[Vinyl Vednesday is a weekly feature about three favorite vinyl finds. It’s not meant to be a dick-measuring contest, but it usually turns out that way. E-mail pelonej1@gmail.com with your own big finds!]
Records: Bridge and Tunnel’s East/West (2008) on white, Devo’s Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978) on black, and Nakatomi Plaza’s Unsettled (2007) on clear brown swirl.
Place of Purchase: B ‘n’ T was pre-ordered on vinyl AND disco compacto online through the mighty No Idea Records. Devo came from Hideaway Music in Chestnut Hill, Pa. Nakatomi Plaza was purchased at a show. You had to be there, man.
Thoughts: One of my greatest regrets in life is missing out on Latterman live. I was a huge fan after buying No Matter Where We Go… on a whim back in the year 2005, but I never managed to catch these fine Long Island punk rockers in concert. When Latterman broke up, I was devastated. When the former members started forming new bands, I was all up in them shits. Shorebirds was a must (Latterman/Jawbreaker supergroup? Fudge yeah!). Bridge and Tunnel, featuring ex-Lattermanner Pat Schramm on drums, hooked me right away after a couple of live shows in Doylestown. After a stunning seven-inch, the band dropped this tasty morsel. It’s 41 minutes of post-hardcore-ish social awareness rock. I like it a lot.
I bought the first Devo record because it’s generally acknowledged as a punk/post-punk classic. Alls I knew was I liked “Gates of Steel,” but that song wasn’t even on this album. What I got instead was a whole lotta of sassy, sarcastic, amazing jams, like “Jocko Homo” and a funky yet mechanical cover of The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction)” (akin to what David Bowie was doing at the time). Speaking of live shows I regret missing, Devo, The Hold Steady, and The Loved Ones once playing a show together in Philadelphia. I don’t remember why I missed it, but I’m sure my reason was pure baloney.
I miss Nakatomi Plaza. These Brooklyn punks played with heart no matter the size of the crowd. They actually cared about songwriting and technical wizardry, but their live show sounded identical to their recorded output. I got to see them a bunch of times, thankfully, and I made it a point to pick something up from the merch table each time. They hooked me up each time with early releases, like a rare split with Latterman, but my most treasured find is Unsettled, my favorite NP album, on vinyl. Recorded by my main man J. Robbins, it sounds epic and huge. As literate and political as these songs got, they’re still so dang anthemic. Rest in peace.
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