It’s a long story as to why I missed out on this but it’s so blindingly awesome that I have to share it with you _right now_ — I give you the Ryan Creed Family Christmas Players

Embrace it. Baby Jesus compels you!

OK, OK, I’m feeling better after my self-imposed blogging vacation. It’s been a crazy month around these parts — my job is keeping my busy (imagine that, _doing work_) and the blues of Plain Parade’s passing are beginning to ease up.

Plain Parade’s Last Stand was pretty great and I want to thank anyone who came out to the shows or supported us in some way. As I said, I’ve been a little sad that it’s all over. Every moment — the good, the bad and the ugly — was worth it. Things I miss: coming home late from work to do more work, getting email from shitty bands with names like “Pimp Hat”, band cancellations, agents asking for way too much money and other sorts of things that at the time, drove me insane.

But now, onto other things — graduate school, deciding on whether that LCD Soundsystem/Nike track is actually gym-worthy and figuring out what the fuck to put down on my Idolator ballot:

» Bummerzville, Population 1 — Poor Dave Kain of RunRunner. Kid can’t seem to catch a break, according to this posted on BCO this morning:

it was on the stage, in the back loose, before i put it into the case. the one band we share a practice space with, so they definitely don’t have it. the other band i was on the phone with at like 2:30 in the morning having awkward conversations with- trying to find it if they accidentally packed it but not trying to imply they could’ve taken it on purpose.

anyone sees an off white fender mexican p bass with the in-0jack kinda busted up, it’s mine.

Jesus, Dave:

apparently someone moved it to a place i didn’t look (i thought i looked everywhere except the kitchen) and didn’t know i was looking for it or something.

» Bands I have seen: Macitajs On Acid, Constantines, Hold Steady, Parts & Labor, Saxon Shore — all solid performances.

» Pilam! It’s Back! Two years ago the building and some fire had a heavy session and in the process, got totally destroyed. The fraternity has been rehabbing the space since then (Ed Rendell, a brother, apparently unwilling to donate cash to the cause) and *TONIGHT* is its maiden voyage, featuring your pals and mine, The Trolleyvox! I couldn’t be more psyched — back when I was an underager, Pilam was the one place I was frequently able to see shows (same goes for Terrace Club, back in the olden days).

» 12/16: WQHS + Punk Rock Flea Market = Teh Awesome. Really. We’ve had this massive storage space full of crappy records from the 1990’s that we are unloading for your guilty (or not-so-guilty) pleasures. All proceeds benefit the radio station and we’d appreciate it if you could help us out.

On that note, let me just say that going through 1,000 or so CD’s is a pretty ardurous and grimy process. “What to keep? What to toss? Why are my hands black? Why were there so many shitty ska bands? How do we feel about the _Mortal Kombat II_ soundtrack?” are some of the questions we asked ourselves.

» Also: the return of comments!

I think I overslept and wound up cabbing to this show, which meant that I brought in a good chunk of my own records to make up for the loss of time. I don’t know why I thought talking over the Bis record would be a cool idea.

the b-52’s - dance this mess around - s/t

PAS/CAL - little red radio - dear sir ep
scrawl - let it all hang out - he’s drunk
any trouble - the hurt - where are all the nice girls?
otis redding - satisfaction - a history of…
yardbirds - puzzle - 7″
the grates - wash me - the ouch. the touch. ep
jordan o’jordan - niagara, niagara - not style, nor season, nor hard handed lesson - N

sonny rollins - misterioso - vol 2
scott solter - in tape grass - canonic: scott solter plays patternismovement - N
ill ease - power turns me on - all systems a-go-go
the quadrajets - aint red no more - the real effed up blues 7″
headgirl - bomber - st valentines day massacre 7″
a certain ratio - shack up - in the beginning there was rhythm

sonic youth - fauxhemians - the destroyed room: b-sides & rarities - N
the joggers - ziggurat traffic - with a cape & a cane
tuscadero - angel in a half shirt - teenbeat 20th anniversary sampler
butterglory - she’s got the akshun! - are you building a temple in heaven?
feathers - ap(parenthe)-synthesis - synchronomy - N
new order - temptation - 12″
27 - danger bird - songs from the edge of the wing

lambchop - grumpus - nixon
gunter noris - gemini - the in-kraut: hip shaking grooves made in germany 1966-1974
mirah - make it hot (tender forever remix) - joyride: remixes - N
bis - school disco - this is teen-c power!

the b-52’s - mesopotamia (1991 remix) - nude on the moon

Mariska Veres, the singer for Shocking Blue, has passed away according to reports on ILM. Can anyone read Dutch? If so, here are some headlines. For the rest of us, or perhaps even the uninitiated, Veres was an amazing singer, pretty much on par with Grace Slick in the vocal department. Here’s the videos to “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” and “Venus”, which are two of my favorites:

You will be missed!

Covered for someone’s shift this day — sometimes it’s nice to just do nothing but wake up and go DJ. Many skipping records on this particular, which is always a bummer.

new fast automatic daffodils - get better - and here is the young man
joy division - love will tear us apart - 7″
durutti column - messidor - LC
steven wright - rachel - i have a pony
mirah - make it hot (remix) - joyride:remixes - N
rafter - r is for reach - 10 songs - N

cynthia g mason - fits & starts - quitters claim - N
margo guryan - i dont intend to spend christmas with you - mp3
air miami - dolphin expressway - me. me. me.
wreckless eric - whole wide world - stranger fiction OST - N
chin up chin up - this harness cant ride anything - this harness cant ride anything - N
the long blondes - lust in the movies - someone to drive you home
the blow - parentheses - paper television - N

galaxie 500 - strange - on fire
the unintended - the way i feel - constantines / unintended split 12″
the count five - they’re gonna get you - 7″
eugene mirman - revolve (the complete new testament in the form of a teen magazine) - en garde society
hot iq’s - retromuff - dangling modifier - N
theoretical girls - u.s. millie - 7″
can - i want more - flow motion

narthex - are you from england? - twin cities
paint it black - atticus finch - CVA
pissed jeans - night minutes - throbbing organ 7″
stickmen - charmed - phantom plaything 7″
malaria - passion - emotion
mekons - dora - so good it hurts
medicine - aruca - aruca ep

frida hyvonen - the modern - until death comes - N