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What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. This past Sunday I went and saw Stanley Kubrick’s film Barry Lyndon in theaters. I’m a huge Kubrick fan, but admittedly this was my first time watching this one. I think it’s because the time period it’s set in, the 18th century, honestly isn’t of huge interest to me. Not to mention its long run time of just over three hours. Don’t get me wrong, I love a long movie, but I think just the combination of those two things kinda put me off of it. I tried to watch it once a while back when I had Covid, but I think my brain was just really foggy and I was kinda dozing off and on and just stopped after a bit, so I was excited to have the opportunity to see it in theaters where I could really lock in and focus on the movie. The movie is the story of a young Irish lad’s aspirations and dizzying ascent to join the upper echelon of English society by any means necessary. You can’t help but find Redmond Barry, as he’s known in the first half of the movie, to be endearing in his cunning ways. After a series of different professions and schemes, he meets a rich countess, Lady Lyndon, who’s married to a rich and titled elderly man, Sir Charles Lyndon. After seducing her, he basically gives Sir Charles a heart attack by hitting on his wife so hard and not giving a fuck when confronted about it. They end up marrying and this is when our dear protagonist becomes Barry Lyndon, who soon is corrupted by wealth and greed and turns into a real dick. The second half of the movie is about how all the opulence and excess that comes with wealth will destroy the human part of someone and ultimately be their downfall. I absolutely loved every minute of it. This is probably the most beautiful film I’ve ever seen. So many shots look like incredible paintings that you’d see in massive gold frames hanging in museums in Europe. It truly feels like you’re watching a master of his craft just having a field day setting up incredible shots and scenes and nailing every single one. When I woke up the next morning after watching this, it was still racing through my mind. I had a similar experience when I watched 2001 A Space Odyssey. I could not stop thinking about what I had just watched and how incredible it was. I remember getting home afterwards and staying up till like 4AM reading all I could about it. Damn, I love Stanley Kubrick. I guess to end this I would say if you’ve put off watching this film, do yourself a favor and do it, especially if you can find a theater near you that happens to be showing it.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice two weeks. Mine have been phenomenal. Last weekend Billy Strings came to Koka Booth Amphitheater here for three nights of pickin and grinnin, and it was too much fun. Dom even tagged along the first night and we had an absolute blast boogying to some bluegrass. It wouldn’t be an NC show either if there wasn’t a bunch of Doc Watson played and the boys even got an Ole Slew Foot. It felt like a minute since I’d been to an outdoor show and the weather was beautiful, so we really lucked out here. A good time was had all around. Then, this past Sunday was my birthday, and I had a very relaxing day spending time with my love and going on a hike and getting a delicious French meal over in Durham. Even got some herbs planted in our little garden. So I’ve been happy as a clam lately and embracing the arrival of Spring and all the greenery returning again. When you’re feeling good, you need the music to match, and a record I got this past RSD has been filling that role: I’m Not Made of Iron by Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family. A Zamrock banger from the 70s, this thing is straight heat from start to finish, with kickin drums and that sweet sweet guitar fuzz. Side note: this goes to show why I appreciate physical media, cause this wasn’t available online till this release, and they totally botched it on streaming services with the tracks all mislabeled. This release also contains an awesome booklet with information galore and a bunch of cool photos from back in the day. My favorite song on here has to be the title track. I’ve had it stuck in my head since I heard it, and it’s just a great track. Definitely check this one out, but not on streaming cause you’re gonna be very confused with song titles.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. As I’m sure most of you are aware, this past Saturday was Record Store Day. Definitely our busiest day of the year, but luckily everything went very smoothly and most everyone seemed to get what they were looking for. I’m glad we’re not one of these record stores that makes a huge deal of RSD and opens up at like 6 AM or something, but to each their own. I hope if you participated this year, you got all the titles you were looking for cause there were definitely some good ones. Of course I had to get in on the fun too. I picked up a copy of Mingus At Monterey, a live album of Charles Mingus’ 1964 performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. I’m always a sucker for live albums, and RSD always seems to deliver the goods on that front. What really hooked me on this was reading the notes on the back of the cover written by Mr. Mingus himself on the performance. It’s really awesome to read about it from his perspective and what was going through his head during the whole performance. My favorite part is when he talks about what was happening during the song “A Train.” He felt heart palpitations and thought his own death was imminent and looked up to the sky and said “Well, here I come, baby. Lord, I guess this is it” and that energy translated into his playing. Obviously, he didn’t drop dead during this performance, but I can only imagine how wild that must’ve felt. This record also sounds amazing. You can really hear that bass thumping throughout the whole thing. It’s hard for me to say what my favorite song is on here cause it seems silly to reduce the performance to individual songs rather than just view the performance as a whole. That probably sounds dumb and snobby and fake sophisticated lol, but if I wanna listen to this, I wanna listen to the whole thing, not just a certain song or part. I guess you could say that really about any album, but I guess I especially feel that way about live jazz records. Maybe what I’m really trying to say is I love all of it. If you come across this one and you didn’t already snag one this past weekend, I’d definitely recommend you snag it. Throw it on and just pop a squat in front of your record player, close your eyes and imagine yourself in that crowd in Monterey in 1964.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone had a great week. As expected, the show this past week at The Pour House was amazing. All three bands (Scarecrow, Homemade Speed, and Paprika) absolutely killed it and it was a great way to spend a Wednesday night. Always a hoot. I’m pretty sure the next show in Raleigh will be on the 24th at Neptunes and Scarecrow will be ripping it up again with Jail and Paranoid Maniac, so mark your calendars! This past week we got a bunch of heat at the store with a bunch of different orders from various labels, so it was a dangerous week for the wallet. I ended up grabbing both Varaus reissues we got in: the 7” and the 1/2 LP. I’m sure most everyone reading the newsletter is familiar with these records, but they’re new to me and they both quickly grabbed my attention. Another reason I’m always grateful for working at Sorry State is cause I’m always introduced to sick shit like this that I’m fairly positive I never would have discovered on my own. I don’t have much of my own thoughts to share on these other than they totally rip and if you don’t own these, I highly recommend snagging them while we have both in stock. Obviously I’m a fan of both, but I’ve had a slight lean towards the 7”. Maybe cause it’s just four tracks, so it’s a little easier to digest while listening for the first few times. If I had to go with a favorite track, I’d say track one on the B side, Tuhoava Voima. Anyways, that’s it for this time, I hope wherever you are you get some great spring weather this week!

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone is having a nice week. If you’re in Raleigh, or anywhere near, I’d make a point to come out to The Pour House here on Wednesday night (April 2nd) for a great gig. Three ripping bands (Scarecrow, Paprika, and Homemade Speed), all of whom I’m excited to see take the stage. Definitely gonna be a barn burner. On that note, today I’m actually gonna be writing about punk music. Yes, I still do in fact love listening to punk and hardcore even though most of the time my staff picks are about some old ass folk or bluegrass album. I figure my colleagues are much more qualified and knowledgeable in that realm than me, but every once in a while, I gotta dip my toes in. Actually, Usman already wrote about this comp last October, and much better than I will, but I’ve been blasting it this weekend so I figured why not. I’m talking about the We Can’t Help It If We’re From Florida comp that was reissued last year. If you read my staff picks, you know I’m a sucker for comps, and this one is right up my alley. The original was on a 7”, but this reissue is on a 10” with some bonus tracks. The title cracks me up; it’s too perfect. These crazy Floridians knew how to rip, though… there’s no doubt about that. It starts off strong with five songs from Hated Youth, my favorite of the bunch being “Hardcore Rules”. The standout group on here for me, though, would have to be Roach Motel, who has seven ripping tracks on here. How could you not love a song called “My Dog is Into Anarchy”? Anyways, surprisingly we still have some copies available here at Sorry State, so if you’ve been sleeping on this one, time to wake up and snag one!

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone had a nice week. Today I’m gonna be talking about an album I’ve had stuck in my head for the past month (well really at first it was just a song from the album stuck in my head, but that led me to just listen to the rest of the album a bunch and I found some other earworms.) The album is Pardon My English (The Girls From Bahia) by the Brazilian group Quarteto Em Cy, released in 1967. I had listened to another album of theirs that I enjoyed (their self-titled) and found this one that was released a couple years earlier. What hooked me at first was their cover of “Oh Susannah,” which I did not realize till writing this, was originally published in 1848! I knew it was old, but that was kinda blowing my mind. I was walking around like a crazy person repeating, “I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee” in my best Quarteto Em Cy impression. A very catchy version, no doubt. I also really dig the title track, “Pardon My English,” for one of the more upbeat songs on the album. Slowing things down though, I also really enjoy “Você.” It has this really pretty sounding harmony throughout the song. I don’t actually own a copy of this album yet. Rarely do I ever actually buy used records online cause I like to just come across it in the wild, but maybe I’ll just have to say screw it and order a nice copy from Discogs.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. It’s starting to really feel like spring here in Raleigh: 70 degree weather, thunderstorms in the middle of the day, flowers blooming… it’s been nice being reminded how nice spring is. I forget how rejuvenating spring can feel, and I find myself listening to music that matches the feeling. Today I’m writing about another compilation, nothing fancy or special really, pretty run of the mill, Super Girls. While this may not be the most exciting record, it’s a great example of some cheap heat to me with a nice copy running you probably about $10-15. My copy even still has a cool $1 sticker from “Papa Jazz.” With 3 discs, you definitely are getting your money’s worth. This compilation features all the heavy hitters of girl groups and solo acts from the 60s: The Supremes, The Shangri-Las, The Dixie Cups, The Chiffons, Brenda Lee, and a lot more. To me, this is a perfect playlist for some cheery spring music. How can you listen to Lollipop and not have visions of sunshine and happiness dancing around your head? I’ve also found some tracks on here that I wasn’t as familiar with that take turns cycling which one is stuck in my head. Currently, it’s the song Hello Stranger by Barbara Lewis. It just has this real dreamy sound to it with the organ and The Dells providing some soothing background vocals. Other tracks I’ve really enjoyed on here are I’m Into Something Good, Don’t Say Nothin’ (Bad About My Baby), Heatwave, and Don’t Hang Up. The type of music that makes you wanna share a snow cone with the person you love on a hot, sunny day.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. As spring approaches and the weather heats up, I find my listening habits start to change too. It’s hard not to crave some good rhythm and warm sounds while enjoying a nice sunny and 70 day. This past week I picked up the newest release from Analog Africa, Gnonnas Pedro & His Dadjes Band - Roi De L’Agbadja Moderne 1974-1983. I’m a sucker for the world/international section in a record store and we had just got in some cool new arrivals at Sorry State, but this one really caught my eye/ear. A very high quality 2LP release that includes a nice gatefold jacket and an incredible booklet that includes a bunch of great interviews, photos and biography about the man himself. Not that I’m usually super in depth with my reviews, but I don’t have much to say about this one other than it’s really good music and I’m glad I discovered it. My favorite tracks on here would probably be Agbadja Moderne No2 and Gbeto Enon Mon. I wasn’t too familiar with Analog Africa before this other than the African Scream Contest compilation, but their releases are definitely gonna be on my radar going forward. I’ve already found some past releases that definitely catch my attention like the Cameroon Garage Funk compilation. Luckily, it seems the label has most, if not all, their releases available on their Bandcamp for your listening pleasure. Definitely check this out so you have some fresh new tunes to enjoy this spring/summer.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. I can’t believe I’m sitting here writing this while Raleigh gets another snow day, woohoo! What better time to lounge around and listen to some cozy music. Today I decided to throw on a record I got for my Valentine (although maybe it was secretly also for myself) the Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown soundtrack by Vince Guaraldi. Even though the holiday has already passed, this music can be enjoyed throughout the year. Dom put me on to these Peanuts holiday special soundtracks they’ve been putting out recently and they’re all awesome. I especially like It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown. I hadn’t snagged any of them yet though, so when I heard this one and really dug it, I had to pick a copy up. It comes with a nice insert that gives lots of info about the special and the recording of the soundtrack, and the vinyl is a very fitting Valentines red. It’s perfect relaxing background music that you can get some real good thinking done with, but also if you do kinda zone out and snap back to it you’re like, “damn this is really good.” Great for staring out your window and watching the snow fall. Dom and I both are fans of the track Woodstock’s Mambo. Badass name aside, it kinda comes out of nowhere on the soundtrack, sounding like something that came out like 20 years after everything else on there with a funky ass synth line. Woodstock is kooky like that, so he gets a funky song. For more of the kinda straightforward stuff on here, I really like Freddie’s Mood, which is based on Chopin’s Nocturne op.9 No.2. My favorite track on here though, is Jennie L. I don’t know how to describe it accurately, but it just makes me feel very happy. It has this kinda dreamlike sound to it with the synth and I just can’t get enough of it. I always find myself playing that one back. Also, I have to give a shoutout to the Music Supervisor on this, John Scott Trotter, simply because I don’t come across many other John Scotts. If you like Peanuts and good music, then these soundtracks will be right up your alley.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. Billy Strings just wrapped up a six night run up in the mountains of Asheville spread across two weekends and it was an absolute barn burner. No songs repeats over the six nights either, which I have big respect for. I had the pleasure of attending the first three nights and had a ball. I’m sure everyone reading this is aware of the hurricane that struck the area a few months back and completely destroyed certain parts, so it was nice to spend some time up there and support local businesses as best as we could. If you’re familiar with Asheville, you know that’s easy to do as it’s full of incredible restaurants of all types. We stayed right in the middle of downtown, so it was nice to just walk to and from everywhere and we got lucky with 70 degree weather all weekend. Anyways, the shows were incredible. It’s no secret Billy loves Asheville and NC as a whole, as they play here all the time throughout the year. I think bluegrass and folk music is so ingrained in the history of NC that you can just feel it in the air. As Billy put it, “you can walk down the street here and everyone knows who Doc Watson is.” I always appreciate at NC shows how he pays respect to the legends that came before him by playing lots of old timey traditionals and folk standards. This time I caught a song I’ve been wanting to hear forever and finally got it as the encore the first night, Salty Dog Blues. A folk song dating back to the early 1900s that’s been covered by countless artists like Misssissippi John Hurt, Lead Belly, Doc Watson, Flatt and Scruggs… the list goes on. It’s debated what the song is really about: “let me be your salty dog or I won’t be your little man at all.” I always heard it as a guy being like “I wanna be your man, but I also may be a bit of a dirty dawg.” It’s just a funny, tongue-in-cheek song and different lines and lyrics have been added in throughout the years, depending on which dirty dawg may be singing it. There were some pretty great lines from this version such as

“I like gravy, I like grits, I like girls with great big teeth”
“Two old men laying in the grass, one’s got a finger in the other man’s ear”
“I met a girl and she was willin, now I’m taking penicillin”

I think y’all may get the gist of it now. I’ve really worn my girlfriend out with that grits line. To wrap it all up, it was a great weekend full of incredible music and it was awesome to see the streets of Asheville full of life and happiness again after a historic and unimaginable natural disaster and the hard months that followed. Thanks Bill!

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. In classic North Carolina fashion, we have gone from snow to springtime in the matter of a week, although I’m sure the winter weather will return with a vengeance. I’ve been off my movie game the past month or two, but have gotten back on track and have been hitting the theaters heavily recently. One movie I saw the other week was actually a sequel to a movie I wrote about back in October, Basket Case 2, and I can safely say it was one of the most out of left field movies I’ve ever seen. Truly a fever dream of a film. If someone out there listened to my recommendation and watched this, I implore you to watch this sequel. I’m not here to talk about blob coitus though. This past Thursday I went and watched Profondo Rosso (directed by Dario Argento) at the Rialto here in Raleigh for the conclusion of their “Gialo January” series. The movie features an amazing, off the walls score by Goblin. This actually marks the first time the Italian band worked with Argento, and they would go on to work on many more films together, including Suspiria two years later. I can’t lie, and maybe I’m showing my ass here, but I wasn’t completely in love with the film. Not to say it isn’t shot beautifully and isn’t entertaining, including some funny dialogue, but I guess it wasn’t my cup of tea. It also doesn’t help that the theater is next-door neighbors with a hookah lounge blaring music the whole time, but that’s besides the point, not even the bombastic bass could overshadow this creepy and captivating score. The title track is like the Halloween Theme’s cool older cousin that smokes weed. I’m not sure if that’ll make sense to anyone else, but it does to me. This score is not afraid to go out there, but if you’re familiar with Goblin, then you already know this. Come for the Italian murder mystery, stay for the bangin’ Goblin score.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. Raleigh finally broke its 1000+ day drought of no snow this past week, which was a welcome surprise. It’s always fun to watch the city shut down from an inch or two of snow and everyone buy up all the milk and bread for some reason. This week I’ve got another blues banger lined up for my pick this week, Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers. I’m pretty sure any time I’ve put this on while I’m in the store, a customer will come up and ask about what it is. All killer, no filler on this 1971 release, which launched the now legendary Alligator Records label. At the time, a 23-year-old Bruce Iglauer was a massive blues fan and wanted to put out a record by his favorite Chicago blues band, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, so he scraped all his savings together and went and recorded them and started his own label, Alligator, and pressed about 1000 copies. The rest is history. I’m forever thankful of individuals from the past that heard such great music and thought, “damn I gotta record this so everyone can hear this,” because now we’re left with this rich history that can be so exciting to explore and learn about. Anyway, the music on this record speaks for itself; if you like the blues, you’re gonna love this record. It’s just rocking the whole way through (as if the HouseRockers are gonna do anything other than rocking the house). I’m always a big fan of the slinky sound of a slide guitar and it’s in full effect on this record. I also really dig Hound Dog’s vocals on this. They’re a little bit higher than a lot of his Chicago blues contemporaries. My favorite track on here would probably be his cover of It Hurts Me Too, about as good as it gets.