Patton Oswalt – Keswick Theater (Glenside, PA) – October 10, 2009
After a really angry and misanthropic, though occasionally and admittedly very funny, opening set by JOE DEROSA, DeRosa then introduced Patton Oswalt and he just slayed the audience for almost two hours straight. About half of the bits were based on material that was already familiar from his new CD/DVD set My Weakness is Strong, but even some of that stuff was still hysterical. At certain points, both me and my wife were laughing so hard that we were both crying. Jokes about the opposition to BARACK OBAMA (a great update of a routine on the new CD), time travel, iPods, house hunting, the perils of being a new father and many other subjects (some X-rated or higher) were featured.
Eugene Mirman – God is a 12 Year Old Boy with Asperger’s (Sub Pop)
Mirman’s third full-length album, recorded live at Chicago’s Lakeshore Theater in late 2008, continues the hysterical comedy of his 1st 2 releases, The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman and his Sub Pop debut, 2007’s En Garde, Society!.
Mission of Burma – The Sound The Speed The Light (Matador)
I sort of panned this one a few weeks ago, but it’s definitely growing on me, so now I regret rushing to judgment. It won’t hit you overt the head with its greatness like their last album (2006’s incredible The Obliterati) did, but instead it’s a slow burn.
The Feelies – Crazy Rhythms (Bar/None)
The sound quality of the 180 gram vinyl pressing of this one as well as their second album The Good Earth is absolutely unbelievable. It’s so nice to have these albums available again and with such improved sound quality to boot. The vinyl version features a digital download code where you can download the entire Lp for free plus bonus tracks not found on the Lp. The bonus tracks, including a single version of “Fa Ce La” and some CARLA BLEY demo tracks that function as alternate versions of some of the album tracks along with a recently recorded live cover of THE MODERN LOVERS‘ “I Wanna Sleep in Your Arms”.
The Feelies – The Good Earth (Bar/None)
Another great reissue and this time, the bonus tracks (digital only again) feature songs from the No One Knows EP, among them a cover of THE BEATLES‘ “She Said, She Said” and NEIL YOUNG‘s “Sedan Delivery”. The final bonus track is a recently captured live recording of one of the album’s best tracks, “Slippin’ (Into Something)”.
Exene Cervenka – Somewhere Gone (Bloodshot)
After a few listens, I’m not sure what I think about this. Admittedly, I’m much more a fan of Exene’s punk rock side than I am her solo work, so please keep that in mind. In any case, this is her latest solo album, the first one that she’s done in this style since 1990’s Running Sacred. At times it reminds me of some of NEKO CASE‘s work, but while it’s pretty, it’s not nearly as deeply affecting, at least on initial listens. I’ll keep trying.
Morphine – At Your Service (Rhino/Rykodisc)
I had no idea this was even coming out until I saw it in my local record store last week. It’s a 2-disc set consisting of previously unreleased rarities on one disc and previously unreleased live material on another. While definitely not the place to start if you’re a neophyte (any of their proper albums, especially 1993’s Cure for Pain and 1995’s Yes, will do), it’s an enjoyable collection for hardcore fans and a reminder as to why they were one of the best and most unique bands of the ’90s.
The Big Takeover show on BreakThru Radio (10/5/09 edition)
I was completely unfamiliar with MIRANDA LEE RICHARDS‘ music before hearing this show, but I suspect that will change very soon as I really like what I heard. As always, the rest of the show is great, too. Listen here.
GG Allin – “Gimme Some Head” EP (Orange)
OK, I know what some of you may be thinking. Isn’t he the guy who used to defecate on stage and wasn’t he more known for his extreme, wild-man antics and heroin addiction than for his music? Well, towards the end of his life, this was true, but this 45 and his other early material with his backing band THE JABBERS prove that he had genuine talent, all of which was ruined by years of abuse.
In any case, this is his 2nd 7” and it found him backed up by WAYNE KRAMER and DENNIS THOMPSON of the MC5 (hence the MC2 tag). The A-side, while lyrically crude (what else would you expect from GG), is a supremely catchy punk rock blast and the B-side, “Dead or Alive”, is nice, too. They also recorded another track called “Occupation”, which was released on a separate 7” along with a spoken intro by GG and 3 live tracks on the B-side. You can get the “Gimme Some Head” 7” here and the “Occupation” 7” here. Alternately, if you just want all 3 tracks that GG recorded with the MC2, click here.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Higher than the Stars” EP (Slumberland)
Another jolt of classic indie-pop that feels like the last 20 years have never happened, this is somewhere between THE HOUSEMARTINS and PALE SAINTS circa their debut album The Comforts of Madness. The sound quality here is notably much more hi-fi than on previous releases, but in this case, that’s a very good thing and suits the music really well.
