Category Archives: editorial

So You Wanna Be A DJ?

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Back in 2006, I was working as Managing Editor at Gearwire.com, interviewing musicians and DJs about all sorts of technical issues. Here’s one I did with Chicago DJ Chess Hubbard, AKA DJ Mother Hubbard, who spins all over Chi-town and beyond. I caught up with her at the Funky Buddha Lounge and interviewed her about what it takes to be come a DJ and get down to the fine art of turntabling for money. If you’re curious about what it’s like to stand behind those decks and control the party, check this one out…

I’ve got plenty of stories of my own, most of which are connected to my work in radio, but I’ll save all that for another time. Click this to check out the interview…

Neon Musical Insight

Blogs

I was clicking on a series of random music blog links tonight when I stumbled across Neon Musical Insight‘s list of the top five albums of the 80s. It was great seeing a list that was ALL VINYL, at least in terms of what the original releases was. I agree with many of his picks –not necessarily in his order, mind–but the thing that caused me to spray single malt scotch out of both nostrils was the image which represented the album cover for The Clash’s London Calling.

I don’t know if that image is on purpose, if the site’s been hacked, or if there’s an inside joke I’m missing as a newcomer to this blog, but after reading the entries, scrolling down and hitting THAT ANIMATED GIF, I was in tears. The use of the word “revolutionary” in reference to the album seems to be a direct pun on the, er, motion of the GIF, so perhaps this is not the work of pervey-pants hackers.

I am sending this guy my hernia bill. Too funny in all the wrong ways. The Python-esque shock was probably a “you had to be there” moment, but STILL. I have yet to scan the rest of this blog, but I will do for certain, I can promise you that….

Personally I would put Elvis Costello and DEVO in that top five, but that’s just me.

The Mops: Psychadelic Freakouts from the Far East

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My first introduction to this crazy Japanese “Group Sound” band was in the extremely mental Hanzo The Razor series starring Shintaro Katsu. The Mops did great, cheeseball 70s soul/disco sounds for the three movies released in the USA, and ever since I’ve been on a quest to find more by this far out group who cycle between The Strawberry Alarm Clock and Jefferson Airplane extremes to the aforementioned disco vibrations. Check out this brain-twistingly interesting clip and wonder why you never bothered to check YouTube for such OUT THERE goodness. I may have to go all the way to Japan to track down the vinyl for this, but it would be worth it, especially when armed with Julian Cope’s JapRockSampler and all the bands mentioned in that one.


Fun Vinyl Find: George Clinton’s You Shouldn’t Nuf Bit Fish

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While I do love a bit of the old vintage George Clinton, that’s not the reason I bought this piece of vinyl. Instead, I bought it because the whole thing is massive “borrowing” (with appropriate thanks in the liner notes) of Church of the SubGenius schtick. The center graphic, with Clinton’s face over the legend “Inspired madman or complete jackass?” is classic Ivan Stang. I have yet to listen to this, the graphics were enough to make me get it…as with many of my vinyl purchases, when you’re flipping through the bargain used bin, any strange thing that grabs your eye is enough to justify buying. That’s how I got Pop Against Pope, which I will have to review and post MP3s for next week, once I’ve relocated it in the stacks. It’s also how I discovered 4 Out of 5 Doctors, Pictures on a String, Comateens, and the much reviled Lung Overcoat

This George Clinton album gets high ratings by some fans, so I am hoping it’s a roof-shaker. Of course, I’m the guy who can listen to Funkadelic’s “DooDoo Chasers” more than once, so maybe in this case my judgement is a bit faulty. How can you NOT be at least slightly amused by the late-night bong hit ravings of Clinton and company, to the tune of Bootsy’s guitar noodling? Clinton’s utterly adolescent phrase “Count the calories in your farts!” will echo in your brain for days in spite of your best attempts to grow up.

If you look closely enough at the album cover for You Shouldn’t Nuf Bit Fish, you’ll see the Subgenius riffs, but you will also see where Snoop Doggy Dogg stole his ideas for much of his cover art…not to mention the “bow wow wow” chant on one of his earliest hits. Clinton does it better, Snoop.