sunday school exercise #1: no fun

virgin VS184. When I was very young I was duly ‘enlisted’ in Sunday School. This weekly activity was not to my taste, but since it presented my mum and dad with the opportunity to enjoy some time alone, there really was no alternative on the menu. Since I was too small to reach the coat

gimme some curious yellows, john

john cooper clarke strikes a ridiculously cool pose, 1977. inner sleeve, “suspended sentence” ep. TOSH 103. I’ve posted on JCC previously over on Art Decade – although the files have since lapsed – and made mention of him here. As I wrote at the time, “John Cooper Clarke first released an EP on the Manchester

a drunk embrace

detail from “a drunk embrace“.illustration by ib, 1992. It struck me a good while back – I can’t remember precisely when – that I’ve yet to feature anything by Tom Waits. That in itself could be deemed unforgivable. I intend to remedy that right fucking here and now. Especially in light of those references to

judy is a punk

sire SASD-7520, 1976. ramones in london, 1977. If only to feature one of the most striking LP jackets ever to be found in a record shop. How could I not ? My cold is worsening by the minute, and I now sound uncannily like a cross between Joey Ramone and Lee Marvin if such an

through the looking glass: 1976

shane patrick lysaght macgowan, london 1976. a very young looking eighteen year-old, indeed.

through the looking glass: 1975

original heartbreakers. left to right:jerry nolan; richard hell; walter lure; johnny thunders. Walter Lure: “I never liked Richard Hell’s versions of the songs we played, but Richard was in another world.It’s not hard to find people like that in the industry, but he considered himself to be the only thing that was like serious art.

mammoth hunter: hot air mail

hot air press: all the way to glasgow from hartford, connecticut. It’s official. It is Friday afternoon, I’ve paid my telephone line rental, and I’m in good spirits. Not only that, I just received the vinyl copy of Mammoth Hunter‘s outrageously good single through the mail; and even better, it arrived in one piece! Just

communiqué #16: a stag no more

origami “stag” beetle, folded from one uncut sheet.by artist, robert j. lang. thanks, jon! Well, August is drawing to a close, and here in Caledonia the summer is long gone; just a hint of awful humidity in the air one minute – cold rain the next. The Romans were unable to conquer the Pictish tribes.

any day now (my wild, beautiful bird)

hernando de soto bridge, memphis. Witten by Bob Hilliard and Burt Bacharach. Recorded at American Studios, Memphis, Tennessee on Friday, 21 February, 1969. Originally recorded by Chuck Jackson in 1962. ▼ ELVIS PRESLEY: ANY DAY NOW from “In The Ghetto b/w Any Day Now” 45 (RCA) 1969 (US) PURCHASE FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS

me and hank and fun on the bayou

“louisiana swamp house“. photograph by arrian binnings, 2004. louisiana swamplands. photograph by mike boothes, 2004. So. Shreveport, Louisiana is not exactly located in the heart of the Cajun swamplands, I am aware. Or at least I am now, having looked it up on Wikipedia. Shrevesport is, in fact, Louisiana’s third largest city and home to

braveheart

A poem inspired by Beer N. Hockey: Last night must have beenan evening for falling asleep on the couch. I do this habitually –when Rosa is not around tobark at meor wheedleand cajole – and my back is no longer supple enough to withstand thisritual punishment. At least you came to with beer on the

riddley walker and the trees

“the vision of saint eustace” by pisanello, 1395 – 1455. mr. punch, or pulcinella; lord of misrule. The 16th century puppet figures of Punch and Judy loom large in Russell Hoban’s 1980 fable, “Riddley Walker“; grotesques which weave their analogous tale through the dark arteries of a blasted Albion haunted by sinister lurking charcoal burners

in the short grass: residents only

ralph RR87521. I used to think if I ever got a gig on hospital radio it would be fun to feature The Residents on a Wednesday afternoon as part of a mid-week therapy playlist. Then I discovered Jandek. From Wiki: “The Residents supposedly hail from Shreveport, Louisiana, where they met in high school in the

patti smith: horses

“horses in the snow“. Produced by John Cale at Electric Lady Studios under the watchful ghost of Jimi Hendrix. Written by Patti Smith, after Chris Kenner. “horses” era patti by robert mapplethorpe, 1975. We Three guitar by Tom Verlaine and Allen Lanier. And Jimi makes four. ▼ PATTI SMITH: LAND: HORSES / LAND OF A

lester bangs & peter laughner

design by ib, with original “creem” logo by r. crumb.Here’s 2/6 tracks I cribbed from the evergreen WFMU about a year ago from a “… rare bootleg of Lester Bangs and Peter Laughner jamming in Creem’s offices in 1975 or 1976.” To quote myself (because I am a shamelessly self-promoting aged f@cker) from a comment

pere ubu: chinese radiation

Tom Herman: guitarScott Krauss: drumsTony Maimone: bassAllen Ravenstine: synthesizerDavid Thomas: vocals After guitarist, Peter Laughner was forced to leave Pere Ubu as a result of serious health issues, the Cleveland group signed to Blank Records. Recording sessions were initiated in November, 1977. The result was their first long player, “The Modern Dance”, released in 1978.

freddie phillips: the mystery box

here is a box… a mystery box. “Here is a box, a musical box… Wound up and ready to play. But this box can hide a secret inside, Can you guess what’s in ittoday ?” – Briant Cant. Freddie Phillips was commissioned to produce this music for a childrens’ tv series on the BBC in

sibling whispers #14: singles week-end

It’s singles week-end on Nothin’ Sez Somethin’. It started Friday 22nd, and I’m late as usual. Better grab your trolley; you’re going to need it.

little johnny jewel

hubert selby, jr. july 23, 1928 – april 26, 2004. I picked up this much thumbed paperback copy of “Last Exit To Brooklyn” from a jumble sale sometime in the early to mid 70s. It was several years after the successful 1968 court appeal – following the guilty verdict returned when the book was tried

baden powell: nosso baden

palminor rodrigues ferraira with ‘os originais do samba‘, 1968. It seems ‘normal service’ has been resumed. We have musical accompaniment once again. Hopefully, those earlier rations of some Beer and me were sufficient to keep you entertained. The following tracks come from Baden Powell’s 1980 LP, “Nosso Baden“, released on the Atlantic label. From Loronix: