When I think of summer and the hot weather that we’ve been sometimes enjoying, I often conjure this majestic image in my head:

Treated. It’s the Tornado at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. You can probably see this thing from space. It’s huge. I’ve made one pilgrimage across town this summer to do bidding with the mighty Tornado, and plan to go five more times (as per the season pass). Not that any of this matters to you, of course. You probably just want the jams. Fair enough. Here is a summerish mix that, despite my admiration for Brian Wilson, does not feature any Beach Boys songs. That’s just too obvious, ya know:

As a buddy of mine once said “keep it crunk, but keep it positive.”

MP3 :::
Darker My Love – Summer is Here
Shop Assistants – Almost Made It
Sun City Girls – Radar 1941
The Jesus and Mary Chain – On the Wall (the better Barbed Wire Kisses version)
Atlas Sound – On Guard
City Center – Gladest
Amen Dunes – In Caroline
Friends – Summer Sunday Blues
Seals & Crofts – Summer Breeze
The Clean – Beatnik

In an effort to make this blog, ya know, legitimate, I’m looking for another writer. Maybe two more writers. Why not? Being a contributor to the Decibel Tolls requires no knowledge of how to run a website – I take care of that. I just need a few good writers. I’m looking for thoughtful, articulate people with a passion for music, bizarre topics, and the ability to connect the two.

I don’t need, like, an entire CV or resume or anything like that. But you must:

- Possess a strong command of the English langauge
- LOVE psychedelic rock, shoegazing, folk, post rock, space rock, kraut, et al.
- Understand the general ethos of this blog (irreverence uber alles is one cornerstone philosophy)
- Be able to contribute often (1-2 times a week) with rich, insightful content
- Not take yourself too seriously

An insane, bizarre, baffling record collection is preferred, but not necessary. Interested? Send me an email: kb [at] thedecibeltolls.com, with 2-3 samples of your writing (it doesn’t have to be published work) and a paragraph or two introduction. Feel free to ask me any questions.

I’m including a couple of MP3s below for the sole purpose of getting people other than my friends to read this. See, if you don’t include an MP3, nobody from Elbows or Hype Machine will stop by to see you. We live in a culture of instant gratification. People want the goods, then they cut and run. This is your first lesson as a blog writer, future contributor! It’s a sad state of affairs we live in.

Since I’m asking applicants for a small bio, let’s sling some songs up here with the word “tale” in the title.

MP3 :::
Fairport Covnention – Tale in Hard Time
Friends (Peter Howell/John Ferdinando) – Tale of Your Life

Howell and Ferdinando, between cutting rollicking folk records, were both members of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. As you know, I’m extremely fascinated by the Radiophonic Workshop. Howell himself played a key part in the composition for the Dr. Who and Through the Looking Glass scores. Time Has Told Me has a pretty in-depth bio.

Not only is the Fragile LP difficult to find, it’s also tricky to find information on Friends since they, uh, fuckin’ called their band Friends! Obviously, Lisa Kudrow’s gonna Google rank a little higher than Howell and Ferdinando, whether it’s fair or not. Anyway, enjoy these two jam hives that were ripped straight from the vinyl for full bass explosion, and definitely czech out “One Sweet Day” if you’ve been rocking that Fleet Foxes record as of late. Get shattered.

MP3 :::
Friends – A Tale of Your Life
Friends – One Sweet Day