My car only plays casette tapes. I was digging through the armrest and found a tape that was not labeled. Lo and behold, it turns out to be a mixtape I made for myself many moons ago when I was in the 7th grade, I believe. Through Side A I thought of myself as a really cool little kid. But Side B kind of demolishes any good taste I had on the A side. Maybe they cancel each other out and leave me as just a normal
7th grader. Either way, this tape is very of it's time, that being the mid 90's.
Now you can figure out (roughly) how old, or should I say young, I am.
Without further ado... (?)= me guessing at the song title with wikipedia's help
SIDE A
GREEN DAY - Pulling Teeth
FUGAZI- Forensic Scene
FUGAZI- Combination Lock
JAWBOX - Static (?)
AVAIL - Simple Song
GUIDED BY VOICES - As we go up, we go down
GUIDED BY VOICES - Game of Tricks
THE CLASH - Stay Free
THE CLASH - White man in hammersmith palais
SEBADOH - Soul & Fire
EVERCLEAR - Nehalem
ALL - Million
MY BLOODY VALENTINE - 1st song on Loveless
HURL - (?)
THE TONICS - (?)
NWA - Express Yourself
SIDE B
{cringing!}
SKANKIN' PICKLE - 4 songs from the Green Album, the only Skankin' Pickle album I ever owned. Honestly.
SUPERCHUNK - Detroit has a skyline
SCREECHING WEASEL - Instrumental from A better Tomorrow
JAWBREAKER - Million
SWERVEDRIVER - Sandblasted
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE - Seven
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE - In Circles
SPECIALS- Do Nothing
GOLDFINGER - (?)
DANCE HALL CRASHERS - (?)
Glad I got that off my chest. Yeah, there's some embarrasing ska/punk on there. But whatever, I'm sure you also had the best taste in music in the 7th grade too.
Later,
Mark
Monday, January 5, 2009
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
...Minutes From the Mall
Hello Hello,
3 pots of coffee, lots of Super Mario Brothers, a few Beatles magazines and 11 hours of recording and we present to you the 4th installment of The Takeover UK's annual Christmas song pageant, "Christmas in LA". We started the band 4 & 1/2 years ago, and every Christmas we've wrote and recorded our own Christmas song (except for last years which was a cover of that Phil Spector X-mas tune. Long story). The plan is to have our own album of Christmas originals in a few years. We might have to double up in the coming years, pumping out 2 a year or what have you. But that shouldn't be a problem. Lack of material has never been a problem. Either way, I can't think of any rock band of yesterday or today that's released an album of Christmas originals. Hopefully we can be the first. It's not that we particularly love Christmas music. Sure, I like a couple odd songs here or there, but on the whole I change the station when Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer comes in, as I'm sure you do too. I guess we just like the idea of it. Besides, it's not like our songs are the normal holiday fare. Who said Christmas songs have to have a positive and uplifting message?
We're back home now, trying to settle into some kind of normal routine, which is easier for some than others. I'll let you know when I've found one. We're taking the rest of the year off, which sounds like a long time but remember, that's only a couple weeks. We'll be back out touring early next year and our album is now set to come out Tuesday, March 24th. So now we're scrambling to get the artwork done
We're also just putting the finishing touches on our first video, for "Ah La La". It's a fun video, if I don't say so myself. Then again, we probably don't share the same sense of humor as most people. But hopefully you'll all enjoy it.
In total randomness, the holidays remind me of this one T.V. commercial that used to be played all the time here in Pittsburgh when I was a youth. I'm sure most locals of a certain age will recall it. It was for some car dealership, but it stuck out because they had a great jingle that a bunch of kids sang with a bouncing ball jumping from each word. "Century Three, Chevrolet, Lebanon Church Road Pittsburgh". As soon as the jingle was over, one youngster said "Minutes from the Mall". I bring this up because in my more dubious days, I used to tell people, mostly girls, that I in fact, was the youngster who said "minutes from the mall", my first foray into showbiz. Of course, I was not the youngster who said the quasi-famous line and of course even if I was, it's certainly nothing to brag about. And that's why so many people believed me. Who would make up such a thing? Regardless, I'd just like to apologize now If I misled anyone. And to the kid, who is surely an adult now, probably with a subprime mortgage, I didn't mean to steal your thunder. You did a great job.
Mark
3 pots of coffee, lots of Super Mario Brothers, a few Beatles magazines and 11 hours of recording and we present to you the 4th installment of The Takeover UK's annual Christmas song pageant, "Christmas in LA". We started the band 4 & 1/2 years ago, and every Christmas we've wrote and recorded our own Christmas song (except for last years which was a cover of that Phil Spector X-mas tune. Long story). The plan is to have our own album of Christmas originals in a few years. We might have to double up in the coming years, pumping out 2 a year or what have you. But that shouldn't be a problem. Lack of material has never been a problem. Either way, I can't think of any rock band of yesterday or today that's released an album of Christmas originals. Hopefully we can be the first. It's not that we particularly love Christmas music. Sure, I like a couple odd songs here or there, but on the whole I change the station when Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer comes in, as I'm sure you do too. I guess we just like the idea of it. Besides, it's not like our songs are the normal holiday fare. Who said Christmas songs have to have a positive and uplifting message?
We're back home now, trying to settle into some kind of normal routine, which is easier for some than others. I'll let you know when I've found one. We're taking the rest of the year off, which sounds like a long time but remember, that's only a couple weeks. We'll be back out touring early next year and our album is now set to come out Tuesday, March 24th. So now we're scrambling to get the artwork done
We're also just putting the finishing touches on our first video, for "Ah La La". It's a fun video, if I don't say so myself. Then again, we probably don't share the same sense of humor as most people. But hopefully you'll all enjoy it.
In total randomness, the holidays remind me of this one T.V. commercial that used to be played all the time here in Pittsburgh when I was a youth. I'm sure most locals of a certain age will recall it. It was for some car dealership, but it stuck out because they had a great jingle that a bunch of kids sang with a bouncing ball jumping from each word. "Century Three, Chevrolet, Lebanon Church Road Pittsburgh". As soon as the jingle was over, one youngster said "Minutes from the Mall". I bring this up because in my more dubious days, I used to tell people, mostly girls, that I in fact, was the youngster who said "minutes from the mall", my first foray into showbiz. Of course, I was not the youngster who said the quasi-famous line and of course even if I was, it's certainly nothing to brag about. And that's why so many people believed me. Who would make up such a thing? Regardless, I'd just like to apologize now If I misled anyone. And to the kid, who is surely an adult now, probably with a subprime mortgage, I didn't mean to steal your thunder. You did a great job.
Mark
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tour, tour, tour, Tree of Smoke, Troubador, Tombstone, Pauly Shore
We're finally back home. It was fun and all, but, I was tiring of the floral patterns that graced the Motel Six's not quite queen beds. I left after the home town gig sick and bound for Chicago, spending two nights on a hard wood floor at a friend of a friends in the Mexican district. No soup to be found but tortilla with pork-rinds and heavy cream.
The Midwest was harsh. But we slowly befriended our tour-mates and watched some sunsets through bug splattered windshields and eventually wound up in the westwest. Seattle was bunk but pretty. Portland was even prettier and not bunk at all.
We crossed one of those big Golden-like Gate-like bridges when San Francisco seemed to be burning with one of the most beautiful sunsets that I can imagine hung above it. So very sadly, Southern California really was burning when we drove south. We drove through the smoke and the hills were rolling for miles into it. The Troubador sounded better than any club had yet.
"When you guys going on?" asked Pauly Shore as we stood on stage tuning, obviously about to go on. "Right now, Pauly," I said.
He bobbed his head for a few songs then wandered to the bar and out of sight for good.
We saw old missed friends in LA and then drove further south where The Shys displayed their immense hospitality and friendship toward us, letting us share their beautiful homes and beers.
We headed back east, through the desert, Tombstone, and eventually ended up in our own beds.
The end. Give or take a few stories.
Nic
The Midwest was harsh. But we slowly befriended our tour-mates and watched some sunsets through bug splattered windshields and eventually wound up in the westwest. Seattle was bunk but pretty. Portland was even prettier and not bunk at all.
We crossed one of those big Golden-like Gate-like bridges when San Francisco seemed to be burning with one of the most beautiful sunsets that I can imagine hung above it. So very sadly, Southern California really was burning when we drove south. We drove through the smoke and the hills were rolling for miles into it. The Troubador sounded better than any club had yet.
"When you guys going on?" asked Pauly Shore as we stood on stage tuning, obviously about to go on. "Right now, Pauly," I said.
He bobbed his head for a few songs then wandered to the bar and out of sight for good.
We saw old missed friends in LA and then drove further south where The Shys displayed their immense hospitality and friendship toward us, letting us share their beautiful homes and beers.
We headed back east, through the desert, Tombstone, and eventually ended up in our own beds.
The end. Give or take a few stories.
Nic
Monday, December 1, 2008
drink water before bed instead.
so i had a little drinking injury on tour. i wouldn't actually call it a mishap seeing as it was a collective effort. after being on the road over a month, and being in a bar with free booze every night, you're bound to put a hurtin' on your body. my mistake was taking ibuprofen and aspirin every day when i woke up. not good for you, or your stomach.
after consuming the aforementioned tokyo tea's in san francisco, i thought i was nursing a really killer hangover on our way to LA. i thought wrong. minutes before our set at the infamous Troubadour, i was vomiting blood in the bathroom. at this point i was weak, dizzy, and fever bound. i soldiered on though. my love of rock n' roll and playing live were the only thing that got me through it. did i mention i had to play later that night as well? yeah, i did.
anywho, a week went by, and i did my best to relax, and lay off the sauce. it didnt seem to help... nothing did. i was sick all week, i couldnt eat, i wanted to puke 24/7. i finally got the courage to check myself in the ER and find out what was wrong with me. they took me in fast... after i told them i had no health insurance, and had no way of paying them, they waited on me SLOOOOOW. so 6 hours later i find out i had an inflamed pancreas, and actually ripped a hole in the lining of my stomach from vomiting. all from drinking and taking painkillers. let this be a lesson, kids. im now at home with strict orders of no alcohol drinking, no OJ, apple juice, fruit, mexican, pizza, coffee, soda, caffeine, anything spicy (aka anything good) for an ENTIRE MONTH. sheesh. i am rehabbing in my apartment with my cat, and i will live to drink another day... i just wont be taking anything for my hangovers the next day.
until next time,
josh
after consuming the aforementioned tokyo tea's in san francisco, i thought i was nursing a really killer hangover on our way to LA. i thought wrong. minutes before our set at the infamous Troubadour, i was vomiting blood in the bathroom. at this point i was weak, dizzy, and fever bound. i soldiered on though. my love of rock n' roll and playing live were the only thing that got me through it. did i mention i had to play later that night as well? yeah, i did.
anywho, a week went by, and i did my best to relax, and lay off the sauce. it didnt seem to help... nothing did. i was sick all week, i couldnt eat, i wanted to puke 24/7. i finally got the courage to check myself in the ER and find out what was wrong with me. they took me in fast... after i told them i had no health insurance, and had no way of paying them, they waited on me SLOOOOOW. so 6 hours later i find out i had an inflamed pancreas, and actually ripped a hole in the lining of my stomach from vomiting. all from drinking and taking painkillers. let this be a lesson, kids. im now at home with strict orders of no alcohol drinking, no OJ, apple juice, fruit, mexican, pizza, coffee, soda, caffeine, anything spicy (aka anything good) for an ENTIRE MONTH. sheesh. i am rehabbing in my apartment with my cat, and i will live to drink another day... i just wont be taking anything for my hangovers the next day.
until next time,
josh
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
"I Want to Buy You Something...What Can I Buy You?"
Hello All,
We finally got a couple days off and I'm here in Sunny LA. It's snowing back home so I feel rather good about that. It feels like somehow I'm winning something by missing the terrible weather. We're on the last leg of our tour. It's been a wild topsy turvy time but we've come out of it with some great new friends, our tourmates The Shys and Army Navy. Great guys. We're like a big gang rolling from city to city, causing problems everywhere we go. Oh and also playing some shows as well. We actually played 2 shows last night and for that my body will not forgive me.
The night before in San Francisco at first seemed like it would be a rather tame night, being a Sunday and all. We only had 2 drink tickets each (pretty standard) and none of us were in a partying mood. That all changed when a very, very energetic and loud dude came up to us after we played and screamed, literally in my face,: "ohmigodiloveyouguyswhowantsadrinkcomeonletmebuyyouguysadrinkwhatcanibuyyou?" Naturally, being the populists we are, we joined our new ostentatious friend in several rounds of Tokyo Teas, which are pretty much 6 hard liquors mixed up with some kind of sweetener. Danger, as Mystikal would shout. One of the casualties was Sickels, who was throwing up blood the next day before our set at the Troubadour in LA. Now I could say there's some lesson to be learned here, but that's a bunch of hogwash. we'll make the same mistakes again, same as you. In the meantime, we've got some more gigging to do.
Later,
Mark
We finally got a couple days off and I'm here in Sunny LA. It's snowing back home so I feel rather good about that. It feels like somehow I'm winning something by missing the terrible weather. We're on the last leg of our tour. It's been a wild topsy turvy time but we've come out of it with some great new friends, our tourmates The Shys and Army Navy. Great guys. We're like a big gang rolling from city to city, causing problems everywhere we go. Oh and also playing some shows as well. We actually played 2 shows last night and for that my body will not forgive me.
The night before in San Francisco at first seemed like it would be a rather tame night, being a Sunday and all. We only had 2 drink tickets each (pretty standard) and none of us were in a partying mood. That all changed when a very, very energetic and loud dude came up to us after we played and screamed, literally in my face,: "ohmigodiloveyouguyswhowantsadrinkcomeonletmebuyyouguysadrinkwhatcanibuyyou?" Naturally, being the populists we are, we joined our new ostentatious friend in several rounds of Tokyo Teas, which are pretty much 6 hard liquors mixed up with some kind of sweetener. Danger, as Mystikal would shout. One of the casualties was Sickels, who was throwing up blood the next day before our set at the Troubadour in LA. Now I could say there's some lesson to be learned here, but that's a bunch of hogwash. we'll make the same mistakes again, same as you. In the meantime, we've got some more gigging to do.
Later,
Mark
Monday, October 27, 2008
Video shoot
"More excitement, more energy," yells the camera guy, who only minutes earlier had jumped in our overcrowded van, his lighting man sitting in the same seat. I turn around and look at the four Mariachis wondering if they even understand him, let alone feel like complying. The older, more respectable looking one turns to me and smiles a big golden smile--literally, he has gold teeth. We all start pounding the ceiling of the van and singing along to our soon to be first single, "Ah La La". Gatorskinned jackets are gyrating everyones laughing but confused. Is this going to be in the video? I thought we were just driving to where they were shooting the video.
We finally pull into the park where the shoot is taking place. "They couldn't get the chickens," someone says.
"What, no chickens?," Josh says.
We climb into the back of this moving van. "OK, so you're having a great time, singing, dancing, jumping around. Then the door swings open and you all jump out and start running from the INS," the director yells. OK, sure. We some how manage to turn the fiesta music that the Mariachi band is playing into some strange but awesome version of "Ah La La." The door swings open and there's our manager and the camera guy from the van earlier dressed in the worst cop costumes I've ever seen. They're still wearing jeans. We scatter. This happens four or five more times. The Mariachi band needs to be back in NYC at 11:30, it's 11:50. They don't seem to mind. God, I need more sleep. I'm wondering if someone is gonna buy us lunch. I'm wondering if this video is gonna be as ridiculous as it seems.
Nic
We finally pull into the park where the shoot is taking place. "They couldn't get the chickens," someone says.
"What, no chickens?," Josh says.
We climb into the back of this moving van. "OK, so you're having a great time, singing, dancing, jumping around. Then the door swings open and you all jump out and start running from the INS," the director yells. OK, sure. We some how manage to turn the fiesta music that the Mariachi band is playing into some strange but awesome version of "Ah La La." The door swings open and there's our manager and the camera guy from the van earlier dressed in the worst cop costumes I've ever seen. They're still wearing jeans. We scatter. This happens four or five more times. The Mariachi band needs to be back in NYC at 11:30, it's 11:50. They don't seem to mind. God, I need more sleep. I'm wondering if someone is gonna buy us lunch. I'm wondering if this video is gonna be as ridiculous as it seems.
Nic
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Road Dawgs
hey, its been a long time since we made a post on here. sorry bout that, but we've been really busy. in less than 2 weeks, we're going on a full U.S. tour! im talking like 40 dates people. its gonna be brutal, yet super fun. we're doing a week with the von bondies, then the rest of the tour with the shys and army navy. check out both of those bands... awesome.
we're also shooting a video for "ah la la" next week. really excited for that. its gonna be funny... we'll let you know when its done. we also are getting the pre-releases for our debut full length "running with the wasters" soon. i know it seems like its a long time coming, but trust me, it will be worth the wait. the album drops late-january or early-february. we will be touring our asses off in 09... we're going international too, so make sure you're checking our myspace lots and lots
goodbye for now, and see you on the road!
josh
we're also shooting a video for "ah la la" next week. really excited for that. its gonna be funny... we'll let you know when its done. we also are getting the pre-releases for our debut full length "running with the wasters" soon. i know it seems like its a long time coming, but trust me, it will be worth the wait. the album drops late-january or early-february. we will be touring our asses off in 09... we're going international too, so make sure you're checking our myspace lots and lots
goodbye for now, and see you on the road!
josh
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