Almanac Mp3(s) of the Week : Arcwelder
Posted on September 22, 2003 at 8:48 pm | No Comments
This week’s offering is another doubleshot, and yet another vinyl-to-digital conversion. It’s also something of a novelty, given that it’s a couple of all-too-familiar cover songs.
It was late 1992 when I saw what is, to this day, what I often call the best live lineup of all time. Arcwelder, Six Finger Satellite, Jesus Lizard. Club Metronome, Burlington, Vermont. I was obsessed with Jesus Lizard’s “Liar”, had only heard a couple of pretty cool 6FS songs, and hadn’t heard any Arcwelder. I have never, to this day, been as blown away by an unknown opening band as I was that night by those three guys from Minneapolis. The quiet opening guitar line of “Cranberry Sauce” could not have prepared me for the full-on rock-out instrumental it became in front of me. All it took was about 60 seconds to turn me into a huge Arcwelder fan. I’ve bought every damn thing they’ve ever put out.
Which brings me to this week’s mp3s… a long-out-of-print 7” single that I bought at that very show, which has ’em covering the Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” and Prince’s “Sign O’ The Times“. While I don’t think either song necessarily betters the original, they’re definitely worth a download for curiosity’s sake, if nothing else.
(Actually, while I’m at it, here’s the instrumental that knocked my socks off… “Cranberry Sauce” from their 1993 album “Pull”. Buy it. That whole album is amazing.)
Heath on the Hometown
Posted on September 22, 2003 at 7:59 am | No Comments
I’m a bad, bad blogger, I am, I am. I’d love to show and tell you about the incredible Mark Gardener gig last week, the T.T. the Bears Anniversary show a few days back, about giving blood at Fenway park, our new family member (soon, I swear!), how affected I was by Lost in Translation (go see it), and the new mp3s I’ve got for ya. But the weather’s been too nice and the work’s been too hectic.
Fortunately Heath picks up some of my slack by sharing his thoughts on part of the creative history of some of my hometown pals.
Head on over to his Media Diet for the first of what apparantly will be a few installments on the “comics, zines, and records produced by participants in Burlington, Vermont’s indie-rock and -media scene.” Basically, some of the cool stuff put out nearly ten years ago by artist / rockstars James Kochalka, Colin Clary, Amy King, Jason Cooley, and more. A couple months ago I cracked open a dusty nostalgia box in my basement, showed the contents to Heath, and like the dutiful scene archivist he is, he’s writing a bit about it all. It’s mighty strange to see someone else’s take on things I was so close to, but strange in the best of ways. Thanks, Heath.
Later today : Arcwelder mp3s, live Drop Nineteens, and more posting, I promise ya.