certainly the only one with a 90s alt-rock star huffing Easy Cheez. This should have been a hit! 37 STARS!!!! In a row?!

8. Cyndi Lauper - "Goonies 'R' Good Enough" - Goonies
Oh WTF. Somehow Cyndi brings the WWF and the Goonies together for a long form music video. Too bad the song is lackluster and forgettable. Thumbs DOWN. Please don't try and watch the whole thing. I mean it.

9. Philip Oakley and Giorgio Moroder - "Together in Electric Dreams" - Electric Dreams
I'll admit I have never seen this movie, but you can pretty much pick up on the plot from the video. I love the song though, because how can you lose with the dude from Human League and electrowhiz Moroder (who is apparently the boss of the radio station in the video). 4 Bytes!!

10. Limahl - "The NeverEnding Story" - The NeverEnding Story
Wow, Limah's vocals are pretty terrible. Who's the chick singing with him? Is he completely stoned? Is this movie as terrible looking as this low rez you tube video has me believe it is? I saw it on cable once as a kid. I think I hated it. F--.

11. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "If You Leave" - Pretty In Pink
The quintessential 80s movie song? You do know original ending has her getting together with Duckie and dancing to David Bowie's Heroes, right? Oh well, this is a winner despite. 5 Popcorn Boxes!!

12. Simple Minds - "Don't You Forget About Me" - The Breakfast Club
Okay, the second of a one-two punch from John Hughes, not quite as great as the OMD though. 2 Popcorn Boxes.

13. Paul Westerberg - "Dyslexic Heart" - Singles
This is a great song, and the tying in of the movie bits to the song is handled in an inimitable 90s manner. Everything about the 90s looked like this video. B-.

14. David Bowie - "Underground" - Labyrinth
I don't know why, but I place this song in the upper echelon of Bowie songs. The video is very well made. GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER!!!!

15. Starship - "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" - Mannequin
Weird Neon Set Pieces? Check. Band performance incorporates movie theme? Check. All the best scenes from a terrible film? You got it!! Song you can't help but sing along to? Hell Yeah!! KEYTAR!?!? How did this song NOT get an Oscar!? It was nominated!! Oh. That Dirty Dancing Song won instead. BOOOOOOOOOO! Techincal Achievement Award.

16. Bryan Adams - "Everything I Do" - Robin Hood Prince of Thieves
A rare 90's entry to my chart. Not so hot, I mean, how did they get power out in the forest for all those electrical instruments? Also, showing scenes of people conversing does NOT a good montage make. If Robin Hood stole this from the rich he should give it back. IT STINKS!

17. Madonna - "Get Into The Groove" - Desperately Seeking Susan
Yeah!! Madonna at her cutest, playing pretty much herself in a really dumb movie involving amnesia and mistaken identity. Points for inspiring so many custom video makers on YouTube by trying to get as much lyric narration from actual movie scenes. C+ though for completely lacking original footage.

18. Irene Cara - "What A Feeling" - Flashdance
MORE-oder here. Yuk yuk. This pretty much mirrors the last entry with no use of original footage, but this is such an undeniable song that I couldn't deny it. Plus once in high school I got really wasted and put this song on repeat and sang and danced in the yard of someone's house one nite. 2 and a half cut off sweatshirts!

19. Bangles - "Hazy Shade Of Winter" - Less Than Zero
Surprisingly competent cover performed on a stage full of monitors showing footage. The late 80s were lazy. I give it a thumbs sideways.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO:

20. Huey Lewis and the News - "The Power of Love" - Back to the Future
This is without a doubt the finest example of the Golden Age of Movie Music Videos. There's no actual movie footage, but they didn't need it. What living person didn't see that movie the week it came out? You do get a weird crossing of the forth wall and appearance by two of the films stars which is way cooler.

What The Hell this new Portishead is the tops!

My memories of Portishead were pretty much as the Barry White of indie rock. When someone wanted to "borrow your Portishead" CD in the past you knew what was going down. I don't think many people will be getting it on to this one. Last night I could not stop listening to it over and over again. It is weird and uncomfortable, maybe a little itchy, but then you just don't want it to leave. Seriously, I recommend this to anyone. Soccer Moms! Too cool people! My bus driver! That tiny Boston Terrier Puppy that chewed on Melissa's chin last week! You will all LOVE THIS.