PopTodd

Cleaners From Venus - Stopping Train All you fans of Syd Barrett, Robyn Hitchcock, XTC, Kinks, et. al.: take notice. A collection of outtakes, b-sides, etc. from Martin Newell and company is always worth a listen. First listen, only a few songs in, and it's a wonderful bunch of homespun English pop (not "Britpop").

Just arrived: It's the companion for Martin Newell's 2011 release: English Electric. All demos, B-sides and previously unreleased stuff. As all of Martin's albums do, this one should find itself near the top of my year-end list. But I'll let you know for sure after listening.

I've heard a lot about this record and should probably check it out. Thanks for the reminder.

For me, I think that 2012 has been one of the better years in a while. Some really great albums from: Barry Adamson Cate Le Bon fun. Justin Townes Earle Dr. John OFF! And some reissues from: Alex Chilton Cleaners From Venus My Bloody Valentine Plus there are albums that I have not yet heard from some other bands that I really like: Best Coast, Ty Segall, Spiritualized, Martin Newell Seriously: Not a good year? I am loving this year.

It's been a while since I've started this FB group, but if you remember the club and miss it as so many of us do, just ask to join and I will add you to the group. No hassles. http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/52416839675/ Let's reminisce.

A cool article about this apartment in the new issue of the Chicago Reader. My friend Dave used to live here with Geoff (who still lives there) and my old band, Sub Rosa, used to rehearse there in the mid-90s, when it was a hangout for the guys in Urge Overkill and Material Issue, too. We called it "The Space-Age Bachelor Pad", but I guess that Geoff started calling it "The Honeycomb Hideout." The shark was there even then. Best apartment ever. So freakin' cool. The picture doesn't do it justice.

And I will admit that my love of Nate Reuss' previous band — The Format — probably has something to do with my love of Fun. Nonetheless, this is still a damn lot better than most of the pap that passes for pop on top 40 radio these days. Well, this probably won't change anybody's mind about the band, but this is another song from the same album. Just an FYI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et1hFMCWhmE Even more of that Queen influence in evidence here (and maybe some Oak Ridge Boys?). But I don't really care. I still love this.

So, now that "We Are Young" has been pretty much the biggest song in the world for the last month or so, what's the current verdict on this album? Figure that by the lack of chatter about them around here these days that we are too indie to pay attention to them anymore. The hell with that. I love this band. And I think that the album is still one of the best of the year. It's great all the way through. Although I do wish that I could escape the single somewhere outside of the confines of my own bedroom. I love that they band is getting some well-deserved success, but I hate that the overpla

Somebody recorded the Big Star show that I was at in 1994 at the Metro. Here's a link to the blog where it's linked: http://wilfullyobscure.blogspot.com/2010/03/big-star-pick-some-posies-and-lets-play.html Not sure if the DL is still available. But if it is, it's well-worth hearing.

Now listening to my favorite Dylan album: Nashville Skyline. I love the unpretentious simplicity of it. And some of his most-beautiful melodies are here, too.

Rest in peace.

That makes me feel a little better. I do hope that he is doing well.

This was one of my favorite local (Chicago) bands throughout the 90s. Wish that I could find more of their stuff online. Yes, I do have the one album that they put out, but most of my favorite songs of theirs are not on there. Like this one, and another one called "Status Offender." Damn I miss those songs!