December 15, 2003

"Yesterday was cool but today's just OK and I can hear you losing your keys from 10 blocks away." - Barnabys

I just noticed that one of the current writers for Pitchfork is named Brandon Stosuy, which means very little to many of you without the proper background, which is if it is the same Mssr. Stosuy he is responsible for the awesome Indie 500 festival of 1993 and the micro-indie label Jiffy Boy Records, creator of the rather good Ten Cent Fix indie rock comp featuring Barnabys, the Grifters, the Lilys and scads of other great pop from lesser known acts. The Indie 500 (mentioned here) was my first real indoctrination into Indie Rock. It took place on a farm in Vincentown, NJ near Princeton. There I met folks like Jon Solomon, Joey Sweeney, the folks in Small Factory. I learned later that it was sort of a cognoscenti even as people I met in later years all seemed to have been there, including this girl (scroll down). Anyway, Brandon was also in this rock act Slow Children Playing, which recorded a couple decent songs. Funny that he still follows the rock. This all assuming its the same guy. Not really a common name tho.

Strangely enough, I just found some of Lars' record reviews from April 12, 1994 here.

Anyway, enough of that. More of this: I was minding my own business the other day thinking about Kam Fong when I came across this. For those of you who haven't had the distinct pleasure of a personal intro, Ryan Widger is the Clark Kent alter-ego for The Postman, a.k.a. the bass player that lead Kam Fong out of the living room and onto the stage during a long hiatus when Chuck was out of the band. Widger was always an accomplished writer (the few of you who have heard his literally horrifying lyrics from KF's Ardmore Sessions know what I am talking about) and photographer. I guess he finally decided to follow through on the photo thing. Some of the shots here are pretty cool. One, I beleive, features DS Brook, she formerly residing with DSJ at the mythical Dust Pad in South Wayne.

I scored the Mazarin record yesterday for $3. It is very good indie pop. Stoltzfus really sounds like Jeff Mangum at some points here. Wild.

In addition to keeping your eyes on the prize, keep an eye on Your Record Sucks for a review of BTS Ancient Melodies and eventually, the new Blink 182. Further, I just reviewed the Brokaw record for Junkmedia, which still insists it is reviving in 2004.

I was going to rant about how I got a catalog called Frontgate that greatly exacerbates my dislike of the Western Capitalist Culture-driven Insatiable Appetite for New & Better Things With Which to Do Stuff That You Could Do Already With The Shit You Already Have Right Now, but I am tired of sitting here.

I do want to shower props on two things before That Is All-ing:

1). Saw Black Nativity with Big Al and Kerri on Saturday night. It was very, very entertaining. No, it's not a metal band, its a Gospel re-telling of the story of the birth of that Important Christian Dude.

2). Prior to the show Big Al took us to what might be the best bar downtown. It is upstairs at Marliave. It is utterly unhip and quiet and the service at the tiny bar is inconsistent in a funny way, since the bar is manned by some really old dude. There are tables and ample nuts in saucers. There is a dancing Santa doll and a holiday mural sprayed onto the mirror on the wall opposite the bar. Good stuff.

That is all.

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