Spins And Things

The Cure - Mixes Of A Lost World (2025)

On triple LP, cassette and CD

I'm Your Venus on Netflix... SEE IT.

HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY DEBBIE HARRY!

Summer Things...

A selection of vintage postcards from the 1960s

that I recently acquired on eBay...

Embers Dining Room Postcard (1960s)

Dunnville, Ontario, Canada • I want to have lunch here. 

I bet that waitress was named Gladys. I’m sure the jukebox was killer.

Space Age Lodge (1960s) • Gila Bend, Arizona. I’m intrigued by the blue and white palette, the colored glass in the room dividers and the hexagonal swag lamps in the dining room. It’s interesting to note that the carpets are a slightly greener blue than the turquoise in the furnishings. The mounted grape sconces are killing me.

Hole ‘N The Rock Home Gift Shop Postcards (1960s) • 15 Miles South of Moab, Utah. Memorial to Albert and Gladys Christensen, creators of the 14 room home that has 5,000 square feet of floor space arranged around huge pillars. Albert, an artist, sculptor and taxidermist carved and excavated 50,000 cubic feet of sandstone from 1945 until 1957.

Empress Motel Postcard (1960s)

This staple of the Asbury Park Boardwalk was built in 1961. Now known as The Empress Hotel, it boasts the gay nightclub Paradise, which comes complete with an outdoor pool lounge. The Empress is owned by none other than music producer / remixer extraordinaire Shep Pettibone. If you’ve heard dance mixes of songs by Madonna, George Michael, New Order, Debbie Harry, Pet Shop Boys, Prince, Duran Duran, Janet Jackson, Erasure or Depeche Mode you’ve definitely heard his work.

Toy-A-Rama At Paragon Park - Nantucket Beach, Massachusetts (1960s)

Postcards showing the circular bar of

The Far Hills Inn (1960s) • Somerville, New Jersey

Tatko Brothers Slate Company Advertising Postcard (1960s) • Fun Fact: My parents’ home, which was built in the 1960s, has that slate flooring in the foyer. The triangular and trapezoidal shapes on those room dividing planters are really fun. I definitely have questions about the bear skin rug and the height of that TV.

I share vintage items on my social media platforms 

from time to time and I've decided I'm going to share 

them more often going forward. I don't really care what's

algorithmically popular. Everything finds its audience.

Stay illuminated. XO - CDM

Courtney Love: Live In Asbury Park

Courtney Love at The Stone Pony

Asbury Park, New Jersey: 28 June 2013

We got showered with rose petals and glitter.

We got treated to an amazing set list of songs.

Courtney Love reached into the crowd and shook hands, mine included.

In between songs, which she tore through with ferocity and a heavy hand, she 

told jokes, took requests and put on a performance of fiery no-frills Rock And Roll.

It was a very packed house, inside which my friend Janie and I got bounced around,

jostled, rocked, swayed and pressed up against the logjam of humanity assembled.

We went home sweaty, sore and covered in the glorious ear-ringing afterglow...

And as an added bonus, I got to meet Courtney's drummer (and nice guy) Scott Lipps.

After seeing The Rolling Stones last week, Janie and I were concerned that this show

would feel like a come-down of sorts, but once we were down in front and Courtney and her band

hit the stage we knew that we were (once again) in the presence of living, breathing Rock Royalty.