a word on high from our sponsors

So. A little perspective is what’s required. Or merely what the doctor ordered. A little distance, certainly. A respite from ill performed quackery, and the casting of runes;the misdiagnosis of impertinent rubes. All manner of unsounddiviners. Pet rodents roiling on the stove. Scissors sixty-nining.“Oh, you put a little picture there!” the anonymous voice crowed.“You looked

a word on anonymity

a•non•y•mous |əˌnɒnɪməs| adjective• having no outstanding, individual, or unusual features; unremarkable or impersonal : the anonymous black car waiting to take him to the airport | a faceless, anonymous group. ORIGIN late 16th cent.: via late Latin from Greek anōnumos ‘nameless’ (from an- ‘without’ + onoma ‘name’ ) + -ous . ass•hole |ˌɑːshəʊl|noun vulgar slangthe

lost in space

If you have not already availed yourself of more on the excellent Jetty Web – see below – it is very definitely your loss. This neglected jewel, cribbed from tøday’s revealing post on Digital Meltd0wn, is merely one excavated gem. Rip by NØ. Brian McKay: guitar, vocals; Stuart Sikes: drums; Tripp Lamkins: bass;Shannon Jay Kennedy: lead guitar.

night sweats

detail from “the nightmare” (1781) by john henry fuseli; 1741-1825. Sleep hy•per•hi•dro•sis |’hʌipədrəʊsis|nounmore commonly known as the night sweats, is the occurrence of excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) during sleep. The sufferer may or may not also suffer from excessive perspiration while awake. Not making it to the bathroomon time,let alone the rent. Not making the deadline.

sibling whispers: mir uncovered

Originally hurtling into orbit via Big B over on Art Decade, and appearing here, Memphis cosmic crew Jetty Webb remain shrouded in mystery if not space debris. But wait. Delving deep into the static of dead space, sibling NØ has uncovered more. Repair to Digital Meltd0wn to put endless speculation to rest in a recently

the prisoner of zen

Sheesh. I just received another guest list invitation for an event at the Bowery Poetry Club between Bleecker and Houston Street, NYC. Sadly frustrating when the primary consideration is not whether I can afford the subway ticket but whether they might grant me a visa. My passport, even, has long expired.It is my cross to

9/11, basketball diaries

august 1st, 1949 – september 11th, 2009 I only caught this sad news today over at NØ‘s place. Hiding my head in the sand of late, I have nothing more to add – by way of my appreciation of a fine poet and author – that hasn’t already been stated for the record more eloquently.

sterling undermined

I watched helplessly from the window as my wife hurtled on down the street with our small reserve of tobacco. She was too far away to stake a decent headshot,so I gently laid down the telescopic .22 rifle and retreated to the kitchen to forage through some leftovers in the dustbin. She was headed for

after wal; hol and mart

Recorded at home in Texas, in between soulless shifts at Wal-Mart and diaper changes. All instruments overdubbed by Maureen Tucker; atmospherics courtesy of the Tucker clan. ▼ MAUREEN TUCKER: BO DIDDLEY from “Playin’ Possum” LP (Trash Records) 1981 (US)MO’ HERE

hambone, or the checkered demon

ham•bone |ˌhambəʊn|noun informal a style used by street performers who play out the beat by slapping and patting their arms, legs, chest, and cheeks while chanting rhymes. ▼ BO DIDDLEY: BO DIDDLEY from “Bo Diddley b/w I’m A Man” 78rpm (Checker) 1955 (US)

cosmic warrior

I streamed the following T. Rex cover early this morning when I noticed it had arrived overnight in my mailbox. From the bathroom – making water with my sleep befuddled head lolling on my shoulder – it sounded disconcertingly like Alvin and the Chipmunks, or even Pinky and Perky. Still. The very same accusations were

five knuckle shuffle

F3966: johnny the greek. Credited by Frank Zappa as being the inspiration for cultivating his own Viva Zapata! crop of facial hair, Californian bluesman, Johnny Otis was born Ionnis Veliotes four days before Christmas in 1921.From Wiki: “In the 1960s he entered journalism and politics, losing a campaign for a seat in the California Assembly

pal joey and the queens mafia

Anyone with half a heart will guess immediately from just checking in on yesterday’s 1974 post what this is all about. Formed in Forest Hills, Queens, NYC in the very same year, our holey knock-kneed stick insects concocted the perfect antidote to all which was sick and rotten in the state of detritus. A simple

on the way home thru the park; or a tuna, darkly

Perhaps merely the faintest registration that broadcaster, Michael Terence Wogan has finally confronted the none too premature prospect of retirement has upset the radio friendly tuning in my brain. For whatever reason, I find myself contemplating Carly Simon circa “No Secrets“; and from there, the jump to Helen Reddy’s 3 minutes and 29 seconds of

big star city rollers

a gerard love composition. now you see it, now you don’t… Sounds vaguely familiar ? It ought to. The sound of Memphis filtered through the dirty grey lense of the River Clyde; a perfect sound east coast pretenders, the Bay City Rollers, never quite got down on tape. Before Teenage Fanclub (and the arrival of

northern exposure

ed•dy |ˌɛdi|noun ( pl. –dies)a circular movement of water, counter to a main current,causing a small whirlpool.• a movement of wind, fog, or smoke resembling this. ORIGIN late Middle English : probably from the Germanic base of the Old English prefix ed– [again] From Montreal, Quebec, there is something of a “Rumours” era Christine McVie

he said, she said…

collage by klaus voorman. An intriguing splicing of demos from the “Revolver” era, culled from the original vinyl bootleg – “Lost Lennon Tapes (Volume 2)” – and reissued on a double CD through the Dutch label, Walrus, in 1996. back off boogaloo. ▼ JOHN LENNON: HE SAID HE SAID from “The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes

don’t slander me

mapledurham watermill. “I’m back, I’m back, I’m on the right track…” Who ever said married life was easy ? I am quite blissfully partnered, but I thought I might just appeal to my more juvenile self with a piece of bile aimed squarely at very local external (under the) influences who would seek to promote

kinder kafka

“die verwandlung” – very loosely – leipzig, 1915. kafka’s children Apologies, siblings. The last week or so has seen me jumping through more bureaucratic hoops than one might comfortably entertain after an entire summer of reading Kafka; a civil service nightmare of transition from singleton to married benefit beneficiary with all attendant material facts required