I am almost guaranteed to miss tomorrow's post because it's a long insane day and today was a long insane day but not so insane that I can't post a cute hairclip from Heavenly! You can see it's a butterfly from Le Jardin de Heavenly - it's a nice heavy acrylic (maybe too heavy) and outrageously cute

Today's post may set new records for the worst photography. In my defense these hang on the wall of my music room and the lighting in there is moody at best. In 2017, Shelleyan Orphan put out a boxed set compiling their first 3 albums and a bunch of bonus material. (1/2)

Ok my kid was yelling at Fortnite so I went and took some photos earlier. April 5, 2025, Tsunami and Ida played their Coin Toss show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. I bought the adorable Tsunami matchbook, pictured here. (1/2)

More Staaltape - here's Legendary Pink Dots Chemical Playschool 1&2, and separately 3&4. They apparently had a whole LPD series, of which these are a part! 1&2 here, 3&4 in next post! These are legit a hassle to store well but I still adore them for having interesting packaging.

Teenbeat Records No. 237: coasters. I dunno what else to say about these! Teenbeat design has always been A+

I'm basically on 12-hour workdays for a bit - it will calm down in a week or two but in the meantime we're working off what I've already photographed for now! Maybe more cassettes? How about this: Throwing Muses Soap Opera Saga 2nd Episode. Single-sided promo tape from Warner Brothers/Sire.

Here's Savage Republic, Live at the Melkweg 87, on Staaltape. Most of my Staaltape cassettes are Pink Dots, but I always loved this as like a crossover. One day I'll photograph my huge pile of IPR items. I so appreciate these labels who made all releases big & beautiful!!

This post is a record of my repeated failures to photograph the Pleasantly Surprised cassette comp Document. You'll laugh, but all of the inserts are literally stuck inside the plastic sleeve and I keep trying to get them out to photograph them and giving up in frustration.

1982: Apparition cassette, from The Legendary Pink Dots. Back when tapes were everything. The cardboard sleeve is surprisingly sturdy for being 40+ years old. Released on Ding Dong Records, a Dutch label that would eventually release a couple other Pink Dots tapes but nothing else I ever recognized.

Here are some blurry photos of some incredible prints from Dave Narcizo of Throwing Muses. They were sold in his Etsy store many years ago, and he was kind enough to sign them for me. The only thing better than this is Lakuna, who should put out another album immediately.

November 1, 1996: Current 93 and Tiny Tim (Tiny fucking Tim) at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in NYC. The venue was OUTRAGEOUSLY beautiful, and the reason I thought to post this today is that it's almost 30 years to the day since it happened, and I remember the strong Halloween vibe at the show 1/2

Insane week. How about an insane release to keep the vibe? Brain in the Wire (2002) was put together by Jon Whitney/ @brainwashed.bsky.social and the track listing is basically bonkers. The packaging was peak late 90s collector weird and I am also peak late 90s collector weird, so.

The next 2 weeks are pure chaos so we'll see when I get a chunk of time to photograph cool things in storage. I can't tell if this show was 1991 or 1992 - Meat Beat Manifesto and Consolidated at Fast Lane in Asbury Park, NJ, July 6. SetlistFM has no record of them playing there but someone must know

Given that everyone I know is getting to go see Belly this week, AND it was like 37°F this morning, how about a Belly winter hat and Belly socks?

Have a look at the original press kit that came with @throwingmuses.bsky.social's first self-released EP in 1984, kindly scanned and shared by @musicephemera.bsky.social. It's a priceless source to have a glimpse at some of the very first reviews the band got in Providence, RI, and Boston, MA.

I've talked before about my love of lyric books, so naturally I also love books of poetry written by some of my favorite lyricists. Here's one of Franklin Bruno's, this one from 2012.

Indie Rock Connect the Dots. I honestly can't remember where this book came from but I'm 99% sure it preceded both Record Store Day and Indie Bookstore Day. But it's super weird and gimmicky and cheesy, and therefore I love it.

Day 80 of posting music things! In honor of the new Tear Garden album, how about an old Legendary Pink Dots VHS tape? Do you kids even know what VHS is? (who am I kidding, there are no kids following my old lady music posts). The show and release are from 1989. I'd guess we got this around 97?

I have been grading all day and I'm not even 20% done with this stack. I wanted to find something to honor the passing of Dave Ball, but I couldn't think of anything in my collection other than this, his 1983 album on Some Bizzare. I bought this in probably 1990 at Princeton Record Exchange. 1/2

Today I thought I'd share something newer instead of things from like 35 years ago. This is a 2026 Halou calendar made by The Mystery Parade, who does a ton of their design work. His work is extremely inspired by V23/23 Envelope and all the early 4ad design aesthetics. I adore it. 1/3

Quick one today, I'm drowning in work. Here's a ticket stub from the very first time I saw Throwing Muses live as a band. 3rd row center seats at TLA in Philly. I saw this show with @mmmmorphine.bsky.social I think. Oct 22, 1992. Maybe with others, too - it's blurry. An incredible show! (1/3)

Folks, EKS just put some stock of this book up on bandcamp. Currently says 2 remaining. Just fyi!

Since I didn't have any Cocteaus stuff ready to go, how about this copy of the This Mortal Coil boxset signed to me from John Fryer? It's the original boxset from 1993. It's signed on both the inner box and he sent a promo photo of Caroline Crawley and ??? (1/4)

I cannot decide what to post today!

I have to grade all day today so let's avoid that by posting 90s self-released twee indie rock cassettes! These are both by Chicklet, a Canadian band. Hand-painted, I think I was ordering these directly from the band via mailorder at the time. Both 1996. (1/3)

Rasputina: How We Quit the Forest, promo storybook edition. I always respect bands who put out weird artsy versions of things! Also I love the the Princeton Record Exchange pricetag is still on here, because they sold ALL their promos. Usually for $1.99 but this was fancy enough to fetch $4.99.

The first Throwing Muses 7", both the 1984 version and the 1989 fan club version. The top record (black and white) is the '84, on the Blowing Fuses label (TM's own, this is the only release). The red one is the fan club re-release. Notice also that the copy of the '84 record has a press kit (1/2)

I'm feeling a little bit better today, so I have a great object to share today. Well, objects.

Back in the good old days, indie labels all had beautiful print catalogs. I'll get to photographing some of the 4ad and teenbeat catalogs (along with some others) that I have a bunch of, but today: Simple Machines' final catalog. It includes their history as a label through its tragic closure.

Since Sugar announced new music and shows today, how about a ticket stub from their Roseland show in NYC in November of 1994? I honestly didn't remember this show being in NYC - in my memory it was when I was still living in New Orleans, so I can't trust my memory on this one!

Desperately trying to distract myself from kidney stones. Having a wincing time. Here's a promo photo of @throwingmuses.bsky.social from, I would guess, somewhere around 1986 or 87? I don't know anything else about it - I found it in a manila envelope in my drawer and can't recall its origin!

One more since I missed a bunch of days while traveling. Here's Psychic TV & The Temple of Psychick Youth 7" of Roman P. (one of my favorite PTV songs- I have so many versions of it). Second edition, 1984.

Leather Sol Invictus coaster and keychain. The apocalyptic folk bands all had a burst of merch like this around the same time - Sol Invictus put out a watch around this time that I posted previously, and this was also around when Coil and Current 93 released watches (mid-late 90s)

Ok, one more. Depeche Mode, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Nitzer Ebb at Giants Stadium June 16, 1990. I've been trying to remember the big stadium shows I saw between 89-91, and this was a good one! (No '89 Cure, Love and Rockets, and Pixies, but still incredible!)

Ok, this one I don't have a backstory for because it's definitely my partner's instead of mine and he isn't here at the moment. (It lives in my cabinet of wonders so it counts.) Gogol Bordello wrist band. I honestly don't know where this came from or when but it *is* stylish as hell.

I am traveling again and it means I lose track of days and forget to do posts (and also that I'm stuck relying on what I already photographed without adventuring back into my archives). NEVERTHELESS. I'll try to keep up!

Dammit, I thought I posted already today but apparently I dreamed that. Today's post is pretty controversial - a side-project of Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley, it took incredible heat from the disabilities community, who rightly pointed out how the band perpetuated outdated ideas about monstrosity

Today: Pasteboard, by Timothy O'Donnell. One of the keenest designers in the business. His name is on SO many of my most beloved 4ad releases, and he's also an absolutely wonderful person. Support the graphic artists who turn our beloved music items into beloved art items! (1/2)

A thing I just remembered about the October 2001 show is that the subways and PATH trains were not running normally because it was so soon after Sept 11, and I recall it was an extra adventure to get to the Knitting Factory that year.

Ok, I missed yesterday because bluesky was depressing me too much. Today, I'll cram 6 ticket stubs into 2 posts to make up for it. 6 different years of seeing @kristinhersh.bsky.social at the Knitting Factory in NYC, and so many ways of misspelling her name, it's surely a record! (93, 94, 98, 00)

I strongly suspect at least half my items are Throwing Muses-related. Nothing says "1990s" like a branded CD wallet! Honestly I couldn't give a date on this to save my life, but at some point during the heyday of Throwing Music, they released this incredible relic, and I, a crazy person, kept it!

It's another Friday and the world is still mostly terrible so let's lean in to the awesomeness of loving good music. Here's a special one: It looks like a normal CD copy of Coil's Unnatural History III, but look inside the booklet and BAM. (1/2)

Thinking about just abandoning my main account that follows all the news and living here in music-land. Today: Peyrere (various artists) cassette. 1986. I used to try and collect every single release Coil appeared on ever. That's become totally ridiculous with all the current vinyl nonsense.

Can't decide what to post today. How about this Kelley Deal-made scarf? It's technically my partner's, but it lives in my house so it's fair game. Her scarves are almost as great as her music. (I saved the tag but this scarf gets worn every autumn, except right now when it's literally still 85⁰F)

The internet is really awful today so let's have some music. Throwing Muses (self-titled demo). This baby turns 40 this year. I started listening to them about 5 years after this was released, and as outrageous as it seems, I'm still listening to these songs 35 years later. And they still rock.

His Name Is Alive: Heart and Hand box (2001). I got in just under the wire with number 49/50. Gorgeous box, gorgeous cds, gorgeous music. HNIA have been releasing things in really creative DIY ways since forever and I have been throwing money at them for just as long.

Here's a crazy little thing: Throwing Muses's Anthology, released in 2011, on memory stick. It includes the 43 tracks of the album, and also a live performance from Spain. I love how they consistently do things ahead of the curve and outside the box.

Here is the limited (500) edition of Neil Halstead's Palindrome Hunches signed to me. The notebook includes handwritten lyrics. I bought this when I saw him play at High Noon Saloon in Madison WI Oct. 13, 2012. It was SUCH a tiny show, and he was so good!!

This right here goes to show just how broken my brain is these days. This is a Chris Bigg watercolor - it came to me only in the last maybe 5 years? And I don't remember how. I have no doubt one of you with a working brain can remind me: was it with a book? A record? I DON'T REMEMBER.

I am so tired and I have no luggage but at least I am home. I can get back to photographing weird things in drawers this weekend. In the meantime! One more ticket stub and then we'll take a break from them for a bit. Lush at the Ritz, 1992.