Tom Wilkes Has Passed

One of my art/rock & roll heroes just passed away. His name is Tom Wilkes. He's the graphic artist who helped to create some of the best classic album covers of all time. Looking over his contributions to my record collection, I realized that he's helped to shape a lot of the images in my mind when it comes to the music/art combination. He will be missed! Here are some pictures of him and only a few of his great images:

Shit and Shine!

I've been dying to hear something new that I like, and I've decided that Shit and Shine is what I've been looking for. I'm a big fan of the Butthole Surfers, who always made me feel like there was an outer edge of groovy rhythm and rock that had still never been explored. Then they went poppish, and I started losing hope in the joy of wacky new music. That was many years ago. Lately I've been settling for old memories and traditional songs. Along the way, I've been turned on to Aquarius Records in San Francisco, which sends me an e-mail every few weeks, highlighting all of the great stuff I've been missing by being in the underbelly of the beast here in Delaware, where very little great music shines in to spread its life-giving light on my musical vacuum. So today, this morning, as the sun was rising, Aquarius sends me their latest. And lo and behold, their record of the week is a new one by Shit and Shine. When they mentioned the Butthole Surfers a dozen times as a comparison sound in that band calculus that they use to describe things most of the world has never heard, I decided to take a listen. And I am impressed. I love multiple drummers in a band. And I love more than one bass player too. Remember Green Jello? How about Grotus? I think Sharkbait had two bass players too, but maybe I was drinking back then. Anyway, I see four drummers lined up in Shit and Shine, and another one to the side. Five drummers?! There might even be more. Regardless, I'm hooked. The description offered by the music gods at Aquarius say this is some kind of London music collective, but I say it's awesome. Here's a video I found floating out there. Now I'm gathering loose change to buy the record, just to take a chance on something new and explosive. I need the inspiration, and I think I've found a little today. Hooray for me. Finally!