Braid/Get Up Kids - Post Marked Stamps No. 4 (extended play)

Been trying to figure out how to incorporate some of my favorite 7" into the album a day entries... and have decided to tag these as "extended plays".

I've done a few entries tagged as "inches of love" where I highlighted some 7 & 12 inch records so I'll tag it as that also...

n-e-ways...  Picked this 7" up on ebay about a year or two ago?  I never spun it for some reason so I had no idea what songs were actually on this fucking thing.   I scored my copy for under 25 dollars, which was a little bit of a steal, these typically fetch north of 40 bucks on ebay.

Learned this evening that both bands recorded songs that I like verily.

The Get Up Kids - do a version of I'm A Loner Dottie, a Rebel - that I was unfamiliar with.  I never picked up the Eudora release on CD when it came out...  I listened to their cover of Beer for Breakfast by the Replacements and vowed to never own it. (The Original - by the Mats)

I did however get the covers of Close to Me (the Cure) and On With the Show (Motley Crue) from iTunes because they were freakishly good.

Anyhoo... I really love the way the drums sound on the 7" version of this song.  There's a backing vocal on one of the chorus that I could do without tho'...  the song was re-recorded for the full length Something to Write Home About.

The real goodness on this seven inch comes from Braid.  The song "Forever Got Shorter" is one of my top 10 favorite Braid songs ever recorded.   The dueling guitars and drum fills are intoxicating....  the song also has one of my favorite braid lyrics -

frustration can be gorgeous
but can i keep my mouth shut
cause sometimes
gorgeous can be frustration
when you life is nothing
but an honorable mention
on a radio. on a radio!

Artist: Braid & The Get Up Kids
EP: Post Marked Stamps No. 4
Producer: ?, ?
Label: Tree Records
Recorded: Red House Studios, Private Studios

Bright Eyes - EP

Released in 2000, on Blood of the Young Records - this EP originally had a release of 1,100 copies - black vinyl.

I don’t have all the Bright Eyes EP’s but I’m quite happy to have this one in my collection.

The EP features 2 tracks : Motion Sickness / Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man

Haven’t listened to this in a very, very, very long time.  It was nice to be home before sunset.  Listened to this while relaxing at home with my cat Amos…

bright eyes

4.7" of Love: I finally get it. Only took 11 years after the Four Cornered Night

A number of albums in my record collection have taken me a little while to appreciate and understand, but none have escaped me quite like the sophomore effort Four Cornered Night, by Jets To Brazil.

image

I can’t think of a more eagerly anticipated record by me and my friends after spinning the shit out of the first JTB album Orange Rhyming Dictionary.

When I saw I received a package from Jade Tree Records a few weeks before the street date release of the record - I nearly wet myself in anticipation for the record I thought would be the soundtrack to my summer.

Instead I stared blankly at a strange album cover and compact disc art that was an obvious nod to DECCA Records(possibly the WHO?).

image

I listened to disc from beginning to end and struggled to let the album take root in any of my stereo’s long enough for me to discover how incredible the record turned out to be.

Over the years, there have been a few times where I would dig out Four Cornered Night and slip into some of the more discernible tracks like “Air Traffic Control” and “Little Light” and “Milk and Apples”.   I would then slip it back into my disc collection where it would sit for years on end before I pulled it out again and gave it a quick spin fornostalgic purposes.

When I pulled the record out the other day… something compelled me to finally give it a proper listen.  I looked at the release date of the record… thought to myself where the fuck did 11 years of my life disappear and then I decided to do a little research on the record.

What interested me most about the album was that Blake Schwarzenbach was thirty three (my current age) at the time this album was recorded and released.  I finally gave the record a proper listen and rediscovered what may be one of the best kept gems in my music collection.

I lazily dismissed the album to be a sleepy pop effort, when in actuality it’s a record that has an incredible amount of heartache, self referential mentions to other songs on the album/their previous record, himself, his band, his family… his life.   There’s even a few mentions of serious self doubt and him opting to choose life.  

The song that song that seemed to sink my heart the most was the song “Little Light” after many repetitive listens.  The song is sorta a keystone of sorts.   The first part of the song describes an awkward drive somewhere non de script and coming to the realization that something has ended.   I related to this on a number of personal levels, seeing how I took a drive across America last year and made the same self discovery while driving hours on end.  The track however ends with the mess that is, recording a record and committing something in your head to tape.

little light by september29th

While I wish it didn’t take me as long to discover the greatness of this album, I’m sorta glad that I rediscovered the record at the age of 33.  I sorta feel like I can see it the same way Blake did at the time he penned it.  

7" of Love : Look Mexico - You Are Not Afraid of the Dark Are You?

image

Picked this EP up the first time Look Mexico stopped into San Antonio a few years ago…  discovered a couple of months after that show that the band was going to relocate to Austin, Texas.

I’ve only seen them perform once in Austin and I don’t know if they still reside there… but they put on a great show if you ever happen to see them in a local listing.

You can pick up this EP from Tiny Engines

You’re Not Afraid of the Dark Are You by september29th

7" of Love: Voxtrot - The Start of Something New

A few weeks ago Sound As Language put up a post about missing the band Voxtrot and I couldn’t agree with him more.

image

I heard about Voxtrot pretty early on thanks to a tip from my friend Heather in the Bronx.  During one of Voxtrot’s early east coast tours - Heather was tapped in suggesting some venues/places for the band to book.

I was insanely close to booking them for the first ever Motor City Shakedown scooter rally in Detroit, but we opted to go with a by the name of Rob Theakston who was starting up a little thing called Dorkwave.

Pulled out my early pressing from Cult Hero Records - 01  this morning and gave it a proper spin while making breakfast.

7" of Love: The Tigermilks - Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying

image

So hands down, the best thing about today’s Comic Con was discovering an indie comic book artist who hails from San Antonio by the name of Mitch Clem.

He and his better half were sharing a booth where he was selling a book and two 7” records, one of which was also a 40 page Comic Book that I hope to pick up next week.

The 7” that I did happen to pick up was a 4 song 7” under the moniker of the Tigermilks.  Mitch not only did the artwork but also did the vocals on the Belle n Sebastian tribute album.  

image

The 7” is an incredible listen and highly recommend it to those who like early Jawbreaker. You can order a copy (baby blue vinyl) here.

Be sure to check out his work…

The Tigermilks - Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying by silversprocket

The Original - Belle & Sebastian version for the non-indoctrinated.  

06 Get Me Away from Here, I m Dying by jjgoods

12 Inches of Love : The Replacements - Kiss Me on the Bus

image

I was watching some T.V. late last night and there was a program where two characters were describing their first ever kiss. 

My first kiss happened at a Peter Piper Pizza and the girls name was Valerie Rodriguez.  I not only remember every single detail of that very moment but I can close my eyes and picture my eyes slightly opening wide to see Valerie’s face when we kissed.

Which brings me to the song - Kiss Me On the Bus…     I was once asked by a co-worker what song reminded me of my first kiss.   I had never been asked that question before and I had never really thought about it.  But after 4 or 5 seconds I replied - The Replacements : Kiss Me on the Bus!

To which she just blankly stared back at me and said.  ”I’ve never heard of them.”

I looked back at her and asked…  ”what song reminds you of your first kiss?”

To which she responded…  ”Rush, Rush  - by Paula Abdul”.

My heart sank and I’ve made it a point to avoid water coolers at work ever since.

^ if you listen closely, there’s a small record skip at the end of my recording…

The Matts - kiss me on the bus by september29th

7" of Love : The Dirtbombs - Insecure... Me?

image

Every now and again I find myself missing Detroit, Michigan and wonder what life would be like right now if I elected to stay and not leave.

Dug out my 7” copy of “brucia i cavi" by the Dirtbombs this morning and gave it a spin, to get my Motor City Fix in…

Weighing in at a little over 2 minutes.  The song  ”Insecure… Me?”  is short enough to allow you to drop the needle on the record and stay put for an entire listen.

It’s on my short list of songs under 2 min and 30 seconds - I want to hear played under a killer trailer for a movie.

The Dirtbombs - Insecure…Me by september29th

12" of Love / Deep Cut : "Getaway" by KISS

image

 Weekend mornings usually start with a quick morning walk with Elliot and then selecting a record to play throughout the apartment while I figure out what I’m going to make for breakfast.

I’m pretty sure that temperatures were in the high 80’s by 8 AM this morning so I decided to pull out my copy of Dressed to Kill by KISS.

Here’s a deep cut off one of my favorite child hood albums.