oh no she didnt: tell me she didnt just go old school (and back)

cue the "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock:
sorry. i've been watching too much my name is earl. actually, too much isn't right...just enough.

anyway, i need to acquire some old school rap records to play on my newly (found) fisher price record player:

hilariously enough, the sound is warped to such a degree that the pitch changes. so i currently ♥ it. any suggestions?
i also need to find some 45s.

no worries. i have some recent equipment (a gift) as well:

among the cds i need to purchase:
charlie louvin's self titled. hear a snippet here.
check this shit, too:


i'm also confused by this:

and is his jacket purple?
reminds me of:


from this article that i found at this rad blog, i'm so sorry for this.

the hotdamns

the hotdamns opened a show for cover band barstool heroes on 3/3, saturday.

they were sans new fiddle/lead guitar player kelsey, but still put on a spectacular show. "vanquished" makes me tear up every time they play it.
hopefully there will be some footage of them on youtube soon.

william elliott whitmore, backyard tire fire

march 1 (last thursday) i went to empire to see william elliott whitmore and backyard tire fire. local bands mason dixon disaster and brandon g opened the show. backyard tire fire was a typical blues roots jam band that was too loud and too long:


william elliott whitmore finally came on, and he killed it. he got everyone to sit around him living room-style, and proceeded to get even more drunk than he was already throughout his perforance. my friend said it was like watching a young ralph stanley getting drunk and playing. his rusty, deep vocals belied his young age, and his four string banjo was strictly old-time. he switched to guitar at some point, and then added harmonica on a few songs. some of the selections he played:
the chariot
take it on the chin
box made of pine
midnight
dry
red buds
diggin my grave
take priscilla to the gallows
i'm building me a home
johnny law (his 'fuck the police' tune)

his knuckles spelled out "LIVE FREE."



love that the lights are in the shapes of quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes

the following youtube is of 'diggin my grave'

homemade knives, nola

i went to the homemade knives' show last night at the hyperlink cafe in RVA, and i made it in time to see one of the opening acts, nola. it was knives' bassist's (ryan?) last show. among several originals from their EP and album no one doubts the darkness, they covered Tom Waits' "cold, cold ground" and springsteen's "dancing in the dark" (the song whose video features a very young courteney cox).

i didnt take any photos from the show, but i got a shot of the chandelier from the venue.

photo from 11/06 show.

this video is from a performance last month of the same springsteen cover. lovely.

nola from raleigh moved me before the knives' performance. singer christy smith's vocals involved a tinge of dolores o'riordan's celtic wailing, as i mentioned to her after the show. she agreed and said that she had listened to a cranberries album from her ex, but not too much. they covered a violent femmes song, the name of which i will get from my show buddy. (it was his favorite femmes song.) minimalistic drums, bassist with a pick, and lead male guitarist who supplied vocal harmonies rounded out the impressive quartet. check them out.