Days of Lore

Jason Cassidy is invading Days of Lore this week while Mark Lore is on vacation.

Roid rage! Poor Mark Lore. He finally gets a week off to take in a dozen grad parties, sleep till noon and take a road trip to see his beloved St. Louis Cardinals beat up on the Giants, and instead had to bear witness as Barry’s boys kept the mighty Pujols and the rest of the Red Birds in check on Monday night.

It’s only appropriate as I try to fill these Days of Lore in Mark’s absence that I offer my condolences for your loss, Mark, and reassure you that you and the Cards will have your come-uppance in October … even if it’s only the first half of October.

Homomelodic tendencies Sitting here staring out the window at the gutter punk parade disappearing into the bushes of Annie’s Glen, it occurs to me that it’s really lonely here in the CN&R arts office.

Sure, I’m getting my work done about twice as fast as normal, but there’s no one to share inane rock gossip and fart jokes with, and holding it all in is really making me stressed.

To hell with that. I will not let your absence make me sick, Mark Lore! Here are 10 very important things I would probably be saying to you if you hadn’t left me alone:

1. We should totally cover that Dinosaur Jr. song “Freak Scene.”

2. Burrito?

3. Is it Lost on Main or Hiding on Main? I don’t think this club is ever going to open.

4. Dude, I was talking to Casey Dietz from the Americas and he just got back from Japan with his other band The Velvet Teen. They just recorded a new CD [Cum Laude—due out in U.S. in July (www.thevelvetteen.com)] and the label flew them over there just to do interviews! Total rock star.

5. Answer me this: If you were watching an outdoor concert downtown in the middle of a Chico summer, would you rather be sitting in the shade by a creek (like at Children’s Park) or in the blazing evening sun surrounded by four one-way streets in the new Downtown Park Plaza?

6. Coffee time?

7. This computer is so #*%&?#* slow!!!

8. Best Chico Rock Dad: Tom Little, who’s son Gibson joined him and friends at Barbara Manning’s grad party to play guitar on and sing the Ramones’ “Beat on the Brat,” or Ron Pope, who delivered and set up the P.A. for his daughter Aubrey Debauchery’s recent show at the 1078 Gallery and then returned once the four-band bill was finished to tear the system down and haul it away? It’s a toss up.

9. Lorax, do you mind if we listen to something besides Old 97’s?

10. Did you hear about that Black Light Folk Festival goin’ down at the Serenity Center (Sat., May 27)? The dude putting it on is this guy Mike Pare from New York. He started the fest at art shows he did in Brooklyn, having bands play every week. I guess he’s buddies with Doug Stein (Swamp Zen frontman). The lineup is crazy—they combined a bunch of folky hippie bands and noisy experimental bands to play all day for only $10. There’s Tim Bluhm (who played at N.Y. version), Puddle Junction, The Joints (Pare’s band), and even Jackie-O Motherfucker!

Your summer music assignment I’ve already gotten started. Here are a few of the cool sites that are helping me stock up on summer mix CDs:

www.daytrotter.com: The deal: touring bands stop by a recording studio in Rock Island, Ill., and record four songs. Once a week, Daytrotter puts these four exclusive tracks up for you to download. The May 21 post features four from Lawrence, Kan.’s Drakkar Sauna, the best being “Very Much Alone, Part 4,” a backwoods murder ballad chock full of dark goodness like: “I prayed for God to kill me/ I prayed that he’d kill you to/ One day he’s going to get round to my prayers/ I wonder which one he’ll choose.”

www.everythingisfire.com: Blog of short CD reviews with two downloadable tracks from each disc. Preview the excellent “Hey Mr. Sky” from Jackie-O’s Flags of the Sacred Hoop.

www.saidthegramophone.com: Awesome blog with reviews on a wide variety of underground music. Best recent discovery: Lily Allen’s “LDN.”

www.ampcamp.com: Tons of CD reviews with all kinds of cute extras like the “Degree of Difficulty” scale and helpful icons like a beret that signifies “art school band” and cassette that signifies “mix tape potential.” Also, a free download every day (check out “Kate” by Sweden’s Sambassadeur) with informed, but fun write-ups on the artists. Plus, order CDs with only 99-cent shipping.

When’s Mark getting back?—<script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> </script>