Everybody’s Gone Surfing

July 29, 2010 at 8:16 am | Posted in Locals Only, Music, Riding the Wild Surf | 7 Comments
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This started out as a post about a couple new surf inspired songs.  I was going to write about the new Bombon tape and Surf City’s upcoming album, but for some reason my mind wondered and this turned into something else.  By no means a definitive list of surfing songs. One or two have a tenuous claim to be called surfing songs, but in my stream of conscious they all shoot the curl.

The song Vic by Animals that Swim is about going to see Vic Chestnut, getting drunk and yelling out Surfin’ USA when Chestnut asks for requests. Chestnut’s response: Yeah, like I’m going to do a surfing song.
mp3: Animals That Swim – Vic (from Workshy)


Dick Dale is considered by many to be the originator of the surf guitar sound. Bombon who hail from the Minutemen’s hometown of San Pedro, California have been sharing the beach with the kahuna of surf guitar. These three ladies drop in on Dale’s scene and shred.
mp3: Bombon – Bouncy (from El Part Con Cassette on Burger)


Surf City may or may not be surfers.  The got their name from the Jesus and Mary Chain who definitely did not surf. Being from New Zealand the probability of the band owning boards is somewhat high.  I can picture them coming in after a good set with water still in their ears, plugging in their guitars and blasting it.
mp3: Surf City – Crazy Rulers of the World (from the upcoming Kudos album. Mp3 snagged from Microphone Memory Emotion)


Plunging the depths of the surf genre in the 80′s were the Surf Punks.  They combined Surfer Joe with snotty punk aesthetics.  They were the ultimate locals, ruling the beach, hating the valleys and spoiled brats from Malibu. Their first album is considered a cult classic in the right circles.
mp3: Surf Punks – My Wave (from My Beach)


The Fizzbombs were from Edinburgh, Scotland.  Apparently on cold days in December these girls would put on wetsuits and surf the North Sea.  Now that’s either dedication or just plane crazy.
mp3: Fizzbombs – Surfaround (from the Surfin’ Winter EP)


If you haven’t heard the Surfaris‘ Surfer Joe, then that needs to rectified.  Surfer Joe was a released as a single by the Surfaris.  The flip contained Wipe Out, definitely the best surf 45 record ever released.
mp3: Surfaris – Surfer Joe (from Wipeout)


We end with the sunset.  Jack Nitzsche’s Lonely Surfer is kind of atypical of the surf genre sounding more Peter Thomas than Beach Boys, but it is so good at evoking the dude on his board waiting for the last good set of the day as the sun sinks below the horizon.
mp3: Jack Nitzsche – The Lonely Surfer (from The Jack Nitzsche Story)

Three Cheers for Edwyn Collins

July 26, 2010 at 9:51 pm | Posted in Don't Call It a Comeback, mp3, Music | Leave a comment
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The seventh solo album from former Orange Juice front man Edwyn Collins is the first one he’s made since his near death experience (a brain hemorrhage in 2005) and it promises to not only be star packed (Johnny Marr, Roddy Frame, the Cribs, Drums, Magic Numbers, Franz Ferdinand, Dave Ruffy, and Paul Cook) but if the title track is any indicator a return to the bountiful pop cornucopia of the mid 90′s Georgeous George and I’m Not Following You.

The album is called Losing Sleep and comes out 13 September on Heavenly in the UK. The cover features Collins’ bird drawings which he began doing after his stroke.  He couldn’t play guitar, but he could draw and drawing birds he says helped him immensely in his recovery.  From birds to pop hooks, Edwyn Collins is on the road to full recover as is evidenced by the title track from Losing Sleep. It is the first song to be released from the record and it features Collins in full northern soul mode.   It’s a beauty and for the price of your email address it can be yours.

Sign up for the Edwyn army here to download the mp3 for free.

Coastering: Basementcast #12

July 14, 2010 at 10:17 pm | Posted in Basementcast, Music, Podcasts | 1 Comment


photo from Vintage Seattle

The coaster enthusiast in you will delight in the latest edition of the basementcast. It is built of wood, rickety, jarring and a guaranteed thrill ride that feels like it’s just about ready to fall apart. No need to go to your nearest amusement park, pay $50 for admission, $10 for a hot dog and wait in line for every ride.  Just hit play and experience the heartburn of the hot dog and the stomach churning of the roller coaster. It won’t cost you a thing, only your valuable time.

download: basementcast #12 (~178 MB)

Crack Habit – Summer Babes from Babe Summer EP

Golden Town – Super Wild Horses from Fifteen
Halve – Beaches from In a While 7″

Police Lights – The Cute Lepers from Smart Accessories
 Chapel Market – Animals That Swim from Faded Glamour: The Best Of Animals That Swim

Shadow – Grass Widow from Past Time
Total Life Forever – Foals from Total Life Forever

Our Composition Book – Wild Nothing from Gemini
On The Beach (The Ladder Descends) – Nick Nicely from Psychotropia
Nova Mars – DiMaggio from Di Maggio

Passion For Water – Liechtenstein from Passion For Water 7″
Speed Reaction – Spirea X from Fireblade Skies
Coconut Shampoo – Neverever from Angelic Swells

Seeking Love – Bare Wires from Seeking Love
The Thresher – Abner Jay from The Original Folk Song Style of Abner Jay
The Big Stick – Minutemen from 3-Way Tie (For Last)

Doin’ Me In – Jason Falkner from All Quiet On The Noise Floor
Meds – Stephanie from Stephanie
Gotta Get The First Plane Home – The Kinks from The Kink Kontroversy

Not Exactly D.L.E.R.C. – Cud from Leggy Mambo
At The Indie Disco – The Divine Comedy from Bang Goes The Knighthood
Mr. Tinker – Harry Nilsson from Aerial Ballet

Crazy For You – Best Coast from Crazy For You
Tracks Of My Tears – Aretha Franklin from Soul ’69

Forever After – The Young Sinclairs from Chimeys
It’s About Time  – The Pandoras from Children Of Nuggets

Gay Human Bones – Harlem from Hippies

Les Cox (Sportifs) Killing Rock n’ Roll.

July 7, 2010 at 10:56 pm | Posted in mp3, Music | 1 Comment
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Les Cox (Sportifs) don’t sound like they just released an album last week. They sound like they could have been born in the late 70′s post punk scene. Their dissident noise accented by choppy rhythms, minimal crunchy guitar and Christopher Rollen’s heavy accent makes me believe that they are the rightful heirs to the stolen chalice of arty lo-fi art school pop that Yummy Fur snagged from the Fall, Fire Engines and the first Modern Lovers record.

Scheiß Mit Reis is the first full length album from the Newcastle, UK band.  It follows an eight song ep that came out two years ago on Stop Looking and a 7″ single last year on Clunk Click.  Each release has seen the band progress.  Last year’s Total Straightness single was ace, especially the A-side The Hand and the Heep and Scheiß Mit Reis sees the band continuing with a full head of steam.  The Cox (can I say that?) can get downright silly with songs like God Vor Domma and the title track.  The former sees them employ Adam Sandler accents to somewhat amusing effect while the latter ends with the punch line: But I don’t like rice!.  Then there is the song C.O.A.S.T.A.L.M.O.T.H.E.R.F.U.C.K.E.R which in some alternate reality is the hit of the summer with kids blasting it out of their parent’s minivans as they wait for the red light to change as Les Cox spell it out.

It isn’t all shits and giggles with these smarmy art school boys.  John E Millais is a story song about the English painter reminiscent of Johnny Horton and Dead Beat Formula deconstructs, dismantles, and kills rock n’ roll and then realizes that all that isn’t quite necessary as Bo Diddley shows them the light.  Mixing Up the Cordite is an anti-war and anti-establisment song commenting on the current and past geopolitical ignorance of the masses that enable governments to wage wars in far off places to general apathy with lines like Well I hear there’s a war on in a country I don’t know, and  Well, I couldn’t care less who wins the war. The songs are played in a rudimentary minimalistic way and if you don’t pay close attention you could easily assume that it’s one goofy art school joke after the next, but scratch the surface and it becomes much more.  It’s only the middle of the year, but I can safely say Scheiß Mit Reis will be in my year end top ten.

mp3: Les Cox (Sportifs) – Dead Beat Formula (order up a hard copy of Scheiß Mit Reis from Sea Records or go digital)


mp3: Les Cox (Sportifs) – John E Millais


A little background:

mp3: Johnny Horton – Jim Bridger (from Greatest Hits)


mp3: The Fall – Rollin’ Dany (from This Nation’s Saving Grace)


mp3: Minutemen – The Big Stick (from 3-way Tie for Last)


mp3: Fire Engines – Meat Whiplash (from Hungry Beat)


mp3: Modern Lovers – Government Center (from The Modern Lovers)


mp3: Yummy Fur – 801 (from Sexy World)

Sweaters By the Pound

July 4, 2010 at 11:47 pm | Posted in 7 inch, Give Away, Vinyl | 3 Comments
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Athens, Georgia label Happy Happy Birthday To Me reaches across the continent to pluck the Sweater Girls from sunny warm Los Angeles, California.  Having lived in SoCal, I know that you don’t really need many sweaters living there.  Although after living there for a while, the body acclimatizes, the blood thins and you end up thinking you’re cold when it’s 75 degrees because you’re used to 80.  That five degree difference is bone-chilling and a sweater can be just the thing.

Being that it’s summer you probably don’t need a sweater even in SoCal, but the Sweater Girls have put out a single that you do need.  The three song single that sold out of its initial pressing reminds me of the  Softies and the Cat’s Miaow.  They tread the fine line of too cute and passive aggressive which from an indiepop point of view is the sweet spot.  As luck would have it (actually thanks to Happy Happy Birthday To Me) I’ve got an extra copy of the Sweater Girls single up for grabs.  To put your hat (or sweater) in the ring send me an email  (finestkiss[@]gmail.com) with Sweater Girls 7″ in the subject line.  I’ll do some kind of random pick on Friday for the winner.

mp3: Sweater Girls – Haven’t Got a Clue (from the HHBTM single)

Nouvel Katerine

July 1, 2010 at 8:08 am | Posted in La France | 4 Comments
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Finalement, a new Katerine album is on the way. It’s been five years since Robots Après Tout. It’s not like he’s been slacking though, in between he’s done a jazz record with Alban Darche, appeared on the Olivier Libaux orchestrated Imbécile, and done a French version of the Pippettes called Les Vedettes. All these efforts were good, but it’s on his solo records where you can get the full Katerine experience, and if you’re familiar with Katerine you know that each one is a different experience. The new album is called Bla Bla Bla and is due 27 September on vinyl and CD. Here’s the streaming title track and the songs to be included on the album.

01. Je M’Éloigne D’Autant Que Je M’Approche
02. Bla Bla Bla
03. La Reine D’Angleterre
04. Les Derniers Seront Toujours Les Premiers
05. Des Bisoux
06. Bien Mal
07. Liberté
08. La Banane
09. J’Aime Tes Fesses (avec Jeanne Balibar)
10. Philippe
11. Il Veut Faire Un Film (avec mes parents)
12. Moustache
13. Sac En Plastique
14. Té-Lé-Phone
15. À Toi – À Toi (avec ma fille Edie)
16. Parivélib’
17. La Musique
18. Vieille Chaîne
19. Morts-Vivants
20. Cette Mélodie
21. Le Rêve
22. Juifs Arabes
23. Musique D’Ordinateur
24. Le Champ De Blé

If that isn’t enough Katerine for you, head on over to his Katerine Francis et ses Peintres site where he has been uploading a new cover song every Monday since the beginning of 2010.  Cliquez sur une étoile dans la nuit et d’écouter Katerine.

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