I Went to a Show: Eddie Spaghetti at Music Millennium and Devils Point (Apr. 22, 2011)

A double dose of Eddie Spaghetti? What a way to spend a Friday evening with my lady, who got dragged along to all this nonsense. But, she's a good sport, and she's been subjected to enough of this dude to be familiar with his catalog (or at least all the songs that he always plays live), so I figure that some of her crippling boredom is alleviated by the comforting familiarity of it all. Right? Isn't that how it works?

I found out about the Eddie Spaghetti show at Devils Point a few months ago, and I've had that shit marked on my calendar since then. But the Music Millennium performance? That was a last-minute surprise. In fact, I wouldn't even have known about it if I didn't follow the ol' Millennium on Twitter, where they announced it a few days before. I usually get my Eddie info from the Supersuckers chain of internet promotion, but their site is getting revamped and emails from them have been more sporadic than usual. Not sure what's up there. But it matters not: I found out about the pre-show in-store and, along with about twelve other Eddie Spaghetti faithfuls, watched Eddie and "Metal" Marty Chandler run through five or six songs from the hallowed Millennium balcony. They sounded pretty good, and after their truncated-because-of-low-attendance (I'm assuming) set, they offered to put anyone who bought the new LP (Sundowner) on the guest list for the show at Devils Point that night.

Turns out that was a pretty sweet deal, because admission to the show was ten bucks, and that record is awesome. So it was a win-win for people unlike me who already bought the album when it came out because they're a real fan. But, you know, that's neither here nor there.

Devils Point (yes, apparently there is no apostrophe in the name) is a strip club, and one that seems to cater to a dirty rock sort of crowd. I used to spend time in joints like that years ago, but it had been a while since I'd been in one. I half-assumed there'd be dancers doing their thing while the bands were playing, but that was before I found out how tiny the place is. There's one stage, a handful of tables, and some pockets of standing room in the section where the stage is. The place was packed, and even though the space is small, there were a good amount of people there.

After a few opening acts that fit the outlaw-dude-with-an-acoustic-guitar vibe of the evening, Eddie and Marty hit the stage to raucous applause. (Eddie looked relieved to be getting up to play. The wife and I had a seat back by his merch table where he was hanging out, and we watched this drunk dude who kept telling anyone who would listen that he and Eddie "go way back" talking loudly in his face for at least an hour. It was awkward.) It was pushing 11, and the crowd of surly dudes and their dragged-along ladies were pretty hosed.

Depending on who you were, this either made for a great show or a kind-of annoying one. But, this is the deal with Eddie Spaghetti/Supersuckers shows, so I shan't bitch about it. The only part that sucks is that Eddie's solo gigs are usually all-requests, so the dude who screams the loudest often gets to pick the song. And, because I'm a snob/cool guy, I never yell anything and then am disappointed when he ends up playing what I consider the most obvious of tracks. But, that's my cross to bear, and it's an admittedly pathetic one. Still, it's applicable here, because the drunk dudes were yelling the same ol' song titles, and the set ended up consisting of a lot of the same tunes that Eddie always plays. Guess I can't fault him for giving the people what they want.

The ten-minute version of "Killer Weed" aside (ugh), this ended up being a peppy show in a weird-ass venue, and one that I'm glad I went to. The attempted rousing finale of "Born With a Tail" didn't have nearly the same effect as it does when played with a full band, but I suspect that some folks aren't happy unless their middle fingers are in the air at the end of the night. Fair enough.

Speaking of the end of the night: Eddie's set got cut slightly short because the strippers were lined up and ready to dance at midnight. It was hilarious and sad and my wife wouldn't let me stay and watch any of them. Damn.

Record Store Day 2011.

More like Record Store Morning for me. Here's how it went down:

I had planned to meet some friends in front of Music Millennium around 7AM to wait in line (they were opening at 8), but hadn't had those plans officially confirmed before I went to sleep Friday night. No idea why I suddenly awoke at 5 this morning, but I did, and figured I'd check my email to see if the dudes had hit me up. They had, and they decided to get nuts and arrive at the Millennium at 6. I hopped in the shower, ate a little food, and left in time to get coffee on my way there.

My friends had arrived at 7 last year and said that there was one or two people ahead of them in line. When we showed up at 6 (luckily we all arrived at the same time), there were already about 10-15 people lined up by the door. We took our place in line, and got to waitin'. As time passed, the line kept growing, and you could see the disappointment on some folks' faces as they took their place.

At one point the wife and kid of the guy behind us left, and when they came back, a guy behind them in line accused them of cutting, saying "guys, we can't have that." The dude behind us flipped out, calling the other guy a "fucking dick" while he explained to them that they had come with him and had just gone out to do something. Other dude apologized, while guy behind us's wife said she wasn't even buying anything, so it shouldn't matter. (I later saw her with an armload of vinyl, but whatevs.)

Other than that, things seemed to go pretty smoothly. Of course, we were near the front of the line, so we weren't really worrying about not getting what we wanted. So maybe shit got weird and I just didn't see it. The people who work at Music Millennium had it all well-organized, and even provided coffee and muffins, which was very nice.

They opened the doors right at 8, and filed us in and up to the left, where they normally keep the new releases. After that, it was off to the other side where they had all the 7"s up on shelves above the used CDs. Oh, and they gave us sweet official RSD 2011 bags full of schwag as we walked in. The bags are really nice and mad reusable, so I'm happy to have that. Since we were some of the first people in there, we had first dibs at whatever we wanted. I had my list ready, and pretty much stuck to it.

Want to know what I got? Sure you do.


Nirvana - Hormoaning

I was going to be irate if I didn't get one of these, and I was a bit worried because I kept hearing varied numbers as to how many they were actually going to press. Music Millennium had a fat stack of 'em, so I was in good shape. Cover-wise, this is a faithful recreation of the original, but the vinyl is vastly different, with an orange swirly sort of thing going on. It also came with a Nevermind 20th Anniversary sticker that features some great news on the back: 1991: The Year Punk Broke is finally coming to DVD this fall. Boom.


Sonic Youth - Whore's Moaning

A wonderful companion piece to my previous purchase, and equally faithful to the original. (Seriously, you cannot find "2011" anywhere on these things.) This one's on clear blue vinyl and also came with the Nirvana sticker. These are both records that I was probably never going to own an original copy of, so this is the next best thing. This was another one that I was going to be bummed about if I didn't get, so it also felt good to walk out with one of these. And those were the only two 12"s I got, if you can believe that.


Urge Overkill - "Effigy b/w "The Kids are Insane" 7"

Still struggling to understand this one, though I'm glad to have it. When I heard that Urge Overkill was releasing a new single for RSD, I was excited. I had already heard the song, but I was looking forward to owning it. When I read that the b-side was going to be "The Kids Are Insane," I didn't really get it, because that song is 20 years old. Maybe they were going to re-work it? Nope. It's just the version from The Supersonic Storybook. Weird. Sweet marbled green vinyl though.


The New Pornographers - "Moves" 7"

Apparently they only pressed 500 of these for RSD, so I figured I better get on board. And on board I got. Features the b-side "A Drug Deal of the Heart," which I don't believe I had heard before. Download card came with a download of the video, which is weird. Kind of. Black vinyl.



Busdriver - "Ass to Mouth" 7"

Charming title, isn't it? Two great new songs from Busdriver, pressed on sky-blue vinyl that is really awesome-looking. These had been mail order-only for the last month, so I'm glad I held out. Both songs are really solid.





The Doors - "Riders on the Storm" 7"

The Doors are struggling for ideas, but it doesn't stop them from cranking out stuff, and it apparently doesn't stop losers like me from scooping it up. This single contains the regular version of "Riders on the Storm" on one side, and a "previously unreleased mono mix" on the other. There were three different covers. I bought all three. One of them is in Spanish. So that's kind of cool. Don't judge me.

And that was it. Thought about the Kill Rock Stars comp, but, meh. Wished I was a White Stripes fan, because I could have got some of those singles that I'm sure people are freaking out about right now. Other than that, there was nothing that I was dying to get. Which was good, because I didn't have to blow a ton of cash.

Looks like next year we'll be getting there at 5. Yikes.

Prepping for Record Store Day, 2011.

If I'm planning on getting out of bed on a Saturday earlier than I normally do during the week, you know there must be record-buying involved.

I've gone out and about - and took my sweet time about it - during the past few RSDs, but tomorrow will mark the first time that I've actually gotten up to go wait in line. I'll be camped out in front of Music Millennium when they open, in hopes to get a few records before they're gone. I'm excited. Promised the wife I wouldn't spend too much money, and while that's going to be frustrating, I don't think it'll be an issue. There's only a few items that I really, really want.

I'm looking to pick up a copy of Nirvana's Hormoaning, because I'll never be able to afford an actual copy of it. Telling myself this will be the next best thing.

Also want to get the Busdriver and Built to Spill 7"s that are seeing limited release. Maybe The Doors' "Riders on the Storm" mono 7". Hopefully the New Pornographers 7", but there's only 500 of those available. Sonic Youth's Whore's Moaning would be nice. New Urge Overkill 7" - maybe one of those.

There's a handful of other things that are appealing, but not as much so. I guess it all depends on how it goes. Look for my follow-up post detailing the whole damn thing.

Spring Break Record Shopping, Part Eleven: Everyday Music (Sandy) - Portland, Oregon.

Another photo that is obviously not mine (you don't think it's sunny in Portland right now, do you?), but I'm jackin' that shit anyway. Because I'm ruthless when it comes to unauthorized screen caps. Blaow.

So, the last major stop we made during our spring break spending rampage was, of course, the place I can't stay away from for more than two weeks: Everyday Music on Sandy Blvd. And, as usual, I bitched about it being pointless and then walked out with a bunch of stuff. Only a few records, however. But I also got a copy of The Spinanes' Manos on cassette, which will serve my garage nicely. And I think I picked up a few random video tapes. But we're not here to talk about those. We're here to talk about the final hauls that Pocaroba and I left with. So here they are.

Me first.


Mudhoney - "Sonic Infusion" 7" (2002)

This is a single for the last song from Mudhoney's vastly underrated 2002 album, Since We've Become Translucent. The album version is almost eight minutes long, so this is the "edit," which clocks in at a lean four and a half. Kind of cool to have a different version. This also contains "Long Way to Go," an Alice Cooper cover that, as far as I can tell, is only available here. So that is also sweet. For two bucks, too.


Homostupids - The Intern LP (2007)

Certainly did not expect to walk away with this, but I seem to be unable to escape the Homostupids at this point. Pocaroba pulled this out of the used Punk/Metal section for me, and I was glad he did. My first Homostupids LP. And it's pressed on sweet marbled blue vinyl. I still can't decide if "Tip of the Worm" or "Dickstring" is my favorite cut, but there's plenty of time for important decisions like that.


Octant - Car Alarms and Crickets (2000)

What can I say? Pocaroba inspired me with his Easy Street purchase of this same album. This is some bizarre instrumental stuff, but I've been listening to this record a little bit for the past week, and I'm really getting into it. It also led me to discover that there is a brand new Octant record out, which is cool news. I will be buying that at some point.


Radiohead - The King of Limbs (2011)

I had been listening to a not-exactly-legal copy of this since it came out, because I was waiting to buy the LP. Finally saw the LP, and ponied up for it. Worked out well, because I also got one of those newspapers they were handing out (The Universal Sigh, now stuffed inside the LP for safe keeping), as well as this big, framable painting print. (Basically I got this setup, but with an LP instead of CD.) You can look forward to my big write-up on this record in the next week or so.

Think that was it for me. Now Pocaroba:


Red Rocket - "Jane Wiedlin" 7" (1995)

I love this old Seattle pop-punk band called Ten-O-Seven. Their first album is currently my personal white whale. Well, Red Rocket is the lead guy's band after they broke up. This 45 was actually on my little cheat-sheet that I brought with me and I was super excited to find it for a dollar. Nice to know that something I am really looking for is one step above garbage. What is wrong with me?


Sone - "David's Sling" 7" (1993)

I have owned this 45 for years but apparently it somehow got warped. I was hoping to replace it while back in the NW and sure enough, found it for 2 dollars. This record rules, so Portlanders, dig this out of your local budget bin and hear Ralf from the Feelings caterwauling on side 2. It's good stuff.


Hardship Post - "Sugarcane" 7" (1993)

I always liked Hardship Post and didn't know that this record existed. So there you go.






Cease and Desist/No Class - Split 7"

I was intrigued by the massive amount of paper stuffed into this Seattle crusty punk 45. For a dollar I couldn't say no. Apparently these guys had a lot of political ideas they wanted you to know about. Hence all the leaflets and posters shoved inside. What go-getters.


Shoeface - "Long Time for You" 7" (1993)

I always liked a song of these guys' on an old comp I had (a running theme on this trip, apparently) and couldn't say no to this silk-screened covered 45 for a buck. Shoeface are basically run of the mill early 90s indie rockers. But real ugly.



Rally Boy - "I Got Dumped" 7" (1998)

How have I never owned this? My old friend Justin's band's first 45 pressed up on gorgeous white vinyl. I have been waiting to own this for at least a decade.



Drunken Orgy of Destruction - "Tam Tam's Revenge" 7" (1999)

I bought this if only to own the song "Aaron won $200 at Bingo When He Was 9 and His Mom Bought His Christmas Presents With It." That is priceless. I have no idea what it sounds like but the 10-song 45 always means its really noisy punk.



Whipped/Inhumane - We Need Our Wars Split 7" (1999)

But Biff, didn't you already buy this? Yes, yes I did. But that one was on red and this one was on black. Plus it had the Whipped poster that apparently my first one was missing. So now I rule.



So, there you have it, folks. It was a hard-fought journey, but at the end of it we walked away with our arms full, and our wives pissed at us because we spent too much money. Yes, we're some responsible adults. Until next time.

Spring Break Record Shopping, Part Ten: Jackpot Records/Crossroads Music - Portland, Oregon.

Jackpot records on Hawthorne is really just the worst place in town if you're looking for used vinyl. They rarely have anything that I'm interested in. And if they do, they've got it priced just high enough that I convince myself I could get a better deal somewhere else. And then I do. Pocaroba didn't leave Jackpot with anything - I don't think - and I walked out with a measly 7", but it was a good one:


Frank Black - "The Marsist" 7" (1995)

Pocaroba pointed this out to me, and though I have both of the songs (the b-side, "Better Things," a Kinks cover, is on the import CD single of "I Don't Want to Hurt You" from the same era), I was down to pick this up for five bucks. My Frank Black 7" collection is spotty at best. Then we flipped it over and noticed that it was #10 out of 3000, and that sealed the deal. Looks great next to my "Men in Black" single.

So, not surprisingly, that was all I got at Jackpot. We had some more time to kill (aren't vacations great?), so we walked down the road to Crossroads Music, which, as I've probably stated on here somewhere before, is probably my favorite record store in town. It's huge, there's an incredible variety, and it's so closed off from society that you really feel like you can lose yourself in there.

The flipside of that: when you have limited time, it can feel overwhelming. And, we ended up not having much time in there. But, I did walk out with a record I've been wanting for a long time:


Best Kissers in the World - Puddin' (1993)

Sorry for the terrible photo. But it comes in a plain white cardboard sleeve and that's not very exciting. BKITW releases were always so weird, and this one is no exception. There was no vinyl officially released for this EP. This is the promo, and it's pressed on ultra-sweet pink vinyl (as you can see). Not sure what sense that makes. Regardless, other than this other promo 7" I've been looking for (but not very hard), this was one of the last Best Kissers items I need to complete my sad little collection. The crazy thing is, I almost paid $15 for it at a shop when we were up in Seattle. Glad I didn't. Got it for about half that at Crossroads. Boom.

Next up: we wind down at Everyday Music.

Spring Break Record Shopping, Part Nine: CD/Game Exchange - Portland, Oregon.

Yes, I've resorted to taking screen caps of Google Street View. I strive for accuracy.

If you live in Portland, then you know that NE Mississippi Ave. is a hotbed of gentrified coolness right now. I don't know how long there's been a CD/Game Exchange there, but I had no idea it existed, because I don't spend a whole lot of time in that neighborhood, other than to go to the Rebuilding Center, which is the most awesome place in town to get shit to fix up your old house. But that's another blog post. Anyway, I didn't leave with any music, but Pocaroba picked up some stuff.

Check it:

Crunt - Crunt (CD, 1994)

Wock found this one for me on the budget wall. I have no idea how I never knew that this existed. Apparently Kat Bjelland, of Babes in Toyland fame, who I was a monumental fan of at the time, put this out in-between the Babes' last two albums. I guess it is a side project with her husband at the time and Jon Spencer drummer Russell Simins. I wish I would have found this back in '93. Still, I am curious to hear it now in 2011.


Portastatic - Be Still Please (CD, 2006)

How did I find this on the budget wall for a dollar? This is only a couple years old and it is the dude from Superchunk's other band. Whatever, I'll take it. I'm a big fan of early Portastatic and am interested to know what his newer stuff, clocking in at roughly 4 minutes per song, sounds like.


The Hextalls - The Hextalls (CD, 2000)

Ron Hextall is an old goalie for the Flyers and so when I found this album in the budget rack I was intrigued. The fact that it had a song called "(I'd Take An) Al McInnis Slapshot in the Balls For You" sealed the deal. The quarter price tag didn't hurt.



Next up: We hit Hawthorne and, in a shocking turn of events, don't find much.

Spring Break Record Shopping, Part Eight: 99 Cent Records - Portland, Oregon.

Even after our monumental day in Seattle, we still hadn't had enough. Later in the week we headed out again in Portland, this time making our way to a bunch more stores. I can't really remember the order at this point, but that's not important.

I really wanted to go to 99 Cent Records, because I hadn't been there in a while and I'm trying to make a point of supporting that place. The people who run it are cool, and they've always got cool shit. They seem to be doing well; there's always people in there when I'm there. (This picture is not from our trip - I stole it from their Facebook page.) I picked up some random dollar records when I was there, but this was my major purchase:


Kurupt - Tha Streetz iz a Mutha (1999)

Young Gotti in this piece. I've actually never even owned a CD copy of this record, which is a bit odd. But now I've got the 2xLP so that makes up for it. I'm not always in the mood for West Coast gangsta these days, but when I am, I'll be reaching for this. Daz is all over this thing, which is a good thing. "Who Ride Wit Us" is the jam.


Here's what Pocaroba picked up:


Julie Brown - Trapped in the Body of a White Girl (1987)

My last trip I picked up the 45 for the title song which has the exact same cover as the LP. Odd move. When I first saw this I thought it was a 12" single. Alas, it was a full-length LP. My record collection all of a sudden has a Julie Brown LP, 45, and 12" single. It's all falling into place. Julie Brown, you continue to fascinate me.


Next up: We go to a CD/Game Exchange that I didn't even know existed.

Spring Break Record Shopping, Part Seven: Easy Street Records (West Seattle) - Seattle, Washington.

The West Seattle Easy Street is both a cafe and a record store, and it's two stories, with mostly CDs on the first floor, and mostly vinyl and DVDs upstairs. It's an interesting setup, and while I initially didn't think it was too exciting compared to the Queen Anne store that I'm used to, I ended up finding more stuff at this location, so I guess that speaks for itself.

It had the vibe of an outskirts record shop: things didn't seem to be as picked-through as they might be at a place that's located in a heavier-traffic area. But, who knows. Maybe I just randomly had better luck at this location. Either way, we had a good time at what ended up being our last stop of the day, and I think we spent a good hour and a half there. Great way to wrap up our ambitious day of digging.

Here's what I walked away with:


Dwarves/Royce Cracker split 7" (2009)

Still trying to figure out what the deal is with this thing. I think Royce Cracker may be the pseudonym of the Dwarves' producer Bradley Cook...? There's three songs by them, with Blag doing vocals on one and Rex Everything (Nick Oliveri, from what I understand) doing vocals on another. "Crazy Tweeker Bitch" does vocals on the enchanting "Meth Stop Calling." Speaking of meth, this 7" comes with a fake bag of it, as well as a full-color insert and a Dwarves sticker, which I just discovered. My copy is on green vinyl. Dwarves tracks are a live version of "Speed Demon" from 1995 and "Tweek," which is a helium-voiced rap track. So odd. Love it.


DJ Chuck Chillout & Kool Chip - "Gimme Minze" 12" (1990)

Yeah, like I'm gonna pass this up for a dollar. I mean, that cover alone makes it mandatory. Crazy that this came out in 1990; it sounds way more like 1986. But, who cares. There are eight tracks on this thing, featuring three separate songs in various versions. Now that's value. Speaking of value, there's an ad for a 900 number you can call on the back of this thing that shows a drawing of hot chick on a phone. Doesn't appear to have anything to do with the record. Bold.


The Strokes - Angles (2011)

I'd been listening to the stream of this record during the week preceding our trip, and though I still hadn't formed a solid opinion on it, I knew that I wanted to get the LP. The price is a bit high on this thing, but the packaging is sweet, and hey, it's the first Strokes record in years. I've been listening to this one here and there since I bought it, and I'm really getting into most of it. I'll probably do a proper review of it soon.


Princess Superstar - "Bad Babysitter" 12" (2002)

Another record that I wasn't going to pass up for a buck. Includes a remix, an instrumental, and clean takes on both the album version and the remix. Fairly standard 12", but like I said: for a buck, I'm diggy down.



King Sun - XL (1989)

I don't even know if I've ever heard King Sun before, but I've been hearing the dude's name for 20 years. And, if it's rap from 1989, I'm down if this price is right. The price was right on this one. Haven't had a chance to spin it yet, because I've been going through all this other damn stuff. But I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with the King.


V/A - Colors: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1988)

Would you believe I've never owned a copy of this? Dude I went to junior high with used to rock this on the regular, and though I feel like I remember some of it, a few of these tracks (Decadent Dub Team?) aren't ringing a bell. Haven't rocked this one yet, either, but I plan to real soon. Got this one for a great price. One of those records I've wanted for a while, but didn't want to pay ten bucks for. You understand.


Frank Zappa - Baby Snakes (1982)

This was probably my biggest score of the day. I never see this record in stores, or even at record shows. Finally found it, and the price wasn't through the roof. I've since learned that there are two versions of this picture disc: the original, released in 1983 (though this LP says 1982 on the sticker), and a "Digitally Remixed and Remastered" version that came out in 1988. This one is the 1988 version. So, I suppose I'll still be on the lookout for an original. But, I am so happy to finally have this in any form. This is in great shape, with the original sleeve and sticker. Sweet.

Here's what Pocaroba got:


Sleeper - "Display" 7" (1993)

Early Sleeper 45, who later changed their name to Serpico. I found a really rare 45 of theirs on my last trip and figured "why not" when I found this one.






Wandering Lucy - "Really Truly" 7" (1995)

I have a secret fantasy to collect every entry in K Records International Pop Underground 45 series. This is the first shot across the bow of that pretty impossible goal. Yay me!





And, that wrapped up our big day in Seattle. Of course, we weren't done for the week. Up next: we go back to Portland, get some rest, and get back out there.

Spring Break Record Shopping, Part Six: Rubato Records - Seattle, Washington.

When we left the Queen Anne Easy Street, our plan was to go directly to the other one - the West Seattle location that we'd never been to before. So, we headed south, then veered west, crossed a bridge, and parked the car on California Ave. As we got out and started toward the weird four-way crosswalk that would lead us to Easy Street, I looked south half a block and saw the sign that you see up there. Could it be? Another record store? It was a little after 7, but we knew Easy Street was open till 9. We decided to investigate.

The sign on the door at Rubato said it closed at 7, but there was still a bin of VHS tapes on the street and a dude milling about inside. I opened the door, asked him if he was still open, and he said he'd hang out if we wanted to look around. Cool. We browsed for about 20 minutes before he said he was ready to go, but we found a few things amongst the odd mix of music, DVDs, and VHS tapes. Lots of vinyl crammed in there, and he seemed negotiable on the prices. I like both of those things.

Here's what I got, after putting down a copy of Big Daddy Kane's Looks Like a Job For..., which I just couldn't pull the trigger on for twenty bucks:


Money Mark - Mark's Keyboard Repair (1996)

Pocaroba gleefully clowned my continued devotion to this album when I was purchasing the still-in-shrink 3x10" version that I found while digging through the New Arrivals at this place, but I feel no shame. This continues to be one of my all-time favorite mostly-instrumental records, and I will not apologize for that. Great record to put on if you want to get shit done. And the package that this thing comes in is cool.


Funkdoobiest - "Bow Wow Wow" 12" (1992)

I still hold some strange place in my heart for Funkdoobiest, though I doubt I'll listen to this single much. Kind of a weird one. It's on clear vinyl, so that's pretty cool. But it doesn't contain the album version of "Bow Wow Wow." Instead, it has a remix, a radio edit, and an instrumental. And the remix isn't that much different than the album version. Side B has "I'm Shittin' on 'Em," and then a clean version where the swear words are cut and the chorus is changed to "I'm Flippin' on 'Em." And then an instrumental of that track. Still feeling good about this one, though.

Here's what Pocaroba got:


764-HERO - "Garrison" 7" (2000)

I took a little list of things I was looking for to remind myself in times of confusion. "764-Hero 45s" was on that list. 4 bucks and we're good to go.





God's Acre - "Riff-o-Rhama" 7" (1989)

This was a nice little find at one dollar. I always really liked their song on the Teriyaki Asthma compilation. So there you go.





Next up: We cross the street once, and then again.

Spring Break Record Shopping, Part Five: Easy Street Records (Queen Anne) - Seattle, Washington.

I scored a bunch of cool LPs at this Easy Street location the last time we came up here, so I was really looking forward to getting in there again. I didn't leave with nearly as much stuff this time, but I still had a good time digging through their records. They've always got a fat New Arrivals section, and though I didn't find anything in there this time, it wasn't because of a lack of quality LPs. They just weren't ones I was interested in.

We hung around Easy Street for about an hour and a half, and I felt like we got to see everything we wanted to see there. In a totally boneheaded move, I came across an advance copy of the Supersuckers' La Mano Cornuda which I had recently been looking at on eBay, and I somehow convinced myself that I had already bought it. Of course, when I got home, I realized that I was thinking of a completely different eBay purchase, and I didn't have it. It's still on eBay, but it'll cost me about eight more dollars than it would have if I would have just bought it there. Classic me.

So, like I said, I didn't leave with much. Here's the few things I picked up, followed by Pocaroba's slightly larger haul:


The Strokes - "Juicebox" 7" (2005)

This is easily the most common Strokes single, and that's why I was waiting until I found it for two bucks to buy it. It's a promo, and they must have sent them everywhere, because I see them all the time. Despite its ubiquity, it's actually a cool little single. Features album and live versions of "Juicebox," as well as the non-album track "Hawaii," which, while definitely a b-side, isn't a bad song at all.


RTX - Transmaniacon (2004)

Yes, RTX isn't quite as good as Royal Trux, but I still dig their shit. Hadn't heard this record, and when I came across a sealed copy in the discount bin at Easy Street, I figured it was as good a time as any to give it a go. I've listened to it a few times, and I'm digging it. Jennifer Herrema's voice could be a deal-breaker for some people (she even auto-tunes it on one song on here, which is bizarre), but I've learned to love it. If anyone has a CD or digital copy of this I could really use it. I can't find one and this didn't come with a download.


Dwarves - Fuck You Up and Get Live (DVD, 2005)

I set out trying to find the Dwarves' FEFU DVD because it's been in "short wait" limbo in my Netflix cue for four months now, and I'm ready to watch it. I settled for this, which they had at Singles Going Steady for ten bucks, so I passed. Glad I did. Found it at Easy Street for half that. Haven't watched it yet. This is definitely one to save for date night with the wife. Oh, the look on her face when she saw this laying on the table... Proud moments.


I think that's all I got. There was an Obie Trice record I was thinking about getting (another discount bin special), but I put it back. I'm not gonna lie: I was a little disappointed. Just not my day, I guess.

Here's what Pocaroba left with:


Coolzey - The Honey (CD, 2010)

Can't believe I found this CD, brand new, in the one dollar budget bin. You have to wonder how it got there. If you don't listen to Coolzey you should. He is a midwest rapper that has been down with the CAC/Sticks Downey crew since '01. Can't wait to dive headfirst into The Honey.



Wallpaper - On the Chewing Gum Ground (CD, 2008)

Way back in the day I bought a homemade cassette by a band called Wallpaper after hearing a song of theirs on a compilation and loved it. In later years I learned that they were a side project for New Bad Things which intrigued me more. When I found this CD on K Records in the budget bin I quickly snagged. Internet research, however, has revealed that this is a different Wallpaper. What gives? How have I heard of the original but no one at K Records? Lame.


Sharks Keep Moving - Pause and Clause EP (CD, 2002)

This is the main guy in State Route 522's band after that band broke up. Apparently he got really into long, mathy instrumentals. Was happy to pay a dollar for this.





Octant - Car Alarms and Crickets (CD, 2000)

I have owned this on vinyl for years but always wanted to have CD quality versions of the songs. Finally found it for a buck. There is a hidden track of what seems to be noise on the CD. So there's that. If you want homemade instruments and lots of bleeps, this is it.



V/A - Grease: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (CD, 1978)

Yeah, that's right. This one dollar CD will nicely compliment the double LP of this that I already own. What's up now, nerds?





Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York (CD, 1994)

You know those albums that you have heard a billion times but would still like to have around? This is one of those. I never would have found this for 3 bucks in Tucson and made it happen at Easy Street. Thanks jaded NWers!



Next up: We cross the bridge that leads to West Seattle and discover a place we didn't even know existed.