Flaming Pablum

Greenwich Village Fashion

Record Store Day 2011

Yeah, it's Record Store Day again. I've commemorated it here a few times in the past. It seems each year, there are fewer and fewer record stores to actually patronize. This year, my little boy Oliver and I walked over to Kim's on 1st Avenue. I picked up a copy of The First Four EPs by OFF! (the new-ish hardcore supergroup featuring Circle Jerks vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross bassist Steve McDonald -- and featuring era-appropriate cover art by Ray Pettibon ), while Oliver ran roughshod around Kim's encouragingly-crowded aisles. Before I knew what hit me, he'd plucked out a copy of the Disney's "Cars" on DVD (how he found it on his own I'll never know). Because it was Record Store Day, I thew caution to the four winds and decided to buy it for my little lad for its suitably-princely sum. If it helps Kim's stick around a little longer, so be it. I thought about picking up both the new Gang of Four and the newly-compiled e.p. by Gray (Jean-Michel Basquiat's old No Wave band), but funds were ultimately limited.

Did you do your part?

If not, be prepared for your favorite record store to join the ranks of this tragic list.

10 Years Gone

At the risk of overstating the Ramones theme, I'd like to point out that today marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Joey Ramone. Honestly, it still seems like yesterday. In any case, I wrote a little something-something `bout it back in 2009, which you can click here to read (should you give a damn).

Here's the man in his prime. Raise a glass.

Pretty Mean When It Wants To Be

Just as a quick palette-cleanser...

Angels on East Third

While I've never driven a motorcycle -- much less harbored a desire to ever own one -- I too must confess a tireless fascination with the Hells Angels. Blame it on Hunter S. Thompson's book, or the Maysles' "Gimme Shelter" (wherein the Angels aren't exactly portrayed in a flattering light), but I can't help but be intrigued by this hardscrabble legion of legitimate outlaws. How do they even exist anymore?

The Hells Angels (note defiant lack of proper apostrophe -- a signature "up yours!" to the oppressive statutes of grammar and "the man!") have held court here in New York City on East Third street for so long that they're practically a revered neighborhood institution (although I'm sure some might quibble with that assertion). Legend has had it that nothing happens on that little strip without their say-so. As such, they run a tight ship. It's conceivably one of the safest blocks in Manhattan (though, again -- I'm sure someone might quibble with that assertion). My interactions with them have been fleeting at best, but I did attend one of their fabled Halloween block parties back sometime in the 90s. The Angels in attendance seemed downright neighborly. Whenever I walk down East Third, I usually can't resist taking a pic of their front door or of their bikes (like the shot above, furtively snapped in 1998), before quickly moving on (lest I rouse their ire).

Time was, however, when the Hells Angles were pointedly more than just a quaint curiosity. Check out this snippet on NYC The Blog of "Hells Angels Forever," an early 80s documentary that gave a warts-&-all account of the gang's penchant for violence.

Here in 2011, the Hells Angels are still holding on to their East Village turf, although they are currently involved in a protracted spat with -- of all demographics -- tourists and pedestrians for unsolicitedly sitting on their bench!

What would Sonny Barger have to say about that, one wonders.

Click here for more on the Hells Angels in NYC.

Reel Around the Fountain

As a late birthday present, my sister recently gave me a copy of the revised edition of Marcia Reiss' excellent photo tome, "New York: Then & Now." If you're not familiar with the book, it's pretty much exactly what you'd expect; vintage shots of fabled New York City locales juxtaposed with images of their more contemporary incarnations. For a rampant New Yorkophile like me, it was the perfect gift.

One entry especially struck me, that being the section devoted to Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. It's, of course, a richly iconic, signature landmark of New York City. Bethesda Fountain and its surrounding terraces and environs have made cameos in films like "The Hunger," "Hair," "Godspell" and "The Spanish Prisoner" through music videos ranging from Funkadelic through the Spin Doctors (I want to add that there's a Notorious B.I.G. clip shot there as well -- I seem to remember an image of the portly rapper standing precariously on the second tier of the fountain). The angel atop the fountain's famously inspired Tony Kushner's celebrated "Angels in America" and even graces the cover of the reunion album by Bauhaus, Go Away White.

While I practically grew up in Central Park, I don't think I spent too much time around that area until I was in high school in the early-to-mid 80's. According to Reiss' book, however, during the 1970's -- like much of Central Park, let alone New York City as a whole -- Bethesda Fountain was in a state of disrepair. Moreover, it was nicknamed "Freak Fountain," being that it acted as meeting place for hippies, heshers and hemp-heads during that hirsute period (which might explain its cameo in the Funkadlic clip I cited).

I'm so used to Bethesda Fountain being the picturesque destination it is today, so I was intrigued to find further documentation of this chapter. Lo and behold, I found an amazingly detailed image of the fountain -- riddled with graffiti -- from 1975 on the excellent Shorpy Historic Photo Archive. It's the image at the top of this post, but click here to see it in rich, vivid detail (220 roll film loaded in a Bronica). It's an amazing photograph by all standards.

As I was piecing this post together, I suddenly remembered another bit to share. A couple of years back, my mother gave me an old print. At first glance, it didn't look like anything special, but upon further scrutiny, I quickly realized it was a depiction of the upper terrace of Bethesda Fountain. The only information on it are the words "Circa 1872" written on the back. I completely cherish it. See below.

Makes You Think All The World's A Sunny Day, Oh Yeah

Just a quick one.

Like all my best finds around the `Net, I stumbled upon this collection of photographs purely by accident. From a collection culled together by one Ryan Khatan of the aptly-named Neat Stuff Blog, the strikingly-detailed photograph below depicts 50th Street and Broadway (looking north) circa 1962. It's one of a series of rich Kodachrome slides that are so sharp you're almost inclined to doubt their authenticity. See Ryan's whole set by clicking here, and be sure to click on them to enlarge them in all their bright, wide colors.

82 University Exposed

Shortly after my last post about the former site of the Cedar Tavern, I believe it was EV Grieve who reported that the space had finally been leased. No clue as to what it's going to be, but I walked by last night and the lights were on. 

Something Like a Phenomenon

I saw Liquid Liquid open for LCD Soundsystem at Terminal 5 last week. While not much to watch (imagine four greying/balding gents who probably look like your dad thwackin' away on percussion instruments), they kicked up an admirable amount of funk --- albeit to a largely disinterested gathering.

I first heard "Cavern" by way of Grandmaster Flash's "White Lines." I vividly remembering first hearing it my student commons during my junior year Halloween Dance, squeezed in-between high-volume airings of "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Girls on Film" by Duran Duran (who, ironically, would go onto cover "White Lines" several years later, however ham-fistedly). There's no arguing with that bass line.

According to the YouTube blurb, this animated clip was the only video ever commissioned by Liquid Liquid's seminal indie label 99 Records (formerly located on MacDougal Street .... now an abandoned bar). It's a cool little painterly slice of early 80's NYC.

 

Brick By Brick

I’ve penned many a post about the murals that formerly adorned the walls of SoHo. Yukie from the SoHo Memory Project recently put up a nice, informative and invariably more authoritative post about same. Go check it out!

More about murals:

Paint Over SoHo

More Pictures of Paint

Stripped on Lafayette

Funky Lafayette

El Gringo Es Muerto