All posts by G. Gordon Gritty

Some Old Jay Reatard Vids

It’s been nearly two years since Jay Reatard left this world. Time seems to be flying. When I first heard Jay in 2008, little did I know he’d become one of my favorites. Little did I know that I’d end up seeing him perform three times. I still need to watch Better Than Something. Hopefully, it gets released on DVD, or at least shown on the big screen in Boston.

[LINK] This video is from a Jay Reatard band practice in 2007. It includes a couple Blood Visions classics, an early take on “Always Wanting More” (Selling your coke or telling your joke, they always want something more from you), and an unreleased song, presumably titled “OH OH OH OH”.

Below is the official music video for “My Family”. Just kidding. Well, kind of. It’s a Mike Long video. It was removed from his original YouTube channel (along with every other of his great videos), but before that happened Jay actually saw it and liked it. In fact, he sent it as ‘thee music video’  to some zine.

Some Saturday Recommendations – December 3 Style

Con Tex – Everything In Con Tex – This the debut album from Con Tex, a Whitehaus Family fixture. Recorded in the summer of 2010, but brought for your listening pleasure right now. I like how it’s tagged “lo-fi by necessity.” The music itself is an adventure in several rock and roll styling from acoustic guitar only jamming to electric axe wielding Kurt Vile if he was more experimental and had a drum machine instead of a back up band sorta stuff. I really enjoy the homey feel to this record. Early favorites: “Hey Go Down,” “Whitewash,” and “Can’t Ask Why.” [LINK]

Joey Ghostly – In My Room – This is a bedroom EP released by The Enthusiasts own Joey. “Loosely inspired by Brian Wilson,” this set of songs shows this young fellow’s excellent songwriting. What’s demonstrated here is proficiency in being able to craft any kind of song with relative ease. There’s a lot of early rock and roll and (of course) Wilson influence here, but Ghostly puts his own spin. The acoustic guitar sounds sweet as does the simple plucking structures. It’s the little things that make this really stand out: the subtle-ish piano, background vocals, the occasional non-acoustic lead guitar sequence. The greatest achievement from my perspective is “Everybody’s Been In Love But Me.” Two other faves: “Stuck In The Mud,” and “For You.” [LINK]

Show: Arctic Monkeys/Black Keys @ TD Garden – 3/7/12

Making their way to the top of the venue chain are the Black Keys. They last played Boston in 2010 at a sold-out Bank of America Pavilion. The Arctic Monkeys themselves have climbed through the ranks and will play their first Boston arena show as the opening act. Is this a must see event for a pretty big Arctics fan? I’ve never seen a concert at the Garden and, in fact, have just one arena show to my credit — Bob Dylan & Elvis Costello at the Ryan Center in Rhode Island. It could very well be a first.

Night Sun – “On My Way”


Night Sun
 is the collaboration between Cole Alexander (Black Lips) and Curtis Harding (Kirkland Underwater/Cee-Lo Green back-up singer). Those two played their first show together in Atlanta last night.

Creative Loafing Atlanta has uploaded “On My Way,” which will be featured on their 2012 debut EP.

Check it out: http://clatl.com/cribnotes/archives/2011/11/29/night-sun-feat-cole-alexander-of-black-lips-debuts-tonight