welt - lame (1994 doctor dream)

Sacramento's Welt were overlooked in the mid-90's, but "Really? Part 2" remains one of my favorite power pop songs of that era.

Matt and Ross Levine played in an early version of Big In Japan.

1. Lame
2. Really Pt 2

myspace

DL 'LAME'

i'm sure the tsa screening goes really smoothly

Fully support this guy's (or gal's) right to put whatever he (or she) wants on his (or her) vehicle. Just sayin', chances he (or she) is not on a watch list = 0.

one good eye - larger than letters (1996 over the counter)

Ah. Good to be back. Hope y'all had a good Turkey / Tofurkey Day.

So, I always confused One Good Eye and One Eye Open, even though they are not similar. I'm sure that I'm not the only one. One Good Eye plays that Rocky Mountain style of pop-punk ala Pinhead Circus. Good stuff. Won't change your life, but solid.

1. For
2. Close Up
3. Infection
4. Maybe It's Me

DL 'LETTERS'

betty's love child - double ep (1995 17th st)

San Jose's Betty's Love Child mixed the best elements of gruff East Bay and SoCal pop punk (personally I hear Crimpshrine and Gameface). I don't know why they weren't bigger, but I know I didn't listen to them for a while based on their name. I always lumped them in with alt-rock bands with girls names (Lucy's Fur Coat, For Love Not Lisa, etc). My loss. This is good shit.  

Bassist was one of a billion members of The Unit Breed.

1. It's Not The Way
2. Tattered
3. In My Sleep
4. Success
5. The World
6. All About Us
7. Bottom Of The Sea
8. Like 100 Years
9. Paul Van Gough
10. Falling Down 

DL 'DOUBLE EP'

gif of the day

[warmingglow]

trans-siberian orchestra can suck it

[hyst]

scholastic deth - shackle me not (2001 625 thrashcore)

mo' deth 4 u lol

1. PMA 2000
2. Rock Together
3. Bookstore Core
4. Options
5. Xtreme = Mainstream
6. Shackle Me Not

DL 'SHACKLE ME NOT'

porkyland

Apparently, Porkyland has been a San Diego institution since 1982. But you could have fooled me. Their style of food makes it seem like they are a transplant from some other part of the state/country. I've been there twice now, and came out confused both times.

The first time, I ordered a Carnitas Burrito. The carnitas, which Porkyland is so famous for, were good, but that's all there was in the burrito. Nothing else. In San Diego, for the most part a burrito = meat, salsa, and guacamole. With out those other two ingredients, a burrito can be a dry and boring thing. Which this was.

But I decided to give Porkyland another shot. This time I ordered the Carnitas Nachos. This is what I got:

Is there another place in the entire county (besides Taco Bell) that uses nacho freaking cheese on nachos? And yes, I realize it's called "nacho" cheese, but seriously, I'm not in sixth grade. I can handle actual cheese, as 99.9% of taco shops in San Diego seem to know. Everything else on the nachos was pretty good, especially the carnitas. But the nacho cheese ruined everything.  #nachofail

I'll give Porkyland one more try. Tacos next time. Would be really hard to screw that up.

denny's

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a wild man. I'm pretty much the opposite. This lack of adventure and excitement even applied to my college years. So, on many weekend nights, the highlight was when me and Mark would head to Denny's right around 2 a.m. to watch the migration of Fresno scumbags from the bars to Denny's. There were many highlights, but the highest being was when a black  busboy named Harold, sick of the antics and comments of some drunken hicks, whipped off his apron and challenged the rednecks to fight outside. Oh, Harold, if you only knew how highly me and Mark think of you even today. Wherever you are, you're a hero and inspiration. You my friend, were not fucking around.

Anyways, all this is preface to say that it does not surprise me in the least that this happened at Denny's.



Par for the course.

scholastic deth - revenge of the nerds (2002 625 thrashcore / wake the dead)

Scholastic Deth were a Bay Are hardcore band fronted by Hirax Max of Spazz. Pretty sure a Jud Jud dude may have been involved as well. This is thrashcore defined.

1. Drop The Bomb
2. Book Attack
3. One Day At A Time
4. Kill 'Em With Politics
5. Sham(E)
6. Old People Are Dumb
7. Revenge Of The Nerds

DL 'REVENGE'

sickening

court metrage comp ep (1994 panx)

Court Metrage is mainly filled with short, fast hardcore songs. Some of the bands are well known, and some were never heard from again. All in all a great record from France.

1. Kwik Way - I Want You Too / Fuck
2. Beyond Description - Treason
3. Couch Potatoes - Cold Can
4. Six Feet Over - No Compromise
5. No Fraud - No Fraud
6. Watch You Drown - Now She Don't Care
7. Post Mortem - Rumpus Room
8. Youth Gone Mad - U Want It
9. Rats Of Unusual Size - He's The Man
10. F.Y.P - Walking Contradiction
11. Masturbates Motel - TV Game Set
12. Sockeye - Scouting
13. Besmet - Apartheid Inc.
14. Blanks '77 - They
15. P.U.S. - Casualty
16. Sea Monkeys - Crossing The Street With Don 

DL 'COURT METRAGE'

the walking dead

The Internet seems to be split on whether The Walking Dead is the greatest thing ever or the worst thing ever. My take is that it's a little bit of both. The special effects are pretty great, and the show can be quite  exciting and suspenseful, but good God could the acting and plot lines be worse? It's a zombie show, so I'm not expecting Emmy-caliber performances, but Breaking Bad and Mad Men have made my expectations a bit higher for AMC. It's gonna stay on my DVR, cuz the pluses (gore) outweigh the minuses (acting, plot). To focus on the negative, I can't remember when I've seen such stock, uncomplicated characters in a TV show. The "good guys" should have straight up put a bullet in the heads of racist Merle, Daryl, and wife-beating Ed, squirrel hunting capabilities be damned. When Armageddon comes, if you have no redeeming social value, then you have no value period.  No time for assholes. But the zombies are really cool, and seeing this amount of gore on basic cable kinda rules.

heaven sent desserts

Heaven Sent Desserts is certainly no match for Extraordinary Desserts, but it is good, and doesn't make you stand in a line for a half-hour. Wifey got the chocolate cake thingamabob, which was enormous. I love chocolate, but this was a little much for me. The base of rice crispies was a nice touch.

I opted for the bourbon bread pudding thingamajig. Didn't realize it had Satan's favorite food (raisins) in it, but they were few and far between, and easy to pick out. Taste wise, it was pretty much a cinnamon roll with ice cream. Still really good, though.

Basically, birthday weekend rules.

almost ready, almost there, or is it already over?

Descendents at Fun Fun Fun Fest.

kill holiday - monitor dependency (1995 new age)

San Diego post-hardcore. Kill Holiday (originally just Holiday) featured Barry Kellman (Amenity), Steven Miller (Unbroken), Robert Moran (Unbroken, Over My Dead Body, Narrows, Some Girls), & Oscar Paz (Impel). There are rumors that I worked at the Wherehouse with Steven, and possibly went to some Padre playoff games in 1998. I can neither confirm nor deny.

1. Monitor Dependency
2. Cold Shoulder

DL 'MONITOR DEPENDENCY'

tita's kitchenette

Tita's is a filipino cafeteria-style restauraunt in National City. I've never been a big fan of filipino cuisine. As much as I respect the "eat every part of the animal" aspect of the culture, I am a spoiled white guy who gets grossed out kind of easy. I admit that doesn't make much sense. Like, why is it any less gross to eat the muscles and fat of a cow than to eat the head and liver (sisig)? It's not. It's all gross if you think about it. Which is why I choose not to think about it.

What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, Tita's. Fortunately for the unadventerous gringo like me, they have meat on a stick. In this case, they have BBQ Chicken and BBQ pork skewers. Both had really good char on the outside, while staying relatively tender inside. Two skewers and some rice set you back $7, which is a really good deal. I had no problem with the food, but I was also not in a state of euphoria like a lot of Yelpers. The actual restaurant was another story. The tables are set up in a haphazard manner, and mine was so unbalanced that I feel like I pulled off a minor miracle of physics in being able to eat without my food ending up on the floor. Plus, trying to cut meat with flimsy plastic knives in a styrofoam shell was a challenge, especially on a wobbly table. Also, my table was kind of near the bathroom, and the bathroom had a god-awful odor coming from it. Finally, I was getting a real Soup Nazi vibe from the employees. Sorry for asking about lumpia! I assumed a filipino place would have plenty of lumpia. No need for the attitude.

The line in Tita's is crazy, and people do not stop showing up (it was about 1:30 pm when I went). They must be making decent money. It would be nice if some of it went back into the restaurant. I'm sure people would say the the funk and/or funkiness give Tita's a bit of charm in this corprate, oversanitized world. But I don't think non-wobbly tables and a clean bathroom equal selling out. 

Good food. Cheap. Just order it to go and you'll be happy.

programming note

Not happy with how tonight's rip cam out. There will be new music tomorrow I promise.

a random list of isp's i've used

• lemoorenet
• prodigy
• aol
• netzero
• bluelight
• comcast
• cox
• sbc
• yahoo
• juno
• time-warner
• earthlink

how to eat at chipotle: counterpoint

Spencer Lund at The Awl gives his instructions for ordering at Chipotle. Go read it. There's some good advice in there, but....

Spencer, you ignorant slut.

1. Ordering a burrito bol is quite acceptable, with the following caveats:

• You must order chips to make your own Chipole Nachos.
• You must order ALL of the salsas and hot sauces. And then add some Tabasco Chipotle. 

The lots of cheese and sour cream advice stays, though. Some Chipotle employees are fucking tight with the dairy, though it was worse when McDonald's had a large stake in the company.

2. Chicken is quite acceptable.

I do see where Spencer is coming from, but Chipotle's chicken kinda kicks ass, and their steak is sometimes chewy as a motherfucker. Barbacoa should always be the first choice, though. 

3. Pinto beans over black beans. Every. Single. Time.

What's this about pinto beans being healthy? THEY ARE SEASONED WITH BACON. Blacks beans are like a 90's thing. I honestly do not remember encountering a black bean before 1995. They're not terrible, but pinto is the time-tested classic. Don't be fooled. 

4. If possible, sneak in your own Tapatio.

Why Chipotle carries Tabasco is something I will never understand. 

5. NO FUCKING LETTUCE.

Here, let me water down your flavorful bol/burrito with something that adds absolutely nothing. BTW, this also applies for In'N'Out. 

6. NO FUCKING GUACAMOLE.

We're eating at Chipotle, obviously we're not swimming in money. $2.50? Get the fuck out of here. That's over 40% of the price of the rest of the burrito. 

6. They have limes, free soda water, and sweet 'n' lo. Skip the soda and make a ghetto lime drink.

7. You're welcome.

teabaggers gone wild

In case you didn't get the memo: recycling is Socialism.

A decision by the Fountain Hills Town Council to hire a single trash hauler and begin a curbside recycling program has been met with angry protests from residents who accuse town leaders of overstepping their bounds and taking a leap toward socialism.

Some even likened it to "Obamacare" for garbage, calling it "trashcare."

I live in La Mesa, a small, conservative city that has not only a contract with one trash collector, but (gasp!) curbside recycling. I bet the residents in the Jewel Of The Hills will be shocked to find out they are secret socialists!

Expect more of this. The Teabaggers won't shut up until we live in Thunderdome.

[wonkette]

no win situation - rat bastard (1992 nawpost)

No Win Situation was an early 90's NYHC (but notably not in the tough-guy-Madball vein) band and this was their only release.  This was their only release. I wonder if it's worth anything?

1. Lee Harvey
2. Waiting In Line
3. Trimmer
4. Know Fun
5. So Sorry
6. Banzai
7. Hate To Take

DL 'RAT BASTARD'

mario's de la mesa

Went to Mario's cuz Wifey likes it and I'm a good husband. I ordered the pork mole, and this is what I got.

Looks kinda gross. Was kinda gross. Pork was tough. Mole tasted like gravy, and the presence of mushrooms didn't help. Only redeeming aspect of the meal was the "secret" salsa, which was pretty good. People (including my wife) love this place, and I have no idea why. But I'll be back, because I'm a good husband. Have I mentioned I'm a good husband? Cuz I'm a good husband. 

taint misbehavin'

Sarah Palin twatted this:

Which automatically triggers my Mr. Show reflex.



Theodore Brixton, a true legend.

tiltwheel - know (1994 liquid meat)

Well I know at least two people who will be stoked to see this post, but won't download it because they already have everything Tiltwheel has ever done.

Ah, Tiltwheel. Perhaps San Diego's most beloved band. They get Leatherface comparisons, but I find them to be uniquely, well, uh...Tiltwheel.

Is it just me, or has it seemed like Tiltwheel has received more props over the past few years than their entire first decade?

Here's an excellent Razorcake interview.

1. Know?
2. Another Sappy Song About Hate
3. Snap

DL 'KNOW'

get ready for the obama impeachment

The last time we had a Republican Revolution in 1994, these are some of the reps. senators, and governors ushered in:

• Rick "Man On Dog" Santorum
• Bill "VCR Doctor" Frist
• Jim "Climate Change Is A Hoax" Inhofe
• J.D. "Friend of Abramhoff'" Hayworth
• Bob "Do As I Say Not As I Do" Barr
• Saxby  "Triple Amputee Vietnam Vet Max Cleland Is Buddies With Osama Bin Laden" Chambliss
• Sam "Intelligent Design" Brownback
• John "Watch Your Wife Around Me" Ensign
• Bob "Really Good (Convicted) Friend Of Abramhoff" Ney
• Tom "DDT Is Awesome" Coburn
• Zach "Secession" Wamp
• George W. "Miserable Failure" Bush

 Wonder what kinds of surprises await us this time. This oughta be grand.

ned kelly / three years down (1995 scooter's)

Ned Kelly mix some Hot Water Music, some Fugazi, and some math to a stunning effect. I've posted Three Years down before, but the songs on this release lean much more to the punker side of the rock 'n' roll spectrum.

Weird thing is, I have barely any evidence this exists. Googling it got me nothing but a few mentions on record lists. It's on Scooter's Records, which I can find nothing on. If anyone has any background info on Ned Kelly or Scooter's Records, please share in the comments.

1. NK - Polished
2. NK - Suffering
3. 3YD - Dropping Bricks
4. 3YD - Good Kirk, Bad Kirk

DL 'NK / 3YD'

signs, signs, everywhere there's signs

Sign Montage from the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear from ekai on Vimeo.