Racing Yugos

Our friend Bill keeps Yugo racing alive and well in Geneseo, New York.

link

Bob Nanna - "Accidents Willl Happen" (Elvis Costello cover)

Back in 2001, Bob Nanna, the singer from Braid and Hey Mercedes had a list of his 365 favorite songs of all time. I have this list somewhere ("Chesterfield King" by Jawbreaker and "Car" by Built to Spill were near the top). He recorded covers of many of the songs. These covers became some of my favorite recorded music of all time. They included songs by Kind of Like Spitting, The Dismemberment Plan, Pedro The Lion, Jawbox, Alkaline Trio, Fugazi, Elliott Smith, and Small Factory. I don't understand why these covers are not readily available and discussed all over the internet. Granted, they are all pretty lo-fi and I think he recorded them all on his laptop, but they are all fantastic. This one isn't even my favorite of the bunch, but it's perfect. This one is the song "Accidents Will Happen" by Elvis Costello, which originally appeared on his 1979 album Armed Forces.

Bob Nanna - "Accidents Will Happen" (Elvis Costello Cover)

Accidents Will Happen

Oh I just don't know where to begin
Though he says he'll wait forever, it's now or never
But she keeps him hanging on
The silly champion
She says she can't go home without a chaperone

Accidents will happen
We only hit and run
He used to be your victim
Now you're not the only one
Accidents will happen
We only hit and run
I don't want to hear it
'Cause I know what I've done

There's so many fish in the sea that only rise up in the sweat and smoke like mercury
But they keep you hanging on
They say you're so young
Your mind is made up but your mouth is undone

And it's the damage that we do and never know
It's the words that we don't say that scare me so

There's so many people to see
So many people you can check up on and add to your collection
But they keep you hanging on
Until you're well hung
Your mouth is made up but your mind is undone

I know, I know.

The Field Mice - "Emma's House"

The Field Mice - "Emma's House"
Sarah Records 12 / December 1988

intro Bb Eb Bb
intro Bb F Eb Bb
intro Bb F Eb Bb

Early morning by the harbour Bb F Eb Bb
The clouds above form one sheet that's grey Bb F Eb Bb
Early morning by the harbour Bb F Eb

Where you are Bb F Gm
Where you now are Bb F Gm
You have nothing to live up to Bb F Gm
You have nothing to live down Bb F Cm
Emma's house is empty Bb F Gm
so why do I call it Emma's house? Bb F Cm

Five to six, that's what the time is Bb F Eb Bb
The cold cuts through my shirt of cotton made Bb F Eb Bb
Five to six, that's what the time is Bb F Eb

Where you are Bb F Gm
Where you now are Bb F Gm
You have nothing to live up to Bb F Gm
You have nothing to live down Bb F Cm
Emma's house is empty Bb F Gm
so why do I call it Emma's house? Bb F Cm

instrumental Bb Eb Bb
instrumental Bb F Eb Bb
instrumental Bb F Eb Bb

Where you are Bb F Gm
Where you now are Bb F Gm
You have nothing to live up to Bb F Gm
You have nothing to live down Bb F Cm
Emma's house is empty Bb F Gm
so why do I call it Emma's house? Bb F Cm Eb Bb

==
Sarah Records Field Mice tab Emma's House tab, Emmas house tab, Field mice chords, guitar tab, guitar chords, songs to know, love and play.

Ride a Vespa and Win!

I never win anything, but today I won the www.TheScooterScoop.com guess what scooter Steve bought contest. I guessed Vespa P125, because that's what I have, and he got a P125 T5 model. I won a Sachs Madass hat and a few patches. Awesome!

The Instant Nostalgia will burn you.

WWW.LITTLEHITS.COM is the best mp3 blog out there. Here are two things they missed, only because they're nostalgic in a winter 2004/2005 type of way, and not because they don't fit the canon of perfect pop, because they do.

The Capstan Shafts [Vermont, USA]- "The Day You Called Me Pretty" mp3
from the 2004 album Chick Cigarettes on Asaurus Records

The Pink Cammies [Geneseo, NY, USA - disbanded]- "Blood: The Song" unreleased, 2005 mp3

You can fuck around on LittleHits and find your favorite songs. I'm kind of scared to point out which ones I like the most, because I just like to keep them secret. But here are two to start.

Small Factory [Providence, RI, USA - 1991] - "Suggestions" link
Also this is the first track on their singles compilation The Industrial Evolution, which is fantastic.

Bluboy [England] - "Stephanie" from the Some Gorgeous Accident ep on Sarah Records, 1993 link
Take note: this is what the Kings of Convenience ripped off. Sorry, but at least you heard it from a friend.

Bonus track
Holiday Flyer [California - 2001] - "Clover Valley Road" link
I love this song because it reminds me of riding my Vespa in Pittsford, New York in autumn 2004.

why I cry

link

@-%--

I didn't go to my friend Mike's wedding, but I hope it was as sweet, charming, and fun as this video.

Every girl that I've seen since looks just like you when I squint.

I just hit song number 6666 on my computer's iTunes. The song is "Emily Kane" by Art Brut. I downloaded it after hearing it on Sirius radio in a rented Chrysler Town and Country, which is actually a much nicer vehicle than I thought it would be.

link

Rollfast Bicycles

I recently bought my fourth bicycle ever. Yes, I've owned more scooters than bicycles. Here is my bike riding history:

First: Ross convertible cruiser. 20 inch wheels. Blue. Toptank model. I still own this bike and it hangs in my old "fort" at my parents' house, but is too small for me.
Second: Huffy "Dirt Water" orange. 24 or 26 inch wheels. 18 speed thumb shifters. Horrible bike. Long gone.
Third: Gary Fisher Mamba. 1997 model (I think). Flat grey. Gorgeous bike. 21 speed grip shifters. Double butted chromoly steel. Owned since new. Wheels were stolen a few months ago but I bought wheels off of some dude for $5 and just need new tubes to get back going.

Fourth: Rollfast Cruiser. I bought it about a month ago on a whim.
I love it for numerous reasons.
The paint looks rusty, but it's not. It's orange and faded and original. The decals are there and faded too. A lot of people have seen this bike and said it looks crappy, but I believe it to be a piece of art. That's why I like it. It looks fast standing still and is simple and beautiful.

Rollfast Bicycles was a partnership between the D. P. Harris company of New York City and the H. P. Snyder company of Little Falls, New York, which is where I'm from. I can't afford an Ira Ryan or a Mountain Cycle, the local bikes of now that I lust for, so I got a Rollfast.

I love the dual top tubes on the top top tube (does that make sense?). Most have the dual tube on the lower of the two top tubes. It's gorgeous. I am considering a fixed gear rear wheel for this. Would that make sense? The tires are not original, but are Cheng Shin (for Trac-Shin!) like every other crappy scooter I've owned.

I can't find a picture of a Rollfast like mine anywhere on the internet, so this is the first. I will write and post more pictures of the Rollfast as I ride it and fix it up. It is nice to have a coaster braking bike again.

Here is one of the few articles I could find on Rollfast Bicycles:
http://www.firstflightbikes.com/rollfast.htm

Popped Collars Are Lame!

This is overdue:
www.poppedcollarsarelame.com

(Don, I'm not a woman.)

A long time ago there was a band called the Castawaves.

Also, Happy wedding Mike Mahoney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Honda Ruckus 125cc in the works.

Everyone knows I love the Honda Ruckus. It is the most original scooter out there - with rat / survival looks right out of the box. Problem is - the Ruckus is available in only 50cc (too slow) and 250cc (too expensive) displacements.

Fortunately, Honda has a 125cc Ruckus in the works, which would be the perfect displacement for the Ruckus. Here is a video of it.

http://www.honda.co.jp/HDTV/motorshow/Tokyo2005-NP6-S/index.html

Rocket Punch set to release "BLOOD ON THE UKELELE"

Rocket Punch is releasing the new record, entitled "Blood on the Ukelele" on Yellow Mica Recordings. Rocket Punch is the solo project from Brad, formerly of Geneseo, New York's synth-pop heartthrobs The Pink Cammies. Yellow Mica Recordings is a Swedish record label that has formerly released 7"s and CDRs of The Capstan Shafts, Boyracer, and Javelins.

The record is truly great and has five songs Brad that have been in the works for the past year. If you are the type to constantly compare bands, I would have to tell you that it sounds like Saturday Looks Good to Me, The Capstan Shafts, Pinback, and The Pink Cammies. However, Brad would say it sounds like Jonathan Richman, Brian Wilson, Jeff Gilbert, The Capstan Shafts, Ariel Pink, Kevin Shields, and KK Slider. Furthermore, my opinion is one of these songs is the best song Brad has ever written, though I'll let you guess which one that might be.

Blood on the Ukelele:

1. Pink Cashmere
2. Better Lives
3. Small Volcanoes
4. Michael Don't go to private school
5. Kafka on the S.

The first two songs can be heard already at:
http://www.myspace.com/rocketpunch/

Also, I should include the address for Yellow Mica Recordings:
http://www.yellowmicarecordings.com/

Yellow Mica Recordings is run by a member of the group Javelins, and this is my favorite song of theirs:
Javelins - "I Was Raised as A Polar Bear."

major announcement coming soon

New Kalpana track!

OMG! Geneseo/Rochester now Brooklyn, New York band Kalpana now have a new track! Although my reviews of "This Dead Horse" and "Hors de Combat" are long overdue, I'll just skip to it and go to their new song.

It's called "O Carcass! My Carcass!" It's live, and it has yelling. Chances are it will be on Kalpana's next record, which rumor has it will be one continuous piece of music from start to finish and will be called "How to talk to God (if you must)."

http://glassanimalindex.com/media/music/carcass.mp3

This track starts off slow-ish, like many Kalpana tracks do, but then speeds up a bit with double timed drums that are still slow. The electronics are really taking over the band too, and where the "Hors de Combat" songs had a metal influence, the ones on "This Dead Horse" have more of a glitch influence. At the half-way point the song breaks into a really emoish scream/breakout section. It must be Aaron singing on that part, I'll guess. Aaron kind of sounds like the dude from Sparta, if you like to think of singers in relation to each other.

At just over eight minutes, the song isn't short. But breaking it into two parts keeps it tight and actually cuts the fat. The screaming verse only goes for four times.

Listen and hear for yourself.