Sunday krossword

We know we've mentioned before just what big fans we are of Julian Cope's hipper-than-thou Head Heritage website, in particular the Unsung section with all the reviews. Especially Cope's Record Of The Month reviews. Sometimes he picks a disc we already knew about and are happy to see get the extra recognition of a J.C. endorsement (like Vincent Black Shadow, Jex Thoth or To Blacken The Pages). Sometimes it's something we had never really heard of before and then go order for AQ, review, and sell a ton of (like Cadaver In Drag, Orthodox, and Gunslingers). Once in a while it's something we don't know about, and still don't know about, or can't get (and maybe don't exist as a real release?). Occasionally it's an old classic, like the Melvins' Lysol. And then there's the times he creates his own cool compilation and writes up a review about it, like his recent "Glamrocksampler". (Fortunately, in all cases, Head Heritage provides a mp3 stream of the Record Of The Month, for that month only.)

So, 'round about the first of the month, we're always excited to click on Head Heritage and see what's gotten the Record Of The Month treatment this time. Cope's reviews, even if you don't agree with (or understand) 'em, are always entertaining, enthusiastic and esoterically erudite, complete with footnotes.

All this by way of saying that the April 2009 pick is one we were stoked to see: KISS! Remember last year, when Allan reviewed a klassic Kiss album on every AQ list for a month or two? Dynasty, Music From The Elder, Destroyer, Love Gun, Hotter Than Hell, Kiss, Rock And Roll Over? Well, if he didn't convice you that Kiss are kool, maybe you'll believe Julian Kope, we mean Cope. He's made his own Kiss "best of" kompliation called Krossword and reviewed it as the current Record Of The Month. So, check it out! We would have included "I Want You" from Rock And Roll Over, but it's still a pretty killer comp.

And Julian Cope has indeed also included a special Kiss krossword puzzle as a pdf download to go along with it. Haven't worked on it yet, looks pretty challenging, with such clues as "66 down: Confusing vocational surname of post-post-Peter Criss drummer" and "25 across: The colour of Ace's aura, as revealed on the sleeve of his solo LP". It's not all about Kiss, either.

So, something do this lazy Sunday afternoon. Along with browsing more of the Unsung reviews... definitely crack open the Book Of Seth when you get the chance, too.

Indeed it was rad

Rock n' Roll All Night, tonight

Y'know how I (Allan) have been on a KISS kick lately, reviewing a bunch of old Kiss cd reissues for the AQ website? Well, you can imagine how stoked I am to be about to see Destroyer (not the Dan Bejar band, which is what SF Gate mistakenly thinks, but the local Kiss tribute band) at Annie's Social Club tonight. And it's sort of friend rock too, 'cause an old pre-AQ co-worker of mine is Ace Frehley in this band. Should be rad.