It’s the end of the month and, frankly, I’m a little burnt out. There are just a few weeks remaining before fall baseball and soccer practices start again and just a few more weeks more until the kids go back to school.

My daughter starts kindergarten this year, my boys are growing fast, I’m getting old and I miss them already. Just a few of the factors that explain why I’m vamping right now instead of writing something about music. But, alas, I cannot think (to paraphrase Laura Marling).

Having said that, Fusion 45 broke the 3,000 visitor mark this month and I owe it all to YOU and the nice people of the community who have supported me with their links. They are the FRIENDS OF F45 you see listed to the right and I THANK THEM. This is not gratuitous reciprocity, though; these are some the best writers in the music spheres and to them I pay hommage and frommage.

A Deeper Shade of Soul – I wish Ben would post more frequently; the quality of his work is that good. But, even if he writes every few weeks, I read and am grateful. And, as he notes in a recent post, he’s available for work. Check out the scope of what he does and get in touch.

AM Then FM – My wife and I passed on seeing Peter Frampton as he came through town a few weeks ago. Sadly, as I’m just four months into running my own business, $70 for a pair of tickets was just not in my budget. But, Jeff over at AM Then FM is flush and he reports on Pete’s show at the Outagamie County Fair.

Any Major Dude – He produces an amazing amount of content at a very high level of quality. I never go there that I don’t find something new to get excited about (Jay Brannan) or old to smile upon (1980 Albums of The Year)

Armagideon Time – My favorite quote of the month, from his vacation post entitled Objectivist Hygiene: “Ideological purity is no substitute for a can of Ajax and some elbow grease”.

Art Decade – The latest post on includes a picture of the Montreux Casino. I just happened to be expounding on the pure pop merits of Smoke On The Water at the dinner table the other day. My kids were fascinated. An economy of words and great pictures makes it a great visit.

Bag of Songs – One of F45’s newest friends, Bag is the place for newer than new music interspersed with great theme sets that will include Jimi Hendrix and The Shangri-Las in the same set. I dig that. Reach into the bag.

Bleedin’ Out – J’ever meet people who are totally unlike you but became your friends because they just reached out and did something cool? Nazz over at Bleedin’ Out is did that. Little ‘ole Carpenters-lovin’ Fusion 45 gets a link from a pink punk site. Nice. (OK…so I like a few Ramones songs….and Social Distortion.)

Bob Brainen – OK, so Bob doesn’t have a link to my page posted anywhere (that I know of, anyway) but he wrote me a nice email and he does a really cool show on WFMU. And he’s been doing it for something like 57 years or something. They didn’t have turntables when he started. People held pins in one hand and spun the records with the other.

DJ NYC – I like to visit DJ NYC’s site because he has a cool photo gizmo on his site, posts pictures of dear old NYC for me to reminisce by and, when I look at his pictures, I think of the New York Times society page.

Echoes In The Wind – Dude’s a music blogging legend. Writes in-depth articles all the time, comes around to comment, recently posted a zip of Darden Smith’s Trouble No More record. Salud!

Elsebasto – Seems to have drifted off but people keep coming though his/her site. Some great music posted, too. Would like to see him/her back in action.

Fufu Stew – If you did funk, you dig FuFu. ‘Nuff said.

Next month, I’ll pay homage (or maybe even frommage) to the other half of the alphabet.

Went on a music binge at last night to beat my monthly expiration date. (They’ve been nice about crediting me when I miss the mark but, even so, I wish they would quit the whole expiration thing…music ain’t milk.) Bought James Hunter and The Watson Twins. I know a lot of people are this digging this song:

The Watson Twins – How Am I To Be?

It’s a spectacular summer day in the Pacific Northwest of Americana, the kind of day we bottle and keep on our desks to look at and long for in January. The kind of day we don’t like to talk about with out-of-towners, lest they decide to move here. “Oh no,” we say, “it rains here year round”. Truth is, it’s 80-some degrees, not a cloud in the sky, not a humidity in the air, a slight breeze a-blowing. Back up your bags, Glasgow. Gas up the Edsel, Wisconsin. Washington’s the place to be today.

Not much on my mind, otherwise, just rambling about the hard drive listening to some music. Here are 6 tunes, semi-at-random.

Darden Smith – Frankie And Sue

WhiteRay at Echoes in The Wind was kind enough to drop a zip of Darden’s Trouble No More album onto his site (and I scooped it up in a heartbeat). If you’ve never heard Darden, this (or anything else he’s done) is a great place to start. Reminds me of young romance: I first heard this on WICB-FM when my wife and I were living in Ithaca, NY, young love growing among the fall colors of the northeast.

Dion – I Wonder Why

When I was 10 years old or so, baseball ruled the summer — morning, noon and night. In between games, we would gather in whichever house had a Mom bearing the patience for a group of pre-teen boys and ‘play records’. That was the euphemism we had for our air-guitar, sing-a-long, wishing we were rock star sessions. One of us had an older sister with a 45 collection that included this one, which I still love. And it actually mixes nice with Frankie and Sue.

Delbert And Glen – California Livin’

I was standing in the Los Angeles airport one evening, waiting for my wife and kids to arrive, when I looked to my left and saw one of the stunning girls I’d ever seen.

I’ve never been much for the construction-worker-gawk-and-stare method of girl watching; I try to be a bit more subtle but this girl was breaking my concentration. She was perfect in every way; there were no flaws. And, as you might imagine, the fact that I kept glancing at her caused her absolutely no distraction; she remained perfectly focused on standing there being beautiful.

Before my wife and kids arrived, what I presumed was her boyfriend came up to her, kissed her on the cheek and they walked off arm-in-arm. I still haven’t caught my breath.

There are two kinds of California: this song is about the other one.

Fabienne Du Sol – Vilaines Filles Mauvais Garcons

Ever since Britt Eklund recited the Hoboken, NJ phone book for Rod Stewart, I’ve been a fan of French pop. Don’t speak the language, know nothing about this woman, have no idea what she’s saying or how she got on my computer. But, I’m almost sure a 19-year old French girl in a 1960’s style bikini is going to surface in my hot tub any minute.

Del Shannon – Runaway

The song that launched a thousand rock stars, this was one of those 45’s we listened to all summer long. What makes this record so universally loved and for so long? Must be the Farfisa!

Leo Kottke – Pamela Brown

Did I mention this story once before?

When I was in 7th grade, I met this girl named Laura. I thought she was terrific and she seemed to think the same in return. I guess she wanted to be my girlfriend but, since I was a complete dork who knew more about the New York Mets batting order than girls, I missed the signals (which were apparently printed in the Broadway Junior High School newsletter). Her interest lasted for about 12 minutes: she went on to be a cheerleader, long-time girlfriend to the captain of the football team and, ultimately a Duke University educated lawyer. This song (and Black Water by the Doobie Brothers) reminds me of her. I don’t know why.

Original Recording | September 1994 | Ithaca, NY

Digital Remaster | September 2007 | Brush Prairie, WA

The Iguanas – Oye Isabel
The LA’s – There She Goes
Barenaked Ladies – Jane
Doobie Brothers – Natural Thing
Darden Smith – Trouble No More
Crash Test Dummies – Afternoons and Coffee Spoons
James – Sometimes
Gin Blossoms – Found Out About You
Counting Crows – Mr. Jones
Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing
U2 – One Tree Hill
Rhythm Corps – Common Ground
Bob Dylan – Lay Lady Lay
REM – Belong
Sting – Nothin’ Bout Me

Notes from original tape: “This tape was was (sic) recorded early fall 1994 on the original Atus/Technics system used at the end of Chuck Clark’s Bar many years before. The original edit of side one also included Van Morrison’s “Chick-A-Boom”. It was recorded over 2 weeks (9/17-24) in the musty living room at Dryden Farm”.

<a href=”http://www.fusion45.com/wp-content/uploads/audio/2007/master_1.mp3″>A-Frame Tapes, Volume 4</a>