James Brown Is Dead

Yesterday, I took myself "out for a walk." Nuthin' special, just a jaunt around the neighborhood and a good excuse to both get some exercise and ditch the drama parade of my immediate surroundings. Along the way, I stopped into a couple of thrift stores, bought a 1940's-'50's Girl Scout adjustable Sterling ring, a Dave Mason LP "It's Like You Never Left," and 9 CD's, mostly stuff I'd never heard before. The exception being Ry Cooder's "Paris, Texas" movie soundtrack. Great music there.

A local Independent Record/Tape/CD Store relocated and downsized, leaving the owner with a TON of stuff that wouldn't fit into the new place. It ended up at the thrift store, which, no doubt, offered the owner a healthy tax write-off. Or, maybe he's just a nice guy. Which, he is. The thrift store is selling all his "B-Stock" for 2-for-a-buck. Neat-O for me.

The ring looks like this and cost me all of $2.00. I have to put it to a mandrel and hammer it round again.




So, I'm "up" in the middle of the night, listening to the CD's and drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes and "watching" but not "listening" to TV. Discovery Science Channel stuff. One of the nice things about not having "a job to go to" is that I can get up and/or go to sleep any damned time I feel like it. I can also: Have ice cream for breakfast if I want to. Run around the house naked all day if I choose to, swear without having to put a quarter into a jar or whatever, drink coffee and smoke cigarettes at 03:00, listen to the weirdest music imaginable without anyone telling me that it sucks, engage in bizarre Science Projects over at The Work Bench (Which, "yes" is in my Living Room) and in this case, choose to not participate in the Drama Circus during Daylight Hours that my Apartment Complex (Only 9 Units) has recently turned into.

Right now, the movie is: "The Witches That Wouldn't Leave." Very Bizarre Dysfunctional Family kind of thang. Think The Ramones singing: "We're A Happy Family." Just really negative energy Assclowns. Idiots from The Bay Area's Butt Hole, Benicia. A Suburb of Oakland, as far as I'm concerned. I've simply: "Turned their channel off." This paragraph is all the space they get to rent in my head.

The CD Listening Party:

1. James Brown Is Dead. 9 song EP, different mixes of JBID.

2. 4 song EP from "Steel Toed Slippers," a Pop sort of Jammy, "We Went To Music School and Would Really Like To Be Famous" sort of band that lives in L.A. now. They're from Arcata, Ca. The home of Aggressive Panhandlers, Air That Smells Like Patchouli and Good Weed, Everywhere. Girls probably like this band allot and follow them around.

3. "Gunbunnies," a band from Memphis, Tn. that was "Produced by Jim Dickenson." I wonder if it's the same Jim Dickenson that I knew on Maui, who Produced bands like The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield back in the 60's. Probably not. Just some guy that has the same name. Or, maybe it is him. This band is a highly commercial product and the album (CD) is worth copying into iTunes, which I just did. Kind of a more polished "Cracker" kind of thing without the Edgy-ness. Good "Housework Music."

4. "Good Riddance." The CD is titled: "Bound By Ties Of Blood And Affection" and looks like it might be a bit political. Donkey and money laying around on the front of the jewel case and Elephant on the back with an Bald eagle clutching a dove in its' talons flying away and more money laying about. Punk Rock. I think they're from Santa Cruz, Ca.. They SOUND like they're from Santa Cruz. Surf Punks. They're pretty good. A few Limey (maybe Aussie) vocal inflections. Well Engineered and "present." Allot of the songs are introduced by clips from movies. You have to be a Weird Movie Junkie to "get" all of the references.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Riddance_(band)

5. Candlebox's "Lucy." I just like this Seattle "Grunge" band. No other reason needed for buying this CD for $0.50, as they all were.

6. The Bottle Rockets "The Brooklyn Side." "These Proud Sons Of Festus, Mo., Came To Brooklyn, N.Y. To Record Their Second Album." (From the jewel case notes) Country Rock from Missouri. 'Nuff said. Definately not for the Politically Correct. They're kind of Sarcastic Assholes. I still like 'em though.      

 7. Jumbalassy, a "Kind-Of-Ska-Reggae-Calypso" band from Bellingham, Wa.. I used to live in Bellingham. I've seen these guys live. (I'm not a big Reggae Fan and will probably give the hard copy to my neighbor) "It's an O.K. Record" (CD). I know a guy in Salt Lake City that fell in love with the band's name. Then again, he makes his cat wear a tinfoil hat sometimes. I shit you not:

8. The aforementioned Ry Cooder CD, "Music From The Movie, Paris, Texas." Good soundtrack. Ryland Cooder.

I love thrift stores. I could live in one. Forever. On a cot, even.

Time to make some fresh coffee. Yes, I will drink "whatever is in the pot from yesterday" in the middle of the night. If I decide that I'm staying "up," I'll make a new batch.

Uber und Raus,
-Doc