Ragin' Record hosts art show + sale weekend with Melvin's King Buzzo
Plus, Fresno City guitar instructor gets a Grammy nod, and new music from Tommy Bahama Boys
Amphetamine Reptile has been the most collectible indie record label in America over the last 30 years. That’s according to Ragin’ Records owner Paul Cruikshank, who knows this kind of stuff because it’s his business.
If he is playing a small bit of hype it’s because the label chose Fresno, and his store in particular, to host a weekend-long art show, record sale and afternoon patio concert with Melvins’ frontman King Buzzo.
“This is a huge deal,” Cruikshank says.
“AmRep chose Fresno man! This is not a tour. It’s a one and done. In Fresno. Not NYC or LA.”
The Binge n Purge Art/Record Show and Sale kicks off 5 p.m. Friday with a preview night at the store. This will coincide with Melvin’s 4-song “Lord of the Flies,” CD release and a limited release of a Melvins/Cows split 7-inch (only 10 were made).
The show continues on Saturday and Sunday with some 300 rare records up for sale at median list price or less. This is all art/record pressings, chosen label’s owner (artist and Halo of Flies vocalist songwriter) Tom Hazelmeir.
That means small run stuff done with printed covers/color vinyl, Cruikshank says. Signed and number event posters by Haze XXL (Hazelmeir’s aka) will also be for sale.
King Buzzo will play 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon inside the bar at Strummer’s. Tickets are $25 and available at Eventbrite. They are limited.
Fresno City College guitar instructor nominated for a Grammy
Kevin Cooper is going to the Grammy Awards at the newly minted Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles later this month, and not as a spectator or seat filler.
He’s a bonified Grammy Award nominee.
Cooper is a guitar instructor at Fresno City College and a founding member of Agave Baroque, an instrumental group that performs centuries-old chamber music and has recently been collaborating with famed singer Reginald Mobley. The group’s latest album, “American Originals: A New World, A New Canon,” was recorded at the Big Red Church on Van Ness Avenues.
It is up for Best Classical Compendium.
The album has a really interesting backstory that you can read more about over at The Fresno Bee.
“My Cat,” Tommy Bahama Boys
I like Tommy Bahama Boys a whole bunch.
They are the one band on my list to see live in 2022 (there are others, I’m sure but I’ll put this out there now).
I wrote about their single “Head is Sick” b/w “Beautiful World” last December. The day after Christmas they released another single (the band’s second release in 2021, though they also did a hot sauce jingle?).
In three songs that includes a Ween cover, “My Cat,” fairly encapsulates everything good about Tommy Bahama Boys. Early punk-rock snottyness? Check. Angular DEVO-esque electronics + noise? Check. An overall almost art-rock weirdness? Check.
“My Cat” is available on Bandcamp now.
That’s it for this week. Remember you can now hear me on the Homegrown Show Sundays at 8 p.m. on New Rock 104.1 FM. If you have anything you think I need to be looking at or listening to, feel free to let me know: jtehee@gmail.com