2007

So apparently my elders tell me this Bob Plant character used to be dripping with sex appeal, with all kinds of smokin’ hot chicks and heterosexual men alike wishing to

The closest I’ve ever come to being ‘punk rock’ was when I played guitar in a one-off performance of the Grateful Dead Nixons. We played a four-minute set of Dead tunes done with the tempo, brevity and angst of a visit to CBGB’s bathroom.

I’m not shitting you when I say that we played four albums worth of Dead songs in four minutes. Our version of Dark Star took more time to count out than it took to actually play. But that’s the closest I ever came to being punk rock. We did not break anything or topple amplifiers, and we didn’t even spit on the audience. Although, I think my shirt may have had a tiny alligator on the left breast…

While I’m obviously not a punk rocker in any sense, I once had a decent collection of seven-inches and a couple of cool patches for my backpack. I’ve long since moved on from my “Gabba-Gabba-heyday(s),” until last week, when the iPod Shuffle Gods dropped a perfectly timed Sonic Reducer by The Deadboys on me.

I’ve spent the last seven days brushing up on my favorite two-minute power-chord cures for disco. At the request of B-List patriarch Scotty Bernstein, it’s time to present my personal Top 10 punk bands of all time. To make things interesting, I’ve decided to make it omit any bands with names that start with the word “The.” So, pierce your nose with a safety pin, and let’s dig in after the jump…

Today begins a regular Thursday column from our friends Rupert & Stan…

It seems Neddy’s Ye Olde Algorithm predicted the future the other day. You see, last Friday’s Mix Tape includes the tune “Welcome, Ghosts” from Explosions in the Sky. Hey, thanks for the welcome, Neddy. We’re psyched to be here.

Ace asked us, Rupert and Stan, from the sports blog, the Ghosts of Wayne Fontes, to contribute a weekly column here on Hidden Track. We’d like to think he thinks we’re kinda funny and insightful, but we think he probably just feels sorry for the readers of our own site who come to read about sports and get 2,000 words about our favorite versions of Harry Hood, Top 101 albums they have never even heard of, and why Phish is like Michael Jordan. Basically, we are a couple music fanatics trapped in a Deadspin world. And we’re here to help.

Thus, we couldn’t be happier to spend some time with y’all every Thursday to chat about some music. Obviously, we’re calling it the “The Story of the Ghosts,” or maybe “SOTG” if you’re into the whole brevity thing. We haven’t really decided the exact direction of the column, but just to give you some idea of where it’s probably headed: We like sincere analysis, dropping a lot of wise-ass comedy and incorporating some odd interview stylings, and we have a bizarre penchant for keeping lists. It’s not uncommon to spend entire workdays hashing out spreadsheets, with elaborate ranking systems, and devising complex mathematical algorithms using a concept known as “averaging” to break down our favorite catalogs of any number of topics.

So that’s us. Since it’s our first day and all, we come bearing gifts. We’re gonna talk about lesser known show, but one that we both agree is nothing short of legendary. The band is Mr. Blotto and this one comes from their annual Chicago festival, Blottopia 8. Read on for more of our first installment…

It’s clear that someone needs to define two terms: “rock and roll” and “legendary performer.” Rolling Stone reports that Madonna and John Mellencamp will be inducted into the Rock and

It’s a little weird that Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers has given me a better holiday gift than anyone in my family. [The Better] Bruce offers up a mix of the best tracks from this past summer’s tour freely available for download for a limited time through through his website. This amazing compilation features some of Bruce’s best originals, as well as killer covers like Standing On The Moon.

• The Ultimate Bootleg Experience found the best Led Zep aud recording
• Umphrey’s McGee gets by with a little help from their friends on the 56th edition of their long-running podcast series
• My Jazz World kicks down Herbie Mann’s Live at the Whisky A Go Go
• The Roadhouse presents this recording of VH-1’s Storytellers featuring the original lineup of Smashing Pumpkins
• Nazz Nomad pays tribute to John Lennon over at Bleedin’ Out
• Smuggled Sounds looks back on one of Faith No More’s best
• Bootleg Friday makes a strong return with a Little Feat boot from 1973

Finally, the always-on NYCTaper shares his fine lossless recordings of Yo La Tengo, Fiery Furnaces and a band we’re hearing tons about, MGMT…