CHIRP DJ writesBottle Up and Explode: P.A. in Record Stores!

I’ve been getting my dose of internet humor almost solely from a few blogs recently: It’s Lovely, I’ll Take It!, which is all about disturbing real estate listings, Vintage Microwave, which is all about disturbing free stuff on Craigslist, the “blog” of “unnecessary” quotations marks which, well… and finally, Passive Aggressive Notes, a blog dedicated to collecting and posting “painfully polite and hilariously hostile writings from shared spaces the world over.”

Some recent gems from P.A. Notes include this snippet of fashion advice for the ladies, and this back and forth taped to a candy machine.

My downstairs neighbor’s dog has been barking for weeks, but because of my now hyper-awareness of the hilarity and ineffectiveness of taped-up notes, I’ve been waiting for a good time to talk to her face-to-face about it. I’m not the kind of person who leaves passive aggressive notes, I say to myself.

Then my friend Nate brought this P.A. posting to my attention:

top five musical crimes perpetuated by record store customers in the 90s and 2000s

Aaaah! I never worked in a record store (well, I did, it just wasn’t the kind you could tape notes up in), but I did spent a stint as an angry bookstore clerk in Wicker Park (oh, you know where). The store had many arbitrary rules (no photography, no cell phones, re-shelve the books or we charge a one-dollar re-shelving fee), which necessitated the posting of many passive aggressive signs, several of which I myself wrote!

At the time I didn’t think my notes crossed the line, but with a few years’ distance, I can see them for what they truly are: passive aggressive. (My current favorite note, which didn’t exist while I worked there, is this posting about the photography rule, with a passive aggressive nod to customers’ Flickr accounts.)

Nevertheless, I have to say I savor the stereotypical rudeness — written or otherwise — I encounter in mom and pop shops. For what is Reckless Records without the constant debate over whether the clerk on the other side of the counter is rolling his eyes at you? (I’m not making this up: search the Yelp listing for the word “judgmental” or “holier-than-thou” and see for yourself.)

So I say long live record store P.A.! Record shopping is just a little too sterile without it.

CHIRP DJ writesA Look at Rahsaan Roland Kirk

Amidst all the RIP notices (Lux Interior, Blossom Dearie, Touch & GO Distro…..) I thought maybe we should post something a bit more upbeat. My good friend Chris Sienko recently tracked down the final two Roland Kirk albums that he was missing for his collection, and emailed me about an article he wrote about Kirk for Blastitude.

As he describes it, “The article contains 28 capsule reviews of Kirk’s canonical albums (not counting bootlegs or posthumous CDs released after his death). It is originally sourced from two lengthy emails sent to Blastitude’s editor-in-chief, Larry Dolman, explaining what I had been listening to obsessively for the last 8 months or so. If it reads like a breathless, middle-of-the-night email, that’s because it basically is (cleaned up a bit and augmented later for print-readiness).”

Definitely well worth a read, and if you haven’t heard Kirk’s “Domino”, I suggest you do yourself a favor and check it out!

CHIRP DJ writesTouch and Go Distro, Gone

Inklings about the demise of venerable indie label Touch and Go have been floating around the blogosphere for the past few days, and today the situation became clearer: Time Out Chicago is reporting the record label, which has been operating out of Chicago since 1983, will fold its manufacturing and distribution wing, and carry on as a free-standing indie label.

Touch and Go released two albums yesterday: Mi Ami’s Watersports and Sholi’s debut self-titled LP.

According to a statement from label owner Corey Rusk, T&G will “be busy for a few months working closely with the departing labels and scaling our company to an appropriate smaller size after their departure. It is the end of a grand chapter in Touch and Go’s history, but we also know that good things can come from new beginnings.”

Tony Breed writesValentine’s Day playlist

Oh no oh no, it’s Valentine’s Day! Date tonight? OK, did you get chocolates? Go get ‘em! And flowers? Are they fair trade flowers? OK, ready?

Now you need some music. We’re going to lay it on a little thick here. It’s Valentine’s Day; if you’re going to celebrate, just go for it, right? Resist the urge to get ironic with CocoRosie’s “By Your Side” or Love Is All’s “Last Choice”.

First, some classics:

So In Love – Cole Porter. I particularly like KD Lang‘s version.

That Old Black Magic – Johnny Mercer. Try Shirley Horn‘s version.

La Vie En Rose – Edith Piaf or try Grace Jones‘s cover

Wild Is the Wind – Nina Simone and David Bowie both have great versions of this one.

I Only Have Eyes for You – The Flamingos

At Last – Etta James

I’ll Be Your Mirror – The Velvet Underground & Nico

Everyday Clothes – Jonathan Richman

Let’s Stay Together – Al Green (OK, maybe you should leave this songs out if your relationship is just starting out… don’t push it too hard.)

Now, some newer tracks:

Sweet Lovin’ Man – The Magnetic Fields

Love Endeavor – Alice Smith

Inside and Out – Feist

Amy – Mark Ronson featuring Kenna

I Melt with You – Modern English did it originally, but you might prefer Nouvelle Vague‘s bossa nova cover.

Baby – Rufus Wainwright

And if you can take little drama, you might throw in:

We Both Go Down Together – The Decemberists

Your Arms around Me – Jens Lekman

OK, ready? GO.

Wait, what? No date tonight? OK, that’s OK. There’s lots of things you can do tonight instead. Go have some fun. Whatever you do, do not sit at home with a bottle of whiskey and listen to the Mountain Goats on repeat.