LP Lust: Graduation Edition

It's graduation time here in Richmond, and though it's been several years since I myself donned the cap and gown, I thought such an occasion would be the perfect time to pillage Plan 9's used vinyl for the first time in...probably not all that long (it's been a couple weeks, surely that shows some modicum of restraint, no?).

The store is but a brief 20-minute stroll from my place, so after a pleasant saunter in the humid morning to and fro Carytown, here's the goods that I was able to snag out from under my fellow Richmonders:

*Bobbie Gentry: Touch 'Em With Love

*Split Enz: Waiata

*The Charlie Daniels Band: Fire On the Mountain

*Nancy Sinatra: Country, My Way

*Bruce Springsteen: The Wild, The Innocent, & the E Street Shuffle

*Johnny Cash: Big River

*Emmylou Harris: Blue Kentucky Girl

*Split Enz: True Colours

*Staples Singers: Be What You Are

*Byrds: Byrds

Happy Birthday, Trent

He's been a regular fixture on this here site for quite some time now, so it's only right to wish LET's Sexiest Man of 2008 and Great Hope of the Music Industry, Mr. Trent Reznor, a very, very happy birthday.

Trent is currently in the midst of the NIN/JA tour with Jane's Addiction, and if you've never seen Nine Inch Nails, well, a) this is your last chance and b) it's a must-see event. Yours truly will be seeing the show when it rolls along to the DC area, and I hope you've been able to get your mitts on some tickets. I have no doubt that it'll be one of the best shows of 2009.

Happy Birthday, Stephen

My fellow Americans, as I'm sure you are already well aware (it's on my calendar, I can tell you that), today is a day to celebrate a piece of real, honest-to-apple-pie American-ness: the birth of Stephen Colbert.

Yes, friends, May 13th, while not yet the national holiday truly required by such a momentous occasion, is in fact the day Mr. Stephen Tyrone Colbert first opened his eyes to the iniquities and problems of the world. Appropriately, Colbert was born in DC, the city he has mocked so enchantingly over the years.

I think you'll agree, when it comes to noteworthy Americans, Stephen Colbert is right up there. His skillful skewering, adept acrimony, and charming censure are natural treasures just as much as the shining monuments erected to honor our forefathers. So please, join me in celebrating the birth of one of the nation's most important contemporary figures. Happy Birthday, Stephen.

Whither Festivus: (Much Belated) SXSW 2009 Recap

So it's been almost two months since I wandered down to Austin and joined piles and piles of writers and scenesters and musicians in partaking in South by Southwest 2009. I've already written not one but two lengthy recaps of SXSW '09, so instead of insanely writing number three I've decided to post here the review I did for the super scrumdidlyumptious RVA magazine website relaunch last month. (Shameless self-promotion: make sure to check out RVA for yours truly, as well as the fact that it's a great mag.) And now, friends, my take on SXSW. Enjoy. Oh, and you can see the article in its entirety here, along with awesome accompanying photos shot by the wonderful Laura O'Neill.

"South by Southwest. South By. SXSW. Whichever one strikes your fancy, it’s been going on for decades now, and is pretty much the granddaddy of American music festivals. Increasingly, industry types have been flocking to Austin en masse, chomping at the bit to find the Next Big Thing, or some approximation thereof, and have themselves one hell of a good time down in the Lone Star State.

And this year, I wanted to join them.

With my bestest of friends by my side, I prepared for a week of all music, all the time. Laura and I prepped hardcore, and by the time we left Richmond we figured we had a pretty strong grasp of the situation. Flying over the flat, wide expanse of east Texas, I was pretty sure I had a good idea of what SXSW was going to offer. But like many things in life, the reality was so much different than what I’d concocted in my imagination. Luckily, the reality was even better, despite the 7 am flight and all-nighter I had to pull getting my packing taken care of [SXSW tip #1: do not wait until the last minute to pack. It is a very, very bad idea.].

As a SXSW attendee, you’re surrounded by music from the minute you step foot in the airport (literally, there are bands playing in the airport). After disembarking in Austin, I moseyed along with hundreds of festivalgoers to the baggage claim to pick up our gear. Since I had time to kill waiting for Laura’s flight to arrive, I made myself comfortable and started checking people out. Every group that glided down the escalators seemed to be full of young, be-sunglassed band members, and the industry folks who love them. I thought I recognized nearly all of them, though of course I couldn’t name but a few. One of my favorite moments of the whole week happened while in baggage claim: I finally saw a band I knew I recognized, the white-hot New Zealanders Bang! Bang! Eche!. A band I didn’t recognize saw them, too, and one of the dudes mock-squealed, and in a girly voice screeched, “Bang! Bang! Eche! Ahhhh!”. There was much giggling, and the bands shook hands. It was the first of many times I would see Bang! Bang! Eche! in Austin, and led to the game “How Many Times Will I See B! B! E! This Week?” (the answer was five or six).

After getting a taxi (far) out to our hotel [SXSW tip #2: stay downtown, or as close to downtown as you can get. We did not, and it was more often than not a huge pain in the ass.], we unwound for a bit before venturing out into the inky black Texas night for the first of many shows. New friends Your 33 Black Angels were playing a show at the venerable Austin venue TC’s Lounge, a place more authentically divey than just about anywhere I’ve ever been. The floor slants, the bathrooms don’t lock, and the building itself is so nondescript you’re likely to drive past it, what with its’ peeling boards and lack of any kind of marquee. But it’s legendary, and rightfully so. Your 33 Black Angels knocked out a great set, as did transplanted Austinites Cartright, Slick (of NYC), and TK Webb & the Visions. Much rock was heard, much beer was had [SXSW tip #3: many places do not serve PBR. In fact, several places do not know what PBR is. And the places that do carry it do not have the tallboys. Lone Star seems to be the Texas equivalent.], and much pool was played, Laura and I teaming up with some of the Cartright boys for some sloppy games (I’m pretty sure Joe and I won, but perhaps Laura and Lou would tell you differently). So convivial is the vibe in Austin during SXSW, that a complete stranger offered us puffs on his joint. But eventually, my early morning/no sleep caught up with me, and we called our personal driver (aka our Guinean cabbie) to take us home.

Day 2 began rather auspiciously, waking up with a throat so sore that I had to cringe to swallow. It’s a day I remember very little of, but what I do remember was fantastic (apart from the whole illness thing). We got up pretty early [SXSW tip #4: if your hotel offers free breakfast, as ours did, take full advantage. Stuff yogurts into your pockets. The best thing about our hotel was undoubtedly the waffle maker that made huge, fluffy waffles in the shape of the state of Texas.] and attempted to wade through the various RSVP information to plan our schedule for the day. After stopping by the Convention Center to get our wristbands, we started off at Maggie Mae’s, and saw some of Future of the Left’s raging, pulsating set before heading indoors for the much calmer, sweetly soothing sounds of Juliette Morneau. While killing time before Yelle, Laura and I stopped to get some tacos and sangria. My throat was so pained I couldn’t drink but more than a few sips of what seemed to be delicious sangria (o, the humanity), and my fever was making me miserable. My friend Joel, who stayed in one of the plushest of the downtown hotels, kindly allowed me to take sanctuary at his place for a bit, where I passed out for several sweet hours in a blissfully fluffy bed (complete with decorative throw pillow).

After sweating the fever out, Laura and I reconvened at Stubb’s, one of the biggest SXSW venues, where we caught the Outkastian romps of Janelle Monae, as well as the endearingly adorable Ladyhawke, who won me over with her shimmery, dreamy dancepop. After Ladyhawke finished up, we took a rickshaw [SXSW tip #5: rickshaws are a great idea for getting around Austin, cheaper and way more fun than taxis. And ladies, the drivers tend to be on the foxy side.] to the gargantuan Austin Music Hall, to see something I had been impatiently waiting for for weeks, the Black Angels with Roky Erickson. The Austin Music Awards were in session, and were running extremely late. The acceptance speeches were on the lengthy side, and the set we had showed up for started about an hour late, but was worth every second. You know you’re in the right place when Bobby Gillespie and Mani of Primal Scream are floating around the crowd. I began to get chills as soon as the Black Angels launched into “You On the Run,” and the goosebumps didn’t leave me until the last chords had been played. The noise was deafening, probably the loudest songs I’ve ever heard, so loud that I felt like the bass was vibrating right through me, and would at any moment literally knock me off my feet. Seeing the Black Angels is amazing enough on its own, but when you throw in the legendary Roky Erickson and a show in their home turf, well, it becomes a transcendental experience.

Day three was on the lame side, not because of the festival but because I woke up feeling a thousand times sicker than I had the day before. Playtime was limited, first at Club 1808 (a spot my taxi driver hesitantly asked whether I knew anyone there, as the ‘hood was far from the best) for Seaspin, Californians enamored with gazing at shoes. We checked them out with the War Tapes, friends and SXSW participants. And then it was time to bolt for downtown, to see one of my current favorite live bands, Dead Confederate. The boys from Athens hooked me last year, and having seen them once before I knew just how good it was gonna be. But then, they took it even further, exploding into swirling, heavy, overpowering swamp rock grit, and the entire venue seemed to heave with their every note. It was intense, and it was the perfect way to end the day of (mostly) suck.

Friday was the longest day, but probably the best overall day as well, [SXSW tip #6: see as much music as you possibly can, even if you feel like by the end of the day you will never be able to stand again.] as we took in twelve sets by eleven bands (two Glasvegas sets are better than one!), and as a bonus I no longer felt like death warmed over. We began our day at Stubb’s for the Spin party, where we started off with the brash Atlantans Black Lips, and their bratty snarlings. Überhyped Glasvegas was next, and the hotly buzzed Scots won me over with their impassioned, loud rock. Perry Farrell sauntered onto the stage to introduce Echo & the Bunnymen, who sounded ageless (even if they didn’t look it). We left the Echo set early to stake out space at Brush Square Park for the New Zealand Party [SXSW tip #7: New Zealand is the new black. No shit. With SXSW participants like Bang! Bang! Eche!, Cut Off Your Hands, and Ladyhawke, not to mention Surf City and perennial artpunk faves of mine, Die! Die! Die!, Kiwis are hot commodities.], which was probably my favorite party of the whole week. Cut Off Your Hands set the tone with their 80s-infused sound. Midnight Youth I wasn’t sold on, they were far too middle of the road (or MOR, for you abbreviation lovers) for my taste. Bang! Bang! Eche! was my favorite of the four bands, not only because I love excessive punctuation but because their set was out of control, and it was dynamite. After another excellent Ladyhawke set, it was time to hightail it over to Habana’s back porch to see a new favorite, the Love Language, straight outta Raleigh. I loved them before their set, and I am happy to report that I love them even more post-SXSW. The forced march led us next to SoCo (South Congress) to the American Apparel store. Not for shopping, but for the most unusual event I attended all week. The aforementioned War Tapes were about to do a set on the roof of the store, and despite being a bit of a dubious proposition, the band nailed it. By the end of their set they had assembled quite a little legion of admirers, deservedly so. The final journey of the night took us back downtown, to La Zona Rosa, for the tail end of the all-day Scottish Music party. We took a load off listening to the Proclaimers’ acoustic set (loved it), and then Glasvegas launched into another rollicking set, to the delight of the assembled persons. But the absolute, unquestionable, obvious high point of the night was the finale: Primal Scream. Prml Scrm. Goddam Primal Scream. It had been nine long years since my last Scream show (in Glasgow), and the band made the wait worth every single second. Sure, Kevin Shields and Throb weren’t there, but apart from that it was a sensational set. Incendiary, even. By SXSW standards it was an extremely long set, and covered every incarnation of the Scream’s sound. If I had to pick a favorite moment, it was the point in the show when I thought to myself, “How perfect would it be to hear ‘Shoot Speed/Kill Light’ at this very moment?”, and then, well, they did. Even after all these years, Primal Scream is still a live juggernaut.

We cooled our jets considerably on Saturday, the last official day of SXSW. First was Graham Coxon, doing a solo acoustic set at the Q Magazine party. I’ve been a fan of Coxon since his Blur days, and found him as endearing a personality as you could hope. Oh, and the songs were great as well. After Graham finished up, we downed our free beer and set off on a very, very, very long walk [SXSW tip #8: during the day, make sure you take a taxi or rickshaw, or hitch a ride with a band to get to a far-flung destination. It’ll save you time toweling yourself off when you get to where you’re going.]. Sure, we were sweating up a storm when we arrived at the Pretty & Nice set, but they made it worth our while. A highly recommended group of Noo Yawkers. After their set, we wised up and took a taxi down to Headhunter’s, to see one of my most highly-anticipated sets of the week: Austin’s own Ringo Deathstarr. It could end up being on of those gigs that people reference years from now, because Ringo Deathstarr is so fucking good they should be huge one of these days. If you’re into MBV and J&MC, you’ll love RD. After they were done causing my jaw to drop to the floor I immediately bought their LP. It was a little anticlimactic after RD, former flavors of the week Razorlight and the amazing PJ Harvey entertained us over at Stubb’s. And then it was time to hit the hay.

Sunday was a day spent doing touristy things. The city felt a lot less crowded, which was rather nice. We rented a car, and drove around Austin [SXSW tip #9: renting a car for a day might seem odd, but worked out really well. It allows you freedom to tool around the city at your own pace, and is a great way to handle getting to the airport when you leave town.], everywhere from the state capitol building to the UT campus (to take pics of the clock tower, naturally), to SoCo, where we ended our day cruising the plethora of killer boutiques and antique stores and occasionally running into members of Echo & the Bunnymen.

I’m no stranger to the world of festivals. I’ve been to several HFStivals. I’ve been to Coachella. I’ve been to All Tomorrow’s Parties. They were all great. But let me tell you, nothing compares to u, SXSW. It’s a force of nature, and it incurs some growing pains, but hot damn if it wasn’t one of the best weeks of my life. [SXSW tip #10: go. Just fucking go. Bands, get your asses down there. Non-bands, just do whatever you have to do to get down there. You’ll be glad you did.] Viva SXSW!"

[Photo by Megan Petty]

Video Vixens: Waterlogged Edition

My, my, my...Mother Nature sure is cranky these days, isn't she? Perhaps she and her boyfriend Father Time just broke up. Every morning I wake up with naive hopefulness and think to myself that surely, today is the day I shall see the sun shine again, and every morning I open the blinds to find a big old "fuck you" from Mama Nature looking back at me: a painfully dull gray sky and rain. Lots and lots of rain. Copious amounts of rain.

And since the infinite wisdom of the Weather Channel decrees that we here in Richmond (and probably most other locales in the Southeast/Midatlantic) have several more days of rainy goodness to look forward to (not to mention another tornado watch for this evening), I felt inspired to turn my frown upside down with some rain-themed videos for everyone's viewing pleasure. So please, friends, enjoy the following rainy day clips. And don't forget your umbrella.

Happy 10,000th!

Well, kids, LET is about to hit a milestone, and we want you to join us in celebrating. We are very close to our 10,000th hit, a number of which we are very, very proud. Sure, there are music blogs out there that hit those numbers on a monthly (or even daily) basis, but you'll forgive us for being proud nonetheless.

To commemorate this personal achievement, we've got some goodies for one lucky person who happens to visit us around hit numbereth 10,000th. Thanks to our very fine friends at Light in the Attic Records, we have copies of two Monks' CDs, Black Monk Time and The Early Years: 1964-1965.

By now, you've probably heard the hype about these re-issues. We've heard it at LET HQ, and this stuff is tight. You've got your largely unheralded band of kids making some major waves in the then-history of rock. These cats were some of the first to really explore the beauty of feedback, and you can hear the magic on these discs.

How easy is it to win? Just email us at lesenfantsterriblesmusic@gmail.com and tell us why you love us. True, perhaps it's a bit narcissistic. But it is our blog, dammit.

So keep coming back. We expect to have a winner in the coming days. As soon as we hit the magic number, we'll let the world know.

A very special thanks to everyone who has stopped by our little corner of the Interwebs over the past year or so. Hopefully, it's been at least half as fun for you as it has for us.

mp3: The Monks - We Do Wie Du

LP Lust: Record Store Day Edition

As most of you smartypantses know, Record Store Day 2009 was April 18th. I hope everyone made it out to support independent record stores all over. I'll stay off my soapbox for now, but I'm sure we all know how important it is to help the indies stay around during these troubling economic times. I of course couldn't resist the lure not only of my usual record hoarding, but the chance to poach some killer freebies.

So off I went, early in the morn on a Saturday, to my favorite (and the bestest) of Richmond's record emporiums, Plan 9. I snagged myself some RSD goodies and headed to my Mecca, otherwise known as the basement, where the (majority of the) vinyl lives. As always, I went with a mix of knowns and unknowns. Here's what came home with me along with the free goods:


*Adam Ant - Friend or Foe

*Brewer & Shipley - Tarkio

*Steve Miller Band - Fly Like an Eagle

*John Baldry - Everything Stops for Tea

*Dead or Alive - Youthquake

*Gregg Allman - Laid Back

*The Flying Lizards - The Flying Lizards

*The Lovin' Spoonful - The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful

*Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood

*A-Ha - Hunting High and Low

*The Dillards - Wheatstraw Suite

*The Rolling Stones - Undercover

*Jethro Tull - Benefit

*Brownsville Station - A Night on the Town

*Cream - Goodbye

*The Beach Boys - Endless Summer

I'm still nowhere close to achieving my goal of collecting every single Rolling Stones LP ever, but it'll happen one of these days.

Happy Birthday, Willie

Birthdays are special days indeed. It's always nice to celebrate another year in the lives of those we cherish. It's come to my attention that today is the birthday of everyone's favorite Red-Headed Stranger: Mr. Willie Nelson.

I'm sure many of you are going to be having special celebrations in honor of Willie and his...extracurriculars. But let's all take a moment and tip our hats to the man, on this, his 76th birthday, because he's one of the baddest boys around, always has been and always will be. Heck, I'm probably gonna throw on some Stardust when I get home this evening.

And speaking of birthdays...there's only one month and fifteen days until yours truly hits a major milestone. Vinyl definitely makes getting older a little easier.

Singles Club: Phoenix's 1901 (Alan Wilkis Remix)

Just received word from LET favorite Alan Wilkis that he's putting the finishing touches on his upcoming EP, Pink and Purple. We should see the fruits of Mr. Wilkis' labor in late May. I'm told we can expect to hear six new tracks, plus a few remixes. Will it be an homage to 80s preppies? I suppose we shall just have to wait and find out then.

It would appear the good Alan is in quite the remixing mood these days, as he provided us with his take on Phoenix's 1901. If this is what he's doing with other people's stuff, I can't wait to hear what he's got coming for himself. Late May is sounding better and better all the time.

mp3: 1901 (Alan Wilkis Remix)

Video Vixens: Auto-Tune the News

Good Lord and Butter, it's been some time since we did an official Video Vixens 'round these parts. Well, let me see if I can make it right by you today with this absolutely stunning bit of musical funnery from Auto-Tune the News.

Whatever your thoughts on the digital processing of a singer's voice, brothers Michael and Andrew Gregory make me want Katie Couric in all new ways I never thought possible.





mp3: Pirates. Drugs. Gay Marriage.

Funniest damn thing I've seen all day.

Happy Earth Day! And Now, Some Free Music

It's time once again to give Mama Earth a big thank you, and to do mass amounts of reducing, reusing, and recycling. It was/is a beautiful day here in Richmond, which makes for a nice celebratory backdrop for Earth Day.

Why not get a hold of some free music while paying homage to our Earth Mother? Sounds good, right? The good, good folks at WFMU (in collaboration with other good, good folks) put together a little internet library of free tuneage that you, yes you, can download gratis. If you haven't already taken a peek, click yourself right on over to the Free Music Archive and get your download on. It's the Beta version, so expect some growing pains and changes as the WFMUers grow and improve.

Happy Earth Day, friends.

Time to Give

Well, I've professed my love and admiration for the fine folks over at the Mark Sandman Music Project before, and I'm about to do it again.

2009 marks the 10 year anniversary since the incomparable Mr. Sandman's passing, and the folks at the Music Project have teamed up with the cats at Hi-N-Dry records to do some special things to show the world that Mark's dream of providing musical opportunities to kids lives on.

Starting on July 3 (the date of Mark's final concert in Palestrina, Italy), a number of artists will post their renditions of Sandman compositions at the Hi-N-Dry website to stream and/or download. Additionally, selections of Mark's solo spoken word performances and "deep archive tracks" will be available. The series will culminate in September with a concert in Mark Sandman Sq. in Central Square, Cambridge, on or around Mark's birthday. The concert will feature a rare performance by Orchestra Morphine, a silent auction, and more.

All proceeds, of course, benefit the foundation.

Donations can be made by check to:

The Mark Sandman Music Project
191 Highland Ave, B-7 Somerville, MA 02143

or at www.firstgiving.com/sandmanmusicproject

mp3: Why Can't It Be Like The Old Days (spoken word, live at the 40 Watt, March 22, 1999)

LP Lust: Easter Bunny Edition

When I was younger, Easter was definitely up there in my list of favorite holidays. I loved getting gussied up in some seriously cute dresses for Easter Sunday service, and even moreso I loved hunting for easter baskets, left around the house for me by none other than the Easter Bunny (otherwise known as Mom). These days, Easter has slipped out of my faves (though I do still look forward to Cadbury Creme Egg season, and we all know how much fun Peeps can be). But that didn't stop me spending a little cash money in honor of those bunny-filled days of yore. Shocking, I know.

Here's what made its way into my easter basket this year:

*Brooklyn Bridge - Brooklyn Bridge

*Prince & the Revolution - Purple Rain

*Willie & Leon - One for the Road

*Lew Davis & His Orchestra - The Kissin' Cousins Sing

*10cc - Greatest Hits 1972-1978

*Cat Stevens - Teaser & the Firecat

*Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music

*Waylon Jennings - Ladies Love Outlaws

*Bobby Bare - Sings Lullabies, Legends, and Lies

*Quincy Jones - I Heard That!

*Cat Stevens - Mona Bone Jakon

*Spencer Davis & Peter Jameson - It's Been So Long

*John Barry - Conducts His Greatest Movie Hits

*Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Reznor Named King of All Things Social Media

Sometimes I worry that I write far too much about Trent Reznor, but, damnation, the guy is so far ahead of the game when it comes to the current state of the music industry, I can't help myself.

We've told you about numerous free albums, samplers and tracks he's posted for free on his site. If you haven't seen it, the guy's a Twitter freak, too.

Well, all that apparently was child's play, as the sumbitch now has officially launched his own iPhone app (Android and Blackberry ports allegedly are in the works). Now, I'm still playing with the thing myself, but it could be the most genius thing I've ever seen, wis-à-vis a band marketing itself through Web 2.0 outlets. Not only does this thing allow access to a boatload of music and videos, but it also has the vaunted "Nearby" feature, essentially a GPS/Twitter mixture that allows users to post their current thoughts and locations, ostensibly allowing like-minded NIN fans to get together to do whatever like-minded NIN fans do. I imagine it involves wearing a lot of black, but I digress.

If you've got an iPhone, I strongly suggest checking this thing out, regardless of your feelings on NIN, as this should be the future of what bands start doing in the future. Assuming that is the case, me likey. Me likey a LOT.

To get your iPhone app, click here.

Say It Ain't So!: Gravity Lounge Closed!

Well file this under seriously shitty news on a gross, seriously icky day. Charlottesville has lost another music venue, the deceased this time being the Gravity Lounge. Evidently back rent is a big reason for the shuttering of the space.

Sure, paying rent is pretty darn important. I don't think anyone could argue that. But even more important is the fact that this is just the latest in a disturbingly growing list of venue closures in the greater Richmond/Charlottesville area.

First it was the loss of the excellent Satellite Ballroom, a great Charlottesville event space that was closed to make way for another drugstore. Next went Toad's Place here in Richmond (which, frankly, was thanks to some super crap owners/management. Interest in/knowledge of the music industry should probably be a prerequisite for owning a venue.). Toad's was followed to the grave by the Czar, which for all intents and purposes had seemed to be picking up steam and collecting a steady stream of gigs featuring local and touring bands. Long-time Richmonders also knew it as the former Nancy Raygun, which closed a couple years back. And now, Charlottesville has lost another venue: the Gravity Lounge. I'd only been there once, to see Birdmonster and Birdlips, but I really dug the place. It had a great, cozy atmosphere, and any place with tons of books around is definitely alright with me. Gravity Lounge, you will be missed.

It's not just the owners of these venues that lose when their places are forced to close, my friends. All of us are losers. It's bad for the city and bad for the music scene as a whole. I can't stress enough how important it is to have multiple venues in cities in order to keep local music scenes striving. We all know times are tough, but please do get out to your local venues whenever you can.

And for us Richmonders, head out to Gallery5 on the 25th, for their 4th Anniversary Benefit show. G5 is too good a space to even consider losing, so let's all do what we can to keep it around.

Fight the good fight, my friends.

LP Lust: Welcome Home Edition

Restraint. It's an interesting word, isn't it? Some synonyms for restraint include supression and confinement, neither of those being words I am particularly fond of. Especially when applied to my record-buying habits.

Some people have drugs, I have vinyl.

I also have a clear lack of restraint when it comes to supressing my urge to add to my collection. So, in honor of my return to Richmond from SXSW, I decided to loosen the (already lax) reigns on my spending and procure a multitude of albums from a couple of my favorite suppliers. Just as a welcome home to myself.

Here's what happened the first time:

*Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

*Donovan - Donovan

*Tony Cole - If the Music Stops

*Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley

*Orpheus - Joyful

*The Ray Charles Singers - Slices of Life

*Big Ben Banjo Band - Happy Banjos Play the Beatles

*Herman's Hermits - Herman's Hermits

*Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette

*Donovan - Slow Down World

*Robert Palmer - Secrets

*Electric Light Orchestra - El Dorada: A Symphony by the Electric Light Orchestra

*David Frye - I Am the President

And here's what happened the second time:

*Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark - Architecture & Morality

*U2 - The Unforgettable Fire

*George Jones - I Am What I Am

*Chris Isaak - Silvertone

*Glen Campbell - Burning Bridges

*Charley Pride - Sweet Country

*Various - Great Country & Western Stars

As you can see, both trips were very fruitful...

I'm Quitting My Job to Become a BJMhead

Ok, so, not really. But after the pair of Brian Jonestown Massacre shows I went to this past weekend/week, the idea of leaving work behind and following them around the planet on tour seems like a pretty darned good one. Anton Newcombe is my pied piper...

My enlightenment began the evening of Saturday, April 4th, at the Trocadero in Philly. My friend and I did our drinking beforehand, so as to not get stuck in the drinking pen (pardon me, bar area) the Troc utilizes to keep their alcohol in check. Whatever. Lame venue policies are not important. What was/is important is that I was on pins and needles to finally see the Brian Jonestown Massacre for the first time ever. From our vantagepoint at the side of the stage under the balcony overhang, we had a great view of everyone (save for Anton, most of the time). So when certain people (Matt Holllywood and Joel Gion) strolled and sauntered onstage, I had the perfect view, and subsequently nearly fainted from the sheer bliss of it all. It was, without question, the best show I've been to this year (excluding SXSW, of course). With the return of so many original(ish) members to the lineup, the songs sounded as they were meant to sound: thorougly beautiful. And really, I can't think of any other contemporary band that can pull off having four, sometimes five (count 'em: Anton, Matt, Frankie, and Ricky, with Rob splitting time between keys and guitar) guitarists and not sound like overindulgent assholes, or like a jumbled mess. I had been prepared to see just about anything at the Troc that night, but I hadn't quite been ready for how good the band was going to be. If you were to close your eyes and imagine the most perfect Jonestown gig ever, you might think of the Philly show. Anton's days of freaking out seem to be a distant memory; he even complimented the crowd on how "handsome" we all were. "Anemone," "Who?", "Got My Eye on You", "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth", "Oh Lord", and "Servo" were all part of the extensive set. And hearing nearly a third of my favorite BJM album, Take It From the Man!, was glorious. I think I was smiling for the entire two hours I was at the show. Everyone there, band included, seemed to be having a great time. It was nigh on perfect, friends. So perfect, that I decided to scrap my plans to see Neko Case here in Richmond on the following Monday, and instead hit the 95 trail and see the BJM at the lovely 9:30 Club.

The show on Monday, April 6th, was just as perfect. The crowd was, astonishingly, even more raucous than in Philly. And I for one didn't expect the place to be as packed as it was, though it certainly made me happy to see all those smiling faces. The setlist featured many similar songs to the Philly show, though in a far different order. I had a wonderful vantage point for the show, up on the balcony to the right of the stage. I could see everyone well, including Anton, this time. They awed me once more, and I wondered to myself how it was possible for one single band to be so freakishly talented. Song after song after song, every single note was perfect. I also got a kick out of the band's collective blatant disregard for the no-smoking in DC thing, as band member after band member lit up and puffed away. Seeing Joel doing his thing with the tambourine and a drooping ciggy made my night complete. And then, after just over two and a half hours later, it was over. But it was sublime, friends. Sublime. And by the way, add Matt Hollywood to my list of crushes...

We've all seen "Dig!" by now. We're all aware of how shambolic this band used to be, how it teetered on the brink of implosion (not to mention greatness) every other day. But we've also seen how fucking transcendant this band can be when they're together. For my money, they're one of the best live bands out there, and one of a very exclusive list of bands that would induce me to drive all the way to Philly and back in a 24-hour span. And in a perfect world, I'd quit my job and follow them around like one of those wacky Phish fans. Just minus all the patchouli.

DC Set:
1. Whoever You Are
2. Vacuum Boots
3. B.S.A.
4. Nevertheless
5. When Jokers Attack
6. Sailor
7. Who?
8. Got My Eye on You
9. Servo
10. Yeah Yeah
11. That Girl Suicide
12. Wasted
13. Hide And Seek
14. Wisdom
15. Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth
16. A New Low in Getting High
17. Anenome
18. Nailing Honey to the Bee
19. Here It Comes
20. Prefab Ambulation
21. Telegram
22. Serious Matters
23. Oh Lord
24. Satellite
25. Swallowtail

And as a special treat, a little Brian Jonestown Massacre for you, live and in person. Enjoy.

Zut Alors!: 2009 NIN|JA Tour

Before I get into anything else, I'd like to say for the record that the upcoming Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction tour has possibly the coolest name of all times. I mean, seriously, they're calling it NINJA 2009. Seeing as the third act on the bill is Street Sweeper, I'd probably have called it NINJAS, but who am I to question the marketing gods?

To whet everyone's appetite for the impending festivities, the boys decided to give the fans a little sampler goodness. All you need to do is sign-up at the NINJA site, but we've got a couple of treats here for you if you're just too damn lazy to go that extra step yourself. You'd be a fool not to check it out if you're fans of any of the bands, however, as there are tons of things to watch and listen to there.

I'm not sure if I'm happier with the fact that Reznor produced some previously non-studio faves from JA or that Trent's stuff simply is as good as it is, but it's a dilema I don't mind having.

Regretfully for area readers, the NINJA tour is coming to the Nissan Pavillion, inarguably the worst venue in the southeastern US, if not on the entire East Coast. I'd say in the world, but that clearly would be hyperbole, even if it is true. Remember what happened the last time we had a major act at NP? Seriously, I've never been to one show there where it took LESS than two hours to get out of that parking lot. One road to and from the final stretch of road in and out of the place?

I'm not sure who to blame for booking the place, as it clearly does enough business to justify its own existense. However, it's a slap in the face to fans who want nothing more than to have a good time at an easily accessible venue.

Sadly, I will not be attending the sure-to-be fiasco waiting to happen that is the Nissan Pavillion. If any of our loyal readers attend, however, pick me up an XL NINJA tee shirt, would you, please? I just can't get enough of that namey goodness.

mp3: Chip Away by Jane's Addiction

mp3: Not So Pretty Now by Nine Inch Nails

mp3: Clap for the Killers by Street Sweeper

We Have a Winner!

We like to think we're a little generous here at LET. So we teamed up with the fabulous folks at Light In the Attic to offer you the chance to win a copy of Serge Gainsbourg's seminal/legendary/necessary album Histoire de Melody Nelson. We'd like to give much thanks to everyone who entered our little Serge Gainsbourg contest. But the contest has been closed, and a name drawn out of a hat (yep, we're super fancy around here, eh?). Here's our winner, and the name of their favorite French song (which impressed us!)...

*Melissa K., from Richmond ("Comment Te Dire Adieu" by Francoise Hardy)

A hearty congratulations to Melissa, and we'll be in touch. Enjoy your brand-spanking new Serge album!

April 1st Fun

I'm sure there are dozens of examples out there, so feel free to post links to others in the comments section, but here are some of our favorite musician-specific April Fools for 09:

Mike Doughty, who has something fun ever year, sent out this email:

"Greetings from Portugal, where Scrap and I are currently touring! I'd like to fill you in on a new online venture I've launched.

Inspired by my study of ancient South and Central American cultures, I've started up a new website, MayanSpace.net -- a social network where people take up the avatar of a Mayan person, god, or city.

http://www.MayanSpace.net/

Check it out, especially if you're a Mesoamerican culture + mythology buff (as I'm sure most of you are). Members can contact me personally on MayanSpace.net at my screen name, Huehuetenango2727

(Please note that MayanSpace is a limited-time-only project; the site will only be active through the fall of 2012. So sign up now so you don't miss
out!)

Não acredite que tudo que você leu,
Mike Doughty"
++++++++++++++++++++

And then LET favorite Nine Inch Nails (more from them later this week) decided to offer up this free goodie. Nothing foolish about that.