2012 Election: Crawling from the Wreckage

After months (and years) of campaigning, election campaigns just come to an end.

Maybe, it's not fair, but the media usually gives the prerequisite 48 hours before they talk about the next campaign that is four years down the road.

Everyone is ready to move on.

Still, once it's all done, one might wonder what you do with some of the things you no longer need.

Like a 300 pound sign shaped like Iowa that says Romney on it.

Well, there's always Craigslist.



Local TV said someone bought it for $150, though the only thing I found online said it was actually picked up for free, but was worth $150 (if melted down and sold for scrap metal).

In any case, this is the guy who added it to his political memorabilia collection (Mrs. Bedsitter would surely have vetoed this):




Yes, he is a Republican, though he is a collector, and said he would have likely done the same if it was an Obama sign.

In any case, it ended up as a great show of bipartisanship...

“I got my older brother Andrew, who is a huge Obama Democrat—He is one of the guys who helped move it.” 

New Music Initiative 055: The Growlers

My first big band find (via Iowa Public radio) is the Growlers.

I would say this California band plays Nuggets-style classic garage rock, but come to find out, the band calls it "Beach Goth".

Hmmm, never thought of that.

The band does meld 60s garage rock, with some psychedelia and surf sounds. It's a distant relative to bands like Deadbolt, and with any band that indulges in these sounds, the Cramps came up (though vocalist Brooks Nielsen has none of Lux Interior's Iggy-isms, instead of playing a straight sound that is closer to forgotten heroes like Gene Pitney and Ricky Nelson, or at least Sky Saxon.) Yet with that mix of sounds, they sound a bit similar at times to sh*tgaze bands like The Crystal Stilts. One suspects, they could probably ditch Nielsen (not that I would recommend it) and with a few tweaks easily become a Jesus and Mary Chain cover band.

The band has been championed by Julian Casablancas, Devandra Banhardt, and Dan Auerbach of the Black Keyes is producing the new album Hung at Heart. In any case, giving yourself the title "Beach Goth" sets up some expectations (though "Jan Berry is Dead" would be a great idea for a song) and garage rock is harder than you think, but this is really down my alley, so I am passing it along.