Category Archives: album

Paisley Babylon Midnight Hallucinations CD/MP3

Paisley Babylon Midnight HallucinationsIt’s Halloween season again, which can only mean one thing–Paisley Babylon is back to creep you out electronically with a collection of way-out synth sounds. Yes, Paisley Babylon is the ‘house band’ of Turntabling.net, a chronically unclassifiable synth project running since 1996. Some have compared PB to Dark Side of the Moon-era Pink Floyd, while others say it sounds a lot like a collision between John Carpenter and Goblin.

It’s tough to say who’s right, but one thing’s for sure, this CD/MP3 download is definitely the right soundtrack for your next Halloween shindigm, especially for when you want to turn out all the lights and get down with the adult recreational activities. Sex music for mutants? That was one person’s description of Midnight Hallucinations. You be the judge.

Fail: Rolling Stone Smoking Section on Worst Album Covers Ever

There was some excitement in the air at the discovery of Rolling Stone’s Smoking Section on Worst Album Covers Ever. But joy turned to annoyance when it was discovered that RS only had the wherewithal to post a single, vaguely cruddy (but not truly hideous) album cover by somebody called Mike Bones.

They couldn’t go the distance apparently, and even though there was a desperate five minute (ok, two-and-a-half minute) search to find more Worst Album Covers Ever pages in the Smoking Section, it was clear that some doofus intern had been turned loose on this project before getting canned for stealing Jann Wenner’s weed or putting his naughty bits in the executive drinking fountain.

Here’s the merely lame-o album cover Rolling Stone saw fit to brand as one of the worst album covers ever:

Mike Bones bad album coverThis cover looks a bit like some kind of Jonas Brothers backstage blackmail photo–the kind you mail to the victim with the idea that there’s more where that came from and ten times as naughty. “Tell the Brothers if they don’t pony up the dough, we send out those pictures of the lads stuffing their greased, drooping willies into the light socket.” Continue reading Fail: Rolling Stone Smoking Section on Worst Album Covers Ever

Peter Hook Spills the Beans on Hacienda, Acid House

peter hook bbc photoOctober 5th is the day Hooky fans and Manchester sounds lovers alike get a treat. According to a blog post at Junk, Hooky’s new book Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club debuts 10/5 along with an accompanying CD called Hacienda Acid House Classics.

Both releases are pretty exciting for old-school vinyl lovers who still own their original FAC series New Order 12-inch singles and yearn for the glory days of club mismanagement, free-flowing adult refreshment, and non-stop hugs.

Hooky’s been quite the unpredictable sort–in the 90s it didn’t look like he was doing much (even though the album covers for his Revenge side project made for slightly steamy viewing.) but since the days of Pineapple Face Hooky has done Monaco, Man Ray and countless DJ gigs all over the planet.

Presumably, the Hacienda book is a tell-all, and now that Tony Wilson and Rob Gretton are both sadly passed away, Hook is free to dish, but I expect it will be tasteful but likely a tad bitter.

Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club is listed on Amazon.com but it’s not even available for pre-0rder at press time, but as October 5 creeps closer and closer, chances are that will change. Keep checking–we will, too. You CAN pre-order the double-disc set mentioned above, Hacienda Acid House Classics. No word on whether a vinyl version will come out in October or not, but here’s hoping.

Hacienda Acid House Classics

WTF: The Sexual Gospel

wtf bad album art jesus use me

There is no nice way to say this. Our latest entry in the WTF bad album cover artwork series has so much wrong with it that the LEAST of this record’s worries are the sexual connotations of the title, “Jesus Use Me.” I hear a gospel A&R rep scrambling to the phone to answer for this gaffe, sweating profusely and trying to make nice. “Honest, chief, they meant well, they really really did!”

Now you know where Steve Albini got the inspiration to call his post-Big Black group Shellac. Look at these hairdos! No wonder they named this record after their secret lusts–they were high on the fumes from ten gallons of hairspray and Bondo.

Creepier than the religio-sexual underpinnings? The MATCHING OUTFITS. When a band decides to GO UNIFORM, they usually do it in some kind of flashy Beatle-esque manner. Not these churchly chicas—they raided the thrift store Grandma section and begged their phtoographer to make them RITUALLY UNAPPEALING.

I am DYING to hear what this album sounds like, but I bet I already know–warbling, off-key three part harmonies and one singer with a perpetually stuffy nose. It would be cute if it weren’t so horrifying.

Sorry, folks, we don’t have this gem for sale…but if I ever find a copy, I will snap it up and put it on sale here instantly. Really.