Troubles on the Mainline – Internet access is snailing, too slow to post, hope to be back up soon.
Saturday Matinee – The Ides of March, Lucky Chops & GA-20
“This is really a monster song; no matter which dial you punch on that radio, you’ll hear this one.”
I don’t know about punching dials, but The Ides of March helped bring the horns back into rock with Vehicle (1970).
Lucky you. It’s Pizza Day via Lucky Chops.
Nice cover of Mel London‘s Cut You A-Loose.
GA-20 came onto my radar relatively recently, and they definitely got the sound.
Looks like it’s gonna be a nice weekend despite what everyone says. See you back here tomorrow.
The .Gif Friday Post No. 699 – Pixeldog, Intimidating the Broccoli & Mocking the Dog
Glass’ & Reed’s Contribution to the World – Mr. Machine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Mr. Machine is a once popular children’s mechanical toy originally manufactured by the Ideal Toy Company in 1960. Mr. Machine was a robot-like mechanical man wearing a top hat. The body had a giant windup key at the back. When the toy was wound up it would “walk”, swinging its arms and repeatedly ringing a bell mounted on its front; and after every few steps emit a mechanical “Ah!”, as if it were speaking. The toy stood about 18 inches tall (roughly 46 cm).
The gimmick of Mr. Machine was that one could not only see all of his mechanical “innards” through his clear plastic body, but one could also take the toy apart and put it back together, over and over, like a Lego toy or a jigsaw puzzle.
Mr. Machine was one of Ideal’s most popular toys. The company reissued it in 1978, but with some alterations: it could no longer be taken apart (owing to the tendency of very young children to put small pieces in their mouths which could be accidentally swallowed or present a choking hazard), and instead of ringing a bell and making the “Ah” sound, it now whistled “This Old Man”.
This later version of Mr. Machine was brought back once more in the 1980s. In 2004, the Poof-Slinky Company remanufactured the original 1960 version (using the actual Ideal molds whenever possible), which made the original sounds and could be disassembled, and with the intention of being marketed to nostalgic adults as a collectible.
[U.S. Patent image found here. Unfortunately it’s only a single page, but it refers to related patents. Description and more found here.]
King’s Pawn Takes Rhino
Elvis and the rhinoceros appear daily at 10am.
Top image from Google Maps Street View. The faces were blurred out, so I had to take a closer look, and it’s more awesome than I imagined. (The note on Elvis’ guitar reads “Neck is broke don’t bother stealing.” I checked, and the King’s neck is intact.)
Mayans. Gotta love ’em.
Gord’s Graphics
Very cool style by Gord Smithers (click to enlarge). More here.
Lampyridine Hot Links
The Closer You Are, The Channels (1956)Despite numerous recordings, The Channels never had a nationwide hit due to lack of promotion, but they were popular on the east coast. The Closer You Are was a regional hit in New York and was covered by Frank Zappa in 1984.
LolFeds spotted.
Looks like a Stoner trap.
The Concept of Pixel F%$#*&%g.
Fearless Grandmothers mean well.
Weather forecast: It’s gonna be trippy.
Next time you’re at Walmart ask for Bob’s Scribble Pads.
This 1891 German ”Weltrekord” Ratchet Screwdriver restoration probably lowered its value as an antique, but it’s a cool gadget.
“The easiest way to be at the top of your field is to choose a really small field.” – Simone Giertz
[Top image: Cropped image of un-photoshopped image of this photo-shopped Southern Elephant Seal that went viral.]
From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.
Saturday Matinee – Blackberry Smoke, Valerie June & The Delta Saints
Blackberry Smoke lies on the trackalacka with their cover of Aerosmith’s Hangman Jury (1987).
Valerie June began recording and performing in 2000 (at the age of 19) and plays a combination of blues, gospel and Appalachian folk that she calls “organic moonshine roots music.”
Self-proclaimed “Bourbon-Fueled Bayou-Rock” band from Nashville, The Delta Saints lay down some serious heavy worry. They opened for Blackberry Smoke in 2014.
I think that’ll do for now. Have a great weekend (enjoy it while weekends are still legal) and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.
Tacky Raccoons 