Return of the Lemonade Stand

It was inevitable. With the return of warmer weather comes the ubiquitous lemonade stand, popping up like perky nipples on a brisk morning. i ran into my first one just this past weekend, almost literally. Note to my neighbor's kids: do NOT run in front of cars to persuade them to pull over and snag a cuppa. The bullhorn, however, was a nice touch.

As a former hardcore watered down summer beverage proprietor myself, i always try to patronize any and all child-run establishments. Same goes for purchasing girl scout cookies, boy scout jamboree tickets, etc. If your ankle biter is willing to do the work, the least i can do is throw a couple of ducats their way. That being said, do NOT come to me telling me that you're selling it on their behalf. Fuck that. Nobody stopped me from knocking on the doors of potential pedos and ne'er-do-wells on my way to earning enough sales to get a "free" Boy Scout endorsed hatchet, so let's all take a deep breath, and let today's brats have at the same.

OK, you know what time it is. That's right, get ready for The Greatest Lemonade Mix You Will Ever Hear.

How very fortunate for us that the sisters just decided to drop this one from the upcoming CD on us.

mp3: Lemonade (CocoRosie from Grey Oceans)

If your lemonade happens to get you lifted, please share the recipe with me.

mp3: Lifted (Lemonade from Pure Moods EP)

NOTE: No, Led Zep did NOT come up with the "squeeze my lemon" line from "The Lemon Song." Robert Johnson did. Recognize.

mp3: Traveling Riverside Blues (Robert Johnson from King of the Delta Blues Singers)

The following band name guaranteed an eventual write-up here on LET. Naming an entire album after today's topic was just icing.

mp3: The Lemonade Ocean (I Was a Teenage Satan Worshipper from The Lemonade Ocean)

There's a lot of penis talk here for a lemonade song, but who didn't love their Teenage Dirtbag? Much love, Wheatus.

mp3: Lemonade (Wheatus from Hand Over Your Loved One)

i got to see these cats at Woodstock II just before Shannon bounced onto the Great Beyond. RIP, dude.

mp3: Lemonade (Blind Melon from Soup)

The next two tracks are nice juxtapositions, don't you think? Why am i asking you, anyway? Fascist.

mp3: Baby Lemonade (Syd Barrett from Barrett)

mp3: Lemonade Baby (Baby Bird from I Was Born a Man)

And now, for something a bit scuzzier...

mp3: Lemonade (Rivers Cuomo from Alone: The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo)

Old boy has a Lando Calrissian action figure and a Colt .45 bottle on his CD cover. Uh, yeah, you're in.

mp3: Lemonade (Will C. from Commercial Rap)

And perhaps the greatest song on the topic ever written:

mp3: Nate Kukla's History of Lemonade (Grand Buffet, live somewhere)

Happy Birthday, Syd

Today we honor the memory of one of rock’n’roll’s dearly departed, greatest of wacky gentlemen, Mr. Syd Barrett. These days he exists in the legend category of musicians, a status attained by many by virtue of not only their reputation for mentally residing on another planet but also their incredible talents.

Personal imbalance aside, Syd was a talent, both in the early days of Pink Floyd and in his own right. The Madcap Laughs is a great encapsulation of what great music instability can create, and can be found the world over in the record collections of the hipper-than-thou. As with many bands of his generation, Syd and early Floyd paved the way for dozens of bands, inspiring creativity and far-outness.

In honor of the life of Syd Barrett, here’s some music by, and inspired by, the man himself.

mp3: Late Night (Syd Barrett from the album The Madcap Laughs)

mp3: My Man Syd (The Brian Jonestown Massacre from the album Take It From the Man!)

mp3: I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives (Television Personalities from the album And Don’t the Kids Just Love It)