Well, I bet you like...

...whatever band that seems edgy to those in the mainstream. In reality these selections by those who try in some way to relate to my pantheon of musical tastes are usually so far off base its hard for me to not come off as a complete ass and not laugh, berate, or belittle the offenders. Those who do not know me often have thought that I might be a fan of stuff like Guns'N'Roses for whom I have never really liked. When they first hit in 86'-87' they just came off way too contrived and totally steeped in the rockstar bullshit I so rallied against as a young hardcore punk fan. I am reading Slash's autobiography and he comes off as I kinda expected. Predictable, just like the bloated riffage squealing from his Les Paul/Marshall combo. Jimmy Page and many others did a better and more interesting job with that set up. Maybe this will achieve some good hate mail here.

So just where do I find the music that sparks my interest you might ask? Back in the day before this internet thingy, local, regional, and a few national fanzines were my source for what was going on. There is some great coverage about this early underground media source in the DVD and book American Hardcore. It snowballed from there as one band would turn you on to some other band that was cool and so on. Independent labels would also lead you to other acts on their roster that you might like. In the late 80's early 90's you could join the Sub Pop singles club and others like it to get their select 7" record releases of many of the most happening acts at the time. Today you can't swing a dead cat without hitting some source of music, scenes, art or events. I love listening to podcasts from Garagepunk.com and checking out Pitchfork for an endless supply of music that no one has heard of. Fuck Slash. Ha!Lately a couple of bands have been hogging ear time for me. An oldie but absolutely timeless record is the Modern Lovers self-titled album. This might be some of the most catchy collection of tunes that I have ever heard. Simple and smart, it blends well with just about any play list I put together. Most people's only familiarity with their brilliant leader Jonathan Richman will have been his cameos in the movie Something About Mary where he popped as a troubadour in the background singing songs about portions of the film. I could write tons about this album, but just check it out.

The other band No Age I read about in and article covering this years South by Southwest music festival. Their release Weirdo Rippers came out late last summer and is primitive and dynamic simultaneously. Its noisy as hell which I love and at least a few of the tracks make me wanna go nuts. They list Squeeze, Crass, The Ramones, and The Urinals among their influences. Weirdo rippers for sure!

Now to change it up. Lotsa bike stuff happening in the near future. I would have never believed we would have an alleycat right here in lil' old Norfolk, but here ya go.

On the same day there is some biking and bbq action in Surry as noted on the Cycling Central Virginia site. In just a few weeks EVMA is hosting their first annual York River State Park mountain bike festival. I will definitely check that one out. I haven't been up there in awhile so it should be fun.

The big prize pig is the second annual HIP/VIP ride down in Pisgah in May. Technically, its for Turner or Ventana bike owners, but you could likely sweet talk your way in for that one. Check out T2 Bikes for raffle info and the Turner Forum on Empty Beer.com for the scoop. I will soon be doing some sweet pimping with these super-dope bar end caps. I could not resist the enduring allure of the mud flap siren. Yeeeeeeoooooow!!!!