Lulu Eightball

by Emily Flake

Two guys from Wolverhampton, UK.

From the Letherette EP2, 2011. Avail. on iTunes:

MP3: Letherette- Yeah Yeah Love

No proper release on these two from previous year(s):

The Grand Funk post below is the 500th post on Bad Luck City Blog.

500 isn’t bad for a hobby in which I ONLY partake during my weekday lunch break.

500 is a lot for someone who really only averages ONE POST PER WEEK.

500 posts puts me and my blog into the top .001% of bloggers, almost like my man Mitt, which makes us both out-of-touch elitists.

Mitt Romney net worth: $250-$270 million, putting him in the top .001 percent of Americans

I suppose I must now provide my readers, you lowly 99%, something for nothing, right?

Here’s some Detroit techno from 1985. Don’t expect this from every post for chrissakes!

MP3: Model 500- Night Drive (Thru Babylon)

See, this is what I’ll miss most about the crackdown on filesharing sites Megaupload and FileSonic: If it weren’t for Brazilian music blogs and those online storage sites I would’ve never listened and downloaded Grand Funk Railroad‘s 1969 debut LP On Time, and I would’ve never experienced the joy of their 5 minute drum solo on the track “Tnuc“.

It’s not that I’m not familiar with Grand Funk. Hell, second only to Bob Seger, GF albums took up nearly half the shelf space of the record department in my local Kmart when I was a kid. and yes, I bought most of my records at Kmart in the 70s.

Back to that drum solo. 1969 was the year of the Archies “Sugar Sugar” and Neil Diamond‘s “Sweet Caroline”. Yes, Led Zeppelin also released their debut LP that year, but in a decade when bubblegum pop still ruled the AM airwaves, it was pretty ballsy for a group of teenagers from Flint, Michigan to release a chunk of stripped down blues-jam rock and roll, with one track an almost 9 minute opus with a 5 minute drum solo right in the middle.

The 60s really were a great decade for musical innovation.

MP3: Grand Funk Railroad- Tnuc

One personal note about GFR: My high school buddy Trevor’s best friend at his previous school was Mark Farner’s nephew, and since Trevor played guitar, he got to meet Farner and play with him on a few occassions. I think that was the highlight of Trevor’s life to this day. Farner also owned a farm (and possibly still does) just down the road from my Grandparent’s farm.

GFR are also Homer Simpson‘s favorite band: When hearing that the kids didn’t know anything about GFR, he said, “You kids don’t know Grand Funk? The wild shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner? The bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher? The competent drumwork of Don Brewer? Oh, man!”

MP3: Etta James- You Got It

1968, B-side of “Fire“. My favorite track from the blues soul goddess.

And of course, you can’t ignore this masterpiece:

RIP Etta on Pitchfork<

Clarification: Number one US OWNED brewer. They still only have a tiny 1% market share, but they just passed Sam Adams in barrels brewed.

Yeah, most Americans still haven’t heard of Yuengling, but their territory is spreading every year, and yes, Bud and Miller still outsell them by the millions, but they’re both owned by foreign companies, even though they still brew in the US.

By the way, don’t tell anyone, but I can’t STAND Yuengling Lager. If I’m diggin’ around in the cooler and my choice is between a Lager and a wine cooler, I’ll take the wine cooler!

Here’s the article

image credit

First the good:

The long-abandoned Uptown Theater, where soul luminaries like James, Michael, Aretha, and Diana (we’re on a first-name basis here) once performed, is getting some investment and grant money. The plan is to have offices and retail on the upper floors and entertainment in the main lobby. Sounds like a stretch to me, but lets hope for the best.

Philly.com: Effort to revive Uptown Theater is on track

Uptown Theater on wikipedia

Now the bad:

Out of the countless historical yet abandoned buildings on North Broad, the most majestic is the Lorraine Hotel. Every time I pass it I’m in awe. Apparently every effort to revive it has failed.

Untapped New York: A Divine Tragedy, Philadelphia’s Divine Lorraine Hotel

And on the topic of North Broad, The wonderful Hidden City Philadelphia posted an article about a little cemetery on the corner of Broad and Green Lane. The family burial plot dates back to the 1700s and the Battle of Germantown.

If you live in the area, or even if you don’t, read the article, forget about the Bell and just visit these sites. You won’t be sorry.

DivShare: The Supremes- Stormy (c/o POB)

uptown photo credit

Lorraine photo credit

The beats, chops, loops and soul samples is keeping me warm in this cold:

Knxwledge, from Philly, 2010:

MP3: Knxwledge- ∆romatik

From French beat collective La Fine Equipe, 2011:

MP3: La Fine Equipe- Financier (Feat. Powell)

Another Frenchie, This one by the name of Guts. There’s still a lot of trip hop, downtempo and big beat coming out of that country. Cool:

MP3: Guts- What is Love?

This is brand new from one of my favorite beatsmiths, Leonoard Dstroy. Git it free from Boulder-based Elm And Oak Records. Don’t delay– it’s wonderful:

MP3: Leonard Dstroy- ADHD Part One

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No, I’m not lusting after these because they’re from my former down-and-out haunt. I’m drooling because these works of art are all made with Columbus SL tubing and chrome Nova lugs. Plus the beautiful copper-plating, the Campagnolo and Cinelli parts, the wooden track rims, Brooks leather saddle, and to top it all off, “pre-war Schwinn Paramount” hubs (??)

There are 4 frames and 5 complete bikes to choose from.

Is it too late ask Santa for one of these?