The Prayers unveil new line up

The Prayers will perform for the first time with a new line up tonight at The Tower Bar. Newly permanent bass player Charles Rowell joins Los Angeles' Joel Black in forming the new rhythm section. They are playing tonight with Nice Boys (ex Exploding Hearts, Portland OR) and The Atoms. The Atoms will probably have copies of their brand new 7" on new San Diego record label, Sweet Tooth. What a night!!

"Heroes and Villains: The True Story of the Beach Boys" by Steven Gaines

I love tell-all books. All too often, music biographies act as a way for superfans to gush over their heroes and gloss over all the dirt that makes said heroes real. It's somehow inspiring to know that musicians i respect can be as big of fuckups as I can be.
Even if you're one of those cats who is too cool for the big, universally popular bands, you'll probably enjoy "Heroes and Villains". It covers the career of the Beach Boys from their late-50's beginnings till the mid-80's, when the book was published. It never glosses over the drugs, mental illness, violence and sex (including incest!) but it also doesn't read like a tabloid. It's just a complete, honest account of this fabulous band.

And to those cats who are too cool for the Beach Boys; c'mon...let's get serious here: For that golden period of about seven years, they were the only American band to give the Beatles a run for their money in terms of inventiveness, creativity, and simple goddamn hooks. Take "Good Vibrations"; it's a mini goddamn symphony. See below:





Or how about this fucking gem?

Mario Orduno's birthday crap. Two fiestas tonight N tomorrow.

Well our most beloved of all dogs is having a birthday today!! We've planned him a spectacular two tiered set of celebrations and what not. So come to Skull kontrol @ live Wire tonight and give that big ol' bear of a man a hug. And/or go to the house party tomorrow night and flip out to the sounds of kill me Tomorrow and The Sess. Both of these evenings include The Skullz djing and shit.

Fucking Faggot

The other day, on Sunday, Brandon and I went to a Padres game. My friend Tim has crazy nice season tickets and rewarded us as a "thank you" for a favor we did. Anyway, it was fun and pretty much flawless until I overheard some "A" hole talking about how tight our pants were. I turned around and saw the biggest got damn loser I'd seen in at least a day or two. The alcohol I drank at the game led me to flip around and get all confrontational. Kinda silly. All I said was "Are you talking to me, fucker?", which kinda shut him up, but whatever, it was dumb and maybe I should have been quiet. He would have probably poked me in the eye or the cops that were all around us would have probably thrown us all in the paddy wagon.

Well, later in the day, I remember my friend Wes was hanging the night before. He was visiting San Diego from his current home in Philadelphia. He gave me his brand new release, "Deathbeds" (Heartworm Press #11). When we got back to Brandon's house I opened my copy and read and read. It is great. It records his accounts of road trips, song lyrics and poems. Basically everything he's written/published from 1999-2007. Wes is a great modern writer and I really hope more people read his work. Well, during my reading I got to this poem and smiled. I love you Wes.

Girard Ave, 9/06

by Wesley Eisold

Skinny little kid in my face says
Fucking Faggot
Pants are too fucking tight

Why are you looking at my legs?


Deathbeds



hrtwrm #11
by Wesley Eisold
Deathbeds is a 176 page perfect-bound paper back collection of Eisold's work from 1999-2007. Art direction by Anthony Smyrski and photography by Melissa Farley. Limited to 1,000 copies. Heartworm #11.

www.theheartworm.com

Fire in the hole!

I was a mischievous lil' cocksucker when I was a kid. Me and my stupid friends were always up to no good, haha. I would have loved to participate in something like this when I was between the ages of 15 - 20:

Hear ye hear ye...

So. If you follow this blog or any of our shindigs, you are well aware that for the past year we've been putting on 1 or 2 Saturday nights a month @ The Beauty Bar. We've brought some great shit like Glass Candy, NO AGE, Mika Miko, Tender Buttons, Blood Brothers, Kill Me Tomorrow and Delta Spirit, not to mention brought our style of dance music to many a sweaty fool. Well, those days are OVER. No mas. Fini. No drama, no big, it's just been decided amicably that (for the most part) BB is not a good fit for us and we're not a good fit for their bar and clientele. It makes sense, really. I mean, I was so embarassed when one of these BB numbskulls heckled Mika Miko. Understandbly, underground music fans don't feel comfortable at BB, and the BB crowd don't feel comfortable with us. Who knows, maybe we'll do something in the future...

But let's talk immediate future. We are very excited to announce our new friends Bar Pink Elephant have invited us to spread our nonsense there. I have a feeling this will be a wonderful fit. Our first party is on Saturday, September 1st. We're having CHROMATICS play and you can expect more raucous dance music from our most attractive record collections. No electro, no bullcrap...just great loud party music. This dance party is FREE of charge too, by the way. NO COVER and cheap drinks. I mean really cheap. I'm talking three bucks and up.

So join us for our first foray into what looks like will be a BEEYOOTIFUL relationship. Booya.

Oh wait!! One more thing:

New babyshambles single!

Oh dear! Have you heard the new babyshambles single, "delivery"? Perfect pop. Kinks-y verse followed by an absolutely perfect chorus. Say what you will about ol' Pete and his drug problems and infedelities, but homeboy knows how to write a song. Peep the video:

It's funny how on a plane to the UK the pilot says that we're on "SHEDULE".

*(asterisk)This is not a San Diego SHEDULE or a definitive SHEDULE...it's the Skullz' (or related) SHEDULE!! Get over it.

THURSDAY

Skull Kontrol @ Live Wire. Free. Goofballs Sir Charles (The Prayers & The Vultures) and Mario Orduno (Art Fag Recordings) are preparing a fine, FINE supply of punk, oldies, rap, noisy nuggets, brit pop, rock steady and all things holy. Arrive b4 10 to grab a seat, come b4 12 to make out with one of these "A" holes or they'll be making out with each other (Oh brother!).

FRIDAY

Tim Mays of the Casbah is bringing together some of San Diego's most fun djs for this impromptu and FREE party this Friday. It promises to be an oddball mix of styles from the people behind Skull Kontrol, Jive Wire, One Nation and very special guests are on board to dick jockey the night. FREE FREE FREE (and not electro!!). @ The Casbah. DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE n STUFF.

SATURDAY

We <3 The Tower Bar. Get with it. Saturday night cum see Australia's The Scare, along with The Vultures and Fifty On Their Heels. The Skullz are offering trebly pulsations that you don't own (along with ones you forgot about). $5.

SUNDAY

Geez loo eez!! Just rest, sweetie!! Oh fuck it, don't rest. Go see Kill Me Tomorrow's Dan and Zack as they host SD's fine FINE FINE jazz N blues night, Night Of The Cookers. You never know what drunken jerk is going to roll into this place, The Whistle Stop on Sunday. We love The Whistle Stop on the Lord's day...you know, after services and stuff? Oh one more thing! Dan gets the freakiest films for the big screen and TV. Secret clue: he's kinky!

Rehab star in rehab. Perfect.

hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

Amy Winehouse is in REHAB.

She is currently in Causeway Rehab Centre in Essex for heroin, cocaine and alcohol.

Can u imagine?

Television Personalities and my current obsession with them

I just bought Television Personalities 23 song anthology called "Part Time Punks: The Best Of TVP's" and I can't stop listening to it. I might just be obsessed. It has great liner notes by Creation's Alan McGee and a discography. Worth the 16.98.

If you're not a fan of The TVP's there might just be something wrong with you. Or I really don't know why you follow this blog. TVP's were one of Rough Trade's early artists, releasing their first 7" ep called "Where's Bill Grundy Now" in 1978. Perfect catchy post punk. Singer/ songwriter Dan Treacy sings perfectly with great British pop culture references in his lyrics. He's stil making TVP's records including 2006's "Are We Nearly There Yet?". Evidently ol' Dan Treacy has had bouts with drugs and mental illness and even found himself homeless. They've never sold much but are beloved throughout the planet.

So do yourself a favor and investigate The TVP's. I've done some legwork for you below. And listen to the cd somehow. Good luck getting the vinyl...I've tried a few times and seen the frickin' records go for upwards of one hundred smack-A-roonies. Enjoy.

(oh, and by the way, this video is a fan made one by one of these Swedes, but it's one of my favorite songs so deal with it. The videos kinda charming anyway.



TVP's AllMusic.com entry

TVP's Wikipedia entry

TVP's unofficial Myspace

Skullz just added to Fuck Yeah Fest line up

Son of a B. The Skullz are proud to announce that we've been axed to "dj" at Fuck Yeah Fest. We'll be in the Echoplex (best part by the way) with NO AGE and Pissed Jeans and Indian Jewelry. We'll be playing 15 minute sets between bands from 9-12 and then all night after 12. Super party time melt down mania. Oh and it's Sunday night, August 26. Me thinks Brandon is going to throw up from his drinking. 'Member LAST year?

The big Thursday night Skull party returns this week

This Thursday (yada yada yada) the lil' Skullz return for their raucous and legendary nite club. Sir Charles is also bringing stacks of his new record, "Let Them Bleed" by The Vultures. In the words of Kool & The Gang, CEEEEELEBRATE GOOD TIMES C'MON.

'Mr Manchester' Tony Wilson dies today

You don't need the Skull Kontrol blog for news this big. Tony Wilson (left), the man behind Factory Records has passed away after a long fight with cancer. He launched the careers of Joy Division, Happy Mondays, New Order, A Certain Ratio, Durutti Column, Section 25 and so many more. He was a life long Manchester United supporter and the catalyst for several musical renaissances, not only in Manchester but in Britain as well. Blah blah blah. I have been in love with this guy since I first read about Factory Records many years ago. He was a true visionary; cocky for all the right reasons. I am very happy to had been able to see him introduce Happy Mondays at Coachella last year. I was awe-struck. He was kinda like a third or fourth father to me.

Nas under fire for performing at a memorial concert for Virginia Tech?

Quoted from MTV.com:

"Seven families of victims of the Virginia Tech shootings are outraged that Nas is scheduled to take part in "A Concert for Virginia Tech," The Washington Post reports. The families say the rapper's lyrics are too violent for a show that is being held in the wake of the April tragedy. Nas' lyrics "are indicative of the moral decay in our society that contributes to acts of violence," Vincent J. Bove, a spokesman for the families, told the paper. "For a university official to condone it or to be clueless of what this person's track record is, it's unconscionable beyond belief." University officials responded by saying the announcement of the concert has been getting overwhelmingly positive feedback and that the lineup will not be changed. ..."

Can you imagine? Nas? Nas is such a positive force in hip hop. They obviously didn't do any research. I bet they could have trotted out Dionne Warwick and they woulda gotten the same response. You'd think GG Allin and the Geto Boys were booked the way these rich racists are all up in arms. Look. Your kid died and we all feel bad, but guess what...the fact that your kid died doesn't create a forum for your ignorant racism. These guys...

F Yeah Fest Update: The Prayers

The Prayers just added to Fuck Yeah fest!! Sunday, August 26th.

Fuck Yeah Fest 2007 8/25,26 in Los Angeles!!

Fuck Yeah Fest line up. The fourth year of this rad ass festival in Los Angeles currated by Black Flag/ Circle Jerk's Keith Morris and founder Sean Carlson.

SATURDAY AUGUST 25

The Explosion (very last west coast show)
Lavender Diamond
Dillinger Four
Busdriver
Boom Bip
Entrance
American Steel (First LA show in 7 years!!!)
The Mae Shi
The Fleshies
Bobby Birdman
Residual Echoes
Imaad Wasif
Times New Viking Hit Me Back
Thee More Shallows
Greg Ashely of Gris Gris
Partyline (members of Bratmobile)
Brother Reade
Wooden Ships
Love or Perish
Devon Williams
Sabertooth Tiger
Sleepover
+ many more

curated by Keith Morris & Sean Carlson

SUNDAY AUGUST 26
Deerhunter
Indian Jewelry
No Age
Midnight Movies
Jay Reatard
Foreign Born
Pissed Jeans
xBxRx
Darker My Love
The Nice Boys
Langhorne Slim
Great Northern
Triclops
Red Fang
Best Fwends
Vultures (San Diego)
Luke Top
Moonrats
Rumspringa
The Strange Boys
Abe Vigoda
Bad Dudes
Jail Wedding
+ many more

curated by Keith Morris & Sean Carlson

Held at the Echo, Echoplex, and Rec Center Studio

http://www.myspace.com/fuckyeahfest