Another birthday come and gone (May 24). It's hard to remember a time when birthdays meant presents and Chuck-E-Cheese, not existential crisis and tequila.

Psychic TV was way rad. They are actually called "Psychic TV 3" now. Genesis is wild: he/she came out on stage in a sequined top hat with a chicken on top! The visuals behind the stage were x-rated and pretty gross and I couldn't watch some it, especially the footage of his cosmetic surgeries. But they sounded fantastic: deep, sinister bass, new-wavy vocals and keyboard, heavy guitar. The crowd was quite a mix too: old-timers who had probably seen Throbbing Gristle back in the day, Rocky Horror geeks, the non-descript (like me), and confused hippies wondering when the hell Dub is a Weapon were supposed to play. I actually wanted to check them out (I love me some good dub), but PTV3 started late and I wasn't looking forward to walking home through Red Hook in the middle of the night. Anyway, I'll be buying Painful but Fabulous for sure.

More must-haves for the Male Mannequin bookshelf:

Drugs are Nice: A Post-Punk Memoir by Lisa Crystal Carver. Live Free or Die!

Rip it Up and Start Again: postpunk 1978-1984 by Simon Reynolds. Those discographies will suck you in, so beware.

I recently picked up Milk It! Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90s by Jim DeRogatis. Man, this is a gem. He skewers Gavin Rossdale of Bush in an amusing piece called "Never Mind," which includes this hilarious musing on Steve Albini, who produced Bush's Razorblade Suitcase:

Of course Albini dialed up his patented harsh sounds - the barbed-wire guitar, rampaging drums, and a bit of that "screaming through a bullhorn" business on "Personal Holloway" - and he applied his punk-rock record-'em-live, warts-and-all techniques. Clearly Bush thought it could buy credibility with this noise, which is the only reason anyone ever puts up with Albini. As for Steve, his pals in Chicago say he's finally found a building to house the studio of his dreams, and now he has the capital to go for it. Much more amusing than this album are the interviews in which Albini, the most sanctimonious man in show business, valiantly tries to avoid the words, "I did it for the money." (p.281).

With recollections of Lollapallooza, Woodstock '94, grunge, Riot Grrrl, and even reviews of Wesley Willis and Spiritualized, this is a total must-read for those interested in the whole 90's "alternative" scene.

Of course the week I'll be in Amsterdam Yo La Tengo and the Jicks will be playing a Fourth of July show in Battery Park. Blast! And Yo La Tengo will be playing in Amsteram in August! Can't win. But Brian Jonestown at Bowery Ballroom on July 30 will make up for it (assuming Anton shows up, that is).