45 Selections of the Week

Being on a singer/songwriter kick last week with the Richard Buckner/Anders Parker andBrendan Benson shows, I plucked these two well-known tracks from the 45 jukebox collection. When I took on the 45 stash from my dad, I was hoping to turn up more Bob Dylan. Alas, Like a Rolling Stone single was the only one of the lot. No matter, it’s a fine track. And according to this Calgary Sun story, July 24 was the 40th anniversary of the song’s appearance on rock charts. Rolling Stone recently named it the greatest song of all time in a list of 500. Here’s a brief history of the tune.

The second choice is Jim Croce, of whom I admittedly have little knowledge except that he kept turning up in my dad’s music collection when I was young. As my tastes matured, I was patient enough to sit down and listen. And enjoy. My research tells me the opening piano bars of Bad, Bad Leroy Brown were lifted from Bobby Darin’s Queen of the Hop, which also resides in the 45 stash. It’s included for comparison’s sake.

(Note: Songs are recorded from turntable into computer using Audio Hijack Pro. Recordings are then edited/filtered/toiled over using Audacity.)

The Rhinestone Cowboy and hip-hop goodies

I couldn’t pass up this gem in the Chicago Tribune on Arizona’s most-famous drunk driver, Glen Campbell:

By Monica Eng
Chicago Tribune

I call Glen Campbell earlier this month at his Malibu home and find out it’s a day of celebration. It’s the day he gets to remove the Intoxalock
from his car.

“Whoever invented that thing should be hit upside the head with a crowbar — or at least a cane or a pool cue,” the country icon growls over the phone, referring to the Breathalyzer-type device linked to a car’s ignition system that he had to blow into to start his car. “You know it’s not even technically legal, but they do a lot of things differently there in Arizona.” …

Yes, we do — like post on the weekends. But, Glen, some would say a blood-alcohol level of more than .15 and leaving the scene of an accident is “not even technically legal.” (The story goes on to explain that Glen has since moved to Malibu, Calif.)

Really, this post has nothing to do with Glen Campbell, but I couldn’t resist. Too funny.

Anyway, any regular readers (insert laugh track here) of this space know I’m a fan of hip-hop. And I’m challenging my man Chris (the fourth member of Digable Planets) at Gorilla vs. Bear to post some more hip-hop and I promise to do the same. After all, we can’t be all indie all the time, right?

That said, I’ve uncovered www.undergroundhiphop.com, which has a veritable trove of songs you can stream. Using Audio Hijack Pro, I’m trying to clean up the tracks, which have a bit of a tinny sound to them. (Lemme know how the audio sounds on these.)

So, for you weekend readers, here’s a little treat. Pay special attention to the Cocoa Brovaz Super Brooklyn, which uses Super Mario Bros. music as the sampled loop. It’s, um, dope.

Cocoa Brovaz: Super Brooklyn
D-Nice: Call Me D-Nice
Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz: Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)

“We’re gonna rock this sh*t, Phoenix-style”

And with those opening words, I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy Brendan Benson’s set on Thursday night at the Clubhouse in Tempe.

Sadly, it was scarcely attended: I’d guess 100 people, at most. The ones who were there were very into it. Benson was really personable, talking with the crowd, cracking the usual “I don’t know how you guys live in this heat” jokes. One funny exchange with a fan: Benson asked if there were clubs in town similar in size to the Clubhouse. He said he remembered playing somewhere in Phoenix with Keane. One fan hollered out, “Celebrity Theatre.” Benson: “Oh, cool. Were you there?” Fan: “No.” Benson (smiling): “Excellent. Moving on to the next song then … ”

Being that my introduction to his music is his latest album, The Alternative to Love, I didn’t recognize much of the set, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and then was convinced enough to purchase “Lapalco” afterward. His band is solid and I just enjoyed the crisp rock they play. Nothing really pretentious about it but nothing bland about it either.

I will say this: Brendan needs to eat a few milkshakes. Dude is skinny. Check the pics for yourself. And no photos of openers Robbers on High Street, but they were good: poppy and happy.

A few more:

1 2 3

Flashback Friday

South of Mainstream has offered up a beauty of an idea — and being grammar geeks here, we love the alliteration: Flashback Fridays. I was all agog this week with SofM dusting Hum off the shelf. I’m not sure I can keep up every week, but I’ll give it my best.

So, my first Flashback offering is (drumroll please) … Gwen Mars. This three-piece outfit formed in LA in 1995 and released “Magnosheen.” There was a bit of an underlying glam-rock aura about Gwen Mars but the music owed an undeniable debt to the grunge era and, in my opinion, the crunchy guitar riffs of the Smashing Pumpkins.

Honestly, I’m not sure why I liked this band or why I ever purchased “Magnosheen.” It was/is a guilty pleasure. Oddly enough, I saw them open for Catherine Wheel, the most unlikely of openers for CW. I also once saw them at Boston’s, a scrappy little club in Tempe that is no longer (R.I.P.). It was almost like Gwen Mars couldn’t decide if they wanted to go grunge or try the hair-rock route and got caught somewhere in between. But damn it if I don’t love those opening riffs on “Cosmic Dick.”

Lucky for me, I stumbled across a white-vinyl 45 of “Cosmic Dick” in Tucson. The B-side, “Shrink,” is also off “Magnosheen.” Apparently, the group resurfaced in 2001 with the full-length “Driving a Million.” I’m guessing it might be another six years before we hear from them again, if at all. Here’s to hair spray and lipstick on lead singers.

Gwen Mars: Cosmic Dick
Gwen Mars: Shrink

Recap of Richard Buckner/Tucson

Well, another Richard Buckner show (my fourth, I think) and another fine performance. The venue, Plush, was intimate, sorta perfect for Buckner’s songs. We sat and drank on the patio beforehand and Buckner, seemingly wanting to enjoy a moment alone, was approached by a fanboy, who asked, “Mind if I sit here?” when there were about seven other empty tables. Buckner kindly obliged. I felt like saying something to Buckner, like, “Hey, I really appreciate your music” or something like that, but it always comes off sounding so … so … I don’t know. That whole dynamic of approaching the musicians seems strange: Do they want to know you’re a fan or do they want to be left alone? Ah, anyway …

Anders Parker opened, and I was really impressed. He played heavily off his newest album, “Tell it to the Dust.” He switched between acoustic and electric guitars and took a few turns on a Wurlitzer piano. His voice hardly holds a room like Buckner’s, but his guitar playing seems a little more technical. And I love his disheveled-I-just-woke-up-and-look-how-messy-my-hair- is look. Plus, he was drinking bourbon. What self-respecting alt-country artist doesn’t?

As for Buckner, well, my only complaint is that interaction with the audience was minimal. Not that I expect inane chatting, because that gets old, but there was literally nothing until he was finished. He used recorders to loop guitar lines and then played over those, thus filling the would-be silence in between songs. Nevertheless, you get the impression he’d rather just play.

My pictures of Anders Parker didn’t come out as well as I would have liked (so, see below for music treat). I’m still learning the ways of my Canon PowerShot; it was the first time I messed with no-flash, delayed-exposure picture-taking. There are a couple of Buckner in which I, uh, accidentally used the flash; I’m sure he was appreciative of that. Hey, I was having a few drinks.

Here are some pics:

 

Ever wanted to see what Speedway Blvd. near the Univ. of Arizona campus looks like from the Jack in the Box drive-thru under the influence of alcohol at about 1 in the morning? I knew you did:

This one is just to tease Chris; that’s right, Sufjan is even coming to Tucson:

Don’t think you’re getting outta here without music. As promised, we hit up PDQ Records, a massive warehouse of vinyl in Tucson. I plucked some fantastic 45s, which all will get their time here. One of the finds was a clear vinyl promo “limited edition” of Varnaline, which is essentially Anders Parker before he decided to go by Anders Parker; I really like “Hammer.” Enjoy the warmth of analog because I’m too tired to clean it up right now. Besides, we have Brendan Benson to go see tonight.

Varnaline: Hear
Varnaline: Hammer

Off to Tucson …

Before I hit the lovely Interstate 10, with two hours of desert and sun and 110 degree weather between here and Tucson, I leave you with some recommendations (hopefully, Buckner pictures to follow tomorrow, unless I’m running off to Tempe to see Brendan Benson):

Gorilla vs. Bear hooks you up with dirty-girl music and pictures, to boot! (And check out his Lollapalooza wrap; I think Chris is going to be an honorary member of Digable Planets soon.)

Welcome to the Midwest offers up a new Death Cab for Cutie track from the forthcoming LP Plans.

South of Mainstream made my day (no, week) on Monday with a little vigil to Champaign, Illinois’ finest, Hum. You remember “Stars,” and you liked it.

Soul Sides has a new Nas track, on which he takes 50 Cent to task. Nice.

Go visit Dodge … just because. He’s got a monster recap of Lollapalooza, and I’ve even forgiven him for skipping out on Z-Trip.

No music at Post Secret, but check it out: Homemade anonymous postcards with peoples’ little secrets. It’s very intriguing. (I’m sending one in to confess that I looked at those Gorilla vs. Bear photos today — twice.)

For cool photoshop-ish art, check out Tik. He hooked me up with a jpeg that I’m gonna blow up into art for the pad AND we share the same name.

Chris is motivating me to dig up more vinyl, so I promise more remixes (mostly hip-hop) next week. …

Richard Buckner / Anders Parker

Even though I just saw Richard Buckner this past November in Phoenix, I’m really excited to see him again tonight in Tucson with Anders Parker, whom I saw open for Jay Farrarnot too long ago in Los Angeles.

This will be at least the fourth time seeing Buckner, and I really wouldn’t pass up a chance to see him at any time. I remember the first time, probably about eight years ago, at Balboa Cafe in Tempe with my brother; Buckner opened for Alejandro Escovedo. I was floored by Buckner. I’ve never seen one man and a guitar command that sort of presence at a show. “Husky” seems to be the most-used adjective to describe his voice, and rightfully so. (I thought “husky” was only used to describe big-boy jeans.) It’s not exactly flattering, but it’s fitting.

His songs are the stuff of drunken loneliness, open country and empty yearning. I distinctly remember in October 2000, having accepted my first sportswriting gig in Lubbock, Texas, listening to his debut “Bloomed” as I drove into Texas wondering what the hell I was exactly doing. The album was recorded in Lubbock, and I thought I’d develop some closeness to the music because of it. Like when he sings, “He didn’t know much misery / But there was plenty of time to learn.” That borders on cheesy, I know, but the album pulled me through some serious homesickness (if you lived in Lubbock you’d understand)

That said, I’d recommend anything he’s put out, especially “Bloomed” and his latest, “Dents and Shells” (on Merge … you know, home of the Arcade Fire).

I have too many songs I’d want to include here, so I’ve recorded his KCRW appearance from last year (split into two MP3s, before and after the Nic Harcourt interview).

As for Anders Parker, I’m still new to his music. But I’m liking his newest, “Tell it to the Dust,” quite a bit.

Richard Buckner: Live on KCRW (Part I)
Richard Buckner: Live on KCRW (Part II)
Richard Buckner: Ariel Ramirez (from Devotion+Doubt; yes the song on that VW Touareg commercial)
Richard Buckner: Up North (from Bloomed)
Anders Parker: Tell it to the Dust (from Tell it to the Dust)

Digable Planets remixes

Chris at gorillavsbear.net has me all geeked out about Digable after reading his review of Lollapallooza in Chicago this weekend. I was gonna save these gems for a future date, but I couldn’t hold out any longer. These are from the vinyl stash: A 9th Wonder (Slicker this Year) Mad Slicker Remixes promo 12″ and a Dial 7 12″.

Digable Planets: 9th Wonder (Amina remix)
Digable Planets: 9th Wonder (Dania remix)
Digable Planets: 9th Wonder (Accapella)
Digable Planets: Dedication

Super Bowl Shuffle

It’s almost August, which means NFL teams are reporting to training camp, which means it’s never too early to start thinking about the Super Bowl. It’s like spring training, when every team thinks they have a shot. Only I’m a Bears fan and I KNOW they don’t stand a chance.

Ah, but memories. We can always milk the 1985 domination. Payton, McMahon, the Fridge. What about those linebackers? Singletary, Wilson, Marshall. Then there’s Super Bowl MVP Richard Dent. That team should have turned into a dynasty. Alas …

Yes, I’ve digitized my 12-inch vinyl of the Super Bowl Shuffle, which was in vogue long before the Ickey Shuffle. I could never decide whose verse I liked the most, but what I really could never figure out is how backup QB Steve Fuller ever got on the song.

Anyway, be sure to check out the pure cheesiness of the “Extended Vocal Mix.”

Well, without further ado, we present the Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew:

Vocal Mix
Extended Vocal Mix
Instrumental

This and that

It’s possible (no, likely) I’m way behind on this, but I was stunned out of my nap-induced stupor today by an M&M’s commercial that featured Iron and Wine’s cover of Postal Service’s Such Great Heights. First, Shins on a McDonald’s ad, then Modest Mouse on a Nissan ad and now this? I’m not crying sellout or anything; it’s just … weird. …

More on the INXS “Rock Star” front. Billboard story reports that ratings are — shock! — low; I think only Dodge watches it (for his loyalty, he may be nominated the band’s next singer). But: “The week of the show’s premiere, sales of “The Best of INXS” nearly tripled to more than 5,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan.” Yes, of course. Then guitarist Tim Farriss, defending the band’s decision to find a singer via reality TV says: “In all seriousness, what were we supposed to do? Put an ad in the paper?” Is that a rhetorical question? Clay Aiken is available.

Tomorrow (nay, late tonight) I have an NFL/Chicago Bears-inspired post. You won’t be sorry. Check back.

Also, I’ll be getting all alt-country on you in preparation for the Richard Buckner/Anders Parker show in Tucson, which will include a required trip to PDQ Records, literally a warehouse full of vinyl in no particular order. It’s maddening and marvelous.

Concerts and more concerts

Upcoming shows I plan on attending (or at least hope I will):

• Wednesday, July 27: Richard Buckner and Anders Parker at Plush in Tucson.
• Thursday, July 28: Brendan Benson with Robbers on High Street, Clubhouse, Tempe
• August 1: Sufjan Stevens with Liz Janes, Marquee Theatre, Tempe
• Aug. 18: DJ Z-Trip (with Black Sheep!), Club Congress, Tucson
• Sept. 2: Common, Marquee Theatre, Tempe
• Sept. 18: The Decemberists with Sons & Daughters, Marquee Theatre, Tempe
• Sept. 23-25: Austin City Limits music fest

Let it rain

In this wonderfully oppressive hot state of Arizona, temperatures have reached 115 recently. Our annual monsoons — thunder and lightning storms galore — have arrived (sort of) to “cool down” things to a mild 104. It sprinkled a bit tonight, and so rain is the theme of these two songs, plucked from my 45 collection.

As I’ve said before, my dad passed on to me a beautiful Wurlitzer jukebox to me, along with about 250 45s. We lugged this thing from Chicago to Phoenix when we moved when I was about 8. For the better part of our time in Phoenix, though, the jukebox was nothing more than a household decoration: “Oh, cool, a jukebox. Does it work?” “Uh, no.” Well, I paid a pro to get it working and I cleaned and covered all the 45s and I’m working on cataloging them into the computer.

Shopping for records is fun, but sorting through all these 45s and playing them and pulling out some 40-year-old pop gem is the best. The catalog is loaded with some Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Sly and the Family Stone (I’ve added from my own collection, including a stash of James Brown singles and more modern indie/hip-hop tunes).

What’s interesting about the records is the generation gap they present. That’s why I want to mix it up: Righteous Brothers with Whodini in the same jukebox. That said, I’ve come to gain a valuable appreciation for the music my parents enjoyed.

Anyway, let’s get to the differing opinions on rain: Eddie Rabbitt loved it; the Carpenters were saddened by it (maybe they were my parents’ version of emo?: “What I’ve got they used to call the blues / Nothing is really wrong / Feeling like I don’t belong.”) I used to really love this Eddie Rabbitt song as a kid and I was thrilled to find it on 45.

 

Comfortably numb

I won’t let a little root canal this morning keep me from posting today. I’ll spare you all the details, but it wasn’t as bad as I was fearing. A few shots of novocaine go a long way. I will say, I had some perverse attraction to keeping my eyes open during the whole procedure. My mouth was kept open by this rubber wedge — something akin to a doorstop — and I could see each instrument, and I had an idea what the endodontist was doing with it, but I really couldn’t feel much. The tooth is a little sore now, but I have prescription pain killer to keep it at bay.

Alas, I’m thinking an easy post here. I’ve been on a Mike Doughty kick (see a few posts below) of late, and that’s made me pull out the Soul Coughing, which has made me pull out this excellent cover of Blue-Eyed Devil by Low. It’s on a box set called A Lifetime of Temporary Relief, (a three-CD+DVD compliation which I gave to my brother for Christmas and have since borrowed and haven’t returned. Sorry, B); buy it for $33 at Stinkweeds (as opposed to $56 at Amazon). I’ve been listening to Low quite a bit lately, especially after a poignant NPR interview and then singer Alan Sparhawk’s announcement on the band’s message board that the group canceled touring because “I have not been very mentally stable for the last while.”

In the future, I’m sure I’ll put up some original Low stuff. But I’ve been loving these covers (and the originals, too).

Soul Coughing: Blue-Eyed Devil
Low: Blue-Eyed Devil
Bob Dylan: Blowin’ in the Wind
Low: Blowin’ in the Wind

Bloc Party — fine vinyl find

Went record shopping Wednesday night at Zia, a splendid used CD/record chain in Arizona where I spend much time and money. Digging through the vinyl, my ever-observant wife spotted Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm used for $8.99. (That was almost as great as finding Neil Young’s Decade — six sides! — for $1.99.) Anyway, the Bloc Party 12″ contained three records, including one — The Dim Mak “Dimmakified” 12″ — with two remixes apiece of Positive Tension and Price of Gas.

Not sure if I’m behind the curve on these, but I thought I’d share all the same. I especially enjoy the Jason Clark mix of Positive Tension and the Jus Ske mix of Price of Gas (that bassline … dang).

Bloc Party: Positive Tension — Jason Clark remix
Bloc Party: Positive Tension — Johnny Whitney remix
Bloc Party: Price of Gas — Automato remix
Bloc Party: Price of Gas — Jus Ske remix

I kick it root down

I’m off to the endodontist tomorrow for my first (and hopefully my last) root canal. Let this be a lesson: Don’t put off going to the dentist. And brush. And floss. And you’ll be happy, like Little Toothy over there.

The good news is I can listen to my iPod. The bad news is I doubt I’ll be able to hear anything with whatever god-awful drilling instruments they’ll be inserting into my teeth. But the worst part about the whole ordeal is I don’t even get to go under with gas. Only novocaine.

Oh, well. Enough about the torture. Here are some dental-inspired tracks. The Poison track, recorded from vinyl, comes from the album Open Up and Say … Ahhh. Naturally.

Poison — Every Rose Has its Thorn
Roots with Roy Ayers — Proceed
Beastie Boys — Root Down

Supermarket — “Aisles of styles”

Digging into the crates of Arizona’s hip-hop past, Supermarket is bound to turn up. I can’t believe this album (1996) is almost 10 years old. To me, these guys represented all that was right in hip-hop: fun flows, creative beats, and they never took themselves too seriously.

The group — emcees Fluid, Ruckus and Type O and DJ Jimi the Mantis Claw — formed in 1994. That was about the time I was in college, knee-deep in all things hip-hop: A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Digable Planets … they were all at their peak. And their influence is pretty evident in Dump Koch, named in honor of former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, whose vehement crackdown on graffiti ran contrary to hip-hop culture’s street-art ethos.

Supermarket also takes shots at the bluster of gangsta rap via skits (a la De La Soul) and “covergirl emcees” using all those “verbal cosmetics.” DJ Z-Trip, whose name you’ll see plenty on this site, worked production on the album. This album was great because they repped Arizona to the fullest, with mentions of the 6-0-2 — Phoenix area code, y’all — and, on True Feelings, they name-check “6th and Mill,” the main drag in downtown Tempe. On the same track, Fluid drops the perhaps the album’s best line: “I’m a hypochondriac, all my styles are sick.”

The group quietly dissolved, but last I read the guys reunited for a show in May. Be sure to peep my personal fave Frontal Lobe Piercing, which includes a guest spot from local emcee Puma.

Podcasting diatribe

Allow me, if you will, to rant about the latest developments in podcasting. It seems major media types are jumping into the fray since Apple introduced podcasting into its latest version of iTunes a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I was one of the million or so people who started subscribing to what iTunes had to offer. It was free (good) and gave a forum to the everyman (even better).

But we all knew this was going to happen, didn’t we? “This” is advertising. Now, my daily ESPN radio podcast is sponsored by (Tough Actin’) Tinactin. And the very first episode of the new podcast by Slate, an online magazine I read regularly, was brought to me by Chrysler. I stopped listening immediately. Unsubscribing is my next step.

Between listening to my iPod, reading some fabulous MP3 blogs (look over to the right) and downloading podcasts — oh, and work and stuff — I’ve discovered time is a finite resource. It’s bad enough ESPN’s SportsCenter hammers me over the head with the “Budweiser Hot Seat” and my precious Cubs games include the Pepsi defensive lineups and the Aflac trivia questions. Now, not even my iPod is safe. Worse, my favorite podcasts, from NPR affiliate KCRW in Santa Monica, Calif., are going to be underwritten by Toyota for six months in exchange for 10-second spots on each episode.

(On a side note, there now will be ads in the ads I’m trying to fast-forward through on my TiVo. From AP story: “TiVo has announced plans to insert symbols that identify advertisers during commercial breaks, making them more visible even when a customer is fast forwarding through them.” TiVo is desperate for money — it hasn’t turned a profit since ‘97 — so it must be OK to sell out the idea of commercial skipping, which made the device so ingenious to begin with.)

I’m not naive. I work for a major newspaper. Advertising dollars probably pay a bulk of my salary (thank you, Christie’s Cabaret and Hi-Liter Gentlemen’s Clubs). I get that. But as the aforementioned story hints, these major media companies are squashing the true spirit of podcasting: the democratization of information. People will subscribe to podcasts by companies they know: ABC, ESPN, Disney (gee, all owned by the same folks). Thus advertisers will flock to said companies and it’ll end up just like commercial radio — exactly what podcasting wasn’t supposed to be.

I suppose Apple’s involvement brought podcasting to the mainstream. But where does that leave the grass-roots programs? How long before they start charging?

Ah, just had to vent. Here’s some music (free of charge, but go buy it if you like it!)

Public Enemy — How to Kill a Radio Consultant
Jets to Brazil — Resistance is Futile

Mike Doughty EP on iTunes

Mike Doughty, former frontman of Soul Coughing, released The Gambler EP on iTunes. For less than $6, you get this:

1. The Gambler (studio version of Kenny Rogers classic)
2. Strange Powers (live on XM Radio’s “The Loft”)
3. St. Louise Is Listening (live on KCRW)
4. Busting Up A Starbucks (live on KEXP)
5. The King Of Carrot Flowers (live on KEXP)
6. Janine (live from the street in Seattle)
VIDEO: “Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well”

Go to Doughty’s Web site here and you can print out cover art. The guy also has a fantastic blog. And if you don’t have his new album, Haughty Melodic (an anagram for Michael Doughty), I highly recommend it. Buy it here. I miss Soul Coughing, but I’m digging Doughty’s solo resurgence and his so-called “small rock.”

In honor, here’s a couple of tracks from his solo projects Rockity Roll and Skittish and a live track from his new album played live for NPR.

Mike Doughty — 27 Jennifers
Mike Doughty — The Only Answer
Mike Doughty — Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well (on NPR)
Mike Doughty — Busting Up a Starbucks (remix) by fan sent to Doughty; posted on Doughty’s blog.

45 RPM

I’ve got no central theme tying my selections together on this post, other than that they all were converted from vinyl 45s, a process at which I’m slowly getting better. I basically cobbled together any and all information I could on the Internet about it.

Briefly, this is how it works: I have a Technics 1200 turntable (yea, I had designs on wanting to be a DJ years ago) hooked to a preamp mixer. The mixer is connected to an analog-to-digital converter (I use Griffin’s iMic), which is then hooked up to the computer via USB. Then you’ll need some sort of sound-editing program: I use — and highly recommend — Rogue Amoeba’s Audio Hijack Pro, which also works to strip audio from applications like Real Player, Quick Time, DVDs, etc. Audio Hijack has a ton of filters to enhance the sound. There’s also Sound Studio, Amadeus and Audacity, to name a few. (If you have any other questions, e-mail me and I’ll be glad to help as much as I can.)

It’s really a trial-and-error process, but the best part about it is shopping for records. My dad passed along an original Wurlitzer jukebox to me we’ve had since I was about 8. With it, I took on roughly 250 45s — mostly ’50s, ’60s and ’70s pop and rock. I’ve gone a bit nuts shopping for records, especially 45s. You can find some serious gems, especially those with the picture covers (just look at that Jermaine Stewart!) The jukebox also is the inspiration for the jukebox tag links.

So, enjoy the selections. I apologize for any static; again, I’m still working out the kinks (any feedback about how the audio is sounding on your end is greatly appreciated). Anyway, a little crackle and pop adds some warmth to the sound. I think you can clean the sound up too much to the point of diminishing returns.

(That little John Cougar Mellencamp acoustic ditty is for Dodge, who went all Authority Song on us a coupla weeks ago.)

Jermaine Stewart — We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off
The Fixx — One Thing Leads to Another
John Mellencamp — Small Town (acoustic)
Pet Shop Boys — West End Girls