Tag Archives: LP

Album Review: Bad Luck Jonathan – Bad Luck Jonathan

Bad Luck Jonathan is the band your father probably told you about that never actually existed.

Sounding like they are straight out of the 70s, this Jon Langford project carries the fuzz, the soul, and plenty of the mean deviation of a progressive space rock act that could fool any naive music listener into thinking that this band is an obscure band from the past.

For those who have not heard of the name Langford, you should probably stop what you are doing and go check out a few songs from  his first band, The Meckons, a punk band that took root 40 years ago.  The dude is a fricking legend, but be forewarned, Bad Luck Johnathan is a lot more astray from what Langford once started with and mind you, the Meckons were all over the place.

I should probably mention that Bad Luck Jonathan is not just Langford though.  Former Whiskeytown guitarist, Phil Wandscher and Martin Billheimer joined forces with Langford along with the Waco Brother’s very own Joe Camarillo and Alan Doughty (who also happened to be in Jesus Jones).  It’s been said they came together on an island off the coast of the Pacific Northwest in very specific circumstances.

Realizing they were on to something good, the band, with help from Cleveland’s very own Blue Arrow Records, dropped a spacey, sludge rock self-titled album.  That descriptor alone right there just sounds bad ass.  Well, so is the album.

Album opener “3 Eyed Piranaha” was a space rock blues jam that pretty much opened the gates of what was to come on this album.  It was like listening to Mike Watt, Suicidal Tendencies, Beck, and Stevie Ray Vaughn all smashed together.  It was beautiful.

“Bad Luck Jonathan” carried a very Doors-y feel at the beginning, but went the path of Bowie and beyond.  “Strong Engine” was a mysterious sounding track with some catchy guitar lines backed by smooth bass playing that erupted halfway into a full-fetched jam.

“Clowntown Collapse” closed the album down with a distortion-driven almost cowpunk sounding track that I really got a kick out of.  I could only imagine this song being played live in a dark, small venue, especially by the end when Langford commented into the mic, “that was great” as the song ended.

Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, I can tell you this is not just some quickly thrown together album.  Personally, by the end, I was hoping for more as it was a hell of a listen.  There is a lot of talent thrown into these six tracks and I’ve personally listened to it over a few times now as it carries a unique sound I am really digging.

The LP version of this album was pressed by Gotta Grove Records and looks killer thanks to the red opaque color of the wax.

If you want to snag a copy, head over to Blue Arrow Records.

I got a kick while reading an interview with Lone Star Music Magazine and felt the need to share.  Langford joked about working with Blue Arrow by saying, “we made an album that’s coming out on Blue Arrow Records in Cleveland; their only other artist is Jonathan Richman, so they only work with artists with Jonathan in their name.”

Langford is a trip, and judging by the video below, so are his live performances.  I really need to check these guys out live next time they roll through Cleveland.

 

Why I Love Dead Broke Rekerds…

Weeks ago I placed a healthy order of multiple vinyl goodness from Dead Broke Rekerds.  I received one order quite fast and the other was delayed and I was aware why – the company was waiting on record sleeves for the limted edition Explosivo! glow-in-the-dark LP I snagged

Today while earning my keep at the paying gig I realized that I still had not received my original order that included a copy of Explosivo! LP. 

I decided to hit up the website and try and find out what was going on as it has been a couple of weeks since I handed over my money for the goods. 

The moment I got onto the Dead Broke Rekerds website I see a post:

YOUR ORDERS ARE SHIPPING!!!Sorry for the delays but Paypal multi-order shipping was being an asshole, but rest assured all Explosivo Kickstarter orders, Pre-orders and every other order is shipping tomorrow and all through this week. Thanks you for your patience.

I did not need to send 1000 emails to find out what the heck was going on…yet.  I just thought it was cool the moment I hit up the site I found exactly what I was looking for.

I am sure the LPs will be at my doorstep in no time and I know I will continue to hand over my cash to this awesome online punk rock music store.

Nice job guys.  Keep up the good work.

DIY Punk Rockers Explosivo! Given A Second Chance…

Once upon a time there was a melodic punk/indie/rock band called Explosivo!.

Hailing from the quiet town of Long Island, N.Y., the band featured a group of guys who you can now find in acts like Iron Chic, Wax Phantom and Small Arms Dealer.  They were good, they were damn good.   

Dead Broke Rekerds described them as a mix of  “Piebald & Pantera hanging out at Guns ‘N Wankers house.”  Sadly they broke up in 2001 so finding anything by them has been quite the challenge.

Lucky for us Dead Broke Rekerds & Limited Pressing were nice enough to re-release a hidden gem of a DIY album.  Released digitally on  BandCamp (see below) as well as vinyl, it is almost like Explosivo! has been given a second chance to be heard by anyone who might have missed them long ago.

If you are a vinyl fanatic like I am hurry up and grab onebefore they sellout.  Act even faster and you might score yourself a glow-in-the-dark version that is limited to 50.  At $10 you can bet your grits I already grabbed one!  Plus the rest of the Dead Broke Rekerds store is full of awesome swag and shipping is only $4!

Want to hear some Explosivo! now?  Enjoy:

Babble Blog: The Weekend TX Invaded OH

The internet is a crazy thing and of course we have Al Gore to thank for it…

Within the last couple months a friendship was created between a guy in Ohio who likes to blog and a girl in TX who found his blog through Twitter.  Small talk started and things slowly progressed to the point where phone conversations started.  Music taste was shared as well as appreciation for literature, art, and history.  It was clear that these two people had a lot in common.

Weeks later a plane ticket was purchased and TX invaded OH.

If you have not figured this out yet, I am OH and TX is my pal Jenn who I am more than thrilled to have started a friendship with.  Last weekend she visited me and I thought I would re-cap some of the fun we had.

Friday was one of those work days I wanted to hit fast-forward on until the shift was over.  It was a long day because in my mind I was trying to figure out all the things I wanted to show Jenn.  As soon as 2:30 hit the clock I was out of the building and off to the Akron / Canton airport to pick up Jenn.

After the initial meeting he hopped on Route 8 and searched for something to eat.  I immediately thought of an Akron staple and headed to Luigi’s Pizza where we caught up face to face and lunched on some great food.  After lunch we headed to Highland Square as I wanted to show her one of my favorite Akron music stores, Square Records.  We checked out some other shops in the area and decided to head back to my pad to hang out as Saturday was going to be a busy day.

Saturday was one of those days that I had been planning in advance for weeks upon hearing Jenn confirm she was going to visit OH.  We started the day by heading out to Lakewood to eat an early lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland, Melt Bat & Grilled.  I called the ever cool Matt from Addicted To Vinyl as he agreed to meet up with us to see if he was awake or passed out in a ditch somewhere.  Surprisingly he was not only awake but waiting for us to arrive at Melt.  He even put his name in for a table and stated we only had to wait 30 minutes!

I actually had something to take care of upon entering the Melt establishment that i had been meaning to do for quite some time.  So the moment I walked in and was greeted I rolled up my sleeves looking for a staff member…and showed them my Melt tattoo.

Yes, a Melt tattoo.

Melt Bar & Grilled started a tattoo promotion recently where if a loyal fan of the establishment gets the Melt logo or a variance of it they will receive 25% off their sandwich, FOR LIFE.  As a grilled cheese fanatic I could not pass this up so I had my tattoo artist Ronnie Castro tattoo the permanent coupon on my arm in November.

Now that I was standing there in Melt it was time to get into the gang of loyal grilled cheese lovers.  After some appreciated compliments, photos, and the ever important “Tattoo Family Member” card I joined Matt and Jenn at a table for some grilled goodness.

Matt the trendsetter ordered a “Mighty Mac Melt”, the sandwich of the month and as a huge fan of mac & cheese I had to order the same.  Jenn had to be a rebel and ordered an Italian grilled cheese.  The three of us chatted so much that it seemed like only moments passed until we were served our sandwiches.  That meal was a highlight of my year!  No joke…  My sandwich was a giant friend mac & cheese nugget snug in a grilled cheese.  My arteries clogged and I only ate half (don’t worry I saved the rest for dinner, as did Jenn) but it was worth it.

After we stuffed ourselves silly Jenn and I said by to Matt and I decided to take Jenn to the park down the street to see the Cleveland skyline.  I do not care how cold it is outside, there is something about the Cleveland skyline I think everyone needs to see from Lakewood Park.  She really enjoyed it a lot as did I.

Once our fingers turned blue we decided to pack it up and head downtown.  I drove up and down the streets and gave Jenn a mobile tour of one of my favorite cities.  We really did not make any stops as I wanted to get to Collinwood before it started to get dark so Jenn could see Waterloo during the daylight.

After a couple of laps through the city we hopped back on the highway and headed out to the artsy district of Cleveland also known as Collinwood.

Stopping at Music Saves and Blue Arrow Records were on my agenda while out there but much to my surprise I was informed while at Music Saves that there was a Rock N Roll flea market going on at the Beachland Ballroom.  With plenty of time we headed down there and checked out what was good.  I really wanted to buy stuff there but money is tight these days on the BHP ranch so I was a good boy and looked with my eyes and kept the $1.27 I had in my wallet.

I plan on checking that out again one day when I have a couple bucks to spend.  There was a guy there who’s name escapes me but he had this box full of CDs from local Cleveland bands of the 90’s.  There were a few bands in there I remembered hearing about or even seeing live as a young music lover.  If I had it my way I would have grabbed a bunch just for the memory.  The guy said he had vinyl too but left it at home so I am hoping next time he is there.  We shall see.

Merchants were starting to pack up so I headed down to see Pete at Blue Arrow Records to see what was good.  I love that store and I had to show it off to Jenn.  While there I flipped through endless vinyl and found a Pacific Gas & Electric LP I had been looking for so you could say I was excited.

As we headed back to good ol’ Akron, OH it started to snow ever so slightly.  It was a nice end to a long day.  Once home we just kicked it and geeked out (relaxed) for the duration of the evening.

Sunday morning I did my best to make a breakfast of sorts and was pleased with the outcome. I cubed up some potatoes and fried them up as well as made eggs and refried beans.  I then fried up (with Jenn’s help) some corn tortillas and make tacos.  The outcome was an OH take on a Tex-Mex staple breakfast meal and I was thrilled.

I scored major brownie points there.  Speaking of brownies, the night before while we were geeking out I snuck in the kitchen and made brownies with chopped up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  Yeah, they were amazing.  I pride myself on those.

Sunday morning I did not want to do much of anything but relax and Jenn was ok with that.  Suddenly I came up with the great idea of taking the pups up to Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls to show Jenn the fun little area as well as the Cuyahoga River.  While walking around she took tons of pictures and I just soaked in the beauty of the river and surroundings.  I love having that place just down the street from me.  The pups had fun dragging me all over the place.

Right before heading back home I noticed that the open light was on at Metropolis Popcorn so we picked up some snacks for afternoon football watching.  I got my favorite Chicago style popcorn (cheddar mixed with caramel) and Jenn chose the dill popcorn.  Both were amazing.

The rest of Sunday was chill and of course the Browns lost but at this time it does not bother me anymore.  There is always next year – and a hopeful first round draft pick.

Monday was departure day.  I know Jenn had fun because she thanked me multiple times throughout the morning.  I thanked her as well for coming up.  Not only was it a pleasure to have met her face to face but it was also awesome just to show her around Cleveland/Akron at the places I love.  Had we more time I would have taken her to many more places but I think I did good with what was shown.  Still, I wish I would have dropped by Cleveland Hts. and showed her Coventry.  Oh well, next time right?

Jenn is back in TX and I am sure she left OH with a good idea of how fun our city is, well at least I hope she did.  Upon exiting my car at the airport she reminded me that I was always welcome to visit her in TX and I hope to do that one day very soon.

Those Darlins – Those Darlins – CD Review

Nikki, Jessie, and

Before I even start this review you all should know that this band hit me hard in the ears with something good.  Ever since my introduction I have been a fan and I really like to support these girls hense all of the posts in recent months.

I guess that is one of the cool things about having your own blog, freedom to do what you want.  Well what I want is to help out three ladies from the Nashville area be heard.  I know they should have no problem doing so but it does not hurt to help.

Next week Those Darlins return to Cleveland on July 14th and you can bet your grits I will be there.  Do yourself a favor and get up to the Beachland Tavern to check out this great up and coming band.  I would not talk about them so much if I did not think they were all that.

 So what that said, here is the review of the debut release by Those Darlins:


Tennessee’s best kept little secret no longer remains hidden as Those Darlins have released their debut self titled album on their very own label Oh Wow Dang! Records. Kelly Darlin, Nikki Darlin, and Jessie Darlin who make up Those Darlins do their own thing their own way. The result is a band that spills out some great tunes combining pop with rock, punk, and country.

Hailing from Murfreesboro, TN the musically inclined trio of women have already made their way around the US playing shows small and large. With their constant touring with acts such as Dan Auerbach, The Features, and even playing a stage at this year’s Bonnaroo, the girls have finally released their debut album for all to hear.

Having already been a huge fan, I was excited for their music to spread to a larger audience. I think it will not be too difficult for that to happen thanks to this release.

So what is it about this band that has more or less turned me into an obsessed fan? The girls mix the perfect blend of garage rock, punk, and even some country rock style all into a sound I just can not get enough of. They have enough sass to knock your grandpa to the floor, the looks that guarantee instant crushes, the smiles of angels, and can party down like no other. I’m pretty sure they can all kick your ass too with out any help.

Their Appalachian sounds seems to clash with a punk attitude as well as female strong ideals.  This mix becomes smashed into a fine sounding bar-rock jam fom three good looking gals who drink their whiskey from the bottle. Think Wanda Jackson and Patsy Cline  meet Joan Jett with even a taste of some Kathleen Hanna.

The classic covers of the Carter Family’s “Who’s That Knocking At My Window?” as well as “Cannonball Blues” proved Those Darlins have a rendering for the country genre but when you move throughout the album you can clearly hear that their musical roots are not just from Nashville

Opening track “Red Light Love” does not even suggest they are a country act as they play a more bar-rock song. What I like about this one so much is I can actually feel them smiling as they sing this fun song.

“Wild One” is more or less the girls’ anthem/reminder of being wild and crazy. This song is Wanda Jackson with punk rock authority and provides a fair warning to all the folk out there that have a more than a musical liken for Those Darlins. This was the first song I had heard from the band and was the reason became so fond of them.

“The Whole Damn Thing”, to me, was the funniest song on the album as the girls sing about getting hammered and eating an entire chicken. To make things even more amusing the song continues with the consumed chicken being forgotten about.

Almost reminding me of something Johnny Cash might have written during his raging days was “Glass To You”, a drunken slur of a track. I almost felt bad for the girls in this painful song as they declare they are having “whiskey blues” and have “been drunk since half past noon” because of their man. Having more than one vocalist sing throughout just keeps it unhappy.

“Snaggle Tooth Mama” is a boot-stomping country jam with some fun intermitting guitar and bar room piano playing that by the end of the track will have you singing along. “222” is a tough track about all about boys, parties, and fun. Coincidentally one of the studios that the girls recorded at was in NYC at Jeff Curtin’s basement studio called 222.  Jeff Curtin also took on the drumming duties for most of the tracks on this album.

“DUI Or Die” was more of a tale of an alcohol infused evening out all ending with sirens and jail bars as well as blaming to booze. “Drunk driving, I’m guilty, and I’m blaming the booze” pretty much summed up the song in a comical way also giving hint to all the ladies who want to avoid DUIs but going home with someone and letting them drive.

Even though some of the songs suggest a country rock like style, they add much more rock and roll and punk rock finesse giving for a fiercer sound. Having the girls split up vocal duties just keeps their songs that much more interesting. Their debut album is an instant classic to my ears and I am sure it will be for many as all of the songs are very catchy, musically and lyrically. This is not a band you will forget about after just one album. These girls are going places.

Seeing them live is a whole experience in its own. Big crowds or small crowds these girls play their hearts out, drink the big boy drinks, and will force you to have a good time. When they take the stage one might think they do not have the capabilities that make up what Those Darlins are all about – loud music and good times. The moment the guitars are strummed and the vocals start it’s clear that something fun is about to happen.

Need some proof? Here, check out these videos: