The rhythm section - Paul Allen

[DownRound]

That key element: when the bassist and drummer lock in.
Wondering if it's considered cheating when it's the same player.
At the same time.

 

[Michedelic]

That key element: when the bassist and drummer lock in.
Wondering if it's considered cheating when it's the same player.
At the same time.

Plus being their producer.
I saw them, opening for the Minus 5(featuring Debbi Peterson on keyboards and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck on bass)earlier in the year, plenty of Cowsills and Bangles tunes done by both bands, great show. Talked to John a bit about his days with the Beach Boys.

 

[DownRound]

Plus being their producer.
I saw them, opening for the Minus 5(featuring Debbi Peterson on keyboards and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck on bass)earlier in the year, plenty of Cowsills and Bangles tunes done by both bands, great show. Talked to John a bit about his days with the Beach Boys.

Ridiculous amounts of pop talent in that room. Small world/circles sometimes. It's funny how the circles sometimes overlap, but it makes sense, given the overlapping of their musical references and histories. That would have been great a show to see.

 

[Michedelic]

Ridiculous amounts of pop talent in that room. Small world/circles sometimes. It's funny how the circles sometimes overlap, but it makes sense, given the overlapping of their musical references and histories. That would have been great a show to see.

And of course, Vickie Peterson and Susan Cowsill were in the Continental Drifters together. But wait, there’s more…the M5 drummer, Linda Pitmon, is partnered up with Steve Wynn, of the Dream Syndicate, and they have had a band called the Baseball Project with Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck, and my wife and I know Linda(and by extension, Steve)as the two ladies once played together in an all-female backing band for former guitarist for The Church, Marty Willson-Piper. Linda is also in a developing project/band, Psycher, with the Go-Go’s Kathy Valentine, Cait ‘Rocky’ O’Riordan from the Pogues, and the Fall’s Brix Smith.

 

[DownRound]

Scott McCaughey used to manage a used record store called Cellophane Square down the street from where I lived in Seattle. Fantastic store, pretty much everybody who worked there was in a band and were music fiends. Listening stations with headphones where you check out records. You could pick up on a lot of stuff just from what the employees would have playing on the turntable. Now gone, after decades. But I was out of Seattle before it was.
Coming from a small mill town in '77, I knew it was pretty great, but only realized later just how great it was.

I can't remember when it was, The Presidents of the U.S.A. period or thereabout, when the local music newspaper had a story about McCaughey and Peter Buck hanging out, they finally met someone who was as much a music fiend as them, recalling obscure garage bands. I remember laughing, it made sense. Lots of cross-pollination with other Seattle bands, the second tier local bands that had the respect of the other musicians but were a lot more low-key (e.g. Kurt Bloch The Fastbacks, The Baseball Project ). Another member of the Fastbacks, Kim Warnick, had a day job delivering teeth and crowns to dentists for a dental lab. I can't remember how I met her, but she set me up to get the job when she left. On the first day, the receptionist at one of dentist offices I delivered to was playing some Floyd Cramer music. Holy cow! I loved Floyd Cramer. No one played Floyd Cramer. We started talking Floyd Cramer. She was Christy McWilson, Scott McCaughey's then wife. Great singer (The Picketts)

The overall feeling of that whole little galaxy was always fun, humor, but at the same time most were singular musicians in some fashion.
One of the local labels that a number of the bands were on (Pop LLama?) had a yearly picnic at a lake park north of town.

Tangenitally, I somehow I have the feeling that you would never want to meet up against them if they put a softball team together.

I kind of don't think those days are coming back.
Low key. As much for the fun of it.
But you have to hope for the generations coming up.

Hugh Jones Recounts 25 Years of Music History In Seattle and Beyond With 'The Record Store Years' - Split Tooth Media

Jones' Substack explores the quarter-century (1975-2000) he worked at Cellophane Square, a beloved record store in Seattle.

www.splittoothmedia.com

Dang just came across this, wanting to hear Christy.
I didn't have a TV so I missed it.
Small world, but enough for a couple of softball teams.

 

[DownRound]

But wait, there’s more…

(see above)
I forgot to start with the quote when I posted.

 

[Michedelic]

Scott McCaughey used to manage a used record store called Cellophane Square down the street from where I lived in Seattle. Fantastic store, pretty much everybody who worked there was in a band and were music fiends. Listening stations with headphones where you check out records. You could pick up on a lot of stuff just from what the employees would have playing on the turntable. Now gone, after decades. But I was out of Seattle before it was.
Coming from a small mill town in '77, I knew it was pretty great, but only realized later just how great it was.

I can't remember when it was, The Presidents of the U.S.A. period or thereabout, when the local music newspaper had a story about McCaughey and Peter Buck hanging out, they finally met someone who was as much a music fiend as them, recalling obscure garage bands. I remember laughing, it made sense. Lots of cross-pollination with other Seattle bands, the second tier local bands that had the respect of the other musicians but were a lot more low-key (e.g. Kurt Bloch The Fastbacks, The Baseball Project ). Another member of the Fastbacks, Kim Warnick, had a day job delivering teeth and crowns to dentists for a dental lab. I can't remember how I met her, but she set me up to get the job when she left. On the first day, the receptionist at one of dentist offices I delivered to was playing some Floyd Cramer music. Holy cow! I loved Floyd Cramer. No one played Floyd Cramer. We started talking Floyd Cramer. She was Christy McWilson, Scott McCaughey's then wife. Great singer (The Picketts)

The overall feeling of that whole little galaxy was always fun, humor, but at the same time most were singular musicians in some fashion.
One of the local labels that a number of the bands were on (Pop LLama?) had a yearly picnic at a lake park north of town.

Tangenitally, I somehow I have the feeling that you would never want to meet up against them if they put a softball team together.

I kind of don't think those days are coming back.
Low key. As much for the fun of it.
But you have to hope for the generations coming up.

Hugh Jones Recounts 25 Years of Music History In Seattle and Beyond With 'The Record Store Years' - Split Tooth Media

Jones' Substack explores the quarter-century (1975-2000) he worked at Cellophane Square, a beloved record store in Seattle.

www.splittoothmedia.com

Dang just came across this, wanting to hear Christy.
I didn't have a TV so I missed it.
Small world, but enough for a couple of softball teams.

Yep, totally get it. I have lived a similar life, although the details were much different and the cycle was a few years later, first in the midwest and then later in Los Angeles.

Spent around 25 years in record wholesale(one-stop), retail(collector’s store, buyer, new/used, ordering imports and cut-outs, dealing with label reps, then a small chain, product manager, eventually ending at another smaller chain with the largest single location in the country, Amoeba), along with playing in bands, doing PA, spot/stage work for venues, DJ’ing, knowing local promoters, etc. The film High Fidelity hit close to home.

There was a kind of fellowship of record store rats, even if they were with a competitor, that we all had shared experiences that only we could understand. I had a roommate who worked at Tower on Sunset, interned at Capitol, then worked at a small World Music/New Age/Jazz label; I was there one day a week assembling promo packages. That world definitely is dwindling.

 

[DownRound]

The film High Fidelity hit close to home.

There was a kind of fellowship of record store rats, even if they were with a competitor, that we all had shared experiences that only we could understand.

I just read one of the Hugh Jones substack articles (I only came across the substack yesterday) on the Pitfalls of Hiring Music Fanatics, and the music knowledge test that you had to pass to even be considered at Cellophane Square. Very, very funny.
But not unreasonable. That's what made that whole experience different, that's what was lost.

I think a similar thing seems to be reflected in musicians. There's a certain kind of fanaticism that some people have, and an enthusiasm for all kinds of music. All who have this characteristic might no necessarily be musicians. And certainly not all musicians are music fanatics in that same way, those who are enthusiastic across the range.
It's those who are, who do things like these different combinations, it's about appreciation for whatever kind of music.

Yeah, I agree, that dwindling world.

 

[PNW Tony]

I just read one of the Hugh Jones substack articles (I only came across the substack yesterday) on the Pitfalls of Hiring Music Fanatics, and the music knowledge test that you had to pass to even be considered at Cellophane Square. Very, very funny.
But not unreasonable. That's what made that whole experience different, that's what was lost.

I think a similar thing seems to be reflected in musicians. There's a certain kind of fanaticism that some people have, and an enthusiasm for all kinds of music. All who have this characteristic might no necessarily be musicians. And certainly not all musicians are music fanatics in that same way, those who are enthusiastic across the range.
It's those who are, who do things like these different combinations, it's about appreciation for whatever kind of music.

Yeah, I agree, that dwindling world.

You might say that specific music-appreciation world is dwindling, but I also think we've gained something. I love the immediate availability of nearly any type of music online, plus the breadth of information available about it. No need to go digging through record bins and hoping for the best. As an example: I like ska music and have some familiarity with it. The other day, I stumbled across a Two-Tone ska documentary which led me down a ska rabbit hole for a few days which led to making playlists to share. Far easier than making mixtapes. And at each stop along the way, there were commentors and enthusiasts to engage with if one chooses. Different days, not just better or worse.

 

[DownRound]

I love the immediate availability of nearly any type of music online, plus the breadth of information available about it.

The sheer access to information in all forms on the internet, including music, along with recorded media of all kinds, is without argument incredible.
I agree, it is particularly better with respect to music.
It's a point on which there will be disagreement, but in my view, I think the overall changes wrought by the internet outweigh the beneficial aspects.
It was that dwindling world which I was thinking about overall. I guess it went beyond just the subject of music and record stores.

 

[PNW Tony]

The sheer access to information in all forms on the internet, including music, along with recorded media of all kinds, is without argument incredible.
I agree, it is particularly better with respect to music.
It's a point on which there will be disagreement, but in my view, I think the overall changes wrought by the internet outweigh the beneficial aspects.
It was that dwindling world which I was thinking about overall. I guess it went beyond just the subject of music and record stores.

Yes, and my glasses aren't rose-tinted. I'm very concerned about the viability of music as a profession. The demise of the record label contracts and record sales profits make it harder for a musician to support one's self. Adding insult to that are the miniscule payouts from streaming services and the rise of AI music and AI 'musicians'