The Magic of Primal Music and More Sliding

If you've noticed, there's a theme running rampant through the music player embedded on this here blog. I love music and what's more, I love delving into genres that I haven't explored. I've had many conversations with people about the Nuggets box set(and garage rock in general) so when I found one used in Newbury Comics recently, I snapped it up pretty quickly.

A note - I can be obsessive about things that I dig. Call it compulsion. There's this thing in my brain that forces me to track down burgundy New Balance sneakers that have been discontinued, learn everything I can about certain surfboard shapers and go digging for albums that have long been out of print, vintage sunglasses, ten speed bikes... I think you get it.

So...I played the hell out of all four cds in the set and wanted....more. Specifically, I wanted more of that primal, driving, stomping stuff. If I can quote ODB, "Oh Baby, I like it rawwww." I'm just not an Incense and Peppermints guy. Cue the aforementioned compulsion and Nuggets is joined by (and taking a backseat to) Crypt Records's mighty Back From the Grave series.

Chock full of "Raw and Crude Mid-60's Garage Punk", the series is all killer with precious little filler...and NO psychedelic noodling. I'm bummed that Crypt Records no longer resides in Brooklyn because I'm headed there this weekend but at least I've got the tunes. Great stuff. If you can find these comps and this type of music is your cup o tea, then Back From the Grave is required listening. And since I'm a johnny-come-lately to the whole garage genre, if you've had these for yonks, then I'm preaching to the choir.

I'll save the treatise on the garage-punk stuff of later years(The Mummies, etc..) for another day.

I haven't been in the water lately, although over the past couple of weeks I had one Nantasket session that almost required Dramamine(just a bit choppy), yet another phenomenal(uncrowded) time at the not-so-secret beach break and an ok go-out at the aptly named Good Harbor(generally good, never great and sometimes lousy).

Until next time...this El Meezy saying....

Back to the Garage

Hey Kats and Kittens. Here for your listening(and viewing) pleasure are The Konks with a ka-razy kover of The Strangeloves killer kut, "Night Time". Dig it.

What I Ride

"Why I ride a longboard" - A treatise on the subject by El Meezy:

I dig the glide.

Marathon Sunday

Fried and tired, tired and fried.

Onshores and crap weather were pretty much making any go-outs this week a less than desirable option but today....well....today was great.

The Bollocks(along with Mrs. Bollocks) and I headed out to a not-so-secret and yet never-all-that-crowded beach break. I've mentioned it plenty of times before but I will leave it up to the imagination of you, the readers, to determine which one it is. In any case, it was easily waist high and at one point, glassy and clean as anything.

We had decided to make a day of it and so surfed for a couple of hours, ate lunch and then went back out again. I caught some lovely rides, made more trips to the nose(sort of) and even met the man who pioneered the break(He told me so, resplendent in his springsuit and gloves and with a Surftech under his arm).

I. Am. Wiped.

El Meezy's Middle Finger

Been a long time since I rock and rolled....

As far as the latest and greatest of my sliding ventures goes, I snacked on some choppy apps served up by Bill at Wells Beach in Maine but found my efforts confounded by the blatant jackassery in the water(more on that later) and then a couple days later polished off some leftovers, first at Nahant where I had a great session followed up a day later by a more frustrating go-out at Jenness.

I missed Danny due to a wedding in Arkansas and my latest sessions have been nothing to write home about, therefore....

Welcome to the column entitled "The Middle Finger". I am not a misanthrope, nor do I typically whine about crowds, sup's, etc. but hell, I've got an axe what needs grinding so it's time to give with a few middle fingers.

Our first middle finger goes to the older dude with the white beard and the squid lid out at The Wall yesterday. Listen Jack, I don't give a flamin' fig how many years you've put in at New Hampshire breaks, it doesn't excuse you pulling that right of eminent domain shit on every wave that was even half-way rideable. In your state of advanced decrepitude, you oughta know better. Get bent.

The next middle finger goes to The Wall itself. Between the whole lemming mentality, Canadians on rented bics and softops and a general lack of etiquette from folks that might have a clue, this place can get the penis. I only paddled out because it wasn't working at Jenness.

Third and final middle finger of the day goes to the pack of swimmers, boogers and other assorted flotsam that cluelessly splash around where I've lined up. Yeah, the ocean is for everyone but guess what, YOU'RE IN MY WAY. I make a concerted effort to stay away from people because I don't want to be responsible for anyone getting hurt. Yet, even when I make the aforementioned effort, there is always some brain-dead jackanapes that decides the best spot to get in the water is right where I happen to be surfing(up at Wells, recently). It makes me happy that Labor Day has come and gone and with it, the feckin' circus at all my breaks. Don't let the driftwood smack you in the ass on the way home folks.

Sigh.

That's all the vitriol for today ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for flying with us and have a lovely day.

sliding and a find

I haven't reported on my sliding activities as of late. I've probably made it out at least once a week for the past few weeks. Each session has been on the small side but fun.

Northern expeditions have been the predominant theme of the summer and I find that The Bollocks and I tend to spend more of our time up in Maine or NH to the point that I may never head south again(unless of course Nantasket is working).

This past Friday saw me up at Jenness. The Wall was probably better but Jenness is always quieter and I was able to spend a couple of hours getting more than my share of the squeaky clean shin to thigh high peelers. It was easily one of my best sessions of the summer as regards my meager abilities. Actually, the handful of relative beginners that were out made me look and feel like the Big Kahuna. I really couldn't miss. Highlights included yanking victory from the jaws of defeat when I muffed a pop-up going left but managed to still get to my feet and rode that sucker bully stance and then getting pretty close to a nose ride on a clean little right.

In other news, I recently moved with my little family to Arlington and we're pretty close to the Minuteman Bike Trail. I have a Schwinn beach cruiser but thought that I might like something akin to my Columbia ten-speed that took me everywhere in my pre-driver's license life. With me being out of work, not spending a lot was also a factor.

One day while visiting my Mom, I wandered into a Sal's thrift store and scored....a Fuji Gran Tourer 12 speed in decent condition. It needs a little tlc to get it ready to ride but I'm looking forward to the challenge. Score.

A Year in the Life

On Sunday, my son turned 1. Hard to believe doesn't even touch it. As my older sister put it, "You can't have a son. You're 12."(For the record, I turn 40 in December).

It's been surreal, miraculous, aggravating, puzzling...all that. Every new thing that he does and discovers is both amazing and terrifying at the same time. I remember having to coax him to touch grass...city kid.

Cheers to you little boy!