Om @ ATP 2008

It certainly did not take long for Al Cisneros to pull things together with new skinman Emil Amos. In a matter of a few short months the two have managed to record a 7" for Sub Pop, prepare new material, and play a smattering of shows both at home and abroad. Amos, much to my relief and contrary to my initial skepticism, has filled Chris Hakius's shoes very well and has established himself as a legitimate addition and not a mere replacement. When I initially posted my thoughts about the departure of Hakius, I think I subconsciously wanted to be proven wrong. I'm glad I was.

This set is another WFMU broadcast from last weekend's All Tomorrow's Parties event in New York. The sound on this recording starts off a bit shaky but evens out within the first few minutes. It's certainly of better quality than the disappointing Live at Jerusalem LP Southern Lord offers up at 20 steep dollars (since when is 3100 copies on an indie label considered "limited" anyways?) and serves as a temporary fix as we await the duo's next non-exclusive (aka eBay only) release.

Yikes. Two zingers in one post. I think I need more sleep. Pun intended.

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Om Live in Japan - Flight of the Eagle from The Fact Facer on Vimeo.

Wooden Shjips @ ATP 2008

It's been about a year and a half since I've seen these guys live, so I have been fervently searching online for a live set to subdue my cravings to see them again. I already had a recording from a Cafe DuNord show, but the incessant chatter of San Francisco hipsters throughout the entire set ruins the listening experience.

What I'm offering up today just came to me from a dear friend who has been of great assistance as I try to recreate my recently lost digital music collection. It's Wooden Shjips live at the All Tomorrow's Parties event that took place this past weekend in Monticello, New York. The recording comes from the WFMU broadcast of the show and clocks in at about thirty five minutes. The sound quality is a bit more muddy than I would like, but it is much better than any other live Shjip options I've heard. I do think it's well worth the finger click and download.

If there is interest in the DuNord set, I'll post that also. If anyone out there knows of a Wooden Shjips @ Roadburn recording from last month, please let me know. I desire more Shjips.

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Barack Brains

The lesser of two evils? The right choice? Bringer of change? I have no idea. I do know that Palin scares the shit out of me. Click here to boost your punk points and send some of your hard acquired dollars to both Obama and a respectable local business. If you're not in the Bay Area, contact Slash, and I'm sure they'll hook up some mailorder action.

Richard Wright 1943-2008

Can't say I saw this one coming. Truly a musician that deserves much more credit for Pink Floyd's legacy than he received. Posts are going up left and right with links to various shows and rarities in Wright's memory. Wembley 1974 is mine.

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KHSU Disappoints

This morning I started down to the KHSU music sale with little expectation of finding any serious gems. After all, I know that their vinyl collection has been picked through extensively by station members and at music sales in recent years. I had also seen the condition of their records. For the most part they are beat up, rubber stamped, magic markered, and somewhat abused. One can find good records, but they aren't going to exactly add much value to a vinyl junkie's collection. It's an exercise in record flipping for the love of the genre, for the sake of discovering some new sounds, and for the opportunity to offer some dollars to an organization I feel (felt?) deserves support.

Surprisingly, it didn't take long for my piles of potential purchases to start adding up. I had my eyes on a bunch of cds and gathered up an impressive stack of albums. It was while checking out the seven inch records in back that a few of us peeped our wallets and cast inquiring glances at our horde of goodies. We all wondered how much the seven inches were, so I volunteered to inquire on the price and see if discounts were possible for those with large purchases. Long story short, I was sternly rebuffed in my efforts to make any sort of deal. I was told that the prices were fixed and there were no exceptions.

Yikes.

At what kind of sale like this does a stack of 35 records not deserve some sort of price break? Even the most hard nosed of sellers at record shows are willing to haggle and bend their asking prices. It's not always easy, but it is done. It's not like the station was offering mint condition collectibles. I wouldn't even grade this stuff VG+. Last month's charity rummage sale in Arcata offered better for less. Granted, the prices being asked by the KHSU (dis)organizers were low. I cannot argue that. I just can't find any logic in the refusal to accommodate a buyer who is committed to dropping a fair amount of dough for the benefit of a public radio station.

So, after spurning my request to deal, I whittled my potential purchase of lps, cds, and seven inch records from 100 or so dollars down to 15. Who loses? Certainly not me, for I have no regrets about anything I left behind. KHSU certainly loses, for these people are a reflection of their organization. They also don't have my money and lost a significant amount of my respect and ultimately, my support. That can't be good for an organization already dealing with recent chaos and upheaval. And don't think I did not report my dealings to others in the room who then immediately reconsidered and adjusted their own purchase plans. I assure you I was not the only unhappy camper that left with less money spent than intended.

Perhaps my tale of complaint is justified. Perhaps it is adolescent. You get to decide. In my mind, music sales like this are always a good idea, especially for something as vital as public radio. I'm sure a respectable amount of cash was raised for the station, but shame on the "organizers" of this event for failing to take advantage of the opportunity to raise even more.

Nebula @ The Future is Unwritten Festival

The Future is Unwritten fest is in full swing! Both nights have been amazing, and I can't thank people enough for supporting our nascent effort. We had press coverage from Bob Doran at the North Coast Journal, Melody Stone at the Eureka Reporter, and on the air at KHSU with Julie Ryan.

Unfortunately for me my laptop fizzled earlier this week, and I haven't been able to do as much on the blog as I initially planned. As soon as I get my computer back (hopefully with all data intact), I'll do my best to compensate.

Tonight is Chapter 3 of the fest with Nebula, Totimoshi, and Machete playing at Aunty Mo's in Eureka. If you need a reason to go to the show or are curious about Nebula's Heavy Psych ep, click here. Hope to see you out there. Doors at 9. Music at 10 sharp.