(Albeit Temporarily) Back to Rock n' Roll

Just a few quick announcements:

1. Nick Cave's "new"* band Grinderman is completely fucking awesome. Bad Seeds fans have been waiting for years for an album in the style of The Birthday Party or the early, great Bad Seeds stuff like Let Love In and Henry's Dream. The last several Bad Seeds albums have been mostly piano dirges, which are fine, but not the same thing. Grinderman is totally, totally it, though - it's everything great about early Nick Cave with more sophisticated songwriting.
2. A while back I posted my doubts about Turbonegro. Well, I have to retract them. Their new album, Retox, is fantastic. There are a few forgettable songs, but overall it's classic Turbo: slick, dirty, evil.
3. I'm booked for next tattoo. It's about bloody time. I think the last appointment I had was about three years ago to get some stuff touched up and filled in by Dr. Julien. Obviously, I've been way too broke to get any more work done, not to mention the fact that I'm almost out of blank skin on my arms and legs. The new job has afforded me the chance to do something extra-productive on my birthday, however, and I am stoked. I've heard from a few people that Staircase is the best shop in Santa Cruz, so that's where I'm going.

* They aren't really "new," since all of the members are members of the Bad Seeds, and the Bad Seeds are still touring and recording.