This past Sunday klk and I drove all the way out to the end of the North Fork of Long Island.  I had never really gotten out to the wine and agricultural part of the island, but it was a really nice day.  The farm stands were abundant so we picked up pumpkins for the upcoming holiday, and other delicious veggies. We stopped off at Orient Beach…which I had no idea was as beautiful as it is.  The water is as clear as can be, and the beach is covered in stones (I’ve never seen this before…I assume it’s natural).  Looking out over the water I couldn’t help but think of the Montauk Monster, and the alleged government animal testing facility.  On our way back a little wine tasting and some of the best ice cream in the world.  I’m also learning how to use my camera better, and this is the result:

Farm Stands:

Orient Beach:

Maybe the best ice cream I’ve ever had:

On our way out to the North Fork we pasted Port Washington, New York.  This reminded me of one of my favorite Mountain Goats song:

[mp3] The Mountain Goats- “Going to Port Washington” (off of Ghana. Buy it here)

I’ve been thinking about the Mountain Goats a lot lately…they have been on Colbert, and the new album is coming out.  On our trip out to the North Fork we listened to Bitter Mellon Farm, and it was pretty much perfect music for our drive through all of the farms and vineyards.  I know that the Mountain Goats have gotten really big from their studio albums, but I truly miss the tape hiss and the grind of the acoustic guitar.  If you haven’t experienced this side of the goats check out the track above, or by a record pre- Tallahassee .

I’m really looking forward to another trip to the North Fork… it was relaxing, and I’m really craving another ice cream cone from Magic Fountain… the pumpkin and the bourbon cherry ice creams were to die for.

When looking through the line up for this coming weekends North Side Festival I some how missed that Franklin Bruno was playing a free show at Pete’s Candy store.

Franklin Bruno’s name might ring a bell in your head for a number of reasons:

• Long time music writer for the Village Voice, Time Out NY, and Salon.com
• Co-founder of  Nothing Painted Blue.  Who I think are an extremely under rated band that has been making music since the early 90’s.
• He wrote the 33 1/3 book about Armed Forces.
• When Franklin Bruno and John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats get together they become The Extra Glenns (if you haven’t heard this album you are missing out).
  • Collaborated with The Mountain Goats on Tallahassee and The Sunset Tree.
  • Oh and did I mention that The Extra Glenns played sound fix in 2007?  It was awesome!
• Franklin’s new band is The Human Hearts!

Anyways check him out:

[mp3] Nothing Painted Blue- “Missed The Point” (off Emotional Discipline.  Buy it here.)

[mp3] Extra Glenns-”Going to Marrakesh” (off Martial Arts Weekend.  Buy it here.)

[mp3] Franklin Bruno- “Blue” (off A Cat May Look At A Queen.  Buy it here.)

[mp3] The Human Hearts- “Professionals in Cancun” (off Civics.  Buy it here.)

[mp3] The Human Hearts- “Stammheim” (off Civics.  Buy it here.)

The Show is this Friday June 12th at Pete’s Candy Store:

Mariee Sioux @ 10pm
Franklin Bruno @ 9pm
Jeff London @ 8pm
Pete’s Candy Store
Doors at 7pm
FREE

We are going to light out for the Territories in a van with two acoustic guitars, some notebooks, our soundman Brandon and a pouch full of charms against ill omen. We are going to get elemental. We are going to stomp our feet and hammer at the strings until we get what we want from them. We, a couple of guys named John, are going to tour, is what we’re going to do. We’re going to stand alone onstage and play our guitars and sing old songs & new, and then we’ll probably play together. We are going to sit side by side with our acoustic guitars like two out of the five guys on the Five Man Acoustical Jam album, only with fewer Tesla songs. Because the whole point of playing an acoustic guitar is not to unplug. It’s to get raw and draw blood.

-John Darnielle

There are very few things that could drag me away from going to see Converge play just a couple blocks from my house, but John Darnielle is one of them.

When I saw that John and John (Darnielle and Vanderslice respectively) were going on tour, just the two of them, and a couple guitars I was instantly excited.  When I saw that they were playing New York City as, part of the Wordless Music Series, and that the show was going to be at The Society for Ethical Culture my decision was made.  The Society for Ethical Culture is a Humanist Religious Community…if you are unfamiliar with what Humanism is I think Kurt Vonnegut Jr. put it best:

Do you know what a Humanist is? I am honorary president of the American Humanist Association, having succeeded the late, great science fiction writer Isaac Asimov in that functionless capacity. We Humanists try to behave well without any expectation of rewards or punishments in an afterlife. We serve as best we can the only abstraction with which we have any real familiarity, which is our community. -11/6/03

The Mountain Goats are always good live, but recently John as been touring with Peter Hughes (well I guess he has been touring with John for quite a while) and Jon Wurster, their drummer and comedian, is a new addition.  I like the full band set up, but I yearn for his solo shows.

Back in March of last year the Goats played the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and at the beginning of the set John came out and played solo for almost a full hour.  This marked the best Mountain Goats show I had seen since he played Sound Fix with Franklin Bruno…and I am have high hopes that the show at the Society for Ethical Culture.

John and John’s Tour Dates:

March
18 – Asheville, NC, the Grey Eagle
20 – Norfolk, VA, the Atticus Theatre
21 – Washington, DC, Sixth and I Synagogue
24 – Northampton, MA, Pearl Street
25 – Somerville, MA, the Sommerville Theatre
27 – New York, NY, the Society for Ethical Culture (part of the Wordless Music series)
29 – Gambier, OH, Kenyon College
30 – Oberlin, OH, Oberlin College
April
1 – Chicago, IL, Epiphany Episcopal (tickets here)
2 – Champaign, IL, Courtyard Café at University of Illinois
3 – Iowa City, IA, the Mill, Mission Creek Music Festival
4 – Richmond, IN, Earlham College
6 – Bloomington IN, Buskirk-Chumley Theater

As always with the Mountain Goats get your tickets in advance…they seem to sell out every show they play in NYC.

I’ve posted elsewhere, and I’ll post it again…I think this Mountain Goats video, “Sax Rohmer #1,” is supurb:

Photo by Derek Goodwin via 4AD.

Here is my big Friday Post for you!  My Top 10 7″ singles and eps of 2008!

1. City Center- s/t 7″ (Invisible Friend)

2. Thee Oh Sees- Peanut Butter Oven 12″ (Awesome Vistas) (this blog seems to have a download of the hard to find ep)

3. Grouper/City Center- split 7″ (No Label)

4.  Times New Viking- Stay Awake 7″ (Matador)

5. Mount Eerie/ No Kids – Spilt 7″ (Caff/Flick)

6. Atlas Sounds – Atlas Shrugged/Dub Narcotic Disco Plate 7″ (K records)

7. Desolation Wilderness-Until Forever 7″ (K Records)

8. High Places/ Xiu Xiu – Split 7″ (Aagoo)

9. OM – Sub Pop Singles Club 7″ (Sub Pop)

10. Mountain Goats – Satanic Messiah 2×7″ (Click thru for pay what you want digital download)

something that was totally awesome, but slightly holiday themed that didn’t make my top ten was:

Blues Control- December Sup Pop Singles Club 7″ (someone seems to have posted a download…follow the link)