Housefire Records: Patrick O'Dell
Patrick (right) and the late, great Jake Phelps
This installment of Housefire Records features photographer and director Patrick O'Dell.
Patrick needs no introduction, but I better give him one or it’ll be weird. Patrick Brian O’Dell is one of the best-loved people in skateboarding. He was the photo editor at Thrasher, he’s the man behind Vice’s brilliant Epicly Later’d series, he directed the documentary Dumb: The Story of Big Brother Magazine, and he’s made music videos for Cass McCombs, Wavves, and Best Coast, to name but three. I first met Patrick when I interviewed him outside Sway back in 2003. We talked about skateboarding and photography, but mostly we discussed his two great loves at the time: Guided by Voices and The Smiths. Happily, both bands appear in his Housefire Records selection below. If you're new to Housefire Records, here’s how it works: I hit up someone I like (in the case, Patrick) and I say, ‘Hey, what seven records would you grab if your house was on fire?’ and then they send words and pictures. Take it away, Mr. O’Dell.
Guided by Voices Fast Japanese Spin Cycle (1994)
I saw Guided by Voices randomly when they opened for the New Bomb Turks in Columbus, Ohio. Total happenstance. They didn’t have much of a following at the time; maybe thirty people were around the stage. I became a fan immediately, and the next day went to Used Kids Records and picked up this 7”. I had to wait for Bee Thousand's release a few months later.
Silver Jews Hot as Hell: Live 1993 (1999)
This Silver Jews record isn’t very good, to be honest, but I love David Berman. It’s a cover of a throwaway Rolling Stones song made to sabotage a Robert Frank documentary. Looks like I got it at Aquarius Records, San Francisco.
Palace West Palm Beach (1994)
This is my all-time favorite 7”. I like it so much I, in fact, have a tattoo of the cover art on my arm. This is from when every Palace Records single was a revelation, a series of timeless songs.
Dinosaur Jr The Wagon (1991)
This Dinosaur Jr song, ‘The Wagon’, was where I came into my interest in the band. It must have been in a skate video; I remember my older brother jamming it in the car. There’s much better Dinosaur Jr—as well as much worse—but I would save this from a fire because of what it means to me on my musical journey.
David Bowie Hunky Dory (1971)
This David Bowie album has a few Dinosaur Jr moments in it as well. ‘Quicksand’ as well as a riff somewhere else. Do you ever come into music the wrong way? I listened to Dinosaur Jr first and then Bowie. I also listened to their cover of ‘Just Like Heaven’ years before hearing the original Cure version.
Cat Power Moon Pix (1998)
I gotta save Chan from this fire. I love her so much.
The Smiths This Charming Man (1983)
The Smiths, ‘This Charming Man’, a work of art. I bought all these records firsthand except this and the Bowie album. I peeled off the price tag because it said 30 euros. I should have left it on.
