2011: hitting the ground running.

SHOP NEWS
We're steadily unpacking everything in our new spot and finding boxes of records we've been meaning to put out, as well as show posters that will be for sale on our walls. Our thanks to everyone who came in for the in-store featuring Ms. Lana Rebel and friends, there will be many more to come. Our next in store will be Feb. 12th with the Water Tower Bucket Boys!

DESIGN CONTEST
Click below to view a larger version of our design contest flier with all the rules and regulations. Our judge and artistic director Lush Newton has talked us into extending the deadline until the end of February so get movin' and take your place as the designer of our latest sweatshirt!


RECORD CONTEST
Also extended into the month of February, our record raffle. For a fee of $4 get yourself a ticket and be entered to win a limited picture disk LP of George Clinton in Alpaca chaps! All proceeds go towards some serious medical bills and there's no limit to entry so feel free to stuff the box. Click below to view the lp in its glory!


PORTLANDIA
Adam happened upon this trailer the other day which begs the question, how do you know when your scene is over? January 21st "Saturday Night Live" cast member Fred Armisen and Sleater-Kinney/Wild Flag member Carrie Brownstein will bring you their take on the place everyone moves from Arcata to...for a few months. Watch the first episode now by clicking below and watching the first episode courtesy of HULU.


SONGS FROM OUR BRAIN
We decided to do something a bit different this month and focus on songs that have gotten lodged deep within our brain lately. Nothing's worse for your friends and family than being drug along for the ride during a case of brain itch, so we decided to share ours with you to give them some relief.

M.I.A. "Bad Girls"
Part of her new downloadable mix tape "Vicki Leekx," this track is Paper Planes 2.0. Featuring haunting bazaar synth and a pounding, syncopated beat, courtesy of Timbalands' protégé Danja, Mi.I.A. has delivered another track that furrows deep into your brain. As one reviewer encapsulated it, "the memorable semi-nonsensical phrases repeated until they become absurdly and transcendentally powerful," are what cement this and other M.I.A. hits' addictive nature. The rest of the album is admittedly a bit spotty, with few other moments standing up to this monster of a track but as local music nerd King Maxwell pointed out, you have to remember this is an east coast mix tape and a free one at that.


Panda Bear "You Can Count on Me"
Limited to a mere 3000 copies, it's a pretty sure bet most of us missed the new tracks put out this year by Animal Collective's own Panda Bear. So far four tracks have been released on two seven inches and after listening on repeat for days, our ears are already salivating for more. Some tracks have that classic Panda Bear sound that made such an instant hit but also there's a bit of something new in there as well, something that shows a positive evolution in this 33 year old musicians' solo work. Expect the full length out this April but until then, here's a taste.


Cazwell "All Over Your Face"
12 months of Cazwell still hasn't tarnished our love for this thong rockin' gay rapper from Massachusetts. Between releasing his own string of hits and producing Amanda Lapour's first album, it seems Cazwell hasn't found time to release his second full length, "Watch My Mouth," on LP just yet but the 12'' of our favorite track is still available if you hunt.

	Cazwell - All Over Your Face .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Michael Hurley Unholy Modal Rounders "Slurf Song"
After hearing a cover of this song during our in-store with Lana Rebel, it burned our ears until we finally tracked down where we'd heard it before. From an album recorded over the course of three days back in 1975, Peter Stampfel, Michael Hurley, Jeff Fredrick and a crew of others recorded a lighthearted bit of silly songcrafting that follows your every whistle.


GRAPHIC NOVEL

This month we're excited to highlight a series that's so good, we wish we could get alzheimers so we could read it again for the first time. The premise is this: characters from all our favorite bedtime stories flee their homelands, driven out by an evil oppressor, and wind up refugees, hidden in the heart of New York City. Volume one showcases hardboiled detective Bigby Wolf attempting to unravel the mystery of who killed Snow White's sister, Rose Red. Each of the first three storylines try and exemplify a different genre: the first is a murder mystery, the next a conspiracy thriller, and then a caper story. For nine years now the series has evolved and transformed characters and classic legends alike, producing numerous spin offs and winning 12 Eisner awards, all the while keeping me just as hooked as when I used to watch "Six Feet Under." Pick up any of the first four volumes at the shop, or get em all for ten bucks off the combined cover price!

NEW TITLES ARE A-COMIN'
Iron & Wine "Kiss Each Other Clean"
Coming out at the end of January, another release from Indie beard Sam Bean!
Tree By The River
Marisa Anderson "The Golden Hour"
We had a few folks from Mississippi records come by and check out our store over the holidays. We spoke of how much we enjoy their cassette comps. and were told, "if you like our re-releases, wait till you check out Marisa Anderson." Her new album, released this month on Mississippi, features 12 improvisations for guitar and lap steel.



That's all for now folks, stay tuned for updates on new releases, restocks of our year end favorites and a schedule of this year's ArtsArcata madness!
keep diggin' those crates.
--Matt n' Adam.

Enter The New Store

Well we opened the doors, and while we may not have all the nails hammered down but we do have a killer stock of records, cds and graphic novels to come out swinging. Don't forget us this holiday season, as you do the shopping for the music nerd on your list, we've got gift certificates, new Missing Link gear and a slew of sale items for this Festivus. First though, let's talk about some new stuff that just came in the doors this month.

The Extra Lens (John Darnielle & Franklin Bruno)

"For a band that’s been around, on and off, for almost 20 years, The Extra Lens has kept a pretty low profile. Then again, “low profile” is pretty much the best way to sum up Undercard, the band’s second full-length, and its first since 2002’s Martial Arts Weekend. Originally known as The Extra Glenns, the duo of The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle and Nothing Painted Blue’s Franklin Bruno sounds exactly like a mix of those two projects, but where Martial Arts was more of a slapdash, punk-folk affair, Undercard peddles in a more mature, assured—though no less skeletal—kind of songcraft. With an acoustic-plus-distortion-plus-piano approach that recalls Billy Bragg’s early work..." -Jason Heller (The Onion A/V Club).


Psychedelic Aliens "Psycho African Beat"

We've been waiting a looong time for this one to hit wax. Sometimes known as The Magic Aliens or just the Aliens, the three short years these amazing musicians were together produced eight of the funkiest afro-psych tracks of their time. It took Frank Gossner, of Voodoofunk.com, an amazing 4 years, 9 visits to Ghana, and dozens of newspaper advertisements to track all 24 minutes of this music and serve it up to the salivating record dork community. Full of fuzzed out guitar and farfisa, one of the awesome things we discovered about this LP is that it's just as fun on 33 as it is on 45!


South Memphis String Band "Home Sweet Home"

Luther Dickinson (from the North Mississippi Allstars), Alvin Youngblood Hart (the great modern bluesman) and Jimbo Mathus (of the Squirrel Nut Zippers), three talented musicians with a love for old time music, who've teamed up to create a trio of palpable proportions. They ve been called a regional rorots music supergroup by some reviewers but the alliance of Dickinson, Hart and Mathus is more like three good friends attempting to preserve and revive the great jugband/stringband traditions of the deep south.


Orgone "Cali Fever"

A new release from one of what we consider to be a majorly understated band of today. Hailing from the capital of Southern California, the members of Orgone have been up to Humboldt a handful of times now with less of a local response than we'd expect from such a killer funk band. With a lightning percussion section and the classic wah'd out guitar backing a strong female lead vocal, this band could turn a into a dancefloor. With their latest release, Cali Fever, the band expands into a more world beat feel, creating a sound similar to bands like The Daktaris or El Michels Affair.


UNCLE MATT's SOUL CORNER
A new section for the store is Uncle Matt's Soul Corner, where you'll find cd versions of the amazing soul that hasn't reached wax yet. We devote so much attention to our beloved wax (such as the few copies of Tear-Stained Soul we just found on LP), that we thought the CD-minded should get some of our love and affection too. This week, we're turning our attention to a release that costs a whopping 55 smackers for the vinyl-minded but costs your compact disk budget a mere dollars, "The Northern Soul Story Vol.4 - Wigan Casino."

A nightclub in Lancashire England, from 73-81 Wigan Casino was one of the premiere spots for northern soul music and was voted the World's Best Venue in 1978 by Billboard Magazine,beating New York's Studio 54. The Club closed December 6th 1981, the final night of Wigan Casino, the crowd refused to leave, so according to the DJ, to "break this spell of hysteria" he picked a 7" at random from his box and played that. This final Wigan Casino song became one of the most famous northern soul songs of all time, Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)".


MISSHAPEN BUT STILL COOL
Another of our new sections, these are cds that were to oddly sized to fit in the racks but still deserve all the attention their uniformally shaped brothers and sisters do. This month it's a killer lesson in music history from the guys at Honest Jons, Living is Hard: West African Music in Britain,927-29.

Made in London, these recordings were issued originally by the Zonophone record label. The first West African Zonophone recordings date from 1922, when the Reverend J. J. Ransome-Kuti — Fela’s grandfather — traveled from Nigeria to Britain, to record Christian hymns in Yoruba. The tracks on this release are all over the map, with guitar/vocal pieces, drum ensembles, bizarre growled vocal performances and large ensemble piece. The folks over at Honest Jons have worked hard to make this an album that musically portrays a snapshot in time, with as little left out as possible and we here at Missing Link tend to think they did a damn fine job. Not an album that will overtake you upon first listening, this is more like one of those musical history lessons that, over time, become some of your most treasures comp. gems. Click below for a sample.
George Williams Aingo - Akkuo Nu Banto

GRAPHIC NOVELS
With the new store, we're expanding our graphic novel section with alot more new and used stuff for the superhero inclined. This month's feature is Batman: Secrets, drawn and written by Mr. Sam Kieth. The artist behind some of the largest and most grizzled looking incarnations of Marvel heroes, as well as the highly successful book/tv show The Maxx, turns his attention to the Dark Knight and the Joker in dark story about childhood trauma and media exploitation.

When Joker convinces a parole board to let him back on the streets, he resumes his old life, only to have a confrontation with Batman misleadingly captured on film and sold to the tabloids. Making the most of this, the Joker attempts to turn the public on Batman with the help of his unconventional new sidekick. Written shortly after the Killing Joke, this has a concentration on the whole Joker/Batman, Holmes/Moriarty situation but focuses more on the two's confrontation of their inability to exist without the other to validate their own existence...woah, heavy.

NEW SWEATSHIRTS AND STICKERS
The new Missing Link sweatshirts are coming in this week! Featuring our brand spanking new address on the back, these zip up hoodies come in Black or Blue and have our logo on the back, drawn by Lush Newton (voted Humboldt County's Best Artist 2010)! Also coming soon are the new bumper stickers featuring the phrase "iBUYVINYL" for only a buck! Also, as we keep moving into our new home, expect to see wooly bigfoot socks, gnome socks, missing link slipmats and more!

DESIGN COMPETITION
As part of the celebration around our new store we're going to do a limited run of sweatshirts featuring designs from our favorite artists and we'd like to include you in on the deal too! If you have a Bigfoot/Record design that you want to hand in, we'll be taking online submissions until the end of January and announcing the winner February 1st. The lucky winner will walk away with a seventy-five dollar gift certificate to Missing Link, a special version of their artistic apparel and a hand picked gift from Adam and Matt.

PARLIAMENT lp AUCTION
Recently, a good customer of ours found herself injured and faced with some fun medical bills. Since we all know money doesn't grow on trees...yet, we here at the shop are doing a little something in the holiday spirit. Through the end of January we'll be holding a raffle to auction of a Parliament Motorbootyaffair picture LP. These little beauties are becoming harder and harder to find plus, let's face it, who doesn't need George Clinton in Alpaca chaps, water-skiing behind two dolphins? To enter, just buy a raffle ticket for 5.00 and drop it in the bucket with your name, number and email. All proceeds go towards this Arcatan's medical expenses, (for privacy sake we're not saying who but trust us we ain't lyin'). The first week in February we'll draw the winner out and post it on the blog, as well as call that person immediately. Out of town entries count as well, if you want to use paypal, so don't feel shy Jeff Myers or Mike Mannix.


That be all for now music lubbers, make sure to stop by and see our new digs, pet the cat and make goo-goo noises at Henry. So, until then,
Keep diggin' those crates
--Matt n Adam

Movin' Daze

We're Getting Some New Digs.

After two years in our beloved cubbyhole, we're excited and sad to announce that starting this December, you can visit Missing Link Records at our new location 1073 H St, between DTA and Pacific Paradise, as we undertake the mission of revamping one of Arcata's longtime oddities. If you lived here at any point in the last thirteen years you've probably peeked in the window of One Man's Treasure and wondered what the hell is he selling in there? Lording in the back of the dimly lit, seldom open interior like a character from some unreleased Tom Waits song, the owner would have endless debates about whether or not to sell you the item in your hand. Sometimes out loud, these deliberations more often then not seemed to be confined to his own head, nothing to break the silence but the mumblings of an interior monologue spilling over like coffee from an overfilled cup, as you backed slowly towards the door. To sum it up, we've got some big shoes to fill.

NEW STUFF IN STOCK


The Secret Sisters

So, if you actually pay attention to our blog you've already heard us mention the Secret Sisters already and if not, then scroll down and get some education before reading on...ready...ok. Produced by the man who put together the Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack, their pure, sweet tones were the sort that takes you back to artists like Patsy Cline, The Corn Sisters and the Carter Family. Personally, I had forgotten women even sounded like this anymore.



Radio Phnom Penh

"This brain-melting concoction of Radio transmissions is a combination of AM/FM samples from the airwaves of Phnom Penh. The older, classic Pop/Rock FM cuts are ALL re-mixed versions while the newer forms/other styles of Cambodian music collected here are not. All AM recordings are from the Original masters. Regardless of the debate between “original” and “re-mix”, this is the most diverse assortment of Cambodian musical treasures you’ve NEVER heard. Flowing from traditional to Modern, from rock and pop to folk and hybrid, all excerpts are as unique as the best of what’s been presented by other compilations of late. And it’s sequenced here in the spirit of how it was captured: as radio programming designed to immediately transport you into the heart of Cambodia’s Capital" (excerpt taken from Sublime Frequencies website).

Veal Kmao Khiev Kjey by Pan Ron

Dara Puspita

"Dara Puspita (Flower Girls) was arguably the world’s greatest all-female garage rock band. The reason you’ve probably never heard of them was that they came from Indonesia where they were extremely popular during the 1960s. Their career spanned from 1965 until 1973 including 3 years (1969-1971) living and touring in Europe. The four albums recorded by the original members between 1966 and 1968 (the material represented on this CD) is one of the great chapters of 1960s popular music history never to be reissued, let alone recognized beyond a few tuned-in souls and adventurous record collectors in the Western world" (excerpt taken from Sublime Frequencies website).


Pearls & Brass
so make fun of me for being behind the times if you want...I'll gladly take the heat for not knowing about this band before they got a chance to break up. Hailing from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Pears & Brass has that power trio, stoner jam quality that reminded me of a cross between The Hitch and Radio Moscow. Even though they seem to have already called it quits, they still have two pretty rad albums you can jam out to.



END OF THE YEAR
With December right on the horizon it's time again for all music fanatics to start writing their end of the year best of's. We here at Missing Link are encouraging our shoppers to write their lists with links to the bands and send them up to this blog via the comments section. With any luck, we might all find one of those 2010 gems we missed but most likely we'll all find reasons to argue with the validity of each others' choices...either way it'll be fun.

JEFFERSON STATE OLD TIME REVUE

jefferson state festival is already shaping into a bigger hootenanny than last year's candlelit inception. With an incredible lineup confirmed, a local Viking brewing up our refreshments and the playhouse ready to let us loose yet again, the three heads of Jefferson State have begun putting together volunteer lists, railroad lanterns and plenty of baked goods. Here's a sneak peek at the lineup for this year.
Pokey Lafarge & The South City Three
Frank Fairfield
The Dust Busters
Water Tower Bucket Boys
Striped Pig Stringband
No-Good Redwood Ramblers
and MC/storyteller extraordinaire Jeff DeMark.

-- COMING JULY 2011 --

That's it for now kids, as always the music biz slows down in December as people start calculating end of the year favorites and the big guys start re-recording another Christmas album. That doesn't mean, however, that you can't find some of the best re-issues and re-releases sitting on our racks. Come in, sit down, and let us tell you about them.

Keep diggin those crates,
--Matt n' Adam.

Post Hardly Strictly Reports.

After spending the weekend immersed in music and sweaty hipster kids in furry hats, here's a little listing of some acts you may not know about yet as well as a report on some of the highlights from this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival. Those of you who have gone before know this is a huge weekend of free music that takes a certain amount of guerilla guile in order to make the most of. Yours truly was up at 6:30 each morning just to secure spots close to the stage for a show that didn't start until noon. Despite the throngs of people and poorly leashed dogs, Hardly Strictly offers folks a chance to be exposed to new music, as well as see musical legends that may not be with us in the years to come...if you can get past sharing your tarp with a family of five.

The Punch Brothers
Who knew that the Punch Brothers' true calling was as backup band for T-Bone Burnett? Backing up the great T-Bone Burnett, these guys worked on providing a driving backbone to everyone who took the stage, becoming the true stars of Hardly Strictly's friday night lineup. Backing up everyone from Elvis Costello doing 1920's rock & roll to a pair of giggling girls from Alabama covering Johny Cash, they even managed to let fly some scorching numbers of their own, all in the span of an hour and fifteen minutes. Leaving an entire meadow of people to process what they'd just seen.


Secret Sisters
The two giggling girls mentioned earlier were The Secret Sisters, a new act signed by Burnett on his label Beladroit Records. Sisters from Northern Alabama, Laura and Lydia Rogers possess pure, sweet voices and some serious talent bringing them out of the chapel and into the recording studio. Alongside Burnett, the Secret Sisters had their first single, a cover of Johnny Cash's "Big River," released on Jack White's Third Man Records. The Rogers' own grandfather and his brothers traveled as The Happy Valley Boys, and today the girls are the opening act for their father's bluegrass band. Produced by David Cobb, their album was recorded using only vintage equipment, to capture the girls' classic sound.


Carolina Chocolate Drops
If you shop with us or read our updates, you know we think pretty highly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Their tireless efforts to keep early American roots musci alive have given us some amazing records to listen to, as well as hope for the future of music. The three of them took the stage on Saturday, the main stage mind you, to a sea of people who had been told this was an act not to miss...and it was true. They played fiddles and jugs, they buckdanced, they brought out quills and bones and fife and drum, rolling through old tunes with an honest reverence matched with youthful exuberance and the aged Banjo stage crowd ate it up. The end of their set showed the wide range this group can draw from, flipping from their song Genuine Negro Jig (an original written by the Snowden Family), into a cover of Blu Cantrell's hit 'Em Up Style. Another wonderful thing was their merch, handmade tiny jugs, created by an American potter and though small, still playable wherever you might be.



Skip Gorman
Halfway into Saturday, the crowded masses had turned my mood sour. Unable to continue moving everywhere at the pace of a shuffling inmate, we retreated to the lonesome sounds of a man in leather chaps. Skip Gorman is an incredible fountain of knowledge on the subject of cowboy songs and trail ballads, a former Rounder Records recording artist, Gorman echoes the songs sung by countless cowhands with a true and steadfast emotion that fills the silence between songs.


Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys
What's that you say, you'd like a little something for the Jewish Cowboy in all of us? Well, as luck would have it we have something to fit your bill. Calling their music a mix of Klezmer and Bluegrass (also known on the internet as Jewgrass), this band was a surprise hit at the Porch stage. Watching them, you wonder why you've never seen a Barndance/Bar Mitzvah.


Holly Golightly & Lawyer Dave
One of those not-to-be-missed acts of the weekend, Holly Golightly is a musical legend. The often sour, always sassy former Headcoatee has definitely secured herself as a purveyor of porch inspired country and blues. Alongside Lawyer Dave, the multi-instrumental wizard, Holly's songs of broken hearts and empty bottles matched perfectly alongside Dave's dirty slide guitar and gravely southern drawl. Oddly enough, this was their first gig before opening for Railroad Earth at the Fillmore that night, and never before have I debated so hard about going to the Fillmore simply for an opener. But what brought these two to Hardly Strictly was their music's ability to reflect back to simpler times in a more rural America. When asked if she thought her music allowed her to escape the modern world, she replied, "I don't think I'm escaping it, I'm just ignoring it."


MarchFourth Marching Band
Who doesn't love the sound of a marching band? From the Hot 8 Brass Band to the Dirty Dozen, the idea of what a Marching Band is has broken clean out of the box. MarchFourth takes this even further, adding an electric bassist, stilt walkers and flag twirlers to the lineup to create an impressive and almost imposing mob. The name derives from the date of the band's creation, March 4, 2003, Fat Tuesday. Since then, they have performed with Fleetwood Mac, No Doubt, KISS, Blink 182, Galactic, The Neville Brothers, Antibalas and Pink Martini. What's best is that after playing their morning set, they worked their way into the crowd, performing impromptu sets for everyone who may not have shown up early enough to be properly blown away.



Sharon Jones
The high point of the festival, at least to yours truly, was undoubtedly Ms Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. I don't think I've ever seen a band who brought such an A game to a free show, especially after being on the road since April. When she danced everything from the Camel Walk to the Tighten Up, we shucked and moved. When she broke into "Mama don't like my man," we all broke out into tears and when she was told she had 10 more minutes she exclaimed, "looks like I got 15 more minutes y'all so let's speed this up." I don't think I'll ever miss another chance to see this phenomenally tight band in action. Below is a quick melange of songs from the night's performance...that's right, I said melange. (try not to cry when she starts the last song, I dare you).


Of course this is only a brief overview of an immense weekend but sometimes the cliff notes are enough eh? We'll be stocking a bunch of stuff from all of theses bands in case you might have found some new favorites while reading today, so stop on by. Also, next month will see some great Reggae and Afro-Jazz hit the racks as well as some great shows. Tune in on Oct. 12th starting at 10, to KHSU to hear Radio Moscow live on the air with Mike Sargeant!!!

Things are REALLY cookin' now for next year's JEFFERSON STATE OLD TIME REVUE set for July 2011 so keep checking this out for more updates. Just to give you a little thrill, check out one of the groups who are going to come old-time your doors clean off.


Till Next Time, Keep Diggin In Those Crates,
--Matt n Adam

New Stuff and Comin' Soons.

UPCOMING NIGHTS FOR OUTING

Lagos Roots Afrobeat Ensemble

This killer show is just around the corner! You've heard the word on the street, you've picked up the whispers in BRIO and you've seen the entry on our blog but jot down Sept. 24th in your i-whatever and tweet yourself a reminder that not only will DJ Mantease charm your pants right off with his heavy afro-lps but Lagos Roots will drive your pantless ass right to the dance floor. This killer ensemble features original members of Africa 70 and Sonny Okonous band, (we assure you, that's good). JAMBALAYA $10

Water Tower Bucket Boys

Coming to Six Rivers Brewery Sept. 24th & The Striped Pig Barndance Sept. 25th! It's your two chances to check out The Water Tower Bucket Boys, an amazing group of musicians hailing from Oregon and recently back from their UK tour. We've mentioned them in our blog before and we're tellin' ya now to mark your calender for a great, roots-y good time. SIX RIVERS BREWERY $? / ARCATA VETS HALL $7

Chris Potter's Underground

Redwood Jazz Alliance's Michael Eldridge warns all of you out there, miss this show and you'll be kicking yourself the next day. The Detroit Free Press calls him simply "the most compelling saxophonist of his generation." He's "[o]ne of the most studied (and copied) saxophonists on the planet," (says DownBeat Magazine). Underground, his quartet, has spent the last five years, injecting Potter's sensibility with 45cc's of funk. September 24th @ FULKERSON HALL $15, TIX ON SALE AT THE STORE.

NEW GOODIES

Been Here All My Days (selections from the George Mitchell Collection)

Once again, Mississippi Records brings forth the American blues and roots like Lazarus from the tomb. This collection highlight the best songs from a 45 collection that was limited to a mere 300 copies (one of which resides in Adam's "not for mortal hands" section of his records). Originally put out by the fabulous Bruce Watson (of Fat Possum Records), this box set offered heavy hitters like Furry Lewis, J.B. Lenoir, Buddy Moss, RL Burnside and Joe Callicot (just to name a few). Just some of the best bluesmen doing what the good lord intended. If you didn't have the cash to snap this up when it came out, Mississippi offers this abridges, slightly more affordable, version.

Black Angels "Phosphene Dream"

Ok Ok, quit asking for this on Lp my babies. After some diggin, it turns out our fair Angels have signed over to a newly re-vamped label run by the douche bag from SIRE records and the douche bag from the Orchard. In classic douche-baggery, this gatefold LP with download code, only got sent out in small shipments to the large distributors . We're making the smaller rounds to try and scare up some copies so rest assured, as soon as we get our dirty little fingers on them, you'll be the first to know. Until then, there's still the cd and it IS worth taking a listen to.


Meilleurs Souvenirs de La 1ere Biennale Artistique et Culturelle de La Jeunesse 1970

Another release from ole Mississippi Records, "Magical Mali music from the start of the 70s. – played by a haunting group who mix swirling guitars, languid rhythms, and some really offbeat horns...a refracted version of better-known African modes of the time" --Dusty Groove.

NEW FINDS


Lately we've been feeling like sending out the feelers for any new bands that might just strike our fancy. Now mind you, we're not getting tired of sitting on the re-issue couch, far from it. We consider it, an exploration to re-assure ourselves that within the pile of pitchfork-approved, NME-embraced, hipster beards, there still lies hope for the future of music...call us melodramatic.

Frankie Rose and The Outs "Candy"

The first of our new bands to check out is this New York based quartet, who just released a new album on Slumberland Records (which has put out albums in the past by bands like Stereolab and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart). Beneath a thick layer of echo beats the heart of a symphonic and psychedelic lion (damn, I should work for Bigalow Tea). Running a range from spacey and melodic to driving and orchestral, Spinner said it best, "What's not to love about Frankie Rose and the Outs? They smile big, wear little black dresses and remind us what the Cramps and Ramones saw in '50s and '60s pop music."


Archie Bronson Outfit "Coconut"

Another segment in our latest quest to discover new meat, Archie Bronson already had a hit with their 2006 album, Derdang Derdang, that somehow skipped our radar. A heavy hitting British power trio, their new album comes straight from UK based, Domino Records. Archie Bronson and the boys go a bit more New Order on this one, making for a driving collection of songs...perfect for driving.


Keepaway "Baby Style"

More Brooklyn based goodness, in the vein of Animal Collective or Duck Tales. An echo ridden tropical paradise for sunny mornings and house cleaning days. Suckling from the Brain Wilson teat as many of today's bands, Keepaway may not be something new but it is something fun to listen to.



Jeff The Brotherhood "Heavy Days"

Well we warned you that you'd be sorry if you missed the in-store with JTB. After rocking the walls of our tiny store, their newest album hasn't left our record player in over a week. A mix of Devo and Queens of the Stone Age, strummed through three guitar strings and amplified by two giant stacks. Just the thing for the last few remaining days of sunny weather around here, you can pick up the latest release (with online download) or their long out of print Suicide Squeeze 45 on glow in the dark vinyl, here at the store.


Till next time, keep diggin' in those crates.
--Matt n Adam

September in Humboldt County

LINK WINS BEST OF HUMBOLDT

Thanks to our hardcore and attractive fans who voted us best store in Humboldt County! After less than two years in business, you can't imagine how excited we are that our tiny hobbit hole, with no signage after it closes, could be called the area's best store. This one is dedicated to anyone that's ever walked into a record store and uttered the phrase, "they still make records?"

UPCOMING SHOWS

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD
Coming south from Portland, Jeff The Brother hood has agreed to stop off and play an in-store here at Missing Link. Come check it out, all ages donations are encouraged as gas ain't free. check em out beforehand by clicking here.

BIG BOI
Right on the heels of his latest release, the son of Chico Dusty is playing Wednesday 22 September 2010 at the Arcata Community Center. Tickets are a pricey $50 General, $40 HSU students, odd considering he's at the Regency Ballroom in S.F. the next night for $31 (and that's ticketmaster price).

DEAD PREZ
Nocturnum continues bringing big shows to the area with this hum-dinger September 9th! We know this one is short notice but don't miss your chance to see these confrontational legends of the hip hop world. Tickets are $25 and on sale now here at the store.

LAGOS ROOTS ENSEMBLE
Jah only knows how we're getting such an amazing show here at our local Jambalaya. Made up of famous members of the Lagos afrobeat scene, these guys are guaranteed to get stuck in your head. This is one show we've been looking forward to for months now. For the measly price of ten dollars you can boogy down to the sounds of Lagos Roots as well as DJ Mantease aka Mr Brian Woida.

RADIO MOSCOW
Playing at the Alibi for the Arcata Pub Crawl. You have to check out this power trio from Alive Records before they set off on another North American tour. Acolytes of the seventies psych-rock genre, their style blends that sound with blues to create a psychedelic explosion.

NEW STUFF

YOB "The Great Cessation"
Southern Lord proudly presents the 2LP, deluxe vinyl version of The Great Cessation, the 2009 album from Yob, the reunited cosmic doom metal band. Founded in 1996 in Eugene, OR, the band developed a reputation as the heaviest doom metal three-piece ever (alongside the legendary Sleep). In 2006, vocalist/guitarist Mike Schedit announced the group's split after just three albums. After a three-year hiatus that included member's involvement in the band Middian, Yob launched a triumphant return with this stellar release.

	Yob - The Great Cessation .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Thee Oh Sees "Warm Slime"
Warm Slime, the eleventh full-length album from S.F. Rocker John Dwyer, is arguably his best work to date. An album split into two halves, the first is dedicated to the fourteen minute long title track with six shorter songs on the B-side that almost feels like an EP in itself.

	Thee Oh Sees - I Was Denied .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Black Prairie "Feast of the Hunter's Moon
If you know us, you know we're suckers for dark, twangy American music. Black Prairie's new album, "Feast of the Hunter's Moon" is exactly that. The band is made up of a few members of the Decemberists, (don't hate us but we've never really found much merit in their albums) so when we saw them take the stage late friday night at this year's Pickathon, we wondered what we were in for. Western-style fiddle, Appalachian banjo, accordion that borders between french carnival and zydeco, and a general sense of creepy country lanes and haunted marshlands make this a dark, twangy first album worth checking out. Like Blanche but a bit more goth.

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Big Boi "Sir Luscious Leftfoot, the son of Chico Dusty"
Big Boi (of Outkast fame) returns to the scene with an album chock full of clever lyrics, addictive beats and powerful guest stars. Andre 3000, George Clinton, Too Short, Raekwon, Yelawolf, Guggi Mane and more lend their voices to Big Boi's first solo outing. A much more refined and worked on release, 'Son of Chico Dusty' shows the evolution of a talented musician from half of a sensational duo to an artist in his own right. a number of funny skits were recorded to play between songs on the album, including a skit describing a sex move called "the David Blaine," where "you're making love to someone from behind, then have a friend take over and you run to a window and wave at your partner"

	Big Boi - Shutterbug Ft. Cutty .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Palenque Palenque! "Champeta Criolla & Afro-Roots in Columbia 1975-91"
A killer collection of champeta work from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Soundway have done a great job of introducing us to this unique genre. Thanks not only to a wicked selection of tunes, but also a full complement of notes and photos they really open up your minds to this really unique hybrid style of music. The sound is unique, plenty of heavy rhythms and percussion at the bottom with echoes of more familiar Colombian music but often with a more full-on approach to rhythm. Plenty of heavy, driving Afro rhythms and some occasional Caribbean touches in terms of production, make things trippy at just the right points! Three Lps of new territory just waiting to be discovered



"Saigon Rock and Soul"
An impressive collection of late 60s & early 70s recordings put together by the ever amazing Sublime Frequencies label! With tracks ranging from the raw & garagey to more soulful, psychedelic and funky, this set is a total knockout. There are songs of war, anti-Viet Cong songs, songs from the point of view of the jealous girlfriends of soldiers, all done with raucous psychedelic & funk rock arrangements. HEAR SAMPLES BY CLICKING BELOW:
Bich Loan and CBC Band, "Con Tim Và Nuróc Mat"
Lê Thu, "Sao Bien"
Phurong Tâm, "Dêm Huyên Diêu"



There's plenty more coming down the pike as we roll on so feel free to stop by and let us bend your ear. Until then...

Keep diggin' those crates.
--Matt n Adam

Post Pickathon Excitement.

JEFFERSON STATE

A huge thanks to everyone who attended the 1st annual JEFFERSON STATE OLD TIME REVUE. Despite losing power at the start of the 2nd band, things were amazing! Candle-lit good times for everyone! Now that the ball is rolling, expect more things on the horizon from The Jefferson State Group. If you missed the chance to snag a t-shirt, we'll still have a few for sale at the shop

NEW RELEASES

Bo Carter "Banana in Your Fruit Basket"
The old black blues equivilant of Weird Al, Bo Carter was one of the infamous Chatmon Brothers, who claim to be related to Charlie Patton. A master of the double entendre, Carter wrote hits such as "warm my weiner," "ants in my pants" and "my pencil won't write no more." Two thumbs up!!

	Bo Carter - Please Warm My Weiner .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Budos Bad "III"
Back with a third dose of their upbeat soul, the Budos Band succeeds in putting out a third album that doesn't tweak their winning recipe but doesn't leave you wondering when they'll grow as a group either. Those who have followed the career of this amazing Daptone Records supergroup, expect more of the same dynamic horns smooth bass and incredible organ solos. Plus, the joy of not having to say, "this would be awesome if only they'd stop singing."


Carolina Chocolate Drops "Genuine Negro Jig"
Back with their second release, this amazing three piece continues to amaze audiences with the way they re-create classic American music. Quickly becoming figureheads within the new roots movement, the Chocolate Drops have been booked for this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (woo hoo!).


Souljazz Orchestra "Rising Sun"
A scorching album for the rare sunny moments of our Humboldt County summer. Despite being comprised entirely of Canadians, and released on a British label. Amazingly, there is no guitar player, so you should expect none of the wailing shred that is standard in other bands playing afro-rhythm. The absence of guitar chords and arpeggios produce a cleaner horn-based sound without the compliment of guitar distortion, creating an overall effect is more choral...and they're Canucks to boot.


PICKATHON

The Dust Busters
Probably the favorite of this years bands at Pickathon, the Dust Busters impressed us not only wqith the amount of old time songs they can perform at the drop of a hat, but with the amount of mushrooms they can eat and STILL perform in front of a large audience. Three young Brooklynites, their first release underlines a point we heard their fiddle player Craig tell some passer by, "we play old time, NOT bluegrass." Despite their young age, one of their members (Eli) is not only the purveyor of the on-line podcast "Down Home Radio Show," but the Brooklyn Folk Festival as well. Proof positive that when they say that tune was written in 1905, they have the 78 to prove it.


Blind Boy Paxton
Young Jeron "Blind Boy" Paxton was one of the acts we most wanted to catch at this year's Pickathon. A native of Watts, Ca and a frequent collaborator with musicians like Frank Fairfield, Dom Flemons and C.W. Stoneking, Paxton is another of these young men playing the repertoire of classic American music (including Coon Songs). After witnessing both his solo set and his workshop with Frank Fairfield we're convinced that Blind or not, the boy plays one hell of a piano. Combined with Frank Fairfield, the duo make up a modern day, bi-racial Abbot and Costello, playing off of each other as the country bumpkin and the awkward, uptight straight man.


Water Tower Bucket Boys
We've had the fine fortune to hang out with Cory from the Bucket Boys and been blown away with both the talent this group of early twenties Oregonians exudes and the sincerity with which they approach music. These guys played gigs all the way up to the festival, played Pickathon Friday, left for a nearby gig on Saturday, then returned to play the festival again, then wake up early to start their UK tour...whew! When they get back on US soil, they'll be heading to Arcata for the Barn Dance with Striped Pig this September, don't miss it!!


Eugene Jeans
The real star of this year's Pickathon was Tim from Eugene Jeans. A washboard player and man about town, Tim and his family run one of the coolest vintage shops in the state of Oregon. A longtime fan of American music and old novelty 78's, Tim amazed everyone with his party-related stamina and the kid-who-got-his-nose-stolen stare he was locked in while playing the main stage...man I guess the guy selling mushroom chocolates did better business than we thought.


Well there's our once a month entry to the blogosphere. If you're on 8th and J, stop by, leave your butt-print on the couch, smoke a cigarette and hear all about how Matt shared an ipod with Bonny Prince Billy.

Keep diggin' those crates
--Adam n' Matt

These guys never update their stupid blog...

Henry!!!






We welcome into the store our first employee, Henry William Pokorski. Weighing in at 5lbs and only a few weeks old but he's already established Earthless and Townes Van Zandt as some of his picks this month. A hearty round of applause to the happy family.

Jefferson State Old Time Review...

Coming July 3rd to The Arcata Playhouse, an all day event of Cryptozoological proportions. Featuring some of the finest Old Timey and Bluegrass musicians around today, the J.S.O.T.R. promises to be a day to remember. Food will be onsite thanks to the folks over at Luke's Joint and even though the event s all ages, beer and wine will be available with ID. Doors open at 4pm and music goes until around midnight. Here's a sneak peak at the lineup, but first a giant thanks to Lush Newton for providing some incredible artwork for the poster (coming soon).

The Vintners' Daughters
Hellbound Glory
Striped Pig Stringband
The Blackberry Bushes
The Blair St. Mugwumps
Pokey LaFarge & The South City 3

And Now, Here's Some New Loot We've Pulled Into The Store Lately...

Soviet Funk Volumes 1 & 2
Recorded in Abakan, the capital city of Khakassia between 1971 and 1976 by Pavel Sysoyev. Sysoyev was an employee of the USSR TV and Radio Broadcast Committee. He ran a recording studio intended to create content solely for the government media entity. Late at nigh however, he brought in his friends and ran late night recording sessions when no one else was around. Somehow, this small group of classically trained musicians was able to forge a funky sound all their own.

"Welcome Home..." A Woodsist Compilation

Our friend Mark Shikuma aply described this record as, "the Nuggets Comp of our generation." Displaing the bands signed to the Woodsist Records label, this LP is a treasure trove of music. Most of the bands on the record have already cemented themselves in the stable of performers creating a sort of modern day jam music feeling, laying out songs that center not on the words or structure, but rather on the energy at that time. In addition, a handful of covers have been included, with songs originally by The Cure, Erol Dunkley and The Grateful Dead. Here's a video for the last band on side B "Ducktails."

Petrojvic Blasting Company
Recorded by two brothers, accompanied by their cousin and a cast of guests, this limited to 500 release is a mixture of the Balkan inspired gypsy style that has spawned bands like Beirut and the ragtime meets big band sound of The Squirrel Nut Zippers. Based out of Los Angeles, this thick, handcrafted LP comes with the CD inside, gratis.

Kings Go Forth
Ok, by all rights someone should yell at us for sleeping on the job April 20th when this album dropped but to err is human, this album? divine. Sounding like some lost treasure from the past, this new Milwaukee 9 piece only just put out their first 7" inch in 2010 (sold out, even before it was released!).

Woody Pines
Performing at this years' Pick-A-Thon festival in Oregon, Woody Pines is perhaps best known for touring with a full sized piano. Pines music is not only a reflection of classic old time music but also of the future of the genre, mixing in horns and modern arrangements to mold a new image of the style. Still breaking into the mainstream of musc listeners, he is already a staple at country and bluegrass festivals all over the country.

On A Side Note...

Local artist extraordinaire Jesse Weidel has painted us up a portrait of Missing Links' patron saint, Conway Twitty! Our daily prayer to Conway is part of what holds the shop together, and being a like minded Twitty afficianado, Jesse has created an amazing homage to the Pacer-owning man who once said he would take the love you're givin'.

As always, we'll send another update in six months, or when we run out of episodes of Deadliest Catch to watch.

Keep Diggin--
Adam n Matt