Needles & Grooves AotM /// Vol. 44 – February 2023 /// Pavement – Wowee Zowee

Indymisanthrope said:
It was definitely a better guess than when I thought the clue was literally the phrase "coming momentarily." I was in the middle of working up a whole theory of PE --> Public Enemy --> Memphis --> Khari Wynn --> Valerie June when I refreshed the page and saw supernuts.
Click to expand...
That is hilarious. I couldn't get an image to load, so dropped that in as a placeholder.

Maybe distractions and deflections make hints even more fun? I'm new to this...
 
Clue #3:

candlelight-dinner.jpg
 
7F18B090-D9E0-440B-A0F0-A63F33FEB94A.jpeg
Pavement - Brighten The Corners
Mainly because of “Date With IKEA”.

I have no idea about those nuts but they grow pistachios in Hawaii so maybe “Blue Hawaiian”

Not sure about the Beale St./Memphis part though, unless the neon is “brightening the corners” of the street?
 
Interlude #2: What Could Have Been (AOTMs that nearly made the cut)

Quasi – Featuring "Birds"

Referenced by @scotthilk in a profile post yesterday, this would have been the AOTM if widely available. Unfortunately, it's awaiting a repress, and difficult to find on vinyl at the moment. For those not familiar, Quasi features Sam Coomes (played with Elliott Smith in Heatmiser, Donner Party) on Rocksichord and guitar, and Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Wild Flag) on drums. Once married, Sam and Janet were divorced by the time Featuring "Birds" was released. The lyrics on Featuring "Birds" capture the essence of a marriage falling apart, paired with grim assessments of work and other elements of life. At the same time, the music reflects the cathartic joy of moving forward on a better path, with a hint of optimism. Infectious and captivating. Classic stuff.

I've been lucky to see Quasi live more than 20 times. Amazing how much sound can come from only two people – though in the early days, Elliott Smith would often join on guitar. Breaking the Balls of History, their 10th album, is out next month and will be their first released on SubPop. Here's hoping they also reissue Featuring "Birds" in the months ahead. Quasi will be touring behind the new album – go see them if you can (and scroll down for some vintage footage).



Here is Quasi playing in 1998 (the year Featuring "Birds" came out), at Satyricon in Portland. I was actually at this show. The Geraldine Fibbers – another great band that didn't stick around long enough – opened up.:
 
Last edited:
Interlude #3: What Could Have Been (AOTMs that nearly made the cut)

Mali Obomsawin - Sweet Tooth

Discovered this one at the end of 2022, but have had it on repeat ever since - it's a mesmerizing blend of jazz, folk, rock and spoken word/chanting. Mali is a songwriter, bassist and composer now based in Portland, Maine. Sweet Tooth is billed as a “suite for indigenous resistance,” and it draws on both her lifelong musical training and her Wabanaki heritage as a citizen of the Abenaki First Nation at Odanak. It features original compositions paired with ancient Wabanaki songs written by her ancestors. The album has been out for a few months, but the vinyl won't be available until February. Highly recommended.





 
Last edited:
hatfieldpdx said:
Interlude #1: What Could Have Been (AOTMs that nearly made the cut)

Destroyer – Streethawk: A Seduction

Seriously, I almost picked this one. Dan Bejar (Destroyer) has maintained his prolific pace with a string of quality albums, but for some reason the recent ones just don't hit the same way for me. Too heavy on the lounge act perhaps? Hard to say. In any case, when I need a fix of early Destroyer, Streethawk: A Seduction is the masterpiece that I turn to. No filler on this one, just a parade of anthems with the right amount of bite. There are shades of 70's Bowie, but in no way is it derivative. Rather, it pairs some of Bejar's best lyrics (which is saying something) with the perfect blend of rock, jazz, lounge, glam, and folk. As with most classics, it just gets better with each listen. If you haven't sampled it yet, why postpone joy?

Click to expand...


I just want to point out how amazing this record is!!!

I have always wanted to dig Into Destroyer but for some reason I just never did and this was the nudge I needed and DAMN, I mean DAMN, I can't stop listening to this and have started to dig into his other releases and he's amazing! I always dug his songs on The New Pornographers records but again just thought oh one song here or there is enough and boy I was wrong! Do yourself a favor and give this a listen! I know I'm just echoing most of what @hatfieldpdx said but they are on point and I feel like I've been missing out on something great for far too long!!

I was listening to another Destroyer album today and because my wife and I share a Spotify account when she was coming home from work it started playing in her car and she was like "what's this, it's really good" which for me is always lovely to hear and feels like a green light to go out and pick up a few of their records...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top