Category Archives: editorial

Numark TTUSB Turntable

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The Numark TTUSB turntable is a nice tool for converting your vinyl to MP3s.  I like the plug-n-play ease of using this USB turntable. It’s inexpensive, simple to use and will give you plenty of fun rediscovering the old vinyl you haven’t heard in ages. No, this isn’t really designed to be used as DJ gear, but you can certainly pad out your MP3 collection with the Numark TTSUB. Call it a DJ tool for home use only. I own one…and if I wanted to play DJ gigs with my vinyl collection, I’d break out a Technics. Sorry, DJ hopefuls—don’t take this out of the house. Why bother? Just convert your tastiest vinyl tracks to MP3, drop em to a nice big external hard drive or MP3 CD-R and be on your way. And yes, you can always burn a redbook format CD to gig with, too.

New Order Live from Pumped Full of Drugs

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Many a New Order concertgoer has come home from the experience feeling that when it comes to live performances, Barney and co. suck shit through a straw. The live Pumped Full of Drugs video is an exception. New Order was shot by a professional video crew during a tour in Japan back in their heyday circa 1985. The band is in a pissy mood, nobody seems to want to be there, and Barney wavers in and out of tune…but I’ll be damned if this doesn’t WORK. A great show from a group known for their wretched performances on stage….at least in my experience. If you disagree, feel free to check out this collection of live New Order DVDs for sale. You go…enjoy.

Otto or Up With Dead People Soundtrack Double LP

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I’ve read bits and pieces about this here and there, but WTF is it? A zombie movie? A goth-zombie movie? A movie about a goth who wants to be a zombie? A gay zombie porn flick? All the above? Bruce LaBruce directs Otto or Up With Dead People. I saw the actual phrase “gay zombie revolt against consumerist society” so I have no idea what this flick is on about. But the soundtrack is available in a double vinyl set and it is chock full of bewilderingly diverse sounds. Have a gander it at Amazon.com to see what I mean. By far, The Homophobes track, “Everybody’s Dead” is my favorite thus far. But I have to say, any band that dares call themselves The Pandas of Black Metal deserves at least a single listen.

This soundtrack is available from one of my favorite destinations on the web, Crippled Dick Hot Wax who for a time were putting out soundtrack sounds, the PopShopping series and other excellent oddities…but they have evolved into something a bit different over the years. I’m just glad they’re still a going concern. Check out their nice selection of mutated music, but especially the Rare Grooves section.

In the meantime, I await Otto or Up With Dead People to see what the hell Bruce LaBruce is on about. It does sound intriguing as I’m a fan of zombie films in general and mutant cinema as well….

Repulsion by Dinosaur Jr.

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I mentioned this one as part of the Wailing Ultimate compilation vinyl put out in the late 80s by Homestead Records…here’s a YouTube vid I dug up with J. Mascis and co. doing that very track live on the reunion tour. Sure, the sound quality is absolute crapola, but you get an idea of what the vinyl sounds like more or less….but I thought the soloing on The Wailing Ultimate version of this was much crunchier.

Early Dinosaur and Dino Jr. are pretty much the same bag, if you ask me, but it’s consistently good and the Homestead compilation mentioned previously shows J. Mascis had pretty well figured out what he wanted to do all along even at that early stage. I refuse to go to Dinosaur Jr. shows though based on reports of pain-threshold volume levels. I’ve got plenty of hearing damage without adding to the misery, thanks. I’ll settle for youtubity goodness like this.

Enjoy.