Histoire De MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER

Histoire De MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER

This piece was originally published September 23rd, 2013.

Approximately one year ago, The Mystery Box Mobile Touring Calvacade was in Boston at the Paradise Rock Club to once again see our favorite Danish duo, The Raveonettes.

Opening act for the guaranteed great time that is The Raveonettes, which features the incredible talents of Sune Rose Wagner and his partner Sharin Foo, was a band listed with the equally cool and intriguing moniker, Melody's Echo Chamber.

We had no idea who they were or what they would sound like.

A poster from The Raveonettes / Melody's Echo Chamber Tour

As Melody's Echo Chamber took to the stage, it was brought to my attention by my girlfriend that the barefooted lead singer/front woman had “really good bangs, but not just bangs—French girl bangs!”

ALL IN A LATHER: The Ritual Of Straight Razor Shaving Revealed!

ALL IN A LATHER: 

The Ritual Of Straight Razor Shaving Revealed!

This piece was originally published September 13th, 2013.

The author as a young shaver.

It's something I choose to do everyday, and yet, it is also something that everyday fills me with reluctance, dread and contempt—shaving my face.

There once was a time of youth where I could not wait for the day I could imitate my father who, his entire life spent beardless, would repeat his daily and seemingly magical ritual using strange instruments and groovy concoctions.

Tools and mixtures that belonged to a craft that had also been fueled by years of seeing the practice worked in popular culture, from Bugs Bunny to The Three Stooges, The Flintstones to I Love Lucy, my pop culture references on shaving were long and deeply ingrained.

For me, the fine art of shaving would at one time seem as desirous as that scene in Mario Bava's Danger Diabolik, where the anti-hero Diabolik swims around atop his bed with his girlfriend in a pool of cash.

A memorable scene from Danger Diabolik, somehow worked into this piece on shaving.

Sadly, the reality of years of shaving have never been so sweet, happy, nor fun.

 In fact, it has been one of the daily chores of my life that has led me to seek out ways to get a better, less painful and more efficient shave.

Celebrating ESP-DISK' : 50 Years of Unimaginable Sounds – Imagined

Celebrating ESP-DISK’ : 

50 Years of Unimaginable Sounds – Imagined

This piece was originally published August 26th, 2013.

In 1963 a record label began on the 12th floor of 156 Fifth Avenue in New York City by releasing its first LP.

Bernard Stollman, a 34 year old jazz fan with a law background, had been working with some rhythm and blues and jazz musicians, helping them with copyright and contract issues.

Stollman had also learned the "International Auxiliary Language," Esperanto and recorded an album of songs and poetry all spoken in Esperanto, which he had hoped would further promote the language.

Bernard Stollman and one of his early ESP logos.

Titled, Ni Kantu en Esperanto, Stollman decided to self-release his album on a record label that was named after the language itself, ESP-DISK'.

KNOCK IT OFF! a.k.a., The Wonderful World of Unlicensed Toys

KNOCK IT OFF! a.k.a. 

The Wonderful World of Unlicensed Toys

This piece was originally published August 12th, 2013.

For years I have been obsessed with knock off, unlicensed merchandise—famous brands, or characters, that are designed and sold with a seemingly complete disregard for anything, other than to cash in on something that has been proved to be a commercial success.

Or, as they are technically termed, Counterfeit Consumer Goods.

While the spectrum of pirated or unlicensed items can reach far into the areas of cigarettes, wine, fashion (fake Coach handbags), electronics (fake iPads) and all types of entertainment media (like that pile of DVD's on the table at a flea market which has films just released to the theater!) it is for toys that I have a particular fondness. When you research counterfeit food and cigarettes, believe me, it gets scary.

Given any chance, I will happily scoop one up should I see a bogus toy for sale somewhere. Seeking out phony Godzillas has always been a dream knock-off toy for me, and I have collected some good ones of the great monster over the years.

Knock-off Godzilla, sans fins, is still pretty cool.

Happy Birthday to the LAVA LAMP: Fifty Years of Cool Wax!

Happy Birthday to the LAVA LAMP: 

Fifty Years of Cool Wax!

This piece was originally published July 15th, 2013.

In the mid-Fifties, a former WWII pilot and post-war British accountant named Edward Craven Walker was at a local English country pub called Queen's Head along with a friend, and found himself staring at a homemade egg timer made by one of the pub's regulars.

This particular object, which Walker described as a "contraption made out of a cocktail shaker, old tins and things" dated from WWII, and was filled with two immiscible liquids (liquids that do not mix together).

As the contents, "odd oily globules" were heated upon the pub's stove, the wax rose and signaled that your egg was ready.

Inspired, he purchased the egg timer/lamp and worked for a decade and a half tinkering with various liquids and containers in an attempt to create a better version. He achieved his goal in 1963.

Walker filed a patent for a "Display Device" in 1965 and but had already started merchandising his creation in September of 1963 as a company called Crestworth Ltd. using the name Astro Lamp.

Edward Craven Walker

The earliest design featured a two part base and was filled with a liquid wax/oils/chemical formula and later to a solid wax/oil/chemical formula.

Initially, shop owners were appalled at what they considered such an ugly lamp, but Walker tenaciously continued to market his invention.

THE FINE ART OF FIRECRACKERS

THE FINE ART OF FIRECRACKERS

This piece was originally published July 1st, 2013.

Growing up in the Mystery Box-land that is Providence, RI, it has always been a special treat to await the festivities that are annually celebrated on one larger than life day here in the United States, Independence Day.

The Fourth of July.

I grew up near a beach, so in actuality it was the eve of the Fourth, on the night of the Third of July that was the real party, with everyone making bonfires along the beach, and lighting more illegal fireworks than could be imagined.

Nothing goes better with fireworks than liquor and bonfires on a beach

The actual day of the Fourth was always reserved more for cookouts, seafood boils, parades and hangovers, with fireworks generally relegated to the larger displays by the local municipalities or baseball stadiums, and whatever scant few firecrackers were still unlit from the night before by the plebeians were casually used—making for an occasional pop and crack here and there throughout the day and night.

Fireworks in RI and MA were illegal. You needed to have someone run a trip up to New Hampshire and fill the trunk of their car, a flatbed, or the back of their truck with enough to satisfy families, friends and seemingly, entire neighborhoods. I can't recall anyone ever being arrested for using fireworks, as it seemed that unless you really put folks in harm's way, the local law enforcement looked the other way and enjoyed the spectacle like everyone else. Oh, and did I forget to mention that we had a family friend who was a policeman, and he usually supplied us with loads of firework every year.

Get your illegal fireworks here!

SURF ROCK GOES TOO FAR WITH THE RETURN OF SUSAN SURFTONE

SURF ROCK GOES “TOO FAR” 

WITH THE RETURN OF SUSAN SURFTONE

This piece was originally published June 3rd, 2013.

Ah, it's almost Summertime again my friends.

Nothing goes better in these warm, delightful days of the Sun, than a few road trip adventures motoring off to a little seaside vista accompanied by some wild and woolly instrumental surf rock.

Simply put, well played surf rock never goes out of style.

Like many fans of the surf rock genre, I have never actually surfed, but since I was a child, the early Beach Boys records made an indelible impression. Like many other "Kooks," I too have been catching that mythical wave and mentally "getting barreled" for years.

More recently, I have been digging a superb practitioner of this music, Susan Surftone. She is easily one of the best boss gals to ever sling a guitar and create her own wonderful surf rock sounds.

THE MUSEUM OF BAD ART

THE MUSEUM OF BAD ART

This piece was originally published May 20th, 2013.

"An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have."

— Andy Warhol

"Most people in America think Art is a man's name."

— Andy Warhol

You’ve heard of Night Gallery? The Rod Serling television series that was his brilliant follow up to The Twilight Zone and featured a gallery of horrific and nightmarish paintings tied into each episodes’ plot that still resound with an eerie intensity with viewers decades after the show’s original airing.

Well this is more a case of welcome to a world of art that one might say is best viewed with the lights out at night…

John Currin's 1991 painting Bea Arthur Naked recently sold for 1.9 million dollars at Christie's auction house.

Remembering SEAN HARTTER: Awesome Across The Universe(s)

Remembering SEAN HARTTER: 

Awesome Across The Universe(s)

This piece was originally published May 6th, 2013.

I still find this difficult to believe and am writing this piece while still in a state of grief and sadness.

On Friday April 27 without warning, the world lost illustrator/comic book artist Sean Hartter at the early age of 39.

Yazoo Records delivers us THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

Yazoo Records delivers us 

THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

This piece was originally published April 22, 2013

When I think of the most obsessively fanatical collectors that populate our planet, I have to give the prize to record collectors.  Even well beyond folks that seek out rare comic books, watches, autographs or toys, it is the passion of music enthusiasts seeking out that rare vinyl LP, forgotten release, or long thought lost recording, that can turn many an individual into a deviously sneaky, frothing at the mouth, crazed addict.

As evidenced by this past weekend's annual holiday for the record collecting fan,Record Store Day, turnouts around the world were huge, as independent music shops celebrated what has become thier biggest retail day of the year.

Folks swarmed shops everywhere in an attempt to purchase the many exclusive limited edition vinyl titles that record labels the world over released on this special day.

Music fans are still crazy for vinyl, and the demand for LP's and singles is increasing by the year.

Some things never change.

THE ROLLING STONES: SOME GIRLS Live in Texas '78

THE ROLLING STONES: 

SOME GIRLS Live in Texas ’78

This piece was originally published April 8th, 2013.

Some Girls still stands today as one of The Rolling Stones last incredible album masterpieces.

While they certainly made some outstanding albums afterwards — Tattoo You and Undercover are both high points — there were none that would be so perfectly complete as Some Girls.

Released in 1978 and quickly becoming a #1 album, it is hailed as an across the board classic, and one of their all time best selling studio albums.

Recorded in ’77 & early ’78, the writing and sessions were done amidst a time of even more internal turmoil than usual for The Stones, with Keith Richards’ looming Toronto drug bust a concern as to whether he could be imprisoned for years, and the challenge of responding to punk rock’s ground zero take-down of the dinosaurs of many of rock and roll’s giants.

 

The original cover art (there are also many other color variations) to the Some Girls album, 

spoofing a wig ad, is brilliant. The cover was quickly changed when copyright issues came up regarding the various female celebrities depicted.

THE UNDERGROUND X-RAY RECORDS OF THE SOVIET UNION

THE UNDERGROUND X-RAY RECORDS OF THE SOVIET UNION

This piece was originally published March 25th, 2013.

It’s easy to take entertainment for granted.

In our present day we have the ability to purchase and enjoy so many recreational items: play a video game, listen to whatever it is we want, watch whatever we want, and, though there are still many folks out there who wish they could control our choices, read any books we can find.

Folks happily embrace the technology that has made obtaining our selections quick, simple and affordable, and we think nothing now of versions that exist only on the ether, or rather—on a cloud.

Still others, myself included, like to seek out older formats and what some will call obsolete mediums.

Some of these formats such as the vinyl LP have actually increased in their yearly sales and there are constantly new purveyors now marketing records, both for new album releases and reissuing older releases.

The annual April celebration event for small independent record shops around the world, Record Store Day, has increased popularity and made it a huge success. For many of these brick and mortar stores and the independent record labels that send exclusive items for sale on that day, it is their best retail day of the year.

Long thought dead formats such as 78 r.p.m. records, 8-track tapes, cassettes, VHS tapes and laser discs, still have numerous aficionados and collectors that will readily discuss at great length their obsessions and collections. In fact, there are even record labels, bands and filmmakers that choose to only release their output on some of these “antique” formats.

It wasn’t always this easy though…

Bryan Ferry's THE JAZZ AGE: A Masterpiece In Mono

Bryan Ferry’s THE JAZZ AGE: 

A Masterpiece In Mono

This piece was originally published February 25th, 2013.

The 1920's was a time not that unlike the 1960's in that it was a period when new fashions, new music and new freedoms were celebrated with a youthful exuberance that sought to shake off those of the older established mainstream.

It was a time of partying and cheering for the end of the previous dark period of World War I, a time where women's suffrage was peaking and was subsequently celebrated with the rise of the independently-minded, adventurously daring Flappers.

Most notably, it was a glorious time for a musical genre called Jazz that had seen its birth in the African American communities of New Orleans, and was now seen as the dance band choice of the young and young-minded everywhere.

With radio broadcasts playing a large part in spreading the zest of Jazz, as well as folks flocking to dance-halls to see the bands themselves, Jazz became the rebellious music.

Bryan Ferry is no stranger to rebellion. Beginning as a part-time art teacher, his band Roxy Music released their stunningly original self-titled debut album in 1972.

BEWARE OF MR. BAKER: GINGER BAKER VS. HIMSELF

BEWARE OF MR. BAKER: 

GINGER BAKER VS. HIMSELF

This piece was originally published February 11th, 2013.

Even when I thought I knew just about everything creative, compulsive and crazed when it came to tales of the man and his music, I saw this film and realized my knowledge was only a small part of a wilder story.

  Beware of Mr. Baker is a documentary on the life of the legendary British rock drummer with a mane of flame and the eyes of a madman, Ginger Baker.

THE REPLACEMENTS: REUNITED FOR SLIM

THE REPLACEMENTS: REUNITED FOR SLIM

This piece was originally published January 28th, 2013.

Formed in 1979 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, The Replacements were one of the great groups that merged a love of classic rock, hook-laden bands such as The Beatles ( they named one of the albums Let It Be ), The Rolling Stones, and Badfinger with the proto-punk of The New York Dolls and the more recent snap of The Ramones, The Clash, The Jam and The Dead Boys.

In their early sloppy, alcohol-sopped party rock days, when they weren’t downright terrible, they could be a short distance from their musical heroes, The Faces. 

Rod Stewart and The Faces defined great drunken Rock and Roll

When they summoned up a melodic beauty in a song’s refrain, they could reach the cosmos of one of their other major influences, Big Star

Big Star with Alex Chilton (right)

Through their earlier days the line-up was founder/guitarist Bob Stinson who, in an effort to keep his little half-brother out of trouble, presented Tommy Stinson with a bass. Adding their friend, guitarist turned drummer Chris Mars, the new band, Dogbreath, would cover Ted Nugent, and Aerosmith, standard stuff for 70’s kids to play.

REVEALING DAVID BOWIE'S BIRTHDAY SECRET

REVEALING DAVID BOWIE’S 

BIRTHDAY SECRET

This piece was originally published January 14th, 2013.

On Tuesday, January 8th at 5:00 AM, David Bowie, on what was his 66th birthday, gave his fans around the world an unprecedented gift by suddenly releasing a single, with an accompanying video and new photograph, on his web site and for immediate download purchase on iTunes.

The song was simply added without any notifications or press releases.

As I saw the video and listened to the song, with those incredible, familiar sounding chords, I knew that, for myself, 2013 was already off to a great beginning. For here was never expected new music from one of my top 5 favorite artists that I have revered since I was an inquisitive little child staring at the strange alien-like being depicted on the American LP cover for his Space Oddity album.

Presented was this fantastic surprise that is truly one the best kept secrets to ever have been tucked away by any legendary mega-selling. hugely influential musical performer long thought to be retired and finished with making music.

A Few of My Favorite Television Show SPIN-OFFS!

A Few of My Favorite 

Television Show SPIN-OFFS!

This piece was originally published January 2nd, 2013.

The history and "family trees" of television series spin-offs can be as complicated and intricately detailed as a giant spider's web in a dark cave.

We are all familiar with a typical spin-off of a popular sitcom or drama series.

For instance, Happy Days giving us Laverne and Shirley and Mork and Mindy or Buffy the Vampire Slayer providing us with Angel, but those are the obvious, things can get more convoluted and far less easy to spot sometimes.

Some shows that we take for granted as always being around, such as The Tonight Show, with all of the many hosts and longevity that show has had, is technically a spin-off of a show called Broadway Open House which ran from 1950 - 1951, and was NBC's first late night series—with The Tonight Show making its debut in 1954.

A series may spin-off of itself, as in the case of say Rowan Atkinson's brilliant Black Adder, which would then give the world Black Adder II and Black Adder The Third, etc.

There are shows, especially of the variety or anthology type, that would spin-off something much greater than the original, with the most famous example of all being The Tracey Ullman Show providing the world with The Simpsons.

To really get detailed, the fun, goofy comedy anthology series Love, American Style (which ran from 1969-1974) is the show that originally spawned Happy Days (which gave us many spin-offs, mostly terrible, aside from Laverne and Shirley), as well as Wait Til Your Father Gets Home (1972-1974), the first prime time animated series to last more than one season since The Flintstones and before The Simpsons.

So in thinking about spin-offs, and the complexities involved in sticking to what constitutes a true spin-off (a re-boot of a series such as with Battlestar Galactica is not a spin-off) here, in no particular order, are a few of my faves.

Unpredictable are some, while others, perhaps not so much.

I will only be listing television shows that are with live actors, so no animated shows this time around, but I promise that Mystery Box column will come in the near future, and with something to look forward in this column, you would be amazed if you knew just how many spin-offs a few animated series like The Flintstones or The Archie Show spawned!

Lastly, I'm also not going to mention anything from the Star Trek world on this list, as it would take up several columns to discuss these shows. To put it simply, I worship the original classic series, loved Enterprise, really liked Next Generation and found the other two spin-offs to be a chore.

LED ZEPPELIN: CELEBRATING THEIR LAST HURRAH!

LED ZEPPELIN: 

CELEBRATING THEIR LAST HURRAH!

This piece was originally published December 17th, 2012.

Ah, Ah,

We come from the land of the ice and snow,

From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow,

The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,

To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla I am coming!

On we sweep with thrashing oar, our only goal will be the western shore.

© 1970 Led Zeppelin

The above is the lyrics to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” from their third album, 1970’s Led Zeppelin III.

It was written by Robert Plant after being inspired by a concert the band played at a college in Reykjavik, Iceland and touring the country, which reminded him of Viking hordes and big ships.

It’s perspective, as that of the Vikings leaving Scandinavia in search of new lands and new adventures, always left me with the impression that it easily could have been a song about the members of Led Zeppelin themselves.

The gods swooped down to conquer in their own private jet

LYRES: Back on Fyre!

LYRES: Back on Fyre! — MY FAVORITE MUSICAL ACTS, PART 3!

This piece was originally published November 19th, 2012.

Once again, here is the next installment of a series of columns that would each cover one musical act that I would gladly go to see in concert over and over again.

As previously mentioned in an earlier episode, in deciding which acts should go into this list of live favorites, these are my prerequisites:

1) They are still currently making music I like and are touring live.
2) I’ve seen each more than a few times.
3) All stand out with a unique sound, presence and charisma.

Here I present to you,  MY FAVORITE MUSICAL ACTS, PART 3 — LYRES…

By the time he had assembled his band Lyres, Boston singer/songwriter/tambourine shaker/pianist/Vox Continental organist, Jeff Conolly, had already become a legendary figure on The Hub’s local music scene via his band DMZ.

DMZ was one of the nascent punk rock bands formed in Boston, early 1976, that landed a label deal with Sire Records (and later Bomp!) with their Stooges/Saints/Stones sound filtered through a heavy dose of  ’60s garage trash punk.

DMZ featuring singer Jeff Conolly (center)