#rocksites

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"Up to Lexington, 125... Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive..." #VelvetUnderground #WaitingForTheMan #RockSites (at 125th Street)

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Sometimes you just stumble onto an amazing coincidence.  Such is the case today.  Back around... oh, 1990-'91, my good friend Neal introduced me to a British band called Kitchens of Distinction.  Their 1990 album Strange Free World is a great disc, full of what I tend to refer to as guitar wash: waves of cascading guitar noise.  It's similar to shoegaze music in a way, though that particular word to me tends to mean a bit more blissful and slow in tempo, which not all of KoD's songs fit into.  Bands like Swervedriver, Catherine Wheel, and maybe Silversun Pickups are bands that I'd label with that "guitar wash" tag.

The above song, "Drive That Fast," is towards the end of Strange Free World, and it is a terrific song to drive to.  Last weekend we were on our way home from Neckgear's sister's house, and I spied this sign on the side of the road in Clarksburg, Maryland.  Had to take a photo of it:

Kitchens of Distinction as a band never made much inroads into the US, but am glad to see the name lives on in other respects.  The same could likely be said for my late, lamented favorite band out of Pittsburgh, The Affordable Floors, who would've been a great second act to have on a bill with KoD.

If you'd like to hear more KoD, Strange Free World I recommend without hesitation.  It's fairly easily found used, as it came out on A&M records in the US.  Also of note is the compilation Capsule: the best of which is also available in a 2CD version that comes with a disc of b-sides.