April Record Shopping at Amoeba in Hollywood, Part Two.

I bought all of this stuff (including the previous post) in one five-hour stretch, the first night I was there. I ended up going back a few nights later, but I mostly stayed upstairs digging through the VHS tapes and DVDs. Here are the 12" records I bought:

N.W.A. - "Panic Zone" 12" (1987)

This was my big-ticket item for the day. So, this is the pre-N.W.A. and the Posse 12" that ended up having a picture sleeve that also ended up being the cover for N.W.A. and the Possse which made it all even more confusing. This is the promo version of that original 12", the one that got sent to radio stations. It's also the first N.W.A. record ever. Crazy old Ruthless logo and radio versions of "Dope Man" and "8-Ball" that aren't just edits; they have completely different lyrics. I couldn't not get this.

The Goats - No Goats, No Glory (1994)

This record is never quite as great as I remember it, but for some reason I've been looking for it for years and the more I couldn't find it, the more I wanted it. Not enough to eBay it, so it felt great to finally just find the shit out of it.

O.C.U. - Penitentiary Bound (1990)

You know how MC Ren used to always talk about groups that were biting NWA's style? Yeah, this is one of those. They straight jack the "I Ain't Tha 1" beat during one track. I was optimistic about this one, but now that I'm listening to it, I'm shifting my expectations. Though I continue to be fascinated by the short Asian dude on the cover.

Frank Zappa - All You Need is Glove (1985?)

Every once in a while I'll spring for a Zappa bootleg. This is from a somewhat iffy era, but the track listing actually looks somewhat promising.

Future of the Left - How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident (2013)

I tried to order this around the time it came out, somehow didn't manage to make it actually happen, and then kind of forgot about it. This copy was used, but brand-new. Gatefold still in the shrink and the vinyl is unplayed. So sweet.

2 Fly - "Sex" 12" (1989)

Somehow the words "Produced by Grandmaster Flash" appear on the back of this single and that seems really strange to me. Especially because this was 1989 and they spell it "Grand Master." No idea. But I had to hear what this sounded like. It's not that great. White vinyl and egregious sampling of "Sexual Healing."

3rd Bass - "Brooklyn Queens" 12" (1990)

Records like this epitomize Amoeba to me. Five bucks. If I ever found it in Portland - which I wouldn't - somebody would be trying to get 10 for it. 3rd Bass 12"s are always great: this one's got some nutso remixes on it.

Luke featuring The 2 Live Crew - Banned in the USA (1990)

I loved Luke when he was in Poster Boy mode, and this is smack-dab in the thick of it. I always wanted to hear this record. A great example of why Luther Campbell was successful: The controversy over As Nasty As They Wanna Be jumped off late in '89, and he dropped this 25-track response almost immediately. Dude went to work.

Purple Ribbon - Got Purp? Vol. 2 (2005)

I never heard this one or the first one. The cover on the copy of this I bought is a little ragged in one spot, but it was five bucks. Good enough. Plus, hey: Bubba Sparxxx is on this thing!

El-P - Fan Dam Remix'd 12" (2002)

Weird little 12" that has an RJD2 clean remix and an "original version" of another cut from Fantastic Damage. Couple of bucks for a couple of tracks I don't have. Def to the Jux.

Cash Money & Marvelous - "Find An Ugly Woman" 12" (1988)

I keep finding 12" singles by this duo and I only first heard of them four months ago. Now they're following me. Found this one sealed with the original promo sticker on it. So that's something but not really.

Digital Underground - "Underwater Rimes" 12" (1988)

Been wanting this bad boy for while. This is, as far as I know, the first official DU release. It's on Macola, not Tommy Boy, and features early (similar but different) versions of the title track, as well as a B-side, "Your Life is a Cartoon," that I'd never heard before. Great shape, totally fair price. My Digital Underground collection is bordering on thinking about stepping up and being legit.

The Posse - Chapter 2 (1988)

I guess this is supposed to be a follow-up to NWA and the Posse - the Fila Fresh Crew is one here, and so is Arabian Prince. Digital Underground's "Underwater Rimes" is here too, and so is a track from 2 Live Crew, which makes very little sense. Someone should write a book about Macola Records.





And that was the damage done. Feeling like I really accomplished something here. A parting shot of the Meebs:

April Record Shopping at Amoeba in Hollywood, Part One.

I didn't make it to Amoeba last year, after somehow ending up there for what must have been three years in a row. So, you know, I broke my sad little streak. I was very excited to get back there this year, and apparently used my absence as an excuse to go nuts. I'll start with the 7"s.

Psychotic Turnbuckles - "Crazy Times Ahead" 7" (1993)

I bought this like, "Oh, guitar-rock dudes with a wrestling gimmick." Turns out they're all actual Australian ex-wrestlers. Even better. Sympathy for the Record Industry. Just one of many two-dollar 7" records I picked up on this trip.

Kurt Vile - "It's Alright" 7" (2009)

Early-ish Kurt Vile single that features two non-album tracks on the B-side that are both just OK.

Maximum Balloon - "Tiger" 7" (2010)

Got a sealed copy of this for one dollar, so these must be floating around everywhere. B-side's not on the album, though, so worth it to me. Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio's other project.

Oswald Five-O - "Blue T.V." 7" (1995)

Fittingly enough, this was in the 50-cent bin. Eugene's finest! Early release for the UP label.

Built to Spill - "Don't Try" 7" (2008)

Live single on the Warner Bros. label that keeps it cool by including a noisy take on "The Source" on the flip. Very unrare and unsought-after by collectors.

Tomahawk - "Stone Letter" 7" (2012)

I always wish I was more of a Tomahawk fan. This song is pretty solid. B-side on this one is a crazy etching.

Urge Overkill - "Ticket to L.A." 7" (1990)

I somehow didn't already have this. B-side is "(I'm on a) Drunk," which sounds really familiar to me but I guess I've never heard it before because it seems to be exclusive to this single.

Captain Howdy - "The Best Song Ever Written" 7" (1993)

No, not Dee Snider in Strangeland. This is a band that Penn Jillette and Kramer from Bongwater apparently had during the 90's. Penn on vocals. Absolutely as weird as you would think. Shimmy Disc, clear red vinyl.

Tribe 8 - Pig Bitch 7" (1992)

One of my oldest and best friend's late sister had a record label briefly in the early 90's, and this was one of their first releases, and I think the first release from Tribe 8, which went on to be a notable queercore band. I was roommates with my pal when this came out and we used to get drunk and rock out to "Frat Pig." Been looking for this one for a while.

Ween - "I'm Fat" 7" (1994)

I'm not sure if this is a bootleg or what. High-brow 90's Ween on white vinyl.

V/A - Teriyaki Asthma Vol. VI (1991)

Still plenty of these for me to track down. Apparently I didn't have this one. Got the black vinyl version. Highly melodic music from The Thrown Ups, plus songs from Olivelawn, Pain Teens, and Unrest.

Kostars - "Hey Cowboy" 7" (1995)

Oh, Vivian Trimble. You can call me "cowboy" whenever you feel like it. Clear red vinyl, Grand Royal.

Blag Dahlia - "Let's Take a Ride" 7" (1994)

This record is a perfect example of why Amoeba is the best. It's a 7" that's not particularly rare, but you don't see it all the time. I've seen stores in Portland trying to get $8 for this record. Amoeba had it for 2. So noble.

Gas Huffer - "Mole" 7" (1992)

I have the white vinyl version with the pink sleeve. This is the clear green vinyl version with a green sleeve. Apparently there are a ton of these. Again: two bucks.







And that's where I left it with the 7" singles. Here's where some of them came from:

Next up: I buy a ton of sweet rap records.

Record Store Day 2014.

There were only a few things I really cared about this Record Store Day, but fuck it: I got to Music Millennium at 6AM and waited in line for two hours like any real record-store supporter should. Plus, I really enjoy seeing the look on the faces of people when they show up at 7:30 and see the size of the line - which is waaaay down the block by that point - and then I get to see it again when I walk out with my purchases and they're still on the street, in line, waiting to pick through the scraps. Get your shit together.

However a lot of those people arrived with friends and I did RSD solo this year, so who's the real loser here? We'll call it a wash.

I hemmed and hawed over a few things - The Doors' Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine reissue, the Heavens to Betsy LP, the Atmosphere 12" that I never actually saw - but shit's too expensive. I don't want to get started on that. Here's what I did end up with:

Frank Zappa - "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" 7"

The Zappa 7" last year was cool-looking but didn't contain any new music; this one is bare-bones (paper outer sleeve, no inner sleeve, though they are number-stamped) but actually has some cool stuff on it. The A-side is the single version of "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow," which contains a good chunk of "Nanook Rubs It," which is its own track on the Apostrophe LP. That's not new, but I don't think I have it. The B-side is an alternate mix that FZ did in 1973 of "Down in De Dew," which I know from Läther, but I bet there's other takes floating around out there. It also has the Zappa Records label on one side and a Barking Pumpkin one on the other, which is pure FZ nerd bait.

Nirvana - "Pennyroyal Tea" 7"

The fabled single that was supposed to come out 20 years ago, here today in overpriced form. B-side is "I Hate Myself and Want to Die," which is still a great one.

Mudhoney - On Top: KEXP Presents Mudhoney Live on Top of the Space Needle

Mudhoney's entire set from atop the Space Needle last summer. Good mix of old and new shit, and since Mark Arm isn't playing guitar, he actually nails the vocals. I will always miss Matt Lukin, but I hope Mudhoney is around forever.

Built to Spill - Ultimate Alternative Wavers

Foooooolks. This is how you do an RSD release. First time on vinyl, gatefold cover with obi strip thingy containing details, colored vinyl, hand-numbered (I got 110), gold embossing on the sleeve, and it was only a little over 20 bucks. C/Z, you've still got it.






Yes, I kept it cool. Now I'm off to Los Angeles and Atlanta, where I will keep it less cool.

Event Attendance: Portland's Night Owl Record Show - April 12, 2014

I was too poor to go to the last Night Owl show, but this time around I had a little bit of money to spend and a solid two hours to kill, and I made the most of it. The show was crowded but somehow not as stuffy as it has been in the past, and it was a pleasure to not be visibly sweating while weirdo record dealers watch me pick through their stuff.

There were a few too many tables full of dollar records for me, but I guess if you're young, poor, and building your collection, that can be pretty sweet. Always so much psych-rock, too. But I of course managed to find plenty of stuff. Here it is:

Nirvana/The Fluid - "Molly's Lips"/"Candy" 7" (1991)

This was the most money I spent on a record at the show. Wasn't ridiculous - in fact I got a pretty good deal. I've been wanting this record for a while. I got the black vinyl version; now I'll have to get the green marbled.

Pavement - Pacific Trim 7" (1996)

This is a 7" Wowee Zowee-era EP that I have never come across before. The songs here ended up on Sordid Sentinels, but it's nice to have the original.

Crackerbash - "Bike" 7" (1990)

One of the last Crackerbash singles I need to complete my collection and this dude was selling both the black and the blue vinyl versions. Boom. I bought both. "Bike" ended up on their record (though this is a different version), but the B-side, "Laughing Song," is exclusive to this. I'm pretty sure. Now I'm just looking for the Crackerbash/Jawbox split single.

Faith No More - "Midlife Crisis" 12" (1992)

A really cool picture disc that's only disappointment lies in the fact that it contains four songs and they're all album versions. My brother has had this record for twenty years and I've always been jealous. Now I've got mine. Even has a little pamphlet with info about the band. So detailed.

Praxis - 1984 (1984)

I had no idea this existed but I'm so glad I found it. I'm really only familiar with the version of Praxis from the 90's, and I never realized the concept started in the 80's. From what I've listened to so far, this record is nuts. Dude just hammering on a drum machine and making some really ahead-of-its-time electro.

Sonic Youth - Goo (8-Track Demos) (1990)

This is a classic bootleg - the cover is printed on the wrong side of the sleeve, so the spine is on the right side when you're looking at it. Plus it's on green marbled vinyl. Not exactly sure why I bought this. I like the cover, if nothing else. Pretty sure all these songs are on the deluxe edition of Goo.

Dwarves - Fuck You Up and Get Live (2013)

Well, I can definitely say this is my first 11" picture disc. Yeah, I said 11. It's weird. Just a little bit too small. This came out last year, but contains audio from the DVD of the same name that came out in 2005. This also has a copy of the DVD in a slipcover included. I don't remember the Dwarves saying anything about this, and I'm wondering if they had much to do with it. Regardless, live versions of Dwarves songs are hilarious because the band plays cocaine-fast.

Tad - God's Balls (1989)

The cover on this is a little more wrecked than I'd like it to be, but it's rare to come across this record so I grabbed it. Apparently there is a blue marbled vinyl version of this but the one I got is black. Just like Tad's soul.

Company Flow - Little Johnny from the Hospitul (1999)

Instrumentals from Rawkus-era Co Flow, featuring beats by both El-P and Mr. Len. I have never heard this record so I was excited to find it but I feel like I might have paid five dollars too much for it. But what's done is done.

Mudhoney - Vanishing Point (2013)

I already have this record, but after I bought it I realized there was a slightly rarer "Loser Edition" on clear-smoke vinyl so I vowed to buy it if I ever found it used. And find it used I did. Plus, this record's worth buying twice.

Run-DMC - "You Be Illin'" 12" (1986)

Even when I was in fifth grade this was probably my least favorite song on Raising Hell, but I'm always down for a 12" remix and the one on the A-side here is actually pretty cool. And so is that sleeve.

Vicious Beat Posse - "Give the People What They Want" 12" (1990)

12" single that skips the album version and goes with a "Club Mix" and a dub, plus a radio edit and an instrumental. I like their style. The club mix lives up to its name by being seven minutes long, most of that being the beat straight riiiiiiding at the end. Slump, sucka.




And that was it. Just a warm-up, though. Record Store Day is Saturday, I'm in L.A. next week, and I'm in Atlanta the week after that. And I just bought a bigger suitcase.