Damn, Alix Brown is one lucky motherfucker; she played in bands with Jay Reatard (Angry Angles), Bradford Cox (Wet Dreams), and Bobby Ubangi (The Lids). I’m so envious!
Category Archives: Jay Reatard
Three Years Ago Today…
TV Smith (left) and Jay Reatard (right) Photo by Big Takeover– not from the show, but same tour.
Three years ago today was July 3, 2009, a great day in KLYAM history. KLYAM had just started a week prior and so we KLYAMERS were hungry for some good old fun rock and roll shows. At the time, I didn’t know too much about Jay Reatard, but Glen was starting to delve into his discography. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t one of the better live moments I have witnessed, but something about his (and the whole band, which included Stephen Pope on bass and Billy Hayes on drums) performance shook me up from head to toe, so much so that I picked up Matador Singles’08. Which by the way is rare for me to do in general- that is purchase an artist’s music immediately after hearing/seeing them. I went home that night and put on Matador and the rest is KLYAM history. Legendary punker, TV Smith and local power poppers, Prety and Nice opened. Six months later Jay passed away, within that time we had the privilege of seeing him three times. Amen.
Great Better Than Something Video Review
Mad props to lukewilson7 for this humorous, informative, and overall entertaining review of the documentary Better Than Something: Jay Reatard. Seriously, can’t wait for this to hit stores or have a screening in Boston.
Read: “Jay Reatard Through Atlanta’s Eyes”
Rolling Stone has published an interesting article that talks about Reatard documentary Better Than Something and Reatard’s relationships with the city of Atlanta and its people — Jared Swilley, Bradford Cox, the Carbonas, etc.
Check it out: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/all-or-nothing-guy-jay-reatard-through-atlantas-eyes-20120306
Also, check out this hilarious video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvTEPVldEtY
Blog Recommendation: Turn It Down
For fans of punk slime, KLYAM oriented music, check out this awesome blog, Turn It Down. Here’s a link:
http://turnit-down.blogspot.com/
“Exclusive Interviews with Garage-Punk and Rock-n-Roll Musicians!”- Turn It Down
Excellent! The blog has interviews with the likes of Jay Reatard, The Barbaras, and Nobunny.
Flashback: Final Solutions- “I Am The Now” (2006)
Classic performance from early Jay Reatard band, The Final Solutions at Goner Fest 3.
Better Than Somthing Theatrical Run!
Here’s a list of the screenings:
03-02 – 03-08 Brooklyn, NY – Nitehawk Cinema
03-02 – 03-08 Memphis, TN – Malco Studio on the Square
03-02 – 03-08 Seattle, WA – Grand Illusion Cinema
03-02 – 03-08 Portland, OR – Clinton Street Theater
03-03 – 03-05 Phoenix, AZ – FilmBar
03-08 – 03-11 Los Angeles, CA – Egyptian Theatre at the American Cinematheque
03-09- 03-10 Bellingham, WA – Pickford Film Center
03-15 Columbus, OH – Wexner Center for the Arts
03-26 Austin, TX – Alamo Drafthouse Ritz
04-11 – 04-12 San Francisco, CA – Roxie Theater
There’s something wrong with this picture. NO BOSTON SCREENINGS! Pitchfork, however, reassures us “Additional screenings will be announced, with details posted on Facebook and Twitter.”
Two Years Ago Today: Jay Reatard
KLYAM fave and legend Jay Reatard passed away. This came as just as much of a shock to us as it did to others. Though I did not know Jay personally (and if you’ve seen my ‘experience with Jay Reatard’ video, you know damn well), I was affected by his death. Just as he was at the peak of his solo career, I was at my peak in being a fan of his music. Since January 12, 2010, I’ve delved much deeper into his deep discography. If you haven’t already, do check out Angry Angles, Destruction Unit, The Reatards, The Lost Sounds, and Final Solutions.
The Barbaras on TV!
Bit of a flashback video here. Footage of Memphis legends and future Magic Kids members, The Barbaras, playing the classic “Flow,” followed by a brief interview. The audio is pretty shitty, but still I thought this was a neat little ditty, worthy enough for the wolrd to see. Unfortunately, no Stephen Pope or Billy Hayes, off rocking and rolling with Jay!
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.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 