FOT Forum
The Best Show on WFMU => Show Discussion => Topic started by: Omar on April 03, 2007, 12:01:47 PM
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PRE-ORDERING HAS BEGUN! (http://stereolaffs.com/slap.php)
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I was enlisted to write the Scharpling & Wurster press bio for The Art of the Slap release. And but so as you can imagine from reading the recaps, my initial draft was kinda long. It was then expertly edited down by S/W/Angie of Press Darling PR into a short version, which was sent out in the promo packs.
S&W liked the bio, so I was given the go-ahead to continue to craft the long version for eventual publication on the Intronet. It should be up on Stereolaffs very soon (4/5/07 -- it's officially published on the Press Darling site (http://www.pressdarlingpr.com/artists/default.aspx?a=14)), but I have pasted it below since a piece of this length in the font size favored by that site may cause some ocular pain. (Enjoy:
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On a fateful night back in early 1997, WFMU disc jockey Tom Scharpling and his comedy partner Jon Wurster orchestrated what they thought would be a one-off goof. Wurster called Scharpling’s radio program posing as Ronald Thomas Clontle, the author of Rock, Rot & Rule, a highly-dubious and aggressively idiotic tome that promised to be the “ultimate argument settler” by filing every musical artist into one of three vague categories – “rock”, “rot”, or “rule.”
The phones exploded with angry and baffled callers falling right into the duo’s comedic trap. Scharpling navigated the ruse with expert faux incredulity, while Wurster plowed ahead undeterred, as Clontle’s bizarre justifications (David Bowie and Neil Young rot because of “too many changes”) and blatant inaccuracies (“Madness invented ska”) stirred up endless, unsettled arguments. A tape of the call started making the rounds and soon became an underground hit, especially with touring rock bands. To meet the demand, Scharpling and Wurster formed Stereolaffs Records and released Rock, Rot & Rule on CD in 1999.
Now, 10 years into their reign as the masters of radio sketch comedy, Scharpling and Wurster celebrate a decade of laffmaking with The Art of the Slap, their fifth release on Stereolaffs. Their pieces now anchor Scharpling’s “The Best Show on WFMU”, a weekly, three-hour dose of mirth, music, and mayhem that hit the airwaves in 2000. Scharpling also continues to work as a writer/executive producer for the television show Monk, and Wurster, the longtime drummer for indie-rock pioneers Superchunk, has recently toured with former Guided By Voices frontman Robert Pollard and the Mountain Goats.
The duo also co-wrote “(Not So) Great Moments in Rock”, a monthly column for Harp magazine, and worked on Tom Goes To The Mayor, a cult fave on the Cartoon Network’s popular “Adult Swim” block. This past October, they skyrocketed to a #10 debut in the bi-annual Top 20 Comedians Poll on A Special Thing, the premier online portal tracking the comedy zeitgeist. They joined elite company that included winner Paul F. Tompkins, as well as Zach Galifianakis, Andy Kindler, Louis CK and Jim Gaffigan.
In the years following Rock, Rot & Rule, an increasing number of comedy and music titans began singing Scharpling and Wurster’s praises, like Conan O’Brien, David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Ben Gibbard and Ted Leo. The double-CD Best-Of compilations Chain Fights, Beer Busts and Service with a Grin (2002) and New Hope for the Ape-Eared (2004) were further evidence that not only were Scharpling and Wurster crafting brilliant, standalone bits, but also mapping out an exciting and unique comedic universe. Those releases were followed in 2005 by the instant-classic, Hippy Justice.
The widely-hailed set spawned legendary characters, such as two-inch racist Timmy von Trimble and the tyrannical commune leader named Hippy Johnny, and concluded with “Kid eBay”, perhaps the oddest conversation ever recorded. A track like “Darren From Work” is a quintessential example of Scharpling and Wurster’s masterful use of the slow-burn set-up and surprise twist that, in this case, has Tom questioning his own sanity and fearing for his life.
The Art of the Slap continues in this tradition by introducing six characters that allow for ruminating on issues of class, puncturing the self-inflated, and embracing the hilarity of the desperate scramble to maintain a tenuous grip on reality. You’ll meet Andy from Lake Newbridge, who engages Tom in mundane chit-chat that gradually builds to a surreal symphony of revelations, and enter the funhouse of “extreme” filmmaker Trent L. Strauss (“The Auteur”) as he holds a mirror up to society and sees grisly horror epics (sample title from his oeuvre: Entrails 2: The Gouging) upholding Hollywood’s history of socially-conscious filmmaking. You’ll also hear the heart-tugging story of Tornado Todd, a misguided entrepreneur (his products include “Faux Nuggs”, a line of legal marijuana) who turned a life-changing event into a profitable non-profit charity that preys on society’s basest instincts.
And then there’s Horse (“The Jock Squad”), a bodybuilding computer repair man who treats Tom’s ailing PC like his personal heavy bag. The set ends with a call from Keith Garfinkle (“Postal Slapfight”), a belligerent, ill-informed blowhard (he thinks Lon Chaney is the sitting Vice-President), whose latest hobby is entering a nine-sided polygon and competitively slapping the faces of morbidly obese teenagers. In other words, this is comedy that goes straight for the juggler!
Like the bulk of the Scharpling and Wurster players, these new creations are armed with an unearned confidence and false, self-appointed sense of authority that frequently erupts in anger and violence. These volatile traits are fertile terrain for the delicate give-and-take between Wurster’s nuanced portrayal of frustrated megalomaniacs and Scharpling’s stentorian sanity on the other end of the line.
“There’s nothing funnier to me than someone who is absolutely wrong – morally and realistically – in what they are doing, yet so incredibly convinced that they’re in the right or that they can’t fail,” says Wurster. “That’s a very common characteristic of a lot of our characters.”
In addition to offering hours of fun, these highlights – culled from the hundreds of bits from “The Best Show” – showcase the rich tapestry that Scharpling & Wurster have created via their fictional town of Newbridge, New Jersey, an alternative slice of America populated by a growing roster of interconnected misfits. The larger narrative is driven by these denizens, who take a break from prowling the seedy Muffler Row and the Newbridge Commons shopping district to give the audience a peek at their delusional dreams, demented schemes, and disturbed minds.
Their use of escalating absurdism and eccentric characters that often become vessels for sly social commentary recalls Mr. Show’s incisive skewering of the status quo, Arrested Development’s dysfunctional Bluth family run amok, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s stateside takedowns. Many characters also have a kinship to Steve Coogan’s insecure and status-crazed Alan Partridge, Ricky Gervais’s self-promoting and self-delusional David Brent on The Office, and the improbable predicaments that engulf Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm. The surreal twists and turns also have roots in the plotlines and skewed worldview of Chris Elliot’s short-lived sitcom, Get A Life, which Scharpling and Wurster bonded over when they first met in the early 1990s at a Superchunk gig.
A magical collision occurs when these aggressively wrongheaded callers are forced to battle Scharpling, a master of acting surprised as a pragmatic stand-in for the audience. As a beacon of normalcy, Scharpling’s shocked outrage and lucid questioning serve to illuminate the dynamic at play.
“I end up as the voices of reason on the calls,” says Scharpling of his crucial role as straight man. “It gives a sense of contrast – that way the weirdness of the characters can really shine.”
The Art of the Slap also marks the CD debut for Philly Boy Roy, one of the longest-running and most fully-developed characters on “The Best Show on WFMU”. Since the beginning of the show, he’s been giving listeners a taste of his borderline-psychotic hometown pride (ranging from fierce loyalty to the city’s sports teams to a diet consisting mainly of cheesesteaks, Tastykakes, and Wawa hoagies) and insight into his increasingly peculiar and tumultuous home life, especially the disturbing power struggle with his bullying – and possibly psychic –son, Roy, Jr.
Wurster is confident that this call is a great introduction to the character, even if you haven’t been following his antics over the years.
“Roy is probably our most lovable character even though he hates New Jersey – mostly because he’s wary of anything non-Philly – and antagonizes Tom,” says Wurster. “Roy’s likable because he’s a family man and, at heart, a decent guy. But he’s also insane!”
Philly Boy Roy displays the layers and complexities that are infused into Scharpling and Wurster’s character studies, some of which are meticulously pre-written, while others emerge during the on-air performances. For every more overtly jerky agitator, there are just as many characters that are oddly likable, even if they inevitably end their calls by threatening Tom with various creative deaths for failing to support and encourage their ridiculous – and usually nefarious – plans.
Another perfect example is Corey Harris, who makes a glorious – if not so triumphant – return on The Art of the Slap in the riveting two-parter, “The First Rock Band on Mt. Everest Part.” (The saga appears as a limited-edition bonus CD on the initial pressings of the collection.) When we last heard from Mr. Harris (on “Mother 13” from New Hope for the Ape-Eared), he was an arrogant, talentless rocker who refused to believe Tom’s prediction that he was doomed to failure by playing to sparse, daytime crowds on a corporate festival circuit that included the not-so-prestigious Earthlink/Pringles Summer Slam Jam.
After being humbled by getting dropped from RCA, Harris gained new perspective on life and art with the birth of his son, Sky Stalker, and reunited with his former manager, Rupert Threadwell. A reinvigorated Harris has reformed Mother 13 for a woefully misconceived quest to climb Mt. Everest (with an eclectic lineup of special guests, including Buddy Guy, all 38 members of The Polyphonic Spree, and Everclear’s Art Alexakis) and become the first band to perform at its summit. In addition to the guidance of a supposed Sherpa named Ricky, an extremely confident Harris is relying on a training regimen of drunken rock wall climbing and sit-ups to safely ascend what he calls a “hill”. Will he make history or vanish into thin air?
Corey Harris has that glimmer of hope that resides somewhere deep within even the most crazed of Scharpling and Wurster’s characters. They’re constantly searching for something – success, money, fame, power – but they have no idea how to reasonably get there. (And one shudders to think what they would do if they did.) Corey’s plan is, of course, destined to go horribly wrong, but there’s something endearing about the persistent struggle to make one’s dreams – rock ‘n roll or otherwise – come through.
While they keep pushing the boundaries of the art of long-form radio comedy, Scharpling and Wurster’s approach remains rooted in the inspiration for that first call: making each other laugh.
“I think the key thing is that from day one we’ve been doing this purely for our own amusement,” says Wurster. “It’s really gratifying that so many people have connected with what we do. But I’d like to think we’d still be doing this even if nobody was listening.”
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I pre-ordered. I find that e-commerce site kind of skeery - sort of like getting on the old, rickety wooden roller coaster in the corner of the amusement park. With your credit card!
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Will this be available on emusic as well?
Thanks!
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Awesome job on the press bio, Omar. That is why you are who you are. (who are you?)
Incidentally, how are you guys gonna configure your triple-platinum commemorative plaques? Overlapping row or pyramid-of-triumph?
I'd opt for trading in the three platinums for six golds and making a three-row pyramid-of-triumph, evoking a tent and it's pole.
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Awesome job on the press bio, Omar. That is why you are who you are. (who are you?)
Thanks!
Incidentally, how are you guys gonna configure your triple-platinum commemorative plaques? Overlapping row or pyramid-of-triumph?
I'd opt for trading in the three platinums for six golds and making a three-row pyramid-of-triumph; evoking a tent and it's pole.
Per Billboards, TAotS is already certified gold just from the pre-orders!
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I linked up two nice Art of the Slap pieces here:
http://www.recidivism.org/2007/04/the_twoman_game.html
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Bought and bought, and bought and bought! I'll try to do a bit of street-teaming in some places too...
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"The Art of the Slap contains some of our favorite bits from the last two years," says Wurster. "We like to think of it as the comedy equivalent of Sandinista!, but with a hair less reggae." (CMJ (http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=34047303))
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I pre-ordered. I find that e-commerce site kind of skeery - sort of like getting on the old, rickety wooden roller coaster in the corner of the amusement park. With your credit card!
I think this new S&W disc (or any S&W disc, really) is one of the only things I'm willing to get on that old, rickety roller coaster for. My favorite part was clicking on the link after the order went through and ending up on this page:
http://sitegalore.stargate.com/websites/ldr6ripgiz/
Incidentally, Tom, if you're ever considering building a new, and slightly less "skeery" online store experience, I could be your guy.
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I hope I made the first 100. I've a feeling I didn't..
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Got it! Hadn't heard Trent L. Strauss since he was on the show.
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I just got my Art of the Slap! Plus a "Hippy Justice" pencil, a sticker emblazoned with the image of Ted Knight (I'm guessing) and the words "a certain . . . zest for living," a business card of sorts printed with Mike Sajak's credo and a picture of a kid with a weed whacker (Roy, Jr.?), and two buttons that I don't already have, one reading "wait . . . whuuut?" and the other "yeah . . . why?"
A nice treat on this rainy, windy day.
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I WANT IT.
Where is my copy?
Edit: It was waiting in my mailbox. YAY! I love the new sticker.
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Agreed! This was a great surprise to come home to after a fairly crappy Monday.
Whoever wrote my address on the envelope drew lots of stars around the word "Philadelphia" :)
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Aw, I'm jealous. There's nary an i dotted with a heart on mine.
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So, the Best Show on WFMU has changed my life. And who knows? It may change yours! So listen to it on wfmu.org, visit the website, and pick up the Art of the Slap. Before it wins a Grammy. (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=22098425&blogID=254223770)
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Harp review (http://harpmagazine.com/reviews/cd_reviews/detail.cfm?article_id=5459).
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The photo of Clontle (http://www.emusic.com/features/spotlight/289_200703.html) is hilarious!
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Is this going to be on Emusic like the other discs?
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JUST GOT IT! JUST GOT IT! JUST GOT IT!
I will not die without it!
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Is this going to be on Emusic like the other discs?
I would assume that it will eventually be available on eMusic and iTunes, but the bonus disc containing the Corey Harris Mt. Everest saga will not.
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I have a problem. I really, really want to get The Art of the Slap (with the bonus disc, natch), but the order form at Stereolaffs don't accept international customers. I did order vols 1-3 from there a couple of months ago by special arrangement, thanks to the kindness of S&W, but this time around I can't get a hold of anyone to help me out - I tried emailing Stereolaffs, and Tom personally, but no luck.
Any clever ideas? I would, for example, be willing to PayPal someone some dough if they could buy the thing and then forward it to me.
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I have a problem. I really, really want to get The Art of the Slap (with the bonus disc, natch), but the order form at Stereolaffs don't accept international customers. I did order vols 1-3 from there a couple of months ago by special arrangement, thanks to the kindness of S&W, but this time around I can't get a hold of anyone to help me out - I tried emailing Stereolaffs, and Tonto personally, but no luck.
Any clever ideas? I would, for example, be willing to PayPal someone some dough if they could buy the thing and then forward it to me.
Other Music in NYC has in for sale. I'm pretty sure they do international shipping.
http://www.othermusic.com/ (http://www.othermusic.com/)
Their website seems to be snafued at the moment but it was working earlier today so I would give it a try later on if you're having problems.
You could also try Midhaven Mailorder:
http://www.midheaven.com/labels/nonexc/stereolaffs.html (http://www.midheaven.com/labels/nonexc/stereolaffs.html)
Both Midhaven and OM have plently of other good stuff if you feel like stocking up.
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I've listened to Andy from Lake Newbridge four times now. It gets funnier each time. I love it.
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can someone please put it on mininova.org?
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the order form at Stereolaffs don't accept international customers.
Whoops, I ordered it there anyway... I ordered the others in December and also sent an email seeing if I could paypal something extra for shipping but I didn't get a reply (I got the CDs though)!
With all of the foreign listeners, I didn't even consider that we weren't meant to buy 'em from Stereolaffs.
I don't mind paying extra though, if I need to.
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From San Diego CityBEAT (http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=5635):
Is your son Skystalker anxious to see the Transformers movie coming out this summer? Is he old enough to realize he was named after a Transformer?
Corey Harris: This is kind of a sore spot. I left Skystalker with a neighbor and had every intention of coming right home after we rocked the summit. I figured it would only take a couple hours to sled back down. Unfortunately, after the Everest disaster, I was laid up in Kathmandu for several weeks. During that time, Sheila Larson—my total skeez of an ex-wife—had a judge issue some kind of cease-and-desist order on me regarding Skystalker. I can't even see him now, which is so tough for me, in part because I need to borrow money from him.
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"The only major difference between what the duo did that night in 1997 and what they do now is that they no longer take calls from actual listeners."
My baloney has a first name, it's T-H-I-S-W-R-I-T-E-R. If Laurie is not an actual listener, my life is shattered.
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Seriously, since when is Newbridge "around Philadelphia?" I'm confused.
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Yeah, that article seemed to have a fair share of errors.
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I always assumed it was "around" Jersey City or something.
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Yeah, that article seemed to have a fair share of errors.
"Tom Scharpling first met Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster in 1994 ..."
1990, son!
"At the time, Scharpling was hosting a music show on New York radio station WFMU ..."
Stink City, son!
"The only major difference between what the duo did that night in 1997 and what they do now is that they no longer take calls from actual listeners."
This is poorly worded, but I think the writer was trying to say that they no longer take calls during the S&W segments proper.
"... and all 28 members of the Polyphonic Spree perished on the mountain."
38, son!
I'm your fact-checkin' cuz.
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"At the time, Scharpling was hosting a music show on New York radio station WFMU ..."
It would have been great (and fitting considering the other errors) if they had called it a high school radio station.
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Let's not forget the mention of the Trent L. Straus masterpiece Entrails II: The Gouging and the Toolbelt Killer.
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Yeah, that article seemed to have a fair share of errors.
"Tom Scharpling first met Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster in 1994 ..."
1990, son!
Oops. The guy was correct. 1990 was the date of Tonto's Superchunk article.
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Let's not forget the mention of the Trent L. Straus masterpiece Entrails II: The Gouging and the Toolbelt Killer.
That's incorrect?
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Are you taking the mickey, son? (If so, a thousand pardons; the brain is a little sluggish today, what with despair and only two hours of sleep.)
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It's "Entrails II: The Gouging" and "Toolbelt Killer," you dunce. Two movies! Not one! It's not "Griiiiiiiiiiiiiindhouse"!
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"The only major difference between what the duo did that night in 1997 and what they do now is that they no longer take calls from actual listeners."
Oh my god, ELABORATE HOAX!!!
Wurster has his work cut out.
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It's "Entrails II: The Gouging" and "Toolbelt Killer," you dunce. Two movies! Not one! It's not "Griiiiiiiiiiiiiindhouse"!
Wait. Whuuuut? Strauss has in fact repackaged the two films as a Griiiiiiindhouse double feature. It premiered at the Westvleteren Horror and Ale Fest in February. Start reading your Rue Morgue, Fangoria, and Cinemafantastique, ladies.
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I always assumed it was "around" Jersey City or something.
In an early archive, Tom mentioned that it was south of East Brunswick which would place it in Central Jersey. However, I think he is trying to create a twisted version of his hometown (Woodbridge,NJ?).
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Wasn't Newbridge part of the Tribridge area of Newbridge, Oldbridge and Woodbridge?
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Calling all cartographers - we need a map!
(On second thought, that's probably a horrible idea.)
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I always assumed it was "around" Jersey City or something.
In an early archive, Tom mentioned that it was south of East Brunswick which would place it in Central Jersey. However, I think he is trying to create a twisted version of his hometown (Woodbridge,NJ?).
Well, if one looked at the PO Box on an old 18 Wheeler release one would find that Tonto's home town is Dunellen, NJ, which is actually a bit north of East Brunswick and a bit east of Woodbridge. Old Bridge, however, is a bit south of East Brunswick so we might assume Newbridge is near there as well. Ironically, South Old Bridge is actually north of Old Bridge and that, in a nutshell, is why so many people get lost in New Jersey. I also recall hearing somewhere that Giovanni da Verrazzano dicovered Newbridge so it may be a bit closer to Staten Island that either of the above two locations.
The why I see it, it's got to be somewhere near Interstate 287, Route 1 or Route 18, perhaps near where they all converge in the Piscataway/Edison/Highland Park area.
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I always assumed it was "around" Jersey City or something.
In an early archive, Tom mentioned that it was south of East Brunswick which would place it in Central Jersey. However, I think he is trying to create a twisted version of his hometown (Woodbridge,NJ?).
The why I see it, it's got to be somewhere near Interstate 287, Route 1 or Route 18, perhaps near where they all converge in the Piscataway/Edison/Highland Park area.
Come to think of it, half of South Plainfield is a lot like Muffler Row in Newbridge with all the industrial buildings and other seedy areas. Well, at least until they fixed up the Middlesex Mall sign.
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Old Bridge, however, is a bit south of East Brunswick so we might assume it's Newbridge is near there as well. Ironically, South Old Bridge is actually north of Old Bridge and that, in a nutshell is way so many people get lost in New Jersey.
& how historic newbridge is north of hackensack remains a mystery.
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/hippocatgeek/nbsign1-1-1.jpg)
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Old Bridge, however, is a bit south of East Brunswick so we might assume it's Newbridge is near there as well. Ironically, South Old Bridge is actually north of Old Bridge and that, in a nutshell is way so many people get lost in New Jersey.
& how historic newbridge is north of hackensack remains a mystery.
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/hippocatgeek/nbsign1-1-1.jpg)
I assume you are using a road sign as a compass. This logic would suggest that the button for the walk signal is southwest of New Bridge.
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I just realized that my last post was my 50th on the board, offically making me a "Very Good Friend of Tom" at the exact moment it seems like I'm totally stalking him.
Is that ironic?
Probably not.
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Newbridge is only down the road from me:
(http://images.dublintourist.com/dynmap/towns2/Kildare_Newbridge.png)
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Who needs a house out in Hackensack? I mean, is that all you get for your money?
Really, it seems such a waste of time. If that is what it is all about, then I have to say, "Good luck moving up, because I, my friend, am moving out."
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Calling all cartographers - we need a map!
(On second thought, that's probably a horrible idea.)
A map of Newbridge is not a bad idea. I think we all want to know where Dame Lola's Erotic White Chocolate boutique is in relation to, say, Newbridge Episcopalian.
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If the S&W team sanctioned the map, I would totally volunteer services to make an illustrated, Six-Flags style novelty map with cartoons and stuff. It might take 2 years to finish, though.
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that gives me a pretty dorky idea:
an interactive map of New Bridge!
it would be an aerial view of of New Bridge, (perhaps drawn by John WH) - with major highways & large bodies of water and, as John mentioned - little iconic representations of New Bridge landmarks. and then all of these major or relevant points on the map could be hyperlinks to more detailed illustrations (or photos) supplied by the FOTs !
it would be a Carto-pedia of sorts.. or a wikitown --- fo.topography - ?
i know its pretty dorky. but if everyone were able to contribute something, it might be super awesome because then it would be visually interesting, fun & wacky. just like new bridge, as it exists in the mind... :=)
it would be like the visual portion of the FOTpedia.
well, its just a thought.
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that gives me a pretty dorky idea:
an interactive map of New Bridge!
it would be an aerial view of of New Bridge, (perhaps drawn by John WH) - with major highways & large bodies of water and, as John mentioned - little iconic representations of New Bridge landmarks. and then all of these major or relevant points on the map could be hyperlinks to more detailed illustrations (or photos) supplied by the FOTs !
it would be a Carto-pedia of sorts.. or a wikitown --- fo.topography - ?
i know its pretty dorky. but if everyone were able to contribute something, it might be super awesome because then it would be visually interesting, fun & wacky. just like new bridge, as it exists in the mind... :=)
it would be like the visual portion of the FOTpedia.
well, its just a thought.
I love it. The thought of clicking a hyperlink on an aerial view of Newbridge, and then being zoomed down to see Werner and Rutager's funnel cake set-up at Colonial Days or Bryce's lean-to in the woods or the Panty Boys club on Old Muffler Row is really exciting. Bring on South South Wikibridge!
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Newbridge is only down the road from me:
(http://images.dublintourist.com/dynmap/towns2/Kildare_Newbridge.png)
Newbridge is in our hearts.
Every FOT is down the road from Newbridge.
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Definitely a good idea! There's an insanely detailed one of Springfield (here (http://www.mapofspringfield.com/map/index.html))..something like that?
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thanks!
yes like that but even more interactive. for instance where it says "springfield gorge" you would be able to click the phrase & a new window would pop up with an image from the episode -with bart on his skateboard about to make the leap OR maybe a video of homer being airlifted out of the gorge, as an example.
the best part would be that everyone could contribute images or photos that depict scenes set in the various locales on the map. so i guess that would make it interactive in 2 ways.
its a dream...but i think if we collaborate it can become a virtual reality
:-D
and if this visual contest kicks into gear we will have more images at our disposal to incorporate into the ... "South South Wikibridge"
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The Art of the Slap is approved by New York:
http://nymag.com/arts/all/approvalmatrix/31242/
[via Jesse Thorn on the *** board.]
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SPIN:
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/fradom/aots_spin.png)
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Re: Newbridge map.
I better get out my pencils and crayons. Sounds like we got our work cut out for us!
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woohoo! this will RULE!
[youtube=425,350]8qgBjoL_auM[/youtube]
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Truth be told, I have been preparing to make a map of Newbridge for quite some time. (I originally went to Rutgers for a cartography certificate.) The hard part is not putting the map on paper, but compiling all the buildings, buisnesses, household, schools, roads, and seedy areas mentioned by S&W over five years. Yet, it has been fun listening to all the comedic genius. Here is what I have so far (archives through 2002):
Newbridge in Newbridge County New Jersey
direction in relation to real towns: South of East Brunswick, South of Woodbridge
local media: Newbridge Gazette
towns: East Aukensville (near Trenton)(contains: a band shell), Tribridge, Blackeddy, Upper Blackeddy
Citizens of Newbridge: Officer Harrups(medium), Brad Somerstant (poor, ran for county water commissioner), Water Commissioner Delp (rich), Rodney (medium, works at Book Barn), Darrel (medium, manager at Book Barn), Danny (medium,sick citizen), Troy Dershman ('85 grad, no grad Penn st., low, grown high school jock, Newbrige Vikings star player, xfl player, divorced, lives in a tree fort), Augie Richards (manager of Ye Olde Burger Barn), Danny Phipps (Billy Joel tribute band, Glass Houses, leader), Kevin Percy (not anymore Close to Tom's brother, Dan Scharpling, Kathy Shoemaker, madeup wife), Bruce Willis (unhinged man)
buildings/buisinesses: Multiplex (in newbridge commons), Book Barn (sells books and records mall not mentioned), Alltel Communications Tender Vittels Ampitheater, Ye Olde Burger Barn (on Route 4 in Newbridge) (located outskirts of town beyond newbridge commons, before muffler row), Muffler Row near route 38 industrial area being rebuilt (shady area), Batter Mobile (Dodge Caravan gutted), Newbridge High School, Newbridge Acres (senior rest home), Coach Jackson (Troy's coach/landlord/boss), NCC (Newbridge Community College, Newbridge Horses (mascot), Norton Hall, WNCC radio station without antenna community station home to the Patriot Zone), Sporting Goods? (owner Roy Gatti), RadioHut (Newbridge Commons)
Roads: Route 38 (major highway), Route 4 (highway with stores), Main Street, Valley Brook Drive (Tom's old home)
I should be done by the end of this year.
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woohoo! this will RULE!
[youtube=425,350]8qgBjoL_auM[/youtube]
Those crayons look like dildos.
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Matt
Pantyboy's or Pantyboys (?) is on Old Muffler Row - the streetlights don't work there anymore.
The newspaper is also referred to as the Newbridge Herald Gazette Times Herald or something similar.
This is a gargantuan task but one well worth doing - congrats on your initiative, sir!
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Truth be told, I have been preparing to make a map of Newbridge for quite some time. (I originally went to Rutgers for a cartography certificate.) The hard part is not putting the map on paper, but compiling all the buildings, buisnesses, household, schools, roads, and seedy areas mentioned by S&W over five years. Yet, it has been fun listening to all the comedic genius. Here is what I have so far (archives through 2002):
Newbridge in Newbridge County New Jersey
direction in relation to real towns: South of East Brunswick, South of Woodbridge
local media: Newbridge Gazette
towns: East Aukensville (near Trenton)(contains: a band shell), Tribridge, Blackeddy, Upper Blackeddy
Citizens of Newbridge: Officer Harrups(medium), Brad Somerstant (poor, ran for county water commissioner), Water Commissioner Delp (rich), Rodney (medium, works at Book Barn), Darrel (medium, manager at Book Barn), Danny (medium,sick citizen), Troy Dershman ('85 grad, no grad Penn st., low, grown high school jock, Newbrige Vikings star player, xfl player, divorced, lives in a tree fort), Augie Richards (manager of Ye Olde Burger Barn), Danny Phipps (Billy Joel tribute band, Glass Houses, leader), Kevin Percy (not anymore Close to Tom's brother, Dan Scharpling, Kathy Shoemaker, madeup wife), Bruce Willis (unhinged man)
buildings/buisinesses: Multiplex (in newbridge commons), Book Barn (sells books and records mall not mentioned), Alltel Communications Tender Vittels Ampitheater, Ye Olde Burger Barn (on Route 4 in Newbridge) (located outskirts of town beyond newbridge commons, before muffler row), Muffler Row near route 38 industrial area being rebuilt (shady area), Batter Mobile (Dodge Caravan gutted), Newbridge High School, Newbridge Acres (senior rest home), Coach Jackson (Troy's coach/landlord/boss), NCC (Newbridge Community College, Newbridge Horses (mascot), Norton Hall, WNCC radio station without antenna community station home to the Patriot Zone), Sporting Goods? (owner Roy Gatti), RadioHut (Newbridge Commons)
Roads: Route 38 (major highway), Route 4 (highway with stores), Main Street, Valley Brook Drive (Tom's old home)
I should be done by the end of this year.
I plan to make a spreadsheet detailing all of the places/people/major events for everything that's gone down in Newbridge since I started doing the recaps (11/29/05 -- present).
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woohoo! this will RULE!
[youtube=425,350]8qgBjoL_auM[/youtube]
Those crayons look like dildos.
How dare you
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Speaking of Old Muffler Row, I was just over at the FOTpedia (www.friendsoftom.com/fotpedia (http://www.friendsoftom.com/fotpedia)).. What happened? It's looking a bit abandoned at the moment. We need to resurrect it!
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It's got technical problems.
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woohoo! this will RULE!
[youtube=425,350]8qgBjoL_auM[/youtube]
Those crayons look like dildos.
Laurie has technical problems.
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looks like spiderman put this concept map into production. the one envisioned for new bridge would be more homemade & less flashy:
http://spiderman.sonypictures.com/movies/newyorkmap/
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I'll post something boring to get this thread back on the rails.
I got my AotS today! It is awesome! I am thrilled!
Thanks, fellas.
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That's not boring! At least not for those still waiting for their copies, with bateman breath.
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You know what's not boring? THIS ALBUM!!!
Holy crap it's funny. The Mother 13 Everest epic is easily the funniest Best Show bit I've heard.
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Holy crap it's funny. The Mother 13 Everest epic is easily the funniest Best Show bit I've heard.
It really is. I've been listening to Disc 3 almost everyday since I got it.
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Holy crap it's funny. The Mother 13 Everest epic is easily the funniest Best Show bit I've heard.
It really is. I've been listening to Disc 3 almost everyday since I got it.
I'd like to hear more from Dr. Hannah Sternfreund. Having heard the Everest saga about 25 times, I've been reveling in every nuance. I love the moment when Sternfreund says, "Corey, you up for thees?" before giving him the phone.
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I bought Art of the Slap, but I haven't yet listened to the edited Mount Everest saga. The unedited second half came up on the Ipod last week.
Part of the hilarity of it is how long it goes on. When Corey breaks down about Nubby and Toad, you can hear the exhaustion in his voice, and you know he's been talking for more than half an hour, so maybe JW is getting tired as well.
I dunno about the rest of you, but I buy the albums in part out of loyalty to the show and to financially support what S&W are doing. But I like the unedited bits better. (Not to say that that the CDs aren't great).
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I'm curious to know what/how much has been edited?
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Hot Roddin' Roddy:
I think they mostly just edit for time - they take out the bits that don't work as well or that go on too long, or, in the old days, where stupid callers messed with the vibe.
I just like to hear the originals in all their sprawling glory.
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Hot Roddin' Roddy:
I think they mostly just edit for time - they take out the bits that don't work as well or that go on too long, or, in the old days, where stupid callers messed with the vibe.
I just like to hear the originals in all their sprawling glory.
I haven't listened to the original calls that recently, but from what I can tell the edits to The Art of the Slap calls are pretty minor.
An example of an edit would be something like the snips of the talk about Gene Simmons Toyota (Gene was vacuuming out the trunk of a Camry) and CCR in the original Timmy von Trimble call vs. the version on Hippy Justice.
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4-star Rolling Stone review!!!!!!!!! (http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/13967380/review/14459185/the_art_of_the_slap)
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What happened to the fifth one? FOR SHAME, RS.
I blame YOU, Jann Wenner. I betcha Rob Sheffield left the fifth star lying around on his desk, and Jann absconded with it because it totally cluttered up the office. Imposing your OCD on other people is NOT COOL.
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Four stars? That's almost Mick Jagger solo album territory! Congratulations!
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Four-and-a-half stars, actually. Which is somehow more annoying.
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Four-and-a-half stars, actually. Which is somehow more annoying.
That's the user rating. I'm sure it pisses Jann off, too.
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"Dude, Party through the Pain, Dude." (http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A154431)
Corey Throckmorton Harris!
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"Purina/Hefty Who Let the Catfood Out of the Bag Tour"
Heeeeeeeee.
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that brightened my morning
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That's my paper, yo! I sell the ads that make the world go 'round.
-john
"Dude, Party through the Pain, Dude." (http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A154431)
Corey Throckmorton Harris!
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I really need to get around to getting this.
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Have all the pre-orders been filled? I ask because I went through the scary pay site to order it, and haven't seen it yet. I'm not trying to whine, but if my order hasn't gone through, then I'd like to know, so's I can order it. My favorite cheese is Gouda.
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I no longer check my mail with hope! Has everybody gotten their's?!
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To kenkwan, B, and anyone else who has not received their AotS orders:
Send an e-mail to stereolaffs at mindspring dot com to rectify this situation! It's time to get slapped! You're order may have accidentally slipped into some crusty crevice of the nonagon.
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I just ordered it today.
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I ordered a copy last Friday and it arrived the following Monday.
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To kenkwan, B, and anyone else who has not received their AotS orders:
Send an e-mail to stereolaffs at mindspring dot com to rectify this situation! It's time to get slapped! You're order may have accidentally slipped into some crusty crevice of the nonagon.
Thanks Omar, it's sorted now. :D
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I just ordered it today.
getting this made me feel better on this day of awful stomach virus.
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8.5 from Shovel.com!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/43268-the-art-of-the-slap)
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I loved this: "Despite the often-irritable undercurrent to his radio program The Best Show on WFMU . . ." I think it's that simmering annoyance that hooked me on the show in the first place.
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Beautiful! I'm so glad it's a digipack as well, cos I could never figure out how to open the older CDs without cracking the tray...........!
I haven't heard any of these conversations from before, so here goes a treat.
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Got mine yesterday! Thanks for clearing up the confusion.
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If this (http://www.daytrotter.com/lassoed/815/scharpling-wurster-get-lassod) was linked to before, I missed it!
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I will warn you - there does exist on the Internet a fairly negative review of Art of the Slap. I will not do it the justice of linking to it, but I have thought about turning the collective rage of the FOT on to it. We haven't really gone after anybody since Cher-Rose of "the" Poster Children.
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Are you referring to the Dusted review? I just read it--shocking.
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That publication is like its namesake, après slaying: Dusted.
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Sarah and Laurie - yeah, that's the one. From what I can gather, the first guy to review it really liked Chain Fights. Then this other guy has reviewed the last two and said the exact same thing about both of them.
I never understood that - why have a reviewer who has a problem (with a band, say) review additional works by that artist? I'm talking about when it's more than not liking this or that album - if you hate guitar/drum combos, why do you want to review each White Stripes album?
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Another shout-out. (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/44177-guest-list-patton-oswalt)
Saw that one coming a mile off!
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I would like to point out that my favorite bit on Art of the Slap is Andy from Lake Newbridge. I think the more ludicrous the character or situation, the more I love it.
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I, too, am very fond of Andy. And how could that Dusted reviewer not appreciate the genius that is the Mount Everest saga? Too jaded for his own good, I'd say.
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And how could that Dusted reviewer not appreciate the genius that is the Mount Everest saga? Too jaded for his own good, I'd say.
Exactly! "An hour later, we have learned of his efforts to make Mother 13 the first band to play on the tip of Mt. Everest." Is that all he got out of it?
On the first listen, I found it funny because it's so ridiculous and over-the-top. It then only got funnier with each subsequent listen because there is so much to be appreciated in this "bit". I especially enjoy that it's so elaborate and it gets more and more absurd every minute.
The only thing that's creating a "negatively-charged atmosphere" is the reviewer himself, not the CD.
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Woah, that Dusted review was written by former FMU dj Doug Mosurak. JUDAS!
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I think the weirdest part of this review is the part where the writer's all, "Years of absurd situations played out on the air can’t cover up the fact that the dynamic between Wurster and Scharpling might be in need of a tune-up." 'Cause, I mean, really? That's what you think, dude? I guess he's entitled to his opinion of the material (misguided as his opinion may be), but to say that the dynamic is now somehow gone or suffering just because he doesn't like the jokes anymore seems kind of, i don't know, totally wrong? Open your ears, son. Just because you're not feeling it doesn't mean dudes don't know what they're doing.
I give this review an L.
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Are Scharpling and Wurster Stereolaffs CDs available at stores? Because I am terrified of spending my money on the Intranets. Those big tubes are scary.
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On the first listen, I found it funny because it's so ridiculous and over-the-top. It then only got funnier with each subsequent listen because there is so much to be appreciated in this "bit". I especially enjoy that it's so elaborate and it gets more and more absurd every minute.
During one listen, I think I ended up playing Corey's crying jag about fourteen times consecutively. It's one of the funniest things I've ever heard.
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Woah, that Dusted review was written by former FMU dj Doug Mosurak. JUDAS!
Ha! I was gonna point the same thing out.
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I listened to the Mother 13 saga on the plane. The part about Buddy Guy in the "Blues Igloo" which is really a "snow grave" is pure comedy mastery - two titans at the peak of their game.
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7. Scharpling and Wurster – The Art of the Slap (Stereolaffs)
A ridiculous collection of absurd phone calls that mashes down hard on every one of my “FUNNY” buttons. Our Jetta wagon nearly ran off the road when Corey Harris of Mother 13 referred to Buddy Guy’s Mt. Everest snow grave as a “blues igloo.” (Matthew, from Tre Orsi)
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/903
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Changed their tune, didn't they?
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That's from a feature they do asking bands to list some of their favorites. So probably not, unfortunately.
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My band, Minutes, JUST played with Tre Orsi.
There are, without a doubt, my new favorite band. Absolutely a steam-roller of a rock band. Absolutely the funniest people I've ever played with as well.
LOTS of Best Show talk all night long with these good dudes.
Ike
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have listened to all the albums (dl'd each at least 2-3 times each from itunes due to various malfunctions-- when can we see a new one please???) hundreds of times
they only get better and better as far as i can tell with each re-visit
that reviewer is a piece of fuuuudge