i'll tell you anything, baby 'cept the truth

it's no secret a swiped my blog name from the eagles of death metal cover of the stealers wheel song "stuck in the middle." i was supposed to interview the dream boys themselves a couple of days ago for a bitchin' article i was gonna write... but boots electric was a no-show/call. i get it, they're on tour. things get weird. but i can bet it probably wasn't 'cos he was sleeping in. i mean, sometimes it's tricky keeping everything in your life straight, especially when your little black book probably looks a little something like this:

1. baby girl #1
2. baby girl #2
3. baby girl #3
4. baby girl #4
5. friend of baby girl #3
6. baby girl at amoeba
7. baby girl at big wangs
8. blonde baby girl
9. goth baby girl
10. tatted up baby girl
11. boy baby girl
12. baby girl on the corner of santa monica & la brea
13. old baby girl
14. baby baby girl
15. baby girl with an english accent
16. baby girl in chicago
17. baby riot grrrl
18. alabama backwoods baby girl
19. baby girl baby momma
20. baby duck

etc.

somewhere on that list is probably "baby girl that i'm supposed to do an interview with on 11/11 at 9am" but maybe my number was cross-filed under a different baby girl. oh well. shit happens. i'm supposed to do an interview with "the devil" and his cohorts (for real) sometime in the near future, so if you've got any ideas for good questions you think i should sling his way, e-mail me.

one of those dudes from buddyhead told me to ask jesse hughes about the buddyhead podcast... which just made me wonder, "uh, what podcast?" is that just gonna be a couple of burnouts and their fair-weather friends spinning tracks and shooting the shit about ol' dirty bastard, creedence clearwater revival, and the verve? couldn't ya just go to one of those fifty nights that those dudes are djing instead? prove me wrong, boys, and make that shit worth it! bring the good stuff back. i know i'm not alone when i say we miss the good ol' days when you used to "go OFF" (and not be lame about it). do it!

at least rivers cuomo is still rad, even if the last few weezer albums have been little more than weird experiments in the field of how popular can we sound while still looking like total dweebs? market. regardless, there were some choice cuts on his last solo release alone: the home recordings of rivers cuomo, and i'm hoping to find at least a few gems on his follow-up that's due out on november 25th (same day as GnR's chinese democracy, dudes!). if nothing else, everyone needs to own this album for the cover art:



fuck yes. and i thought my haircut was ridiculous.

seeing as how it's almost time for the impending release of the loooooong awaited "chinese democracy" (even though everyone who's anyone has heard it already), i figured i'd take the opportunity to correct a few douchers who don't know that when you abbreviate "guns n' roses" it's GnR not GAR. they are not "guns and roses" anymore than "rock 'n' roll" is "rock and roll." besides, GAR is too fucking close to that shit/piss/hair metal band "GWAR." let's not taint the genius that is "appetite for destruction" with thoughts of old dudes wearing masks and spewing shit into an audience of blind sheep who paid wayyyyy too much because they can't/won't/don't admit that it's OVER. wait. fuck. which band was i referring to again?

most people who know me know that i'm a little... weird. i'm a social retard half the time, and stoned as fuck the rest. comes from a rebellion towards a weird religious upbringing and getting beat up a LOT in my younger days. but if there's one thing that will always get me outta my shell, it's dylan (if you've been here before, you already know this). my buddy lionel recently attended a show of his up in victoria, bc on october 23rd, and since i spent my last dylan experience in santa barbara tripping balls on mushrooms and puking on the dude in front of me (which if you're reading this, i'm sorry, man, but that shit was INTENSE), i thought a real dylan show review was warranted. especially since this one seemed like such a unique experience. it offers a real insight on just how much this man is still capable of:

"Show was incredible. His keyboard wasn't working so he sang Man In The Long Black Coat center stage, just Bob and his harmonica. Later, when the keybord wasn't working again, he picked up a guitar and played Just Like A Woman. He spent about two minutes fiddling around aimlessly on the guitar before he found the song. It was terrible, or should have been, but I was in awe of it. Only he could pull that off. He's completely peerless.

The entire thing was miles above and beyond even my raised expectations. When other artists of his age and stature play their "timeless hits", it's entertaining but there's something false about it. Dylan tosses any nostalgic bullshit aside and re-invents the songs from the ground up. He's singing them how he fucking FEELS like singing them. Like he's singing them for the first time.

Bob is at his best whenever he's doing what he wants. The only low-points in his career have been times he's compromised or let other people take control of his music. As long as he's doing whatever he damn well feels like, it clicks. And it did last night."

awesome, lionel. i'd be lying if i said i wasn't jealous. wish i could've been there for that one.

for as much as i love dylan, i also have a soft spot for neil young. and since i'm as connected as much as the next neo-folk poseur hipster wannabe, i thought i'd link to an article i read recently about dylan visiting the canadian songwriter's home in winnipeg. click here to read.

does anyone know anything about the old LA punk band "butt trumpet?" i just picked up a 7" for the single "i left my flannel in seattle" from the album "primitive enema." thing is, that album is way out of print, and yeah, even though i work in the world's largest independent record store, there's a few things we don't see here too often. if you've got a copy of "primitive enema" let me know.

and last but not least, amoeba interviewed my old buddy casey (who most of ya know if ya know me) for this new feature on the site called "what's in my bag" (make sure you check out the mos def one, too) anyway, i took the pictures, and homeboy has some great suggestions if you've got taste, so check it out. i remember when we were teenagers, hanging out in the parking lot at hastings, and i told him about "this amazing band called my bloody valentine." we went inside, and i made him go grab "loveless" and that was that. friends ever since, and we've only tried to kill each other a couple times over the years. rock on, bro! now you're famous!

down the highway, down the tracks

bob dylan does it for me. i love the man, and i've never even met him. i don't have to. i get everything i need by hearing his music and reading about his life. i've had the fortune of seeing him live twice now, and each time it's played an integral part in shaping a major psychological shift in me. his albums have gotten me through the most melancholy periods of my life, shedding light on situations i didn't even know were hidden to begin with. he was there when i was 7, riding in the car with me and my mom while we sang his songs from highway 61 revisited. he was there when i experienced heartbreak, and emotional distress, spinning tales of forlorn lovers and troubled situations. he made me feel like i wasn't alone, and gave me a connection i could relate to. bob dylan changed my life, more so than any other artist or musician. he did more for me than anyone ever could: he gave me shelter from the storm. somewhere to go when i couldn't deal, and i needed comfort.

i know i'm not alone in my affection for this man and his genius. his ability to go beyond generational gaps and have his words and sound be as pertinent today as they were 40 years ago, is a feat seldom accomplished by few. he is an iconic pillar that is as strong as granite, but as soft as sand slipping between one's fingers. his own life and vast musical catalog have painted a picture of a man, not unlike the rest of the world, flawed in his perfection; a man who has made mistakes but also made it through. a person who has transcended genres and labels to become an iconic artist in the true meaning of the phrase. simply put, he is a man who had a story to tell. and that he has.

of course, i've been eagerly anticipating Tell Tale Signs: Vol. 8, the latest chapter in his vast career-spanning bootleg series. it features new tracks, live cuts, demos, rarities, and previously unreleased goodies from 1989-2006. it came out yesterday, so make sure you pick it up if you haven't already.

one of the tracks on volume 8 is called "dreamin' of you." if you're a hardcore dylanologist, you've probably been streaming the album for a couple of weeks now on his website and have already heard it. today, i stumbled upon the music video for this new track, recorded at the same time he was penning the rest of the tunes that ended up on 1997's Time Out Of Mind. it's amazing, and the video stars harry dean stanton. you've done it again, bob.



and just because i'm feeling it, here's dylan live in 1976 singing "idiot wind" with the infamous rolling thunder revue (from NBC televised event of "hard rain"):



you'll find out when you reach the top
you're on the bottom.

you just kinda wasted my precious time

i don't have much to say right now. i just wanted to post some of the videos i'm into watching on youtube. so i'll get right to it. enjoy:

DAVID BOWIE - "Life On Mars?" directed by Mick Rock



BAUHAUS - "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything"



THE CRAMPS - Garbage Man



JESUS & MARY CHAIN - "Teenage Lust"




BOB DYLAN - "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" (Dont Look Back outtake)

caring is creepy

recap of the last 6 months or so: i'm playing music, starting a band, going to rad shows, smoking weed, eating vegetarian, and all while i still manage to keep my day job at amoeba. don't hate me 'cos i have a life and am too busy hangin' out at shows like the jesus and mary chain, melvins, duke spirit, gang of four or health. or 'cos i get to hang out and meet rad people like johnny greenwood and tony hawk. mmmhhhmm

i got tickets to go see my bloody valentine this october. i'm about as psyched as it gets. aaaaannnnddddd, we're gonna go see nick cave/spiritualized/cat power at the hollywood bowl in a couple of weeks... STOKED!

speaking of amazing killer jams, i got my face melted off with some serious heavy doom drone experimental stoner rock with boris at the echoplex on august 3. seriously killer. earlier this year, i had the fortune of gettin' paid to take pictures of 'em at their special after-hours in store performance at amoeba berkeley in june. that show was the start of their US leg of the tour; the skull crushing stoner jams and distorted billowy drone blended together seamlessly in a gaussian blur unparalleled by any other band. just one look at their pedal board is enough to get any gear-head's dick hard.



got an hour? fuck, man. spend it watching this:




...dude.

stoner metal got it's first real kick in the nutsack in the desert, though, with generator shows. those dudes in kyuss would get AMPED and play for 17+ hours in the middle of NOWHERE for a bunch of desert rats who were all about getting FUCKED UP. awesome...



like josh homme said, "if ya weren't there, well... ya weren't." unfortunately, i wasn't counted among the lucky few that got to experience that kind of insane mind blowing rock. prolly 'cos i was like, 5, and eating fruit loops and drinking apple juice outta my sippy cup. so? wanna fight?

anyone wanna buy me a ticket to go see dylan play in santa barbara on september 7th? pleaaaaase? i'm so broke from buying gear that i can't even afford to buy a new pair of chuck taylors and my old ones are literally falling off. i don't care 'bout the soles on my shoes, though, just another chance at seeing dylan deliver his stories to an audience as diverse as his career catalog. at the very least, his new bootleg boxset "tell tale signs" that's coming out october 7 is enough to keep me satiated for a little bit. it's the eighth volume in the bootleg series that features rare cuts and unreleased demos from 1989 through 2006.

recently, i've been delving into the depths of rock 'n' roll, trying my hand at the whole "band" thing. given me a sort of drive to hope for better than just helping hipsters find neutral milk hotel albums on vinyl and crackheads who want donna summers cassette tapes. i love my job, for sure, 'cos i get to take rad pictures and listen to cool music all day, but having to deal with my latent control issues makes me wanna do something where i get to call the shots. 'cept in a band, that's not really the case 'cos we're all doing that. and yeah. money, schedules, equipment and creative issues occur ALL THE FUCKING TIME. we're trying to document the process on video and in pictures, and take advantage of the youtube phenomenon so everyone can watch as we flounder around on deranged synths and anti-climactic lead guitar parts. which then turn into petty squabbling and passive aggressive attitudes amidst frustrated kids just trying to get what we've got in our heads out on tape. YEAH! SHIT IS HARD.

last saturday, i went to the natasha shneider benefit show at the henry fonda. are you kidding? qotsa? pj harvey? jesse hughes? tenacious d? i was stoked, 'cos that's right down the street from where i live in hollywood, so i got fucked up ala "feel good hit of the summer" style before heading down without having to worry about the fuzz killin' my buzz. i knew the evening was gonna be laced with somber moments, but i wasn't prepared for the intense emotional outpour that came from every musician that graced the stage. i almost can't even put into words what it was like seeing pj harvey belt out some of my personal favorites from the desert sessions with queens of the stone age, the unofficially undisputed champs of rock 'n' roll. needless to say, it was one of the best shows i've ever experienced, and, like natasha shneider, won't soon be forgotten.

as seems to be the case when i update here, i'm going through some weird crazy shit right now. being grounded by dylan is always a huge comfort, but lately i've been listening to oasis, too. more specifically their sophomore album "(what's the story) morning glory." i've always loved and listened to them, but the time has now come where their music is starting to affect me. it's rad to be forging connections within the words and walls of sound. i've always been a "layers" kinda kid, really delving deep into a record and listening for all the subtle nuances that bleed through the more prominently featured leads. basically, i guess that means i value the production, and let's face it, oasis are fuckin' masters at it. it's those moments of lucidity where i really connect with something musically that makes all this shit worth it. my point? GET INTO IT. the truth is you gotta go back to go forward. if you can find out where you're coming from, you'll figure out where you're supposed to be.

cast no shadow - oasis (acoustic performance with noel doin' vocals, live on msn):



...

goddamnit, metallica, please release a good album this time around. i'm really sick of disappointment from you fuckers. st. anger sucked st. nuts. little less fisting each other one-off style, and a little more pissing each other off, yeah? thanks. even dave grohl's got your back on this one. i think nine inch nails is taking a leaf out of metallica's book, though, 'cos they used to SLAY it back in the day, but now, for the umpteenth time this year, they've released an album that no one really cares about. i don't know why people are always up on a high horse regarding sobriety, since some of the best shit i've ever heard comes from destructive substance abuse and chaos.

oh, and in case you are fucking blind and couldn't already tell just by lookin' at the guy, henry rollins will kick your ass:



spacemen 3 are wrapping me up in this song right now, so i'm gonna go burn a j and fuckin' get into it, bro. i swear. i'm gonna post more. ahhh, say it ain't so...

face full of black soot

i think a bunch of people watched the mtv vma's last week, but i'm kinda out of the pop music loop, so i missed out. sucks to be me... not. even though i didn't tune in, a ton of people kept sending me text messages telling me to "check out britney spears' performance" from that night on youtube. well, i kinda don't give a shit about what or who britney is doing or not doing, so i haven't watched it. but here's a link if you wanna check it out. basically i heard she kinda puts no effort into it, and she lacks any stage presence. wait, how is this different from her entire career so far? riiiiiight. and, hey, america? there's a reason her initials are "b.s."

so anyway, i was at work, doing cool shit, when someone mentioned the vma's (which is unusual since we're all so cool, hip and indie that anything mainstream is usually shunned with waspy quips and a curled lip), and britney's performance was the topic of conversation. my ADD was kicking in and i started to zone out, when i heard that some kid from the middle of nowhere basically filmed himself having a meltdown 'cos people "won't leave britney alone." i'm always more than interested in people making complete assholes out of themselves on youtube, so naturally, i checked it out:



i love it when emo doucher kids freak out over pieces of already been chewed bubble gum pop princesses. i may wear a lot of black eyeliner, have pale skin, and a general disdain towards humanity, but i don't even remember the last time i cried, and i haven't purposefully tried to hurt myself for a while, so guess that means i'm outta the running to be an emo kid.

moving on from shit, i've been listneing to a lot of cool music recently. one of the dudes i work with turned me onto a cool group called the troggs. i dig their 60s garage rock monotone voices. anyway, you've heard 'em at least through their hit song entitled "wild thing" that the jimi hendrix experience famously covered. you may also recall that hendrix had more success with bob dylan's "all along the watchtower" than the actual songwriter himself. don't get me wrong, hendrix was wicked rad, but i like dylan loads more, so i kinda feel all geekily protective of his original version.

but anyway, back on the troggs, check out this awesome promo video for "night of the long grass" circa 1967. these guys did a lot of short films to their tunes (music videos?) before music videos were even really around... it's not as groundbreaking as the d.a. pennebaker's visual companion to dylan's "subterranean homesick blues," but it's still pretty rad:



the troggs are fucking awesome.

i'm gonna be in washington starting next tuesday for a week. i really don't know what else to say about it, so i'll just leave it at that. let's just say it's gonna be a loooooooong week. e-mail me if you wanna hang out and do cool shit. i'm open.

john lennon, bob dylan and mary jane

i'm back in hell, eh? now. yeah. nothing has changed, still listening to lots of dylan, still in isolation, still broke. it's pretty rad. gives me plenty of time to do what i wanna do.

a meeting of two great minds, and apparantly some green, in the back of a cab in london, circa 1966.

the audio is a kinda hard to understand, but check it out:



lennon always talked about how dylan "influenced" him...

is anyone going to the dylan show in costa mesa on july 26th? does anyone even read this god damn thing?

dylan is my co-pilot

lately, i've been on a huge dylan kick. not just a little "essential bob dylan," smattered with a helping of his "greatest hits," no, i'm talking all balls out, bootleg series, blood on the tracks and another side of dylan, etc. on-repeat. check out my "friends" i took with me to the joshua tree desert yesterday...




yeah. (click to see more pics from my trip to the desert)

so naturally when my friend (and fellow dylan enthusiast) lionel sent me a link of weird al yankovic parodying dylan, i had to watch:



i'm not a huge "weird al" fan, 'cos his stuff is usually pretty lame, but this kinda floored me. i mean, fuck. it's spot on, hilarious, and it combines my love of dylan, palindromes and folk music. it just keeps on getting better and better.

anyway, i'm going back to watching the copy of "no direction home" that my friend joe matt just got me for my birthday. fuck yeahhhhh.