Two Christmas Cards and some lens tissues.

Christmas In America

If you're anything like me, you like the Christmas music, but you're always left disappointed because the singers don't have a thick enough German accent.

This record will solve that problem for you.

Here you go.

Free "2010" Calendar!

Hey, guys. Not only did I make you the most awesome mix tape ever, I decided that I should also give you the gift of sort of knowing what day it is. Did you know (you probably did) that the year 2010 has the same dates as 1965? It does! They both start on a Friday and have 365 days, so this Harrah's Casino 1965 calendar is not only aesthetically pleasing, it is highly functional. Please note that the administrator of this "blog" takes no responsibility if you forget when Easter is or something like that, because there are some holidays that aren't on the same day each year. But still, if you wanted to know that April 14th is on a Wednesday in 2010 and in 1965, this has you covered.

Plus it's got some great promotional photos of the top stars of today like Barbara Streisand, Andy Williams, Tony Martin, Cyd Charisse, Donald O'Connor, Phil Harris (did you know that Phil Harris' first name is "Wonga"? It is! Look it up!) and many more. (Liberace is "Mr. October", in case you're wondering.)

Click here to download it. It's a big file, but you know what they say..."everything higher resolution than everything else!"

Here is an awesome mix tape I made for you...

Happy Winter-Time festivities to you. I made you a gift. It is a mix tape. There's some good times on here. What kind of good times? How about this collection of gems:

*A visit with three of the four members of Poison! (Bassist Bobby Dall apparently could not be bothered...)
*Singing wrestlers!
*Patriotism viewed through the lens of The Waffle House!
*Ham-fisted, unfunny, anti-Vietnam War political satire!
*A song by some rodents (not The Chipmunks) about how they also like reggae!
*A terrible rendition of "Louie Louie"!
*Robert Mitchum!
*An Oak Ridge Boys cover that can help you lose weight!
*A singer with a stuffed-up nose literally begging for death!
*A love song sung to a hog!

Oh, man, you already love this and you haven't even heard it yet! So, if you're already sick of "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Hey, Santa", this ought to make things a little better! Leave a comment and let me know which song is your favorite!

Download it here!

The Coctails - "Winter Wonderland" EP

Welcome to December, when everyone starts puling out the Christmas music and decorations (unless you work where I do...a place where this happened on the day before Halloween for some reason. Seriously...).

Anyway...The Coctails are really good. I always forget that I have this record until after Christmas when it is too late. So I'm putting it here so I (and hopefully you) will not forget about it. Hey, did I just tie the title of this "blog" into an entry? I think I did!

The Coctails played in Athens only 1 time, I think. The Woggles opened for them. I had recently recorded some saxophone stuff on the Woggles "Hang Loose" record and I played a couple songs with them during their set. I was really excited about opening for The Coctails. I had talked to them before the show and they were all really great guys and I loved their records and I couldn't wait to finally see them live. They played a couple of songs and one of the band members (I cannot remember which one) got very sick. The show was called off, and they never made it back to Athens. They did a reunion show in Chicago a couple years ago, but I'm still waiting on that Athens show...

I have included front and back cover scans, label scans and a scan of the 1994 Hi-Ball Records catalog.

I promise this isn't going to become all Christmas all month, but I'd be a fool to share this with you guys. I hope you enjoy it.

Winter Wonderland.

'70s Dutch Inn Promotional Materials.

My Wife's brother showed me this stuff. It's great. Her family used to travel from Athens, GA to Hendersonville, NC to visit family pretty often, and they apparently stayed at the Hendersonville Dutch Inn when they did.

Here's a postcard and brochure from the Hendersonville Dutch Inn, as well as a full scan of a directory describing all of their locations, as well as one not yet completed at the time of publication. If my brother-in-law's hand written additions are to be believed (and I see no reason they shouldn't be), this is from 1975. As always, clicking on these things makes them bigger.

I just dialed the phone number on that postcard, and it's someone's cell phone. Their outgoing voice-mail message plays Heart's "Barracuda". True story.



































Seriously. This guy:

All Star Country - Harmony Records Compilation

I'm uploading this today because I'm listening it this morning. I love this record. There are no real surprises here, just a really solid, if maybe too short, collection of good stuff.

I got this when I was working at a coffee shop where a local record collector/dealer had dropped off a few crates of three dollar records for us to sell. I pulled this one out because it has a Lefty Frizzell song on it that I had heard bu did not own. I think that first night, I played this record for probably three hours straight. It may have been that Norma Jean song that hooked me.

Whatever it was (is), this remains my favorite country compilation. It's a good record for a Sunday morning, which is why I'm uploading it now, but it works pretty much any time. This is really good stuff.

Enjoy!

And you should totally click on the link in the second paragraph and buy some records from Kurt. I say without hesitation that he has lots of stuff you want.

Tracklist:
Roy Acuff and His Smoky Mountain Boys - "Cheating"
Norma Jean - "Someplace To Cry"
Carl Butler and Pearl - "Loving Arms"
Lefty Frizzell - "Release Me"
Johnny Cash - "Delia's Gone"
Marty Robbins - "Are You Sincere?"
Stonewall Jackson - "Everybody But Me"
George Morgan - "Sweet, Sweet Lips"
Ray Price - "I'm Walking Slow (And Thinking 'Bout Her)"

The Music Explosion - "Sunshine Games" / "Can't Stop Now"

Well, this is a rare case. The Kasenetz / Katz song on this record isn't the highlight. "Sunshine Games" is great. I think they lyrics are about 8 words, and it'll get in your head and stay there for a while. Oh, the B-Side's no slouch, but this one's all about "Sunshine Games". All my lonely li-hiiiife, indeed.

Happy Thanksgiving, Americans!


Click here for Laurie Records No. 3400.

The Family - "Do The Robot (Part 1)"

Another robot song! I don't know anything about this other than the fact that I got sort of ripped off, because "Do The Robot (Part 1)" on both sides of this single. There's a yellow-label Northbay pressing of this same single that has Part 2 on the B-side which I've seen listed on some Northern Soul websites, but very little information is available.

Anyway, this song's got a dude with a really deep voice saying "right on" and "robot" a few times. It's a good time. Oh, and there's a little skip in the fade-out, but you'll be okay.

Get it!

My Lai - "Pony Soldier" EP

Chaotic Hardcore from Chicago on Lengua Armada records. I played the hell out of this 7" in the mid-to-late '90s, and you'll probably hear the scratches and pops that resulted from that. This record has an incredible handmade tar-paper cover that looks even better now that it's had a few years to age and discolor the other images. I have included cover and label scans, but not the lyric sheet because it was too big to scan in one piece and I'm too lazy to piece it together using computer trickery.

Here's your link.

Keep it Safe!

If you're going to travel back in time and purchase a safe or alarm system, then the following information may prove useful. Alternately, if you are one of the writers or producers of the hit show Mad Men, maybe a character there would need to buy a safe. I've never seen Mad Men, though. Is it set before 1968? Then maybe one of them guys needs to go into the future and buy a safe. Timecop style. Whatever. You can click on these to make them bigger, if you want.

What is it?