Mississippi river born in ‘59
By Jodi | Filed under 'Mats Memories, In the News | Comments (11)
Today’s Mr. Paul Westerberg’s 50th birthday. Yesterday the Strib ran a nice piece about the old man.
“Starting in the 1980s, the Replacements injected a much-needed dose of mischief into a musical environment close to being overtaken by poseurs and synth-rock. Westerberg and his bandmates Tommy Stinson, Chris Mars and Bob Stinson took their direction from romantic songwriters and glam bands from the coasts — sentimental troubadours like Eric Carmen and Neil Diamond and party hounds like Thin Lizzy and Kiss. Ambitious, skilled, and swaggering but not stupid, they were the Clash without the notion that they had something important to say.
“Originally content to play simply fast and loud, Westerberg’s often comic and daring music grew increasingly more ambitious. By the band’s third and fourth albums, he was throwing off evocative tales of heartbreak, pain and confusion at a level that most bands would be lucky to stumble upon once in a career. Commercially, the Replacements mostly went nowhere, but you have to remember, this was the decade of Phil Collins.”
Tags: paul westerberg
Paul Westerberg signs to new label
By Jodi | Filed under PW News | Comments (5)
You heard it here last. . . Bug music snatches up Paul Westerberg.
Do you think that means we’ll get a new, non-basement tapes album from the weirdo?
I sure as hell hope so. What say ye?
BONUS Random Skyway video with David de Young of Howwastheshow.com helping Jim Walsh and friends with the lyrics to “Skyway.” (P.S. click that link to see some awesome pics of the ‘Mats tribute a few weeks back)
Tags: label, paul westerberg
RIP Bruce Allen, guitarist from The Suburbs
By Jodi | Filed under In the News | Comments (2)
City Pages is reporting the death of Bruce Allen, the guitarist for The Suburbs and the graphic designer behind The Replacements’ “Let it Be” album art.
It’s sad. Condolences to friends, family, and fans.
Embarrassing 3:42 p.m. UPDATE: Now City Pages is reporting that Allen is still alive, but will be taken off life support sometime tonight.
Bitchy editor’s note:Are you fucking kidding me City Pages? Is it so important to get the scoop that you prematurely announce the death of a dying man. That’s so gross. I hope everyone at the rag is ashamed. Damn.
UPDATE: the STrib’s Jon Bream has a nice article about Allen, also make sure to take a peek at the comments for people sharing memories/condolences.
Tags: Bruce Allen, The Suburbs
PW & The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys
By Jodi | Filed under PW News | Comments (45)
Did you know there was going to be a new Paul Westerberg EP released on Tuesday, September 22nd? Me neither. I’m a bad fangirl. But there it is, PW & The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys. You can also order it on CD.
Super sweet, it’s about damn time.
Tags: The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys
Did y’all know about the I’ll Be You reissue?
By Jodi | Filed under In the News | Comments (9)
About 100 years ago my friend David, the Largehearted Boy sent me an e-mail telling me about Insound’s reissue of “I’ll Be You.” It sounds like something you crazy Westernerds with record players might dig. Yes, I said record player.
You gotta order (or pre-order it’s not coming out until July 17th) quick because they’re only making 1000.
Tags: I'll Be You, Insound, Vinly
New Chris Mars’ film online
By Jodi | Filed under In the News | Comments (3)
Hey gang, I am still somewhat absent (sorry). But I wanted to let you know that Chris Mars has posted a new short film on his website. It’s called This is No. 14. It’s weird. But something about the black and white is really mesmerizing. Go take a look! (Just go to his site, click Film, then the top thumbnail).
Tags: Chris Mars
Can’t Hardly Wait the ‘Mats most overrated song? Wrong, Magnet
By Jodi | Filed under In the News | Comments (39)
So Magnet has this piece on the ‘Mats most overrated and underrated songs. Can’t Hardly Wait holds 3 of the five spots on the overrated list. WRONG.
Of course I should have known the list would be incredibly wrong when the first line of the piece starts out like this, “Tim is arguably the best Replacements record, so given the quality of its greatest songs. . .” We all know that “Let it Be” is the best ‘Mats album.
I don’t think any version of Can’t Hardly Wait can be rated highly enough. The song is brilliant. If I were gonna place bets on an overrated song, I’d put my money on something like, oh, I don’t know, Answering Machine maybe.
Of course the songs the author chose don’t seem to overrated so much as just duds smooshed between really fucking good songs. Is that what makes them overrated? I don’t think so. Overrated would seem to me unworthy of the acclaim lavished upon the subject (like the Watchmen comic).
So what do you think of the list? Total BS right?
Tags: 'Mats, Can't Hardly Wait, overrated, underrated
A few things for your Friday: Lindeen Reading, Paste article, and a covers album
By Jodi | Filed under In the News | Comments (0)
Paste (note: I am NOT Paul Westerberg) has a short piece about Robyn Hitchcock’s next album where he mentions touring in the ’80s and talks about waiting for the ‘Mats to come home. Interesting.
Laurie Lindeen will be celebrating the paperback release of Petal Pusher at 8 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, November 8th) at the 400 Bar with cover-band Retrofit.
Finally, How Was The Show tips us off to Allison Scott will be releasing a cover album featuring covers of songs by Prince and The Replacements. Her album Wish on the Moon was produced by Kevin Bowe (of “and his only friends” fame).
Tags: Allison Scott, Laurie Lindeen, Robyn Hitchcock
Three things for your Saturday
By Jodi | Filed under In the News | Comments (0)
1.) In case you missed it, Graeme Thompson (author of I Shot a Man in Reno. . . ) had a great piece in the Guardian UK about the ‘Mats. This is one of my favorite bits:
Westerberg’s creative division caused considerable internal tension. Tommy Stinson recalls that the band, particularly Bob Stinson, were uncomfortable playing Westerberg’s more introspective material. “We were full of testosterone, drugged-up drinking kids, and here’s Pauly with some fucking torch ballad. It was like, ‘Who wants to hear that shit, dude?’”
2.) Remember that sweet cover of Skyway by Baby Scream? Well he’s put out a record of called Nobody Seemed to Care that includes covers of Bastards of Young and Sadly Beautiful (you can listen to samples here).
3.) I am shocked, SHOCKED!, that Bastards of Young beat Left of the Dial in the cage match. There’s a new match over there now.
Tags: Baby Scream, Bastards of Young, Graeme Thomson, Left of the Dial
Ryan Adams: still angry at PW
By shelaka | Filed under In the News | Comments (25)
Saw this piece in the latestRolling Stone about Ryan Adams’ influences. After searching in vain for the Mats/PW, saw that Zen Arcade was on his list, with this little blurb:
“He got a big hug from Hüsker Dü frontman Bob Mould when they met this year, but another of his heroes from Minneapolis wasn’t that into him. “Paul Westerberg said in an interview that someone should knock my teeth out,” Adams says. “I left home because of things like that. I can’t listen to his music again, ever.”
Opinions? I know this was covered here like, 5 years ago.
Also RS has a review of the reissue of Tim.
Tags: Husker Du, Rolling Stone, Ryan Adams
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