Video: Jookabox “Don’t Go Phantom”
I have this Friday tradition. Early evening, as each week draws to a close, I often find myself reaching for a single record to kick off the weekend – Jookabox’s Dead Zone Boys. The A-side of this 2009 Asthmatic Kitty release is as strong as any material of the last few years. Replete with floor-rattling bass lines, propulsive, jangly guitars and a whitewash of of synth, Dead Zone Boys is an energetic romp of a record.
Unfortunately, Jookabox was calling it quits right around the time that this blog was gaining its footing. Their farewell show at the now defunct Earth House Collective remains one of my all-time favorite Indianapolis music moments. At the time, Jookabox served as the unspoken leader of our local underground music scene. Since the band’s break-up, no single outfit has taken the reins in the same fashion. I’m not even sure exactly what I mean by that. All I know is that our city’s sound has felt more fractured since their departure.
Jookabox alumni can still be heard on a regular basis, in some capacity, in and around Indy. Frontman David “Moose” Adamson’s solo project DMA has grown to encompass a full rhythm section that includes former bandmate Patrick Okerson on drums. Former keyboardist Lisa Berlin has offered up memorable moments with her new performance art project Hen as well, but I’ll be damned if I don’t dearly miss the original article. Below, you’ll find a video for the Jookabox single “Don’t Go Phantom.”
Written by Rob Peoni
Five Essential Black Friday Releases
As is readily apparent, we are vinyl enthusiasts around these parts. As such, we’re excited about the annual Record Store Day 2.0, held as part of the retail behemoth Black Friday. Fighting off bloodthirsty mothers in search of 2012’s hot holiday toy may serve as an excellent exercise in shedding Turkey-day calories, but it proves dangerous and ill-advised. Instead, we recommend a stroll to the nearest record store for a friendlier Black Friday shopping experience. The holiday is marked by a slew of special, limited-edition releases that are sure to brighten any bookcase. Below, we’ve highlighted five can’t miss Black Friday exclusives.
Nirvana – Incesticide: 20th Anniversary Edition
Nirvana’s 1992 compilation release of demos, cover songs and radio performances has received a full remastering in honor of the album’s 20th anniversary. Incesticide is available on 180 gram vinyl at 45 RPM for the first time ever. The release features the Kurt Cobain’s artwork with lyric sheet art housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve. Gold foiled, stamped and individually numbered. Watch a video for the album’s lone single, “Sliver” below.
Miles Davis – Miles Ahead
Miles Davis’s 1957 release Miles Ahead came on the back of his groundbreaking Birth of the Cool sessions, and represented the artist’s first foray into orchestral jazz in collaboration with legendary jazz pianist, arranger and composer Gil Evans. The duo would go on to record a string of veritable masterpieces for Columbia in the form of Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain and Quiet Nights. Listen to where the relationship drew its first breaths on 180 gram vinyl recorded in MONO. Both Porgy & Bess and Sketches of Spain are also receiving Black Friday reissue treatment.
The Velvet Underground & Nico – Scepter Studios Acetate
These rare 1966 recordings feature early, alternate versions of what would later comprise the legendary debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. The sessions were recorded at Scepter Studios, housed within the warehouse space that would later play home to Studio 54. The album is available on limited edition, 180 gram vinyl, gold foil stamped and individually numbered.
Joe Strummer & The Mescalaros – Live at Action Town Hall
These recordings come from a 2002 live performance by the legendary Clash frontman and his backing band The Mescalaros. The concert – held as a benefit for striking firefighters – is notorious among Clash aficionados, as it featured Strummer on stage with former bandmate Mick Jones for the first time in nearly 20 years. By this time, Strummer’s musical tastes had ventured far from the Englishman’s punk rock roots, influenced heavily by the Afrobeat rhythms, jam bands and electronic music that had risen to prominence around the turn of the century.
Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills
Cheap Thrills was the sophomore LP from Bay Area psych-blues outfit Big Brother & The Holding Company and the band’s last with Janis Joplin as lead singer. In 1968, the album rose to number one on the Billboard pop charts, where it sat for eight weeks. The track listing features several of the songs that would define Joplin’s career, including “Ball and Chain”and “Piece of My Heart.” The album’s cover art was illustrated by legendary underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. Listen on 180 gram vinyl, recorded in MONO.
Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track + Video: Criminal Hygiene “Blak Water”
When digging for new tunes, I generally seek to hit a comfortable cross-section of the familiar and the innovative. Sure, it would be great if every artist we digested offered up an inherently novel idea, but nine times out of 10 that simply is not the case. As a result, I often find myself gravitating toward projects that contain some element of home. On the map, East Los Angeles appears a half-lightyear away from Indianapolis. However, newly formed garage outfit Criminal Hygiene is a direct reflection of the sounds that pour out of the DIY spaces of Indy’s Fountain Square on a weekly basis.
Criminal Hygiene’s brash, fuzz-driven sound appears built around a single motive: quickening the pulse of the fortunate souls within earshot. The group recently dropped the track “Blak Water,” available for free download below. It’s the first taste of the band’s debut LP CRMNL HYGNE scheduled for release via Small Smile Records on January 15. Awash in distorted rebellion, “Blak Water” transplants the listener to the basement of a raucous college house party. The stench of stale keg beer and the smothering choke of an aggressive bong rip are almost palpable. In creating this environment, Criminal Hygiene feels more like an old friend than a new acquaintance.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 