Rhino is closing shop. Or at least "the shop." Doesn't say how the label is doing. My brother-in-law got me a gift certificate & took me to Rhino a few years ago. (I usually spend Xmas on the West coast.)

Hi, all. Yes, I'm still alive. The back is improving but I'm still on work disability. Not a lot of pain anymore unless I do something I know will aggravate the condition -- like sit at a computer & type. Hence the radio silence. I check posts every few days, but when the computer ate a post that was too long to rewrite I gave up. Also, I was so taken aback by David's assertion that Lipstick Traces was Greil Marcus's best that... that... that I still can't respond adequately. All I can say is... MYSTERY TRAIN! It's like someone saying that S6 was Buffy's peak. I lose capacity for rational thought. Actually, that's not true. In fact I'll give you a ratio:

Greil's Rolling Stone Illustrated History essay on punk:Lipstick Traces::"Lovers Walk":pussywhipped Spike's S5/S6 arc

Which is to say that a terrific short version sometimes becomes bloated and enervating when expanded. I think late Spike was a less promising idea than Lipstick Traces, but in each case I think the main problem was execution. And to be fair to Greil, I don't yell, "Oh, for God's sake just kill it already!" when I see a copy of Lipstick Traces.

Doesn't say how the label is doing.

The label's been reduced to a reissue arm for Warners for some time now.

Good to hear from you, Joe. I've been worried.

that I still can't respond adequately. All I can say is... MYSTERY TRAIN!

I am reading it this weekend and this makes me considerably more excited.

It's like someone saying that S6 was Buffy's peak.

But then again, I am a huge, huge fan of S6. I don't think it's the peak (clearly the second half of S2 was the peak of not just Buffy but perhaps episodic TV period). (It goes 2, 3, 6, 4, 5, 7, 1 in my world just for the record.)

By all of which I mean: nice to see you posting, joe. I hope you continue to feel better and better until back pain is a dim and distant memory.

Excuse me while I have a giddy ElderGoth moment: I just took advantage of the secret pre-sale website to order my tickets for Sisters of Mercy.

t verra jealous of Jilli

The Mekons's "Prince of Darkness" is about their lead singer, who is a friend of the band's.

Misha is back in town!

I needed a couple of days to digest that barbecue.

Does anybody here have Arcade Fire's cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Maps rattling around their computer? I can't find it anywhere and would like muchly to give it a listen.