Failed Pilot

But it’s little things like this that put my cold, cold feet on the floor. Let me tell you something: Memphis has been unbelievably cold over the past three days. This destroys my sleeping patterns, as I’ve lapsed into this horrible schedule that alternates productive days of little or no sleep with unproductive days w/ too much sleep. Don’t worry, I’m only referring to this week, and there’s an active effort in place to break the pattern. Why am I writing about that? The point is to avoid what you, the reader, can read on any ham ‘n’ egger’s blog. Watch this….I’m going to fail at it again:

Name 10 indie-rock (or whatever) bands from the 90’s that would drop your jaw by reappearing with an album or tour. Your answer should not be limited to long-lost, underrated geniuses that slipped through the cracks (like Fly Ashtray). Your answer should contain names like “Radial Spangle” or “God and Texas” or ”Anything that carried the Grass Records imprint” (what the hell was going on there?!?!). Fitting in a snug place equidistant from both extremes was 18th Dye. Guess what? My publicist-clogged inbox contains this e-mail (for a few more seconds at least):

“With their groundbreaking, catchy and explosive rock 18TH DYE earned great recognition in the international music press during the ‘90s, with albums Done (1992), Crayon (1993), Tribute to a Bus (1995) and Left (B-Sides and Rarities) (1999). They toured all over the US and Europe and left a mark which inspired a vast number of bands. With their new album, ‘Amorine Queen’, they continue their intensive work, which doesn’t just thrill the fans from ten years ago, but also carries away a new audience - a fact that’s hard to miss at their recent shows.From 1992 to 1998, the band was signed to Matador Records, and toured with Stereolab and Yo la Tengo, amongst others, also recording with legendary producer Steve Albini. They completed three BBC Peel sessions (the only Danish band to do that) and scored several Top 10 hits on the English indie charts while receiving attention on the CMJ chart in the US. After having released the album ‘Tribute to a Bus’ and after extensive touring in Europe and the US, 18TH DYE stopped playing and it was not until 2005, at VibraCrunch07 Festival, that they began playing live again. In the last couple of years the band has made their sound heard at selected shows and small tours in Denmark and Germany, including appearances in 2007 at the legendary Rockpalast TV-show, the Berlin-based Summerize Festival, the Danish SPOT Festival, and, this year, performed at the largest Scandinavian music festival,  Roskilde, in front of packed crowds. 

A lot has happened in the lives of the three18TH DYE members in the time away from the band. Part Danish, part German Heike Rädeker spent time playing in several bands including Wuhling that was signed to Touch and Go/City Slang. She now lives in Berlin were she owns and runs the design furniture store STUE, made famous by the Louis Vuitton and Wallpaper guide books. Danish Piet Breinholm has been busy in the meantime too; together with the third 18TH DYE member, Sebastian, he formed the electronic duo Test and toured with several Danish bands including Rhonda Harris, Speaker Bite Me and Varano. Piet is also a designer and runs the bag company ”Piet Breinholm - The Last Bag”, that sells its products in Berlin, Paris, London and New York. German Sebastian Büttrich has toured with Lise Westzynthius and Speaker Bite Me. Now all three are together once again: 18TH DYE!”

Hey thanks, stupid, stupid formatting bullshit that WordPress so reliably provides!!! Now I have to write the rest of the entry in this font because I’m too tired to open the HTML window. That said, “Crunchy Frog Records” doesn’t have quite the ring to it that “Matador Records” does, but I will not dismiss the new 18th Dye album!!

Screw this. I’m going to post another entry for the rest of this evening’s thought(s)…..

Time for a boring, personal blog entry. It will help to channel my glee.

Seven or eight years ago, I purchased a Pioneer SX-950 at a yard sale. Chances are good that this means nothing to most readers. This is a good thing. It means that those readers lack one more alienating quality. Me? I’m an AMATEUR audiophile that has spent VERY little money feeding this interest. Mostly, I engage in the act of looking at vintage home electronics on eBay and this laughably archaic site. The SX-950 resides towards the top of Pioneer’s late-70’s line of home audio receivers. This is a Pioneer SX-950. In the realm of home audio, the Pioneer of the late-70’s is nothing like the Pioneer of the past 20 - 25 years. To a lesser extent, that goes for Sony, Technics, Sansui, Kenwood, and many other “common” brands. The late-70’s = The Hi-Fi Heyday. As such, common brands made high quality components without blinking or making a big to-do about doing so. These days, ugh…don’t get me started. Truthfully, a mid-level Pioneer or Technics component did cost more than the same would today, but you were walking out of the store with a much better product. And a much better looking product. Home theater has finally destroyed common home audio. Add to that the trend of butt-ugly combined systems with multitudes of tiny, crappy speakers, and it’s time for me to issue a loud “CHECK PLEASE!” The Pioneer SX-950 outputs around 120 true watts, despite the back panel claiming a 345 watt output. 120 true watts, namely 120 true watts from an audio component built in the late-70’s, is nothing like the wattage that new components piss out. For instance, a brand new Sony or Pioneer A/V receiver that boasts 120 watts is equal or similar to (and sounds worse than) 40 or 50 true, late-70’s watts.

Back to the point: I paid $15 for my SX-950 and used it for four or five years until both channels eventually crapped out…..slowly. I utilized other awful means to listen to my records (and very occasionally, CD’s), then on Monday, I actually took the SX-950 in to a TV repair shop called “Teletronics.” My fingers were crossed. I did not want, nor was I able, to spend a lot of money on this concern, a concern that could easily fall into the “vanity” category…all things considered. My $100 Sherwood A/V receiver, purchased from Radio Shack back in June (I didn’t feel like doing the pawn shop/thrift store hustle….didn’t have the time, either), was doing just fine.

On Tuesday, my cell jingled at EIGHT IN THE MORNING and I was given some good news by the nice Teletronics employee. The refurbishing cost $71, and the Pioneer was working like new. I picked it up (it’s as heavy as a window-unit air-conditioner), and I’m now staring across the room at its warm glow. It’s the start (again, I’ve done this before) of a romance with building a nice, vintage mutt of a stereo system. Over the next year or two, I’ll be replacing my turntable and speakers, and adding some more silver-faced monsters.

Here in the wonderful riverside city of Memphis (I mean that) last Friday night, onstage stools were filled and pea-brains were blown.  

Though I’ve never been the biggest Lucero fan, and prefer the band’s Southern Rock side if I’m going to prefer a side at all (I did accept the offer to write a one-sheets 3 - 4 years ago….it was the major label debut…I think), they’re all nice guys that I’ve known for years and years. And as predictable as it is (for both parties), I can’t say anything bad about Ben Nichols’ decision to release a solo concept album based on Blood Meridian. You’ll never convince me that it’s anything less than a great book. Not a favorite by any means, but a great book nonetheless. Far better than The Road….if I am allowed an apples-and-oranges moment. I can only imagine the ridiculous content re: Nichols’ colleagues on the Revival Tour.

Years ago, I had the unfortunate luck to witness an Avail (they were opening up or headlining a show that included a band I actually wanted to see…the mind is not being friendly) performance. Never possessing a taste for shitty hardcore, much less the godawful protest folk-meets-Warped Tour bullshit that this band peddles (think a lesser-known Against Me!), I was new to the idea of Beau Beau. Look it up and laugh. I once overheard some dumbass Cometbus fanatic describe Beau Beau as an “ass-kicker.” Again, if you don’t know, just look it up. Maybe he is an ass-kicker. That’s not why I’m here this evening.

I’m here to convey just how hilarious it was to drive by the venue (a venue that I love…the Hi-Tone) Friday night, only to see two gigantic tour buses parked out front. This alone wouldn’t be THAT funny, but slap on a couple of massive VANS logos, and it becomes a gut-buster.

At the risk of poking another slow, no make that EXTREMELY SLOW, moving fish in a tiny barrel, I still enjoy a smidgen of amusement when presented with the idea that there are adults that associate with and/or participate in the whole Against Me!/Warped Tour/And Now This hoodwink with the belief that it has something to do with punk rock/protest/changing things. How many members of Against Me! does it take to change a lightbulb? The members of Against Me! are not going to change shit. Enjoy your ten-dollar bottles of water and eventual irrelevance.