#Chris Brokaw

[12xurecs]

Dear Friends

today is Bandcamp Friday and as is the custom, BC is passing their hefty cut along to (ahem) CONTENT PROVIDERS who will otherwise be DISCONTENT PROVIDERS when and if these Fridays go BYE BYE. And with that in mind, I'm reminding you preorders are up for the Love Child 'Never Meant To Be' 2XLP (out next Friday) and the new Water Damage 2XLP 'In E' (coming April 12). There's recent albums from Gerycz / Powers / Rolin, Lupo Cittá and Lewsberg...and if the bandwagon feels crowded, come back for NON BANDCAMP FRIDAY next week when the new WINGED WHEEL LP gets announced. Fuck, I ruined the surprise.    12XUrecs.bandcamp.com

design : Angela Betancourt

[spilladabalia]

GG ALLIN & The AIDS Brigade - Bite It You Scum

[bruce-adams]

Do you really need to show us that?

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something I just don't like when people post a picture of an LP jacket next to their record player with the record playing. Do I look at it as showing off? Ostentatious? Valorizing vinyl over other formats? Or is it the inundation of pictures on my social media feed of the new Yo La Tengo album? It bothers me.

Anyway, here are some recordings that I've been enjoying lately.

Gordon Ashworth S.T.V.A. | Sweet Cobra Threes | Chris Brokaw Live at the Decommissioned Power Station in Flori, Norway | loscil//lawrence english Colours of Air | Hum Inlet | Claire Rousay a softer focus | KMRU Limen | Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet Dim the Lights, Chill the Ham

[thesearenotphotographs]

Mclusky, The Martha’s Vineyard Ferries, and Pure Adult at Warsaw

On Thursday, March 7, 2024, Welsh band Mclusky returned to New York City for their first headlining set in nearly 20 years for a sold out show at Warsaw in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. They were joined by their tourmates, The Martha’s Vineyard Ferries, and Pure Adult for the evening.

I wrote about my history with the band and their show on Thursday night for Impose Magazine and that coverage is now available here.

[bandcampsnoop]

12/23/23.

Gerard Cosloy's 12XU label has never gotten the attention that his earlier labels Homestead Records and Matador Records have received. But the label puts out consistently great music. Lupo Citta "Lupo Cittá" truly sounds like it could have been at home on any of those Cosloy labels.

This is hard edged rock in the vein of The Men, Sonic Youth or Eleventh Dream Day. And it does sound like Chris Brokaw's "Puritan" which is apropos seeing as Brokaw is one of the band's three members. Sarah Black and Jenn Gori are the other members, and it seems as if both have an extensive band history of their own.

Lupo Citta are a Boston, Massachusetts based band.

[linksvorne]

95. CODEINE. 2023-09-03 @ Chelsea

[dustedmagazine]

Chris Brokaw — Live at the Decommissioned Power Station In Florli, Norway (12XU)

Live At The Decommissioned Power Station In Florli, Norway by Chris Brokaw

In 2022, Chris Brokaw was invited to a festival in a remote part of far Western Norway to play with friends he’d made a few years previously. The gathering was held in Florli, a tiny village that is only accessible by ferry. It is best known for a local tourist attraction, the Florli 4444, which is said to be the world’s longest wooden staircase at 4,444 steps.

Brokaw played two sets in Florli, one electric and one acoustic. This cassette/digital recording presents the amplified concert, which, as the title implies, was performed in a decommissioned hydroelectric power station.  It is a remarkably raw, powerful piece of music; you can imagine Brokaw taking his cue from the rugged surrounding landscape outside and the mighty machinery inside.

The disc starts in a howl of feedback, a corrosive guitar-and-amp sound that seems to fill a very large space, perhaps echoing off brutalist concrete walls. Brokaw finds a space for lyricism, though, within this sound, with languid runs of guitar that build but do not overwhelm. The opening cut, “Our Fathers,” moves slowly, with long spaces between the phrases for contemplation. “Go Foragers” also bursts from a vibrating roar, a sustained dissonance that sounds like bowing but probably isn’t. It, too, finds light and air in the turbulence, with picked patterns bubbling up from the viscous ambient atmosphere. This one whips up into climaxes, then subsides; you feel a bit of the force of nature in its storms and glowering heaviness.

The longest of these cuts is also the most meditative. “Slaughterhouse 4444” gives a nod to the long, arduous hike up the stairs to the lake that powered the Forli station.  It moves with a gentle, persistent strength, long trebly runs and splayed chords marking time. Brokaw closes with a vocal track, a ghostly rendition of “I’m the Only One for You,” from Puritan. It feels slower and more desolate than it did on that album, shrouded in shadows and mist. The guitar, again, is muscular and loud, the words soft to the point of vanishing. You imagine the largeness of the landscape seeping into the song, dwarfing its human element in a rush of wind and water and emptiness.

This is an odd little recording, very much of its time and place, but absolutely worth seeking out.

Jennifer Kelly

[adsmusiconstellations]

Thalia Zedek – Been Here And Gone (2001)

https://www.matadorrecords.com / https://www.thrilljockey.com

[daggerzine]

Lupo Citta'- S/T (12XU)

I’m not sure when this Boston-based trio first came together, but I’m guessing it wasn’t that long ago. Also, it includes Chris Brokaw, who would seem to be the busiest guy in town (and for a guy pushing 60, well, good for him!). The band also includes Sarah Black who blew into Beantown from Minneapolis where she was a member of a ton of bands (as well as being a member of the city’s performance art scene); and Jenn Gori, a friend of Black's, who also played in a bevy of bands. In Boston, these two joined up with Mr. Brokaw, and voila! Lupo Citta' was hatched!

Jen and Chris sing, while Jen plays drums, Chris is on guitar, and Sarah splits time between guitar and bass. The results are noisy, off-kilter, and a bit ramshackle in all the best ways. Oh, and the songs are awfully good.

Ok,  the first song, “Onde,” didn’t really grab me, but the next several surely did. “White Bracelet” melds crushed-amp guitar fuzz with caveman drums and hanging-in-the-back vocals to make a gem. “Rust Belt River” follows a similar path (with guitar work like early Beat Happening or maybe the Jr. Chemists).

“Gallup to El Paso” is one hell of a drive (412 miles) and is almost dreamy. On “Shawano Pickup,” those guitars come to life yet again while the drums are being slapped by Jen and maybe a few other studio folks. “Sucker” is one you can almost dance to (I consider nodding my head to a song the same as dancing).

From what I know (which ain’t much), it sounds like this musical group could implode at any given moment or release 20 albums over the next few decades. As Mr. Williams down the street would say, expect the worst, but hope for the best.

www.lupocitta12xu.bandcamp.com

[still-single]

Lupo Città s/t LP (12XU)

RECOMMENDED

Here's ten songs from a fairly new, positively charged trio from the Boston metro that got me thinking about the emotional times the directive, the historical times the experiential.

A duo of Jenn Gori and Sarah Black (guitar, bass, drums, vocals) share history performing together in four previous bands in a variety of settings and locales, and met guitar deity Chris Brokaw at a post-lockdown gathering (there's the experiential, and honestly much of what puts such a cracked-mirror disconnect on those years was that not being able to exist in person), starting a tentative collaboration that grew into a whole album. Brokaw has history all his own, bordering on the Biblical in terms of legend and importance; any body of a person's library of recordings that doesn't feature at least some his work extensively in the CO's (Codeine, Come, Consonant), to say nothing of his untouchable solo albums, soundtracks, and perhaps that GG Allin & the AIDS Brigade 7", ain't all that buff at the end of the day. Now the three of them build history out of this experience, linked forever at the psychic fingertips.

So it's hard to figure out where two start and the other stop; best not to think about that at all, because we're watching this history unfold. And one of the things that history/experience is doing best is underlining the needle-to-thread of a song versus the hammer of performing it. The tension within Lupo Città – which is a primary distinctive of what makes this record so memorable – exists in the space between these actions. Every time I jump into this thing and hear the buzzsaw of something like "Shawano Pickup" I'm thinking, here's a band that's jettisoning the moods and going for the shiv. Then I listen to something like the melancholy in "Gallup to El Paso" or "Only in Love" and realize a shiv can be made of many things and can pierce a variety of objects, some better adapted to the materials than others, and that by doing so they have merged the emotional and the directive, via a process of tailoring.

On tailoring: getting something the way you want it because you have the ability to make it so is a feat of human dominion. It's an abstract, but you'll know when it's happening. It's something The Breeders always have been good at, and something Sleater-Kinney used to be good at, and with a debut like this it's one of the primary distinctions between Lupo Città and (generously) 99.7% of the shit you'll encounter passing for rock music lately (not to mention a comparable percentage of people you'll see around said activity, rolling and cuffing their pantlegs instead of permanently editing them to fit). The bespoke approach to genre and artistic control comes off as fresh as it is vital. Everyone needs this; nobody doesn't. (Doug Mosurock)

[nbatrades]

New Jersey Nets and Detroit Pistons Swap Porter and Money

On September 8th, 1978, the Detroit Pistons traded guard Eric Money to the New Jersey Nets for guard Kevin Porter.

Not many NBA players get the homecoming experience right away. Guard Eric Money was the exception. Money was from the local area, starring at Detroit Kettering High School.

A two-year player at the University of Arizona, Money was a rare underclassmen and just 19 years old when the Detroit Pistons selected him 33rd overall in the second round of the 1974 NBA Draft.

After being drafted, Money signed a two-year deal for what was believed to be worth $50,000 annually. Standing six-feet tall, Money was a slick guard with a knack for scoring from midrange. He joined as a backup at guard to a team built around star big man Bob Lanier and five-time All-Star point guard Dave Bing.

There was significant excitement around Money as a prospect because of his youth and scoring ability. There was also an expectation that he would be Bing's successor.

Detroit began the 1974-75 season 10-7 after 17 games and 13-10 after 23. The club reached a 31-21 record after a 15-4 stretch. The Pistons were second in the West, but a 9-21 run to end the season left the club 40-42 and fifth in the conference standings. Money had a bit role with the Pistons in his rookie season, appearing in 66 games, compiling 4.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.5 APG and 0.5 SPG in 13.5 MPG.

The Pistons advanced to the first round where they matched up with the Seattle SuperSonics. In the series opener, Sonics forward Spencer Haywood led the way with 22 points, 14 boards and five assists as Seattle won 90-77. In the second game, three Pistons scored 20 points and Detroit won comfortably 122-106.

Seattle took a 15-point lead at halftime in the rubber game and behind 26 points from Tom Burleson, held on for a 100-93 victory. Money did not play in the postseason for Detroit. He missed time due to a twisted ankle suffered in practice.

After the season, the Pistons moved on from Bing, dealing the star guard after a contentious contract holdout from the previous year. He was sent to the Washington Bullets with a first round pick for point guard Kevin Porter. In addition to Porter, the Pistons added guard Archie Clark in a trade with the SuperSonics.

Porter became the starter at point guard and Money was his backup for the 1975-76 season. Detroit began the year 11-6. However, the club lost 17 of its next 21 games. At 17-25, head coach Ray Scott was fired and replaced by assistant coach Herb Brown.

After 69 games, the Pistons were 26-43 and half a game out of fifth place in the West. Detroit saved its best for last, winning 10 of the final 13 games to finish 36-46 and fifth. The record was good enough to get them into the playoffs.

Money saw a significant boost in playing time during his second pro season partially because Porter only played 19 games due of right knee surgery. The six-foot guard played in 80 games and amassed 13.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.7 SPG in 28.3 MPG.

The Pistons advanced to the postseason as the fifth qualifying team despite having the sixth-best record in the West. They went on to a series in the opening round with the fourth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. The first game saw Bucks rookie Gary Brokaw drop 36 points in a 110-107 Milwaukee victory. Detroit center Bob Lanier had 35 points in a 126-123 Pistons victory.

In the third and final game of the series, Pistons guard Chris Ford had a key steal with 18 seconds left and Lanier made two free-throws with 13 seconds left as the Pistons held on for a 107-104 win. During the three-game series, Money recorded 14.0 PPG on 46.3% from the field, 2.0 RPG, 4.7 APG and 2.3 SPG in 27.7 MPG.

Detroit moved on to the Conference Semifinals where they faced the Golden State Warriors. Guard Phil Smith had 26 points to lead the way in a 127-103 Warriors Game One blowout win.

Curtis Rowe and Lanier combined for 64 points in a 123-111 Pistons victory. With the series tied 1-1, Smith put up 34 points in a 113-96 Warriors victory.

In Game Four, the Pistons built a 16-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Golden State came back in the fourth quarter. Lanier and Rowe made key baskets in the last 49 seconds of the game and Smith missed an attempt with seven seconds left that would have tied the score 102 all. Detroit forward Howard Porter rebounded Smith’s miss. He was fouled and made both free-throws. Detroit won 106-102 and made tied the series 2-2.

In Game Five, Smith registered 28 points and Rick Barry put up 25 points, 11 assists and seven steals in a 128-109 Warriors win. Detroit had an early 16-point lead in the second quarter of Game Six, but Golden State got close and sent the game to overtime. 

Trailing 118-116 late, the Pistons had two chances to tie. Clifford Ray blocked Rowe’s layup attempt and Money missed a desperation shot on the last play. Golden State won the series 4-2. In the six-game series, Money managed 11.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 6.2 APG in 31.7 MPG.

In the 1976 offseason, the Pistons signed free agent M.L. Carr and acquired guard Ralph Simpson in a three-team trade with the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics.

Around the start of the 1976-77 season, Money re-signed with the Pistons on a reported three-year contract. Detroit began the 1976-77 season 2-6 but won nine of its next 10 games to reach 11-7. Detroit seemed to be headed to the playoffs, reaching third place in the East with a 40-28 record after 68 games. The club went 4-10 over the final 14 games to fall to 44-38, which was sixth in the conference.

Porter's return caused an uneasy dynamic with Money. Both point guards wanted to play but there could only be one starter. Guards Chris Ford and Ralph Simpson also wanted playing time. Both Money and Porter were fined at times and Porter's relationship with Brown soured significantly.

Money appeared in 73 games with the Pistons during the '76-'77 season, tallying 10.2 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.2 SPG in 21.7 MPG. Money started the final 11 games of the regular season and was effective, averaging 16.2 PPG on 53.1% from the field and 6.0 APG in 31.6 MPG.

In the playoffs, the Pistons faced the Golden State Warriors. In the series opener, Lanier had 28 points and the Pistons bounced back from an 18-point deficit to win 95-90. Facing elimination, the Warriors got 35 points from Phil Smith (28 in the first half) and pulled away in the second half to blow out the Pistons 138-108. Money had 31 points and seven assists in the loss.

Game Three was for all of the marbles and it was heated. With six minutes and 10 seconds left in the third quarter, Money had an altercation with Warriors guard Charles Dudley. After Dudley attempted to take an offensive foul from Money, he kicked and threw a punch at the Pistons guard. It led both benches to clear.

The situation would escalate. Pistons forward M.L. Carr stepped in to push Dudley back but other parties would soon get involved (via The San Francisco Examiner):

"It was then that a spectator, later identified as Dennis Ackerman, reached across the table and popped Carr in the neck with a right hand. At the moment, Carr didn't even realize who had hit him but teammate Bob Lanier did. The massive center hurdled the table, leading a charge that inundated Ackerman. "The players were finally being sorted out When the next act in the drama took place. Carr has just learned who had hit him and charged after Ackerman, who was being led out. 'How low can the fans be,' said Carr disgustedly. 'That's why I went after him again. I was on the court when he hit me. I wasn't in the stands. The guy reached over. It was a cheap shot. If I had gone into the stands to hit a fan they would have thrown me out. I want to see what happens after what a fan did.' Initially quite a bit to Ackerman. "He wound up in Oakland City Jail, charged with one count of disturbing the peace and another of battery. Apparently Carr, who was approached by a police officer in the locker room, carried through with his threat to press charges against his assailant."

Neither Money nor Dudley received an ejection. Rick Barry had 35 points in the game and the Warriors gained momentum in the second half to pull away and win 109-101 and eliminate Detroit. During the series, Money averaged 18.3 PPG on 50% from the field, 3.0 RPG, 6.7 APG and 2.0 SPG in 34.3 MPG.

The playing time issues involving Porter and Money would continue into the 1977-78 season. Porter played eight games with the Pistons before he was traded to the New Jersey Nets with Howard Porter for guard Al Skinner and two second round picks. The move gave Money full control of the starting point guard spot.

Money thrived in his fourth season. With Porter out of the picture, he played a career-high 33.6 minutes a night. Money also had career bests of 18.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 4.6 APG. The guard also averaged 1.6 SPG in 76 appearances.

The Pistons however floundered. Detroit was 9-15 when head coach Herb Brown was fired and replaced by general manager Bob Kauffman. The Pistons played .500 basketball under Kauffman, going 29-29 and finishing the season out of the playoffs with a 38-44 record.

After the season, the Pistons went through a regime change. The Pistons hired Dick Vitale as new head coach. General manager Kauffman later resigned after clashing with owner Bill Davidson.

Vitale and Money were not on the same page immediately, leading to a trade. (via Detroit Free Press):

"But it was over a month ago that Vitale met with Money at a restaurant in the Pontiac Silverdome, the new headquarters for the Pistons. 'I guess we exchanged philosophy,' said Vitale at a press conference Friday. 'I told him what I expected from a Detroit Piston. I told him there were some things in the past that he had done that I would not tolerate. 'Then he gave me some specifics that led me to believe he could not play for me. He said his job was only on the floor. He said he didn't owe anything to the fans, they meant nothing. He said the media wasn't fair to him and the Piston organization had not treated him fairly.' From then on it was a one-way conversation. 'I stood up and told him it would take me six minutes to get to my office and after that I would do all in my power to make sure he was wearing a different uniform by training camp.'"

Money was traded soon after to the New Jersey Nets for old rival Kevin Porter, the guard who he backed up previously in Detroit. Money ended his four-year run with a stat line of 11.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.5 APG and 1.3 SPG in 295 games. The guard shot 49% from the field and 75% from the free-throw line.

Kevin Porter joined the New Jersey Nets after the aforementioned trade with the Pistons early in the 1976-77 season. Porter had wanted more playing time and got his wish in New Jersey. The six-foot guard appeared in 74 games with the Nets, and produced 16.2 PPG, 10.8 APG, 2.7 RPG and 1.6 SPG in 36.3 MPG.

Though Porter thrived individually, the Nets were terrible, reaching a 9-42 mark after 51 games. The team would play better, going 15-16 over the final 31 games to finish 24-58 and out of the postseason.

Seeing an opportunity to get a scoring guard, the Nets leaped at the chance to acquire Money. The team felt it had a younger guard who could pass and create in Eddie Jordan. Porter's looming free agency also concerned New Jersey who didn't want to lose him without receiving anything significant in return.

Money was a starter at point guard with the Nets after the trade. The guard played just 47 games with the Nets, averaging 16.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.6 SPG in 30.5 MPG.

He was traded with guard Al Skinner to the Philadelphia 76ers for Harvey Catchings, Ralph Simpson and cash considerations. The Nets were 23-27 and on a five-game losing streak when the trade was made.

Money's tenure in New Jersey and the subsequent trade did create an NBA record. On November 8, 1978, the Nets and Philadelphia 76ers were playing in a game. Nets forward Bernard King and coach Kevin Loughery both received three technical fouls from referee Richie Powell.

Three technical fouls are impossible and the Nets protested the game which ended up as a 123-117 loss. The NBA accepted the protest, ruled that the Nets were right and replayed the game from the point of King's ejection on March 3, 1979.

Money was on the Nets in November but had already been traded to the 76ers by the replayed game, so the guard played the game and was marked as playing for both teams. It made him the only player in league history to score for two teams in the same game and he is one of only three to play in the same game for two teams.

SB Nation's Weird Rules recapped the situation well.

Kevin Porter was happy to be back in Detroit after less than a year spent with New Jersey. His style of play which involved penetrating and dishing to teammates fit the uptempo style coach Dick Vitale wanted to play.

Porter was capable of putting up some unique stat lines. In early March, he had 30 points and 25 assists in a 160-117 win against the Boston Celtics. Overall, he led the NBA with 13.4 APG, a then-NBA record. He also had 1,099 assists. It was the first time a player recorded over 1,000 assists.

Porter recorded at least 10 assists in 62 of his 82 games and had at least 20 helpers on nine occasions. Along with the assists, Porter accumulated 15.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.9 SPG in 82 games and 37.4 MPG.

Detroit began the 1977-78 season just 2-8 under coach Vitale and never recovered. The team was top-six in pace, but struggled on both the offensive and defensive ends, finishing with a 30-52 record and out of the playoffs.

After the season, Porter became a free agent and signed a five-year contract with the Washington Bullets. The Pistons received two first round picks in 1980 (Rickey Brown) and 1982 (John Bagley) as compensation.

Kevin Porter on playing for Dick Vitale (via Asbury Park Press):

"I really believe in Dick Vitale's ability to communicate and relate with people."

On being a new player from his previous time in Detroit (via Detroit Free Press):

"It's a new Kevin Porter on the court. People have a wrong outlook of pro athletes. They want to win and get that championship ring on their finger so bad, that they'll do whatever the coach says. Especially if you're a dedicated individual and I think I am dedicated to basketball." 

On his issues with Herb Brown:

"I owe a lot to Dick Vitale and no matter what he says to me or how he says it, I'm going to do what he says. Dick is just going to be the last word in everything. Herb Brown would say something during a game situation and a ballplayer could change his mind just like that. I'd never been in that situation and I think I reacted wrong to it, but I guess when you're under pressure, you kinda react the wrong way. I should have kept my head and just sat on the bench as he wanted me to. "But I think Dick Vitale is going to be level with the ballplayers if you're not doing what he wants you to do he'll tell you. I hate to keep coming back to Herb, but with him you'd always hear things from somebody else, from (assistant coach) Larry Jones or from (general manager) Oscar Feldman or from the news media. That's what the problem was; he could never relate to his players."

How he feels he was blamed in Detroit:

"People pointed to me and Herb as the main problem, but there were other problems. Marvin (Barnes) had problems, Eric (Money) had problems, Bob (Lanier) had problems, Howard (Porter) had problems, Ralph Simpson had problems. Everybody had problems, mine were just more publicized."

How the Pistons can be better:

"There is no doubt that was a much better team at the beginning of last year. That was an unbelievable team. But I personally think that as a floor general and playmaker, I can get these guys to work together and make them into a good ballclub. If we concentrate on doing things in the perimeter and playing Dick Vitale's game we can win basketball games."

How his religious beliefs have helped him:

"Last summer I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior that's been a big factor in my life. Mentally, it's taken a lot of pressures off me. My dealings with the political end of things that were going on here when Herb was here, it took that off my mind. I was concentrating on the Bible and what Christ was relating to me moreso than what was going on in basketball and it really helped me mentally. "After I accepted him and tried to live by his word, things in my life kinda smoothed out for me. I give all the credit first of all to God and to my teammates my stats and my totals don't mean anything because I know where they're coming from, from those guys and God."

How the Pistons organization has changed:

"The organization has changed completely. There's not all the political things going on here now that was going on last year. I think I was just naive enough to just want to play and win all the time I didn't realize all the things that were going on behind my back. Now, instead of having four or five chiefs, there's just one chief, and that's Dick Vitale."

On his time in New Jersey (via Detroit Free Press):

"I'm here to play basketball. I went to New Jersey with a new attitude. Kevin Loughery told me to go ahead and run the team. I got my head together and broke some records."

On his playing style:

"If there's a lost ball on the floor, Kevin Porter will go get it."

Eric Money on joining the Nets (via The Central New Jersey Home News):

"I have a very exciting feeling about coming to the New York area. The Nets have a young and very talented team."

New Jersey Nets general manager Charles Theokas on Money (via Asbury Park Press):

"[Money] is a little more all-around player, a little taller, and we think can do a better job on defense."

On Money's ability:

"If we played tomorrow, Money would start for us. He opens up a lot of things."

Detroit Pistons head coach Dick Vitale on Kevin Porter (via Detroit Free Press):

"Kevin is one of the few guys who pulled me out of my seat when I watched him play."

On what he told Eric Money when he decided to trade him:

"I told him I would not trade a Mercedes to get a Volkswagen. Today we got a Mercedes."

On Porter's style of play (via Paterson Morning News):

"I want to play a running game of basketball. And to do that, you need a point guard, someone who can get the ball to the other fellas. No one can do that better than Kevin Porter."

On figuring out if it was right to acquire Porter:

"I talked with Ray Scott (another former Pistons' coach) and he said not to believe all the stories about Kevin. He wants to win. He wants to wear a Pistons' uniform."

Telling Kevin Porter at a press conference his first game will be against Money and the New Jersey Nets (via Detroit Free Press):

"On Oct. 13 we open up with the Nets. And you're going to be guarding a guy named Money. I hear you can't play defense well we're gonna find out that day because Money is going to be juiced up to get 60 (points). Think about that for the next three months."

Nets head coach Kevin Loughery on the team's backcourt after the trade (via The Central New Jersey Home News):

"As of right now, our backcourt is very solid. We have a good corps of guards in Eric [Money] and Eddie Jordan."

Nets guard Eddie Jordan on how the trade opens up a role for him as a distributor (via The Central New Jersey Home News):

"I may be the only true point guard on the team. When I come in for John, Money will be looking more for the bucket. I'd like to look for the bucket once in a while too. but I'll do whatever Kevin wants me to do. I think I'll be how the coach wants to use me. I'll know very soon though."

Image credit:

Kevin Porter: Topps via Amazon

Eric Money: Topps via Ebay

[12xurecs]

Tomorrow, September 1 is Bandcamp Friday. In keeping with the most benevolent gaming giant on the planet (ok, I don't actually know any others), BC is waiving their standard fee. That doesn't mean you're getting a discount, it means artists and labels are getting (a little bit) more money. I'm assuming this is an appealing notion to a few of you because we tend to sell more stuff on Bandcamp Fridays, so much so that I've started lying and claiming random days of the week are "Bandcamp Tuesday" or whatever. And it works. Business savvy doesn't grow on trees -- I'M NOT A PLANT. 12XUrecs.bandcamp.com design by Angela Betancourt

[spilladabalia]

Come - Car

[alanlicht]

Chris Brokaw, Alan Licht, Bill Nace triple bill at Tubby's Kingston Feb 1

Looking forward to this triple bill with perennially cool cats Chris & Bill. Tickets and all info here.

[msclaritea]

Turmoil At Location Ventures’ Coral Gables Condo Project

Flannery Associates, the mystery company behind $800 million in farmland purchases around Travis Air Force Base, is backed by a who’s who of billionaires from Silicon Valley.

The Folsom-based company with plans to construct a utopian city with “tens of thousands of new homes” in Solano County is spearheaded by Jan Sramek, 36, a former Goldman Sachs trader who has quietly courted some of the tech industry’s biggest names, the New York Times reported, citing unidentified sources.

The company’s pitch: Take a patch of brown hills split by a two-lane road between farms and suburbs, then turn it into a city with tens of thousands of residents, clean energy, public transportation and dense urban life.

The pitch, whose five-year, stealth campaign was unveiled during a recent poll of residents 60 miles northeast of San Francisco, was swallowed by some of Silicon Valley’s richest residents.

Each had become enraptured enough with the idea of building a new city atop former cow pastures to fork out millions to buy up 140 properties spanning “tens of thousands of acres,” according to Catherine Moy, mayor of nearby Fairfield.

They include Michael Moritz, the billionaire venture capitalist, who scribbled a note to one potential investor asking, “Let me know if this tickles your fancy.”

They include Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder, venture capitalist and Democratic donor. Marc Andreessen and Chris Dixon, investors at the Andreessen Horowitz venture capital firm. Patrick and John Collison, the sibling co-founders of the payment technology company Stripe.

They include Laurene Powell Jobs, the billionaire widow of Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple.

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And they include Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, entrepreneurs-turned-investors, according to the Times. Andreessen Horowitz is also a backer. It’s not clear how much each has invested.

Rep. John Garamendi, D-California, who along with Rep. Mike Thompson represents the surrounding region in Congress, said he’s been trying to figure out the company’s identity for four years.

“I couldn’t find out anything,” he said.

Brian Brokaw, a representative for the investor group, said in a statement that the group was made up of “Californians who believe that Solano County’s and California’s best days are ahead.” 

He said Flannery planned to start working with Solano County residents and elected officials, as well as with Travis Air Force Base, next week.

Flannery AssociatesFlannery HoldingsChris DixonJan SramekLaurene Powell JobsMarc AndreessenMichael MoritzNat Friedman and Daniel GrossPatrick and John CollisonReid Hoffman

Turmoil hits Location Ventures’ Coral Gables condo project

Contractors claim $7M in unpaid work at Villa Valencia, while officials scramble for certificate of occupancy

AUG 25, 2023, 5:30 PM

A year after completing Villa Valencia in Coral Gables, Location Ventures failed to secure a final certificate of occupancy for the 13-story boutique condominium. And since last month, 10 contractors, including project manager Winmar Construction, have filed 23 construction liens totaling nearly $7 million against the building’s development entity, records show.

It’s the latest batch of trouble for the beleaguered Coral Gables-based development firm previously led by Rishi Kapoor, a once rising star in South Florida’s real estate scene who’s now a target of local and federal investigations examining his management of Location Ventures.

Kapoor resigned last month as CEO and former Miami-Dade Judge Alan Fine took over as the company’s manager. Investors who bankrolled Location Ventures gave Fine a mandate to liquidate the firm’s assets to pay back creditors without having to file for bankruptcy protection. 

The city of Coral Gables recently extended a temporary certificate of occupancy for Villa Valencia, a 39-unit mid-rise that generated more than $100 million in closings. The developer hasn’t completed minor punch list items and some public infrastructure components, such as a new drain, pedestrian traffic signals and underground electrical lines, according to city manager Peter Iglesias.

Villa Valencia owners raise concerns

On Tuesday, Iglesias briefed the Coral Gables City Commission about the Villa Valencia situation during the elected body’s regular meeting. The discussion was brought up by Coral Gables Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, who told The Real Deal he received calls from Villa Valencia unit owners who are concerned the building still doesn’t have a final certificate of occupancy. 

“It’s really an unfortunate situation,” Fernandez said. “The developer is nowhere in sight to take care of this. It puts the city in a tough spot to get this done.” 

Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago abstained from the discussion and walked off the dais. Lago explained that he could not participate since a Location Ventures entity leases a storefront inside a building in the city that he partially owns, according to video of the city commission meeting.

“I have to recuse myself,” Lago told his colleagues. “The owner of this project is a tenant of mine.” 

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Unit owners can still reside at Villa Valencia during the extension of the temporary certificate of occupancy, and the city can use funds from a construction bond posted by Location Ventures to pay for the unfinished work, Iglesias informed city commissioners. He also said contractors are willing to complete the punch list items and public infrastructure components. 

“We will not release the funds until those are done,” Iglesias said. “These are not building safety issues.” 

City Attorney Christina Suárez told city commissioners that she and her staff met with Fine, who relayed Location Ventures has a “cash flow issue,” and that he is onboard with the city utilizing the construction bond to pay for the uncompleted work. Fine did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Contractors claim nonpayment for work

Meanwhile, between July 3 and Aug. 2, 10 companies that performed construction work at Villa Valencia filed 23 liens claiming nonpayment of a combined $6.9 million. 

Winmar Construction, the Miami-based general contractor managing Villa Valencia’s construction, represented the largest claim; filing three liens totalling $5.6 million, records show. 

Miami-based millwork manufacturer AWM Group had the second biggest claim, filing two liens for a combined $730,189. 

The smallest claim was filed by Pronto Waste Services, a Miami-based construction dumpster provider. Pronto’s lien is for $5,904. 

On other fronts, lenders are suing Location Ventures entities for allegedly not paying back a combined $17 million in mortgages tied to co-living projects in Coral Gables and Miami Beach. The firm is also being sued by investors of a Coconut Grove co-living project, as well as a married couple that placed $45 million in Location Ventures and two projects. 

This sounds like a really bad idea. Laurene Powell Jobs is involved.

[bandcampsnoop]

11/30/23.

EDIT: For some reason, the song won't play. So here is an earlier album from Savage Mansion you can listen to:

Savage Mansion are a Glasgow, Scotland band that serve as the vehicle for the songs of Craig Angus (great Scottish name). "Present Tense" is the first song I heard and it immediately made me think of Savak or Raj Sablok (Raj and the 100's is still one of my favorite unknown LPs).

Other parts of this album recall the work of Parquet Courts or Chris Brokaw. In other words this is indie rock with an edge while retaining pop sensibilities.

It looks like "The Shakes" is being released by Isle of Eigg label Lost Map Records.