Episode 48: My Musical Itch Has Been Scratched

Greetings Dear Listener,

My musical itch has certainly been scratched to the point of bleeding and is now down to the bone.  Two nights of the Gaslight Anthem, True Widow, The Clash box set and Roky Erickson reissues.  The past few weeks have been very good for the ears.

I would try to use some of this space to write a review of the two Gaslight Anthem shows but I have too much of an emotional attachment to that band to be impartial.  And that is one of the powers that music has.  It can cause you to develop a bond with it that can take you back to a place in time and stir up emotions that you haven't felt in years.  The Gaslight Anthem is one of those bands for me.  So much so that I have to prevent myself from listening to them from time to time.  They were amazing on both nights and that's all I've been able to say on the matter.
The band has come up with a rather humorous response for when some drunk-tard in the audience forgets what band they came to see and starts yelling for a song by some other band from New Jersey.  They play a song by a different band from New Jersey.  That band hails from Lodi, NJ.  And that band is known as The Misfits.  I'll take Astro Zombies over No Surrender any time.

It was brain altering to hear True Widow play through an actual PA.  When they were in Pittsburgh in 2011, they played in a venue that had a PA smaller than my stereo system.  After getting parked, I was walking down the street toward 123 Pleasant St.  I suddenly heard a song that was vaguely familiar.  The sound I had heard was True Widow's soundcheck spilling out onto the street.  I had forgotten that I was across state lines where live music doesn't have to be hidden away by archaic liquor laws that somehow have an effect on how music is treated.
The few minutes of soundcheck that I caught were enough to let me know it was worth the hour and a half drive to see the band play.  They politely suffered my fanboy moment and signed the LP that I brought with me.  They were surprised to see that I brought their first record and wondered where I got it from.  Apparently supplies of their self-titled vinyl have dried up.  According to Slim the drummer, they will be doing another pressing on cream colored vinyl.
They opened with Sunday Driver which was the song I most wanted to hear them play but didn't think they would.  After that their entire set was an hour long daze of moody, downer goodness.

The Clash's Sound System box set has arrived and was worth every dollar that Sony charged for the thing.  Mick Jones did a wonderful job of mixing and mastering.  I am still wading through it and am impressed every time I put on a new disc.

Three Roky Erickson albums have been reissued by Light In The Attic.  The Evil One, Don't Slander Me and Gremlins Have Pictures are available now and sound better than ever.

All of the Slayer records that were released by American Recordings will get a vinyl reissue on October 29th.  The thought of hearing God Hates Us All on 180g vinyl has me drooling with anticipation.

VUM has successfully raised the necessary funds to press their new album on vinyl.  Psychotropic Jukebox will be available for download in October and the vinyl should be done in November.  I've got test pressings coming my way and can't wait to hear them.

There is a Riot Grrl art exhibit over at Carnegie Mellon University.  Go check it out to see what happened when people got tired of the stupidity and sexism that was once prevalent in punk rock.  Go here for more information.  The name of the exhibit is Alien She.  That was also the title of a Bikini Kill song.

The Pittsburgh Comicon is this weekend.  So if you finished your replica Iron-Man armor made of old Kleenex boxes and spray paint go give it a field test.

Mind Cure is also having a dollar sale on Saturday so they can make some space.  While you're there be sure to pick up September's single of the month.  Killer of Sheep is this month's band and they do not disappoint.

As Halloween approaches, I found it very strange while walking through Target and I saw a toy crowbar with a DC Comics/Justice League tag on it.  For those who are not up on their Bat-History, the Joker once used a crowbar to beat the second Robin to death.  I couldn't help but stand there and laugh at the different costume ideas that came to mind.  Either dress up like the Joker winding up to swing with the crowbar or dress up like Robin with the crowbar attached to the side of the head.

I recently discovered why good old-fashioned American intolerance and bigotry should not be eradicated.  Without it, what would we laugh at?  To find out what I'm talking about type the words "Jihawg" and "Ammo" into your googler and let the laughing commence.  People am dumb.

Rock over London.  Rock on Chicago

Thanks for listening.

Cazart.

Here's the download link:

Out of Step Music Hour Episode 48

Here's the playlist:
1.  Gaslight Anthem~Great Expectations~The '59 Sound
2.  The Misfits~Astro Zombies~12 Hits From Hell
3.  True Widow~Creeper~Circumambulation
4.  The Evens~Wanted Criminals~The Odds
5.  The Clash~White Riot~The Clash (UK) Sound System Box
6.  Bosnian Rainbows~I Cry For You~Bosnian Rainbows
7.  Submachine~In Spite Of Everything~In Spite Of Everything...
8.  Bill Hicks~Mandatory Marijuana~Flying Saucer Tour Vol. 1
9.  Bobby Fuller Four~Let Her Dance~Fantastic Mr. Fox Soundtrack
10.  Chelsea Wolfe~Destruction Makes The World Burn Brighter~Pain Is Beauty
11.  The Julie Ruin~Stop Stop~Run Fast
12.  All Dinosaurs~All The Rage~Rules Of Civility & Decent Behavior
13.  Red Hare~Dialed In~Nites Of Midnight
14.  The Ramones~Psycho Therapy~Subterranean Jungle
15.  The Birthday Party~Funhouse~Live 81-82
16.  Dead Ending~Speed Of Lies~DEII
17.  Zeitgeist~So It Goes~Zeitgeist
18.  Jawbox~Tools & Chrome (Alt. Take)~Grippe
19.  H2O~Role Model~Go
20.  Carousel~Jeweler's Daughter~Jeweler's Daughter
21.  Government Issue~Blending In~Complete History Vol. 1
22.  Electric Wizard~Vinum Sabbathi~Dopethrone
23.  Roky Erickson~Haunt~Don't Slander Me
24.  The Horrors~Do You Remember~Primary Colours
25.  Wire~Strange~Pink Flag

Episode 47: Shine Up Those Dancing Shoes

Greetings Dear Listener,

I went into the grocery store the other day only to find myself assaulted by displays of Halloween candy.  I say fuck these dingbats and their fun-sized Zag-Nut bars.  Let's get the commercialism out of Halloween and get back to it's true meaning: worshipping Satan.  If you're going to have an imaginary friend, it may as well be the one with the cool records.

The Gaslight Anthem will be in town for two shows tomorrow and Friday.  What a two days it will be.

The Super-Friends turned 40 over this past weekend.  So sit back and watch a show that certainly did not hold up over time.

The Dave Chappelle/Flight of The Conchords show was a good time except for the large drunk girl screaming "Go Steelers" during Dave's set.  Stupid humans.  No more large venue shows for me.

Speaking of the Steelers and stupid humans, we dedicate the Aus-Rotten track from this episode to a certain dopey quarterback that can't figure out that "No" means "No."

There's a new Submachine record out and it will give you brain damage.  It's a blazing 14 minutes of music.  Head over to Mind Cure and pick it up along with the single of the month for August which is The Gotobeds.  We hear a track from both.

The Rise Against b-sides collection came out this week.  We'll hear their version of the theme song to Weeds.

Born Without A Face was a band from Grand Rapids, MI in the mid-80's.  They recently reissued their catalogue as a box set.  The vinyl is limited to 300 and there is a download on Bandcamp.

There's another new VUM track from Psychotropic Jukebox on the program, as well.  Their Indie-go-go campaign is still up and running but may fall short.  You can go here for more information.

There's a new book about Dinosaur Jr. coming out soon.  Here's the link to check it out.

For those of you still bitching on the internets about Ben Affleck being the next Batman, Patton Oswalt has written a blog post just for you.  Read this and find something else to do with your time.

And for those of you using the internets to bitch about the Sons of Anarchy season premier, it's only a TV show and school shootings are unfortunately a part of our modern society.  And Kurt Sutter is smarter than you.  My only complaint was that it was an hour and half long episode and I had get up early this morning.

Until next time.

Thanks for listening.

Rock over London.  Rock on Chicago.

Cazart

Here's the download link:

Out of Step Music Hour Episode 47

Here's the playlist:
1.  Aus-Rotten~The Second Rape~The Rotten Agenda
2.  The Julie Ruin~Oh Come On~Run Fast
3.  Devo~Social Fools~Be Stiff
4.  The Sovereign~Ziggy Stardust~Changes One
5.  The Gottobeds~Ipso Facto~Mind Cure August 2013
6.  Submachine~I Am~In Spite Of Everything...
7.  Pseudo Existors~Now~Stamp Out Normality
8.  Brak~Front Door/Backside~Space Ghost's Surf & Turf
9.  Crayon-Death~Easier To Die~Three-Sixteen
10.  Sebadoh~Shit Soup~Bakesale
11.  True Widow~S:H:S~Circumambulation
12.  The Jimi Hendrix Experience~Bold As Love~Axis: Bold As Love (Mono)
13.  Drain STH~Ace Of Spades~Horror Wrestling
14.  The Rezillos~Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight~Can't Stand The Rezillos
15.  Snapcase~She~Violent World: A Tribute To The Misfits
16.  Gaslight Anthem~High Lonesome~The '59 Sound
17.  Frogpond~Get Paid~Safe Ride Home
18.  U.K. Subs~Young Criminals~Another Kind Of Blues
19.  Get Up Kids~Rememorable~There Are Rules
20.  VUM~Hall Of Mirrors~Psychotropic Jukebox
21.  Born Without A Face~Feed Your Head~Freakshow
22.  Rise Against~Little Boxes~Long Forgotten Songs
23.  Eyehategod~Non Conductive Negative Reasoning~Dopesick
24.  Ramones~I Don't Want You~Road To Ruin
25.  Tool~Aenima~Aenima