Archive for June, 2023

Shoegazer Sunday: hyperlilly’s “springs (the oracle)”

Sunday, June 11th, 2023

Hyperlilly evidently hale from Cologne, Germany. Not a fan of the video (static band shots + mild psych color filters), but the song reminds me of Auburn Lull crossed with a bit of M83.

George Winston, RIP

Thursday, June 8th, 2023

Pianist George Winston died at age 74. December is a great Christmas album for people that hate Christmas albums. Here’s “The Holly and the Ivy.”

(Hat tip: Dwight.)

Library Additions: Two Signed Joe R. Lansdale Firsts

Wednesday, June 7th, 2023

One a signed, limited edition, the other inscribed to me in person.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Donut Legion. Mulholland Books/Little Brown and Company, 2023. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed to me by Lansdale. Bought from Book People at cover price during a signing. It was good to see Joe again.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. and Kasey Lansdale. Dark Kin. Thunderstorm Books, 2023. First edition hardback, #232 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Collection of collaborative stories, one of which appears here for the first time. Bought from the publisher at a dealer discount. I have copies of this available through Lame Excuse Books.

  • Library Addition: Jack Vance in Pulps 1945-1975

    Tuesday, June 6th, 2023

    Another addition to the reference work library:

    (Vance, Jack) Jean Luc Esteban. Jack Vance: Works published in PULPS magazines 1945-1975. LuLu, 2023. First edition (POD) hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. An odd reference work, showing the full-color cover illustrations, title pages, first few story pages, and interior black and white illustrations, for every story Jack Vance published in pulp magazines for the covered period. (Never mind that by the 1970s, the magazines publishing Jack Vance weren’t pulps and hadn’t been for some time.) Sort of an strange work, with high production values (all the page are slick stock, not just the ones for the color illustrations) and odd editorial choices (the Table of Contents is at the rear, and there are a lot of pages left unnecessarily blank). Also, there is no magazine or illustrator index. But buying this is a whole lot less expensive than tracking down every single issue covered. If this is the sort of reference work you think you need, then you need it, and if you don’t, you don’t. Note also that there are four slightly variant titles this could be known under: the spine says Jack Vance in Pulps 1945-1975, the front cover says Jack Vance in Pulps First issues 1945-1975, the half-title page says Jack Vance Pulps Editions 1945-1975, and the title page says Jack Vance: Works published in PULPS magazines 1945-1975. Yeah, the book could have used an editor…

    Library Addition: Signed Robert Bloch Bibliography

    Monday, June 5th, 2023

    Another addition to the reference library:

    (Bloch, Robert) Larson, Russell D. The Complete Robert Bloch: An Illustrated Comprehensive Bibliography. Fandom Unlimited Enterprises, 1986. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine- copy with trace of wear at tips, signed by Bloch. Just what it says, an illustrated bibliography of Bloch’s work. Looks useful, though the type is a bit small for my aging eyes. Justice, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Reference 185. Bought of eBay for $35 plus shipping.

    Shoegazer Sunday: Kinoko Teikoku’s Musician

    Sunday, June 4th, 2023

    Been a while since we did some Japanese Shoegaze, so here’s Kinoko Teikoku’s “Musician”:

    It sounds a bit like Asobi Seksu crossed with Lemon’s Chair. It takes about 30 seconds to get beyond the initial noisy buzz.

    Kinoko Teikoku evidently means “Mushroom Empire,” and they “suspended activity” in 2019.