Sunday, October 12, 2025

Albums That Shouldn't Exist But Probably Will Dept. - Rural Free Delivery


Homesteadin' is the long-awaited first album from Rural Free Delivery, the side project of Jesse Wayne Cord (Ethyl Dream, Grits For Breakfast, Cord-Clark). Cut on a vintage TEAC cassette recorder at his Porch Records home studio in Dead Mule Flats, OR., Homesteadin' is a major-label release from the supergroup on Piehole Records.

Jesse Wayne Cord, yesterday
"It's a reaction to the times in which we're livin' in," Cord says. "I was kind of isolated from that whole pandemic thing, battling my own demons, and RFD is a way of processing the changes I was going through." How was the supergroup assembled? "I made a few calls to a bunch of friends and they were, like, when do we start?" (laughs). "Katy and Betty-Lou McAlister were on board from day one, they bring that Appalachian vibe to the table. Brett Sweeney (Fuelie Bros, Broken Plates) hung his hat on the door and set right in. And Shep Clark (Cord-Clark, Wineblossoms) laid down his signature beat. We did everything in one take. You can hear the coyotes!" (laughs). "The songs were just everyone sittin' and pickin' on the porch, and everything, like, flowed. You can't plan for that, it just happens. It's the best thing I ever done."

Tracks: Double Time Still Single/Homesteadin'/ Back On Track/Our Broken Hearts Will Heal/Oregon And Back/Winchester Carbine/Coyote Moon/Dogs, Horses, And Grits For Breakfast/O Montana/Lord You Were On My Mind

Homesteadin' is set for release as a double vinyl 10" Record Store Day Special, followed by a TinyDesk concert. "We're really hyped," says Jesse. 

 

You want this? Go ahead and record it. Somebody will eventually.

Thursday, October 9, 2025

The Myra Nussbaum Interviews: Sitarswami™

 

Sitarswami Zoomcalls Mrs. Myra Nussbaum! Actual Foam-O-Graph© derived from sustainable shade-grown technologies, going forward!

Older readers will remember with some fondness elderly Bikini Tester Mrs. Myra Nussbaum. Although no longer part of the core narrative here at th' IoF©, her occasional lectures have proved as entertaining as they are educational [i.e. neither - Ed.], and garnered the prestigious Pork Bend Golden Pigs Knuckle Award for Use Of Internet. Kudos, Mrs. Myra!

In the first of what is sure to become a popular regular FoamFeature®, our iconic geriatric is pleased to present her first The Mrs. Myra Nussbaum Interviews interview, with reclusive mystic and Charter Four Or Five Guy© Sitarswami!

Mr. Swami spoke via computer technology from his lamasery high atop snow-girt Smeltville Mound, ND.

MMN Hello?

SS Is this Mister Beans? Art Beans?

MMN Hello? Am I pressing the right button, thing?

SS Mr. Beans, I'm calling about your car's extended warranty, Mr. Beans.

MMN For heaven's sakes! Why is this writing so small?

SS Hello? Art? Art Beans of 232a Crimp Street, Mingewater?

MMN Will someone get me my reading glasses? What's that buzzing sound? Oh dear.

[ERROR 404 NOT FOUND- Ed.]

Well, there we have it! To celebrate this achievement. Mr. Swami has generously donated one (1) autygraphed box set of his None More Sixties curatorial initiatives! To qualify for this once-in-a-lifetime Dream Deliverable™, simply state in a comment your favorite thing, like, literally, ever! Mr. Swami will choose the lucky winner from the entries received! Oh boy!



These swell long-playing disc record albums contain up to literally, like, dozens of sure-fire party favorites! Who will be the lucky winner?? Not you, probably! LOOOOOOSER!!!!!

 

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Art Dept.

 



Real painting by real painter William Rochfort


Sunday, October 5, 2025

For Girls! Dept. - Thirty Minutes Of Soft Machine For Girls! Now With Upgraded Artwork!



Inclusivity is a long and revered tradition here at th' IoF©! Our trail-blazing recognition of basic human rights for Bikini Testers has garnered plaudits worldwide, and our award-winning For Girls! series has adapted the most off-puttingly "difficult" bands to the blander tastes of the "weaker sex" (bless 'em!). Think of the series as the musical equivalent of Classics Illustrated comics [below left - Ed.] ! Those popular abridgements of otherwise unreadable literary masterpieces such as Moby Quixote and Don Dick instilled a love of Fine Literature in a whole generation!


Yes, we like to think that the For Girls! series is of equal importance! No longer shall the "little lasses" feel excluded from the fun of listening to "boys only" bands such as The Captain Beefheart, The Velvet Undergrounds, the Lead Zeppelins, Pink And The Floyds, The King Crimsons, and now, The Soft Machines!

We've smoothed out those irksome jazz-rock "rough edges", concentrating on the more hummable qualities of this oft-challenging combo! And although the purist may carp that some of the selections - blended seamlessly into a Thirty-Minute Medley O' Melody™ - are solo performances, no "dolly-bird" is going to bother her pretty little head about that!

So, if you know any chicks [you're kidding, right? - Ed.], or maybe someone you know claims to, why not give them a copy of this swell long-playing album LP record? Its feminine allure is heightened by the oh-so-sensitive cover design,  making it a swell companion for her Dory Previn albums!

TAB HUNTER SEZ!

"Say, fellers! This sure is one neat recording! Using the latest hi-fi equipment, Farq has created a disc which is sure to hit that coveted Number One spot nationwide! And let's get one thing straight - this isn't just for the gals! Why, there's plenty for us guys to dig, too! I like to play it while I relax poolside with such husky H'wood hunks as Rock Hudson, Monty Clift, Cissy Romero, Cary Grant, Morrie Gosfield, Spence Tracy, Ty Power, Mary Brando, Vince Price, Ray Burr, Randy Scott, Sal Mineo, Tony Perkins, Jimmy Dean, and Tom Cruise! They all agree this is Manly Music for the guy of today, and you will too!

Your Pal, Tab!"

 

 

 

This piece created in a fit of cabin fever during the rainy season. Please address all complaints to Babs.

Re-Up Re-Kwest Dept. - Michael Chapman