Brandon Burke

Christmas songs, in and of themselves, are standards just like Cole Porter, the Gershwins, etc. And I happen to like many of those themes/heads quite a bit, regardless of the season. The way I see it, whether or not a jazzy Christmas tune is cheesy is the responsibility of the perfrormer and not the tune itself.

I rather like the [moo-stash] pronunciation of mustache, probably because of the chatacter in Irma La Douce.

I don't know about that, man. A certain friend of ours from Louisville--whom I played in a band with in Lawrence--was back home last weekend and said that they're making some serious scratch. Not from the US shows. They're curating and playing at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival (UK) in March. And get this: the entire festival sold out before Slint even had the chance to book anyone. Wow....

People tend to be on one side of the fence or the other regarding this period of his work, but I listened to "Sittin' Duck" (on the first side of Elegant Soul) three times in a row today. And that tune is over nine minutes long...!

Yeah, I'd never heard of that recording but found it online yesterday. Still haven't listened to it but I was suprised to see that they did a cover of "Cortez the Killer".

X-Mas tune or not, "Jingle Bells" absolutely rips on this...

I started an altogether different thread in Misc Music but perhaps this is a better place to post this information.... From Pitchfork.com: "Slint is touring the States. Hell yeah. Slint is playing only three cities in the States so far. Ah, crap. Yes, only couple of months after the Louisville deities resurfaced to announce their curatorship of the February 2005 All Tomorrow's Parties hoedown in Camper Sands, England, Slint is announcing plans to spread that love back to the continent that spawned them. The newly reunited post-rock legends are now promising 15 dates total in March, spread out over England, Europe and yes, the United States. After ATP quickly sold out-- despite the fact that, other than Slint, the festival has yet to announce its lineup-- the band quietly added a solo gig March 1st at London's Kentish Town Forum. Then that sold out too. So now Slint's added another one-- and gee, the guys haven't been to San Francisco in a while, so.... Dates/details are still sketchy as the Slint Reunion Machine grinds into gear, but four initial U.S. dates are official: 03-11 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall 03-12 Seattle, WA - The Showbox 03-25 Chicago, IL - Metro 03-26 Chicago, IL - Park West As previously reported, the initial ATP announcement listed only Brian McMahan, David Pajo and Britt Walford as the "core Slint members" behind this new incarnation, though the band is better known as a quartet. No word yet on whether the full tour will swell the band's ranks. When the lineups and additional dates come rolling in, someone here at Pitchfork will stop listening to Spiderland long enough to give you the news." Also see: the venue's page.

From Pitchfork.com: "Rob Harvilla reports: Slint is touring the States. Hell yeah. Slint is playing only three cities in the States so far. Ah, crap. Yes, only couple of months after the Louisville deities resurfaced to announce their curatorship of the February 2005 All Tomorrow's Parties hoedown in Camper Sands, England, Slint is announcing plans to spread that love back to the continent that spawned them. The newly reunited post-rock legends are now promising 15 dates total in March, spread out over England, Europe and yes, the United States. After ATP quickly sold out-- despite the fact that, other than Slint, the festival has yet to announce its lineup-- the band quietly added a solo gig March 1st at London's Kentish Town Forum. Then that sold out too. So now Slint's added another one-- and gee, the guys haven't been to San Francisco in a while, so.... Dates/details are still sketchy as the Slint Reunion Machine grinds into gear, but four initial U.S. dates are official: 03-11 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall 03-12 Seattle, WA - The Showbox 03-25 Chicago, IL - Metro 03-26 Chicago, IL - Park West As previously reported, the initial ATP announcement listed only Brian McMahan, David Pajo and Britt Walford as the "core Slint members" behind this new incarnation, though the band is better known as a quartet. No word yet on whether the full tour will swell the band's ranks. When the lineups and additional dates come rolling in, someone here at Pitchfork will stop listening to Spiderland long enough to give you the news."

LPs from over the weekend at Amoeba... * Ronnie Boykins - s/t on ESP (VG+ orig issue for $17) * Miles Davis - Get Up With It ("Rated X" man. Shit...) * John Coltrane - Ole (Probably my 6th or 7th copy. I keep giving them away to friends.)

I like Future Days too and listen to it at least as much as the others mentioned above.

I meant to add this earlier... Went to a friend-of-a-friend's T-Day dinner that they prepare annually for upwards of 35 people...in thier home. The hosts were my friend's co-worker and her husband (a chef). Two of his buddies (also chefs) helped out. This year, they decided to prepare dishes representing five regions of the United States. It was absolutely ridiculous, people. They even went so far as to print menus... Northeast: * Sage Roasted Turkey * Cider gravy with pears * Butternut and spaghetti squash soup * Truffled green bean and mushroom saute * Succotash South: * Deep-fried turkey * Bradford's skillet cornbread * Mashed yams and kabocha squash Midwest: * Traditional jellied cranberry sauce * Roasted garlic mashed potatoes with scallions * Apple compote Southwest: * Smoked Turkey * Collared greens with ham hocks, chipotles, and fennel * Corn gratin with poblano peppers California: * Brioche dressing with dried fruit * Rustic cranberry compote with dried cherries and strawberries * Root vegetable duchesse * Sauteed brussel sprouts with pomengranite * Warm spinach salad with rock shrimp, Point Reyes bleu cheese, and sherry vinagrette I should also add that there were about seven desserts, twenty-some-odd bottles of red wine, and a keg of Marin Pale Ale (a beer so hoppy that it tasted like expensive weed). It was a truly amazing experience and something I'll never forget.

There's a bonus track on the CD reissue of This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall called "I am Damo Suzuki" and it's basically a cover of "Gommorha". Lyrics are basically a name-check of Can tunes. (Ex: "What have you got in that paper bag? Is it a dose of Vitamin C? I am Damo Suzuki...") BTW: To the delight of the over-30 crowd at their Austin, TX show this summer, The Fall actually played this song. Probably the last tune anyone expected to hear that night and it absolutely f*cking killed!

Last 10-15 years? Yeesh... To be honest, I find today's rock music climate pretty abysmal. So the list of bands I like that haven't been around for 12 years is pretty short: * Animal Collective * The Clentele * Matt Suggs * White Magic * Six Organ of Admittance * Iron & Wine * Devendra Banhart * Magnetic Fields Groups that have been around a while (but whose new records I seldom buy anymore): * Sonic Youth * Yo La Tengo * Smog * Guided By Voices (soon to be in the following category) * The Fall (I might actually buy their new one...) * David Kilgour Groups that ain't around no more: * Gastr del Sol * Latin Playboys * Thinking Feller's Union Local 282 * Butterglory * The Mad Scene

Nielsen-Love impressed the hell out of me this summer with the Brotzmann Tenet in Austin, TX. The Thing played a day or so later but I was unable to attend. Actually, at the time, I didn't know that he was in that group as well or I would have found a way to make it there. 9:00am, the morning after that Thing show.... Tim: "You didn't go to The Thing." Brandon: "I know. I had too much stuff to do." Tim: "You f*cked up."

Yeah, my brother said he found it at a bit torrent site as well. I still have an old dubbed VHS copy. Very good with amazing footage. The stuff on the beach in France ("Electricity") is really intense. According to the Zoot Horn Rollo book, they were all....er....*somewhere else* during that performance. Rollo claims he doesn't even remember playing.

I just sent you an email.

That's what amazed me! We never sent anything in to him. I guess somebody must have but our label was too small to bother sending anything to UK radio. In fact, the only reason why I know he played one of our songs is because I decided to Google our band name several months back and a Peel playlist from something like 1997 came up. So I found that out seven years after we broke up.

Our Amercian understanding of him was that of a guy who (we heard) played cool records and (knew) recorded great bands on the air but I wouldn't exactly feel comfortable if I said I knew very much about him. The 'Sessions' obviously made their way over here. Some personal favorites are The Fall, Joy Division, and Wire. (Seems funny that the Mekons never did one. Maybe I'm missing something.) Anyway, those who haven't seen it should definitely hunt down the Captain Beefheart documentary. (Peel served as narrator.) I should also add, and this is simply because it makes me feel cool, that Peel played one of my old band's songs on the radio once. He also played my (then) roomate's band and apparently said "this is for all the blokes in Lawrence (KS)". In any case... Good show, John!

My buddy Scott, who used to own the Liberty Hall movie theatre in Lawrence, KS--the oldest motion picture theatre west of the Mississippi--was Woody's robot character for Halloween about five years ago. it was brilliant. I mean he looked exactly like him. BTW: The house cylindrical house used in that film is in Colorado. We accidently drove by it once while attending a wedding in Evergreen.

I can't believe you guys are still hung up on Tom and the demise of BNBB. I completely understand Blue Note's unwillingness to monitor/support a bulletin board that, as time went on, was less and less dedicated to their product. Gimmie a break... And no it's not ironic that he posted on another board. That's about as ironic as him going to a record shop and buying an LP when Blue Note itself doesn't press LPs. Personal decision on his part.

I forgot about this thing until last night. What a record! Absolutely bursting with creativity and life.

Elmo Hope Trio (1959) - One of my favorite records. Frank Butler is seriosuly underrated. Stan Getz with Cal Tjader (1958) - Rhythm section features Scott LaFaro and Billy Higgins and "Ginza Samba" has to be one of the most hilariously spaztic tunes ever. From All Sides (1964) - I have a soft spot for this one. Don't know that it's necessarily a groundbreaking effort. It's really damned enjoyable though. The Fox (1959) - All-star band of guys who should have been stars. The title track is a scorcher...West Coast style. For Real (1958) - See above (and dig Butler).

When did that leak out?

Evidence's Sun Ra Saturn reissues look pretty awful if you ask me.