the best part of summer

Growing up I always looked forward to that one day of summer when the ends of my street would be roped off and the whole neighborhood would come out for the annual block party. Sure, it meant school was coming back to swap fun for none, but this day meant getting away with kissing all the girls and destroying things with all my friends far later into the night than we were normally allowed to stay up. Before I became disinterested with the general population, I was a very social nine year old who loved to talk to all the grown folk, eat more than my weight in BBQ and watermelon, and shake it to music my parents thought questionable. I no longer have those scraped knees from doing amazingly stupid tricks on my bike but in honor of the end of summer, here are two jams that speak for themselves.
1989/1990. I'm going to get ices.

Girls Will Get You Through The Night

You can download a new mix tape right HERE. (or click 'download' after the track list)

These teen dream angels and better babes are saving my cold soul night after dark dark night.
Empty hearts can get a fresh start.
Hope you dig it.

Tracklisting:

1. Dolly Mixture - baby it's you
2. X-ray Spex - the day the world turned
3. Velvet Underground - femme fatale
4. Mo Dettes - white mice
5. Fuzzbox - console me
6. The Shangri-Las - out in the streets
7. Girls At our Best! - getting nowhere fast
8. Elysian Fields- shrinking heads in the sunset
9. My Bloody Valentine - only shallow
10.The Dixie Cups - chapel of love
11. The Expelled - dreaming
12. Denali - lose me
13. The Marvelettes - playboy
14. Honey Bane - cry baby
15. Betty Everette - the shoop shoop song
16. Strawberry Swtichblade - 10 James Orr street
17. Tegan and Sara - dark come soon
18. Lesley Gore - judy's turn to cry
19. Sonic Youth - bull in the heather
20. Giant Drag - smashing

DOWNLOAD

3AM Coca-Cola and Crackers

I just got home and my lovely sore throat is a gift from the joys of yelling tonight in the name of fun. I sound duck-ish. My non alcohol eyes saw people from long ago who were nice to see through the smoke and dark and their alcohol smiles. I found myself on a moonlit rooftop at 1:30 tonight speaking with good cats about all things up and down.

I could have stayed in and slept tonight because school and work are wearing lead boxing gloves and I, for unknown shark related reasons, keep climbing back to my feet. Soon the sandman will stand over me counting out numbers of defeat while I smile and sleep. This evenings event occurred because a very good friend of mine is leaving the country for several years. I'm sure he's still raging through the night as I type this. I'll be long gone before the sun throws daylight at me. I'm leaving out wonderful details of all things today because i'm simply in the off position.

I'll leave you with the video for 'leaving the light on' by Blank Dogs. He's playing 2 shows next month and hopefully i'll be around for atleast one of them. Blank Dogs is one very talented person making a mixture of music that I am too tired to try and label or describe.



sweetdreamZzZz

you go girl (the musical?)

ofcourse my homegirl wanted to go to the tranny bar for her birthday.

ofcourse a fabulous cock slinging glamor girl singled me out during the show and started rubbing my head.

orfcourse s/he got on the bench behind me and put he/r skirt over my head while mouthing the words to a diva power song in a room full of strangers.

ofcourse natalia had her camera and was sitting right in front of me.

ofcourse.




happy birthday Irene. <3


great night tho. more stuff about stuff later. i'm sleepy and busy. sweetdreams.

The Sun Is Hot (and other summer news)

The weekend was more glitter than doom and tonight stays glowing too. Being busy is pretty great, even if some of it is no fun.

My needle is sitting in the groove of the new Crocodiles 7". You can check out their video riiight here and cop the single if you like good tunes. I won't judge you either way.

Ghost Ramp just posted new Fantastic Magic and Ye Olde Maids from the upcoming cassette release with the vinyl coming out on Art Fag. Check out all the bands linked around these handsome dudes. Makes me want to go to San Diego.

I've been listening to alot of Unrest today. Mainly the wonders that were created for Perfect Teeth. good gosh. Soon it is going to rain. WOWZERS.

Saturday afternoon found me in Queens at my friends new place for a BBQ. Good food, good dudes, better babes, ices, L@Lz, vegan cupcakes, and more. I had alot of fun. It was all 100% sweet minus his upstairs neighbor who was 100% skeevy. Awful vibes from a dude trying way too hard. His girlfriend was cool though and he left early to go play poker or whatever it is cave men do when the sun goes down. no disrespect, cavemen. Later that night after the rain and people parting, Nick scooped me up in his boss '52 ford and we cruised and found ourselves listening to old punk jams while eating snacks, talking the talk, and looking over the water at the skyline of no newyork. Back to his spot in brooklyn and we do a fast forward to the AM and we're laying on his floor listening to Dead Kennedy's, Velvet Underground, & Bowie while chatting about doing some choice new musical projects together, the perils and pluses of heroin, and the general goods and bads of our days and nights. I dashed back to the city around 2am and my way home found me chatting with some drunk funsters, who I actually didn't mind. My day was good, and dare i say great. Just maybe not THIS great. Who doesn't like Icecube? Checkkk yourself.

The future looks bright. new music, new zine releases, and whatever's clever.

Back to the study grind and ice cream time.
xo

45 rpms in heaven.

The mail today included the Vivian Girls - Tell The World 7". Out on woodsist. Or sold out rather. I've flipped it over a good 15 times already. They're playing friday night and i'm sure i'll venture out since it's their tour kick off.

The Milk N' Cookies Re-issue is flawless. All the extra goodies that came in the promo pack are keeping my attention. Not to mention the second LP with the unreleased songs. wowzers. I should really be studying. fuck that! for now anyways...

The Panic In Needle Park. I hadn't seen it until recently and it was amazing.


Narcisa was a very very good read. Some broad I work with already borrowed it from me moments after i finished it. The ending was perfect, in a tragic-heart-aching way. If thats not love, then I've been doing it wrong all my life.

Upcoming things: more school, bbqs, going away party, baby shower, possibly apt hunting, icecream, vinyl heaven, and the summer night dark park usual.

My homegirl Ebony kinda shreds hard and melts faces. Say hi. She's actually much cooler than everyone. Biiiiig sweetheart. You tube Australia...but she reps for Brockton, MA.

From the Teen Dream Record Bin

It's almost undeniable that sometime in your life you're going to be very affected by a person's art. You do have a soul right? Well there are many things in terms of music, literature, and movies that I have been turned on and tuned in to, always (ofcourse) in my most desperate hours, by Max G. Morton. Be it through the way he writes or the suggestions he had been kind enough to reply with in my fanboy emails. I'll spare coating the halls of this post with any more sticky and suspect, sweet substances. If you never got a chance to get a copy of his book, well you'll just have to wait for the next one and hopefully not blow it. I wrote him a letter tonight after reading his liner notes for the beautiful Milk N' Cookies repress I received in the mail today from Radio Heartbeat Records. It really touched me so I felt like sharing with him what got stuck in my heart tonight. I guess i'm going to share those words with whom ever reads this. If you're lucky enough to be able to speak with someone who captures your much divided attention, it seems rare when someone you look upto isn't a hellish cunt who makes you wish you never enjoyed anything they were ever involved with. This is a rare case. I suppose the stars seems lucky to me tonight. Sometimes these things come at the perfect time. I'll take advantage of it while it lasts, because we all know it never does.

there's a heart on your steel toed boot

Hey Max. I'll attempt, despite glazed mesmerized eyes, to keep this a focused letter. I just received my Milk N' Cookies repress in the mail today from Radio Heartbeat Records. I had honestly forgot I even ordered it, press kit and all. After finding that original import copy, I slept comfortably in those dreamy black grooves for a very very long time. Kinda worried I was going to wear out the holy grail. The repress is so striking and the songs I had never heard before are still playing as I write this. Skipping over all the amazing things that came with press kit, I really just wanted to say your liner notes are very emotional and far too dreamy. It seems prefect like nothing else could or should anymore. Brilliant. Wolf hearted howls and all. I'm sure I never would have heard of them if it wasn't for you. Much like alot of the things that spin in my room at various speeds and times of night. I almost always felt undeserved and far too lucky to find an original copy and your words make me cherish it all the more. There is a clear winner in this moment of the the ongoing debate that amounts to "fuck material possessions" vs. adoring vinyl and all the bragging rights that come with elusive gems. It's surely a crown jewel. As always, I'll lay down whatever imagined cool i have, to say in a fan boy way, your writing is amazing. I owe you alot, but you're really just doing it for yourself and it's appreciated by weird people on weird levels. So thanks, as always, for adding the much needed glow and glitter to the doom and gloom. I can only imagine what hrtwrm23 is going to do to my world. I hope this finds you well in heart and health. But if not, I'm sure you're still making your way through it. The bright nights and dark days.

sincerely and such,

xo
Bryan

Ghost Daze

The weekend came and went in a flaaaash.

Friday night I finally saw Elysian Fields play a beautiful set @ Joe's Pub. They were amazing. Well worth the wait. Despite the technical difficulties it was very dark and sexy and they ended up playing pretty much all the songs I hoped they would. I wish they would play more often but I suppose thats what keeps it special.

Saturday morning I dragged my skeleton from a comfortable slumber and warm sex dreams to start my MRI program. The directions were terrible and none of the beautiful girls in the bronx had any idea what I was looking for. I was pretty much late but actually on time due to registration. It's strange to be back into a mode of education. Studying and learning. Flexing my brain. It feels really good. I think all the magnetic physics is going to be hard and awesome. Back to the nerd I was just 2 years ago.

I'm at the very end of Narcisa by Jonathan Shaw. GREAT read. Released by Heartworm Press. I think the first run was printed as 1,000 copies. Cop one before they're gone. Sadly, alot of the miserable and horrible stories regarding torture of the heart, bring me back to certain places with certain people. While i'm long removed from those kind of explosive and volatile relationships, it's easy to be brought back there and have those feeling rise quick to the surface like a shark to a bloody sea of memories drowning youthful and former lovers.

oh, and it's sharkweek. on TV. always good.

Musically, i'm stuck on Thrice's 'The Alchemy Index volumes 1 - 4'. In my opinion a massive undertaking and a huge accomplishment. I never would have thought that the band I accidentally saw playing thrash and metal with melody in a cramped venue that no longer exists MANY years ago, would turn into such a powerful and creative rock band. I truly loved their older stylings but now as I listen back, they have grown so much and for the better. The alchemy index contains 4 discs. Each disc representing a different element (fire,water,air,& earth). Each element (or disc) has six songs and most fit the feel and tell tales of their respective element. Pretty amazing. Very very good. I know they plan to release a 4xLP book bound edition. Very nicely arranged with four 10" vinyl discs. I'm sure it will be expensive but I feel it's more than worth it for such a creative project. Most bands don't even put out whole enjoyable albums anymore (while most are duds with only several good songs) let alone a project like this. I'm way into it. Steady playing through my headphones.

it's very hot out. perfect for slurpees and slumming on a stoop. perfect.

(Dee, Dee You're) Stuck On A Star

listening tooooo:

Milk N' Cookies - S/T LP. I love this album. After I got turned onto them, I figured i'd never be able to find an original pressing. I ordered the 2xLP repress and by some miracle I came across an Imported version of the original pressing. Very happy boy.
The opening track is one of my favorites. A shame they didn't blow up like their contemporaries.

Vivian Girls - mp3's. So i just heard them for the first time. I ordered a couple of 7"s and their LP. It all seems to be out of print but I kinda lucked out through a distro or two and the Rough Trade shop. I'll probably go see them in two weeks. I'm all about them right now. it's fitting perfectly.


Cult of Youth - a stick to bind, a seed to grow LP. An amazing album. The third release from DAIS records and it's pretty perfect. All the elements I love from Death In June and some extra wonderful Neo Folk twists and chants.

Y tu mama tambien. I rewacthed it today. Always amazing. One of my favorite movies.

Some people. You love them. They love you. In a way that is horribly painful. You'll always be attached to their pain and the sometimes greater pain they inflict on you. If they know it or not. I wish could help. That need and want to help becomes consuming. Sometimes you'll end up doing things that are out of character and self destructive. To help the one you love. Love. There is always that need, that fits in to your love for them. The urge to save them. Maybe they'll really love you forever if you can help them put down the knives. Help them to be happy longer than it takes let out some blood. Despite the colder. colder. dark. I hear the words I need to hear but I don't think it'll ever be enough for me. I don't think anything I could do will really help until my angel is ready to change or the change is ready for her. For some reason I think we'll always be linked. It's that kind of love. Good and Bad. Or maybe it's one sided. Summer romance comes and goes in a flash. I think we're left more hopeless for the upcoming winter. What will keep you warm when it gets colder. colder. dark.

More records/More Reading/Writing for the new zine.

read! watch! listen! spells in three

the lately and the now:

Books:
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
And the Ass Saw the Angel by Nick Cave
Narcisa by Jonathan Shaw

Movies:
Chopper (2000)
This is England (2006)
Liquid Sky (1982)

Music:
Cult of Youth - A stick to bind, A seed to grow
Whip and the body 7" - a. taken teeth, here on exile b. friends like theses
Jahaira's Mix - #1

Went to Slow Dancing To Slayer today. very very good.
Hottest day of the summer so far.

Fugazi


The Libertines


Slipknot

work can move slow

For all I care I hope it stays quiet today.
For some reason, I am terrible at photography. I have no aspirations to ever change that fact. It's not something I've ever aspired to do. BUT, i do love amazing photographs.
I'm probably going to check out Tod Seelie's first solo photo show, Slow Dancing to Slayer, before it closes on August 9th. It's at the Cinder's Gallery in Brooklyn. Check out his work, linked above.

Last night at random I left the conrcete for a few hours and headed out to Long Island. Jay is back from Iraq for a short time. He's going back to Hawaii next week and back to war in Iraq again, in October so I had to make sure I saw him. It was very good to see some old friends and band mates last night. He has some crazy stories that I can't even explain. I was telling him about the traumas I do at work but atleast at my job my life isn't in danger. He's awesome. Apparently, I know hilarious people. major L@Lz last night. and long train rides.

There was alot to say but being tired has taken over proper thought functions.
I'll leave you with some Fuzzbox because i'm nice like that.



I have a secret admirer but someone blew up her spot. It too sweet though.


trying not to fall asleep.
books and jams laters.

Marry Me. (lie! lie!)

no, it's not These Immortal Souls.

Bjork and Michael Gondry getting busy in 93.

right! I know!

oh, and it's the Birthday Party.


Listening to:
Release The Bats 31G Birthday Party Tribute 2xLP
Strawberry Switchblade - S/T LP (this album is always amazing. fuck.)
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
Team Sleep - S/T
Rowland S. Howard - Teenage Snuff Film
oh yea, and These Immortal Souls

Hey cry baby, dead that noise.

Today was terrible. Emotional Wreck. Dead inside/outside. This is whats kinda helping.

Another Sunny Day - London Weekend (yeah it's like that...fuck)

Blacklisted - Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier than God LP
(i love the ink & dagger lyrics thrown into the break)

Boys Next Door - Door,Door

Car Crash Set - anything i can find from them. which isn't much sadly.

I stumbled on Matthew Miller's photography page and his photoblog blew me away.

Lucky Charms(cereal) and I just found a record I've been looking for.

dead.

so late to the party, i missed it.

Christian Bale is awesome. I finally got around to watching The Machinist tonight and it was pretty intense. If you're into psychological thrillers and being freaked out, then you should probably check it out. Besides the story being full of suspense, he looked absolutely emaciated! That alone was completely striking.

Good old Wikipedia: Christian Bale starved himself for over 4 months prior to filming, as his character needed to look drastically thin. Allegedly his eating consisted of one can of tuna and an apple each day (approximately 275 calories), although there are conflicting reports on this. According to the DVD commentary, he lost 62 pounds (28 kg), reducing his body weight to 120 pounds (54.4 kg). Bale wanted to go down to 100 pounds (45.3 kg) but the filmmakers would not let him due to health concerns. He later regained the weight, plus an additional 40 pounds (18 kg) due to weightlifting, in preparation for his role in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins.



Tonight:

Cvlt of Yovth - S/T 7"
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Bring Me The Horizon - Count Your Blessings
Morrissey - Bona Drag

and other things... My room is freezing so i'm going to blanket up and slumber in a pharmaceutical glaze.

Volatile romance is as dead as love letters, so on a dark cloud i'll dream of what shouldn't be and how very bad I want it.

Caliente!

Dinner last night went down at this little spot called Yuca Bar. It's on Ave A just south of St. Marks. The food was good and though it's a little tight in there, the salsa music was slammin. It's hard to eat when the music is that good. I want to go to Spain. Just saying.


Speaking of great music, I went to sleep to this mix last night posted by one of the DJ's(and possibly the creator/host) from None Night. Dark, Minimal Synth, Cold, and such. I really enjoyed it. She apparently has great taste in music.

Jeralyn's July Luv Mux.

I'm at work. I should probably be saving lives.

Murakami @ the Brooklyn Museum

I managed to catch the last day of the Murakami exhibit and it was insanity. I took a massive amount of pictures and it was all pretty amazing. Sadly, my camera sucks and I got yelled at after every picture I took. Security was being a pain right near the coolest pieces of art too. Here's some random shots. The video features they had were also verrrry good. Click to enlarge, yo.

























I seriously have 400 million more pictures.
Murakami (besides doing all his work for Louis Vuitton) did this animation (and the cover art) for kanye wests new alum. The only version I could find was taped from a video screen. worth peeping, regardless.
* alex took great pics. if he posts them, i'll link it.

"i wanna listen to boys II men with you and shit"

Having good friends visit helps me enjoy summer. Alex has a shoe collection worth atleast $13,000. No joke.

The music is fitting perfectly tonight. Currently:

CocoRosie - Noah's Ark LP. Amazing. Pretty flawless. It reminds me of my true love. If she should break my heart one day, this album will be even more powerful.
Cold Cave - Coma Potion 12" EP. (stoked for the full length on DAIS records.)
Yeah Yeah Yeah's - S/T 12" (old school jams)
Ceremony - Scared People 7" EP (starting to get into them. i think they just put out a full length.)

Finally?

Not to try and jinx a good thing but I think I'm finally going to see Elysian Fields live. The last 4 times they played NY, I was out of state. yeah, 4. Today I managed to score a ticket and I'll not be in Florida this month. Or anywhere else for that matter. The city is choking me. Regardless. So, maybe they'll cancel since no one told them I'll be home and not on vacation. Dark and Sexy jams. Stoked.

Friday Night Fights

I saw 'the wackness' tonight and i was surprised by how amazing it is. Highly recommended!

So good. Youth came back to us tonight(1994) and we we're in our old dirty city for a couple of hours. "Don't let Gulianni see you". The Soundtrack was flawless.

Spinning on my record player today is the 2nd release from Sweet Tooth Records. The Muslims - Extinction 7" b/w (a cover of love's) my flash on you. I'm loving it. I just keep flipping it over. The older jam of the day is Ink & Dagger - drive this seven inch wooden stake through my philadelphia heart 7" Very good and it brings back memories of a good person or two. Not as strong as the Love Is Dead 7" but still heart warming.

Meds are kicking hard so i'm going to lay back and blow some smoke.
Sweet dreams.

This will be funny


and this looks amazing

Sweat, Stress, Romance. Summer Mix part 1 & 2

Here's a mix just cause. 28 songs. 2 parts. track list below. don't sleep.

PART ONE
The Seeds - cant seem to make you mine
Joy Division - candidate
Sparks - amateur hour
Devtochka - you love me
Fuzzbox - rules and regulations
The Jam - down in a tube station at midnight
Roland S. Howard - the breakdown
Mo Dettes - white mice
Psychic TV - godstar
Elysian Fields - stop the sun
The Clash - career opportunities
Jimmy Eat World - lucky denver mint
Cat Power - the greatest
Baby Shambles - fuck forever


PART TWO
Alkaline Trio - snake oil tanker
Strawberry Switchblade - go away
Ray Charles - night time (is the right time)
Death In June - she said destroy
Prince - call my name
Ink & Dagger - my lady love
Girls at our Best - fast boyfriends
Smokey Robinson - ooo baby baby
David Bowie - boys keep swinging
Cold Cave - love lets go
Frankie Avalon - beauty school drop out
The Smiths - what difference does it make
Lesley Gore - california nights
Boys Next Door - Shivers

nowhere to go

but down. We're jumping from windows just to get fresh air. Come breathe with us.