Well Gamble My Huff

A couple of new purchases this week. Yes, new. As in not used this time. Yeah, heyyy big spend-ah... but I kind of had to treat myself this week to at least acknowledge how hard I tried to work staying on Atkins for two whole weeks, despite all the sick that went along with it. Then to discover that after two weeks I hadn't lost an ounce. Which is weird. I mean, I haven't gained anything either. I'm just precisely were I was. But when I first did Atkins four years ago I lost 14 pounds in the first two weeks, so I don't know what I could have been doing differently. Well, expect for eating the occasional steamed broccoli here and there, which I didn't do last time but I just caved this time around because it was the only thing that kept me from barfing out my ovaries half the month. So fuck that noise, I'm going back to Weight Watchers. And heck, I might just go all vegan the first two weeks this time. Way I feel right now I never want to see an egg or a piece of cheese for as long as I can help it. Just thinking about it right now makes my arms flail.

So, back to the good schtuff. I special ordered both of these at work, since our ever increasingly lame store doesn't keep them in catalog....

Several customers were coming into the store a few weeks ago with an article clipped out of the local paper highly recommending Conquer The World: The Lost Soul Of Philadelphia International Records so when I ordered a few for stock I added an extra for myself, even though my friend Kevin told me that he had already heard it and wasn't impressed. Oftentimes "lost tracks" such as these were never released for a reason, which is that they were sometimes not very good. But that's not always the hard 'n fast rule, and I tend to think that this is not one of those times when the rule applies. Some really nice stuff on here from obscure Philly soul artists that according to the liner notes "never went far beyond the neighborhoods and bars of Philadelphia" which names such as Bobby Bennett, Carolyn Crawford, and this lovely title track performed by Bunny Sigler and Dee Dee Sharp. And how can you deny smooth cover art like that? Oh oh, looks like somebody forgot to wear their matching shoes for the photo shoot (I'm lookin' at you, Mister Orange Hat).

Conquer The World Together by Bunny Sigler & Dee Dee Sharp

(m4a file - available for 7 days)

Purchase Conquer The World here.

And I couldn't resist getting Devotion by Beach House after hearing their lovely, if quite obvious first single "Heart Of Chambers" on youtube a few weeks ago, the track of which I will place here for you to enjoy. The second album by Baltimore duo Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand (yes, niece of Michel) aren't treading any new ground with their slow, lo-fi, minimalist dreampop. But there is something about Victoria's voice that resonates with me. Something about this that chimes within me when back in the early 90's when this style was more popular didn't do much for me. Something that reminds me of cooler weather on this scorching hot day. Something that reminds me of an actual beach house in winter -- closed up and empty, with the ghosts of its former residents echoing on a haunted moonlit night, with the waves crashing right outside the balcony. Damn, I miss Nags Head in October.

Heart Of Chambers by Beach House

(m4a file -- available for 7 days)

Purchase Beach House Devotion here.