Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo) and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service) teamed up to write and record an album for the documentary “One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur”.  While originally set to record a few songs, the process and collaboration was so fruitful that it turned into a full length album which is named after the movie.

With Kerouac’s connection to jazz, both Farrar and Gibbard seem to be an odd choice to write and represent the spirit of Jack.  However, given the tragic nature of the book and Kerouac’s immersion into the depths of alcoholism and debilitating depression, Farrar with his naturally dour vocal styling and proclivity to writing deep emotionally damaged lyrics was a competent selection, while Gibbard seemed an awkward fit with his more melodic voice and previous synth heavy work with The Postal Service.  Read the rest of this entry »

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This year’s top ten list is a bit late.  I will confess that I have been busy setting up a new business venture that is finally starting to provide its own sustainability.  It involves people and things I am not allowed to elaborate on.  While it is something I love to do, it is not music related directly.  Therefore I feel this is an incorrect forum for this and subsequently no need to go into the details.

If you remember last year’s Top Ten, we certainly stirred up some controversy regarding the omission of a certain electronic guitarist due to a scheduling snafu.  For those of you who don’t remember, and due to the fact that their scheduling snafu affected shows that were due to happen this year, that same omission is applicable again this year.  That and the fact that a certain omitted electronic guitarist was asked by a member of the Montreal Gazette about the incident that occurred right here on the blog earlier this year.

So read on, get angry, write me nasty comments and tell me I do drugs and I should be sued for libel.

Been there, done that…

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Brooding guitar strings and loves lamentations as told through the expressions unique of Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s. The band hails from the ordinary land of Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana contributed to the music world with the musical stylings such as Shannon Hoon from Blind Melon and Axl Rose from Guns and Roses to name a couple. The band formed in 2005 when Richard Edwards and Chris Fry met in a pet store and became friends. What ensued would be musical releases that are a throwback to emotion in music and a rhythm unforgettable. They have released a number of noteworthy records to date, The Dust of Retreat released in 2006, The Daytrotter Sessions EP released in 2008, and Animal and Not Animal which were both released in late 2008. The band is on Epic Records which is home to other notable artists such as Fiona Apple and Modest Mouse. However, the latest and most awakening artist at the moment on the label has to be Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s. Read the rest of this entry »

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Them Crooked Vultures is the musical love child of Led Zeppelin and Nirvana consummated in the California dessert. The group was conceptualized in the mid 00’s but did not officially form until 2009.  Their self titled debut album was released in November 2009.

 The musical triumvirate, which I think sounds cooler than super group, of John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Dave Grohl ( Nirvanna & Foo Fighters), and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) play bombastic guitar driven rock that is in your face and unapologetic.  This is to say, they play rock music as it should be played.  Read the rest of this entry »

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As with every year, the first moments are spent looking back at the success, defeats, and…er…peculiar moments of the past year. One this same note, I will use this time to look on a particular moment in 2009 that, for me was its highlight. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Rockets “The Rockets”/”No Ballads” (Renaissance Records 160)

Not to be confused with the Los Angeles band that later changed their name to Crazy Horse, this particular group came from Detroit, Michigan. Formed in 1972 by drummer Johnny “Bee” Bandajek and guitarist James McCarty, who earlier had made their claim to fame with Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, The Rockets cut a total of five albums during the course of their existence. Although the band was hot stuff on a local level, they received only pockets of airplay elsewhere. “The Rockets” and “No Ballads,” which were released on RSO Records in 1979 and 1980 respectively, definitely rank as the band‘s best work. Now available on one compact disc, both these albums are ripe for rediscovery. Clinging fast to their Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels roots, the band practiced a festive brand of high energy blue-eyed soul music. Read the rest of this entry »

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Just arrived: 2,000 Jazz CDs! 

Just a quick note today; we’re hard at work processing many thousands of new arrivals. However, because it’s been a while since we’ve had a large jazz CD collection, we thought we’d take a moment to let you folks know that we’ve just purchased around 2,000 bop and post-bop era titles.  

This collection is comprised of classic recordings from the late 50’s through the 70’s (virtually no Big-Band titles).  It contains hundreds of great titles, many out-of-print, on Prestige, Blue Note, Riverside, Impulse, Contemporary, Hat Art, Verve, and many others labels.  Most of the jazz giants, Coltrane, Miles, Mingus, etc. are well-represented. 

Around half of these titles have been priced at $4.99 or less, are already out in our cheap/budget bins, and are selling briskly.  The rest are priced in the $5.99 to $9.99 range, and are being processed as you read this.  Hundreds are in-stock already (most in the new arrival bins, some filed), and the rest should be out by tomorrow.
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 Also, as always, please keep in mind that we are interested in buying your music and movies.  If you have any unwanted CDs, DVDs, or LPs gathering dust in your home, bring them in for cash or store credit.  No appointment needed for collections less than two hundred pieces.  For some basic info please see our web pages www.prex.com/sell-cds.html for CDs and DVDs and www.prex.com/sell-records.html for LPs.  Feel free to call us if you have any questions about selling your merchandise or email info@prex.com.

Hope to see you soon.

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Have you ever discovered a feeling and thought, “holy %^&*, I’ve gotta tell EVERYBODY!” Well, I just got that feeling, so I hope you like them too. Give it up for Pomplamoose:

http://www.youtube.com/user/PomplamooseMusic

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