Help Wanted

Okay, this is NOT one of those snarky musician photo funnies I've been posting lately. This is an actual flyer I saw on a lamp post near my digs in Forest Hills last weekend. And I lack the words to tell you how wonderful it makes me feel, and for a myriad of reasons.

Click on the photo to enlarge it, BTW.

LOCAL YOUNG ROCK BAND SEEKS BASS PLAYER

Hello. We are Bad Vintage. We are a young (high school and early college) local rock band comprised of a singer/guitar player and a drummer. We have been playing shows around Queens and Brooklyn but we lost our bass player recently so if you are a young bass player (if you can sing a little harmony that's a big plus) and you want to play some rock and roll, please reach out and let's talk.

Some things we love: the songwriting of the Rolling Stones, the style of Bowie, T-Rex/Bolan and English glam, the awesomeness of John Bonham and maybe a little old school Van Halen party vibe.

Wow. My kind of guys, obviously. I mean, c'mon -- if I was a little closer to my teenage years, I would have answered the above on the spot.

In any case, if anybody reading this is a bass player in both their neighborhood and demographic, you can get in touch with them via email at badvintagebandsearch@proton.me. And you can find out more about them over at instagram.com/bad_vintage_.

BTW -- I just heard from the guys; they sent me an audio clip of one of their original songs, which was terrific, and even better, a live video of them covering the Stones' "Miss You" at a bar around the corner from where I live (it's the smallest world in the world, right?). The short version is they look and sound like the kind of band you would have encountered at some Bowery dive in the early '70s (which, for reasons obvious to any longtime readers, is high praise in my book) and I'm now a total fan; as soon as I can figure out how to embed either clip, I'll post them and you can see and hear what I'm talking about.

Have I mentioned I love Forest Hills? 😎

Bette Sings Woody Guthrie

Words fail me.

Except -- I love, nay, lurve that woman. 😎

Regular apolitical postings, more in keeping with the theme of this here blog, resume on the morrow.

[h/t Gummo]

Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles and Photo-Funnies

In the interests of full disclosure, I interviewed Wakeman over an expensive lunch sometime in the '70s, and he was the most unpretentious and hilariously funny rock star I ever encountered. 😎

Post-Vacation Wrap-Up: The Hell With the Umbrellas of Cherbourg -- I Got to See the Records Stores of France!!!

Specifically this one in Nice...

...and this one in Paris.

We were treated very kindly (considering we were Americans, if you know what I mean) in both stores, and both of them had fabulous assortments of vintage music. In Nice, a certain Shady Dame scored a vinyl copy of this way cool 1972 import Rolling Stones compilation...

...which has all their best early blues stuff, while aux Paris yours truly snagged CD versions of a fab EP by The Detroit Cobras and a three-disc box of the complete works of The Traveling Wilburys.

As I meant to imply, both stores were great, but Crocodisc in Paris was particularly cool in that it's been open in the same location -- across the street from the Sorbonne(!!!) -- since 1978. (For more info about the place, you can check out their website over HERE).

I should add that, alas, neither store had the French vinyl EP that I was most yearning to score a copy thereof...

...but that is, as they say, une autre histoire. 😎

Anyway, I'm back; regular less obviously self-indulgent postings resume on the morrow.

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "La Crèmes de la Crèmes " Edition

Okay, we're back -- safe and sound and both physically and spiritually refreshed -- from our vacation in France.

And consequently raring to go with more of the insouciant postings you've come to expect from this here blog.

Which leads us inexorably to today's business. To wit:

...and the members of a freaking fantastic supergroup you would assemble from currently alive pop/rock/folk/jazz/pop/r&b musicians -- of any gender or age -- would be...???

Discuss.

BTW, kudos to a certain Shady Dame of my acquaintance for giving me the above idea. As usual, she's working cheap, I'll tell you that for free.

And in case you're wondering -- my candidates for such a supergroup would be these guys.

I bring all this up because, as somebody pointed out to me recently, we haven't had any supergroups in what seems like ages, so certainly the time is ripe.

I mean seriously -- can you imagine how great those dudes would be together as a band, even in their current ancient states?

Alrighty then -- who would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Closed for Monkey Business À la Française: Special "Le Retour" Edition

Okay, we -- by which I mean moi and a certain Dame Louche -- are winging our way back from our French vacation today.

And frankly, I'm beat. So cut me some slacques, Jacques. 😎

Regular postings -- including one of the coolest Weekend Essay questions ever (on a conceptual level) -- resume on the morrow.

Okay, This is Getting Ridiculous. Why Aren't These Kids the Biggest Stars in the World?

Alright, I don't have to tell faithful readers of this here blog how great The Mona Lisa Twins are.

But their brand new cover of my favorite Peter Gabriel song just blows me away.

Uh guys -- would you please play live somewhere in the USA so I can see you before I die?

Thank you.

Today's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles and Photo-Funny

The Patti Smith one seems like we could have actually seen it somewhere in France. But no -- found it on the net, and I think it's NYC. 😎

These Kids Today, With Their Loud Hair and Their Long Music (an Occasional Series): Special "Sex With Your Dad?" Edition

From their just released LP(!) horseshoe, please enjoy fab/gear LA indie snark-pop duo Beaming and their wonderfully wiseass lead-off single "Bugbite."

The band describes it thusly...

"Rock-n-roll in a fun guitar tuning. This is a song about finding balance in a relationship and figuring out your capacities and willingness to give."

...which strikes me as pretty accurate, although I feel compelled to add that a) the video is one of the most hilarious things I've seen in ages and that b) I am totally in love with the gal with the New Yawk accent who says "Riddle me that." 😎

You can find out more about those guys, and hear more of their music, over at their official website HERE.

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "The Fix Was In" Edition

Nah, not really.

I mean -- c'mon. Just because the winner, in perpetuity, of the coveted PowerPop No-Prize© -- for suggesting the theme of this week's EQ -- is Friend of the Blog/proprietor of the invaluable Burning Wood Sal Nunziato, who has (coincidentally) done me numerous personal and professional favors over the years, how could anybody be cynical enough to believe that I chose his entry over any of the plethora of excellent reader submissions for any reason other than merit?

I mean, that would be like Affirmative Action or something. 😎

Oh well, in any case thank you Sal, and congrats on your prize. Enjoy -- you deserve it.

And thank you to everybody else who made suggestions -- they were all really terrific, and as I said last week, I'm planning to steal/make use of them whenever I get stuck for a subject again.

Which leads us, inexorably, to today's business. To wit:

...and the post-Elvis/pre-21st century song that is universally beloved but that you personally cannnot stand is...???

Discuss.

No arbitrary rules except for the time frame. Which is designed, deliberately, to eliminate any mention of contemporary annoyances including both Geese and Goose. 😎😎

In any event, Sal was inspired to come up with his submission by seeing the trailer for the new Spaceballs movie, and realizing that as much as he loved, nay lurved, Mel Brooks, he found the original film painfully unfunny. That being the case, I just want to add that although I like it a little better than Sal does, I would be the first to admit that it's not one of Mel's best efforts.

As for the song that everybody else seems to love but which just rubs me the wrong way? Pound for pound, I gotta say it's...

...wait for it...

John Lennon's "Imagine."

Yeah, yeah, I know...that's like saying you hate motherhood and apple pie. But hey -- I just think it's sappy, sentimental and too dirge-y for words. So sue me.

BTW -- I'm aware that these guys disagreed.

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?

Back on Monday with a) some more upbeat musical stuff more befitting of this here blog and b) some news of how our current vacation in the south of France is going (maybe).

Meanwhile -- have a great weekend, everybody!!!