Richie Records // TestosterTunes

Ray Pettibon in Ewing, NJ

2012-01-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

Raymond Pettibon. You don't need to be some goofy patron of the arts to appreciate that guy's work. You just need to be a normal, red-blooded Black Flag & SST Records fan. You know, the type of fellow who can recite all those radio commercials at the end of Everything Went Black, appreciate all the sour notes in a Ginn solo, and who will argue 'til last call that no, Rollins did not ruin Flag and yes, those later records do kick ass. And like Ginn & a litigious trigger-finger, Flag & the art of Pettibon will always go hand in hand. The bars, the little puppet on My War, the ill-fated cop in the Police Story illustration: this is the stuff that decorates the lockers & living rooms of creeps who pace around at midnight & struggle to discover a third way to blast a concept.

But this blog entry is no history lesson. There's an exhibit titled Raymond Pettibon: Early Drawings & it's hanging on three white walls at the College of New Jersey. It's got images of surfers, self-obsessed big-league hitters, locomotives, introspective tight-rope walkers, a few sexually-charged 60s teenagers, a drawing that can be a none other than little brother Greg (or the other sky-high guitarist, Dez), a Vavoom or two & a film from 2004 titled Repeater Pencil. Much of it looks brand-new to these eyes. Weirdos & misfits from up & down the East Coast are already clogging Route 31 and creepy-crawling the campus. As the saying goes, you guys would be fools to miss it.

Here are some photos, taken without the benefit of flash photography.

Promotional Image:

useful info: http://tcnjartgallery.pages.tcnj.edu/2012/01/17/raymond-pettibon-early-drawings-5/

WATERY LOVE, Thursday Feb 9 in Philadelphia

2012-01-16T20:24:00.000-08:00

Doors @ 8pm

@ Johnny Brendas

2011: RY WHARTON

2012-01-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

A year or two ago, a disparate cadre of weirdos was intrigued by a fuzzy, overblown blast of meditative skree on a self-released record titled Eyewash Silver (quickly repressed by the fanatics at Permanent Records). That thing took up a lot of time on the turntables of certain low-key maniacs. It was made by an act called KING BLOOD, and it seemed to come out of just about nowhere. The truth is that it came from somewhere & it turns out that the guy at the knobs is no stranger after all. Ry Wharton has been dipping his paws into the little snow globe of bastardized rock music for a long time now. Some readers may know him from the bands Snake Apartment or Showers. Some of those same readers might be familiar with his flirtations as impresario with the singles-only label Skulltones or the Twonicorn cassette label.

Vengeance, Man by King Blood will be released in 2012 on Richie Records // TestosterTunes.

things that made 2011 better:
- david gatten's 'texts of light' retrospective
- andy stott- we stay together 2lp
- negative plane- stained glass revelations 2lp
- date palms- honey devash lp
- mikael cronin- s/t lp
- peaking lights- '936' lp
- kourosh yaghmei 3lp
- ragnar kjartansson's 'song' at the carnegie in pittsburgh
- both tim hacker lps
- manilla road- live after midnight lp
- zomes- earth grid
- bruce mcclure performances
- john maus's addictive 'we must become pitiless censors of ourselves' lp
- kraus- a journey through the first dimension with kraus 7"
- all of the reissues on the crypt
- getting hitched

2011: JOHN SHARKEY III

2012-01-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

Next up to glance back at 2011 is a fellow most readers will recognize. He answers to Sharko, but he signs his checks John Sharkey III. Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed his transformation from an internationally recognized crowd-baiting, ostentatious son-of-a-bitch with a flying-V into something much worse. He’s now the type of killjoy who spends social gatherings on his feet, staring at the television and yelling about the events of whatever contest happens to be airing.
Didja see that!? My little sister could make that play!!
No need to slum it at a stinky rock club. If you want to catch a whiff of his wit these days, all you’ve got to do is tune in to sports talk radio. On the Philadelphia airwaves, he’s a frequent caller & he’s got an awful lot to say about the local pros.

1. The works of LeSean McCoy.
2. Jimmy Rollins re-signing with our Philadelphia Phillies for 3 (4) more years.
3. Iris DeMent performing live at the Arden Gild Hall, Jan 28th.
4. The NBA lock out ending.
5. Side A of the Watery Love single on Siltbreeze Records.
6. The burdens of home-ownership.
7. Having to leave the country under 2 times.
8. Gillian Welch performing live at The Philadelphia Spaghetti Warehouse, Oct 20th.
9. The Adjustment Bureau.
10. My first born son delivering a bare-fisted pummeling to a Circle of Hope* cult member at the tender age of 17 months. Good work, 4.

*editor's note The Circle of Hope is a religious congregation comprised of young people, many of whom outfit themselves at second hand shops and wear beards. One might notice them sipping lattes at quirky coffee shops during the day or quaffing pints of craft beer after sundown as they swim with the secular eccentrics, just as the fish swims in the sea.

2011: ANDREW MURRAY

2012-01-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

Andrew Murray, Perth's Most Erudite & Handsome Fellow four years running, took a few sips of Polish Hot Chocolate, served in the traditional manner while on walkabout in the city of Kraków, & rattled off an economical best-of list for the year 2011. There is much to admire in plain talk, plainly stated & plain to see.

Top 5 movies-
1. Bridesmaids
2. Our Idiot Brother
3. Crazy Stupid Love
4. Contagion
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 2

Top 5 Records-
1. Total Control-Henge Beat
2. UV Race- HOMO
3. Rank/Xerox- Rank/Xerox
4. Woollen Kits- Maths
5. Hounds of Hate-No Redemption

West Coast Eagles player of the year-
1. Josh Kennedy

2011: MAX MILGRAM

2012-01-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

And here's a thrilling guided tour through the emotional ups & downs of 2011 as experienced by Max Milgram:

At first I listed the Phillies on here in a pretty optimistic tone. While it's a shame that a record-making season had to fizzle out in such a pathetic fashion, the end is ultimately all that matters. So fuck them. That last series was terrible. Better luck in 2012.
1. All the fine releases on Richie Records//Testostertunes. Every single one of them display countless charms and musical integrity (and one even has an ex- member of Integrity).
2. Watery Love- Two Thrills 7". Yeah, the songs "rock", for better or for worse, but what really seperates this one from the pack is the keen understanding and breadth of feeling it conveys. Adult topics dealt with empathy.
3. Getting real into cooking poultry. Always considered chicken to be the least exciting thing to eat but 2011 found me getting a real hang on getting a great balance of sharp and crispy skin with moist meat. Roasted chicken, duck confit, thanksgiving turkey, crusted thighs with peanut noodles, fried, whatever.
4. Any get-together at the Killinger house is always a fantastic evening filled with good cheer and happy friends. Wether it's Megajam Booze Band practice or just an impromptu hang, the place exudes positivity and hospitality. On two occasions I watched Jason deliberately spill a huge bucket of bottle caps. While that was no fun for anyone, it still seemed right in the context of the evening. Thank you to Jason, Eva, Uriah, Ada, and Tichy.
5. The one-two punch of Watery Love's "Die With Dignity" and "Two Thrills" 7"s. Too "real"to be contained on one 7". The length of the songs and the physical limitations of the format also contributed.
6. Watery Love "Die With Dignity" 7". Some might argue that there's too many songs but every last one of 'em is a stone cold killer. I'd say that's a problem most bands wish they could have!
7. Finally getting with the digital age. First I started to use these things called "emoticons" with my text messages. Then I joined www.twitter.com after a 2 month internal and external debate. Now I'm on www.facebook.com and being utterly demolished by everyone who I play Scrabble with.
8. Tony and Danielle Rettman as houseguests. Spent a couple of drunk record-listening and turkey-talking nights with this dynamic duo on their Philly visits this year. But the best thing is that in the morning, they're OUTTA HERE! No coffee drinking or brunch eating for these guys! I really appreciate the speed of departure so as to avoid weird questions like "Why are you sleeping with my underwear?"
9. Watery Love "Two Thrills" 7". Has anyone noticed the guitar action on this puppy???!!! Wow!

2011: STEVEN PEFFER

2012-01-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is a list of bright spots from 2011. First installment comes courtesy of Cleveland’s Steven Peffer, a fellow who needs no introduction to faithful readers of this web presence.

Peffer, in green (stock photo)

Forma S/T LP ( Spectrum Spools )
Love this album. Listening to it as I type this.

Watery Love 7" ( Siltbreeze )
How did this happen? They cover a real lousy L. Reed stinker and just blow it outta the toilet. A very listenable adult punk music record from a band who honestly can be quite unlistenable.

Milk Music Beyond Living 12" ( Perennial )
Lots of guitar fuzz on this one. So much better for my ears than most of those long hair hippie dippy directionless guitar-heavy bands that have been taking over.

Brain Idea Cosmos Factory 12" ( Mexican Summer )
Spectacular release. Very pleasant. Not pretentious. Sorta reminds me of The Clean and 3rd album Meat Puppets. Doesn't sound like those bands. Just reminds me of them. Great record.

Hauschka Salon Des Amateurs LP ( Fatcat )
Somewhere there is a wonderful and beautiful Chinese lady filmmaker. She is filming a playground built for adorable little furry cats. This is its soundtrack.

Ranil Ranil's Jungle Party LP ( Masstropicas )
Collected recordings from some Peruvian guitar playing insaniac.

Iron Curtain Desertion 1982-1988 2xLP ( Pylon )
Dark Cold Minimal with lyrics!

His Electro Blue Voice Worm / Wolf 12" ( Holidays )
This band absolutely destroys. Great band. A truly wonderful band. Nice wide open 12" for the boys to spread their wings and crash into the goddamn mountain. Wonderful shit.

Total Control Henge Beat ( Iron Lung )
Awful artwork and wasteful-deluxe packaging. But it's what's in the grooves that counts right? Easy listening and occasionally abrasive synthetic jam-on music. Sometimes I can understand the lyrics and that is when I stop listening. These ladies have the world in palm of their hands. What will they do with our world?

Iceage New Brigade LP ( What's Your Rupture? )
Saw these lady boys live in concert this year and wanted to see them get folded up and stuffed into the closet. The album does rock the house. A very good album. I walked down the street and paid 15 dollars for this album. Listen to it all the time by myself. Can't believe I own a record on this whack label.

Gaunt Whitey The Man 10" ( Thrill Jockey )
My least favorite format. Splendid record. Every time I was somewhere this year and saw this gem, I would make he record player play the record. I do not own this record. I would love to own this record. Great shit.

Broken Water Peripheral Star 12" ( Perennial )
The gay 90s are back. They are fighting for headphone time inside my ear buds. Maybe this is lesbian music? That is just fine with me. Just like my boy Howard, I love lesbians.

Keep On Jammin' !!!

Up Next, 2011 highlights from some other interesting person.

Watch this space

2011-12-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

Do check back for fascinating year-end lists carefully compiled by noted tastemakers.

Two events, lots to do... BIRDS OF MAYA & SPACIN'

2011-12-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

Fri Dec 16th

Birds of Maya

Tin Horses

True Gold

Thur Dec 22nd

Spacin'
Boogie Witch

Both Events @

Little Bar
736 S 8th St
9PM $7 21+

MOVED TO THE LEVEL ROOM @ 2102 MARKET STREET

Double-A on drums

2011-12-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

take it home here.

Party with these fun guys... BREAKFAST AT NIGHT

2011-12-05T16:18:00.001-08:00

Tom Lax (left) & Richie Charles

This photo is a few years old, but these guys still look pretty much the same. The only difference is that they're more fun now. For evidence, please attend BREAKFAST AT NIGHT on Tuesday December 6 at the Little Bar in Philadelphia. At 8 o'clock, we're gonna start playing records that really have no business being played in a public setting & we ain't gonna quit until at least midnight. No cover, cash bar. Attendance is mandatory.

TACO LEG & WATERY LOVE!! New music, new singles!!

2011-11-25T09:33:00.001-08:00

New music for the end of the year. Long-anticipated and with potential to satisfy: TACO LEG Printed Gold & WATERY LOVE Two Thrills. Each release has Aussie connections: Taco Leg is an Australian band & Two Thrills was released by Negative Guest List Records from the greater Brisbane region.
For those who wish to buy both records, scroll below and save on shipping.

TACO LEG

Printed Gold

45RPM 7" single

330 copies

Three new songs from TACO LEG, ambassadors from the city of Perth, a seaside burg in Western Australia which, as any visitor can confirm, served as a model for The Village to which Number Six has been condemned. The principle mode of travel is hot-air balloon & the locals cheer a longneck of VB with a salute to favorite son Gus Chambers. It’s a strange, isolated district inhabited by a society just a little too askew for general population.
Taco Leg visited all the major United States markets in late 2010, and this is the first blast we’ve heard from the guys since that historic trip. It's also a preview to the forthcoming album on the Fan Death label. Printed Gold is a buzzy single-noting headbanger and it shows all the confidence of a Ryan Howard home-run. In fact, in a tribute to his American fans of the diamond, the guitar player wore batting gloves for the recording session.
A certain high-ranking Aussie musician and writer pointed out to the band that their approach has a lot in common with FANG. The guys not only took the trouble to figure out just who the hell is Fang, they even learned the band’s most memorable tune & put it to tape. The result? An interpretation of “The Money Will Roll Right In” that’s a few degrees drier, more inspired, & more determined than the original. Certainly, these guys stand a chance at the film career that proved elusive to Sammytown & that crowd.

Printed Gold by TACO LEG by TestosterTunes

Here’s a clip of Taco Leg live in the USA: http://youtu.be/PeMhjThu-vs

US-8$ ppd
Canada- 9$ ppd
Elsewhere-12$ ppd

WATERY LOVE
Two Thrills
7” single
Negative Guest List Records

We’ve got a limited number of copies of this import single from Philadelphia’s WATERY LOVE. A-side is a pounding CRAMPS cover. The flip, a chugging staple of WL’s live set called “A Condom.” Buy now or forever stalk the used bins.

US-8$ ppd Canada- 9$ ppd Elsewhere-12$ ppd

***NOTE***

For both singles..

US-14$ ppd

Canada-$16

Elsewhere-$22

Old chat with KV, online this time

2011-11-11T14:43:00.001-08:00

Here's the contents of a quick chat I had with good buddy Kurt Vile. It took place in the autumn of 2010. This piece originally ran in the pages of Negative Guest List magazine. You're unlikely to find a copy of that pub on the shelves of any store anywhere. It's only fair to make available this enlightening discussion to a whole new generation of tech-savvy readers & music fans.

KV & daughter, 2011

Philadelphia is an American city that stands proudly on a strip of land between two brown and polluted rivers. You could cross either river by driving or even walking over a bridge. But there’s no good reason to do so. On the other side of the Delaware lies New Jersey, a state known for endless highways, shopping malls, Bruce Springsteen, and beaches where hypodermic syringes routinely wash ashore with the shredded globs of dismembered jellyfish. On the other side of the Schuylkill: an area called West Philadelphia famous for college campuses, poor grooming habits, and communal lifestyles. Between these two cultural wastelands, Philadelphia is full of a lot old buildings, some new ones, an rickety public transportation system, and old men who use their walkers to smack around young people. It’s populated with all types of inbred mutants, drug-addicted zombies, stuck-up losers, and cocky pricks from all strata of society.
One such cocky prick is a guy named Kurt Vile who plays guitar and sings. He’s a handsome man with youthful good looks and he’s got about two dozen brothers and sisters. Most of them are also musicians, but I’ve never heard any of their tunes. Anyway it’s been a real treat to hear KV chase his muse over the course of about half a dozen records and to watch him take the stage (particularly when THE VIOLATORS are behind him).

This interview was originally conceived as a real blockbuster for the front cover of NME, but Kurt proved too wily to pin down in the days leading up to his US Tour. Instead of a lengthy dose of penetrating journalism, I instead offer some volleys sent back and forth from my miserable living room in Philadelphia to Kurt’s blackberry as he hurdled through some of the more bucolic stretches of the network of the United States highway system.

What’s up tonight?

Be better once we get to Seattle. Get there late night tonight but 2 days to get there from Menneapolis, been nonstop drivin, kinda brain frying, and radio show at noon tomoro. Starting tomoro be best for interview, plus we got a TM on west coast..

My man is hoping to get it done soon. Wanna just text it?

Yeah sure, how long is it gonna be? I’ll be driving in a couple hours and I’m kinda tired now thought so I don’t know how interesting I’ll be but I can do it now if ya want..

Well why don’t you tell me a little bit about your new van...

It’s sweet. It had only 40k miles on it when I got it. It’s a dodge Ram 3500 15-passenger. A nice dark blue in color, looks beautiful at night especially. I don’t know why. I’m stoked. Never imagined owning my own. Right now Adam is driving and we’re jamming a Yoko Ono tape that I stole from you. Everyone loves it in the band except for Mike Zanghi! It’s a nice landscape right now though: Montana style.

What do you mean? It’s all flat and gray with a stunning sunset?

The Rocky Mountains, guy. Not flat at all. Mountains, rolling hills, winding highway roads, lots of green, pine trees, sunsets, cows... The whole shebang. (single tear rolls down face)

PS signal tricky round here you’ll probably get some delays, just don’t worry too much about me.

But I always worry about you. Somebody has to keep an eye on you, teach you right from wrong, etc..

Yeah but I’ve finally blossomed into a beautiful grown man. Thanks to you Richie. And now it’s time I moved on and went into the world on my own.

And I guess I was thinking about Wyoming or Utah or some other place.

Wyoming has Yellowstone Nation Park. That is similar to here and beautiful as well. I think some of Yellowstone is also in Montana but I could be wrong. I HAVE been wrong before.. Montana has Glacier Nation Park too. That’s intense.

Are you guys finding time to visit parks and take in all the natural beauty of our United States?

No time for that much. Few days off here and there but.. Violators are tight from all the gigs, that’s good at least. Gonna play live on kexp Seattle tomorrow morning. That’s why we’re bookin’ it over from Minneapolis with two days to get there. 26+ hour drive with no stops (but we stop).

Touring can be a struggle. Do you focus more on physical of mental fitness when you’re on the road.

Well... Mental fitness is good to shoot for. A lot of trial and error on that front. We’re doin’ pretty good on this run but in the past there’s been some roughish moments. Trying now to take it slow, ya know? Don’t let little shit stress you out, one thing/day at a time. And don’t talk shit behind backs. Paranoia gets evil. We’re doin’ good though! Physical? I dunno, whatevs, we’re still young...

You been eating right? You’ve got to take care of your body, man.

I try, Rich. It’s all I can do. My body craves some bad foods, now and again. But I’m only human. Wow, What a boring subject!

I’m telling you dawg: Your body is the most precious vessel you’ll ever own.

(The Philadelphia Phillies turned in an offensively limp performance to lost to the San Francisco Giants.)

Did you hear about the Phils?

Yea only cuz of my psycho bandmates. ‘Aw man I really hope they keep Werth...’

I’m impressed that you can spell the rightfielder’s name correctly.

I was wondering if I did or if you’re being sarcastic. What can I say, I just love games.

It’s like I’ve always said: All the bush league batters are left to die on the diamond.

Thanks, Shakey.

I bought a CANNED HEAT record. What do you think about that?

Cool. We just listened to hallelujah seconds ago. Check out the tune “Time Was”. One o the best tunes I heard all year..

I’ll give it an ear. I’ve been going back over some obvious tunes that I never really gave a chance. Might even listen to the Stones of of these days.

I’ll get u Beggars Banquet. Can’t deny them man. Can you imagine if all there was was the VU? That frequency all the time. Too jagged after a while.. Beggars has a jagged sound alot too (in a way) but more delta blues and a relatively new dabbling into heerion vibe. Nobody got quite close to that style of blues ever again. If there was no Keith Richards there’d be no nobody post.

You should download the song “time was” right now and jam it in headphones btw. Lemme know whatcha think. Bet it makes you feel super good.

(Turns out he’s right. Great melancholy tune.)

So are the VIOLATORS in tact for the foresesable future?

I think so. I hope so. The original lineup can NOT be beat.

That kicks ass.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

For the deleted first draft, click here.

Next Monday. Attendance is Mandatory.

2011-11-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

TOTAL CONTROL
&
WATERY LOVE

Monday November 13

10pm

@ Little Bar

8th & Fitzwater

Philadelphia

Catching up with DX & Total Control

2011-11-03T04:46:00.000-07:00

Mikey, poolside. 2011.

Let me be clear: the jury in my head is still out on Total Control. The Melbourne-based act issues records that fuse guitar & electronic music in a way that is definitely interesting & worthy of consideration. It sounds to these ears like some sort of re-working & reassembly of sounds I remember from 80s radio during trips to the orthodontist & home from Little League practice. I'm thinking of VH1 heavyweights such as the Eurythmics & the Georgia Satellites. Indebted to Flock of Seagulls, for all I know. Perhaps it's better described as New Wave. It's a feel-good type of sound, all right. And I simply haven't got an ear for it. This is how it sounds on record, mind you. It's the sound of mechanized pelvic exercises. On stage, however, Total Control, as I recall, is a different beast altogether & I'll be a face in the crowd at each & every area gig from now until the sun engulfs as all. They're furious & loud up there, even if there was a tambourine & keyboard.Last time through town, they dragged about a dozen weirdos onstage. Actual weirdos. Not just a bunch of normals acting at being weird. Guitar weirdo is a humble baby-faced fellow named Mikey and he's famous for his handsome smile & sunny disposition & for playing guitar in the Eddy Current Suppression Ring. On vox, a true weirdo-Internationale called DX. He also fronts a raging HC act called Straightjacket Nation & he's one of the great Aussie thinkers, as evidenced by Distort Magazine, the recognized bible of Cult Hardcore. Last time I saw him, he looked like a member of B'last, right down to the long hair and the Uniform Choice t-shirt. The other weirdos, I couldn't tell ya too much about. They all spoke a strange version of the English language & they all had their faces stuck in a jar of Marmite.

DX was patient enough to answer some questions.

So you've been on this soil a number of times, and you've probably traveled in the US more than most Americans. What the hell for?
I grew up ricocheting from one corner of Australia to another. I saw a lot of that country. I also found American hardcore at the right age, in particular the Midwest glories, which was a sophisticated and subtle imperialism as all that shit made me want to revel in the rewards of hard work (ie. spend money) and then the rewards of being a consumer (ie. Debt) by traveling your country at every opportunity.
I'm driving thru AZ now and I prob see this joint much like any foreigner swollen with romantic frontier notions from film (it looks like a leone film at one point, then that scene in north by northwest with the crop duster next minute).

Why drag yourself on stage and perform your songs every night for a month or two? Can it be more rewarding with each consecutive night?
You spent most of the year working and reading and thinking and making songs. A couple months on the road is good to ensure you don't become entirely introverted and useless as a writer or as a worker. It's the work side of making music. As you'd probably be aware there is no cumulative glory, it ebbs and it flows, but there is a reward in moments like my ole bud R Charles taking a couple minutes outta the day to sincerely and formally interrogate my intentions.

This past summer, about a hundred bands from your native Australia flew over and criss-crossed the US. Is that the dream of every young Aussie Rocker? To clog our highways and soak up our entertainment dollars?
I'm certainly curious how you people have received the spate of antipodean traveling bands. I guess many people want to see an empire declining, some people want to exploit a second world economy for cheap records and drugs, some people want to take advantage of the fact that the Internet age has somehow imbued Australian music with a tinge of legitimacy and maybe a pretty Midwest farmers daughter'll really make em feel alright and some people want to tour somewhere where the drives are less than 12 hours between cities and you can speed on the highways easier and the tour can last longer than a week. Some sickos really just wanna tour, sir, can ya believe that?

There was probably a time when Australian punk rock-influenced music was distinct from what was coming out of America (and other places). You're a world-traveler, a guy with an insatiable appetite for music. Is there any distinction any more? Or are we just sitting in a big melted pot of tunes?
I could generalize that American bands are generally more theatrical and euro bands less song orientated and Southeast Asian punks bands more about the collective experience but thatd probably be more about looking for exceptions to the melting pot rule that I guess Brit nerd Simon Reynolds characterized as post Internet retromania.

I understand you're a heavy reader of Terry Southern. Want to tell me why I should spend some time on him? I only know he was involved in Easy Rider and I just read a piece of his involving a visit to a baton twirling competition in Mississippi.
My buddy Brace turned me onto Southern the day I flew into San Francisco and the first line of Red Dirt Marijuana had me hooked. The same drug addled hyper macho hunter dealt with, but less obviously swinging from Hemingway's ball sack and much funnier. My favorite writer right now is Joan Didion. She is brilliant, her smarts are intimidating and she can throw a word hard. Southern ain't in her league, but he can definitely play. His short stories are strong: check out the blood of the wig and heavy put away for sleaze laughs and Red Dirt Marijuana has something on Carver. The second day I was in sf I picked up about 20 books, I'm really looking forward to reading on this tour as the last few months I haven't had much chance. Happy to talk books with ya in Philly.

Catch TOTAL CONTROL live & in concert somewhere in the USA or in the EU at ATP, especially Monday November 14 at the Little Bar in Philadelphia w/ WATERY LOVE.

The Hammer by Total Control

Dead Cats Hangin' From Poles

2011-10-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

carved from a pumpkin, 2011

Here's some news:

TACO LEG singles will be ready to purchase any day now. Watch this space and have your paypal trigger finger ready.

SPACIN' has been a groovy addition to the RR//TT landscape. "I will survive, I will get by", indeed.

Ben Leaphart is a criminally underused drummer.

WATERY LOVE has another single coming out soon on Negative Guest List Records. They broke silence and spoke to a nosy scribe.

Halloween remains a silly holiday and it's best to stay home candy-free and don Phil Anselmo costume.

BLUES CONTROL is off the grid.

HOME BLITZ has a new single. Of course it's essential.

Bernard Hopkins was robbed.

Catching up with Dizzy Polizze & Purling Hiss

2011-10-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

Dizzy, in the van. Oct, 2011.

At this late date, there's not a single turntable or digital music device on earth unfamiliar with the sounds of Purling Hiss. For those readers recently returned from a stint in the clink, a season in the abyss, or an Appalachian excursion: Purling Hiss is the curiously named act fronted by a modern-day-Yngwie: Michael "Dizzy" Polizze. Begun as a late-night studio project, the Hiss had released a considerable stack of hi-energy sleazy sounds in a matter of weeks before hiring the workman-like rhythm section of Mike Sneeringer & Kiel Everett last winter and taking the show on the road.
The guys (out with Phila's War on Drugs) are on the road now, cutting a path back to the east coast and away from the burnt side of the nation. I was able to squeeze a few words from Dizzy in between cities. He answered from the van on a lifted iPad while haunting etsy.com for a purple frilly stage outfit & a translucent Dan Armstrong guitar.

So you've been playing that Mexican Strat for a lot longer than I've known you. In the past few months you've traveled & performed more than ever before. How do you enjoy sleeping on the floors of strangers?

Yo Richie I'm glad you asked. That Strat's been with me for a while. Sometimes we can avoid the floor and make it onto a couch or air mattress.

In the studio its just been you so far. You told me a while back that you play drums for a while and then put guitar and your howls on top of it. That can't be true.

Everything that ive put out has been just me on the recordings. It's pretty much been demos and loose ideas.

We are working on new stuff and will record as a band. Its been coming along nicely.

What's the story with that new guitar?

The new guitar is a 1980 strat. I wanted a back up and found that on craigslist. I had to meet a stranger in a parking lot for the deal to go down.

What do you jam in the van more often, Hendrix or Flag?

More flag. Listened to Slip it in yesterday.. Some Germs stuff too. I even just read Broken Summers by Henry Rollins. Got it cheap from Borders. They are going out of business.

for tour dates & other info, www.facebook.com/purlinghiss

Limerence / Space Roots by PURLING HISS by TestosterTunes

PRINTED GOLD

2011-10-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Keep your eyes glued to this web presence for news about Printed Gold, the new single from Perth's TACO LEG. It's got two originals on the a-side and a cover on the flip. The cover is an absolute anthem of West Coast Punk. The cover is West Coast USA, not AUS.

Printed Gold by TestosterTunes

Predawn Rumblings.... Introducing Spacin'

2011-10-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the heat summer, over beers in the backyard, good buddy Jason Chillinger started telling me about his latest solo music project. Evidently a full-time job, family duties, leading the Birds of Maya & the Mega-Jam Booze Band, & writing a guidebook to the art of the barbecue wasn't enough to keep him busy. As of late, he'd been battling insomnia with late-night/early-morning sessions in the basement. While I stared off at some tomato plants and swatted an army of mosquitoes from my shoulders, Jason described building rhythms from an analog tape loop and playing guitars out of a pyramid of solid state guitar amps. He had been playing hazy, basement world music. I summarily dismissed this whole development as the passing fancy of a substance using dreamer. I steered the conversation into something a little more tangible: probably something about Carlos Ruiz or my advice for enjoying tequila (neat, w/ a squeeze of fresh lime & a cerveza chaser). My host munched on hummus and cookies and we eventually went our separate ways, me to my miserable rowhome and he to his tangle of guitars and amps in a cramped underground studio.
Months later, while the city slowed to hibernate under a blanket of snow, this project actually crawled out of the basement and onto the stage. I showed up late on a Sunday night to witness the promised pyramid of amps and a grinning Chillinger, barefoot despite the sub-freezing temperature, joined by Ben L & Dizzy Polizze... the other 2/3 of Birds of Maya. This, despite his insistence in the backyard that his new project was nothing like his long-running hard rock act. He was calling it Spacin' and the trio performed circular groovy jams (and by jams I mean loosely scripted, exploratory & repetitive passages) for about four hours. There was no drumkit; Ben played a floor tom & (if memory serves) a little drum sampler. Dizzy played (what else?) an inexpensive Fender guitar. Chillinger pranced around barefoot with a guitar slung over his shoulder and he occasionally whispered/moaned into a microphone, struggling to negotiate hand & mouth coordination.
Early this past spring, Spacin' unveiled a revamped lineup. Gone are the Birds (Dizzy was accused of being too good a guitar player for this project), and introduced are 3 new faces. Among them, ~~novice~~ naturally gifted percussionist Eva Killinger. This was a more together outfit, certainly more practiced. In recent months, hangouts have been cut short, postponed, or cancelled so that Chillinger could go rehearse his band. They live communally work about as hard as the Afrika 70, they rehearse in the inconvenient early hours, & they pay fines for wearing wrinkled clothes.

SPACIN' will perform at an art gallery in Philadelphia called Little Berlin on Sunday Oct 9.

Deep Thuds sample by killinger

So what's the story with Spacin'? I can remember that in the freezing cold of last winter, you told me that you were working on a solo project. I think you said that it involved a tower of amps in your basement.

ha ha. yeah. Spacin' was originally me and and these towers of amps I built out of all of the busted Megajam Booze Band peaveys that everyone leaves at my house. I soon realized that I can't play guitar well enough to play by myself.

Am I insane, or were you briefly working on something called Chillinger?

Chillinger was what I used to call my late night 4 track recordings (pre-Spacin'). That stuff is mostly country. I've never done anything with them. I made one cdr and gave it to my mom for mothers day 3 years ago, other than that, no one really knew about it. Apparently there's a dj or something using the same name, so I was briefly calling it Spacin' Chillinger which became just Spacin'.

What kind of sound are you after? It doesn't exactly rock that way that Birds of Maya rocks.

I'm not really after any particular sound. Whatever the song sounds like when it pops into my head. They are pretty diverse. It's like a mix tape where you would put fela kuti and velvet underground next to each other, not because they sound similar, but because they just rule in general. It makes no attempt to be Birds of Maya. I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. Nothing can be birds but birds. bom forever.

This stuff is downright mellow compared to Birds. Are you getting soft?

The stuff online you might be hearing is just me. Those songs are mellower than the band is in actuality. With the full band it's still not as loud as birds, but it has an unmatched level of sloppiness.

So you've been recording some tunes? How the hell is that working out?

Really good. As of right now it's an 8 song full length LP called 'Deep Thuds'. Hopefully it'll be done in the next couple of weeks.

Do you play all or most of the instruments in the studio?

There are a couple songs where I play most of the instruments, but the majority of the songs feature the full live band.

Who's playing in the live band with you? I recognize some of those people.

It's me, Jason Killinger on guitar and vox, Paul Sukeena plays actual good guitar. Sean Hamilton plays bass, and my wife Eva Killinger on drums. The majority of the album and most of our shows have been that line up as well. Mike Polizze and Ben Leaphart from birds have also played live and on some of the album.

And like in Birds, you're the only one with a microphone. What are your damn songs about?

A wide variety of heavy shit. Cheeseburgers, ego death, making a wrong turn in Kensington, getting a metal bar put in my chest, the joy of being and how I never really want to wear shoes.

Are you jealous of Mike Polizze? The entire world adores him & Purling Hiss.

ha ha. Not jealous, but psyched for him. He sent me an email today saying he's playing in Paris tonight. That's wild. Godspeed, Mike.

You don't have cable either. How do you keep up with the Phillies?

Scott and Larry speak the truth! Go phils.

The Outlaw Scumfuc

2011-09-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

detail from Violent Students poster. Circa 2005.

ATTN: WATERY LOVE FANS

2011-09-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, thanks for the patience. The follow-up effort by WATERY LOVE is finally available. It's a double sided record with one tune on each side. This is the type of record that you'll need to flip if you want to hear the whole thing. But don't try to purchase a copy from this web presence. Instead, direct your paypal dollars to this one: http://siltblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/crewcified-for-yourwatery-love-new-7.html.

There's more. Watery Love will be performing on Saturday ~~November~~ SEPTEMBER 24 at Johnny Brenda's Bar in Philadelphia with Meg Baird & Glenn Jones. This will be the record release event for Seasons on Earth by Meg and you should all show up and buy a copy.

Even more. There will be yet another Watery Love record before the year is over. That's right, another pair of songs to drop onto your turntable. This one will be titled Two Thrills and it'll be available from the Negative Guest List label out of Brisbane, Australia. NGL is famous for being a print magazine, but it's an entity that also releases vinyl records. Direct your gaze to this site if you want to be the first to know: http://negativeguestlist.blogspot.com/

WATERY LOVE rescheduled for Wednesday

2011-08-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hey, the Hurricane blew through and was underwhelming and the bar preemptively cancelled yesterday's scheduled WATERY LOVE gig. No skin off WL's ass, but lots & lots of people were disappointed. They didn't have shit to do on a beautiful Sunday evening. To make it up to their fans, the band has accepted an invitation to appear with Kitchen's Floor on Wednesday night at a place called Little Bar at 8th & Fitzwater.

http://phonographicarts.blogspot.com/2011/08/watery-love.html

DISAPPOINTING NEWS --- STAY HOME SUNDAY

2011-08-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hey, some disappointing news: Sunday's gig is cancelled. Instead, you should all plan to have a blast running around in the rain & wind. WEDNESDAY NIGHT, go to see Kitchen's Floor at a place called Little Bar at 8th & Fitzwater in Philadelphia.

WEEKEND GIG IN PHILADELPHIA

2011-08-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

WATERY LOVE

KITCHEN'S FLOOR

SLOW TONGUED BEAUTY

5pm, sharp

$5, cheap

@ The El Bar

in Philadelphia

KIDS CORNER

2011-08-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone is looking forward to the start of the National Football League season. Everyone. Perhaps no fans are more excited than those of the Philadelphia Eagles. One young fan even took it upon himself to pen this adorable drawing and send it to this web presence. It was made by a creative young fellow. He's a toddler and his name is John Sharkey IV.

Home Blitz 2011

2011-08-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

HOME BLITZ performed a typically rousing set in Allentown, Pennsylvania the other night. Highlights of the evening include cheap beers & shots, menacing patrons at the bar, a video poker machine, and a spirited delivery of City Kids. (or City Kids, if you prefer.)

Lowlights include an impenetrable plume of cigarette smoke, a little league game rather than a Phillies game on television, and a microphone on each instrument at the expense of the vocals.

FACTORYMEN -- Yellow Eyes & The Sound of Vomit

2011-08-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

FACTORYMEN
Yellow Eyes & The Sound of Vomit
Vinyl 12” EP + 25 track mp3 download
RR//TT#30

More Mensa material from the Rust Belt. FACTORYMEN is a sociopathic, meticulously crafted studio project that centers around Steve Peffer (Homostupids, Folded Shirt, Pleasure Leftists, etc.). It involves the targeted misuse of Rock & even Dance Music instruments and it’s certain to test the patience of your roommate, lover, or father. Yellow Eyes & The Sound of Vomit is an obtuse, off-putting, though catchy mini-album. These are the types of tunes that will roll around in your empty head and you’ll recall them, with horror, as you wait for the bus or write a check for rent or when you beg for forgiveness from your boss after your latest fuck-up. This record is the soundtrack to unpleasantness.

305 copies. Covers silk-screened by Neil Burke at Monoroid.

Includes mp3 download for Yellow Eyes... + Shitman + the debut FACTORYMEN 45 on My Mind’s Eye Records.

$16ppd to US

$18ppd to Canada/Mexico

$24ppd to the World

paypal to TestosterTunes [[[at]]] [[[gmail]]]

S E C by FACTORYMEN by TestosterTunes

Wallow And Swallow by FACTORYMEN by TestosterTunes

Live Dates

2011-07-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

We're all chasing something. Women? Dollars? Fame? Glory? A dream? All worthy quarry, but failure has the appetite of a defensive lineman and the hopeful are its buffet. This world is littered with sad sacks burdened with disappointment.
Well, here's something to chase. Something that you ought to be able to hunt down and wrap up in your arms for an evening. The only obstacle to success is geography, transportation, and some cash.
So go out and catch Richie Records // TestosterTunes acts and try to have a nice time and enjoy yourself.

PURLING HISS
Aug 11 @ Golden West Cafe in Baltimore
Aug 20 @ Johnny Brendas in Philadelphia
US Tour in Oct/Nov

HOME BLITZ
Aug 12 @ The Sportsman’s Cafe in Allentown, PA

BLUES CONTROL
Aug 5 @ Shea Stadium in Brooklyn
Aug 27 @ Union Pool in Brooklyn

MEGAJAM BOOZE BAND

Aug 3 @ The Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia

TACO LEG

July 22 @ Maylands in Perth, Australia

WATERY LOVE

Aug 28 @ The El Bar in Philadelphia

Who are you with? Where have you been?

2011-07-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Everybody stop talkin' now. Attention.

2011-07-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

A photo and a Superstore

2011-06-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

That's a photograph of Watery Love in the recording studio. Expect more news on that project as it develops.

And please be a doll and click on over to the Richie Records // TestosterTunes Superstore at RRTT-Superstore.blogspot.com.

It's your one-stop shop for RR//TT releases. Vinyl-only, Shipped to the US only for now.

And do you want to know what's coming out next? It'll be Yellow Eyes & the Sound of Vomit by FACTORYMEN.

A Piano

2011-06-23T19:30:00.001-07:00

Hey look, it's a piano. It's got 88 keys and they keep it in the green room on Television's the Jimmy Fallon Show. Just try to imagine all the drug-addicted fingers that have tapped on those ivories.

World War III by HOME BLITZ

2011-06-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Check out this sinister floating feline and the fantastic, measured guitar solo at about 1:45.

JUNE 14 in Phila: BIRDS OF MAYA, MILK MUSIC, & HOME BLITZ

2011-06-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

BIRDS OF MAYA

MILK MUSIC

HOME BLITZ

TUESDAY JUNE 14

@ KFN in Philadelphia

Attendance is mandatory at this event. Throbbing wild punk/psych burners BIRDS OF MAYA will be making their ONLY live appearance of the summer. Like a lungful of smoke, the dudes will dissipate across the earth to spread joy. Bassist Jason "Spacin'" Chillinger will be relocating to the Delaware Beach to lead a seminar in advanced grilling techniques. Drummer Ben L. has accepted an internship as an understudy for the Phillie Phanatic. Guitarist M. Polizze is directing his full energy toward his other band: DIZZY SUN AND RAINBOWS. They're a full-on Band of Gypsies tribute act and they'll be playing the main dining hall on select Royal Caribbean Cruise Vacations.

Also on the bill, Olympia's loud guitar act MILK MUSIC make their Philadelphia debut. And Princeton's HOME BLITZ make a rare trip down I-95 to play classics and to unveil some new tunes.

June 2011's available titles, the definitive list

2011-05-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a current list of available music from Richie Records // TestosterTunes. Some titles are in dwindling supplies, some just may kick around for a while longer.

Please use paypal, live in the United States, and type the name of the record(s) you would like.

Send funds to TestosterTunes at Gmail

If you live outside the US or if you're looking for wholesale rates, send an email please.

RICHIE RECORDS // TESTOSTERTUNES

available titles June 2011

VIOLENT STUDENTS "Party Addiction" LP $15

PURLING HISS "Hissteria" LP $15

BIRDS OF MAYA "Ready to Howl" 2xLP $21

HOME BLITZ "Out of Phase" LP $15

FACTORYMEN "Shitman" LP $13

KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS "The Hunchback EP" 12" $13

BIRDS OF MAYA w/ HARMONICA DAN "Regulation" 7" single $6

CLOCKCLEANER "Frogrammer" b/w "Early Man" 7" single $6

SOLD OUT, DO NOT ORDER:

BRAINWASHED YOUTH "The Trilogy"

WATERY LOVE "Debut 45"

FNU RONNIES "Meat"

KURT VILE & someone called ROKA

2011-05-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hey have a look at this hip-wiggler as she paces around the apartment and listens to 'On Tour' by Kurt Vile.

2011-05-22T19:23:00.001-07:00

Anonymous, on May 9, 2011 wrote:
WATERY LOVE JUST SOUND LIKE A SHITTY VERSION OF THE LAMPS. CLOCKCLEANER WAS GOOD THOUGH.

A Message

2011-05-16T14:09:00.001-07:00

Lost & Found... OOP by HOME BLITZ

2011-05-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

Cracked open an unmarked box and look what I found... a stack of Out of Phase by HOME BLITZ. Long suspected to be out of print, this thing was meant for wax, and the esteemed Bob Weston at the Chicago Mastering Service could not have done a finer job cutting the grooves. It's a known contemporary classic and it can be yours (provided you live in the USA) for $15 postpaid to TestosterTunes over at gmail.

We're Back

2011-04-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hello again readers. I should apologize for the absence. They say that a spurned lover can only be pushed away so many times before she's had enough. Well I hope that we haven't reached the limit yet, baby. Let me tug at your heartstrings a little while longer.

So what's the story? What do I have to report? Not much.

By now, everybody knows that the WATERY LOVE matinee was an unparalleled success. Dozens of good-time guys and girls showed up for the afternoon of a lifetime filled with beer, loud guitars, and sunshine. Speaking of WL, click over here to listen to and download the tracks from the out of print Debut 45. Thanks to Jason Sigal at the WFMU's Free Music Archive for that.

Most of us have seen PURLING HISS perform a number of times, and those unkempt bags o' bones are picking up steam with each billing. If you knock back a few pints and squint your eyes, you'd swear that the rhythm section is named Scott and Ron. And Dizzy? Everyone agrees that he's the voice of a generation that howls at the moon and talks with its fingers.

Good buddy and friend to the label DJ Sully has retaken the FM dial on Thursday mornings. He's promised slightly more conventional playlists with the same insightful commentary and guest voices. The program is called The Naked Gun and you can learn more over here.

And now let's get down to it. Let's find out what 2011 has in store, what better food you're going to eat, and what you're going to buy that you can't already afford. The Future...

This year will bring tunes from FACTORYMEN, SPACIN', BLUES CONTROL & other select artists.

PARTY ADDICTION is proving to be a hell of an album. It's finding it's way to the top of the charts and we can all agree that it bridges the gap between Kraut and krautrock.

You might as well know that we've joined the social networking site called Twitter. Take a peak at twitter.com/testostertunes if you'd like to keep in touch. No musings on current events or limp stabs at humor, simply relevant information and life lessons.

And in the way of live music? Tuesday June 14th, BIRDS OF MAYA, MILK MUSIC, & HOME BLITZ @ Kong Fu Necktie in Philadelphia.

Just Some Photos

2011-04-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

VIOLENT STUDENTS 'Party Addiction'

2011-03-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

VIOLENT STUDENTS
Party Addiction
RR//TT#29

Here's the last gasp effort from VIOLENT STUDENTS, a defunct Philadelphia-based black hole Punk / HC outfit whose wasters have been and continue to be involved in some arguably more-refined and mature projects. This self-medicated, throbbing set was recorded live at their final gig inside a South Philadelphia firetrap before a crowd of black-clad pencil-necked geeks that shrank with each passing tic of the metronome. Most of those intensely posed youngsters left too early to witness an exploratory stomp through “Seekers of the Truth”. The Students here are joined by BLUES CONTROL’s Lea Cho, who was a last second replacement on guitar when Jim Winters (of Earth Crisis, Conviction, etc) proved tardy. The flip side is A Handy Magician, originally infamously issued as a cassette in 2004 or so. And as a more articulate scribe has famously noted, if you remember a Violent Students gig, then you weren’t there.

Insightful liner notes courtesy of Tony Rettman.

Side A

Intro

Overpower, Overcome

Very Hot & Awfully Wet

Seekers

Side B

A Handy Magician (orig. RR//TT#2)

Listen to a sample here.

This record will ship in about 3 weeks, so please show patience or purchase a copy from a trusted mail-order house or chain record store.

U.S. - $15 postpaid

Canada - $18

The Rest of the World - $25

Paypal to TestosterTunes over at gee mail

WATERY LOVE, PLEASURE LEFTISTS, SPACIN'.... Sunday April 17 in Phila

2011-03-14T11:26:00.001-07:00

SUNDAY APRIL 17

@ The El Bar

Front & Master Sts.

6pm, Early

WATERY LOVE

PLEASURE LEFTISTS

(Homostupids connection, Fan Death Recs.)

SPACIN'

For those with an unsatisfactory social life...

2011-03-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

A monthly event featuring recorded music and a cash bar. It occurs at a reasonable hour on a weekday night so it's ideal for people with jobs.

Monday March 14th's Invited Guest: Max Milgram of AKA Music, Violent Students, Watery Love, & Overt Hostility.

THUR MARCH 3

2011-03-02T05:28:00.000-08:00

PURLING HISS

WATERY LOVE

@ KFN in Philadelphia

doors at 8pm

HOMOSTUPIDS to visit the West Coast

2011-02-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

Attn: Readers in California, Reno, the Pacific Northwest, and Vancouver. Cleveland's HOMOSTUPIDS are making an out-of-character trip to your area. It takes a special combination of begging and bribing to get these mutants to even cross the Ohio River, so one can only assume that they're expecting something special from the mellow hordes near the other Ocean. Only a bona fide mental defective would pass up the opportunity to witness the globe's foremost black-hole Skull Music act.

Fri. Mar 4 San Fran w/ Knight Of the New Crusade, Wild Thing *Venue TBA
Sat. Mar 5 Oakland w/ Little Queenie @ Stork Club
Sun. Mar 6 Sacramento w/ Rat Damage @ The Hub
Mon. Mar 7 Reno w/ Soda Jerk @ The HQ
Tue. Mar 8 Portland w/ White Fang, Therapists @ House Show
Wed. Mar 9 Olympia w/ Criminal Code, Red and Black @ House Show
Thr. Mar 10 Vancouver w/ Shearing Pinx, Eating Out @ Honey Lounge
Fri. Mar 11 Seattle w/ Black Breath, Condominium, White Wards @The Highline
Sat. Mar 12 Portland w/ Condominium, Organized Sports @ Slab Town

NEVERMIND by CLOCKCLEANER re-released

2011-02-14T05:36:00.000-08:00

Six years back, Cleaner got involved with a grownup who wears black nail polish and hangs a pentagram around his neck. Scary! This frightening individual pulled up in his hearse, got a hold of an album titled Nevermind, and disappeared in a plume of smoke. Haven't seen him since. He's likely stirring a cauldron and staring at the calendar, waiting anxiously for Halloween to arrive.

Anyway, the reasonable people at Fan Death Records have re-released Nevermind on a vinyl LP. It's a nasty record that's been locked away by a comic book reader for too long.

Click over here

http://fandeathrecords.com/news/

and here

http://www.midheaven.com/item/nevermind-by-clockcleaner-lp

Patrick Warburton as The Woman Chaser

2011-02-06T07:56:00.001-08:00

BIRDS OF MAYA live clip

2011-01-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a vid from way back in May 2010 when BIRDS OF MAYA played their Ready To Howl record release gig at the El Bar in Philadelphia.

Many thanks to Tiffany Yoon.

Here's some dates for Birds-related events..

Sun 1/30/2011 SPACIN’ @ Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia
Fri 2/18/2011 Megajam Booze Band @ Mroom, Philadelphia
Sat 2/19/2011 Purling Hiss @ Good Weekend Warehouse, Allentown
Sat 2/26/2011 Birds of Maya @ Golden West, Baltimore

third speed light... got blood in your eyes

2011-01-23T15:59:00.000-08:00

[Took down the photo of Daniel. Too gruesome to look at. -Ed.]

All evidence points to a wild gig at the Cake Shop in NYC the other night. Dan DiMaggio of HOME BLITZ evidently took a chair to the face during the latter portion of their set. The uncompromising showman carried on with the set in spite of a gruesome gash above the eyes. He's since been stitched up and he's in high spirits.

Me, We

2011-01-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the Louisville Lip, who turns 68 today.

PH and 'Stupids news

2011-01-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

SATURDAY JAN 22

PURLING HISS

HOME BLITZ

THE MAD SCENE

@ The Cake Shop, NYC

THURSDAY MARCH 3

PURLING HISS

BOGAN DUST

@ Kong Fu Necktie, Phila

_______________

Additionally... OG Skulls THE HOMOSTUPIDS are going to the West Coast in March.

Happy 2011

2011-01-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

Expect some news from this web presence in the near future. For now, here's a photograph.

Paging Dave Kendall (or more likely, Lewis Largent)... it's a PURLING HISS music video

2010-12-14T18:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice hazy vid that the Sunday post-midnight crowd should appreciate. It's a tune called "Passenger Queen" by PURLING HISS and it's from the album titled Hissteria.

It was put together by Jake Fennell in southern California.

Rare BWY gig in Cleve-o

2010-12-10T05:01:00.000-08:00

Hey take a look at this hideous flyer. It announces the record release gig at Now That's Class in Cleveland for The Trilogy by BRAINWASHED YOUTH. Anyone wanting a copy of the record should show up, as the damn thing is just about sold out. Also on the bill: FOLDED SHIRT and FLYIN' TRICHECOS. And it says that all the bands are required to wear white pants, for some reason. Hopefully that'll distinguish the performers from their grubby audience.

Autumnal Round-Up

2010-12-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well look, sometimes it can get so I can't check in at this weblog with the frequency that I'd like and that my readers demand. Sometimes there's just too much livin' to do. My hands get full of guitars and pint glasses and sometimes a pigskin and the keyboard gets neglected. And my precious and fickle readers feel scorned and they need to find somewhere else to direct their eyes. Well, fret no longer. Here's a quick entry that'll eat up a few minutes of your day and send your browser across cyberspace.

First of all, the HOMOSTUPIDS proved that world that an audio cassette doesn't have to just some stupid little spineless piss-take project in 2010. Turns out that, for the man or woman on the go, it's an essential medium for jamming the finest tunes available. A lot of automobiles once came standard with tape decks, and a good number of those are still on the road. A very lucky few of those have the pleasure of holding the 'Stupids Great Music Collection (companion to last year's Our Best Shit cassette) in its grips. It features a couple radio ads in the great Flag tradition and it's got some terrifying and raging tunes that are just too much to keep confined to a home stereo. "Doper"? "Flies Die"? The BB King inflected "Mister Payback"? These tunes are essential listening in this world. "Taping the Worm"? "Brown Items"? Those kick much ass as well. And you get the 'Stupids take on GG's "Live to Be Hated" as well. Two Goddamn Times in a row!! It's a thoroughly solid listen on a drive to work, to the beach, to the slopes, to the bar, to the dentist, or to wherever one might drive. Look for a copy at Fan Death Records. And yeah, I realize that an mp3 player can funnel music into an automobile, but it's such a hassle and then you end up skipping around like a guy with a satellite dish and a remote control...

Speaking of FDR, keep those eyes peeled for the vinyl release of CLOCKCLEANER's Nevermind. This album was recorded in about 2004 and it was originally released only on compact disc (because "People. Do not. Purchase. Vinyl") by an archetypal speciman who worships the devil and is rumored to keep a coffin (in which he intends to rest eternally!) in his living room. For extra cash he models black jeans, black t-shirts, black nail polish, and a black goatee. He also sells weak drugs to weak people. But yeah, the record is being committed to wax... In more timely news, check out FDR figurehead Sean Gray's weekly music and sports themed radio broadcast Get Up and Fight on Mondays from 7-9pm on WMUC2. Recent broadcasts have included discussions of Donovon McNabb, YDI, Ray Lewis, and Violent Apathy.

Currently zigging and zagging across the US, Perth, Australia's TACO LEG are out there holding their heads even higher than they did when we last checked in. Great combo of thrown-off guitars and monotone, upfront blurting; charm and grit all wrapped up in 3 baby-faced mates. A buddy observed that, unlike a lot of modern groups that get rolled up in the Messthetics rug, Taco Leg isn't afraid to stand their singer up front on stage and in the mix. I'd agree. Andrew is up there flailing around in the long shadow of that guy Mark Smith. Definitely worth a night out for even the most hardened and uninterested music fan.

Here's a nice surprise: A great new LP of electric guitar-based droning, vamping, and licking came through. It's titled Eyewash Silver by KING BLOOD and it's on the Ignorant Gore label. Some seemingly eastern squeals jump out from this one, and the bass and drums (maybe just one drum, certainly a cymbal) throb along to maintain head nodding. Looks to be limited. Nice listen if you can get it.

Everyone ought to know that good friend of the label KURT VILE has a new single. Its a nice maudlin offering called In My Time. It's a classy affair and the flip has some nice canned drums that bring me back to the pre-Zanghi days. This may or may not be a sign of things to come, though all reports lead me to believe that the next big KV record will have some big sounds, big guitars, big drums, and all around big things. All these pieces are building up to reveal the man beneath it all. Relatedly, WAR ON DRUGS, the work of the longest-tenured VIOLATOR (or maybe KV is the 2nd longest-tenured War on Drugs?) recently issued a tidy twelve inch of new tunes. The title is Future Weather and it's got swells, swagger, and Springsteen-moves. The propulsive drumming sounds familar... turns out Violator Zanghi shows up here as well.

Goddamn... Mike "Dizzy" Polizze took a month of from his buds in BIRDS OF MAYA to take a trip with PURLING HISS. Our man wouldn't even give a glimpse of his live outfit until he had already showed it to about 30 other cities. PH was opening for the Violators, and those guys report that it was a hell of a privilege to watch the thing gel before their eyes and in their ears night after night. "Don't diss the Hiss!" became the mantra of this crew. And so these unkempt tossers pulled back into port something fierce...

RIP

2010-11-29T08:01:00.000-08:00

It's a topsy-turvy world, and maybe the problems of two people don't amount to a hill of beans. But this is our hill. And these are our beans!

Dec 1 in Phila

2010-11-23T15:14:00.000-08:00

BRAINWASHED YOUTH The Trilogy

2010-11-19T04:39:00.000-08:00

BRAINWASHED YOUTH
The Trilogy
RR//TT#28

Fucking finally. I just about dug out the grooves from the debut BRAINWASHED YOUTH single a few years ago. It was a boneheaded statement of defiance and thuggery. That one was called Life of Crime. They might as well have called it Hooligans with Guitars. This one is called The Trilogy. It starts off with an outtake from the Bonham solo in "Moby Dick" and then it kicks into some furious punk rock / oi! music that's thoroughly indebted to the Crown, the Union Jack, and all the mugs in England. It’s all courtesy of some infamous blockheads who have surfaced in groups like the Inmates, H-100s, Wolfdowners, and even Integrity.

Prices...

$7 ppd to the USA
$10 ppd to Canada/Mexico
$12 ppd to the rest of the World

Paypal to TestosterTunes AT gmail

Please allow 3 weeks for delivery or order from a reputable store or mailorder house.

Checking in with PURLING HISS

2010-11-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of Henry Owings

How the shit is it going out there?

Yo! It's great we’re driving through the desert. We just went through a border patrol and saw the Violators pulled over. Hope it's ok.

You went to Mexico?

Ha ha no there is border patrol everywhere.

Is that just what you call regular cops? Or are you in Texas?

It was border patrol, I promise. We got stopped in CA and AZ.

Yeah that's cool. Did you see a Taco Loco yet?

Not yet. I saw El Pollo Loco. And Sneer’s fav, Del Taco.

Del Taco is pretty good. Ever seen a Taco Lou?

Na haven’t seen one. We ate at a In n’ Out Burger last night though.

I respect In n' Out. No-nonsense streamlined menu.
But Taco Loco will blow your mind, man. Tecate, margaritas, and a salsa bar.

Sounds awesome man. How’s everything back home?

Phila is fine. Hasn’t gotten very cold yet.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Check PURLING HISS at an upcoming live gig...

Wed-Nov-17 San Antonio, TX The Korova
Thu-Nov-18 Austin, TX Emo’s
Fri-Nov-19 Dallas, TX Club Dada
Sat-Nov-20 Little Rock, AR Whitewater Tavern
Sun-Nov-21 Memphis, TN Hi Tone

Thu-Nov-23 Raleigh, NC Kings Barcade
Wed-Nov-24 Washington, DC Black Cat (backstage)
Fri-Nov-26 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brendas
Fri-Dec-03 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory

Fri-Dec-17 Brooklyn, NY Death By Audio

Sub-Mission

2010-11-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

Event Announcement

2010-10-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

December 1, 2010

@ Kong Fu Necktie

in Philadelphia

BIRDS OF MAYA

WATERY LOVE

TACO LEG

w/ SELECTORS SULLY

& TONY RETTMAN

HISSTOURIA: Purling Hiss Hits The Highway

2010-10-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

Tied for first (with Birds of Maya) for the absolute greatest hi-energy psych/sleaze outfit that this earth has ever witnessed, PURLING HISS ships off for 5 weeks across these United States. You'd have to be a lobotomized meathead to miss this one...

Tue-Oct-19 Charlottesville, VA Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
Wed-Oct-20 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
Thu-Oct-21 Atlanta, GA The Earl
Fri-Oct-22 Birmingham, AL The Nick
Sat-Oct-23 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
Sun Oct-24 Cleveland OH @ NOW THATS CLASS
Mon-Oct-25 Toledo, OH Mickey Finn
Tue-Oct-26 Covington, OH Mad Hatters
Wed-Oct-27 Columbus, OH Skully’s
Thu-Oct-28 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
Fri-Oct-29 Indianapolis, IN White Rabbit Cabaret
Sat-Oct-30 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
Sun-Oct-31 Chicago INSTORE @ PERMANENT RECORDS
Sun-Oct-31 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
Mon-Nov-01 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock
Thu-Nov-04 Seattle, WA Neumos
Sat-Nov-06 Portland, OR Berbatis Pan
Tue-Nov-09 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
Thu-Nov-11 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex
Sat-Nov-13 San Diego, CA Casbah
Sun-Nov-14 Pheonix, AZ Trunk Space
Wed-Nov-17 San Antonio, TX The Korova
Thu-Nov-18 Austin, TX Emo’s
Fri-Nov-19 Dallas, TX Club Dada
Sat-Nov-20 Little Rock, AR Whitewater Tavern
Sun-Nov-21 Memphis, TN Hi Tone

Thu-Nov-23 Raleigh, NC Kings Barcade
Wed-Nov-24 Washington, DC Black Cat (backstage)
Fri-Nov-26 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brendas
Fri-Dec-03 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory

Most dates w/ KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS. No KV at the Cleveland date though. However, there's going to be a british comedy marathon immediately preceding the gig that day. And here's a photo of a Violator...

The Night Train

2010-10-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Yo check it out. It's former Heavyweight Champ SONNY LISTON and he enjoys the music of James Brown just as much as the rest of us do.

WATERSPORTS in Philadelphia on Friday

2010-10-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

Attention Mid-Atlantic Readers. Everyone is invited to come watch WATERSPORTS, a self-described new-age music group featuring members of BLUES CONTROL, perform at the Latvian Society in Philadelphia on Friday October 15 at 8pm. The Latvian Society stands proudly at 531 N 7th Street. This event is worth attending if only for the rare privilege of knocking 'em back at one of the most pleasant and tasteful bars in town. Also on the bill, WATERY LOVE member Meg Baird and an act called Colossal Yes.

note: Due to some errant keystrokes, the layout of this weblog has taken a turn for the worse.

it means 'good-bye' auf deutsch

2010-10-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

me: Yo did you hear that that Auf Wiedersehn record is out?

4:49 PM Karen: yo

ya i heard the album was coing out

*coming

4:50 PM but i thought the real release date was next weekend

me: maybe it is

Karen: shows what i know

me: what the hell do i know

We'll make sure you get some copies

4:51 PM Karen: sweet

4:52 PM will you be in baltimore in a few weeks for sharkey's show maybe?

me: no

How's ol' dixie treatin ya?

Karen: it's good here. i like it lots. i can't complain.

Check your trusted sources to cop a copy. If that don't work, click over here.

enough loungin' at the barbecues, drinkin' brews... time to catch up with the mild media blitz

2010-10-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

As previously mentioned, this web presence has been suspiciously silent. Please don't mistake a lack of communication for a period of inactivity. Things have been busy as ever around here. There's been live music gigs, catastrophic weather conditions, beer guzzling weekends, quarterback controversies, arm wrestling tournaments, LFL matches, and a pennant race to hold one's attention. Clearly, it's been difficult to find the time and attention to hunt and peck transmissions to the faithful readers and TestosterFans out there.

Thankfully, a handful of competing media outlets have been intelligent enough to know a good story when they see one.

Take a peak at the interview that WBSTYN author Tony Rettman was able to pry from the famously coy members of BIRDS OF MAYA.

PURLING HISS got a nod from the PW over here. Everybody already knows that Hissteria needs to get crammed into each and every record collection, but not quite everyone knows about HISSTOURIA. It'll be an exhaustive and exhausting trip through the US. Check back for dates and get in touch if you'd like this tour to wrap through your town. Particularly if you live in Pacific Northwest or California.

Most of those PH dates will be with KURT VILE & his world-class VIOLATORS. The Granduciel/Zeng/Trbovich lineup has cleared their plates and the continental US is in for a treat. Peak dates here.

WATERY LOVE was featured on the YellowGreenRed website over here and they'll soon be given the full treatment as the grace the cover of a yet to be published print magazine called Put The Music In Its Coffin. Some of you might like to know that WL will be playing with TACO LEG (Perth) in Philadelphia on Dec 1.

The drive-time staple, MUSIC FOR YOUR METHLAB, came to a careful and calculated halt recently. Read the story right here. And if you had failed to request a complementary copy of the 'Best of the Methlab' compact disc? You're out of luck.

And the Richie Records // TestosterTunes label itself is the subject of a recent feature at the Terminal Boredom web magazine. This one is possibly worth a cursory skim.

NL EAST CHAMPS

2010-09-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

4 years running. Party Addiction. More to come. Go Phils.

It was fun, but it's gonna get a whole lot funner

Ladies and mostly Gentlemen.... PURLING HISS

2010-09-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

PURLING HISS
Hissteria
RR//TT#27

Well it’s finally here. It’s the new LP by PURLING HISS and it’s called Hissteria. It’s two sides of hi-energy psychedelic punk rock & roll that manages to weld Funhouse‘s dialed-in sleaze rhythms to the hungover excess of Hendrix at Woodstock. Or Ginn at Polliwog Park. It’s full of clanging cymbals, howling vocals, fretboard heroics, and menacing vibes.
Purling Hiss is the work of a well-mannered longhair named Mike Polizze, who is best known for his reckless shredding as the guitar player for Philadelphia’s BIRDS OF MAYA. Hissteria is a suitable soundtrack for zonked drives across the dead highways of the USA. Or for predawn paranoid sessions as you pace back and forth in the kitchen trying figure out just what the hell you’re going to do, man.
Or just crank it real loud when the party gets strange. Some people will love it and the rest of them can just go somewhere else and go fuck themselves.

This record is on its way now to your favorite stores and mailorder houses. Those needing to get it direct may paypal at will to TestosterTunes@gmail.com. Please allow up to 3 weeks for delivery. Maybe longer if you live outside the U.S.

U.S. - $15 postpaid

Canada - $18

The Rest of the World - $25

And does anyone want a copy of Regulation by BIRDS OF MAYA W/ HARMONICA DAN? Well, there's some leftover. Add $5 to your order and you'll get one.

A Digital Photograph

2010-09-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

END OF SUMMER OVERDUE UPDATE

2010-09-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, thanks for checking in. Hasn't been a whole lot of activity on this web space lately. That's because there hasn't been much to report. That all seems to be changing as a miserable summer winds down to make room for a shitty autumn. The incoming cool air is thick with inspiration and big amps are going to start buzzing anew.

Anyone visiting the Borscht Belt this weekend should check KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS at the All Tomorrow's Parties Music Festival.

Those in a NY state of mind should go check BIRDS OF MAYA for a rare trip up I-95 to bring their greazy circus to the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Monday September 6.

On Monday September 20, all of Philadelphia will be attending the Home Blitz gig at a place called the Ox. Australians Total Control and UV Race are also on the bill. Likewise, the Lehigh Valley's Pissed Jeans are playing.

Keep your eyes peeled for new records coming out soon by Philadelphia's PURLING HISS. Richie Records // TestosterTunes #27 will be a real banger called Hissteria.

Soon after... a single by BRAINWASHED YOUTH called The Trilogy. More on that later.

And on a bittersweet note, Philadelphia's finest two-hour weekly radio broadcast, MUSIC FOR YOUR METHLAB, is packing up its signal and going home. People with jobs have been fortunate to hear a fine mix of timeless tunes, sporting interests, weather reports, and tastefully little whacky banter during Thursday morning's commute for the past four years. We're all gonna miss it. Drive time won't be same. The next few week's should prove to be must-listen radio. So tune in for giveaways, songs by the Dicks, and a very special appearance from The Monthly Visitor.

It's all at 91.7 FM WKDU or online over here at wkdu.org. And take a peak here as well.

Philadelphia Event, Friday August 27

2010-08-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

details over here.

More t-shirts...

2010-08-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hey here's a photo of Dizzy modeling a t-shirt and playing guitar at the same time. T-shirts are available in black and in gray. Please specify what size you require and please paypal the appropriate amount according to geography.

Thanks.

To USA : $17

To Canada/Mexico : $19

To the rest of the world : $27

Paypal to TestosterTunes at Gmail

photo by Tiffany Yoon

2010-08-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

"I think they got a bobble-head coming out tomorrow"

2010-07-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

Remarkable Insights

2010-07-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

HOME BLITZ in the MIDWEST HOT SUMMER 2010

2010-07-09T04:39:00.000-07:00

photo by Tiffany Yoon

7:09 PM me: Yo thanks for sending over the dates, I'm sure that my midwest readers will flip

Daniel: no prob

some of them are a bit vague

7:10 PM but I will send you all the details when I have them

I have to go see Sex & The City 2

me: who's the lucky lady?

Daniel: who said anything about a lady?

7:11 PM me: why are you going to see that movie?

Daniel: my friend wants to

I'll tell you all about it

they go to Dubai

me: well i heard that they have a fabulous time in an exotic locale

listen man have fun

7:12 PM i'll have to tell you about my popcorn trick sometime

it never fails

Daniel: I know it

I'll save it for next time

PEACE

July 17th - Buffalo, NY
@The Mile High Clubhouse

July 18th - Cleveland, OH
apartment above Now That's Class. Whoa.

July 19th - Toledo, OH
@Woodchuck's

July 20th - Chicago, IL
@Box Social

w/ Mickey, Spike's Sweet Spots

July 21st - Milwuakee, WI
@Ground Zero
w/ AluminumKnotEye, Sticks N Stones, Little Vectors

July 22nd - Minneapolis, MN
@Fecal Manor
w/ Real Numbers

July 23rd - Omaha, NE
house show

w/ Yuppies

July 24th - Kansas City, KS
@Studded Bird
w/ Freds, Prosthetics

July 25th - St. Louis, MO
@Cranky Yellow

w/ Symptoms, Cardiac Arrest, Sweet Tooth

July 26th - Lafayette, IN
@Black Sparrow Pub
w/ Pink Reason, Mount Carmel

July 27th - Bloomington, IN
@The Bishop
w/ Proto Idiot, Moscow Moscow Moscow, Pillow Screamers

July 28th - Louisville, KY
@Skull Alley

July 29th - Columbus, OH
@Carabar

w/ Day Creeper, Vile Gash

July 30th - Pittsburgh, PA
@Gooski's

TEX

2010-06-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

“It’s one thing to call me white and slow,” Cobb said. “But to call me a fat, cowardly, cocaine-snorting, fight fixing cheat? Who are they calling fat?”

2010-06-11T05:43:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone. Be sure to peep BIRDS OF MAYA's new web presence at www.livebirds.org. It appears that some live recordings will be made available for download. It's sure to provide some fresh new sounds for all except the handful of seekers and dropouts who pile into a few Astro Vans and a beat-up Volkswagon to turn up and each and every BIRDS appearance.

... speaking of a live gig, be sure to arrive on time for the BIRDS OF MAYA / MOUNT CARMEL gig on monday at kong fu necktie under the el on Hooker Alley in Philadelphia. Stoic WILLIE LANE is making a rare live solo appearance. To learn more, read the latest installment in the growing body of Lane scholarship by setting your browser to http://www.philly.com/community/pa/philadelphia/netimes/Music_Row_Hear_rhythm_and_a_hint_of_blues_down_Willie_Lane.html

2010-05-31T16:17:00.001-07:00

2010-05-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Weekend Party

2010-05-11T05:04:00.000-07:00

BIRDS OF MAYA tour single and tourdates READY TO TOUR MAY 2010 !!!!!!!

2010-05-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well here's a representative item from the mail bag...

Dear TestosterTunes..

Shit thnx for released Ready 2 Howl!!! 2 vinyls of hardsike fury!! That shits guitarded int he best way!!!! 1 miner suggestion tho, it's 2 DAM SHORT!! Plz giv me more & mroe blazing licks to fry my head!!

Yrs,

Lucas II in Pittsville

Well Lucas II, your prayers have been answered by your god. I present to you, your ilk, and the sentient beings of this earth a 7inch single hot on the heels of Ready To Howl. It's the third vinyl release from Phila's BIRDS OF MAYA and it's a scorching outlaw anthem titled 'Regulation'. This one finds the rock-solid Killinger/Leaphart/Polizze unit joined by Harmonica Dan, a veteran of institutions such as Boogie Witch, the Mega-Jam Booze Band, and the Philadelphia Record Exchange. Pick it up from the band at a live appearance in May.

All dedicated fans and curious gawkers are encouraged to attend one of these performances by any means necessary. It's taken these guys 12+ years to leave the mid-atlantic, and chances are it won't happen again anytime this century. This trip is nasty, brutish, and short, just like certain other things in this world...

So quit your job and do what you have to do to see these guys and pick up this little record while you're at it..

Here's the dates..

Friday May 7
HORRIBLE FEST @ NOW THAT'S CLASS in Cleveland
with Timmy's Organism, Puffy Areolas, Pop. 1280, Homostupids, Cock ESP, & more

Saturday May 8
at LAGER HOUSE in Detroit
with Johnny Ill Band, Dan Kroha (Gories, Demolition Doll Rods), The Jellyhearts

Sunday May 9
5pm

at PERMANENT RECORDS in Chicago

Sunday May 9

Nighttime

at REUBEN'S PALACE in Chicago

Monday May 10
TBA

Tuesday May 11
at CAFE BOURBON ST in Columbus OH
with Mount Carmel, Churches Burn

Wednesday May 12
at HELTER SHELTER in Pittsburgh
with The Temps, Secret Tombs

Saturday May 15
RECORD RELEASE SHOW @ EL BAR in Philadelphia
with Watery Love

Checking in with Steve-o and Johnny...

2010-05-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

Now is as a good time as any to check in on the activities of two longtime friends of the weblog. I'm talking about Mr. Steve Peffer of the greater Cleveland area and John Sharkey, who now resides in the nation of Australia. Each of these fine fellows has embraced new media to give us the gifts of sound and the written word.

Steve has been jocking an excellent radio program called 'Night Music'. His soothing voice penetrates the airwaves from the 4th floor of the Cole Center at Cleveland State University at 89.3FM WCSB on Wednesday nights at 11pm to present a nocturnal mix of of interesting sounds both old and new. The second half of the broadcast can be especially eye-opening as your host takes full advantage of relaxed FCC rules and proceeds to play tunes that some listeners may find objectionable. Subscribe to the podcast at nightmusicradio.blogspot.com.

And Johnny? Well, he spun off his highly rated guest column on this URL into a an outlet of his very own. He's been busy watching our beloved Philadelphia Phillies on mlb.tv on a public computer in Canberra and hunting and pecking his way to an interesting and insightful weblog. They say that distance only makes the heart grow fonder, and this new web presence would seem to confirm that suspicion. Like a stern father, our Johnny celebrates the team's success and ridicules its failures. This is a nice addition to the growing literature on the Phils 3rd straight World Series run. Keep clicking on bigsharkeyshow.blogspot.com for frequent updates and adorable photos from the editor's youth.

Richie Records // TestosterTunes T-shirts for sale

2010-04-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

Take a look at Philadelphia's best dressed music act in the new line of Richie Records t-shirts. Those are high-quality American Apparel tshirts in black and slate gray and they feature the iconic logo designed by Hawk Krall. They were expertly printed by Neil Burke of Life's Blood at Monoroid and they're now available to the general public. Size available are men's medium to extra large. There's even a few in woman's size medium in the event that a female or a dainty male wants one. So paypal TestosterTunes at gmail dot com with the proper amount and don't forget to specify size and color..

To USA : $17

To Canada/Mexico : $19

To the rest of the world : $27

Home Blitz News

2010-04-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

photo by Tiffany Yoon

Well it's been a goddamn busy spring season for Handsome Dan and his HOME BLITZ. The new co-ed lineup is universally heralded as the finest group based in the Mid-Atlantic. They just returned from a string of highly rated gigs through the US, they're earning a reputation as one of the finest upbeat no-frills guitar acts on the circuit today, and there's a new record to add to your growing shelf of essential HB releases. Each new HB offering sets a higher standard than the one previous, and this 2-song single on the Almost Ready imprint is no exception. This one's a thick platter that boasts appropriately slick fidelity, proud clean duck-walking guitars, persistent 'Waiting For My Man'-style ivory tickling, piss, vinegar, a blazing, mournful guitar solo, and an echo of Zeppelin. Perpetual Night is a true single in the sense that it's got a bona fide hit on the a-side and a sturdy cut, in this case a cover tune, on the flip. Check the usual avenues and outlets to hear for yourself.

Here's HB's upcoming NY-centric gig schedule...

April 30 @ Death By Audio in Brooklyn

May 15 @ Glasslands in Brooklyn

May 21 @ Pi Lam in University City, Phila

June 4 @ Don Pedro's in Brooklyn

And right here is a link to download a live set from a place called Club 529 in Atlanta. Add it to your mp3 player if you want to hear them competently perform a confident set in front of a ho-hum audience. It was thoughtfully recorded and graciously shared by longtime TestosterFan Henry Owings of the Chunklet organization.

A photo of 2 handsome fans

2010-04-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

One, a player of a Rolling Rock guitar. The other, the proud owner of a Thunderkit. Both are concerned about every pitcher but one.

A youtube clip from Monty G

2010-04-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

BIRDS OF MAYA 'Ready To Howl'

2010-03-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a new announcement for a new release that you can soon purchase. If you live in the USA and you simply cannot wait and you have to get it into your hands as soon as possible, you may paypal $21 to TestosterTunes at Gmail dot Com . It'll ship in about 3 weeks. Otherwise, be patient and pick it up from store or a favorite mail-order music retailer. Even better, get one from the band themselves at an upcoming live appearance..

BIRDS OF MAYA

Ready To Howl

RR//TT#25

Here it is. It's the most ambitious TestosterTunes release to date: a 3-song, double-LP by the three men of Philadelphia's BIRDS OF MAYA. It's called Ready To Howl and it's the soundtrack to an upcoming feature length film of the same name. Formed in 2002, Birds of Maya is the finest meat n potatoes neanderthal rock group operating today, and they're undoubtedly the outfit most committed to creating throbbing, thoroughly relentless, blues-based hard rock. Astute listeners will note nods to the fried power-rock of Split-era Groundhogs or the relentless garage mayhem of High Rise recorded under claustrophobic sub-Funhouse decadence. Anyone with ears will hear fried-Hendrixisms all over this thing.

Ready To Howl, the film, deals with one dude's struggles in- and outside of polite society. According to the producer, "the order of events is something like... getting off of work, partying, a parking lot bottle fight with a marine, driving drunk, the purchase of a deadly snake for purposes of revenge, hitchhiking, off road driving, car accident, the folly of vindictiveness, and finally a physical and metaphorical ascent to the highest point of the mountain." The soundtrack follows the same line, with album sides tracking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

This is only BIRDS OF MAYA's second vinyl offering, and it's looooong overdue. Expect new music on Richie Records // TestosterTunes in 2010 and stay tuned for some out of town gigs through the midwest and in the mid-atlantic region.

Ready To Howl tracklist

1. Ready To Howl

2. Porch Dude

3. Heavy on Sunday

BIRDS OF MAYA spring gigs

Saturday April 3 @ DNA TEST FEST in Baltimore

Saturday April 10 @ Human BBQ at Pi Lambda Pi in Philadelphia

Friday May 7 @ Horrible Fest in Cleveland

Saturday May 8 in Detroit

Sunday May 9 in Chicago

Monday May 10 TBA

Tuesday May 11 in Columbus

Wednesday May 12 in Pittsburgh

Saturday May 15 in Philadelphia

Baltimore Event

2010-03-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

Hey there's a big gig coming up in Baltimore MD on Saturday April 3 and it's called the DNA TEST FEST. Go down to check out such faves as Psychedelic Horseshit, the Lamps, Home Blitz, Birds of Maya and about 50 more. There's probably going to be beer for sale and they're giving away a cassette with exclusive tracks by all the bands on the bill. And if you can't make it? The Lamps have a couple east coast gigs. Use the internet to find out more about that.

Hour back... GET IT?

2010-03-16T05:07:00.000-07:00

Yo don't forget to print out directions before you leave

Yeah I will. I think Theresa is going to get a road atlas also, as you advised.

And you have to stick to your finess program. Be sure to find time for your pushups each morning.

Ok I'll make sure each place we crash has ample floor space.

Promise me you'll call every night so I know you're ok?

I promise.

If I don't answer, leave a message and I'll call you back in an hour.

Get It Away

2010-03-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a fine youtube vid. It's SSD performing "Get It Away" from their 1983 12" of the same name. Listen close to that swirling guitar sound that would define a number of records reissued on the Taang! imprint.

BIRDS OF MAYA photo and news

2010-03-05T05:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo of BIRDS OF MAYA performing a tune called "Heavy on Sunday". Keep your stupid eyes peeled for their long overdue second release, a 2xLP titled Ready To Howl (RR//TT25). Peep them at the DNA TEST FEST on April 3rd in Baltimore and at some select cities in the Midwest in the spring.

HOME BLITZ on TOUR in the USA SPRING 2010

2010-03-01T16:39:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, March 16 – Pittsburgh

Helter Shelter

Wednesday, March 17 – Memphis

Buccaneer Lounge

Friday, March 19 – Austin

WFMU Showcase @ Encore

Saturday, March 20 – Austin

Parts Unknown/Load/Siltbreeze Showcase

@ Club 1880

Sunday, March 21 – New Orleans

Saturn Bar

Monday, March 22 – Huntsville, AL

Voodoo Lounge

Tuesday, March 23 – Atlanta

529

Wednesday, March 24 –

Nashville

Little Hamilton

Thursday, March 25 – Charlotte, NC

201212

Saturday, April 3 – Baltimore

DNA Fest III @ Sonar

Saturday, April 10 – Philadelphia

Human BBQ @ Pi Lambda Pi

SPOTLIGHT ON: Spring Training & Off-Season Acquisitions

2010-02-26T05:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a piece filed by international Philadelphian John Sharkey. He's been on the other side of the globe for some time and it seems that the distance has given him some perspective on our Phils.

Unfinished Business. Phillies Spring Training 2010

Hello my fellow Americans and lovers of all thing fair and true, it's that time again when the grass has risen green and the smell of victories near and far flow from the every enthusuatic pore of the pretzel man. When fathers, if not for only a few months, love their sons again. When the common stranger on Shunk Street becomes a familiar acquaintence if not a true soul brother. When we all stop fantasizing about how much rope we would need to hang Donovan McNabb's entire family. When punks and jocks alike come together to taste the sweet possiblity of champoinship glory, just like the end of Major League (good movie). I'm talking about Phillies Spring Training, what a grand feeling is upon us.....

I'm sure the man on everybody's mind first thing is big-money acquisition Roy Halladay and why shouldn't it be. I mean, we did give up the one truly holy member of last years pitching staff, the mighty Clifton Lee, to attain him. This came as a shock and a blow to all the Phaithful, your emminance included, that we'd cast aside the beast with the grease after his stunning performances in games 1 and 5 of last years dismal Fall Classic. Seems like betrayal. But yet this is a business to some and the mighty Halladay deal was done before you could say Judas. We'll have to cry ourselves to sleep as Roy shows up like a warrior sharpening the mace everyday at 6am for training to fill the shoes left behind. I'm not sure it will be a problem for old mate. Stew on this thought for a minute; Halladay=better pitcher. Cliff Lee = better dude. I don't believe for a second that this move was a lateral one and the possiblity of this pitching staff getting it's shit together for 2010 with Halladay a part of it makes my chones tickle. He simply is the best pitcher in the Majors. I think we'll all stop belly-aching around mid-april if my predictions are correct. It's a new day, let's live it.

The Big Man Ryan Howard returns to Clearwater to handle "unfinished business" left over from last season referring to the WS loss to the drug cheats up the turnpike. A svelt Howard weighing in at about 245 has come to training ready to slay all that stands in his way. "Last year didn't go the way we wanted it to. Hopefully everybody come in here with the mind set of unfinished business. We all get locked-in and have good Spring Training and carry it out through the season". If last years 45 dingers and paltry 14 errors is any indication of whats to come The Bat is definitely not fucking around. WATCH OUT, BRO!

Chase Utley has been hitting the weights on the off season apparently as he reported to camp looking like an ox thats been cock-teased for 3 months and last year's (first half, at least) golden rod latin lover Rual Ibanez has reported healthy and ready to fight. Ibanez, who suffered from a sports hernia throughout the second half of last season had abdominal surgery this winter and is looking forward to making the big bell rock on a nightly basis at Citizens Bank Park. I know we all didnt buy these shirts for nothing......

Korean righty and worthless traitor Chan Ho Park has declined the Phils offer of 3.25 mil to relieve and instead opted to sign a one year aggreement with the Yankees for 1.25 mil plus 300 grand in incentives. When asked why such a horrendous move was made he replied in broken english that "I have chosen the Yankees, a prestigious team that can advance to the Wolrd Series again." Well, Parky the last time I checked the Phils weren't chopped liver. What exactly are you trying to have translated? Well, I wish nothing but the best for you and hope you enjoy your time being Joba Chamberlain's foot-stool and Andy Petites syringe receptacle in the bullpen for most of 2010.

I'm not really sweating Park's departure now that Danys Baez was a acquired to fill some gaps in the bullpen. A career ERA of 4.04 is not something to salivate over but the righty has experience and with 114 career saves and a WHIP of 1.31 I'm betting the sabermetricians are putting their money on this man. Bring on the Cuban heat!

2008 World Series MVP and 2009 Expert Whiner Cole Hamels reportedly is "more mature" and "ready to put last year behind him". I guess his grandmother had stern words for the boy as she rode him all winter about his house chores and his team moral bulding skills. I hope he put as much work into a 3rd pitch as he did massaging granny's bunions.

Speaking of melt-down mothers, Brad Lidge- the man responsible for 11 blown saves and numerous beaten wives last year - is reportedly in great shape after having surgery on both his elbow and knee during the off season. Last monday Lidge fired from the mound and "felt great!". Hopefully feeling great and not pitching with a Parkinsonian tremor go hand in hand. I myself am hoping for the full recovery of good ol' Lights-Out.

Prodigal son Placido Polanco has returned to the hot corner for the Fightin's and this man couldn't be happier about it. I'm sorry but Pedro Feliz and his 35 errors and mercurial plate presence last year is not worth 5 million dollars (He and Brett Myers can enjoy the sultry sounds of Geto Boys reunions down in Houston while we enjoy the sounds of violent victories) This copiously domed Dominican will surely strengthen the Phil's infield to a force as impenetrable as an Amish singles night.

All in all children I think we have here a team so focused on their third World Series run that not even J-Roll's jinxing predictions could taint them. Everything is falling into place. The core players have remained intact, Jayson "The Rooster" Worth has grown a grizzly facial mess now looking like a homeless Godsmack, Blanton and Victorino got good new money in arbitrations and Chooch Ruiz finally getting paid a salary more than his part-time dishwashing side gig after games last year. I can see why the world has them poised to be the first National League team to make it to the Series 3 times in a row since the Cardinal back in '42, '43 and '44.Even the man behing it all, Charlie Manuel, just has one thng to tell his boys: "Just Win!" I for one have a hankering for another parade where man, woman and Puerto Rican alike can come together in brotherly love on the streets of Philadelphia, embrace like siblings and proudly loot as many Luggage stores as their blackened hearts desires. Unity.

Fuck the Mets. Fuck the Drug Cheats. Go Phillies!

JSIII

MegaJam Booze Band youtube vid

2010-02-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

Yo peep this vid of the Booze Band live on a big stage. Filmed by a nice girl with a camera.

HOMOSTUPIDS in Pittsburgh, New Brunswick, & Providence

2010-02-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hey readers... Three lucky towns are being rewarded with HOMOSTUPIDS appearances pretty soon. Why these places? Who knows. Why now? Who cares. Who wants to live in this places? Not me. But if you do have the chance, just go see 'em and sip a beer and just accept The Load have some laughs with your peers.

Thursday Feb 25 in Pittsburgh @ a house on Harrison St

Friday Feb 26 in New Brunswick, NJ @ some house w/ WATERY LOVE

Saturday Feb 27 in Providence, RI @ 17 Mules

Megajam Booze Band for Saturday night in Phila

2010-02-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

Yo here's what it looks like in the room where the Megajam Booze Band rehearses one song at a time for this event..

SPOTLIGHT ON: Some Snow; a Photo Essay

2010-02-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

KURT VILE BACK ON THE AIRWAVES... PLAYING THE HITS AND HITTING PLAY WITH SULLY

2010-02-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

Very recently, old buddy Kurt Vile woke up unusually early to accept an invitation to revisit Sully's MUSIC FOR YOUR METHLAB program on terrestrial radio WKDU 91.7 FM in Philadelphia. He brought with him his sunny disposition, his trademark cackle, his luxurious wavy auburn locks, and a boxful of timeless tunes. Check below to peep the playlist and to download the broadcast in 3 chunks.

MUSIC FOR YOUR METHLAB is the Delaware Valley's longest running and most listened-to drive-time radio broadcast ever. It's been around for years and it's a Thursday morning ritual for thousands of faithful commuters. Barring the university's closing or the occasional massive hangover, it'll air each and every Thursday morning from 7-9 AM EST. Tune in for the broadcast on Feb 11 as Sully welcomes the Monthly Visitor and his presentation of SPOTLIGHT ON: Law & Order.

MUSIC FOR YOUR METHLAB – 7AM to 9AM – 2/4/10 – WKDU 91.7 FM – WWW.WKDU.ORG

Digital Dinosaurs – Elephant Germs

Jack Nitzsche – The Lonely Surfer

Coloured Balls – Just Because

Vendino Pact – Secret Thinking

Imperial Pompadours – Gemini Spacecraft

Blood Chains – Tired Guy of the Road

Revolutionaries – Dunkirk

Kriminella Gitarrer – 36 Patroner

Joni Mitchell – Morning Morgantown*

The Fall – English Scheme*

Der Fluch – Die Nacht der Toten

Dyke & the Blazers – It's Your Thing

Neil Young – Lotta Love*

Stevie Nicks – Stand Back*

Yoko Ono – Mindtrain*

John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band – Sisters, O Sisters*

Iggy Pop – New Values*

Scientist – Round 1

King Jammy – Slow Motion Dub

Zior – Cat's Eyes

Swell Maps – New York*

Beck – Pink Noise*

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Against the Wind*

Modern Lovers – Hospital*

Nerves – Hanging on the Telephone*

A.P. Carter and the Carter Family – Chewing Gum*

Swirlies – French Radio* + In Harmony New Found Freedom*

Prince – Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)*

John Fahey – Horses*

Ramones – I Remember You*

Bee Gees – Melody Fair*

The Original Sound Track from the Film: Black Orpheus – Samba de Orfeu*

John Prine – That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round*

Television Personalities – Diary of a Young Man*

The Stonemans – I'll Be Here in the Morning*

* DENOTES PICK BY KURT VILE

CO-HOST SCHEDULE…

NEXT WEEK – 2/11: THE MONTHLY VISITOR (SPOTLIGHT ON: "LAW AND ORDER")

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:::DOWNLOAD THE SHOW:::

7 to 8 - http://www.sendspace.com/file/vp5yqw

8 to 9 - http://www.sendspace.com/file/yu29ld

9 to 9:05 (Stoneman capper) - http://www.sendspace.com/file/v5ivxa