Little Pink House in Inglewood
New records and old zines
One of the things that has given me a great deal of pleasure the last few months is buying records. Some new, some used, but when the mailman leaves a thin square box on my doorstep I know I’ve got something new and exciting to listen. I order (or pre-order) just enough to not really be sure what’s arrived so there’s an element of surprise as well. Here are a few new records that have landed on my doorstep recently.
Circle Jerks Group Sex
By know you’re probably sick to death of hearing about how it’s Bad Religion’s 40th anniversary. Well it’s also the 40th anniversary of the Circle Jerks’ debut Group Sex. As many of you know I also collaborated with Keith on his book, My Damage, and was privy to Keith’s plans for the Circle Jerks 40th anniversary world tour. Let’s just say in an alternate version of 2020 I got to hang out with Bad Religion and the Circle Jerks at Bay Fest in Rimini, Italy. It’s been rescheduled for 2021 and if you’re a gambler tickets are available now…
In any case, Group Sex is probably the definitive Southern California hardcore record. Keith Morris, Greg Hetson, and Roger Rogerson brought the best of Black Flag, Red Cross, and the Angry Samoans and slapped it into a slick new sound. That was also part of the problem as the Circle Jerks were accused on song stealing by each of those bands. Many people were pissed and they stayed pissed.
For instance, when Morris left Black Flag he took the songs he’d co-written with Greg Ginn and turned them into Circle Jerks songs. “I Don’t Care,” which has very problematic lyrics, became “Don’t Care.” Black Flag was so miffed that they turned it into “You Bet We’ve Got Something Personal Against You” with new lyrics and vocals but the song remained the same.
I won’t go into all the other songs but it makes an oral history a bit of a dicey proposition, but here’s one that briefly touches on in it. (FWIW, Keith maintains that Lucky’s rehearsal took place at the Church, but when I talked to Steve MacDonald he was adamant that it happened at his house.)
If a picture is worth a thousand words, the cover of Group Sex is worth at least ten thousand. It’s a photo by Ed Colver, whom I’ve discussed in this newsletter before, taken at a skate park in Marina del Rey for the fake punk rock wedding of Michelle Gerber and Rob Henley who were the two sides of a love triangle with Darby Crash. There was a lot going on. Plus the Circle Jerks and Adolescents were playing.
The 40th anniversary edition of Group Sex was released by Trust Records and comes with three extras: a signed mini zine full of reproductions of Circle Jerks flyers, an album-sized booklet with some amazing photos by Edward Colver and testimonials from all kinds of people about the impact the album had on them, and some bonus tracks from a practice tape recorded in the practice space at the Pink House in Inglewood where Keith’s mom moved after his parents divorced. I’m shocked by how good these tracks are, which include:
What’s Your Problem?
Red Tape
I Just Want Some Skank / Beverly Hills
Live Fast Die Young
Bob Mould’s Blue Hearts
I picked up this record on the recommendation of Paul Tremblay (Hi Paul!) because I’ve been on a bit of a Hüsker Dü kick lately but haven’t listened to much of Mould’s solo work. So I took a flyer on Blue Hearts without listening to it and—what do you know—it’s really good. I think part of what makes this record a good starting point for me is that Bob is pissed. A lot of the songs deal with the crisis of Trump’s America, which he called “Evangelical Isis.” I especially like the track “Next Generation,” which would not be out of place on a late Hüsker Dü album.
Digital Leather New Wave Gold
My friend Jason DeBoer turned me onto Digital Leather at least a decade ago (Hi Jason) and it’s been wild to watch the project evolve from a stripped-down minimalist synth basement band to something that’s much more lush-sounding but still just as haunting and strange.
Jason made the genius move of relocating to New Zealand in 2019 so I’m basically obligated to do everything he says until he’s proven wrong, and when it comes to music he hasn’t steered me in the wrong direction.
New Wave Gold is Digital Leather’s 24th album in 20 years. That’s not a typo. That’s an album every ten months. Weirdly, I know nothing about Shawn Foree, the man behind Digital Leather, and for now I prefer to keep it that way. A mystery wrapped inside a digital enigma. Here’s an early favorite from 2010:
The Spits VI
What did we do to deserve another album from the Spits? First of all, you need to know that all of the Spits albums are self-titled but it’s up to the fans to figure out which is which, and we do. This one is the Spits VI, their first album in nine years.
Who are the Spits? Imagined if the Ramones were a band started by brothers from the Midwest with less talent and a keyboard and you’ve got the Spits, the most joyfully dumb band there is. The Spits are a horror movie where the monster is just a guy with a knife in a trench coat and the dead bodies are absolutely fake but there are geysers of blood and it’s all just gloriously fun. Like this video.
The Spits seems to have released this album themselves so I was kind of surprised when I pre-ordered it and it actually arrived.
Black Friday / Small Business Saturday
Shopping season is coming and while Golondrina is still closed, some of our artists will be vending outside the store in Barrio Logan this weekend. I won’t be one of them, but I’ve put up some new items at my Etsy store, including some of my zines and a batch of Big Lonesome, my short story collection from Razorcake/Gorsky Press.
The Stripper in Her Natural Habitat: Three short stories, including one inspired by getting high in the Philippine Islands during my sailor days.
This Is Not A Camera: Several years ago when I worked at a tribal casino I wrote a dispatch for McSweeney’s. This zine collects all of the essays. It’s a cool companion piece to Forest of Fortune.
Our Love Cuts Deep: Inspired by a trip Nuvia and I took to Guadalajara last year and completed just as the pandemic hit. A long short story of love and food trucks.
Zine Three Pack: All three zines, one low prize, plus free shipping.
Big Lonesome: 13 tales of historical hooliganism that plays fast and loose with modern American mythology. Think you know Little Red Riding Hood, Dick Tracy, or Popeye the Sailor? Think again.
Thanks in advance for your support. Please stay safe out there.