All Summered Out
Always hated to see summer end when I was a child. Now I look forward to sending my kids back to school, as well as the cooler weather. Here's a mix of songs to observe the approaching change of season.
The Cucumbers: June-a-Done-July-O
(buy Where We Sleep Tonight)
Yo La Tengo: The Summer
(what, you don't own Fakebook?)
Richard Hawley: The Sun Refused to Shine
(don't know much about him, but love this ballad that ends Lady's Bridge)
You Am I: Bring the Old Sun Down
(from a rare EP, Ignorance and Vodka)
Oranger: Shutdown the Sun
(you can get the 2cd Shutdown the Sun for a couple bucks online)
Silent Kids: The Hissing of the Summer Grass
(this ATL band's brand new CD is called Dinosaurs Turn into Birds.
Ten bucks from Two Sheds.)
Eggstone: Against the Sun
(this Swedish trio's out of print album Somersault is highly recommended)
60ft Dolls: Summer's Gone
(a magical power pop joy from Joya Magica)
Statues: The Last Stand
(love their new one, New People Make Us Nervous)
USSA: Summer Endless Summer
(dig Duane Denison on this dark and dirty disc, The Spoils)
Lucky Seven
My younger son turned seven today. At his request, we went to Waffle House for breakfast. I warned him not to pry, but he couldn't resist asking the one-armed waitress how she lost her limb. "It's a long story, honey," she said. "But I sure do miss it."
Chisel: Waffle House
(buy Chisel records here)
3rd of July with the Jody Grind
The Jody Grind: 3rd of July
I forgot to post this song last year, but it popped into my mind today. The Jody Grind was an Atlanta band well-remembered by those of us who lived here in the early 1990's. Surviving members Bill Taft and Kelly Hogan continue to perform music. Bill leads an Atlanta band called Hubcap City. Kelly moved to Chicago and has released several excellent solo albums, as well as performing with Neko Case, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, the Wee Hairy Beasties, and other Bloodshot projects.
But before she was Chicago's go-to alt-country chanteuse, she was the siren of Cabbagetown. She performed musical theater in Atlanta, and played guitar with Chris Verene and Chris Lopez in the Rock-a-Teens. I remember seeing her sing "Oh Holy Night" at the Theatrical Outfit, "Grievous Angel" at the Variety Playhouse (during a tribute to Gram Parsons), and "Funnel of Love" at the Cotton Club, back in the glory days of the Jody Grind.
The WFMU blog provides a history lesson on the origin of the "jody grind" here and here.
