The hidden layers of the cultural onion

It may be an album. A book. A film. You don't know about it because you missed it. I'm here to peel back the hidden layers of the cultural onion and expose you to all that is amazing out there is this very large world.

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It was my birthday. I listened to this fab song. You should listen, too. 

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Love Pearls Before Swine. They will never let you down. Tom Rapp's a genius. 

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Bubble Puppy tune Psychedelic guitaring Very rare footage

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Yes, this clip is amazing, just not in the sense that I intended when starting this blog. After a shady financial scheme took down the Polka King, Jan Lewan started listening to rap music in prison and realized it had the same 4/4 time as polka music. I guess that now makes him the Rappin' Polka King.

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Have you ever heard of the Glands? This amazing indie 5-piece from Atlanta, Ga., was active in the late 90s and early 2000s. The Glands first album, “Double Thriller,” was released widely by Bar None in 1998 to be followed by a self-titled album in 2000. Then they just … disappeared. One of the founders of the band, Ross Shapiro, ran Schoolkids Records, a recently-closed Athens record store*, which means there is now more time for playing, recording and touring, as a recent reunion tour in the fall and winter of 2011 shows. Perhaps all hope for a third record is not lost. My fingers are crossed. This song, “Call Me Doctor,” is off “Double Thriller” and features in a fan-made video. Give it a listen

 *C’mon, people, stop buying your records from iTunes. Get it straight from the label if you are too lazy to visit your local record shop. A Very-Special-Hidden-Layers-Shout-Out to Mr. Suit Records, a vinyl-only store in Lancaster, Pa. If you're ever on the East Coast, stop in for a visit. Tell Mr. Suit Hidden Layers mentioned him on this blog and he might even give you a snack.

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As my inaugural blog post, I feel it’s only proper to pay tribute to the band whose second album is the inspiration behind my blog’s name. Incredible String Band’s 1967 album, “The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion,” is a psychedelic-folk wonder to behold. For those readers not familiar with “5000 Spirits,” here’s a ringing endorsement: Upon the album’s release and subsequent rise to Number  1 on the United Kingdom’s folk chart, Sir Paul McCartney remarked that it was his favorite album of the year. This song, “Painting Box,” is from the album. Give it a listen.