The Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack

No, we don't have an early leak of what sure's to be this year's most kick ass soundtrack. i'm actually referring to the series of graphic novels here. While i have high hopes for the flick, i've been a fan of Bryan Lee O'Malley's comic book masterpiece for a few years now. He just released Book Six last week, which i finished last night. Not quite as fun and upbeat as Books Four (Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together) and Five (Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe) (my two favorite of the series), but a pretty decent ending nonetheless.

Anyway, this is a music blog, not a comics blog (go here for the best combo you'll find on that), so today's post actually is a recreation from the end of Book Three. On the final page, in a section marked, "this is kind of like a blog," O'Malley mentions he puts together mix CDs for each novel he writes, then proceeds to list a bunch of tracks from said mixes. Well, after much searching, i finally was able to procure each and every track, which i'm sure you're dying to hear, too. While it's predominantly indie, there's a surprising amount of alt-country, too. Title track "Scott Pilgrim" by the Plumtrees could be my new favorite, peppy indie track. Too bad i'm getting to the table a few years late on this one. Other notes of personal interest--includes the first Neil Young solo track i've ever liked, introduced me to the Flying Burrito Brothers, furthered my interest in learning more about Joel Plaskett, and has kick ass tracks by Spoon and the Old 97s. That's good eatin' right there, folks.

If this mixtape had a face, i'd kiss it.

J'accuse!!!

mp3: Scott Pilgrim (Plumtree from Predicts the Future)

mp3: In Need of Medical Attention (Joel Plaskett from In Need of Medical Attention)

mp3: Written All Over Me (Joel Plaskett from Truthfully Truthfully)

mp3: To Ramona (The Flying Burrito Brothers from Hot Burritos! The Flying Burrito Brothers Anthology 1969-1972)

mp3: By Your Side (Beachwood Sparks from Once We Were Trees (British Release))

mp3: Left of the Dial (The Replacements from Tim)

mp3: Can't Hardly Wait (The Replacements from Pleased to Meet Me)

mp3: Grindstone (Uncle Tupelo from March 16-20, 1992)

mp3: Borrowed Tune (Neil Young from Tonight's the Night)

mp3: Waiting for the Kid to Come Out (Spoon from Soft Effects EP)

mp3: Let the Idiot Speak (Old 97's from Fight Songs)

mp3: American Girl (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from Greatest Hits)

DC Record Fair: Thoughts & Reflections

This past Sunday I ventured out from My Own Personal Version of Hell (aka, the recent Snowpocalypse or Snowmageddon or as was more commonly known as four feet of snow in one month) and joined my dear friends Laura and Tom at the DC Record Fair, held at the fabulous Black Cat. As we all know, vinyl junkie that I am, not even copious amounts of snow and dubious parking conditions could keep me from perusing crate after crate of LP (and 7 inch and CD) goodness. What we expected and what we got were dramatically different, but fun was still had, and I had a few thoughts I wanted to put out there, just because.

For instance, as much as I love the Black Cat, and as much as I love having a cocktail or three while pawing through records, this partnership probably needs a little work. Mainly, this thought stems from how dark it was, even as the sunlight beamed outside. It felt no different inside than the lighting you'd get at the Cat during a show. Whether or not this is just a logistical issue, the lighting made it a wee bit of a challenge to see records. So too did the heaving crowds, meaning no matter the visibility factor, we had a hard time even getting to the crates. People took their sweet time going through the vinyl, and it got a little vexing at times. Ok, a lot vexing.

My suggestion to the organizers/the Cat would be to perhaps spread the fair over both floors of the bar, utilizing not only the upstairs space but the Red Room and Backstage spaces as well, to allow for more room to move and some much-needed crowd control. Also, laying out the vendors differently might also make browsing (and buying) easier. Something about the way the vendors were arranged seemed pretty haphazard and disjointed.

Still, whining aside, for the small $2 admission fee it was a great afternoon outing. Great drinks, great records, great people-watching, and great tunes spun by various and sundry local musicians (some rather famous, dontchaknow!). It was pretty great to be surrounded by so many vinyl enthusiasts, as well. Not to mention, it made quite a nice break from being stuck in the house for over a week and forgetting the last time you wore something other than pajamas. I used some restraint while at the Fair itself, and only left with one $1 record - "The Exciting Brooklyn Allstars". After a few hours at the Cat, our little trio strolled a few doors down (and downstairs) to Som Records, a goldmine of vinyl goodness. Much like my beloved Plan 9 in Richmond, Som had a good (though not as extensive) selection of new and used records, as well as a few crates of wallet-friendly $1 records. I left Som with three $1 LPs - Neil Young's "Harvest," David Bowie's "Let's Dance," and Rick Wakeman's "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (I've been watching a whole lot of "The Tudors" lately, what can I say?). I also picked up The Flying Burrito Brothers' "Close Up The Honky-Tonks," which I pounced on because it's not often I come across a Burrito record these days.

And so, the three of us left 14th Street as the sun went down, happy and contended with our purchases. And I have to say, I'll probably be going to the next installment of the Record Fair, whenever it may be.