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Pre-order Kung Fu Monkeys' "The Incredibly Strange Case of the Mysterious Mystery" 7"

The Kung Fu Monkeys, long assumed to be deceased, rise again with their 13th (!) 7". Two new songs, "Persephone Please" b/w "A Nudie Suit Made of Bees." It's a split release between Surfin'Ki Records (Italy) and Waterslide Records (Japan). With KFM frontman James Cahill now residing in Toronto (Canada) this sizzling platter is truly an international affair.

Pre-order today, friends!

Much More of the Monkees

by Gary Pig Gold

Can it really be true that Rolling Stone publisher/magnate Jann S. Wenner has personally conducted a decades-long campaign to bar The Monkees from induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Far-from-dummy Monkee Peter Tork certainly thinks so.

"He doesn't care what the rules are and just operates how he sees fit," Tork told the New York Post in 2007. "It is an abuse of power. I don't know whether The Monkees belong in the Hall of Fame, but it's pretty clear that we're not in there because of a personal whim."

Now sure, the Monkees (along with the Beach Boys, Byrds, even Beatles, most every Motown act, etc. etc. etc.) certainly didn't play every single note on every single record they ever made. Nevertheless, in 1967 Jann and his fledgling zine were riding extremely high on the Monkee-bashing bandwagon, using the television rockstars as the best/worst examples of all that was unhip, uncool, and truth be told un-San Francisco in the world.

Fair enough. I remember it also took Rolling Stone over a decade to figure out the Ramones too.

Learning to Surf: How Much Heart Can You Take?

by Mike Faloon

Here is another slice of my new zine, Learning to Surf. It’s called “How Much Heart Can You Take?”  It’s a 10-day journal that revolves around Western Problems, the last album by Future Virgins. It’s on the Razorcake website.

We Should Talk More – Ten Days with the Black Wine’s Summer of Indifference: Day Ten

By Mike Faloon

Last summer Black Wine released their second album, Summer of Indifference. I listened to it a lot and kept a journal. It’s part of a zine called Learning to Surf. Here is day ten.

Things just came together today. Maggie and Sean were in and around this year's kiddie pool all day. Allie's dad came over. They read the paper, took naps, and watched the kids. Our neighbor's dog ducked into the kitchen a couple of times. Brian came over and we thought up two characters for the book we're working on. (Mr. Book and Mr. End. Less creepy versions of Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint from Diamonds Are Forever.) There were a lot of people moving around. It was a good test for the patio.

We Should Talk More – Ten Days with the Black Wine’s Summer of Indifference: Day Nine

By Mike Faloon

Last summer Black Wine released their second album, Summer of Indifference. I listened to it a lot and kept a journal. It’s part of a zine called Learning to Surf. Here is day nine.

I've had "End of Days" and "Favorites" in my head all day. I love the way Miranda and J trade vocals early in "End of Days," then share vocals the second time they come around to the "Psyche myself up for what might come" part. Compared to the band's first album they're subtler about how they mix girl and guy vocals, though I kind of miss songs like "Strange, Amazing" or "Broken Arm Bear" where the harmonies were more prominent. I also wish there was a song like "We Belong," one of those long album closers that achieves the Neil Young and Crazy Horse effect — a simple, driving song that successfully locks onto a guitar riff and as far as I'm concerned could repeat said riff endlessly.