SubPop Traffic Report July 1998

Yeah whatever. Time for Lions, Tigers and Bears here at Sub Pop World Headquarters as we get ready for the big circus of stars. It's the month of rebel "Ls" here at factory headquarters, and what could be more loovely? MARK LANEGAN'S new record Scraps at Midnight (CD/LP) is available to you, the consumer July 21. Seen any movies lately? On the occasion of the new movie Under Heaven, writer and director Meg Richman proclaimed that Mark Lanegan is one of her all time favorite recording artists. The movie -where you can hear Lanegan's "Pendulum" off of the Sub Pop Record Whiskey For the Holy Ghost - is about a substance-abusing participants in a complicated love triangle and all the love-triangling, things they are up to amongst a bunch of squares. Hmmmm. I have no response to that, but hey! I have an idea, let's call Mark and wake him from his slumber!

Anna: Hey Mark, did I wake you up with the phone? Are you having your coffee?
Mark: Nope, you didn't wake me up but I am up now and having my coffee and rubbing myself.
Anna: Cream and sugar?
Mark: Cream. I don't do sugar. I lost my sweet tooth. Literally. Lots of dental stuff going on.
Anna: Yeesh! So what about this movie and what about your new record?
Mark: I have not seen the movie with my song, but I was told about it. Lots of little tiny checks for $1.36 or something whenever they play the song. Yep…It's a weird world. The record is almost out [yawn] It's finished.
Anna: Are you watching TV or listening to something?
Mark: I'm listening to Captain Beefheart. I don't watch TV. TV "suggests" things and the worst thing for me is suggestions. Sometimes thinking is dangerous.
Anna: I KNOW. IT'S TRUE! I would someday like to have a lobotomy.
Mark: I know how you can nearly give yourself one. Yep. Life is weird. I'm weird.
Anna: I'm weirder than you...[this interview officially ended here when a good-natured argument ensued about just which one of us is the reigning champion of super weirdness, who's nicer, and then subsequent chatter about snoring.]

Lanegans new record is a hum-dinger of brilliant Lanegan-ness, featuring contributions from Mike Johnson - who co-produced and helped arrange the record - plus Paul Solger Dana, Keni Richards, Dave Catching and Fred Drake and special guests J. Mascis and Tad Doyle. Get your copy'o Scraps at Midnight now, at the Mega Mart On-line "shoppe" where art meets commerce. It's SECURE! It's FAST! And it absorbs twice as much liquid as the leading paper towel!