I CAN’T WAIT ‘TIL SUMMER (YEAH!)

Summer’s almost gone, as Mr. Mojo Risin’ once intoned, and I’ve been thinking about salvation. Surely just like you, I’ve spent the summer thinking about a lot of things, salvation not the least of them. Bills, pills, shills – even Lofgren, Nils. They all mean different things to different people … and again, salvation not the least of them.

So it was a rough summer – not necessarily dramatic, but difficult; not necessarily stoned, but beautiful. And when it’s like that – and it’s always like that – I turn to the blessed sacrament of rock and roll.

http://www.mediafire.com/?y2hw968ajsngdbe

Above you’ll find a rough approximation of the sounds of salvation as I hear them (and if you’re wondering, I tried to make the preceding statement as pompous as possible, but that’s the best I could do). Enjoy? Tracklist below.

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS:

• The renovation of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was completed and it’s killer. Next time you’re rolling fast down I-95 – supersonic, overdrive – you should stop by.

• There was a Black Sabbath DVD celebrating “Paranoid,” there was a giant Touch & Go book celebrating the artistic contributions of one Tesco Vee, there was a new issue of “Ugly Things,” there was an opportunity to see Altar of Plagues – all the way from Ireland – demolish eardrums in a tiny bar in Richmond.

• I spent a day in Manhattan and saw a friend of 14 years. I got a book about Arthur Lee (“Forever Changes” by John Einarson) and a book by the singer of the New Bomb Turks (“We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001” by Eric Davidson. I didn’t have to go to Manhattan to get these books, but that’s where I got them. I got a big cup of juice at Papaya King, had “Rocket to Russia” flowing through the earbuds and walked right by “Handsome” Dick Manitoba, crossing the street with his wife and kid. I got my sons ridiculous Marvel comics patches for their bookbags.

• I continued to be married to my favorite girl in the world and spent time with our two boys. We saw mountains, went for country drives, climbed waterfalls, played mini-golf, swam in lakes and made plans for the future.

• Oh – and there was a lot of music. I do heartily endorse the following ten albums that were in heavy rotation this summer (in no particular order):

1. SOUVENIR’S YOUNG AMERICA – “The Name of the Snake”
2. CHRISTIAN BLAND & THE REVELATORS – “The Lost Album”
3. VARIOUS ARTISTS – “Fire in My Bones: Raw + Rare + Otherworldly African-American Gospel, 1944-2007”
4. MOUNTAIN MAN – “Made the Harbor”
5. LOS SAICOS – “!Demolicion! The Complete Recordings”
6. HELICON – “Take the Ride” EP
7. TAME IMPALA – “Innerspeaker”
8. SUN ARAW – “On Patrol”
9. HARVESTMAN/MINSK/US CHRISTMAS – “Hawkwind Triad”
10. THOU – “Summit”

… and tied for eleventh place: the new Iron Maiden album and the “Ice Station” EP from Screen Vinyl Image.

REVOLT OF THE MIX, VOL. 1: Ofo, The Black Company – “Egwu Aja” … Woven Bones – “Your Way With My Life” … Magic Wands – “Black Magic” … The Black Angels – “Bad Vibrations” … Burial – “UK” … Indian Jewelry – “Oceans” … The Zeroes – “Work All Day (Sleep All Night)” … Isherwood – “Willy the Weeper” … The Entrance Band – “Lookout!” … Greg Proops – “All You Need Is Tug” … Orchid – “Son of Misery” … The Plague – “The Face of Time” … Harlem – “Beautiful & Very Smart” … The Camp North Star Kids Choir – “Are You Ready for the Summer?” … Samhain – “Let the Day Begin” … Dennis Coffey – “Theme from Black Belt Jones” … Prince Rama – “Storm Worship” … Darker My Love – “Dear Author” … The Asteroid #4 – “Wicked Wire” … The Meek – “I Love You” … Spindrift – “Beauty” … Fred Lloyd – “Kissed Him” … Judas Priest – “Diamonds & Rust” … Electrelane – “After the Call” … The Master’s Apprentices – “War or Hands of Time” … City Center – “Box of Rain.”