Hrmm... I've bought stuff from http://www.surplusdirect.com/ before and
found it to be quite useful. I actually bought a laptop computer and
carrying case from them about a year ago. They have all sorts of other
good stuff as well. I also bought my PalmPilot online, but I forget where
from.
Speaking of ordering stuff online, I continually seem to freak people out
by telling them I first ordered CDs online via telnet linkups to cdnow and
cdconnection in 1993 (or possibly early '94). Since I'm an avid ska music
collector, and I was in the middle of nowhere, that was the only way to
feed my habit. Besides, even back then with the clunky all text interface
it was pretty cool, and they had great selections...
>From mike, I chose Hepcat's "Right on Time"
>
> http://www.musicblvd.com/cgi-bin/tw/19084_43_466169
>
>[heard it in Blockbuster's listening bar and loved it -- thanks for the
>pick, Mike]
Cool. It is great. If you find that you really dig it, I highly recommend
their first album, Out of Nowhere. I also highly recommend seeing them
live, 'cause they put on an *amazing* show. Tour dates are on their
label's web page http://www.hell-cat.com/ . I also repeat the
recommendation for the Slackers, who are the Hepcat of the East Coast, more
or less...
By the way, there's a story that goes with the last (official - there's a
"hidden" track) track, "Open Season... Is Closed". It's actually a
response to a song by the Stubborn All-Stars called "Open Season", in which
the lead singer proclaims that he is the best DJ around. "Open Season...
Is Closed" has lots of references to that song and the singer. It's
somewhat amusing. Within a couple of weeks, when Hepcat was in NY on tour,
the lead singer of Stubborn released a 7" with his other band (Skinnerbox)
called "Hepcat Season", which *really* hits back pretty hard... For such
mellow music you wouldn't think there'd be so much infighting (though it
actually takes after a very similar fight from 1965).
-Mike