Starting the day of annoyed. Record Reviews that suck!

Sometimes bands make oblique references to their influences and sometimes they throw up giant fucking neon signs. The "new" Jon Spencer Blues Explosion comp on In the Red records for example. The cover is a tribute to the Crypt Records Back from the Grave garage punk comps.
How does someone miss that? If you are reviewing this how can you not be aware of the BFTG series? Today's annoyance is Pitchfork's review of this record. Not the music just the failure to know this. If you don't even get the cover, your review of the music is just as pointless. A basic name check of Stooges,Stones, and Howling Wolf is about as lazy as you can get. Come on it wasn't like he chose to mimic artwork from a a Desperate Bicycles or Space Negros record. Back from the Grave is music geek 101.
Maybe it's my fault for being old and spending most of the cash I've ever earned on records, or maybe I shouldn't read record reviews first thing in the morning, but this set me off. Remember you are dealing with a hairy old grump and I think it is always better to keep your mouth shut and keep people guessing if your an idiot than to open your mouth and prove it.

marzuraan solid wood lp

I was expecting drono doom boredom, but this slamming lurching beast would have been right at home in boston in the early 90s on a bill with Red Bliss, Kudgel, or Luca Brasi. Tortured Screams and drum work remind me of Burning Witch but it has a melodic edge and some hooks. Songs all keep your attention whether plodding or pounding. Harvey Milk are another band that comes to mind. Guitar sound also makes me think more of Hammerhead than Hellhammer. 4 songs
Packaging is awesome-killer artowork, printed insert, and nice sleeve. Dedicated to Piggy from Voivoid-kill trends.
Kult of nihilow #12 recorded in 2005, limited to 515 but still available. Band has a record coming out and is still active.

Murari S/T LP krsna rock #24

It took almost a year to track down, but I have finally found a record that lives up to Shakey at Jim's Deli's favorite saying, "The Best". This Murari record is head and shoulders better than the previous one reviewed and the closet to an "acid-folk commune freakout" or whatever off base catch phrase is generally used to hawk Hansadutta LPs. Way more Grateful Dead than Benediction Moon, but still crucial. Most songs celebrating life on the Murari farm/commune.
Stand out tracks include."Hard Struggle for Existence" which kicks ass in a slow blues rock lament with dueling male and female vocals. "Devotee of the Lord" tries out a Canned Heat/Dead kind of boogie rock groove. Awesome. Lyrics are kind of like
"turn the page" for devotees.... "Easy Journey" drops in and out of the Maha-Mantra in a rambling folk country track.

Desire Tree Records(GH108 -coincidence? they have 108 as a catalog number???? I think not.) 1979.

Latest Bad Hair Day in cycling

Cycling hair styles seemed to hit rock bottom with the Eastern Euro Mullet that seems to be hanging in their (eki, brutt, karpets, etc). Belgium seemed to be rocking the faux hawk and Wiggins was making sure the UK kept the Mod look locked down.
But only one country was ready to revive the Nikki Sixx LA Glam-Metal coif, that's right-Italy!
One can only hope that Grillo just has Sixx's hair and not his prodigious appetite for drugs

Cyclocross de Montmartre 1945

warm up madness

I remember a while ago one of the cycling message boards had a thread about pre-race warm up music. I was surprised how bland some of the selections were. Maybe bland is the way to go, because I can't claim any great results after listening to this mix, but at least it gets the Heart Rate up. About 49 minutes.

Ted Nugent-Stranglehold
Queens of the Stone Age Regular John
Slapshot-What's at Stake
Slapshot-Another Mistake
Foo Fighters-Overdrive
Mobb Deep-Get Away
Monomnen-Murder City Nights(Radio Birdman cover)
Rancid-Stand your Ground
Agnostic Front-Peace is not an Option
Slayer-South of Heaven

Perhaps just the above photo of Pavel Brutt with resplendent mullet is enough to race the heartrate to success??

Bettini on the track

Do you think this is a stock Langster?
Those wheels are as out of control as his helmet.
There is also a good Berlusconi joke caption in here. Maybe, "put it down, it's not real gold"................


Crucial quote from Ballan
"Mamma Mia. It is better not to look," said Alessandro Ballan to La Gazzetta dello Sport when observing the banking of the short track. "Let's say, for a velodrome, it would be enough if I only rode the one at the end of Roubaix. Anyway, I will try to better myself – at least I hope."

props to cyclingnews.com for the story and photo