Monthly Archives: September 2011

Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

How many of us have at one time or another made a “playlist” for a journey of some sort? I would never suggest “road-trip mixtapes” are a lost art, but with i-phones, “cloud tech” and assorted “gizmos,” it’s never been easier to access a record collection at a finger’s touch.

Every now and then I’ll stumble upon a beat up CD or even a cassette, often loosely marked. It’s these road trip mixtapes that are the muse for this week’s Idelic Hour.

Earlier in the week I was in NYC so I posed a simple rock and roll question—what do I want to listen to on my plane ride back to LA? I set out to create a playlist of songs that are really set in the “clouds.”

Jets, planes, and flying have have always been rock and roll themes. While The Rotary Connection is teaching you how to, Peter, Paul and Mary are taking off, The Horrors are “skying,” Eno is feeling warm ones coming, Be Bop Bill Nelson is waking to them. The Flaming Groovies are high flying babies while Judy Henske is unquestionably the stoned queen of the Beats.

At this end of this Fall day, Idelic “Jetplane” is a simple mixtape to be enjoyed in transit—preferably on a flight. The handful of new records come courtesy of a new breed of female vocalists. Irish singer Lisa Hannigan, Julia Stone and female fronted groups Friends and Dum Dum Girls are all high flying birds.

Relax, buckle up, recline, and dig.

The Idelic Hit of the Week: Friends – My Boo

That Metal Show’s Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson are in DC tonight (9/29) and tomorrow night (10/1) at DC’s shiny new Riot Act Comedy Theater and as such we’ve spent this week at TVD getting Don and Jim on the record—on METAL records. 

We’ve got their Top Five Favorite Metal LPs on VINYL in a countdown that’s not too different from a That Metal Show Top Five List. 

It’s our last day with Those Metal Heads and we’ve got their picks for their favorite Metal LPs on VINYL – of all time. Just try to argue with their choices…y’can’t.

JIM FLORENTINE’S #1: Ozzy Osbourne – “Blizzard of Ozz / Diary of a Madman”
I remember as a young teenager being heartbroken that the original Sabbath broke up. I was a huge Ozzy fan so I was really rooting for his solo music to be on par with Heaven and Hell which was out 6 months earlier then Blizzard.

I remember going to an import record store in Sunrise, Fla an ordering the album from England before it was out in the States. I saw the cover and thought at first Ozzy was a chick. I went home and put in on my turntable and heard the opening chords to “I Don’t Know” and it changed my life.

I also throw in Diary Of A Madman because that came out pretty soon afterwards and I remember I couldn’t go to school in the morning unless I listened to the title track because I was so miserable being stuck in a private Catholic school with a bunch of rich yuppies. Plus, none of the girls wanted to have sex with me because I had Ozzy written on my knuckles in magic marker!

DON JAMIESON’S #1: KISS – “Alive II”
Nothing cooler in the world than opening up that gatefold and seeing the KISS stage show in all its glory. Peter up on the giant drum riser, tons of fire, Gene, Paul, & Ace on their rising platforms.

The ultimate live extravaganza! Of course we know now that the album isn’t “exactly” live but still killer anyway.

That Metal Show’s Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson begin a three night stand TONIGHT (9/29) at DC’s shiny new Riot Act Comedy Theater and as such we’re spending this week at TVD getting Don and Jim on the record—on METAL records. 

We’ve got their Top Five Favorite Metal LPs on VINYL in a countdown that’s not too different from a That Metal Show Top Five List. 

And we’re not leaving you guys out of the loop either. We want to hear your Top Five Metal LPs on VINYL in the comments to all of Don and Jim’s posts this week and the one commenter who makes a solid case for his or her Top Five list will win a FREE PAIR OF TICKETS to see Don and Jim on a night of their choosing this week. 

It’s Day #4 which means we’ve got the guys’ #2 on their Top 5 List. (Which sounds sorta…distasteful.)

DON JAMIESON’S #2: Iron Maiden – “Killers”
The first Maiden album I ever bought. I didn’t even know who they were at the time. I just saw their mascot Eddie on the front cover with his axe and I knew I had to have it. Still my fave Maiden album to this day.

JIM FLORENTINE’S #2: AC/DC – “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
My 2 older brothers turned me on to AC/DC when I was a teenager and of course I gravitated to songs like “Big Balls,” “Love At First Feel,” and “Problem Child.” I loved Bon Scott’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics and the hard rock sound coming from the rest of the band.

I would stare at the album cover for hours and wonder who would stay at a sleazy hotel like that. I guess I have come full circle because as I am writing this, I’m staying in a sleazier one right now!