Thomas Pynchon delves into the dirty '30s for new novel "Shadow Ticket"

The ever-enigmatic Thomas Pynchon just put out a new novel "Shadow Ticket" set in the depression. Seems about right. 

This just in from Penguin Random House...

The new novel from Thomas Pynchon, bestselling and award-winning author of Gravity’s Rainbow, The Crying of Lot 49, Vineland, and Inherent Vice.

“A masterpiece.” —The Telegraph

“Bonkers and brilliant fun.” —The Washington Post

“Late Pynchon at his finest. Dark as a vampire’s pocket, light-fingered as a jewel thief, Shadow Ticket capers across the page with breezy, baggy-pants assurance — and then pauses on its way down the fire escape just long enough to crack your heart open.” —Los Angeles Times

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Milwaukee 1932, the Great Depression going full blast, repeal of Prohibition just around the corner, Al Capone in the federal pen, the private investigation business shifting from labor-management relations to the more domestic kind. Hicks McTaggart, a onetime strikebreaker turned private eye, thinks he’s found job security until he gets sent out on what should be a routine case, locating and bringing back the heiress of a Wisconsin cheese fortune. 

Get a copy of Thomas Pynchon's new novel, Shadow Ticket directly from the publisher right here. 

Personally, I much prefer the typography and design of the UK edition of Shadow Ticket. 

R.I.P. Johnny Strike of Crime

Gary John Bassett aka Johnny Strike (right) of San Francisco's Crime died of cancer. He was 70.

Watch the trailer for the new rockumentary Crime 1978

Here's a preview of the forthcoming Larry Larson film Crime 1978 shot on location in San Francisco.

Travis Pike, Bent Wind and Crime featured in Ugly Things #43

In Ugly Things issue #43: Southern California garage psych cult heroes THINGS TO COME, notorious for mysterioso monster tracks like “Sweet Gina” and “Speak of the Devil.” They are joined on the cover by San Francisco’s seminal punk rock’n’roll villains CRIME, the subject of a sensational new feature story loaded with scandalous revelations from the heyday of the ‘70s punk scene.

Much more exciting however is that the new Ugly Things contains the story behind the incredible "Watch Out Woman" video (watch below) by TRAVIS PIKE which immediately caused jaws to drop throughout the garage rock world back in October when it mysteriously appeared on YouTube. Some notable Boston teen scene experts thought it might be a hoax – "how could I not know about a song/performance this great from back in the day?" – but pop culture historian Harvey Kubernick sets the record straight by uncovering the strange-but-true story of Pike's career. Evidently, Pike's period as a songwriter and singer in New England during the mid-60s is just the beginning of a colourful showbiz adventure which involves work with Orson Welles, and doing the English language dub of Ingmar Bergman's Academy Award-winning "Fanny and Alexander".

Other stories include: Canadian heavy psych monsters BENT WIND, Boston punks UNNATURAL AXE, Texas punks THE SKUNKS, glam rock mystery band PANDORA,  THE BOX TOPS, San Diego’s INMATES, an archeological expedition into the MUSIC MACHINE’s garage, along with interviews with The Turtles, Christine Ohlman (the Wrong Black Bag), and Keith Richards’ guitarmaker Ted Newman Jones. Plus the latest installment in Cyril Jordan’s ongoing Flamin’ Groovies saga, and our extensive review sections, the ultimate consumers’ guide to all the latest vinyl and CD reissues and rock‘n’roll-related books.

You can mailorder Ugly Things #43 directly from the UT webstore right here.

Crime @ Mabuhay Gardens, SF 1977

1. Introduction by Dirk Dirksen -- 0:00
2. Rockabilly Drugstore -- 0:55
3. Piss On Your Dog -- 2:42
4. San Francisco's Doomed -- 5:18
5. Instrumental -- 7:30
6. Baby, You're So Repulsive -- 9:55
7. Murder By Guitar (cuts out) -- 12:00