Ringo Deathstarr is a Shoegaze band that on paper I should like more than I do. An Austin band with redheaded female bassist? I should be all over that. But for some reason they’ve never really clicked with me.
But they just dropped a new, self-titled album, and this track sounds like a homage to not only Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage,” but also The Beatles at their most psychedelic.
All of these books were bought at Half Price Books, and the majority of them came from the Karen Meshcke/Fred Duarte collection(s).
Baker, Kage. Black Projects, White Knights. Golden Gryphon, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of edgewear at head, heel and points. Inscribed by Baker: “For Fred/Kage Baker.” Short story collection. Baker died at age 57 of an aggressive form of cancer in 2010. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $5.
Bear, Greg. W3: Women in Deep Time. iBooks, 2002. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy. Bought for $3.49.
Effinger, George Alec. Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson. SWAN Press, 1993. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Inscribed by Effinger: “To Fred & Karen,/Con Mucho Loved!/George Alec Effinger (Yer Pal)”. Signed by introduction author Mike Resnick. Inscribed by artist Peggy Ransom: “To Fred & Meschke,/Come see us often!/And we’ll Frankie & Johnny again,/best,/Peggy Ransom.” Effinger was co-Guest of Honor at Armadillocon 4 in 1982, and a frequent Armadillocon attendee. George died in 2002 at age 55. Replaces a signed copy in my library. Bought for $4.99.
Oliver, Chad. Unearthly Neighbors. Crown SF Classics, 1984. First hardback edition (reprinting a Ballantine paperback from 1960), a Near Fine copy with red remainder mark at head in a Fine- dust jacket with a few touches of wear. Inscribed by Oliver: “10/7/88/To Meschke/All best/Chad Oliver.” Chad was the dean of Austin science fiction writers and the former chairman of UT’s Department of anthropology. The date indicates he signed this during Armadillocon 10, where Duarte and Meschke were co-chairs. Chad died in 1993. Supplements a Fine/Fine unsigned copy. Bought for $4.99.
Sladek, John. Bugs. Macmillian (UK), 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine-dust jacket with some wear at heel. Signed by Sladek. Bought for $5.
Stableford, Brian. Swan Songs. Big Engine, 2003 (but see below). First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Omnibus edition containing six Hooded Swan novels (Halcyon Drift, Rhapsody in Black, Promised Land, The Paradise Game, The Fenris Device, and Swan Song), the last two of which were previously published only as paperback originals. ISFDB says that SFBC produced this edition, which I can believe, given the trim size and the fact Big Engine (a short-lived UK small press SF publisher) only did trade paperbacks. The mystery is that the book seems much higher quality than the usual SFBC fair, with tight bindings and bright page blocks. Maybe they subcontracted with a different printer for this one.
Young, Jim. Armed Memory. Tor, 1995. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Young: “For Karen Meschke/ & Family/Jim Young/L.A./April 24, 2009.” Young died in 2012. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $9.99.
Zahn, Timothy. Cascade Point. Bluejay Books, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought for $8.48.
Other signed books I bought there will be available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
One of the state’s most popular barbecue joints suffered a massive fire early Saturday morning, according to reports.
Franklin Barbecue, located in downtown Austin, has been a barbecue staple in Texas for years now and the destination for smoked meat lovers across the country.
Austin fire officials tweeted just before 6 a.m. Saturday that they had officials on the scene fighting a blaze at the location in the 900 block of East 11th. Within half an hour they reported that the situation at the two-story building had been controlled.
Here’s footage of the fire and firetrucks arriving:
UPDATE FRANKLIN BBQ FIRE: this is the first video shot, we were on scene before fire crews at @FranklinBbq fire. Fire is out, no injuries. pic.twitter.com/40IVjRRNgs
The Logbook of the Saturday Dining Conspiracy, the redheaded stepchild of the Dwight and Lawrence blogging empire, has shambled back to life this months with two bits of news:
Austin’s Single Lash was one of the bands playing at that Luscious Heaven show at Cheer Up Charlie’s. I only managed to catch one of their songs, but I thought the lead singer was really good. “Bitemarks” may or may not have been that song.
Hope you like drone rock with a repeating riff played for an extended period of time, because that’s what Austin’s own All in the Golden Afternoon is laying down in “The Long Goodbye,” which reminds me of Talking Heads’ “The Overload.” The ubiquitous Ulrich Schnauss was evidently involved in this as well.
All in the Golden Afternoon is one of six bands that will be appearing at Lucious Heaven, a night of shoegaze bands at Cheer Up Charlie’s on October 15, 2016, which is a mere $5.
