B minor ♪♫

Record Store Day 2024

Ah, Record Store Day... So many records to browse through, live music, lots of fun!  This year, I skipped the crowds and shopped online.  I really wanted three records, but I only scored one.  When you go early, you are more likely to get what you want compared to going in the afternoon or waiting for online sales the next day.   I don't know though if I would have got the other records or not, because they were such hot items this year.  In my opinion, I would have had to be standing in line right when it opened.

The records I wanted:

Talking Heads Live at WCOZ 77 - Talking Heads
Genius of Love 2001 Remixes - Tom Tom Club
Parklife (30th Anniversary Zoetrope Picture Disc) - Blur

The records I got:

Genius of Love 2001 Remixes - Tom Tom Club
Blur Presents Special Collectors Edition RSD 2023 - Blur



I was browsing the web at 8:00 in the morning.  The Talking Heads Live at WCOZ 77 album had already sold out.  Likewise, I imagine the in-store shopping experience yesterday was similar.  Some people camp out overnight for the event, so the lines were probably pretty long before I would have arrived.  The Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love 2001 Remixes album is still available online, which is surprising.  I got an amazing deal on last year's Blur album, Blur Presents Special Collectors Edition RSD 2023.  It was under $19.00, and shipping was only $5.95.  Maybe next year I will score Blur Parklife!

All in all, it was alright. One of the records I wanted was available, and I got last year's Record Store Day Blur album. The long lines always deter me from attending Record Store Day events. Besides, I wouldn't stand in line for hours at a time, let alone all night. Anything before 6:00 a.m. is too early for me! Perhaps one day I will muster up the courage to go, but for now I'm content with my Record Store Day experience.

Will Crewdson's Scant Regard, and other projects

I would like to introduce everyone to several bands. Scant Regard is the first one. The man behind this one-man band is none other than Will Crewdson. As Scant Regard, Crewdson has released eight solo albums. The track titled "On the Warpath (featuring Mary Byker)" is from Scant Regard's latest album, Everything Better Than Everything Else. I'm really loving this one!



His other projects are Rachael Stamp and She Made Me Do It.  Rachel Stamp was formed in London in 1994.  Their debut album, Hymns For Strange Children, was released in 2000, followed by Oceans of Venus in 2002.  In 2015, Crewdson joined The Selecter on guitar, as well as releasing an album with electrorock duo She Made Me Do It, which includes Shaheena Dax from Rachel Stamp.



In August 2023, Will Crewdson began playing with Gaye Bykers on Acid at The Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, England. Billy Boy Byker is the pseudonym he uses for these gigs. Occasionally, he plays at Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronic gigs.

Throughout his music career, Will Crewdson has played with some of music's most notable names, including Adam Ant, Tom Jones, Bryan Ferry, Peter Murphy, Celine Dion, Billy Bragg, Bow Wow Wow, and Flesh for Lulu. Some other acts are Malcolm McLaren, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Westworld, Appleton, Pigface, Tyler James, Livan, T-Rexstasy, Dragons, and The Selecter. Furthermore, he has worked with Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano, and Tom DiCillo, an accomplished film director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and musician.

He is currently touring with Adam Ant and The English Beat. I will be attending tonight's Adam Ant show. I can't believe it's been seven years since I saw him! To say I'm excited is an understatement. I am also thrilled about The English Beat.

Dates for the rest of the U.S. tour:

Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 San Antonio, TX Charline McCombs Empire Theatre
Friday, April 19, 2024 New Orleans, LA The Fillmore
Saturday, April 20, 2024 Houston, TX Bayou Music Center
Sunday, April 21, 2024 Austin, TX ACL Live at The Moody Theater
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Oklahoma City, OK Tower Theatre
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 Albuquerque, NM Revel
Friday, April 26, 2024 Las Vegas, NV Virgin Hotel + Casino
Thursday, May 2, 2024 Seattle, WA Neptune Theatre
Friday, May 3, 2024 Salem, OR Elsinore Theatre
Sunday, May 5, 2024 Salt Lake City, UT Eccles Theater
Monday, May 6, 2024 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 Colorado Springs, CO Pikes Peak Center
Friday, May 10, 2024 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre

UK shows happen this fall. If you can make this tour, please go!

April Fools

I meant to post this yesterday since it was April Fools. My favorite Rufus Wainwright song, and I absolutely adore this one! ♪♫

The Promise Ring

Was I really listening to this 20 years ago? Although 2004 was not the first time I heard The Promise Ring's "Very Emergency" song, I had forgotten how great it was. My first exposure to the album was through its title track "Very Emergency." Then I bought it in 2004 and enjoyed its other songs. There were also tracks I liked such as "Happiness Is All the Rage," "Living Around," "Jersey Shore," "The Deep South," and "Skips a Beat (Over You)." The Promise Ring also released 30° Everywhere, Nothing Feels Good, and Wood/Water studio albums.

In my opinion, The Promise Ring's best work can be found on Very Emergency and Nothing Feels Good. With 30° Everywhere, their debut album, they hadn't really found themselves.  Almost every track on the album sounds the same.  Wood/Water moved at a much slower pace, but it was still a nice effort.  I preferred it over 30° Everywhere.  Their second release, Nothing Feels Good, was when The Promise Ring really came into their own.  "Is This Thing On?" "Why Did Ever We Meet?" "Make Me a Chevy," "A Broken Tenor," "Raspberry Rush," "Nothing Feels Good," and "Pink Chimneys" are some of my favorite songs from Nothing Feels Good.

The Promise Ring shows off a number of different musical phases in their compilation of singles and unreleased songs titled Horse Latitudes. Its earliest material, including 'Watertown Plank' and 'A Picture Postcard,' showcases the raw origins of the band and their early tendency to combine meandering guitar notes with unbridled and distorted rock. Fans of the band will love Horse Latitudes, which was released in 1997.

The band made their final appearances on the 2002 Plea for Peace tour. On October 14, 2002, The Promise Ring's breakup was announced, despite their plans to film a video for "Suffer Never" after Plea for Peace. In the following week, the band explained that they had decided to focus on other projects and had been considering parting ways for a while. It was too bad these guys couldn't have stuck around longer, but it was fun while it lasted!

From Very Emergency:



From Nothing Feels Good:

INXS' "Never Tear Us Apart" Hits New Heights on the Billboard Charts, Proving Timeless Appeal

INXS's 'Never Tear Us Apart' climbs the charts, securing its place as the band's highest-charting hit on the Alternative Digital Song Sales chart. Explore the enduring legacy of INXS and the changing dynamics of music consumption in the U.S.

Imagine this: decades after its initial release, a song not only finds its way back into the hearts of listeners but also climbs the musical charts, marking a significant achievement for a band that has not released new music in years. This is the story of INXS, the Australian rock band whose iconic single 'Never Tear Us Apart' has recently made a groundbreaking debut at No. 8 on the Alternative Digital Song Sales chart, securing its place as the band's highest-charting hit on this list and demonstrating the timeless appeal of their music.



Source: https://bnnbreaking.com/arts/music/inxss-never-tear-us-apart-hits-new-heights-on-the-billboard-charts-proving-timeless-appeal

Adam Ant Talks About Being at the Forefront of the Punk Movement

British punk/New Wave singer-songwriter Adam Ant says that when he first launched his musical career, which stretches back to the mid-1970s, he had no idea it would still be going strong after nearly 50 years. But Ant, who's currently at work on a new studio album, has steadily kept at it.

Source: https://www.clevescene.com/music/adam-ant-talks-about-being-at-the-forefront-of-the-punk-movement-43838913?fbclid=IwAR35h-QkXz7QaMQPpVdm1ThsSw4VRqBn3uHmikq4-2Od56tvQ2inpU0I5Eo

This is a good read for any Ant fan. I thoroughly enjoyed this article!