WE'VE GOT PROBLEMS

If you're one of the few who checks this blog, you may have noticed that some of the mp3s posted recently will not stream and are not available for download. Sorry about this, we are working on it and it should be fixed within the next couple days. Please do not give up hope. It is not easy running a blog from a tobacco barn. It smells like tar and dried leaves and the dirt floor beneath us, but it's worth it--because we are the ones from the imaginary river valley, who played air guitar on tobacco sticks; we are the ones who never got to have the no coast movement. REA Blog says hold on, please.

Blood Sausage: f*** you and your underground

Blood Sausage is a band from Brighton, England, that kicks ass. If you've ever seen Beavis and Butthead's critique of Pavement's "Rattled By The Rush" music video, you'll remember their tirade about Pavement's laziness: "If you're gonna be horrible at least kick ass, like, you know, Jesus Lizard. I mean, they suck, but they kick ass." Blood Sausage is a band that could've served for Beavis' comparison. Vocalist Dale Shaw will present his ramblings, tirades, whatever really over their bluesy punk jams. I mean, they suck, but they kick ass. This excerpt of the lyrics from "Billy Joel" will give you an idea of how Blood Sausage kicks ass:

"Through his various recorded works Billy spoke to me. He sang to me...
I remember one day I was sitting there watching Billy Joel live in Long Island on video. Someone turned to me, a close family friend, and they said: "Do you really like this man?" I looked at them and I said: "He's my hero." They were staggered by my sincerity. Then it all began to crumble. A woman entered his life. Turned his head, turned his life around. I could never forgive him really. It wasn't really love I felt for Billy. Though looking back it could have been. I was still hurt. Billy met Christie Brinkley. This changed him completely. From then on every song had traces of her through it. I couldn't understand it. What did she see in this ???. From that time, everything he did has turned to shit.

THERE IT WAS, IT WAS EVERYWHERE. UPTOWN GIRL, UPTOWN GIRL. EVERYTIME YOU TURNED AROUND YOU HEARD IT. HEARD BILLY, HEARD BILLY SLOWLY SELLING OUT, SELLING HIS SOUL. I COULDN'T TAKE IT. I NEVER FORGAVE HIM. IT'S LIKE A PART OF ME HAD DIED. IT WAS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH MISTRUST AND CORRUPTION."

Blood Sausage - What Law Am I Breaking Now
Blood Sausage - Billy Joel
Blood Sausage - Fuck You And Your Underground
Blood Sausage - Knockout Drops
Blood Sausage - Static

from The Quietus: Slint Versus Radiohead: Continuum Bookends The Indie Rock 1990s

Check out this article about the two most recent additions to Continuum's 33 1/3 series.

"The wind will blow you back my way."

If I would have heard Durham, North Carolina's The Dirty Little Heaters when I was in high school I would have quit and formed a band on the spot. This music can only be categorized as rock n roll and it has the balls the size of the moon. Download this, go to churchkeyrecords.com and buy everything they have and the next time someone tries to tell you about some new band who plays a laptop on stage, put this on and slap them in the face with it. Thanks to Kyle at churchkey for allowing me to post and thanks to Missy and Stu for turning me on to this.

The Dirty Little Heaters Mexico Way

James Tate poem

Goodtime Jesus
James Tate

Jesus got up one day a little later than usual. He had been dream-
ing so deep there was nothing left in his head. What was it?
A nightmare, dead bodies walking all around him, eyes rolled
back, skin falling off. But he wasn't afraid of that. It was a beau-
tiful day. How 'bout some coffee? Don't mind if I do. Take a little
ride on my donkey, I love that donkey. Hell, I love everybody.

try Pia Fraus.

Pia Fraus is a shoegaze band from Estonia. Try their light and fluffy dream pop.

PIA FRAUS - Mute The Birds (Remix by Ulrich Schnauss) from superVHS on Vimeo.

Pia Fraus - Springsister
Pia Fraus - Doctor Optimism
Pia Fraus - After Summer
Pia Fraus - Mute The Birds