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Top 10 lists are fun! We’re here to help you try one.

Friday, January 8th, 2010

I realize we aren’t exactly the first ones to hit you with a Top 10 list.  But hey, it’s the end of the year, and for the matter, the end of the decade… so lists were bound to happen

Being record store geeks, we really have to do them.  It is in our blood.

Steve - the Record Store Geek in cartoonOK, that might not be entirely true.  I’ll never really know, because the truth is that I “ask” (read: make?) all of the hoodlums to send me some lists, which they do… except for Kristian, the store’s co-owner and ultimate rebel, who can and does refuse to do them (You can see my “Want good music?  Ask Kristian” video blog here).

Don’t worry, they are all rebels to some degree.  We hire ‘em that way.  If I ask for top fives, they send top ten or twenty.  If I want two, they send ten; If I want ten, they send two.  If I ask for specific categories… they may or may not give them to me.  I will post them as they were sent to me, so you can see what I mean.  Last, but certainly, they send them late.

But one thing I do know for sure is: They don’t put things on their lists lightly.  Neither do I.

And they all know what I know: If you are a real music fan, doing top ten lists can be a lot of fun.  Really.  Once you get going, you can get out of control (see Andy the Hoodlums’ list for an example).

Would you like to try?  We’ll provide some incentive.  You send us you top five, or your top ten, or whatever music and movie rated list you want… and we’ll enter you in a contest to win $50 worth of good ol’ Hoodlums merchandise (otherwise known as a gift card).  Only two rules:

1) We gotta have ‘em by January 15th (that gives you roughly a week); and

2) You need to be prepared for us to possibly post them online.

Wanna play?  Email your name and lists to us by clicking here.  Send ‘em in text form if possible.

In the meantime, we’ll be posting our separately.

How do you do it?  Here’s how I do it:

  • Start drinking wine or beer.  Whatever you are in the mood for…
  • Put all of your CDs back in their proper alphabetized section (you have them alpha’d, right?).
  • Peruse your CDs and start writing down stuff.  Make sure music is playing to inspire you.  Drink more booze, or change albums, if it isn’t working.
  • Check other top ten lists to see if there is something that you forgot or misplaced.  Here’s some links for some good ones: NPR, Allmusic.com,  Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, and Aquarium Drunkard.
  • You have a whole decade to work with, so this shouldn’t be tough… but if it is, make just make up some categories (magazines do it all the time for their “best of” issues).
  • Type ‘em up and send ‘em to the Record Store Geek.

Sounds easy enough, eh?  You’ve got a week to enter the contest, so send those picks in.  Some of us are doing ours this week as well, so we’ll compare notes.

Posted in Random Babbling of a Record Store Geek, Store Observations, The Music | 1 Comment »

Video Recommendations from Record Store Geek

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Hey there gang,

Steve Wiley here, co-owner of Hoodlums, and official Record Store Geek.

Steve - the Record Store Geek in cartoonFor a long time now, I’ve been sending videos to my friends in lieu of email.  I don’ t profess to be cute enough for video (yes, it pains me to have to look my goofy hair, etc), and the lighting isn’t exactly studio-quality, but it allows me to inject a bit more personality than when I am strictly writing (which I like to do as well).

In these videos, the topic often moved to music, which is natural… since I’m a rambling toad and talking about music and movies is what I do.  So a while back I thought “Wow geekboy, maybe you should put these things on the Hoodlums’ Facebook page, since you do recommend and sell music for a living” (the actual thought was longer… that’s a recap).

So that’s what I did.  If you are a fan on Facebook, you can stop here.

If you’re not, I’m adding the vids to the website/blog… in case you need some new music (and because we just can’t “social network” enough).   Hopefully they aren’t too annoying, because after twenty-two years in this wacky industry, I have thousands of albums that I can passionately recommend.

Some of the videos are directly to the clowns I grew up with (Nodak cats with names like Slo, Ratch, Seif, Lenny, and Rubberhead).  Some are to family members.  Some are just to the customers in general.  They all have a bit more of a written description on the Facebook video page (along with links, etc.), in case you want the full impact.  They are all one takes , so there are plenty of gaffes.  Wanna talk more about the album?  Comment here or on our Facebook page… or better yet, come down to the store.

And now, the Record Store Geek recommends…

Bebel Gilberto.  “Tanto Tempo” &  “All in One”. 

This is about the supreme Brazilian wondergirl.  I still listen to “Tanto Tempo” twice a month… from beginning to end (which isn’t the case with lots of albums).

Big John Patton.  “Let ‘Em Roll”.

Amazing Blue note album of smokin’ hardbop jazz with an organ/guitar/vibe/drum combo that really moves.  I was listening to it on the ‘pod while walking, and I had to spew posi for someone to hear.

Michael Franti “Everyone Deserves Music”

This one is for Ratch’s kids.  They’ve been listening to T-Pain, and I felt the need to intervene with some positive hip hop recommendations.  It all starts with the mighty Franti… but the Facebook recap on this one has a bunch of links to other hip-hop.

Whiskeytown “Stranger’s Almanac”

Ryan Adams way back when he was David Ryan Adams.  This album, somehow, just keeps getting better for me.  Just typing this makes me want to listen to it.

Frank Zappa.  Making of Apostrophe/Overnite Sensation DVD.

This one is for Seif, the Nodak boy who turned me on to Zappa.  This Zappa DVD is amazing… simply loaded with all those closest to the man and the process.



Allman Brothers “Brothers and Sisters”

The one and only Allman Brothers… a pure rock and roll recommendation for my fellow “early 80’s” HS grads who may have missed it.

The Faces “Ooh La La”

This one is for my sister, to help her understand why I dog Rod Stewart about recording four albums full of standards.  This band is rock at it’s cocky best.

That’s everything.  Any new video recommendations will be posted first on our Facebook Page (it’s a great place for recommendations… because the non-video hoodlums weigh in there as well)

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Posted in Random Babbling of a Record Store Geek, The Music | 1 Comment »

Music Biz observations from our first year

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

The following blog is actually an email that was sent to our “Music Biz Bigshots” (which is how we lovingly refer to all of the record label and distributor people that we have done business with for twenty years now) email list. We always made it a point to let the industry know what we think of their hilarious decision-making while we were at ASU, and we are still doing it out here.  This time, we figured we’d at least leave it out there for the customers. After all, you guys are affected by their short-sightedness as well.

Hello fellow music biz geeks,

Are we still in this crazy business?  Man, it seems like forever since we talked.  Back in the old days, back in the time when we thought we understood the phrase “uncharted waters”, we used to send charts out every week.

Steve Wiley - Professional HoodlumAnyway, down there you will find a chart.  It’s our top 99 of our first full year at the new store.  Although the old store has a totally new personality, mine is still the same (insert smart-ass comment here), so I figured I’d comment on some of the industry-related things we noticed in our 1st year at the new joint.  If you want to scroll down and skip the babble… we’ll never know.

So what’s been going on at Hoodlums, you ask?  How’s biz and all that?

Well, we are officially a year old.  If you remember, we soft-opened on Saturday, September 20th, and our grand opening was in early October.  Two days later the stock market dove, officially signaling the start of the freakshow economy.

Since then we’ve had our first real holiday season, six art shows, and Hoodstock.  We’ve stirred up conservative radio hosts, interacted with our community, learned how to buy used vinyl, and watched another unbelievable year’s worth of changes in the music industry.  Joey Kramer used our bathroom.  So did Peter Yarrow.

We haven’t sent you charts because we’ve been focused on the customers and building up the store.  It isn’t cause we haven’t been paying attention to this crazy $#%& (I haven’t turned anti-vulgarity, I have to do that in case customers are on the list) industry.  As usual, we can’t speak for other stores, or any of you cats, but we can tell you how the music biz looks from our tiny little vantage point.

1. Prices are getting better on catalog.

Let’s start positive.  Those WEA 7.99 titles (Talking Heads, ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, Faith No More, etc.) and those Sony 6.99 (Ten Years After, Mike Bloomfield, Milt Jackson, etc) titles have been huge sellers.  We brought a bunch in around February and they have been moving along better than we had hoped.  For 6.99 new, people will buy that David Bromberg album they used to love.  Now, with most of those great Sony 11.99 titles selling at 9.99 (don’t give me that “we don’t have a list price” bullshit, we still base price on cost, not the margin Sony decides we should lose), we are sporting a pretty mean selection of classic CDs at ten or less.  That’s what we’ve been talking about for eleven years: Cheaper prices = More sales.

2. Prices are still too high on catalog.

In the meantime, I shudder to think of how many CSN, Radiohead, or Led Zeppelin CDs we could sell at a realistic list.  18.98?  17.98?  In this day and age?  I can’t even believe those are still a price points.  Is there an economist in the house over in those Ivory Towers?  There must be someone who understands supply and demand.  Call me crazy, but since I’ve been lobbying lower prices to the industry for years to little avail, I’ve decided to make a plea to the artist.  Read the “Robert Plant – A Story and Video Plea” blog here.

3. High list prices more or less kill plans to develop and sell newer jazz, blues, and world.

While the catalog pricing offers some reasonable options in these genres, when it comes to new releases, who can afford it?  Note to the Ivory Tower: After years of watching the way you market these genres, we assume that you don’t ever want to target any young adults at all… but we should at least mention that baby boomers are price conscious too, and pricing every artist on every adult genre at 17.98 or 18.98 list is a bad idea.  I’d love to turn someone, young or old, on to a new Joe Lovano or Roy Hargrove CD, but why bother trying when you can turn them on to a classic Jackie McLean, John Coltrane, or Sonny Rollins CD for under ten bucks?

4. Hang on to your obscure, and not so obscure, CDs.

We are starting to see a lot of CDs go out of print.  Speaking of supply and demand, you want LeRoy Hutson’s Greatest Hits?  It’s gonna cost you no less than $150 on Amazon (pretty much the same price they wanted for the Beatles boxes, isn’t it?).  That plays right into our little hands, because when it comes to finding special orders… a scrappy little joint like ours is the place to go.

5. Label reps that set up records are a dying breed.

It may be because we are just a little joint – but we rarely see a label rep set up new releases any more.  There’s still a few out there that can be counted on to consistently do so (Jay from Sony/now Nettwerk, Melissa from Epitaph/Anti, and the gang at Fearless come to mind), and some that are starting to come on board, but for the most part it feels like we are on our own when it comes to deciding what it worthy of promoting or not.

That’s not all bad, and we aren’t necessarily upset.  After all, we are more than capable of finding stuff for the posts.  But for sure on the right releases a great set-up makes a huge difference… and for sure a great rep that know what to push at your store (or in this day and age, one that pushes at all) can make all the difference.  Look at all the Sony and Epitaph stuff that made the chart.  There’s no way that NASA makes this chart without support.  Would we have brought it in?  Sure.  One copy.  Would we have put it in the post?  Probably not.

How does the lack of set-up hurt?  If someone would have worked with us on the recent Noisettes or Raveonettes CDs, we probably would have quadrupled sales so far.  Do we react once we see demand?  Sure, but it hurts at first, when it matters most.  In this economy, in this industry, we do our new release buying with caution.  Often, we aren’t quite sure what customers are going to want (since the internet has given every customer the ability to find out their own street dates, we don’t quite get the “pre-buzz” like the old days).  People just sorta show up on street date and buy.  It’s easy with proven champs like Flaming Lips or Built to Spill, but since we don’t listen to the radio or monitor internet activity, its tough to judge whether those mid-level groups still have interested fans.  If we don’t hear from anyone at the label, we assume the label isn’t really behind them anymore.  If we buy the CD at all, we buy one.

Like I said, our little store may not rate the coverage… and we can live with that, but I don’t think that’s it.  We seem to be on the radar still.  We still get visits from out-of-town Music Biz Bigshots.  We still get stuff in the mail.  It seems more likely that either: a) there aren’t enough label reps (Phoenix doesn’t have a WEA, Sony, or EMD sales rep – and our UNI sales rep is covering like 32 states or something);  b) many of the labels out there aren’t focused on on physical product at the indie stores; or c) lack of accountability and direction are at an all time high.  Probably a little of everything.

6. Everything is still free on the Internet.

Somehow in spite of those FBI stickers… in spite of the lawsuits… in spite of the “switched” street dates, the branded play copies, and the Congressional testimony… every release is still out there for a grand total of nothing.   I know because we have to get a lot of our play copies, the ones we need to help sell your CDs, the same way that a huge portion of the rest of the world has been getting their music for twelve years now.

Can you guys finally relent and monetize the file-sharing?  Maybe that way CD prices will continue to fall and those who want to collect and peddle the hard copies can do so – while those that are content with files can do their thing legally.  While we are on the subject: A buck a song is still too much.

7. Labels, in true form, are already stifling the vinyl resurgence with ridiculous prices.

It was totally predictable.  Customers find value in LPs… so labels jack prices until the value goes away.  It’s the same Ivory Tower game plan that has helped kill CDs sales over the past twelve years.

It’s simple, anything over $20 is TOO MUCH for an LP.  Even if the digital file in included.  Each week, as we decide what to bring in… we simply look at the list price. These days, instead of 18.98, which is fine (with the digital info), we see lots of 24.98.  If the price is over twenty, unless it is something we can’t live without (like the Wilco releases), we don’t bring it in.  The biggest recent example is the Muse reissues.  Four releases from a very powerful band at Hoodlums, yet only one (Black Holes..) is priced under twenty.  We brought in Black Holes, and it is nearing double digit sales.  The other three have become special orders.

There is it: Our take on how the music biz decision-making is looking at this little store.  As always, we appreciate your support… and your taking the time to read our opinions.  Have a great day.

Steve, Kristian, and the hoodlums at Hoodlums.

The Top 99 of Hoodlums’ 1st year (September 2008 – September 2009)

The album is the latest release by the artist, unless specified.

  1. Kings of Leon
  2. Neko Case
  3. Animal Collective
  4. Black Carl
  5. Darren Mahoney
  6. Fleet Foxes
  7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  8. Phoenix
  9. Wilco
  10. Bon Iver
  11. What Laura Says
  12. Andrew Bird
  13. Dead Weather
  14. Green Day
  15. Ray Lamontagne
  16. Neil Young
  17. TV on the Radio
  18. Bruce Springsteen
  19. Catfish Groove Farm
  20. Calexico
  21. Regina Spektor
  22. U2
  23. Kinch
  24. Iron and Wine
  25. Ben Harper & Relentless 7
  26. Leonard Cohen
  27. Bob Dylan
  28. VA – Thank You, Goodnight
  29. Fleet Foxes – EP
  30. Iron & Wine
  31. Decemberists
  32. Lucinda Williams
  33. Grizzly Bear
  34. Silversun Pickups
  35. Manchester Orchestra
  36. She & Him
  37. Sonic Youth
  38. Jack Johnson/D. Frankenreiter/G. Love
  39. Steve Earle
  40. Vampire Weekend
  41. Camera Obscura
  42. St. Vincent
  43. Adele
  44. Kanye West
  45. Fun
  46. Dan Auerbach
  47. Bloc Party
  48. Beatles – Abbey
  49. Of Montreal
  50. Dinosaur Jr.
  51. Arctic Monkeys
  52. Ben Folds
  53. Bob Dylan – Telltale Signs/Boot 8
  54. Dave Matthews
  55. Elvis Costello
  56. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
  57. Abba – Gold
  58. Jolie Holland
  59. Jenny Lewis
  60. Beatles – Sgt. Peppers
  61. Ryan Adams and Cardinals
  62. Jeff Beck
  63. Q-Tip
  64. Death Cab for Cutie
  65. Damien Rice – Live at Fingerprints
  66. NASA
  67. Bonnie Raitt – Give it Up
  68. Mars Volta – Octahedron
  69. Killers
  70. Radiohead
  71. Mgmt
  72. Franz Ferdinand
  73. Derek Trucks – Already Live
  74. Milt Jackson – Sunflower
  75. Ben Harper – Live at Twist and Shout
  76. Interpol – Live
  77. Son Volt
  78. Peter Bjorn and John
  79. Bob Marley & Wailers – Legend
  80. Taj Mahal – Taj Mahal
  81. Slumdog Millionaire OST
  82. Byrne/Eno
  83. Eminem
  84. Robert Plant/Allison Krauss
  85. Michael Franti
  86. Black Keys
  87. Talking Heads – Remain in Light
  88. Clapton/Winwood – Madison Square
  89. Coldplay
  90. Lily Allen
  91. Mark Olson/Gary Louris
  92. Uncle Tupelo – No Depression
  93. Kings of Leon – Youth and Young Manhood
  94. John Mayer – Village Sessions
  95. Chet Atkins/Les Paul – Chester and Lester
  96. Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
  97. Pearl Jam – Live at Easy Street
  98. VA – Vintage Verve (I love this, as I was on the panel that selected it)
  99. Alejandro Escovedo

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How to Build a Jazz Collection, by Steve the hoodlum

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

Changing Hands has asked me to come over and teach a class called “Jazz for Beginners”.  I’ve decided to rename it “How to Build Your Jazz Collection”.

Let me say first off that while I am a huge jazz fan, and while I have built a pretty decent collection over my twenty plus years in record stores, there are undoubtedly thousands of people that know more about the genre.  What I am saying is that I am not an expert.  However, I do know a little… and I know what I like.

So essentially, if you are looking for a history of jazz, this isn’t the place.  If you want to hear some pointers from a record store geek about getting into jazz and building a collection, read on.

As I was thinking about how to do this little seminar (which, by the way, takes place in about four hours), I decided that it would be best to follow the same logical progression as I would in the store when someone says “I want to get into jazz… what do you recommend?”.

Here we go.

Ask basic questions. The first thing to do is figure out what you do know by asking yourself some questions:

  • What sort of jazz, if any, have you heard?
  • Have you heard any specific jazz CDs or artists that you really liked?
  • Are there certain instruments that you really like?
  • Is there a tempo or style that you prefer?
  • Is there any jazz you have heard that you don’t like?
  • Do you like instrumental, or vocal, or both?

Follow the answers for a basic plan. So, you think you are a bebop fan and you really like the trumpet?  That’s easy. Try some Dizzy.  You don’t like it when jazz gets all “crazy”? Me neither… so free jazz may not be the place for you.  Anyway, you get my point.  You might think you don’t know much, but by taking an inventory of what you do know… you can get started down the right path.

Look for affordable classics. If you’ve spent twelve seconds with me in the store, you know I love those getting a lot of bang for my buck with music.  Luckily, there are lots of ways to do that in the jazz genre.

First off, ask your local record store geek about cheap new classic jazz CDs. At the end of my rambling, I am going to list a few of my favorite classic jazz CDs that you can buy new for twelve bucks or less (and some stuff I am going to play today at CH).  There are an amazing amount of deals.  In fact, there are so many cheap classics out there, it becomes hard to recommend the more expensive contemporary jazz artists.

Second, buy used jazz.  Thanks to the cool neighborhood we live in, and our penchant for the music, we have lots of used jazz CDs.  They are cheap and guaranteed.  Oh yeah, when you buy a used CD at Hoodlums… and you don’t like it… you have two weeks to exchange it. So try, try, try some jazz.

Finally, think about investing in a turntable. If you want to talk about getting affordable classics in any genre, you can always find some great deals on vinyl.  This is especially true if you don’t mind looking through our “bargain basement” used stuff.

Start with the heavyweight champions of jazz. Coltrane, Miles, Bird, Louie, Billie.  If you have heard of them, there’s probably a reason.  So ask your questions, figure out what you like, do your homework, and then start obvious.  You can get cooler and more diverse as you go.  As it is, the classics are usually about as cool as cool comes anyway (I still listen to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue as much as anything in my collection), and in most cases, they are cheap.

Follow the artists that show up as sidemen. I always start people with Kind of Blue, because the guys who play on it are all heavyweight champs in their own right.  Coltrane on tenor; Cannonball Adderley on Alto; Bill Evans on piano… even jazz rookies have heard of those guys.  Once hear the sax boys soloing on that album, and you read the liner notes (which is essential on Kind of Blue), you are going to want to get Cannonball’s Somethin’ Else or Everybody Loves Bill Evans.  The next thing you know – you’ve got a collection.

Talk about jazz with geeks like me. The saying goes “Don’t get Steve started”.  Unless, of course… you want to talk about it.  Then, I can be a decent asset.  I will play stuff for you… and ask tons of questions… and get to the bottom of your jazz needs.  Then I will set you up.  But I’m not the only one who can do it.  Talk to Kristian, who is massively diverse in the ways of jazz.  Talk to Joe, who can take you to the fringes of the jazz world (and probably teach a class in jazz history).  Can’t make it to Hoodlums?  Find the indie record store in your area

Dig deeper into the types of jazz you like best. Once you know you like something… get into it.  I love that swingin’, hard-bop sound, so once I started listening to albums on the Blue Note label, I was hooked.  I wrote another article about Blue Note (The Blue Note That Will Always Stay), so I won’t go into it… but my point is that when building a jazz collection, you should go with the flow.

Use KJZZ and the Internet to help expand your pallet. We love Blaze and the gang at 91.5 KJZZ.  They play great jazz, including tons of new stuff and classics, and they do it every night.  It’s a great place for enjoying jazz, as well as learning about it.

When it comes to music on the internet, the first place I turn is allmusic.com.  I get to the artist page, which includes bio, as well as links to similar artists, band members, and influences, and then I go to the discography for recommendations.  Go ahead, try it for Herbie Hancock.  While you won’t agree with everything their critics say, in my opinion they are usually right on (and generally positive).

Trade in some of your unused stuff for some new jazz. Bring in your old CDs, DVDs, or vinyl.  We’ll give you trade credit while you browse the jazz section, or look at the Penguin Guide to Jazz, or listen to some stuff on the used turntable or CD player.

Have some fun. Wow, that’s the same thing I tell my Little Leaguers.  C’mon… we’re talking about listening to music here, so it can’t be hard to do.  Once you get into jazz – it can be pretty addicting.

Anyway, that’s a start.  Good luck.

Steve’s List of Albums for Your New Jazz Collection

Since I have already talked about Kind of Blue, and I wrote a full list of Blue Note titles in the blog, I’ll skip those on the list (but it is an amazing list of albums… so please check it out).  Like the Blue Note titles, these are all twelve bucks or less on CD.

John Coltrane. Giant Steps. (Atlantic).  A long time ago when I was asking the questions, I asked one of my old jazz customers at the Wherehouse.  I had enjoyed David Sanborn and some of the “rock” saxophone guys, and I wanted some “real jazz”, as I put it.  He told me to start with Kind of Blue and this album.  He was right on.

John Coltrane. Love Supreme. (Impulse)  Coltrane is good enough to warrant two picks.  He pushed the envelope all the time, so different labels have different types of stuff.  This one is his tribute to the creator.

Miles Davis. Workin‘ (Prestige).  If Coltrane deserves two; so does Miles.  This is the famous Miles quintet, which includes Coltrane anyway.

Dave Brubeck. Time Out. (Columbia).  You’ve probably heard this… especially the classic song “Take Five”.  While obvious to jazz nuts, it’s essential to beginners.

Eddie McCann and Les Harris. Live at Montreaux.  (Atlantic)  Wicked, swingin’ jazz from a great band in a neutral country.  Also mentioned in the Fine Art of Gutting Your Collection article.  Read the great story on this album in 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (which we sell at the store).

Charles Mingus. Ah Um. (Columbia).  His first album for Columbia is full of modern jazz classics, and has inspired countless jazz musicians.  Better Git it in Your Soul.

Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Best of Louie and Ella.  (Verve)  Speaking of inspiring generations, when it comes to jazz, Louis Armstrong might be the all-time great, and Ella Fitzgerald isn’t far behind.  There are tons of albums I could recommend for these two, but this little compilation is a place to start… and a good representation of their three albums together.

Various Artists. Blue Breakbeats Volume 1. (Blue Note)  Yeah, I know I said I wasn’t going to re-cover Blue Note.  But just in case you don’t want to go to the other blog, I wanted to say that if you want jammin’, movin’ jazz, Blue Note is the place.  This is a fantastic compilation of artists from the label dubbed the “most sampled” of any in the land.

Wes Montgomery. Talkin’ Verve: The Roots of Acid Jazz (Verve)  I love jazz guitar (see Grant Green ramblings on the Blue Note blog).  I love Wes (who Grant emulated).  This compilation (and other Talkin’ Verve comps) brings together his fast-paced, groovin’ best.  Plus at 9.99, it is super affordable.  Try his older stuff as well.

Charlie Parker. The Essential Charlie Parker. (Verve). Bird is one of those dudes that revolutionized the genre.  There’s so many great compilations and albums that it is hard to know where to start.  This one is cheap and good, so let’s start here.

Thelonious, my old friend, step on in and let me shake your hand.Thelonious Monk. Monk’s Music. (Fantasy).  Great lineup.  Amazing musician and composer.  Killer album.  Like all the artists on the list, it’s one of those “where do you start” situations when recommending.

I’d like to  include Oscar Peterson, Oliver Nelson, or Diana Krall, but their CDs are more than twelve bucks.  I realize that I’m missing free jazzers like Sun Ra or Ornette Coleman, but that’s not really my specialty (again, try Joe and Kristian at the store), so while I own some titles, they aren’t “favorite” enough to include.

Like I said, it’s just the affordable stuff I love… and even then I could keep going for quite a while.  But I have to stop now, and get ready to teach a class.  Have a great day.

Feel free to hit me with questions in the store.  Enjoy your collecting.

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I am not a conductor, but I play one on the treadmill.

Sunday, March 8th, 2009

Record store guys don’t normally hang out on treadmills.

However, last month I got a stent put in my heart.  I know, it’s pretty strange considering I am only 44, but my dad died young, and some routine checks led to the discovery of 90% blockage… so it seemed like a good alternative to a heart attack.

This little “procedure” has led me to the treadmills and bikes at the Desert Sam Cardio Rehab room.  As you might imagine, in that room, at 44, I’m pretty much the youngest pup in the pound.  Consequently, many of my fellow patients come up and ask me why I am there.

Well, they ask me when they can.  But that isn’t while I’m working out… because like most things I do, my workout involves music.  And when you are trying to get your heartbeat up, you better be playing some upbeat stuff.  So I dial up my iPod, and I find some music that will get me going.  But I’m not a normal person, and when I say music gets me going, I mean I my body and mind get into it thoroughly and totally.

So last week, a nice lady came up to me at the beginning of my session, when I was hooking on my heart monitor, and she said “Excuse me, but I was wondering, are you a conductor?”.

Huh?  Thanks to my Nodak accent (still here after twenty years in AZ), I’m used to questions like “Are you from Canada?”, but that isn’t one I’ve heard before.  Then I figured out what she was talking about: My behavior on the treadmills the session before.

The previous session, I had decided to go for uplifting and upbeat, so I picked out two of my favorite albums of all time:

Two albums from two very gifted men who’s music literally fills my soul whether they are singing against the superficial and unjust bullshit this world dishes out or in favor of the amazing gifts we all have been given.

Anyway, when I put on the headphones, I GET INTO it.  It doesn’t matter what type of music it is, I don’t really care who sees me, and I’m not sure I could stop it if I did.  I’m probably not a fun guy to sit next to on a plane, as I spazz out and jam my way through the entire flight (oh please let this clown go to sleep).  It results in many different types of gyrations and actions, varying from genre to genre.

Mainly, I am an air guitarist, which my actions reflect.  But, I can pretty much air-play anything.  However, when you are listening to the upbeat R and B stuff, trying to walk at a brisk pace on a treadmill… the ol’ air guitar just doesn’t apply.  So once I got on track, I just knew what my new friend was talking about in reference to my “conducting”.

My final treadmill session had included one of the greatest “two songs that were meant to be together” combos of all time: “As” and “Another Star” off of the Stevie album.

Beth and Steve agree on Stevie. This CD is uplifting.Lyrically and musically, if these two songs don’t lift your soul… you probably need to do some soul-searchin’.  For me, the beat, the vocals, the music, and the message of Stevie and his fine group of musicians (including George Benson, Bobbi Humphries, and others) is so amazing, so overwhelming… that I literally find myself lifting my hands to the sky… flooded with love and the a feeling that only love can provide.  Love of music, love of my family, love of all the things that I appreciate about being alive.  I don’t know what the spirit is for sure – but it sure fills me when I hear these two songs (I’m listening to them again right now for inspiration, and it’s happening again).

So I explained to the lady what I was listening to, why it was causing me to close my eyes and rhythmically wave my hands out around – she understood.  We talked about what I do for a living, and obviously why, and she said she was going to visit the store later this week.

And then I went back to the treadmill.  Session playlist: Blazing guitar with Pat Traver’s “Makin’ Magic” and Michael Schenker Band’s “Built to Destroy“.  Hello again, air guitar.

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My Top Five Lists, by Andy the hoodlum

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Andy’s top five:

“You don’t have this?” albums (like Jack Black’s comment on Blonde on Blonde).

Bruce Springsteen – Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ
Whiskeytown – Strangers Almanac
Neil Young – Harvest
Beatles – Rubber Soul
Counting Crows – Recovering The Satellites

“Watch me sell this” albums (like Cusack about Beta Band).
House Of Fools – Live And Learn
Hanson – The Walk
Eric Hutchinson – Sounds Like This
Dr. Dog – We All Belong
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – 100 Days 100 Nights

Albums for your hippie-chick sister.
Steel Train – For You My Dear
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Cold Roses
Rosewood Thieves – From The Decker House
Allman Bros. Band – Eat a Peach
Sparklehorse – It’s A Wonderful Life

Groups you didn’t like at first – but love now.
Nada Surf
Wilco
Old 97s
The Replacements
Ray LaMontagne
Groups that critics hate – but you love.
The Wallflowers
Midtown
John Mayer
Hanson
Jimmy Eat World

Albums critics love – but you just don’t get.
Radiohead – Ok Computer
Bright Eyes – Lifted…
Arcade Fire – Funeral
Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come
Say Anything – In Defense of the Genre

Albums to listen to on the road
Limbeck – Hi, Everything’s Great
Limbeck – Let Me Come Home
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Cold Roses (Disc 1 in Tennessee, Disc 2 in New Mexico)
Brand New – Your Favorite Weapon
Old Crow Medicine Show – OCMS

Songs about the Music Industry
NOFX – Dinosaurs Will Die
Allister – Overrated
Jimmy Eat World – Your New Aesthetic
Reel Big Fish – Sell Out
The Format – The Compromise

Punk albums  (90’s-now)
Osker – Idle Will Kill
Alkaline Trio – Goddamnit
Descendents – Everything Sucks
Vandals – Hitler Bad, Vandals Good
Millencolin – Pennybridge Pioneers

Jamming Guitar Albums
House Of Fools – Live And Learn
Bruce Springsteen – Darkness On The Edge of Town
The Living End – Roll On
Midtown – Save The World, Lose The Girl
Refreshments – Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy

Albums you found at the ASU Hoodlums
Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Cold Roses
The Replacements – Tim
Manu Chao – La Radiolina
Galactic – From the Corner to the Block

Albums you have discovered at the new Hoodlums
Rocky Votolato – Makers
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You  Experienced?
Tom Petty – Wildflowers
Old 97s – Alive & Wired
Muddy Waters – The London Muddy Waters Sessions

Older albums that you have discovered recently
Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A.
Ben Harper – Fight For Your Mind
Grateful Dead – Skull & Roses
The Jayhawks – Tomorrow The Green Grass
Nas – Illmatic

Newer artists for middle-aged cats who still explore music
Jakob Dylan
The Gaslight Anthem
Ryan Adams
Wilco
Josh Ritter

Sunday-morning albums
Limbeck – Limbeck
Jakob Dylan – Seeing Things
Grateful Dead – American Beauty
Tom Petty – Wildflowers
Ben Harper – Lifeline

Concert Videos
Gin Blossoms – Chicago 1993
Ryan Adams – Live in Jamaica
John Mayer – Where The Light Is
Alkaline Trio – The Show Must Go Off
The Format – Live at the Mayan Theater

Reasons CD is better than vinyl
Because I don’t have a record player.
I can listen to it in my car.
They weigh less.
You can blind people with a CD if the sun is hitting it correctly.
Better availability

Concerts you have attended
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band – June 2006, Tinley Park, IL
Steel Train/House of Fools -  November 2005, at Club Congress, Tucson, AZ
Limbeck/House of Fools – March 2008,  at Modified
Counting Crows – June 2006 – Las Vegas, NV
Midtown/The Movielife/Face to Face/Thrice – Cajun House, 2002

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My Top Five Lists, by Maria the hoodlum

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

You don’t have this?

1.At Last!-Etta James
2.Street Songs-Rick James
3.Doolittle-The Pixies
4.Celia y Johnny-Celia Cruz
5.The Score-Fugees

Watch me Sell this.

1.El Cantante the Originals-Hector Lavoe
2.Strawberry weed-Caesars
3.ultimate collection-the Temptations
4.mediocre-Ximena Sarinana
5.self titled-Ceu

Albums no one who works at Hoodlums understands but Maria

1. Gozo Poderoso-Aterciopelados
2. Mi Sangre-Juanes
3. Tanto Tempo-Bebel Gilberto
4. Si-Julieta Venegas
5.Cronicas de un Laberinto-Jaguares

Pop albums Maria loves but get made fun of for liking

1.The Emanicipation of Mimi-Mariah Carey
2.Nuestro Amor- RBD
3.Gold Greatest Hits-ABBA
4.Chemistry-Girls Aloud
5. Faith-George Michael

Albums angry girls should listen to instead of Alanis Morrisette

1. Bad Reputation-Joan Jett
2. Dig Me Out-Sleater-Kinney
3. Easter-Patti Smith
4. Fever to Tell-Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. Pussy Whipped-Bikini Kill

Top albums I listened to all the time while I was in high school

1. Live Through This-Hole
2. self titled-Garbage
3.To Bring you My love-PJ Harvey
4. Post-Bjork
5. Lovelife-LUSH

Favorite musical sequences

1. “Shall We Dance”-with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr from the Kind and I
2. “Don’t Rain on my Parade”-with Barbra Streisand from FUNNY GIRL
3. “Rose’s Turn”-with Rosalind Russell from GYPSY
4. “Singin in the Rain”-with Gene Kelly from Singin in the Rain
5. “Acid Queen”- with Tina Turner from The Who’s TOMMY

Favorite Kid movies that I still like watching today even though I don’t have kids

1. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1970’s movie with Gene Wilder)
2. Mary Poppins
3. The Last Unicorn
4. Return to OZ
5. The Sandlot

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My Top Five Lists, by Justin the hoodlum

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Due to time constraints these lists are not ordered, so please assume each is a 5 way tie. Thanks to my fellow Hoodlums for introducing me to a lot of these!

MUSIC

You don’t have this? Seriously? No really, seriously?

Love – Forever Changes
Black Sabbath – Master of Reality
Led Zeppelin – II
Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless

Watch me sell this.

Deerhunter – Microcastle
Warren Zevon – s/t
Jay Reatard – Matador Singles
Nick Cave – Dig Lazarus! Dig!
T. Rex – Electric Warrior

Metal albums featuring drum machines.

Necrophagist – Onset of Putrefaction
Anaal Nathrakh – Codex Necro
Agorophobic Nosebleed – Frozen Corpse Stuffed With Dope
****… I’m Dead – s/t
Godflesh – Streetcleaner

Roadtrip tunes. One time I listened to the complete Led Zeppelin studio recordings in a row while driving back from Denver overnight.

Tom Petty – Greatest Hits
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Greatest Hits
Neil Young – Harvest
CCR – Greatest Hits
Golden Earring – “Radar Love” (Thank you Wayne’s World)

Music to bench press or punch someone to.

Hatebreed – Under the Knife
Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power
Crowbar – Broken Glass
Eyehategod – Take as Needed for Pain
Integrity – Those Who Fear Tomorrow

Awesome post-breakup tunes.

Everything But the Girl – Amplified Heart
Mojave 3 – Ask Me Tomorrow
The Smiths – The Queen is Dead
Joni Mitchell – Blue
Tom Waits – Closing Time

Essential party jams. Most of these double as running music for me. Also note that the MTV Buzz Ballads compilations can lead to hilarious/terrible sing-a-longs. “Lightning Crashes”, anyone?

Andrew WK – I Get Wet
Van Halen – s/t
Pissed Jeans – Shallow
Third Eye Blind – s/t (Did you know their guitar player put out a record on Shrapnel a long time ago? Also Their bass player Fractured Mike Dirnt from Green Day’s skull by breaking a bottle over his head. Google it! I wrecked my ankle during their set at Tempe Beach Park on New Years a while back, don’t ask me how. I think it was during “Jumper”)
The Damned – Damned, Damned, Damned

Heaviest riff.

Yob – The Unreal Never Lived
Electric Wizard – Come My Fanatics
Buried at Sea – Migration
Iron Monkey – Our Problem
Sourvein – Will to Mangle

Brain tickling essentials.

Aphex Twin – Richard D James
Terry Riley – A Rainbow in Curved Air
Can – Tago Mago
Brian Eno – Another Green World
Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells

Brutalest female fronted bands.

Landmine Marathon
Thorr’s Hammer
Melt Banana
Look Back and Laugh
Nausea

Essential Power pop albums. Damn Yellow Pills, I’ve gone over the edge.

The Nerves – s/t
Barracudas – Drop Out With the…
Nick Lowe – Labor of Lust
Milk ‘N’ Cookies -s/t
The Rubinoos – s/t

Essential Reggae albums… including a wide range here.

Big Youth – Screaming Target
The Wailers – Destiny: Rare Ska Sides From Studio One
Toots & the Maytals – Funky Kingston
The Congos – Heart of the Congos
Jimmy Cliff – s/t

Essential Death Metal.

Suffocation – Pierced From Within
Dying Fetus – Destroy the Opposition
Decrepit Birth – And Time Begins
Morbid Angel – Altars of Madness
Death – Sound of Perseverance

Essential Grind – I know there’s nothing very old on here.

Pig Destroyer – Painter of Dead Girls
Uphill Battle – s/t
Rotten Sound – Consume to Contaminate
Nasum – Helvete
Discordance Axis – The Inalienable Dreamless

Songs about the Music Industry.

Reversal of Man- “Get the Kid With the Sideburns”
The Smiths – “Paint a Vulgar Picture”
Black Star – “Children’s Story”
Elvis Costello – “Radio Radio”
The Suicide File – “I Hate Rock N’ Roll”

Albums discovered at the old Hoodlums.

The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
Grinderman – s/t
The Replacements – Tim
R.E.M – Murmur
Dinosaur Jr – You’re Living All Over Me

Female fronted stuff that I am a total sucker for.

Mojave 3 – Ask Me Tomorrow
Mazzy Star – So That Tonight I Might See
She & Him – Volume One (I sent Zooey a love letter on myspace but she never opened it)
Coven – Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls
Bat for Lashes – Fur & Gold

Records I’ve discovered since the new Hoodlums opened.

Stiv Bators – Disconnected
Mission to Burma – Signals, Calls, and Marches
Alejandro Escovedo – Real Animal
Holly Golightly – Serial Girlfriend
Shuggie Otis – Here Comes…

Records scored in the Hoodlums $2.50 bin.

Barracudas – Drop Out With The…
The Hitmen – Torn Together
The Plimsouls – Zero Hour
Paul Collins’ Beat – The Kids Are the Same
The Low Numbers – Twist Again With..

MOVIES

Movies starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Capote
Love Liza
Happiness
The Savages
Charlie Wilson’s War

Party movies.

PCU
The Party
Animal House
Superbad
House Party

Movies that have truly scared me. I think I may have SamNeill-aphobia.

Possession
In the Mouth of Madness
Event Horizon
Children of the Corn
Jesus Camp

Truly disturbing films. Some of these are difficult to watch.

Irreversible
Salo
Funny Games (1997)
City of God
Audition

These’ll probably melt your brain.

Adaptation
El Topo
Holy Mountain
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
Begotten

Movies that deal with revenge. My favorite!

Death Wish
Over the Edge
Rolling Thunder
Oldboy
Carrie

Over the top action movies. Massive body counts!

Dirty Harry
First Blood
Rambo 4
Commando
Crank

Awesome older action movies.

The French Connection
The Great Escape
Bullitt
The Warriors
Cool Hand Luke

War movies. Band of Brothers is definitely worth mentioning, but it’s a mini-series and I don’t think I could come up with a list of 5 of those I’ve even watched.

Full Metal Jacket
Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Hotel Rwanda
Rescue Dawn

Documentaries. “Frat House” is the funniest documentary ever made but it was just an HBO special.

King of Kong
Genuine Nerd
When We Were Kings
American Movie
Grizzly Man

Movies that blew my mind in the theater.

Sunshine
Irreversible
There Will Be Blood
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze (I was 7)
Adaptation

Hilarious movies.

Some Kind of Monster (Slightly funnier than Spinal Tap)
This is Spinal Tap
Blazing Saddles
Point Break
The Big Lebowski

Dark little gems.

Straight Time
Midnight Cowboy
Klute
Play Misty for Me
Last Tango in Paris

Buckets of gore.

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
Redneck Zombies
Dead Alive/Brain Dead
Ichi the Killer
Re-Animator

Awesome movies I saw for the first time this year.

The Network
Manhattan
Rockers
Short Cuts
This is England

Some of these have ruined entire days for me.

About Schmidt
My Girl
Love Liza
Dead Poet’s Society
Jack

Rock & Roll movies.

That Thing You Do
Rock & Roll High School
A Hard Days Night
Wayne’s World 2
The Harder they Come

Music documentaries.. I admit there are a lot of good ones I haven’t seen yet.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Fugazi – Instrument
Wilco – I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
GG Allen & the Murder Junkies – Hated
Minutemen – We Jam Econo

Book to movie adaptations.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
No Country for Old Men
The Godfather
American Psycho
Clockwork Orange

Coming of age movies.

The Outsiders
Stand By Me
A Bronx Tale
Losin’ It
The Graduate

MISC

Failed joke bands.

Gun Metal Black
Si
Musculosity
Guitar Center
Justin Keefer

Local bands I’ve been lucky enough to see a bunch.

Earthmen and Strangers
Asleep in the Sea
Kyds vs Columbus
Existi
Graves at Sea

Comedians.

Mitch Hedburg (RIP)
Richard Pryor (RIP)
Eddie Murphy
Bill Cosby
Steve Martin

Youtube videos (Just search them).

Alec Baldwin screams at Dora the Explorer (*Contains some harsh language)
Trouble – Psalm 9 (Not funny, just awesome)
Rednecks get their just desserts in BMW chase (*Contains some harsh language)
Police officer steals marijuana
Robert Byrd Barbaric

Awesome metal music videos (Search on youtube).

Nitro – Freight Train
Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force – Hangar 18, Area 51
Megadeth – Hangar 18
Immortal – Call of the Wintermoon
Black Label Society – In This River (Count the number of times Zakk Wylde points to the sky)

Bands fighting the crowd (Search on youtube).

Rolling Stones (Search Keith hits fan with guitar in the face)
Screaming Trees (Search Mark Lanegan gone crazy)
Black Flag (Search Henry Rollins fight)
Converge (Search Converge- Broken Vow.. it’s the 4:00 one)
Danzig (Search Danzig getting knocked out. I’m in the background with shaggy hair wearing a white Bob Marley shirt and a chest plate (don’t ask). You can see me pretty clearly as Glenn is falling)

Incredible interviews for better or for worse (Search on youtube).

Iggy Pop (Search Gzowski interviews Iggy Pop)
David Vincent (Search Interview with Morbid Angel’s David Vincent)
Glenn Danzig (Search Glenn Danzig Interview- on the topic of books)
Chris Holmes (Search Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P.)
Ghaal (Search Gorgoroth’s Influences)

Places to eat around town.

Chopstix
Rock & Roll Chicken Fingers
Haji Baba’s
Pita Jungle
Ted’s

Independent record stores.

Hoodlums (DUH!)
Twist and Shout (Tucson)
Eastside (Tempe)
Amoeba (LA)
Revolver (Phoenix)

Music sites/blogs.

Metal Inquisition
Deerhunter
Tiny Mix Tapes
PVAc to 44.1 kHz
Yacht Rock

TV dramas.

Oz
Six Feet Under
Sopranos
Dexter
Mad Men

TV comedies.

Sledgehammer
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Upright Citizen’s Brigade
Mr. Show

Best shows that I partied far too hard at (I’m sure Heath is expecting to see Cursive on this list. Joe probably expects YOB).

Jay Reatard/Deerhunter/Pissed Jeans @ The Echo in LA, 2007
****** Up/Iron Age/Repercussions @ Lamar Bridge in Austin, 2007
High On Fire/Opeth @ The Marquee, 2008
The Darkness @ The Marquee, 2004
Tragedy/Landmine Marathon/George Moshington @ The Phix, 2006

Shows this year!

CPC Gangbangs @ The Smell in LA
Seun Kuti @ some huge outdoor mall in LA
Nick Lowe @ The Rhythm Room
Sourvein @ Hollywood Alley
The Germs/Black ***/White Flag @ The Scene in LA (So bad it was awesome. Pat Smear wins geriatric stage dive of the year award. Shane West had sharpie on his face and was making jokes about Old School)

Shows. This would probably look different if I thought about it longer.

Megadeth/Slayer/Pantera/Black Sabbath @ Bank one Ballpark, 1998
77 Boadrum @ some park in Brooklyn, 2007
Dinosaur Jr @ The Irving Plaza in Manhattan, 2007
Black Sabbath in Cincinnati, 1976 (My dad was there, it’s in my blood)
Locking Your Car Doors @ The Phix, 2006

Famous people I’ve encountered, generally with hilarious results.

Chloe Sevigny
Josh Homme
Ice-T (Oh man)
Wesley Willis (RIP)
Whoopi Goldberg

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My Top Five Lists, by Joe the hoodlum

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Top 5 “Watch me sell this” albums:

1. Kruder & Dorfmeister- K & D Sessions

2. New Pornographers- Twin Cinema

3. Sloan- Between the Bridges

4. Cathedral- The Carnival Bizarre

5. D’Gary- Akata Meso

Top 5 “you haven’t heard this?” albums

1. My Bloody Valentine- Loveless

2. Beach Boys- Pet Sounds

3. Charlie Parker- anything

4. Black Sabbath- Vol. 4

5. Kate Bush- Hounds of Love

Top 5 music myths that need to be corrected:

1. Classical music is only for old people

2. Nico was a valuable member of the Velvet Underground (John Cale dammit, it’s all about John Cale and Sterling Morrison)

3. Extreme metal is satanic puppykiller music. It’s just awesome kick-ass music. And only most of it is satanic.

4. Ambient music and New Age music are two different things. Good ambient and good new age are the same exact thing, ambient musicians are just better at marketing themselves to college students. James Johnson, Steve Roach, Michael Stearns, Robert Scott Thompson, all great musicians you will find in the New Age section. I skipped out on picking up a lot of CDs over the past few years because they looked too ‘new age” even though I’ve always been big into Eno and Kompakt records stuff. I could have gotten CDs by Tuu and O Yuki Conjugate at clearance for like 3 bucks, but I was spooked by cheesy cover art or song titles. Now I’m buying them new for 15 bucks if they are even available at all anymore. DOH!

5. Guitar Hero is fun. If the kids who spent hours on Guitar Hero used that time to learn the actual guitar, they would be able to play all those songs for real, on an actual musical instrument.

Top 5 bands everyone has heard and the people that influenced them that far less people have heard:

1. Bjork– Kate Bush

2. Sigur Ros– Cocteau Twins

3. Radiohead– Aphex Twin, SND, early Autechre

4. Coldplay– the song “Talk” from X&Y was an exact copy of “Computer Love” by Kraftwerk. The whole song. It angers me.

5. Kings of Leon- vocal style influence from the mushmouthed football coach played by Chris Kattan on SNL.

Top 5 metal guitar riffs:

1. Voivod- Brain Scan

2. Megadeth- Wake Up Dead (at 2:38)

3. Immortal- Tyrants

4. Enslaved- Convoys to Nothingness

5. Darkthrone- Transylvanian Hunger

Top 5 guitar players who few people have heard but more should:

1. Steve Tibbetts

2. Ben Monder

3. Davy Graham

4. Keith Fullerton Whitman

5. Steve Hillage

Top 5 great singers that nobody ever talks about when they talk about great singers:

1. Lena Willemark

2. David Sylvian

3. Cyndi Lauper

4. Daryl Hall

5. Pat Suzuki

Top 5 metal singers:

1. Ronnie James Dio

2. Tom G. Warrior

3. Abbath

4. Lee Dorrian

5. Wino

5 records that I surprisingly like considering that I’m such a grumpy bastard:

1. Jonathan Richman- Jonathan Goes Country

2. Survivor- Vital Signs

3. Kylie Minogue- Fever

4. Vashti Bunyan- Just Another Diamond Day

5. Expose- Exposure

5 artists that others would probably consider a guilty pleasure that I like unapologetically:

1. Christopher freaking Cross

2. Toto

3. Stephen Bishop (the guy who wrote the “It might be you” song from “Tootsie”)

4. America

5. Carpenters

5 records I heard for the first time in the past year that I enjoyed:

1. Orb- Orbus Terrarum

2. Robert Rich/Alo Die- Fissures

3. Huong Thanh/Nguyen Le- Fragile Beauty

4. Krallice- s/t

5. Virus- The Black Flux

5 movies/tv shows I saw in the past year that I enjoyed:

1. The Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner- A Herzog documentary from the 70s about a Swiss Ski Jumper

2. Sunshine- An awesome and mind bending movie about solar extinction

3. Primer- An awesome and mind bending movie about a couple of guys who accidentally invent a time machine and the worlds most confusing plot

4. The Mighty Boosh- A surreal British comedy about a couple of zoo workers who travel to limbo and the arctic tundra among other places- also an endless well of amusing catchphrases

5. The IT Crowd- a british comedy about “a computer genius, a young go-getter, and a man from Ireland”

5 reasons I like records and CDs better than MP3s and Ipods

1. compressed digital files sound lousy and music is meant to be heard through a stereo, not crappy computer (or Ipod) speakers

2. When everything is free and digital it’s just like flipping through cable, music becomes something that has no value unless it grabs you in the first 5 seconds, just like an advertisement.
You learn to ignore anything that takes some time to develop, and everything becomes 15-second sound bite music. Imagine if that happened with movies or books. “I didn’t like ‘the Godfather”. I watched it for 2 minutes and nothing happened so I turned it off and watched ‘Baby Geniuses 2′ instead.” Do YOU want to be the person who likes ‘Baby Geniuses 2′ more than ‘Godfather’? Didn’t think so.

3. You miss out on any album art and design. Part of the music listening experience is sitting and reading the liner notes and looking at the art while listening to a CD for the first time.
That little square in the corner of your Itunes doesn’t count.

4. Listening to a record, you have to actively put it on, pay attention to it, and flip it when the side is over. Babysitting the record makes you pay attention to it.
It’s a more rewarding music listening experience, you end up noticing details and depth that makes it much more enjoyable and interesting.
On your computer or Ipod you just hit a file on Itunes and let it burble on for hours as wallpaper for your internet surfing or whatever. With records and CD’s you have invested money in a physical piece of music and you learn to invest time in listening to it accordingly, and reap the rewards. With free digital you have invested nothing in it, and you will probably get little out of it. Records teach you to pay attention to music; MP3s teach you to ignore music.

5. Having an awesome MP3 folder never got anyone laid.

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My Top Five Lists, by Steve the hoodlum

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Steve’s Top Fives

Steve Wiley - Professional HoodlumI must note for the record that doing this is a lot of fun.  If I had more time, I could have made up fifty more.  I believe with all my heart that music and movies are an amazing thing – and that they are good for my soul.

If you do too… or you want to debate the lists… or you have some lists of your own… come down to the store and we’ll chat.  Thanks for reading.  Steve

Music


“You Don’t Have this Album” albums (like Jack Black’s comment on Blonde on Blonde).

Beatles – Abbey Road
Van Morrison – Moondance
Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
Steely Dan – Countdown to Ecstasy

“Watch me sell this” albums (like Cusack about Beta Band).

Paul Pena – New Train
Les McCann and Eddie Harris – Live at Montreaux
Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters – Muddy and the Wolf
Budos Band – Budo Band II
Breakestra – Hit the Floor


Albums that used to be considered Metal in my high school years.

Judas Priest – Hell Bent for Leather
Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
AC/DC – Powerage
Def Leppard – High n’ Dry
Rush – 2112

Artists I didn’t like at first, but love now.

Bob Dylan
Joni Mitchell
Television
Radiohead
Elvis Costello

Groups that critics hate, but I still love.

REO Speedwagon (pre High Infidelity)
Nazareth (Hair of the Dog and prior)
April Wine (up to Nature of the Beast… not including “Just Between You and Me”)
Boston (first two albums only)
Journey (“Journey” through the non-puppy stuff of “Escape”).

Albums critics love, but I still don’t get no matter how hard I try (I’m still trying)

Nirvana – Nevermind
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew
John Coltrane – Ascension
Jeff Buckley – Grace
Captain Beefheart – Trout Fish Replica

Jazz that Always Sells When you play it in the store

Grant Green – Any
Miles Davis – Anything non-”scroncky”
John Coltrane – Ditto
Jimmy Smith – Any
Diana Krall – Live in Paris

Albums to listen to on the road

Wes Montgomery – Talkin’ Verve
The The – Dusk
Bobby “Blue” Bland – Touch of the Blues
Barenaked Ladies – Gordon
Anything that jams… cause there just isn’t time to kenny on the road.

Songs about the Music or Movie Industry

Barenaked Ladies – “Box Set” (as witty as any song I’ve ever heard)
Joni Mitchell – “Free Man in Paris”
Eagles – “King of Hollywood”
Van Morrison – “Big Time Operators”
John Cougar – “Cheap Shot” (any song that starts with “Well the record company’s going out of business… they price their records too damn high” is gonna do alright in my book)

Note: Could I have used Frank Zappa – Joe’s Garage?  “A guy from a company we can’t name…”

Jazz albums to recommend to a jazz rookie

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Dave Brubeck – Time Out
Charles Mingus – Ah Um
Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong – Ella and Louis
John Coltrane – Blue Trane

Blues albums to recommend to a blues rookie

Willie Dixon – I Am the Blues
Howlin’ Wolf – The London Sesssions
Paul Butterfield Blues Band – Self Titled
Muddy Waters – At Newport
Etta James – At Last

World music albums to spark up your party.

Various Artists – Sabroso! The Afro-Latin Groove
Various Artists – Viva Cubop 2 (or 3… they are both good)
Los Amigos Invisibles – Arepa 3000: A Venezuelan Journey Into Space
Manu Chao – La Radiolina
Mongo Santamaria – Skin on Skin/Anthology

Jam Band albums

Widespread Panic – Space Wrangler
God Street Wine – 1.99 Romances
Allman Brothers – Live at Fillmore
Big Head Todd and the Monsters – Midnight Radio
Derek and the Dominoes – Live at the Fillmore

Politically-motivated musicians

Michael Franti
Frank Zappa
Carlos Santana
Crosby, Stills, and Nash
Gil Scott-Heron

Note: There are many more… amen and hoka hey to those musicians that fight the power and the corporatocracy!!

Beyond-obvious Jamming Rock Guitar Albums

Michael Schenker Band – Built to Destroy
Pat Travers Band – Makin’ Magic
Blind Melon – Blind Melon
Robin Trower – Bridge of Sighs
Riot – Fire Down Under

Albums for my hippie-chick sister.

Josh Rouse – 1972
Traffic – Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys
Faces – Ooh La La
James Hunter – People Gonna Talk
India.Arie – Acoustic Soul

Wicked Guitar Jazz Albums

Mel Brown – Chicken Fat
Grant Green – Live at the Lighthouse
George Benson – New Boss Guitar
Boogaloo Joe Jones – Legends of Acid Jazz
Gabor Szabo – The Sorcerer

Albums I discovered at the ASU Hoodlums

Michael Franti – Everyone Deserves Music (and Stay Human… both are great)
Paul Pena – New Train
Wayne Shorter – Adam’s Apple
Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – It’s Your World
Taj Mahal – Taj Mahal

Albums discovered at the new Hoodlums

Meters – Fire on the Bayou
Roy Hargrove – Earfood
Albert King – Born Under a Bad Sign
Kings of Leon – Only By the Night
Bud Powell – The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1

Vintage albums that I have only discovered recently

Patti Smith – Horses
Laura Nyro – Eli and the 13th Confession
Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails
James Gang – Rides Again
Faces – Every album!

Great current artists for middle-aged cats who still explore music

Spoon
Kings of Leon
Shins
My Morning Jacket
Band of Bees

Sunday-morning albums

Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark
Bebel Gilberto – Tanto Tempo
Doobie Brothers – What Were Once Vices
Zero 7 – Simple Things
John Coltrane – Love Supreme

Classic albums my kids love the most

Crosby, Stills, and Nash – Self-titled
Wings – Band on the Run
Have a Nice Decade – The 70’s Pop Culture Box
Beatles – Revolver
Steve Miller Band – Greatest Hits: 74-78

Steve’s Movies

Movie sequels

T2: Terminator 2
Godfather 2
Aliens
Star Trek 2: Search for Spock
Toy Story 2

Movies you’ve probably never seen

Lonestar
Cookie’s Fortune
The Player
Big Picture
Best Seller

Teenage flicks

10 Things I Hate About You
16 Candles
Breakfast Club
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Porkys

Most resembling real-life high school (in my experience)

Over the Edge
Dazed and Confused (except for the hazing crap)
Juno
Some Kind of Wonderful
Valley Girl

Concert Videos

Led Zepplin – 2-DVD set
The Band – Last Waltz
Rolling Stones – Ladies and Gentlemen… the Rolling Stones
Pink Floyd – Delicate Sound of Thunder
Ray Charles – O’Genio: Live in Brazil

Animated movies that I still love as an adult

Toy Story
Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
The Aristocats
Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Note: I just watched Wall-E last night…pretty impressive.

Movies that blew me away at the theater

The Thing
Terminator 2
The Matrix
Die Hard
Lord of the Rings

Movies that left me thinking for days

Broadcast News
The Matrix
Bulworth
Seven
What the Bleep?

Westerns

Outlaw Josie Wales
The Unforgiven
Silverado
Tombstone
Lonesome Dove (although the book is still better)

Movies that actually scared me

The Shining
The Excorcist
Silence of the Lambs
Friday the 13th
The Omen

Comic-book movies

Batman Begins
Sin City
Spiderman
Superman (the original)
Flash Gordon

R-Rated action/adventure I am excited to show my kids when they are ready

Boondock Saints
Terminator
Escape from New York
The Warriors
Escape from New York

R-Rated comedy I am excited to show my kids when they are ready

Animal House
Vacation
Office Space
Stripes
Caddyshack

Mainly kid-friendly movies/TV shows I’ve shared with my ten-year old.

The Princess Bride
Weird Science
Star Wars (although number three is pretty heavy)
Short Circuit
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Misc.

Things the music industry could do to get its head out of its butt

Lower prices on CD and vinyl
Eliminate Loss-leading at the corporate joints
Eliminate exclusives
Scrap the “Special Editions” and give us all the good stuff for a fair price
Stop re-issuing things over and over and over.

Reasons vinyl is better than CD

Better Artwork
Fuller sound (depending on quality of Vinyl and year of CD pressing)
Funner to search for
Lots of stuff not on CD
Cheaper (used vinyl only)

Reasons CD is better than vinyl

More durable
Easy to skip songs
Takes up less space
Can be transferred to digital without hassle
Sound quality (depending on quality of vinyl and year of CD pressing)

Shows I have attended since moving to the Phoenix Area

Pink Floyd – Phoenix Municipal Stadium – 1988
Horde Tour – Compton Terrace (w/Allmans, Big Head, Blues Traveler…) – not sure what year
Paul McCartney – Sun Devil Stadium – 1989
Steve Winwood – Union Hall – 1997?
Lindsay Buckingham – The Roxy

Shows I have attended outside of the Phoenix Area

Boston – Bismarck Civic Center – 1978
Van Halen – Winnipeg Arena – 1984
AC/DC with Fastway – St. Paul Civic Center – 1985?
Roy Hargrove – Village Vanguard NYC – 2004
Pearl Jam – Easy Street Records – 2005

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