Latest "Under the Influence" Releases

One of my favorite labels, Suburban Home Records just announced the latest release in their Under the Influence series:

Andrew Jackson Jihad / Cobra Skulls

I'm too lazy to retype all the details and label owner Virgil Dickerson does it so well, so here's his note:

We are excited to announce the sixth release of our Under the Influence series. The series finds bands we love recording songs that have influenced their song writing. The artwork is being done by the very talented Mitch Clem and Nation of Amanda who has been asked to make their own renditions of the album art that the song being covered originally appeared. For this sixth release, Andrew Jackson Jihad are covering Neutral Milk Hotel's "Two Headed Boy" and Cobra Skulls are covering Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues". The 7″s will come with a coupon that will allow you to download the tracks as mp3s. The 7″ will be pressed as an edition of 2,000 copies. We should have copies by the middle of March.

Listen to the tracks from this Under the Influence plus the previous 5 volumes here. You can also listen to them at the Andrew Jackson Jihad and Cobra Skulls' Myspace pages.
PRESSING INFO:
300 ON MAROON
700 ON SWAMPWATER GREEN
1,000 ON BLACK/WHITE HALF AND HALF

The Pre-order will commence today, Thursday, January 27th, at 2pm Mountain (4pm Eastern,1pm Pacific, 9pm London, 10pm Berlin, 6AM Friday Tokyo,8am Friday Sydney)

God, I hope it's the heroin talkin'...

BEST. E-MAIL. EVER.

So not music related, but after reading this post, you'll understand why I had to post it.

A friend of mine received this e-mail and it has got to be the best Spam message ever! (despite no ask to forward on for good luck or promise of millions from a Nigerian bank...) It does involve Scarlett Johansson, the Antichrist, Nazi's and self-censoring of the word 'damn'.

Here's the message in it's entirety, with no editing on my part:

IT IS NOT A SPAM, but if you received that message second and plus time JUST CLICK DELETE button and have a nice day. Don't feel bad, please understand original Scarlett's family very desperate to shut down that humiliating antichristian "actress" clones line career development. Hello dear Ladies and Gentlemen! I would like inform you that Scarlett Johansson (actress) actually is a clone from original person Scarlett Galabekian last name, who has nothing with acting career. That clone was created illegally by using stolen biological material. Original person is very nice (not d**n sexy),most important - CHRISTIAN young lady! I'll tell you more,those clones (it's not only one) made in GERMANY - world leader manufacturer of humans clones, it is in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Mr. Helmut Kohl home town. You can not even imaging the scale of the cloning activity. But warning! Helmut Kohl clone staff strictly controlling all their clones (at least they trying) spreading around the world, they are very accurate with that, some of them are still NAZI type disciplined and mind controlled clones, so be careful get close with clones you will be controlled as well. Original person is not happy with those movies, images, video, rumors and etc. spreading on media in that way it would be really nice if we all will try slow down that ''actress'' career development, original Scarlett will really appreciated that. Please remember that original Scarlett's family did not authorize any activity with stolen biological materials, no matter what form it was created in it was stolen and it is stolen. It all need to be delivered to authorize personals control in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Original Scarlett never was engaged, by the way! Her close friend Serge G. P.S. CONTROLLING ACTIVITY OF ANY CLONES IS US MILITARY OPERATION. Check also here: http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2008/10/warning_stolen_biological_mate.html H.R. 534, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003, was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on February 5, 2003. After discussion, it was passed on February 27 by a vote of 241-155. It now moves on to the Senate for consideration. This bill makes it unlawful for any person or entity to perform or participate in human cloning, or to ship or receive embryos produced by human cloning. The penalties are imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of $1 million or more. These now join other nations as diverse as Norway, Australia, and many other countries, which had already added cloning for any purpose to their criminal code. And in Germany where it carries a penalty of five years imprisonment they know a thing or two about unethical science.

<http://www.nationalpost.com/_assets/images/logo-np-large.gif>

9/28/2008 3:39:44 PM


Scarlett Johansson weds Ryan Reynolds in B.C. <http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=845158>


, National Post
Published: 9/28/2008 3:39:44 PM

Hollywood starlet Scarlett Johansson married Vancouver actor Ryan Reynolds at a ?remote wilderness resort? near Vancouver on Saturday

read more <http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=845158>

2008 Top 10

In no particular order...

Flogging Molly - Float (Side One Dummy) Just about every band with access to a mandolin and a tin whistle is now a Celtic rock band. But few will ever be able to turn out an album even remotely resembling Flogging Molly’s fourth proper record. From the opening jangly chords of “Requiem for a Dying Song,” to the album closer, Float is flawless all the way through.

Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound (Side One Dummy) It’s no secret that punk rockers love The Boss, but Gaslight Anthem’s sophomore release is a practically a love letter to Springsteen, with a few nods to everyone from Roy Orbison to the Counting Crows. With perfect sing-along working class odes to everything from classic cars to Miles Davis, The ’59 Sound is proof that this band is bound to be around for decades to come.

The Loved Ones - Build & Burn (Fat Wreck Chords) One of Philly’s best punk bands is starting to move a little further away from the punk camp and settle for more of a straight ahead rock sound, but there’s no complaining here. Build & Burn, their second full length release and most experimental record so far, is also their strongest lyrically and hopefully a prelude for what’s to come next.

The Clash - Live at Shea (Legacy) A few tracks from this New York, early 80’s opening gig for The Who have popped up on records here and there, but Live at Shea is the first time The Clash’s historic show has been available from start to finish. The set could almost stand in as a greatest hits disc for the band with songs like “Train in Vain,” “Spanish Bombs” and “London Calling.” I don’t care how big of a Who fan you are, there is no doubt the punk rock upstarts from England owned this night.

The Riot Before - Fists Buried Deep in Pockets (Say-10) These Richmond kids get my vote for most underrated album of the year. Drawing inspiration from other DIY outfits like Hot Water Music and Smoke or Fire, between basement shows and VFW Hall gigs, The Riot Before managed to turn in a stellar second album, brimming with blue collar punk rock anthems like “Election Day” and “Threat Level Midnight.”

Tim Barry - Manchester (Suburban Home) Former Avail front man Tim Barry picked up an acoustic guitar a few years ago and hasn’t let go of it since. On his latest, Manchester, Barry seems to have perfected the punk/folk hybrid, bringing politically-charged lyrics (“South Hill”) and angst-tinged vocals all backed by subtle acoustic guitar and drums. The genre is ideal for Barry’s distinctive, emotion-laden voice that sounds just as powerful when he’s not competing with distorted guitars.

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (Vagrant) Listening to Stay Positive, the latest from New York by way of Minneapolis band The Hold Steady, it’s kind of hard to believe bars existed before these guys were around to play in them. The Hold Steady strip away all pretentiousness and faux attitude in favor of substance and solid songwriting. Stay Positive is the best record Tom Petty never wrote this year.

Osaka Popstar - Rock 'Em O'Sock 'Em Live! (Misfits Records) It was hard to believe that this punk rock super group, comprised of refuges from The Misfits, The Voidoids and The Ramones, could top their 2006 debut Osaka Popstar and the American legends of Punk, but adding the immediacy of a live audience managed to do just that. A hybrid of originals and covers recorded at a small Jersey club show finds the band in their element. Can’t wait to see how they are going to top this one.

Ninja Gun - Restless Rubes (Suburban Home) Ever wondered what the son of a Valdosta, Georgia pig farmer would write about? Judging from songs like “Red State Blues” and “Restless Rubes,” it’s pretty much about feeling out of place and being stuck out in the middle of nowhere. The band’s sophomore record is a packed with amazing roots-based rock songs that would make Gram Parsons shed tears of joy.

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL recordings) There’s a reason why everyone from the trendy indie kids at Pitchfork to the Boomer-loving editors at Rolling Stone all threw Vampire Weekend into the their Best of ’08 lists: there is no getting around how great this release is. Recorded by over-educated, African drumming-obsessed, children of privilege, I wanted nothing more than to write this album off as more undeserved hype from the next big things, but from the first track on, the record is one of the most exciting releases in years, even if it’s members ironically wear boat shoes and pop up the collars on their pastel polo shirts.