Remembering Otis...

"Lighting Hangs before my eyes at the rage inside of me... And every color in the sky just needs to be seen... The crying of a baby, the dying of the sun... Today may be descending, but tonight has just begun..."- Doug Hopkins, "Cathedral City".


Upon the reflection of my own songwriting, there's one source of inspiration who's voice continues to shine through and resonate in my own work, and that is Doug Hopkins. The man most-famously known for penning "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You".

It's no secret that I highly regard Doug Hopkins to by my favorite writer, and I don't mean that from a songwriting stand point. The lyrics in Doug's poetry paint a tale of one man's thoughts, struggles, and simple beauty he saw in the world. And what makes it really stick is that he told these stories in such a palatable and clever way.

If Doug only had his chance, he would have become the most prominent songwriter of his decade. Kurt Cobain, John Lennon- these men had nothing on Doug.

Like many others, I discovered Doug through the Gin Blossoms. I remember chancing upon "Found Out About You" when I was sixteen, and there was just something about that song that just shot itself right through me. The music bed was provocative in its longing for reclamation.

I didn't have to follow the lyrics to know that I was hearing something personal about heartbreak. As soon as I could, I scurried off to Music One in Greenbelt (Back when it was still respectable) and bought Outside Looking In: The Best of The Gin Blossoms. While I personally find it to be a weak representation of their music, it gave me the opportunity to follow and discover a band that has always been around me.

The more I listened, the more interested I became in Doug Hopkins. I wanted to know more about the man who penned these amazing songs. It took a couple years, but upon the discovery of songs like "Dream With You", "Keli Richards", "Angels Tonight", "100 Summers", "Lost Horizons", "Blue Eyes Bleeding", and "My Guardian Angel" did I really start to see the beauty in Doug's work.

He was the kind of songwriter who could see the beauty of the smallest things and write about. And again, what made his lyrics so meaningful was that he was able to describe with such simplicity.

I think back to "Hold Me Down" and that lyric, "I can't remember why I liked this feeling, when it always seems to let me down.". I just think its so brilliant. It's one of those things we all feel but can never somehow seem to place; and Doug, in his genius, constructed the best flow of words to perfectly describe that.

What set Doug's work apart from other songwriters was the edge he gave each song. No matter what it was; whether it was a rocker like "Slave Dealer's Daughter", a mid-tempo burst of power pop in "Hey Jealousy", or a ballad like "Pieces of The Night" was the amount of natural power each song had.

You didn't have to distort it, you didn't have to back it up with a mesh of guitars. The power in Doug's songs came purely from the music bed it was spawned from.

Doug was meticulous with the construction of his songs. He was known take his time with songs, composing each aspect of its construction; from lyrics, to the changes in chords, and even as deep as the bass that would carry it and whatever jangle would accompany it to give it the mood and the aura it deserved.

Doug Hopkins was a songwriter's songwriter, and I don't think I can stress that enough.

Take "Found Out About You"; the best example of Doug's songwriting. This song is a considerably adolescent take on heartbreak, but it resounds in such an intense way.

The lyrics are brutally visual. There are times when I listen to it and find myself imagining Doug passing through a bus stop and the house of his ex-girlfriend, with the trace of the song just forming inside his head.

What always gets to me each time I hear it is the final verse:
"Street lights blink on through the car window,
I get the time too often on am radio.
Well, you know it's all I think about-
I write your name, drive past your house.
You're boyfriend's over I watch the lights go out...".
Who wasn't been there and felt that?

All those visuals and the emotion they carry are translated further in the music. It's stance at mid-tempo captures the listener and strikes them into something romantic and painful. You don't know what it is, but as the song progresses and builds in this subtle storm of jangled guitars, a baseline that creeps itself up the back of the song, and a beat that mimics the fury of the storm.

It builds and builds until it explodes into this guitar solo that bursts itself through until it collects the song and draws it back in it's final moments. And as Robin Wilson sings deeper into the final verse, the song explodes one final time as if it had conceded to acceptance.

Doug Hopkins was perhaps the finest songwriter the world never got to know. And if I could use this as any avenue, I just want to thank him for all the amazing songs he wrote and the inspiration he provided to myself and many others; including indie rock giants, Jimmy Eat World.

Doug Hopkins is forever immortalized with the songs he wrote. And its a strengthening notion because in every moment, there always someone new who's about to chance upon his music.

RIP Doug Hopkins
1961-1993

Photos courtesy of Lost Horizons,
http://www.losthorizons.info/index.html

RFP's Song For The Day: Catheine Wheel "Black Metallic"

Marshall Crenshaw Does It Again!

Whenever I come across new artists I like, I have the tendency to acquire as much of their music as humanly possible. But lately, I've noticed a trend in my ever-developing listening habit's, I pace.

Simply put, I take my time jumping from one album to another. I listen to one album, usually the something preceding whatever it is I wind up playing next, and I take my time with it. There's no rushing, it's just simply enjoying the music and whatever it is the artist I'm listening has to offer.

In short: Since I listen to nothing but music that was released before I was born, I take my time with album and in the process, I build up hype for the preceding album; anticipating whatever it was they did next.

That came a week ago through New Order's Low Life. And today, it came in the form of Marhsall Crenshaw's second album, Field Day and you know what, it pretty much met every expectation I had.

This album is just pure Marshall Crenshaw.

That's not said to discredit Marshall Crenshaw. Quite the contrary, Field Day is the perfect follow up to Crenshaw's self-titled debut released the previous year.

His lyrical adolescent charms and his hook for conjuring amazingly crisp and catchy melodies has gotten stronger, perhaps a bit more polished.

Just as his debut album opened with a punch of power-pop wonder in "There She Goes Again", Field Day opens up with "Whenever You're On My Mind". Without a doubt, it's the strongest song on the album. It's such a wonderful song.

This is the kind of pop song that has to be studied by songwriters. It's simple, it's catchy, it's lyrics are boyishly endearing; the song's strength lies in its simplicity. And most importantly, for album-listeners, it completely sets the tone for the rest of the album.

In the past couple years, I could never quite an album I just want to hold and cherish. The kind of album you want to take with you everywhere just for the sake of having it, much like a security blanket.

I can honestly say I haven't really felt this way about an album since 2007, when waiting for me in a balikbayan box was The Replacements' Let It Be.

I think the reason for this is that hardly ever come across an album with an album with a strong, and highly melodic, opening track. That isn't to say that a good number of the albums I've listened to lately, far from it. There's they hardly any skeletal system in the track listings to many albums.

Most albums have their best song in the middle. It's almost like many artists and producers are worried that outside of the lead singles, the album's gonna suck so they bury the songs midway through instead of putting it at the top and having confidence in the piece of music their creating and sharing with the world.

The reason for that, I think, is this: Popular music, as a whole, has always relied on strong singles. You think about the history of Popular music, and you find that hardly ever is there any emphasis at all in full-album listening and that's because for the longest time, many artists relied on singles, especially newer musicians who couldn't take the financial gamble to record a full length album.

Getting back on track, Marshall Crenshaw is among the few masterminds pop music has ever seen and it's a crime that's almost completely ignored and under-looked. If the two album of his that I've listened to has anything to say, its Marshall Crenshaw is songsmith that utilizes pop music as his base. It's a piece of musical marble that he can work his way around because he knows it, and he understands its fundamentals.

Field Day stands as one of the best albums I've ever listened to and with that, it's setting a pretty tall expectation for Marshall Crenshaw's third album, 1985's Downtown. And with that, I expect to hear someone who's gotten better at being Marshall Crenshaw.

Radio Free Pop's Rating for Field Day: Four Vinyls & A Single out of Five (aka: 4.5/5)

Meet The Vaselines

(Pictured Above
The Vaselines
Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee)

If there's anything this band is probably known for, it's Nirvana's covers of "Molly's Lips" and "Son Of A Gun" from Incesticide and "Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam" from their infamous, Mtv Unplugged From New York. The Scottish Duo garnered so much attention from Seattle Musicians during the late 80's, that thanks to Nirvana's input, famed Seattle power-label, bought their recordings and released them as single disc set entitled: The Way of The Vaselines: A Complete History in 1992.

While their nothing you'd expect to hear from Nirvana's covers, The Vaselines are a wonderful duo steeped in sixties folk-pop, punk, and post-new wave.
The Way of The Vaselines: A Complete History comprises of two EP's, Son of A Gun and Dying For It, and the band's only full length studio release, Dum-Dum.

For anyone looking into checking the Vaselines out, this album is the place to start. Everything you could possibly want, including a then-unreleased track in the form of "Bitch" is available on this set.

Among anything else, what's prominent is their knack for creating well crafted pop songs. Every song is as catchy as the last and they have a lot of fun with their little creations. And it really shows in their melodies and in their lyrics. From the ever loved, "Son of A Gun", to the thoughtfully reinterpreted Christian folk of "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam", the euphemism-driven tracks of "Rory Ride Me Raw" and "Monsterpussy", to the classic rock'n roll fun of "Teenage Superstars" and "Lovecraft"; the Vaselines know how to conjure a storm for the most dense listener.

In 2008, the band reunited and played along side Grunge heavyweights including the reunited, Green River (A band consisting of members of Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, and Pearl Jam) for Sub Pop Records' 20th Anniversary SP20 festival.

The reunion led to a double reissue of The Way of The Vaselines, similar to that of Nirvana's Bleach, in the form of Enter The Vaselines, which features a plethora of demos and live tracks taken from gigs in Bristol and London.

With renewed interest in the band's material, the Vaselines are scheduled to release their second full length album, Sex With An X, next month under Sub Pop Records.

Kim Thayl At The One School???

Age of Consent

If there's anything I care for right now, its nothing more than the wonderfully sublime and youthful escape of New Order's "Age of Consent". I wonder, as the song pumps through my ears on repeat, how it is that I could have gone my entire life knowing both New Order and Joy Division and never having found this song until the other night... At the end of Wayne's World 2, among all movies.

As Wayne Campbell chased through town, he was accompanied by a score that was comprised of the most romantic guitar riff I think I have ever heard. At one point, I had wondered if it was something by Paul Westerberg, or at the very least, an instrumental inspired by Paul Westerberg.

That riff led me to a hunt, a romantic chase (I stress the word "romantic" strictly in the classical sense)through the vast scape of cyberspace. My first stop was the Wayne's World 2 Soundtrack, which wasn't there. I finally settled on a list of all the songs that were used and referenced in the movie and previewed each song until I found it... It was called "Age of Consent", and it was a New Order Song.

Apparently, the producers of Wayne's World 2 had wasted so much money on Aerosmith that they couldn't afford the rights to the actual song. So instead, they did an instrumental cover that was just alternative enough to fit in with the times... No wonder it reminded me of Paul Westerberg!

"Age of Consent" itself is just so captivating. The moment you hear that opening riff and bass line, you fall in love. Its literally like falling in love for the first time and feeling a rush of all these different and wonderful and spellbinding emotions that just feel all too real.

The riff and bass line repeat and it provides much of the song's hook and its just addicting. Its supplied by an inspired guitar solo and two synthesizer solos that just add an ethereal atmosphere to the song's power.

The lyrics are certainly fitting as they deal with a young boy who's suddenly found himself falling for an older woman, who he's been obviously intimate with.

Every once in awhile, I come across a song that just takes me and that sound finds its own special spot on my heart and on my all time top-five. New Order's "Age of Consent" has become one of them.

Henry Rollins Tells It Like It Is!

Its no secret that one of the last voices of any amount of common sense left in this world belongs to Henry Rollins, who, as the front man for Black Flag, championed College and Alternative Rock in the eighties.

Now, a lot of people are going to disagree with me on this, but I completely agree with Henry Rollins. What's sad about this was that here he was, ten years ago, talking about these things, and here we are now, ten years later, and nothing's changed. If anything, things, musically, have just gotten worse.

If you appreciate good music; music made from years of practice and listening to acquire an understanding into what goes into crafting a good song, then I urge you to open your minds and give this a good listen.

It can be pretty mean, but if you're willing to allow yourself, you'll nod because this man makes a lot of sense.

RFP's Sunday Song: "Someday" Concrete Blonde

It's 1992 and the album's called Walking In London, with my favorite track off that album playing around me. The air's humid and it might just give way to some rain, if I'm lucky. And I'm alone in my room, smoking with a hot cup of coffee, content.

While We're On Liz Phair, Lookie What I Found...

After spending the night watching some old Liz Phair videos on YouTube, I happened to chance upon this cool little video Liz made for Spinner.com.

It takes a lighthearted jab at the Matrix, the songwriting team responsible for many of Avril Lavinge and Hillary Duff's hits. Phair was forced to work with the Matrix for her 2004 self-titled release, which featured the singles, "Why Can't I" and "Extraordinary", both of which were co-written between Phair and The Matrix.

Once again, Liz is given the chance to be Liz.

When Did Liz Phair Put Out A New Album?!

Well apparently she released it over the weekend on her website and I only found out about it last night!

The aptly titled, Funstyle, is Phair's long awaited sixth studio release. After years of delay and rumored hassles with former label, ATO Records, Funstyle marks what has to be a return to her considerably eclectic past.

The thing about Liz Phair is that she can never catch a break. In the nineties, there was pressure from the indie rock community to release the sequels to her first album, Exile In Guyville. And in the god forsaken past decade, she was scrutinized for her attempt at breaking into the mainstream.

I think what set this was the fact that for a debut album, Exile In Guyville, was so groundbreaking, that it set a level of artistic expectation that no person could ever meet. In short, Liz Phair was never given the allowance to simply be Liz Phair.

Like many fans of Liz Phair, I've been waiting for this album for a long time. It's not for everyone, but if you're familiar with how eclectic Liz can be, then nothing here can surprise you. If anything, the songs are amusing, and fun, and in some ways as sharp and satirical as much of her old stuff. Funstyle is definitely angry, but it has a lot fun with that anger, and it takes it in the best possible way.

Take "Bollywood", the album's lead single. It's a hip hop song! It's Liz Phair rapping! And again, any cynical bastard can take a listen at the thing song, turn away, and make some stupid little smirk about how's past her prime and trying to attract another new audience. To that, I say, its a fun, satirical song that basically details all the problems she's encountered with all the different labels that have hindered her growth as artist.

All in all, this is the album Liz Phair should have released years ago. In many respects, it the long deserved follow up to 1998's Whitechocolatespaceegg. The best thing about Whitechoclatespaceegg is that is showcased how Liz Phair could balance her eclectic charms with age and motherhood. Funstyle could easily be Whitechocolatespaceegg Part Two, but instead of dealing with motherhood, it tackles on the subject of a passionate artist who's tired of being told what to do. And I love it.

Liz Phair is free and she's finally got the chance to her herself, to be Liz Phair.

RFP's Song For The Day: "Future Forties" Syd Straw, Featuring Michael Stipe

Marshall Crenshaw, Where Have You Been All My Life?!

It never ceases to amaze me the number of amazing artists I seamlessly find myself chancing upon every once in awhile. I remember a discussion I once had with a friend which pretty much had my explaining why the music produced decades ago will always be far superior to anything produced today or in the past decade. And then, she shot me with a conundrum.

"What's gonna happen when you run out of old bands?", or something like that. I can't bring myself to remember what exactly she said to me, but that's pretty much the gyst of it.

Back then, I was stumped, I did wonder what would happen. And the thought did scare me.

Of course, in the years since we've had that pretty heated talk, I've been able to prove her wrong time and time again. Two months ago, it was the discovery of the Smithereens, and as of this afternoon, its Marshall Crenshaw.

(Photo Courtesy of: Last.Fm)

Now, the name Marshal Crenshaw's a name I've encountered quite a few times before. I had know him as the Meter Man from The Adventures of Pete & Pete, who joined Little Pete Wrigley in his quest to find his favorite song through Little Pete's garage band The Blowholes, that also featured Radio Free Pop favorite, Syd Straw. Marshall's name also came to through the Gin Blossoms, as he co-wrote their 1995 hit, "Until I Hear It From You".

It wasn't until last night, upon watching The Adventures of Pete & Pete season one episode, "A Hard Day's Pete", that I decided to look up Marshall Crenshaw. I came across a live cut of one his first singles, "There She Goes Again".

Long story short, the moment I heard this song I fell in love with it and the moment I did, I knew that this was a song that I couldn't ignore. Like each new discovery, I had to hear more. And not long after, I was blessed with Marshall Crenshaw's self-titled debut album which made some pretty strong waves at the time of its release in 1982.

The album is amazing blend of power-pop (akin to that of the genre's maestro, Alex Chilton) and rockabilly with a touch of the jangle that marked the landscape of 80's college rock (the genre that's blatantly refereed today as "Indie"). The songs woven wonderfully with a lyrical matter that always seems to affect idealistic young men like myself: girls.

Marshall even takes a shot at tackling a rare gem from 1962 in "Soldier of Love". His cover turns the song into a hell of riot, while maintaining all the right emotional qualities that belonged to Arthur Alexander's original take.

If there's anyone I can compare Marshall Crenshaw to at the moment, it would have to be Elvis Costello. Those two took their love for 50's Rock'n Roll and 60's soul and ran off with it and created something of their own entirely.

It's music like this that makes me wish that I was born a decade earlier. How I would have love to have been a teenager in the eighties, with all these amazing artists around me. I'm talkin' about R.E.M., The Replacements, The Church, The Meat Puppets, 10,000 Maniacs, Syd Straw, Hüsker Dü, Elvis Costello, The Hoodoo Gurus, The Del Fuegos, and the Violent Femmes. Throw in other amazing bands like Fishbone, the Specials, The English Beat, the solo stuff Pete Townshend did during the era; hell, I'll even throw Big Country somewhere in there.

I guess I'm trying to convey two points here. The first is that Marshall Crenshaw is my new favorite artists. And two, why settle for the crap being produced today when there are literally hundreds of thousands of old gems floating around the world, being played somewhere, just waiting to be discovered again! And one of them is Marshall Crenshaw, who's self-titled first album has instantly become one of the few albums that I can listen to over and over again full (believe you me, I've been playing it non-stop since I got it earlier this afternoon). I can't imagine skipping a track on this album, there are no cheap fillers here. Every song is a wonderfully crafted work of power-pop and its an album that continues to stand the test of time... It's one of the few lucky LP's that's managed to remain in print for the past thirty years.

As an aspiring songwriter, I can tell that Marshall Crenshaw's music is going to have a huge impact on me, so much so that as early as now, I find myself being influenced by him. There's a lot to learn in the sense that he can take all these different subjects, related to girls, and write wonderful lyrics to it, while at the same time, keeping the songs light and fun.

If you can listen with open ears, I warmly invite you to listen to Marshall Crenshaw. And if by chance, Marshall Crenshaw happens to read this one day, I ask him this, "Where has your music been all my life?!".

RFP's Song Of The Day For August 1: "Radio Free Europe" R.E.M.

Tomorrow We Can Drive Around This Town, And Let The Cops Chase Us Around...

(From Left To Right)
(Robin Wilson, Bill Leen,Philip Rhodes, Jesse Valenzuela(far right), and Doug Hopkins)

It's official... The Gin Blossoms are finally coming to Manila!

That said, I can't think of any better reason to kick off Radio Free Pop's Artist In Spotlight series that with nineties alt. veterans, the Gin Blossoms.

Personally, I hold the Gin Blossoms high on my list of favorite bands. Doug Hopkins, the band's former lead guitarist/primary songwriter has been incredibly influential on my own songwriting, so do expect a separate entry dedicated to Doug sometime soon.

The Gin Blossoms made their debut on Christmas night 1987, featuring the original line-up of Doug Hopkins and Richard Taylor on guitars, Bill Leen on bass, Chris McCann on bass, and Jesse Valenzuela on vocals. Not long after, Chris McCann and Richard Taylor were replaced, respectively, by Philip Rhodes and Robin Wilson, who would later take on Jesse's place and serve as the band's lead vocalist.

Doug Hopkins was already a legend in his own respect in the fledgling Arizona music scene that also spawned the likes of the Meat Puppets, Dead Hot Workshop, and the Refreshments.

One of the Gin Blossoms' early distinctions was their work ethic when it came to touring and preforming. They were true road warriors and would often play nine gigs in the span of a week. They were infamous for sidelining on Tuesday nights as the Del Montes. As legend has it, the name spurred from former drummer, Chris McCann, who would evade his probation meetings to preform with the band. Over time, the name stuck as the band graced themselves with a myth akin' to that of the Traveling Wilbury's assigned nicknames. As it followed, Robin was "Bif Del Monte, Jesse was "Pablo Del Monte", Doug was the legendary "Otis Del Monte", Bill was "Soup-bone Del Monte", and Philip was "Guido Del Monte".

With their increasing popularity, the band independently recorded their first album, Dusted in 1989. The album featured early versions of what would become the band's first hit singles, "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You", as well as fan favorites such as "Lost Horizons" and "Keli Richards". What I love about Dusted is how raw the songs sound; if anything, the songs are incredibly fast. In an interview with Identitytheory.com, Wilson commented, "I can't listen to that record because it just sounds like we're The Chipmunks. We're just blasting through everything at a hundred sixty beats-a-minute. There's just no discipline, and we were undisciplined—we were a bunch of young, drunken rock-n-rollers."

Another thing that makes Dusted such a worthwhile album are the lost gems such as "Girls Can't Wait", "Slave Dealer's Daughter", "I Can Sleep", and "Fireworks". While hard to come by, the album can be purchased in the band's gigs and their website.

Not long after Dusted's release, the band secured a contract with A&M Records. The band made attempts at recording an album, before coming out with the EP Up & Crumbling. The Up & Crumbling recording sessions spawned a host of unreleased demos in the form of "Blue Eyes Bleeding", "Fallen For You", and "My Biggest Date".

After touring in support of Up & Crumbling, the band returned to the studio to record what would become New Miserable Experience. The band recruited producer John Hampton, known for his work with the likes of the Replacements and Alex Chilton (artists that had greatly influenced the band).

However, tragedy occurred during the recording sessions when pressure from A&M Records forced the band to fire Doug Hopkins, who's depression and drinking had taken a toll during recording. Following the album's completion, the band recruited friend, Scott Johnson, and returned to the road, in support of New Miserable Experience.

Not long after his departure with the band, Doug Hopkins formed the Chimeras with Mark and Lawrence Zubia. The band saw a style that meshed blues with the Gin Blossoms' signature sound. Many of Hopkins' later tunes such as "My Guardian Angel", "Long Last Lonely Mile", and "Southbound Train" were survived by the Chimeras, who, by 1997 changed their names to the Pistoleros, after signing with Hollywood Records.

"Hey Jealousy" was released as the album's first single. It got the distinction for being "the single that couldn't die", as the song held itself in the US Billboard charts for weeks until reaching 25 on the Billboard Top 100. The song spawned three music videos and was succeeded with "Found Out About You", "Alison Road", and "Until I Fall Away".

It was during this time that the band finally caught their big break. Sadly, it was overshadowed by Doug Hopkins' suicide.

The band continued to tour and remnants from this can be found on the promotional EP Shut Up & Smoke and the 2003 DVD release of Just South of Nowhere, which showcased unreleased favorites, "Everywhere", and "What?". To many, this proved that the band were still capable of writing amazing songs without the support of Doug Hopkins.

In 1995, the band contributed "Til I Hear It From You" to the soundtrack to Empire Records. The song reached number number nine on Billboard's Hot 100 and would further strengthen the band to their next release, Congratulations... I'm Sorry, which was released in the February of 1996. The album's lead single, "Follow You Down" would become the band's follow up success to "'Til I Hear It From You". The band continued to tour as "Day Job" and "As Long As It Matters" were released as singles later that year.

It was in the spring of 1997 when the band unexpectedly announced their break-up. Following the release of the compilation, Outside Looking In: The Best of The Gin Blossoms, the band reunited in late 1999 for a New Years Eve concert.

During the hiatus, the band went on to focus on different projects. Jesse Valenzuela released his solo-album, Tunes Young People Will Enjoy. Scott Johnson joined former Refreshments front-man, Roger Clyne in the Tempe-based, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers. Robin Wilson kept busy by producing and forming the Gas Giants with Philip Rhodes, and one-time Gin Blossom, Dan Henzerling. The band went on to record 1999's From Beyond The Back Burner. Wilson would also go onto to form the Poppin' Wheelies, a fictional band for a proposed cartoon similar to that of the Archies and Josie And The Pussycats. An album based on the cartoon was released in September of 2001.

The band reunited in 2002, which prompted A&M Records to release a two-disc Deluxe Edition of New Miserable Experience (which is now unjustly out-of-print) and the DVD of Just South of Nowhere. The band continued touring and after the departure of Philip Rhodes, the band recorded their first album in ten years, Major Lodge Victory, which featured the single "Learning The Hard Way". This August will see the release of their sixth release, No Chocolate Cake, with "Miss Disarray" a song that's already become a fan favorite at shows, as the album's lead single.

For me, what show's the Gin Blossoms' strength is how they managed to remain relevant all this time. People still know this band, people continue to seek out this band among all amazing artists the 90's had to offer, and the reason for that is simply their music. It's inviting and friendly, yet, it evokes a lot of things within by the using the simple everyday poetry of life and relationships that we often take for granted. That's always been the beauty of the Gin Blossoms.

I remember the first time I really got into them. I was sixteen, and I'm twenty one now, and they were a band I remembered from my childhood, and I was lucky enough to have caught "Found Out About You" on MYX, that was the first time I heard the song too, and even before I went to the store to buy their album or even look them up online, the sound of that song struck a nerve inside me. It was almost as if I was experiencing deja-vu. I had this swirl of lost images and emotions coming up and that was strengthened even more, when I got their Best of cd, played it, and took the time to listen to these simplistically beautiful lyrics that we're just haunting.... And I guess you can say my love for this band grew from there.

There is a lot more than meets the ears when it comes to the Gin Blossoms. What would amaze anyone when it comes to this band is the bond shared among fans. As a major Gin Blossoms fan, its almost like a privilege, a little secret club that the rest of the world doesn't quite know about. And there's so much to be discovered there. Aside from fan experiences and stories, there's the wealth of unreleased music that we seem to circulate, and that's always been one of the greatest mysteries of the Gin Blossoms for me... Their unreleased work is a treasure cove just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. There are so much amazing songs that never saw the light of day and through fans like myself and many others, we somehow get to keep many of these songs such as "Dream With You", "My Biggest Date", "Blue Eyes Bleeding", and "Everywhere" alive.

It's a wonderful privilege to call myself a fan of the Gin Blossoms and I just can't wait for their gig.

Radio Free Pop's Song for the day: The Church "Reptile"

Hunting Season

God, how I wish there were record stores like that in Manila. With clerks just like that too. I could be one of them. I know those places aren't making money, but I don't know, it's always been a dream of mine to play records for a living.

The most I can do on my end at the moment is to hunt.

It's been five years since I was first introduced to Juliana Hatfield, care of Evan Dando and the Lemonheads. I wasn't even looking for her, she was already there; lurking beneath a blend of power-pop so sweet that I swear I need an insulin shot every time I hear it, was Juliana.

Singing along with the the most irresistible whisper, she provided the back up vocals and bass to 1992's, It's A Shame About Ray. Her presence could still be heard in 1993's follow-up, Come On Feel The Lemonheads.

I remember flipping through the liner notes of The Best of The Lemonheads: The Atlantic Years, looking for a name. A name belonging to a voice that I just fell head over heels for. And that name was Juliana Hatfield.

One Google search later, I knew it. I felt it. I was in love. I had found a girl, a girl who plays the guitar, a managed who managed to find the balance between perfect pop and searing hard rock... WOW!

That was it! I needed her albums. Simply downloading them wasn't going to do it. I needed her albums, in my hands, standing in honor, alphabetically, with the rest of my cds.

Now, finding them was a problem. Everything she did between 1988-1995 was out of print. Even worse, whatever album she had still available was slowly becoming hard to find.

Had I lived elsewhere, this wouldn't have been a problem. I could have simply walked into a used record shop, browsed through what they had until I found her stuff. But being in Manila, at a time when Tower/Music One (at the time, the best record outlets in Manila) was on the verge of falling apart. I needed alternatives, and I needed them fast.

For a little over a year, I made my way through every garage sale and made frequent visits to the Evangelista St. in Pasay; the kind of place where, if you happen to be there at the right time, you can find virtually anything you're looking for. This Statement justified a year ago, when I magically stumbled across the Pistoleros' Hang On To Nothing, which at the time, was the last album I'd expect to find in Manila.

Now, someone out there (hopefully) is probably asking themselves, "Mike, why didn't you just check out eBay Philippines?". Well, I did. And turned up nothing... Well, that isn't true. I did find something. It was a 1993 vinyl pressing of "My Sister" with a "Spin The Bottle" B-Side that was distributed to local radio stations.

I was an idiot for passing that up... I don't even want to remember how much it cost, because it was a steal. I don't want to remember because I forgot the reason I had passed up on that glorious cover-less 7" promo single.

So, flash forward to February of 2006. Randomly, I search eBay, and oh, lord. I see it... Hell, it's not even it, I see... It's all of it!

Hey Babe, 1991
Forever Baby EP, 1991
I See You EP, 1991
The Juliana Hatfield Three: Become What You Are, 1993
The Juliana Hatfield Three: My Sister EP, 1993
The Juliana Hatfield Three: For The Birds EP, 1993
The Juliana Hatfield Three: Spin The Bottle EP, 1993
Only Everything, 1995

All those albums for a ridiculously low price of PHP250 a piece. That was It, this was the moment I have been waiting for. The chance to pay for a Juliana Hatfield album, and I was getting that chance in abundance.

This was it.

I called the seller up and told him, "Ok, I don't care where we meet tomorrow, I am going to buy all the Juliana Hatfield albums you have on you.".

Then he tells, "I'm sorry sir, these albums are already reserved.".

"How could they be reserved if you just put them up?", I ask him.

And then he tells me, "The buyer ordered them from me months ago and its only now that I finally received them.".

GOD DAMN IT!

That was it... Story of my life, really. There's always something I want that I can't have, no matter how hard I fight for it. And it just happened again. With those Juliana Hatfield albums. Damn it.

But, I remain optimistic. I'm at the end of my rope, but I still remain optimistic. And then, a couple weeks later, I find that someone's got Become What You Are up for PHP350.

Like hell I'm gonna pass this up!

So I call the buyer and thankfully, no one's reserving the album. It just came along with a shipment of used cd's that was sent to him. Perfect! Beautiful! This is great!

One phone call and twelve hours later, I'm at the nearest MRT station waiting for him. It was like a scene from a movie: the guy stepped off the train and walked over to the gate, and with a big smile, he took the cd from his backpack and handed it to me.

I wanted to cry. I really did.

After long last and after all that searching, I finally had, in my hands, in my possession, a Juliana Hatfield cd. I hand him the money as fast as I can and I just inspected the album. It was mint! Hardly any scratches on the cd, the bar code wasn't burned off, and the insert booklet was perfect.

Once I had some time to breathe, we got to talking about bands, about albums, and then he also mentioned that he had noticed the greedy seller who had put up her albums a week before. I mentioned to him that I was looking for her albums with the Blake Babies, her old band, and basically every solo record she released between 1991-1995. And with a giant grin across his face, he said, "I can get them for you!".

I looked back and said, "Holy shit, no way!".

"Just give me a couple months, man. And you'll have them.".

"Deal!".

That summer, he sent me:
The Blake Babies: Sunburn, 1990
Hey Babe, 1991
The Juliana Hatfield Three: Become What You Are, 1993
The Blake Babies: Innocence & Experience, 1993
Only Everything, 1995.

Each for a higher price of around PHP850, each. And you know what? They were all freakin' worth it!

Then, a couple months later, he calls me up and tells me he's got the 2000 UK-reissue of 1998's Bed, with the songs from the 1997 EP, Please Do Not Disturb. He sold it to me at PHP600. A few months later, I save up enough to order Crushing Love, her album with side-band, Some Girls, and for my birthday, my sister got me Juliana's 2001 best of album, Gold Stars.
(Michelle, I love you!)

Pictured above,
My Juliana Hatfield collection

And now, here I am. Five years older and hardly any wiser. It's been a long time since I've put myself on the hunt for albums, due to the fact that collecting albums, as a hobby, is freakin' expensive and I can find almost anything I want with a good Google search.

However, as of this afternoon, one artist has come to my attention. Someone who's music is worthy of a long and relentless search. And that artist, is Mary Lou Lord.



Now, Mary Lou Lord came to my attention months ago when I first heard her in the Saturday Morning Cartoon's Greatest Hits compilation, which complied some of the best names in 90's alternative and 80's punk and indie into one awesome album that paid tribute to the songs that accompanied cherished programs like The Flintstones, Speed Racer, The Banana Splits, and Scooby Doo. I had gotten the album initially for Liz Phair's cover of the Banana Splits' theme song, Juliana Hatfield and Tanya Donelly's take on "Josie And The Pussycats", and Matthew Sweet's rendition of "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?".

There were two songs on that compilation that really caught my attention. First was the Murmur's take on the theme song to H.R. Puffnstuff's theme, and the second was Mary Lou Lord accompanied by Semisonic, doing the Archies' beloved, "Sugar Sugar".

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm a sucker for a really good pop song, and "Sugar Sugar" is no exception. It's fun, its light, its catchy, and well, just plain sugary!

Mary Lou Lord gave that song a 90's twist, while retaining the song's strong flavor of late-60's bubblegum pop!

Mary Lou Lord shares many of the same characteristics that drew me to Juliana Hatfield: she's from Massachusetts, she's a cutie that plays the guitar, who has, in her own sense, found the boundaries between perfect pop and distorted rock. However, unlike Juliana who often shifts back and fourth between the extremes of pop and rock, Mary Lou Lord found her spot between, mostly keeping to, from what little I've listened to, this sublime and earnest sense of folk pop, with a little distortion thrown in.

I'm hooked! I want to hear more of Mary Lou Lord and I want to own her albums. I've already been taken by "Jingle Jangle Morning" and her cassette release, Real, which features what has to be the earliest cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Actually, her cover wonderfully stands on its own. It's original and bright, but its still got a subtle sense of teen angst surrounding it. Brilliant, really.

And with that, I return to the great hunt for music. I don't know how long it'll take me or how much it'll cost me before I come across any of her albums. But, I've always found a thrill in finding music. It's a great journey, really... In fact, its more than that, it's an adventure in itself. It is a story worth telling. It us searching for these wonderful works of art created by amazingly talented people that unlike any other form, has the ability to touch us in way that words and pictures can't even describe.

Thank you, Mary Lou! I'm excited about finding music again.