My Life As A Mixtape

A Top 23 of 2011....

2012-01-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

just quick and dirty.... Happy 2012, y'all!

In that alphabetical kind of order…..

54*40 - lost in the city
crooked fingers - breaks in the armor
david lynch - crazy clown time
dj shadow - the less you know, the better
elysian fields - last night on earth
evaline - woven material
fucked up - david comes to life
gavin friday - catholic
the horrors - skying
the joy formidable - the big roar
kasabian - velociraptor
kid congo & the pink monkey birds - gorilla rose
m83 - hurry up, we're dreaming
mick harvey - sketches from the book of the dead
the pains of being pure at heart - belong
peter murphy - ninth
say hi - um, uh oh
she wants revenge - valleyheart
spc eco - you tell me
tom waits - bad as me
the twilight singers - dynamite steps
unkle - where did the night fall
the weeknd - echoes of silence

-M

cassette: Coal

2011-02-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

Coal.

This cassette burns slowly in my stereo, through my life.
It keeps coming back, warming up again.

ever since i first heard this band, back in Vancouver... 1992, i have not been able to escape the music.

The Cassette: Coal / Self-Ti tled
Zulu Records 1992

The Songs:
No Angel
Train To Satanville
Alone, I Honeymoon
Fade Away
All That Glitters
Ode To Temptation
The Sacrifice
Talking To Solitary
Can't Count On You
Sleepwalking

The Band:
Nicole Steen
Stevo
Marcus Rogers
Ian Tiles
Kevin Rose

The Quality: Pretty much what you would expect from a still playing 20 year old cassette tape.

The music... well, nowadays i guess you could call it a kind of film noir alt.country lounge dream pop, but back in 1992, i'm not sure what it was called. Post-country lounge?

It was slightly similar to that whole Cowboy Junkies thing, but with more of a red velvet lounge, or blue velvet darkness. It was velvety. I had already loved and lost interest in the Cowboy Junkies, since nothing ever sounded as good to me as the Whites Off Earth Now album, but that's a whole different thing. I was still enjoying bands like This Mortal Coil, I was in love with Twin Peaks, I had just returned home from two years in Colorado, along with a woman i had met in Denver. Mazzy Star had just hit a couple of years ago, and this music, this Coal, reminded me of a little Mazzy Star Patsy Cline mixdown, circling around the Chris Isaak and the American Music Club. Opal, Underground... slow burn blues.

Now, i still love listening to these songs. So do my parents. I go back to Vancouver and visit, and one of the albums that always gets played, between the Tom Waits and the Morphine, is Coal. Usually it's a later album, i think 'Beautiful Afterburn', but still, it's Coal, and it is warmth and comfort. Sad and uplifting.

There are other ties that flow between the music and me, although not really connected to the music, it still connects the music to me. And this is, my life as a mixtape, so - i thought i would share.

1: The art direction on this old cassette of mine is partly credited to my dear friend S. Chernoff, who has made some wonderful magical music over the years in the band Molasses and other wondrous projects. I don't see him much, but i think of him often.

mmmmm.... molasses

2: Singer Nicole was in the band Kill Pussycat Kill way back in the pre-Coal days of the 1980's along with Sacha Moisewitsch and played shows (or at least a show) with I, Braineater. Now, i know this may mean nothing to any of you dear readers, but I, Braineater was very influential (artistically more than musically, probably) to a bunch of us Canadian Teens. And Sacha was the sister of Crispin, who turned me on to some fantastic music and great comics (including Steve Gerber's Howard the Duck), and the daughter of my parent's friend, Carel, who created some amazing art of her own at the time...
( http://freexero.com/ )

3: Ian Tiles, back in 1978, became the drummer for the Pointed Sticks. (!)
( http://www.thepointedsticks.com/SOUNDS.htm )

so there you go...

Coal!

http://www.amproductions.com/ecoal.html

numb: numb

2011-01-30T10:25:00.000-08:00

Numb. What i used to love to pretend to feel, back in the late 80's. Young, canadian, and discovering the darkness. This was a cassette i picked up in 1987, and there was just something about it that i understood.

NUMB

(a)
god is dead
eat me
lies
guilt

(b)
the hanging key
two faces
the morality of altitude
blue light, black candle

It wasn't a sound that was exactly unknown to me, i had been dabbling in Skinny Puppy since 1984 and had my ear already tuned towards the Smiths, Joy Division, the Cure, and other goth-tinged shades of dark and noise, but there was something different about the cold melodics of Numb.

It's a little harder for me to listen to it these days, but i find that I still feel that rush of adolescent nihilism when i hear "God Is Dead".

Numb began with Don Gordon, who also did some time in bands like the Pin-ups and Images In Vogue. So i always found this to be a sort of middle ground - between the dancier Images in Vogue and the noisier Skinny Puppy (I I V also included drummer Kevin Crompton who went on to become Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key).

I think this can be found on vinyl, and i'm not sure if it ever apeared on CD - it might have... This, however, is the original out of the shoebox cassette from 1987, picked up at Scratch Records, slightly faded, slightly worn copy of Numb.

Who is, at the time of the recording, Sean St. Hubbs, David Hall, and Don Gordon.

On the engineering side - you've got the trio of Anthony Valcic, David Ogilvie and RicArboit.

Enjoy the cold dark sounds of 1987

fool's crow: the demo tape...

2011-01-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

I seriously cannot seem to dig up any information on this band...
or... not much information.

this is a band i discovered rummaging through bins of cassettes somewhere in vancouver - i'm guessing late 80's.

all i have is a blank demo tape. it's got the name of the band, a faded photo, and contact info.
no song titles, no band members - just a little old-timey demo tape. this is how we used to do it, man!

so - a little digging around - here's what i got for you....

Band members are (were) Byron Gislason, vocals, Gary Gurniak, guitar, Mark Langtry, bass, Ron Kirsch, Guitar, Bob Leigh and David Alderson, drums.

I do not know which of these band members appear on this cassette.

The song titles - this is mostly guess work based on the lyrics :

1 the sunlight is seeking you
2 lovin' me tender
3 sick city
4 polishing the stone
5 i've seen you before

i've tried to upload and tag correctly, but... mistakes may have been made.

FOOL'S CROW - DEMO

and yeah, i know these are probably way off, but it's the best i got at the moment. this is from a tape that's probably around 20 years old... at least... and i still enjoy hearing these songs.

this is late 80's kinda Canadian bluesy garage rock straight outta Winnipeg.... that's Manitoba, eh?

It's rough and raw, but it's a demo - whattya want?
there is a slight kind of Doors / Jim Morrison thing going on here (i think) - alongside a feeling that's similar to the early Tragically Hip material... and i also remember playing this alongside another canadian band - colour me psycho. it's different, but it could definitely be placed on the same shelf.

sky cries mary: exit at the axis

2011-01-16T16:07:00.001-08:00

sky cries mary was one of those bands that i knew about, but never heard until i found the cassette of Exit at the Axis at a little record store in Vancouver. It's a little 4-song EP, with the same songs repeating on both sides. I fell in love with it, and the music definitely saved me during some long cafe lonely nights.

when i ended up in seattle, i explored a little more of their discography at the time, but nothing really stuck with me like this EP did.

It moved groovingly moodily alongside bands like Single Gun Theory and Perfume Tree in my ears, and while it wasn't the kind of music i listened to often, when i did, it was perfect.

this here post is from that original cassette, so sound quality isn't the best - you get what you pay for, yeah?

i think this is still available and around - from the band's website or amazon probably.

Sky Cries Mary went through a number of different incarnations, starting out with members like Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow (hello, Posies...), but this particular release holds the stylings of DJ Fallout, Joeseph E Howard (aka Joe Bass, Joe Skyward - a whole lotta bands, including Skyward, the Posies, and Sunny Day Real Estate) , Bennet James, Ivan Kral (Patti Smith Group), Gordon Raphael (did some nice work with the Strokes), Roderick and Anisa Romero.

They are, i think, still making music, with a host of new musical members, and Roderick is making some pretty impressive tree houses......

Exit at the Axis

Tracks:
1. Moon Dream Meadow Allegory
2. Back to the Sea
3. Cornerman
4. Elephant Song

World Domination/Capitol Records 1992

Ending In December

2010-12-31T13:50:00.000-08:00

Just an end of the year mix... feels like winter.
moving into another year, fresh start, more music... hopefully i'll be able to make the time to get that music up here. hopefully i'll be able to find the time to make some of my own.

for now, happy December.

Ending In December Side A

The Ice Of Boston The Dismemberment Plan
November Was White, December Was Grey Say Hi
Winter Song Screaming Trees
Snow The Passions
heavy weather jarvis
Out in the Rain Died Pretty
Soft as Snow (but Warm Inside) My Bloody Valentine
Storm Rider Pink Turns Blue
St Lawrence River David Usher
WakingToWinter Mineral
November Spawned A Monster Morrissey
Shelly's Winter Love Crooked Fingers
I Hear The Rain Violent Femmes
Ashes In Winter Light Elysian Fields
December Sunlight The The
Snowstorm Galaxie 500

Ending In December Side B

L.A. rain The Rose of Avalanche
New Holiday (November 16th) Carissa's Wierd
Snowed Under Keane
Snowed In The High Dials
Snow Mark Sandman
Last Snowstorm of the Year Low
Fifteen Feet Of Pure White Snow Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Driven Like the Snow Sisters of Mercy
Two Fine Days (And a Thunderstorm) Dif Juz
The Storm Doves
Shelter From The Storm Bob Dylan
Ocean Rain Echo & the Bunnymen
Rain Bird Love & Rockets
Nine Million Rainy Days The Jesus & Mary Chain
winter on ice The Spinanes
The Winter My Heart Froze The Black Heart Procession

A Personal top 23 of 2010

2010-12-30T12:20:00.000-08:00

Veil Veil Vanish Change in the Neon
http://www.last.fm/music/Veil+Veil+Vanish

Placebo Battle For The Sun
http://www.last.fm/music/Placebo

Die! Die! Die! Form
http://diediedie.bandcamp.com/

David Usher The Mile End Sessions
http://www.last.fm/music/David+Usher

Steve Wynn Northern Agression
http://www.last.fm/music/Steve+Wynn

Deathday Party Ghost Pains
http://www.last.fm/music/Deathday+Party

The High Violets Cinema
http://www.last.fm/music/The+High+Violets

Talons Hollow Realm
http://www.last.fm/music/Talons

Francis International Airport In The Woods
http://www.last.fm/music/Francis+International+Airport

The Dead Weather Sea Of Cowards
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Dead+Weather

Amusement Parks On Fire Road Eyes
http://www.last.fm/music/Amusement+Parks+on+Fire

Biffy Clyro Lonely Revolutions
http://www.last.fm/music/Biffy+Clyro

Pete Yorn Pete Yorn
http://www.last.fm/music/Pete+Yorn

Black Keys Brothers
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Black+Keys

Cari Clara You Better Run
http://www.last.fm/music/Cari+Clara
Maserati Pyramid of the Sun
http://www.last.fm/music/Maserati

That Summer Near Miss
http://www.last.fm/music/That+Summer

Ryan Adams III/IV
http://www.last.fm/music/Ryan+Adams

The BellRays Black Lightning
http://www.last.fm/music/The+BellRays

The Young Gods Everybody Knows
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Young+Gods

Home Video The Automatic Process
http://www.last.fm/music/Home+Video

Three Mile Pilot The Inevitable Past Is the Future Forgotten
http://www.last.fm/music/Three+Mile+Pilot

Tigers Jaw Tigers Jaw
http://www.last.fm/music/Tigers+Jaw

long time coming

2010-09-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

i can't believe it's been 7 months since i've done anything here on these pages. if only i had more time, more money, more music...

like the song says, (king missile),

"He needed more time
He needed more space
He needed more money
He needed more friends
He needed more music
He needed more food
He needed more drugs
He needed more color
He needed more sex
He needed more mass
He needed more height
He needed more pull
He needed more slack
He needed to stop jerking around
And get his stuff together..."

but, like Roger the Alien says,
"I've got big things going on."

i just don't know where that leaves these pages, these posts...
I seriously am finding it hard to make the time to do a lot of vinyl transference these days... but i'm thinking i could start at least doing something.

there is so much music.

**late addition**

I guess another problem is the increasing vigilance of the DMCA - i find the occasional post taken down, and that's fine... i do understand. Things were much simpler when i actually sat around making mixtapes and discovering new music through offerings from friends.

Artists must get paid, I agree completely. I just wish that there was an easy way to share these little bits and bites (bytes?) from my past.

cop shoot cop: interference

2010-02-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

Cop Shoot Cop

Interference b/w turning inside out

Interscope / Subvert
1994

Tod A
Jack Natz
Phil Puleo
Steve McMillen

Intereference is from the last Interscope album, “Release”.
The B-Side is a B-side.
This did come out as a CD single, but here you got the nice scratchy vinyl version.

I’ve always enjoyed listening to Cop Shoot Cop, in kind of the same way that I enjoy listening to the Jesus Lizard. I also sometimes like to throw this alongside some nice Girls Vs. Boys and just revel in the rhythms.

Natz (or Nantz) did some work with Lubricated Goat.
Phil Puleo worked with the Angels of Light and the Swans, and was in the Red Expendables with Mister Natz.
Steve did something called Motherhead Bug (?)
Tod A. moved into the amazing Firewater.
I need to listen to some more Firewater.
Hell, I need to drink some firewater.

Evidently Tod was also in an early pre Cop Shoot Cop band called shithaus with one Jon Spencer. This is supposedly true, and there is a cassette tape out there, but I’m not sure if it’s something that would actually be good listening.

I think, however, that Cop Shoot Cop is good listening.

I have many mid 90’s memories pushing against the noise of this band, including some late nights working at the record store and blasting “Ask Questions Later” so the last few straggling customers would just leave. It usually worked.

good times.

long hind legs: three songs (and a horse) shot right to hell

2010-02-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

Long Hind Legs
“Three songs (and a horse) shot right to hell”

This Cold Room
b/w
Lament
Never You

Saturnine
1993

Vern Rumsey
Boyfriend

Long Hind Legs, for me, were one of those amazing bands that shot over the heads of many other bands in that early 90’s Olympia / yo-yo / KRS scene.
They’ve shared vinyl with bands like Kicking Giant and Karp, and you might recognize the name Vern Rumsey from another great band that went by the name of Unwound.

The mysterious “Boyfriend” I have very little info on, other than possible aliases such as Paul or Krista’s Boy Friend.

It was dark, it was new wave, but it was newer and darker. It was post joy division pre interpol coolness, and I dug it.

Still digging.

sympathy7: weak will

2010-02-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

Sympathy7

Weak will / bullet proof vest / sympathy7 / growing wings

Liquefaction Empire
1998

James or Gavin Henderson (?)

Alright, so I admit it. I bought this single by accident. There was, perhaps briefly, a band that I really enjoyed in Denver called Sympathy 7 (or at least I think that’s what they were called). Upon my return to Vancouver, they sort of drifted away from my mind, until I came across this 7” at a record store in Seattle, and I bought it. No Questions asked.

It turns out that this Sympathy7 is actually Gavin Henderson, or sometimes James Henderson, who is still working under the Sympathy7 name, playing in bands like The Forgotten Ghosts and The Convenience of Modern Culture. He is also living in Australia.
I do not think I saw this man play in a dive bar in Denver around 1992.

The music does not sound quite like the band in my memory sounds, but, the good thing is that I actually like this Sympathy7.

One of the songs on this single appeared on a French Compilation in 1998, perhaps either because of this single, or perhaps causing this single, alongside artists like Suzanne Vega, Liz Phair, Beck, Soul Coughing, Rufus Wainwright, and Snowpony – to name a few.

Melancholy and smooth, and I’m glad I found it.

red lorry yellow lorry: open up

2010-02-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry

Open Up b/w Another Side

Chris Reed
David Wolfenden
Leon Phillips

Situation Two
1987

Both songs here fall on the same album, Nothing Wrong, from 1988. This band has gone through a large number of line-up changes, but I think that at the time of this 7” the lorries were working as a trio.
I could, of course, be wrong.

I played around with the music that slipped out from their Red and Yellow instruments back in the mid-80’s, but for some reason the songs didn’t seem to travel with me into the 90’s.

It is very nice to be able to go back and visit, though.

I think I’ll be doing that more often.

buffalo tom:tree house

2010-02-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Tom

Tree House b/w Late At Night (acoustic)

Beggars Banquet
1993

Bill Janovitz – vocals guitar piano
Tom Maginnis – drums percussion
Chris Colbourn – bass guitar background vocals

This band manages to, at various times, let me rock out in that sort of Dinosaur Jr. meets the Replacements sorta way and then breaks my heart in the softest beautiful sad song kind of way. Most of that transpired before this single came out, though.

Both of these songs hit on the album “Big Red Letter Day”, which was an album that I never really got into. Not because I didn’t like it, but it seems that my attention had shifted away from Buffalo Tom somewhere between 1990’s “Birdbrain” and “Let Me Come Over” from 1992.

Birdbrain is still one of my favorite albums, and pretty much based on the live acoustic version of Reason Why I will never say anything bad about Buffalo Tom. Not that I need to, of course. It’s not like they’re Soul Asylum or anything… ( )

Bill Janovitz has put out a couple of wonderful solo albums, and written some wonderful songs, and here, for your enjoyment, are 2.

darling buds: crystal clear

2010-02-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Darling Buds

Crystal Clear b/w Tripped Up

Epic
1990

Andrea Lewis - vocals
Geriant "Harley" Farr - guitar
Chris McDonogh - bass
Richard Gray - drums (1986-1990)

The A-side here is from the Darling Buds album Crawdaddy.

I’ve kind of gone back and forth on this band, but for the most part, listening to this band makes me happy.

I do enjoy the earlier albums a little more, but still, when you’re in the mood for some of that early 90’s brit-blonde indiepop, this will take you to the right place.

god's acre: a slight repost

2010-02-15T20:59:00.000-08:00

had a request -
so here it is.

see original post for the rest the info, if you are so inclined....

otherwise, here's the tunes:

God’s Acre: Riff-o-Rhama b/w Killing Time

mega city four: skidding

2010-02-15T14:13:00.001-08:00

Mega City Four

Fire Records
1995

Skidding b/w Lazergaze

This little number appeared in the Mega City Four’s discography about a year before the band ended, which was about ten years after they started… so this is definitely not painting a picture of the early days.

Skidding is off of the bands 1996 album, “Soulscraper”, a nice and frenzied post punk pop rush, methinks, while Lazergaze is one of those B-sides.

I like this band, definitely, but it’s hard for me to get through an entire album, so the occasional hit of a single is just right.

the danse society: 2000 light years from home

2010-02-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

**Songs Removed Due To DMCA notice**

The Danse Society
“2000 Light Years From Home”

Arista
1984

One by the rolling stones and three from the danse society. Not a bad mix. A nice little used double 7” find that fell into my hands recently, I had some dealings with the music of the Danse Society in the past, but never dived in too deep, but I figured $3.99 was a decent price, so why not.

This was right around the time that everyone got all excited about the band, Arista signed them, they threw out some singles, there wasn’t much interest, so the label dropped the band, and that was that. There seemed to be some half hearted attempts to keep going, but the band kind of ended shortly afterwards.

Singer Steve Rawlings attempted to keep things rolling with a band called “Society”, and then more recently (like 1996), with a band called "Meridian Dream".

Still, you gotta give props to a band that started out (even before they had settled on the Danse Society moniker) playing with bands like P.I.L, joy Division, and cabaret Voltaire. Not quite upbeat goth here, more like dark shadows that play for the atmosphere, but sometimes a dark atmosphere is what you need.

gaye bykers on acid: hot thing

2010-02-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

Gaye Bykers on Acid

Virgin records
1989

Hot thing b/w rad dude

Produced and mixed by Jon Langford

A band I’ve had floating around for ages, but never really listen to that much. They are definitely, I think, one of those –have to be in the right frame of mind – type of bands.

I did manage to see them live, only once, back in London. 1989. I was sorta busy bumming around the city for 6 months, and ended up with some friends at the Brixton Academy, where there were a whole bunch of bands playing… but as we were there in and out and wandering and being just generally buzzed, I only really recall seeing Gaye Bykers on Acid, Doctor & The Medics, and Hawkwind. Not a bad line-up, that, but very strange.

I actually cannot remember if the GBOA alter-ego band, the Lesbian Dopeheads on Mopeds, played as well. I think they might have. It is kind of a huge blur.

I believe both songs on this single are from the album “Stewed To The Gills”, which wasn’t really considered a hit album, but still I find it an entertaining listen.

And Producer / Mixer man is the Mekons man, just in case you were wondering.

jesus lizard: wheelchair epidemic

2010-02-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

7 no. 3:
Let's go hit up the Jesus Lizard, yeah?

Wheelchair Epidemic b/w Dancing Naked Ladies

Touch And Go
1992

David Yow
David Sims
Duane Denison
Mac McNeilly

Ah yes. Long time listener, long time fan. I first started down this particular pathway with the indomitable Scratch Acid. Good times, great oldies. The Jesus Lizard followed soon after, and my ears were never the same.

While definitely everyone's sonic cup of tea, this band holds a special place in my mixtaped life. While not every song, or even every album is as good as it can be, for the most part, the pulsating rhythms and basslines bury everyone else and leaves 'em all gasping for air.

I only managed to see them live once, but that once sticks in my mind as one of those high-point performances. Denver, Mercury Cafe, probably in 1992, playing with Foreskin 500.

A little non-jesus lizard note...
Foreskin 500 featured the talents of Mark "3KSK" Brooks, of the Warlock Pinchers, who I had some nice early 90's dealings with back in my Denver days, and then more recently has ended up doing some work for Metalocalypse alongside my friend Jon Schnepp.

I just find it a little small world nifty. Thatís all.

So anyhows, Jesus Lizard. Dig it!

killdozer: the pig was cool

2010-02-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

Second One:
Killdozer!

(or... Mister Charlie presents... The Killdozers!)

The Pig Was Cool b/w Unbelievable

Touch And Go
1993

Bill Hobson
Dan Hobson
Michael Gerald

Oh yes, I do so love me the Killdozers. We had many great moments over the years, starting with (for me) Snakeboy in 1985 all the way through to our last waltz together in 2005. Their songs moved me all loud and noisy, but sometimes it was their covers that gave me the biggest thrill.

Here, for example... I have never heard EMF's "Unbelievable" performed so brilliantly. This is how I need to hear it, so eat your heart out, Tom Jones.

One thing that I haven't been able to figure it out, and perhaps I'm missing something totally obvious, or perhaps there really isn't anything to figure out, is just who is Mister Charlie? I don't know!

I'm going to go listen to some Snakeboy now.

les thugs: as happy as possible

2010-02-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

Three-up. All quick and wiki.
I know, I missed last week... sometimes I get distracted by life and travel and work and all of that...

So, I'm thinking of rethinking this whole set-up, actually. (well, maybe.)
My life is a little bit busier than a mixtape.
Hey, if I could afford to sit around and write about music all day, I would... but I'm not quite at that level of financial security.

Ah well.

So, anyhow, right. On with the tunes.

First one we get Les Thugs. I think, probably, my favorite French punk band.

Les Thugs

As Happy As Possible b/w August

Sub Pop Records
SP237
1993

Eric Sourice
Thierry Meanard
Christophe Sourice
Pierre-Yves Sourice

The band formed in 1983, and moved from a five piece to a four piece fairly quickly.
They had some sub pop dealings, like this here single.

Both of these songs are found on the Full Length from Sub Pop (titled As Happy As Possible) which came out, also, in 1993.

I think I discovered these guys a year earlier, floating around on the Virus 100 comp from Alternative Tentacles.
I know I've got a cassette of that floating around somewhere.
Sister Double Happiness doing "Holiday In Cambodia".
Sweet.

ReUpping Some Grenadine Barnacle

2010-01-27T08:08:00.000-08:00

A surreal sentence if i ever heard one.

Anyhows, it has been noticed that the Barnacle song from the Grenadine single has been disappeared. so, here it is:

The Barnacle

This is from a previous post, where the other two songs - snuck and srew are still available. guess peoples like them songs better?

happy re-up day.

Split 7: Jejune / Lazycain

2010-01-23T13:28:00.001-08:00

Jejune / Lazycain
Split 7”

Big Wheel Recreation
1999

Jejune – The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Lazycain – Handsome Devil

jejune:
Joe Guevara – vocals / guitars
Chris Mendez Vanacore – drums
Mark Murino – guitars
Arabella Harrison – bass / vocals

lazycain:
Cam DiNunzio – vocals / guitars
John Majer – Guitars
Web Grandish – bass / vocals
Dan Duggins - drums

Two bands take on the Smiths, and don’t do too bad of a job.

Split 7: Pointy Birds / Faintly Macabre

2010-01-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

Pointy Birds / Faintly Macabre
Split 7”

Value Vinyl
1997 (I think)

Pointy Birds – Fat Dancing, Now!
Faintly Macabre – Tiny Tortures / The Drowning

Faintly Macabre:
Adam – Bass
Kellie – Guitar, Vocals
Wayne – Drums

Pointy Birds:
Sullivant Rodgers – drums, trumpet, dunkobass
Nick “the Hat” Gucker – guitar
R. Debil – vocals

So a little past blast here (for me at least). Soon after moving to Seattle way back in 1995 I discovered the wonderful world of the Pointy Birds.
Faintly Macabre was a band I didn’t become as familiar with, though I did see them play a couple of times. The Pointy Birds, however – I saw them play even more times, I think one of the bands I was in for awhile managed to play a show with them and the Stunt Mummies, although I could be way off on the memory machine. I know I saw the Pointy Birds and the Stunt Mummies play together, but it might have been with Bend Sinister…

I do know that I attempted to be a Pointy Bird, back in the spring of 1998. We jammed / practiced maybe a couple of times, but the vibe was off. I was not destined to be a pointy bird. I ended up in a band called the Weird Birds, so – maybe it all makes sense somehow.

Since I didn’t end up in the pointy bird drum seat, they recruited Kanaan Tupper, from the band hrdr, and they also got Jake McCarter do do some hitting (who was in the other phenomenal band – Laundry.)

Some of the Pointy pointy’s were in the Band Scar Crow, which was a little before my time, and I’m not sure about the movements or whereabouts of the Macabre clan for the most part – but I can tell you that Wayne did some time playing with the Treepeople back in them old good days, and didn’t move towards the built to spilling, but did do a little halo bending and some violent green, but is now focusing on the visual arts.

On the bird side, Nick The Hat has played with bands like the Marble Faun and Three Motor Universe, and Mr. Debil has been involved with The Upper Hand, and is still, by all accounts, as Swank as Hell.

Split 7: Tar / Jawbox

2010-01-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

Tar / Jawbox
Split 7”

Touch & Go / Dischord
1993

Tar – “Static”
Jawbox – “Static”

So, this has been posted on a couple of other blogs before, so I’m not exactly breaking any new ground here. But it came up in my singles box sifting, and I thought it would go along nicely with the other singles I’m putting up this weekend… one record, two bands.

The cool thing about this one (other than, well, Jawbox!! – and Tar) is that they are both covering each other’s songs – both of them called “Static”

Tar is:
John Mohr – vocals / guitar
Mark Zablocki - guitar
Mike Greenless - drums
Tom Zaluckyj – bass

Jawbox is:
Bill Barbot - Guitars, Vocals
Zachary Barocas - Drums (1992-1997)
 Kim Coletta - Bass
J. Robbins - Vocals, Guitars

I listened to Tar mostly in their Amphetamine Reptile days, getting loud and heavy in 1989 and 1990, Jawbox I didn’t discover until later – probably 1996 or so, but I immediately went back to pick up what had passed me by the first time around.

Both bands hold totally different sets of memories for me, both coming together nicely in one sonic burst right here. It’s like my life flashing before my eyes, but with a better soundtrack.

the leaving trains: rock 'n' roll murder

2010-01-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Leaving Trains...

Rock N Roll Murder
b/w
Fuck You God / Kids Wanna Know

James
Lenny
Chris
Bobby

SST Records - 1991

One of those bands that inspired me in so many ways and brought my young, northwest tied ears closer to the rock and roll of California. Not quite as much as The Gun Club, but... very close.

Right up there in my own little listening history with Tex and the Horseheads and The Flesh Eaters... and Flipside magazine, which i was fortunate enough to discover in a little Canadian record store somewhere in the mid 80's. (Hello, Scratch!)

So here we have a little single i found many years ago, not in Canada, but in the wilds of Denver.

all the songs are good, but it's the A-side that I keep coming back to. A little Leaving Train riff on the Patti Smith song "Rock N Roll Nigger" - with Rock 'N' Roll Murder.

Done all hot and rocked out Leaving Trains style, with some Pleasant Gehman vocals appearing at the end of the song.

I think they were supposed to move out with a nice Patti Smith poetic drawl, which i definitely heard, but in my ears she had a slightly more Lydia Lunch lustfulness.

Not a bad thing, just thought i'd mention it.

gas huffer: firebug

2010-01-16T15:45:00.000-08:00

i think i have more good gas huffer memories from my old seattle days than mudhoney ones.

always dug these guys.

gas huffer

firebug b/w jesus was my only friend

black label
1989

this way back single hits nice with the gas huffing grooves.

joe newton - drums
tom price - guitar
don blackstone - bass
matt wright - vocals

mudhoney: into your shtik

2010-01-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

Ok - going quick and dirty today.

might add some words later.
but fer now

- just let the music do the talking.

into your shtik supposedly written about courtney love...
though i suppose there are a lot of people the lyrics could be applied to.

mudhoney

into your shtik b/w you give me the creeps

super electro
1995

the b-side is a crucifucks cover, just in case you were wondering.

space needle: panic delaney

2010-01-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

Space Needle

Panic Delaney b/w Outta My Face

Zero Hour
1996

Jud Ehrbar
Jeff Gatland
Anders Parker

This band swirls around once in awhile, alongside connecting bands like Reservoir and Varnaline. More of that “indie” sound, but tying in some Psychedelic Space Prog rock alongside the grooves.

for this particular single i'd just like to warn you (or entice you) with the fact that these grooves are chock full o' noize.

I’d often blast my mind with doses of Space Needle and Mercury Rev and then head out for the evening. Cheaper than drugs, and still nicely reality twisting. Mixing the Space Needle and a few pints of Guinness down at the local lounge was always a good night out.

Jud is also the man behind Reservoir
Anders Parker did the Varnaline, and is now slingin’ solo tunes
Jeff… what happened to Jeff? I do not know….

Space out with the space needle.

smog: look now

2010-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Smog

Look Now b/w The Only Mother

Drag City
1999

Bill Callahan – vocals / instrument

Smog holds a quiet little space in my heart that moves alongside a singular part of my time in Seattle, working at Orpheum Records.

Occasionally and without regard to the listening habits of our customers, we would decide that it was Smog time, and out would come an album, and into the store the Smog would fill…. Usually alternating between “Doctor Came At Dawn” or “Red Apple Falls”.

Then “Knock Knock” hit, fairly close to the end of my time at that store, and that was an instant favorite.

This single came out around the same time as “Knock Knock”, though it wasn’t included on the album (I think, however – it was included on one of those “bonus tracks” import editions…).

The A-side just pulls me right back into those record store days, playing the part of the indie-snob and enjoying that High Fidelity superiority.

While not quite as close to my heart / ears as Cold Blooded Old Times, the strains and notes of Look Now move me in a similar way.

half string: oval

2010-01-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

Half String

Oval b/w Sun Less Sea

Independent Project Records / Terra X
1994

Brandon – guitar / voice
Kimber – drums
Matt – guitar
Tim – bass

Mellow desert touched jangle gaze pop from out of Phoenix, AZ. While the music does touch upon the sounds that came from bands like My Bloody Valentine and Chapterhouse, etc. – i always seemed to place this band alongside ventures like Scenic and Lanterna.

Ex-drummer Kimber is the owner of Arizona record store Stinkweeds and an art gallery called Modified Arts.

Tim was replaced by Dave, who also played around with Alison’s Halo (love that band), and I’m not sure what Tim ended up doing… or Matt, for that matter.

Brandon joined up, interestingly enough, with Scenic – the band started by Savage Republic’s Bruce Licher, and played in that band alongside Bruce and fellow Savage Republicer and ex-17 Pygmy man, Robert Loveless.

Half String is one of those bands that I don’t listen to often, but when I do, it places me in a very mellow and contented place. For me, this is music to listen to when I’m alone, which is where it is attached to my memories. Slow days and long nights in the mid-90’s, not necessarily sad (but beautiful?) – but definitely alone. Listening to the drifts of the desert touched highway wide bands….

The Lemon Drop Re Up

2010-01-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

First re-up of 2010...
we have them very mighty lemon drops.
a request from mister anonymous....

see original post here: - X -

and the music:

The Mighty Lemon Drops
Too High (remix) b/w You Don’t Fast

Sire Records (1991)
(W0032)

Paul Marsh
David Newton
Tony Linehan
Keith Rowley

A Decade of Music, and on we go.....

2009-12-31T09:54:00.000-08:00

Alright, no links (No Time!! AArrgghh!)

just a straight up, quick and dirty, of possibly no interest to anyone but myself, list of music......

Happy New Year!

*The Decade Dance: A Personal Top 230.
My Top 23 Albums of each year from 2000 - 2009

Artist Album
2000

1 Anniversary Designing For A Nervous Breakdown
2 Placebo Black Market Music
3 Modest Mouse The Moon and Antarctica
4 Mojave 3 Excuses for Travellers
5 On Shifting Skin
6 PJ Harvey Stories From The City…
7 16 horsepower secret south
8 Ryan Adams Heartbreaker
9 Twilight Singers Twilight as played by the…
10 Tugboat Annie The Space Around You
11 The Cure Bloodflowers
12 Radiohead Kid A
13 Black Heart Procession 3
14 Karate Unsolved
15 Doves Lost Souls
16 At The Drive-In Relationship Of Command
17 Morphine The Night
18 White Stripes De Stijl
19 Queens Of The Stone Age Rated R
20 Blood Brothers This Adultery Is Ripe
21 The Gunga Din Glitterati
22 Radio 4 New Song & Dance
23 Idlewild 100 Broken Windows

2001

1 Actionslacks The Scene's Out Of Sight
2 Carissa's Weird You Should Be At Home Here
3 Charlatans UK Wonderland
4 Clinic Walking With Thee
5 Tindersticks Can Our Love..
6 Fugazi The Argument
7 Halou Wiser
8 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds No More Shall We Part
9 Vendetta Red White Knuckled Substance
10 The Vue Find Your Home
11 Alkaline Trio From Here to Infirmary
12 The Busy Signals Pretend Hits
13 The Strokes Is This It
14 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club B.R.M.C
15 The (International) Noise Conspiracy A New Morning, Changing Weather
16 Jimmy Eat World Bleed American
17 New Order Get Ready
18 Pinback Blue Screen Life
19 The Faint Danse Macabre
20 Radiohead Amnesiac
21 Pete Yorn Musicforthemorningafter
22 White Stripes White Blood Cells
23 Sunset Valley Icepond

2002

1 Black Heart Procession Amore Del Tropico
2 Skeleton Key Obtanium
3 The Cooper Temple Clause See This Through and Leave
4 Division of Laura Lee Black City
5 Jets To Brazil Perfecting Loneliness
6 Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Plastic Fang
7 The Music The Music
8 Sushirobo Drawings and Garbage Sculptures
9 The Walkmen Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me
Is Gone
10 16 Horsepower Folklore
11 Fairgrove Good Luck
12 Concrete Blonde Group Therapy
13 Doves The Last Broadcast
14 Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
15 J Mascis Free So Free
16 Low Trust
17 Luna Romantica
18 Singapore Sling The Curse of Singapore Sling
19 Trans Am TA
20 Interpol Turn On The Bright Lights
21 Spoon Kill The Moonlight
22 Raveonettes Whip It On
23 Primal Scream Evil Heat

2003

1 Actionslacks Full Upright Position
2 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Take Them On, On Your Own
3 Caesars 39 Minutes Of Bliss
4 Dandy Warhols Welcome To The Monkey House
5 David Usher Hallucinations
6 The Divorce There Will Be Blood Tonight
7 Firewater The Man On The Burning Tightrope
8 The Jealous Sound Kill Them With Kindness
9 Longwave The Strangest Things
10 New Wet Kojak This Is The Glamorous
11 Pretty Girls Make Graves The New Romance
12 Year Of The Rabbit Year Of The Rabbit
13 The Stratford 4 Love & Distrortion
14 Low Flying Owls Elixir Vitae
15 On Make Believe
16 Placebo Sleeping With Ghosts
17 Radiohead Hail To The Thief
18 Electric Six Fire
19 South With The Tides
20 Swell Whenever You're Ready
21 Tindersticks Waiting For The Moon
22 Tomahawk Mit Gas
23 Twilight Singers Blackberry Belle

2004

1 The Cure The Cure
2 Daydream Nation Bella Vendetta
3 Eagles Of Death Metal Peace Love Death Metal
4 IAMX Kiss & Swallow
5 Secret Machines Now Here Is Nowhere
6 Pinback Summer in Abaddon
7 Pleasure Club The Fugitive Kind
8 Robert Roth Someone, Somewhere…
9 Woven Hand Consider The Birds
10 The Turn-Ons East
11 Air Talkie Walkie
12 Division Of Laura Lee Das Not Compute
13 Dogs Die In Hot Cars Please Describe Yourself
14 Kasabian Kasabian
15 Luna Rendezvous
16 McClusky The Difference Between Me And You
Is That I'm Not On Fire
17 Blonde Redhead Misery Is A Butterfly
18 Stars Set Yourself On Fire
19 Skywave Synthstatic
20 Tom Waits Real Gone
21 The Walkmen Bows & Arrows
22 TV On The Radio Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes
23 The Hindi Guns The Hindi Guns

2005

1 Greg Dulli Amber Headlights
2 Ceremony Ceremony
3 ....Trail Of Dead Worlds Apart
4 Editors The Back Room
5 Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds Philosophy & Underwear
6 The Kills No Wow
7 Louis XIV The Best Little Secrets Are Kep
8 Vic Chesnutt Ghetto Bells
9 Stellastarr Harmonies For The Haunted
10 Team Sleep Team Sleep
11 Bloc Party Silent Alarm
12 Queens Of The Stone Age Lullabies To Paralyze
13 Kaiser Chiefs Employment
14 Franz Ferdinand You Could Have It So Much Better
15 Depeche Mode Playing The Angel
16 Doves Some Cities
17 Elbow Leaders Of The Free World
18 Ladytron Witching Hour
19 Garbage Bleed Like Me
20 Nine Inch Nails With Teeth
21 The Bravery The Bravery
22 Ben Lee Awake Is The New Sleep
23 Afterhours Ballads For Little Hyenas

2006

1 Placebo Meds
2 The Twilight Singers Powder Burns
3 The Black Angels Passover
4 Silversun Pickups Carnavas
5 Nomeansno All Roads Lead To Ausfahrt
6 Freeheat Back On The Water
7 Secret Machines Ten Silver Drops
8 Say Hi To Your Mom Impeccable Blahs
9 The Rapture Pieces Of The People We Love
10 White Rose Movement Kick
11 Black Heart Procession The Spell
12 Sonic Youth Rather Ripped
13 Snowden Anti Anti
14 Jarvis Cocker Jarvis
15 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness Fear Is On Our Side
16 Primal Scream Riot City Blues
17 French Kicks Two Thousand
18 Wolfmother Wolfmother
19 Eagles Of Death Metal Death By Sexy
20 Devics Push The Heart
21 Rainer Maria Catastrophe Keeps Us Together
22 Peeping Tom Peeping Tom
23 Muse Black Holes & Revelations

2007

1 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Baby 81
2 David Usher Strange Birds
3 Dinosaur Jr Beyond
4 Editors An End Has A Start
5 Grinderman Grinderman
6 The Horrors Strange House
7 Ken Andrews Secrets Of The Lost Satellite
8 Unkle War Stories
9 Shellac Excellent Italian Greyhound
10 Rob Crow Living Well
11 Guitar Dealing With Signal And Noise
12 Kinski Down Below It's Chaos
13 Mick Harvey Two Of Diamonds
14 The National Boxer
15 A Place To Bury Strangers A Place To Bury Strangers
16 Michael J. Sheehy Ghost On The Motorway
17 Marc Almond Stardom Road
18 LCD Soundsystem Sound Of Silver
19 Kings Of Leon Because Of The Times
20 Jimmy Eat World Chase this Light
21 Jeremy Enigk The Missing Link
22 Fetchin' Bones Dead Band Rockin'
23 Dethklok Dethalbum

2008

1 Nick Cave Dig Lazarus Dig
2 The Gutter Twins Saturnalia
3 Escape Act Loosely Based On Fiction
4 Firewater The Golden Hour
5 Deus Vantage Point
6 David Usher Wake Up and Say Goodbye
7 The Cure 4:13 Dream
8 Metallica Death Magnetic
9 Bauhaus Go Away White
10 Barry Adamson Back To The Cat
11 Flight Of The Conchords Flight Of The Conchords
12 Magnetic Morning A.M.
13 Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands Cody's Dream
14 School Of The Seven Bells Alpinisms
15 Black Nite Crash Array
16 Ladytron Velocifero
17 Kings Of Leon Only By the Night
18 International Jetsetters Heart Is Black
19 French Kicks Swimming
20 Elbow The Seldom Seen kid
21 Asobi Seksu Hush
22 Keane Perfect Symmetry
23 The Duke Spirit Neptune

2009

1 Silversun Pickups Swoon
2 Heat-Ray Loveallover
3 David Freel Be My Weapon
4 Dinosaur Jr Farm
5 Gliss Devotion Implosion
6 Placebo Battle For The Sun
7 White Lies To Lose My Life
8 The Veils Sun Gangs
9 Jeniferever Spring Tides
10 Dethklok Dethalbum II
11 Dead Weather Horehound
12 Sugar Army The Paralells Against Ourselves
13 Doves Kingdom Of Rust
14 Stellastarr Civilized
15 A Place To Bury Strangers Exploding Head
16 Them Crooked Vultures Them Crooked Vultures
17 Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
18 The Moog Razzmatazz Orfeum
19 Say Hi Oohs and Aahs
20 Mastodon Crack The Skye
21 Dangermouse & Sparklehorse Dark Night Of The Soul
22 Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds Dracula Boots
23 Cursive Mama, I'm Swollen

swell: swell (the last post of the year)

2009-12-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

So, i think i'm going to slip away from this little blog here for the holidays....

hard to keep my concentration in place, but i thought i would leave you with a little xmas present...

Swell...

a group of musicians who have been an inspiration to me since 1990.

David Freel - guitar/vocals
Sean Kirkpatrick - drums
Monte Vallier - bass
John Dettman - guitar

the songs:

Get High

A Town

Sick Half of a Church

Love You All

yes and no

Stop

Dan, a Son of God

Ready

Think About Those Days

Wooden Hippie Nice

It was in a Denver loft space between the rusting train tracks and streets where wild dogs roamed that the revolving, convoluted, surreal, swirled wisdom of David Freel and the sparse, deadbeat, offbeat, psychodelicate, heart-touched rhythms of Sean Kirkpatrick's drums first touched my ears like a sonic switchblade:
swift and deep and oh so smooth.

I had never heard of Swell, but one day I was at a record store looking for some music.
Looking for nothing in particular, I was just scanning the racks of cassettes.

Back and forth, up and down, carrying around five or six possibilities and knowing I only had enough money to buy one — putting three tapes back, picking four more up — and then I see it. The word “Swell” filling the spine of a tape.

Nothing else. No numbers, no label, nothing but the word.

That was my first reason to buy that tape rather than any of the other nine.
The cover art was the second reason.
It had no words, just the black and white image of two babies — one pouting and the other with a maniacal grin — floating through the clouds in big chairs. Surreal.

It was not much to go on, but I bought the tape.

while i love all of their albums, this particular release holds the most memories. great times, good friends. those days sure were swell....

And now? Two Decades, a handful of CDs, one tape, two 7" singles and three concerts later...

one of them being a show where my old band got to be an opening act

(it was us (black nite crash) followed by Heather Duby, and then Swell)

Swell remains solidly placed within my own top ten.

see you in 2010!

the gloria record: grace, the snow is here

2009-12-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

The Gloria Record

grace, the snow is here b/w (and is it ever)

1998

crank! records

jeremy tappero
brian hubbard
chris simpson
jeremy gomez

see the previous little Mineral post... and then here you have the Gloria Record. epic, sweeping, wonderful.

perfect for those cold winter nights.

and you can still get some great music on the Crank! site....
http://www.crankthis.com/home.html

mineral: &serenading

2009-12-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

Mineral

&serenading b/w love my way

1997

crank! records

Chris Simpson
Scott McCarver
Jeremy Gomez
Gabriel Wiley

back at the end of the 90's i was the indie record store guy in seattle, and discovered a couple of labels that helped me get through the days of annoying customers and bad music.

caulfield records was one, and crank! was another.

(thank god for christie front drive!)

so - being in seattle, i was, of course, letting my ears enjoy the sounds of sunny day real estate, and then i heard Mineral.... the band definitely moves along the same pathways, but there was something that just hit me harder, deeper, more... i don't know, soulfully poetic? Mineral just got me... or maybe, i just got Mineral.

my love affair didn't end there either... after this band said farewell, they moved on to a couple of projects that kept me going as well.

Gabriel went on to the amazing Pop Unknown, and "Summer Season Kills" is still something i love listening to. meanwhile, Chris and Jeremy moved the same sounds of Mineral a bit further and into the Gloria Record.

included here, a nice little take on the Psychedelic Furs.

dream city film club: pissboy

2009-12-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

Dream City Film Club

pissboy b/w the king is high

1997
beggars banquet

Michael J. Sheehy vocals, guitars, keyboards
Andrew Park: Bass guitar, keyboards, guitars
Laurence Ash: Drums, percussion
Alex Vald, guitar

Michael Sheehy went on to do some wonderful and moody / moving solo albums after Dream City Disbandment in 1999, but listening to these early DCFC songs just fill me with an ecstatic depression that can't be beat.

i suggest a visit to:

http://www.dreamcityfilmclub.com/welcome.php

turkey holiday: martini ranch

2009-11-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

so, off for the weekend again, but i didn't want to leave anyone hanging... not that anyone is sitting around waiting for me to post more 7" singles, but still - i like to keep a little consistency in the upkeep of random words here...

so, in honor of this american turkey based (baste?) holiday - i give you

Martini Ranch (Holy Cow)

Drums [Beat Box], Programmed By - Greg Penny , Joe Seta , Martini Ranch
Guitar - Andrew Todd (2) (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 10)
Keyboards - Robert O'Hearn (tracks: 1 to 7, 9, 10)
Vocals - Andrew Todd (2) , Bill Paxton (tracks: 2, 4 to 6, 8 to 10) , Cindy Wilson (tracks: 1, 3, 6)

Sire Records, 1988

...where else can you get Bill Paxton, Bud Cort, Judge Reinhold, and Cindy Wilson on the same album?

And the inevitable Wiki-Quotes:

Martini Ranch was conceived in 1982 by Andrew Todd Rosenthal. The band was composed of Andrew (vocals and guitar) and actor Bill Paxton (vocals and samples), and featured a similar sound to late 1980s Devo. Understandably, this similarity of sound was most evident on the track "How Can the Labouring Man Find Time for Self-Culture?", which featured three members of that band.

The tracks "Hot Dog", "New Deal" and "World Without Walls" feature the vocals of Cindy Wilson of The B-52's. Actor Judge Reinhold is credited as the whistler on the song "Reach". Mark Mothersbaugh and Bud Cort lend their voices to the informercial satire, "Fat-burning Formula".

for the video in this post:

Besides Andrew Todd (Rosenthal) and Paxton, the cast of the video features cameos by actors associated with Paxton. Including... Anthony Michael Hall, with whom Bill Paxton starred in the 1985 film Weird Science, Judge Reinhold, and Kathryn Bigelow (director of Near Dark).

fudgetunnel: little red fire engine

2009-11-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

Fudgetunnel!

Underdog Records (199?)

Little Red Fire Engine
b/w
Beating (Is A Luxury)

**Please Note: This is NOT the Fudgetunnel who played that amazingly heavy and cool "Sunshine Of Your Love" cover and released albums like 'Hate Songs in E Minor' 'The Sweet Sound of Excess' or 'Creep Diets'. This is not them.
This is an entirely different Fudgetunnel.
...I can't believe i just wrote that last sentence.

anyhows, They were Fudge Tunnel. This band is Fudgetunnel!. See the difference?

okay, on to this single.
I have always really enjoyed the song Little Red Fire Engine. I don't know why. It fits perfectly next to Daniel Johnston doing Speeding Motorcycle (the version with Yo La Tengo is awesome!) and Major Matt Mason doing the Lobster song.

This band consisted of (loosely pieced together here) :

Russ Forster, founder of Underdog Records and Sponge (not the 90's alt.band, but a more screeching weasel type band i think), and Spongetunnel (some kind of crazy mutant musical merger of the other two bands i suspect).

Jean Lyons - who was in the Barbie Army...

so, enjoy the fudgetunnel!

takako minekawa: fantastic cat

2009-11-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

Takako Minekawa

March Records

Single Sided
White Vinyl

cute but minimal artwork

Fantastic Cat

Alright, as far as i am concerned, this is one of the cutest songs ever recorded.

Don't worry, i'm not totally shifting directions here - i'll be posting some heavier and meaner and noisier stuff soon, but - i have a multi faceted collection here and didn't want this blog to fall all one-sided.

you can listen to both killdozer and cub.

it's ok.

anyhowz - takako...
i picked this little single up i think around 1996 (97) with the release of the album "roomic cube" - i was in seattle doing the record store thing, trying out the whole Buffalo Daughter Butter 08 Cornelius thing, which led me to Takako, and then coming around from the other side, i was listening to Momus, who worked with Kahimi Karie, who worked with T. Minekawa in Fancy Face Groovy Name.

so, between Momus and Buffalo Daughter, you get a Fantastic Cat.

cub: hot dog day

2009-11-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

Cub - Hot Dog Day
Label:
Mint Records (1993)

Flying Carpet
My Chinchilla
Electric Chair

Nicolas Bragg
Through My Hoop
Summer Samba

i think for this release the line-up was:
Lisa Marr- Vocals, Bass
Robynn Iwata- Guitar, Vocals
Valeria Fellini- Drums, Vocals

Neko Case - did some drums before this, and Lisa G. joined the beat after... at least... that's how i think it went down. i could be wrong.

this is cub's second release, with the cover art featuring necklace charm given to Lisa by her grandma. Includes "My Chinchilla" which, if i remember correctly, was one of the band's bigger "hits".

This band, this single, is very nicely tied to my past... so many connections. I was a vancouver kid, and hanging out in record stores, playing music, going to shows, having fun - so of course i ran in to the cubs here and there.

is that all? no, of course not... let's see... go through the thanks on the inside sleeve... "Blaise Pascal", third name on the list - i was in that band (i joined post cub thank-you, but still...).

Coal... i loved that band. (c) - i loved that band too, tied to Tankhog, and Slow, and my friend Scott... but that's another story...

Then there's Anthony Hempell, who played with Windwalker, the band formed after Silent Gathering broke up (another band i was in...)- he is thanked, and is also one of the producers here.
then a couple of other thanks to great bands - Kreviss (i was friends with a couple of them Kreviss grrrls (sp?)), Windwalker , and some little nods to Mecca Normal and Sparkmarker...
so, that's it?

well, almost. the biggest connection i have with this band / single - other than some nice zulu record memories of joking around and hanging out - is that the song "Nicolas Bragg" is about the singer and my old friend from Blaise Pascal. it's not a huge thing, but i was always really impressed by this. I tend to see him almost every time i end up in Vancouver, which is not often, but still... good times. music makes some nice connections.

yeah, anyhows. there's that.

what else -
Lisa Marr did some Lisa Marr Expirement, Buck, The Beards, The Here & Now.

Robynn Iwata has gone on to do the I Am Spoonbender thing.

and Valeria Fellini.... Well, not quite sure. I think she does some Art/Painting, and she was replaced by Lisa G. in cub because she couldn't tour due to her Sweet Shop... (hello Lee's Candies!)

so there's your little cub 7" story.

next one will be shorter.

The Graverobbers: Mark Robinson

2009-11-12T13:59:00.001-08:00

The Graverobbers

“Mark Robinson”

Mark Robinson b/w Yes She Is My Skinhead Girl
(plus - Mark Robinson Acoustic Version)

(**music has been removed - please see comment and visit Karl Straub's website for more music and information... )

Homestead 1992

(I swear – I wasn’t even thinking about 1992, this was kind of random – a good year for singles?)

So – the a side is a song about Mark Robinson (Unrest, Air Miami, Teen Beat Records, and more) the b side is a cover of one of my fave Unrest songs.
That’s why I got this. I had no idea who the Graverobbers were, I just loved me some Unrest.
“He’s an Indie Star…”

The Graverobbers are:
Karl Straub – vocals, guitar
Randy Austin – guitar, vocals
Dave Pera – bass, vocals
Matt Cook – drums, howling & monologue

Karl is a singer songwriter who was also involved with the Karl Straub Combo.
Randy Austin was in the Throwbacks and Overkill

I cannot, at this point in time, find much more information on the other members, or the band, for that matter.

I do know that listening to this single again, after having actually not played it for about 15 years or so, made me really happy.

jack o'fire: bring me the head of jon spencer

2009-11-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

Jack O’Fire

“Bring Me The Head Of Jon Spencer”

Asked For Water b/w

Meet Your Death / No Love Lost

Undone Records 1992

In order, the songs are by:

Chester Burnett

Blind Willie McTell

Joy Division

The Band is:

Walter Daniels – vocals & harp

Dean Gunderson – stand-up bass

Joshua La Rue - drums

Tim Kerr – guitar

And Pepper Wilson throws down some B3 Hammond w/ Leslie Speaker on the Joy Division song

Aside from the Jack O’Fire tunes, Walter also played with the Oblivians, Revelators, ’68 Comeback, Big Foot Chester, and Black Joe Lewis & Cool Breeze – to name a couple…

Dean Gunderson also did some Catt Butt playing…

Joshua La Rue was in Sea Tiger and HiM

Tim Kerr does not have anything to do with that whole Tim Kerr Records thing, but he does have some nice musical ties to bands like the Big Boys, Poison 13, and the Monkeywrench.

There’s some huge Northwest History in those shoes.

walt mink: pink moon

2009-11-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

Gone again for the weekend, so here's an pre-weekend 7" blast:

Walt Mink

Pink Moon b/w Free To Be You and Me

Red Decibel 1992

Nick Drake cover on one side, and the classic song from the 70’s album / TV special on the other (by S. Lawrence & B. Hart).

I have distant memories of the Free To Be, though I remember “Boy Meets Girl” with Marlo Thomas and Mel Brooks a little better than I remember this song.

The Nick Drake pulls on memories a little closer to the mid-80’s for me, as I went through a Nick Drake phase somewhere around heartbreak and high school.

Walt Mink – well – I never listened to the band that much, but I’ve always loved the fuzzy noise and thickness of these versions.

Walt Mink began in 1989 combining the talents of John Kimbrough, drummer Joey Waronker and bassist Candice Belanoff.

The cover of Pink Moon appeared on the bands first album, Miss Happiness, on Caroline Records in 1992, probably shortly after this single hit.

Or shortly before. Not sure….

Soon after, Joey started playing drums with Beck, and left Walt Mink around the time of Beck’s Mellow Gold.

soul asylum: cartoon

2009-11-07T09:42:00.001-08:00

Soul Asylum

Cartoon b/w Twiddle Dee

A&M 1988

Produced by Lenny Kaye and Ed Stasium

Soul Asylum are:

Karl Mueller – bass
Dan Murphy – guitar/vocals
Dave Pirner – vocals/guitar
Grant Young – drums/percussion

Now, I know that some people are all like “Soul Asylum? Hell No!” and other people are all “Dude, they rock!”
I don’t know.

All I know, speaking from my own personal musical experience, is that I cannot listen to anything that Soul Asylum has done except for the album Hang Time.

I can listen to that album over and over again, and I can listen to it Loud, and I’ve been listening to it since 1988.

Both songs on this single are from that release, so, that’s why I gots it up here.

Besides, Lenny Kaye!
Rock.

(A Little Wiki Magic, and... I Quote:)

Hang Time is a 1988 album from the band Soul Asylum.
Released on A&M Records, it was the band's major-label debut.
Singer/guitarist Dave Pirner wrote the majority of the album. Guitarist Dan Murphy chimed in with "Cartoon," released as one of the album's singles.

Soul Asylum:

Cartoon

Twiddly Dee

The Godfathers: Love Is Dead

2009-11-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

The Godfathers

Artwork By [Illustration] - Grant Louden
Artwork By [Sleeve Design] - Graphyk (J.L. & G.L.)

The GodfathersLove Is Dead b/w Those Days Are Over (live)
Epic / CBS 1988

The Godfathers are:
Peter Coyne – vocals
Chris Coyne – bass/vocals
Kris Dollimore – guitar/vocal
Mike Gibson – guitar/vocal
George Mazur – drums/percussion/vocal

Oh so many good memories with the Godfathers. Mostly surrounding the album “Hit By Hit” which I played to death in 1988 / 1989.

Something about that album just crushes me in the best way possible.

This A-Side on this single, however, is from the Birth, School, Work, Death album – also quite a nice slice of vinyl.
The B-side is a live version of a song that appears on the More Songs About Love & Hate (also very good listening).

Also for your viewing pleasure is a 7” styled comic which moves along with the lyrics for Love Is Dead. They should make a comic for every Godfathers song.

A Love Is Dead

B Those Days Are Over (Live)

And then, there's the comic:

like swimming: swing it low

2009-11-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

November is now, and I feel like Swimming.

not really, but here's a little Mark Sandman for you.

a morphine side project of sorts.

"Like Swimming"
7" 1997 single
Cosmic 005

Like SwimmingSwing It Low b/w Bought Myself A Steak
Cosmic Records 1996
This band was a little one-off side project thing courtesy of Mark Sandman(see also Treat Her Right, Morphine, and even Supergroup –with mister Chris Ballew of the Presidents of the United States of America)

Like Swimming was also the title of Morphine’s 1997 album on Dreamworks which held a slightly different version of Swing It Low. Coincidence? I thinks not.

Appearing alongside Mark on the B-Side is Larry Dersch on the drums. Larry has guested on a few Morphine releases as well as this, and has played with a fair number of other bands / musicians.

It’s still hard for me to listen to Mark Sandman singing without feeling a sense of sadness and loss.

It moves deep.

Thankfully it is balanced out by the way that listening to him sing, to his music, makes me feel so damn good as well.

Swing It Low
Bought Myself A Steak

features:
Mark Sandman - vocals, guitar
Larry Dersch - drums

Halloweekend: Santa Sangre (Soundtrack)

2009-11-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Nov. 1st
El dia de los muertes, and the end of this Halloweekend.

So Here is the Soundtrack for
Santa Sangre

from 1989

Directed and Written by Alejandro Jodorowsky
Adapted by Roberto Leoni

screenplay by Alejandro Jodorowsky
Roberto Leoni
Claudio Argento

Original Music by Simon Boswell

quote: "Boswell's score compliments Jodorowsky's scenes by using styles ranging from from Mexican Mariachi to Stravinsky."

Fin Del Mundo Trad. Arranged by Simon Boswell
Alma Simon Boswell
Alejandra E. Mera
Triste Simon Boswell
Besame Mucho C. Valesquez
Acid Revenge Simon Boswell
Herbage Simon Boswell
Truck Simon Boswell
Dejame Llorar A. Esparza Oteo
Holy Guitar Simon Boswell
Grave Business Simon Boswell
Heart Simon Boswell
Kids' Theme Simon Boswell
Wingbeat Simon Boswell
Church Tattoo Simon Boswell
Sweet Dreams Simon Boswell
Karnival Simon Boswell

Halloweekend: Phenomena (Creepers)

2009-10-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

and for this, October 31st, 2009, I bring you the soundtrack to...

Phenomena.

(otherwise known as Creepers)

Written and Directed by Dario Argento, the movie came out in 1985 -

Featuring crazy sounds like:
Claudio Simonetti - Phenomena
Iron Maiden - Flash of the Blade
Goblin - Jennifer
Andi Sex Gang - The Quick and the Dead
Goblin - The Wind
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Two Tribes
Bill Wyman & Terry Taylor - Valley
Goblin - Sleepwalking
Motorhead - Locomotive
Andi Sex Gang - You Don't Know Me
Goblin - Jennifer' Friend
Simon Boswell - The Maggots
Simon Boswell & Andi Sex Gang - The Naked and the Dead
Goblin - Transmute
Bill Wyman - Valley (Video Version)
Goblin - Phenomena (Video Version)
Phenomena Trailer
Creepers Trailer

i don't think i saw it until 1987 or 1988, but when i did see it - it was amazing.

surreal, insane, spooky, grotesque, and no quite the most straightforward film, but still - it blew me away.
not only because of Dario Argento's writing and directing, but also because of the music.

I had seen Suspiria shortly before seeing Creepers, i think me and friend went through a month of doing nothing but watching Argento films and reading Creepy and Eerie comics, so i knew the sounds of Goblin, which are nicely represented here.

Iron Maiden, on the other hand, i knew of, but my listening habits didn't really spin in that direction (I was more into music like Andi Sex Gang - who is also floating around on this soundtrack).

When i heard iron maiden slip in to "Flash Of The Blade" during this film though, it was almost the greatest thing i ever heard. it still gives me chills.

Motorhead kicks in nicely, Simon Boswell does his thing (writing some brilliant music for the Sex Gang Man), and it all works together.

A brilliant mix of horror, suspense, goth, and metal.

I have yet to find a mix that works as well to stir up this adrenalin rush of fear and darkness as Goblin, Simon Boswell, Andi Sex Gang, and Motorhead.
Add blood, shake well, release.

Happy Halloween!

(hooray for Simon Boswell.... (and Goblin))

Halloweekend: Demons II (Soundtrack)

2009-10-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

and on with the show:

Demons II

(Demoni II)

The movie was directed by Lamberto Bava

Written by Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava

Soundtrack from 1986

not exactly the best film, but i do enjoy the soundtrack. a nice collection of tunes, and some nice appearances by Simon Boswell, who has done many great sounds for some great movies (there will be a little more Simon coming up in the next couple of days - so i don't want to ruin the surprise.

so, for this offering, we have:

Simon Boswell
The Cult
The Art Of Noise
Gene Loves Jezebel
Peter Murphy
The Smiths
Fields Of The Nephilim
Dead Can Dance
Love & Rockets

and more.

I would like to point out that as wwell as the tracks listed as being Simon Boswell, he also appears here as "The Producers" and Caduta Massi, and is also involved with the Pierce Turner track.

I wouls also like to thank the wonderful Manchester Morgue for reminding me about this film - and the music that goes along with it.

Halloweekend: Slither (score)

2009-10-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be a little bit busy this weekend, what with scaring kids and eating candy and all, but i thought i would try to post some quick thematic soundtracks that i had lying around. More songs than a 7" single, but actually less work.

not going to get into too much detail with these - but here comes the first one:

Slither

Original Motion Picture Score

(universal - 2006)

featuring the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra

conducted by Allan Wilson

composed by Tyler Bates -

Movie director James Gunn is quoted as saying that Tyler is like, "Bernard Hermann put through a punk rock/John Zorn meat grinder, and then lovingly reassembled without any irony whatsoever."

Tyler has also worked on Zack Snyder's Dawn of The Dead and Rob Zombie's The Devils Rejects among other projects (see also 300, Watchmen, Doomsday...) and was also in the band Pet, but we won't get into that here.

the movie itself? well, not my favorite, but definitely enjoyable.
From imdb:

"This blend of black humour and unnerving horror, with its nineteen fifties parodies pays homage to the great B-Movie Sci-Fi genre. Set in modern small town America, when an unsuspecting meteorite drops by and its tiny slug shaped parasitic pilot infects the local inhabitants, then all hell breaks lose, literally. Turning their infected hosts into Zombie type aliens, this is a battle of the fittest, this is the battle to save Mankind, this is pure B-Movie magic. Let the hunt begin. Written by Cinema_Fan"

the jam: going underground

2009-10-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Jam
Going Underground b/w The Dreams of Children

Polydor 1980

Paul Weller
Bruce Foxton
Rick Buckler
Steve Brookes

So, yeah – not really obscure, not really an exciting 7” sleeve, but I just got this from a friend, and it’s a nice shade of red to match the other 2 singles up this week (theme = red), so I thought… why not. Let’s get a little hit from the cappuccino kid.

Going underground is a classic. No more needs to be said… except you can now play it in Rock Band, which I don’t have. And, from the always entertaining Wikipedia:

“"Going Underground" was not released on any of the band's six studio albums initially, although it has appeared on many compilation/re-releases since then. The single's B-side was "Dreams of Children", which had originally been intended to be the A-side; following a mix-up at the pressing plant, the single became a double-A-side, and DJs tended to choose the more melodic "Going Underground" to play on the radio.”

What more, really, is there to say? The Jam.

luxuria: jezebel

2009-10-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

Luxuria
Jezebel b/w Smoking Mirror

Beggars Banquet 1990

Luxuria is:
Howard Devoto
Noko

Yes, I have posted up some Luxuria previously, but this single was recently acquired so i thought it would be ok.

Also, it has that nice red sleeve which made me think that I should just throw it up here to join in with the rest of the mix.
Besides, Jezebel is a pretty nice song to be spinning.

Originally written by Wayne Shanklin, Jezebel has been covered by a fair number of artists.

I think the first version I heard was actually Frankie Laine’s version, although prior to this single the most recent time I heard this song was on an episode of I Love Lucy with Ricky Ricardo belting it through his nightclub.

Smoking Mirror is an instrumental, but it’s a Howard Devoto instrumental, which isn’t a bad thing.

If you’ve got the 12” of this lying around, you’ll also have the “Sickly Thug & I” track, which I do not have, as they left it off of this smaller circled format.

joolz: protection

2009-10-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

Joolz
Protection b/w A Day In The Life Of

original sound recordings / EMI 1987

music composed, played, produced by Justin Sullivan and Robert Heaton

cover design and calligraphy by Joolz

my first and pretty much only introduction to Joolz was way back in 1987 when I came across the mad, bad, and dangerous to know 12”, and got it just because of the cover. I never really heard much about her or anything other than that until I found this little 7” a couple of months ago down on Melrose.

I didn’t hear New Model Army until 1989 or so, when I became seriously attached to the Thunder and Consolation album, and that’s when I made the connection…

Justin Sullivan is the New Model Army man, and evidently he and Joolz (Denby) have been (possibly still are?) in a long relationship together.

Robert Heaton, who passed away in 2004, was the drummer for New Model Army.

So that’s why, when you listen to Joolz, you can hear some pretty strong NMA rhythms backing her up.

a true punk rock poetical priestess.

the honeymoon killers: vanna white (goddess of love)

2009-10-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Honeymoon Killers
Vanna White (Goddess Of Love) b/w You Can’t Do That

Sympathy For The Record Industry 1991

Nice thick pink vinyl. Seven inches of burning love.
Aw yeah.

Not quite a blues explosion, but getting close.
Somewhere between a pussy galore and a boss hogg lies a honeymoon killer.

This band was:

Jerry Teel
Jon Spencer
Lisa Wells
Russell Simins
Sally Edroso

Russell did the Butter 08, Blues Explosion, Crunt thing.

You know Jon Spencer, right?
I mean – not personally, but you know of the man, yeah?

Jerry, see also Chrome Cranks and Knoxville Girls (and a list of other bands as well…)

Lisa is a co-founder of these Honeymooners alongside Jerry

Sally Edroso, also Sally Barry, or Sally Edroso/Barry was also in STP and evidently sometimes plays with the crazy kids in Tractor Sex Fatality, who I hit the drums for during their first ever live performance.

(well, not so much hit the drums as much as hide behind the drums from flying slices of pizza and rob’s flailing half naked body)

them's were good times, and here's some great tunes.

the immaculate hearts: everything should be the way it should be

2009-10-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Immaculate Hearts
Everything Should Be The Way It Should Be b/w Grace

No Age Records 1990

I don’t know much about this band, but I do have a couple of 7”s by them.
I think this was a band that I picked up on based on the artwork on the singles and the band name. It was something about the heart with wings and the little scatterings of religious iconography and the conspiratorial eye in the triangle.

Made me think, “yeah, I want this.”

I still don’t know much about this band, but they were from the New York area – starting up around 1986.

On this single you got:

Freddy Pompeii – vocals
Steve House – guitar
Dee Pop - drums
W. G. Hamilton – bass

A couple of musical connections have been found…

Freddy was in the Viletones, Dee Pop was in the Bush Tetras, and there you have it.

The original singer was Wayne Brown, but then Freddy Pompeii put down the bass and picked up the lead vocals, and W. G. Hamilton came in to take up that bass.

So, here you go.
Immaculate.

garage monsters: power house

2009-10-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

Garage Monsters

Power House b/w some pretty cool engraved vinyl

Sympathy For The Record Industry 1989

This one I got for the cover.
That’s it. The cover and the names of the people involved.
That’s all.
Call me shallow, but sometimes beauty is only sleeve deep.

Thankfully the song included is pretty rock out psycho sweet, so that’s an added bonus.

Garage Monsters are:
Clint Ruin
The Pizz
Buttstain

Clint Ruin is a man of many names, and has been found on many a great album. I won’t get into it here, but he is also Foetus, J. G. Thirlwell, Frank Want, and a few others.

The Pizz is a skateboard comicbook lowbrow artist

Buttstain, I’m not sure about – although I think he’s an artist collaborating with the Pizz on the artistic side of this vinyl.

The song is a cover of a number by the Raymond Scott Orchestra from the 30’s, but the magic here is in the art.

The B-side of the vinyl is etched with a replica of the back of the single sleeve, and the front of the sleeve is a very S. Clay Wilson looking image, although I think it’s by the Pizz as well.

Art and music, here you go.

Cheers.

the cynics: buick mackane

2009-10-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

this weekend is covered, and last, but not least, we've got a little buick mackane action.

The Cynics

Buick Mackane
b/w
Born To Lose

Sympathy For The Record Industry
(SFTRI 99) 1991

Not quite sure about the line-up on this particular single, but my guess would be:

Michael Kastelic: vocals
Gregg Kostelich: guitar
Kris Kasperowski: bass
Tom Hohn: drums

(i could be a little off, though - )

anyhows, not just one cover here, but 2!
Buick Mackane the hit (for me) - takes the T.Rex and makes it a little down and dirty, and i also enjoyed this version because we used to jam on this song when i was in Silent Gathering, and finding this in a Boulder record store just helped keep that homesickness away.

born to lose is a cynics take on that johnny thunders classic, so, kick back and enjoy.

chemical people: ask the angels

2009-10-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

covering this weekend, part II...

The Chemical People

Ask The Angels
b/w
Been Here / Faust

2" Pecker Records
1990
green marble vinyl

Ed Urlik -bass
Dave Naz - drums, vocals
Jaime Pina - guitar

from 1990 we've got them chemical peoples doing up some patti smith.
this was always one of my favorite patti smith songs, so when i saw this single - it was a must have.
i knew of the chemical people back in 1990, but i didn't really listen to 'em (although i did buy ten fold hate on vinyl when it came out in 1989...)

anyhows, it was a patti smith song, so i gots the single, and i liked it. following a little off side small world road, i ended up meeting chemical guitar man jaime a couple of times after i moved to LA, just a kind of musical coincidence. it was kind of nice meeting the man who had played guitar on one of my favorite cover versions from 18 years in the past.

it was, well.... yeah. it was cool.

various: the membranes / that petrol emotion

2009-10-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

alright, the weekend is going to be covered this time around, and starting off big with a little split 7" from clawfist records.

an english label that specialized in limited edition 7" singles, and i'm not sure, but it looks like the logo is a little touched with that savage pencil style. i could just be thinking that because there is some nice savx work on the single sleeve, though.

anyhows - i have a couple of these Clawfist splits (at least, i think i do... haven't seen them recently. hmmm....) but - i do not have the tindersticks / gallon drunk single, so - feel free to send me a copy if you have an extra one lying around (i know it's not going to happen, but it never hurts to put it out there).

so here we have:

The Membranes / That Petrol Emotion

"Big Decision (slight return)"
b/w
"Everybody's Goin' Triple Bad Acid Yeah!"

Clawfist Records
1991

The Membranes cover That Petrol Emotion while That Petrol Emotion cover the Membranes.

Good Times.

echo and the bunnymen: rescue

2009-10-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

(echo 2)

Echo & the Bunnymen

rescue

b/w

simple stuff

Korova Recording / WEA

1980

echobelly: i can't imagine the world without me

2009-10-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

(Echo 1)

Echobelly

i can't imagine the world without me

b/w

venus wheel

fauve records

1994

simple minds: promised you a miracle

2009-10-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

so i'm posting this early, or late

depending on how you look at it, if you look at it.

A couple of Echos coming up, but first, some simple minds.

Simple Minds
Promised You A Miracle b/w The American

A&M Records
1983

i'm out again this weekend, so i thought i'd try to get some tunes up now.
hopefully posting will be a little more consistent soon.

i just needs some time to writes.

icicle works: hollow horse

2009-09-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

okay, since i'll probably be otherwise occupied next weekend - i'll add an extra bonus 7".
i've been kinda going with 3 per posting period, but here. have 4....

so, here they are...

the icicle works

Hollow Horse b/w the Atheist

Beggars Banquet
(Beg 119)

1984

nash the slash: novel romance

2009-09-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

just have to say, it's been far too long since i've listened to this band.... enjoyed listening to them again. this was a nice little find.

Nash The Slash

novel romance b/w in a glass eye

DinDisc
1981

produced by Bill Nelson

the boomtown rats: someone's looking at you

2009-09-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

the boomtown rats

someone's looking at you b/when the night comes

ensign records

1979

big country: fields of fire

2009-09-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

ok.... still busy, but have a little time to throw some quick tunes your way.
i will hopefully get back to my usual rants and raves in the next couple of weeks, but for now, let's go with that more rock (?) and less talk sort of thing.... and the hits keep on rolling on by.....

Big Country

Fields of Fire b/w Angle Park

PolyGram (1983)

birdland: paradise

2009-09-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

Birdland

Paradise b/w White

Lazy Records (1989)

Lazy 14

Photography by Kevin Westenberg

close lobsters: loopholes

2009-09-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Close Lobsters
Loopholes b/w What Is There To Smile About?

Fire Records (1988)
Blaze 25

the church: antenna

2009-09-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

The Church
Antenna b/w Frozen & Distant

Arista (1988)
1A 111620

(Spanish Import Vinyl)

ok. so, i'm slacking a bit here, but never mind the words, here's the music. i'm going to be a little busy for the next few weekends, so my usual musical chatter will be a lot less. i will still try and post some tunes though. we'll see how it goes.

i'll be back with the "words about" when i can....

comsat angels: day one

2009-08-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

The Comsat Angels
Day One b/w Will You Stay Tonight

Zomba House (1984)
Jive73

Kevin Bacon
Stephen Fellows
Mik Glaisher
Andy Peake

Here’s another band that found me invited pretty late to the listening party. It was actually Jack at the Big Takeover who finally clued me in to the sounds of these particular angels. so, thanks, Jack!

I actually had a record that I picked up in some used Denver vinyl bin by the C. S. Angels, and it took me awhile to actually connect the dots and figure out that it was the same band.

Sometimes I miss the little things, y’know?

I’ll just mention that if all that you know of this band is that they had a song in the movie “Real Genius” then you should go out and listen to more music.
That was what, 1985?

Go back and find the Comsat Angels from around 1980 – 1982, and then we can talk.

This single, however, falls a little in between the Joy Division and the Val Kilmer.

The A-side can be found on the & Day Weekend album (which also holds the Real Genius hit) and the B-side can be found on the previous Comsat release, “Land” from 1983.

the bubblemen: the bubblemen are coming

2009-08-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Bubblemen
The Bubblemen are Coming b/w B Side

Beggars Banquet (1988)
BUB 1

Yeah, so I had my little late 80’s goth dance phase.

Hanging out up in Vancouver and doing the all night out thing moving between the Luv-a-Fair and the Industrial Eclipse.

That’s just what we did, y’know?

But it wasn’t all Skinny Puppy and Sisters of Mercy staring at the floor circle shadow dancing.

Sometimes the DJ would put big grins on all of our little death puppy faces by throwing on the Bubblemen.

And we all went “Yay” and bounced around for a few minutes before looking all sad and serious again.

This was a sort of silly little Love & Rockets side project, with the bubblemen appearing in various videos and taking the stage at times to perform one or two hits from their three song repertoire.

Daniel Ash, David J. and Kevin Haskins dressed up as big bumble bees. Need I say more?

I do need to say that you might want to skip the B Side…

You might not, but just so you know…
it’s about 3 minutes of a bumble-bee style buzzing noise.
I’m sure it’s good for something, not sure what yet…

Maybe for getting buzzed.

the house of love: gotta be that way

2009-08-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

The House Of Love
Gotta Be That Way b/w Love In A Car (live)

Art & Industry (2005)
3 ART VS

Guy Chadwick – vocals, guitar
Terry Bickers – guitar, vocals
Pete Evans – drums
Matt Jury – bass

B-side recorded live at the ICA 10/2/05

While slightly familiar with this band back in the early days of the late 80’s, I wasn’t actually a full-fledged House Of Listener until J. showed me the wonderful noise around 2002 and then he proceeded to school me in all things Terry Bickers.

This is a single that was released after the House broke up and reformed, but still those guitar sounds are there, and the live sound works nicely as well.

The original band broke up, due to some inner conflicts – which I won’t get into – around 1994, at least “officially”.

There were some departures and line-up changes before that date, with Terry Bickers leaving in 1989, to be replaced by Simon Walker, who left about a year later to be replaced by Simon Mawby.

The band came back together with an almost original line-up in 2005, with Guy Chadwick and Terry Bickers reunited once more, and Pete Evans on drums. The only new guy in the group was Matt Jury on bass.

myspace monday # 7: the nightgowns

2009-08-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

so i was skimming around some new music, and got hit, a little unexpectedly by this band:
The Nightgowns

(on thee myspace)

They're a sweet little pop band from up in Tacoma, and it was not what i was expecting to like, but like it i do.

They hit out on their new album "Sing Something" with some nice little electro-tech melodics, making me hear little hints of bands like Say Hi To Your Mom (now just "Say Hi") as well as maybe the Pulsars, but a little more sparse and indie lo-fy synthy.

Early Gary Numan on a little codeine bender?

i don't know, but it's sweet and infectious.

not sure what their performance schedule is like,

but if you see 'em playing (probably mostly up in the pacific NW)
- go take a look 'n' listen.

the mighty lemon drops: too high (remix)

2009-08-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Mighty Lemon Drops
Too High (remix) b/w You Don’t Fast

Sire Records (1991)
(W0032)

Paul Marsh
David Newton
Tony Linehan
Keith Rowley

Alright (can you tell that I sort of ran out of time?), the Mighty Lemon Drops.

Not To Be Confused with the Lemonheads.
I never confuse this band with that band, but for some unexplainable reason I often confuse this band with the Teardrop Explodes.

Not quite sure why.

The Lemon Drops came out with “Happy Head” in 1986, which is when I first started listening and liking.

This single hit a few years after that, around the time of the Sound...Say Goodbye To Your Standards album, and the band broke up shortly after that, in 1992.

I almost got the chance to work with Dave Newton in my last Los Angeles based band as he’s been doing some recording and producing and engineering work, but that didn’t happen.

Ah well…

luxuria: redneck

2009-08-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

Luxuria
Redneck b/w She’s Your Lover Now

Beggars Banquet (1987)
(BEG 204)

Howard Devoto
Noko (Norman Fisher-Jones)

Ok, short and sweet

Howard did the Buzzcocks and Magazine. So much to write about both of these bands, but not here. I was introduced to Luxuria after my interest in Magazine (and after following all of the Barry Adamson connections). Buzzcocks, I love, but I fall more on the Magazine side.

Noko – the “multi-instrumentalist” – played briefly with Magazine (a later tour I think) but mainly has been working with Apollo 440. He played briefly with the Cure as a guitarist, and a handful of other bands.

I think this is the first single released by Luxuria, followed by the 1988 release of the “Unanswerable Lust” LP.
 

zodiac mindwarp and the love reaction: planet girl

2009-08-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction
“Un Avenir Pour La France”

Planet Girl b/w Dog Face Driver

Mercury Records (1988)
*En concert au Rex Club, le 12 Avril*

Mark Manning (Zodiac Mindwarp)
Not sure of the line-up on this 7”, but it probably included some of the following (though not all):
Cobalt Stargazer
Slam Thunderhide
Evil Bastard
Flash Bastard
Trash D Garbage
Boom Boom Kaboomski
Kid Chaos
Gimpo
Suzy X
Tex Diablo

This little slice of sound I actually just picked up a month or so ago, while skimming through a little box of singles at a Melrose shop. The same shop where I grabbed the following Luxuria and Mighty Lemon Drop singles. Eclectic vinyl for an eclectic weekend here at My Life As A Mixtape.

Feel free to post a comment letting me know who the actual members playing here were. maybe it doesn't matter, but it might. or, perhaps i'll come back to this later. I did find out, however, that Cobalt Stargazer evidently played in Wham!

Regardless…. Zodiac Mindwarp.
I first discovered this band back in 1986, when S. played the High Priest of Love album. This hit somewhere right between my love for the Cult and my discovery of the fact that you didn’t have to be a high-school stoner to enjoy AC/DC. It was dark, dirty, and it was Rock.
I was happy with 1988’s Tattooed Beat Messiah, but after that, I don’t know, I kinda lost touch with my inner mindwarp as I moved into the 90’s, but I always had an appreciation for what they did, and what they gave me back in those mid-80’s. This little single kind of brings some of those dirty hair leather jacket cowboy boot memories screaming right back at me.

I think Zodiac Mindwarp is still continuing his Rock ‘n’ Roll assault, though a little bit less in the spotlight now. He wrote a couple of books, which could be pretty interesting reads – one of them was written with Bill Drummond (the KLF). And also, possibly interesting to note, the band covered “Born to Be Wild” because they thought that they could do a better job than the Cult did. Band member Kid Chaos quit to join the Cult after that, and then left the Cult for the Four Horsemen.

Kinda makes you go…. “Ahhhh, wha?”

myspace monday # 6: The Jezabels

2009-08-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

I so did not plan it this way, but listening to some random hits of recent musics, i decided that this monday hit would be the Jezabels, who, like last weeks band, are from Australia. North America is falling a little behind here....

and the jezabels, on myspace.... right HERE

There's a little old school punk rocking vibe going on here, but updated with an interesting bunch of cross-referenced inspirations. Like possibly Concrete Blonde and Kate Bush getting hit by some Rasputina tunes while jamming on a Nick Cave riff after listening to some old Siouxsie and the Banshees.

or something like that. The latest EP is called "The Man Is Dead"
The band photo looks a little Elastica to me, but that's ok. The sound goes off in a completely different direction.

There are some melodically broken moments of pure pop beauty, and dynamic lifts that move up through pushing drums and piano power. A few little post-punk hints of mathrock that are balanced out by a more standard forward drive. It's a little hard to place, but it's definitely not hard to listen to. The structures and spaces are put together perfectly and mange to capture and mezmerize.

Sometimes the song pushes out in an almost Billy Joel singer songwriter mood, but then the frantic rhtyms and strong vocals push it all through into some other level.
The emotions are strong and not afraid to show themselves, but it's never overdone, never falling too far towards some angstful meltdown.

It's all held in balance and rhythm, and while listening to an EP is good, i'm going to be waiting for a full length. These songs hit hard, and good.

the geraldine fibbers: dragon lady

2009-08-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Geraldine Fibbers:
Dragon Lady b/w Birthday Boy

Sympathy For The Record Industry (1995)
SFTRI 384

Carla Bozulich
Daniel Keenan
Jessy Greene
William Tutton
Kevin Fitzgerald

I’ve been a long time fan of this band, although I’ve only managed to see them live once. I did see Carla and Nels Cline do a complete performance of Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger in Seattle (and got me a t-shirt too), but as far as the Fibbers go – July 1997 at the Crocodile. That was it. The albums and songs however hit my ears more often.

Shortly after this little release, Nels Cline joined up with the Fibbers, and Kennan and Greene left. Here there’s no Cline, so we get Carla:

Ethyl Meatplow, Geraldine Fibbers, Scarnella, Evangelista, and the Night Porter. A truly cool lineage of music right there.

Daniel was in the band Glue before hooking up with the Fibbers, and afterwards, I’m not sure.

Evidently the Geraldine Fibbers have had a few violinists come and go, but one of them was Jessy Greene, who has also played her violin with Wilco, The Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, the Foo Fighters, Golden Smog, REM, and a whole bunch more, plus a couple of solo albums.

I’m not sure, but I think Jessy played with them when I saw them at the Crocodile.
I think Clawhammer and Alien Crime Syndicate were also on that bill.

William Tutton played with Terry Durbin (alongside members of Concrete Blonde and Sparks) and is in the band Born In Death Valley with Brian Grillo (from the band Extra Fancy).

Kevin Fitzgerald has been playing with Eleni Mandell, and played with the Circle Jerks when they reunited around 2001.

grenadine: barnacle

2009-08-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Grenadine:
The Barnacle b/w Snuck / Srew

Simple Machines 031 / Teen Beat 166 (1994)

Grenadine throw it this melodic pop sweet and slightly experimental 7” with some help from Warren Defever (His Name Is Alive). This was a sort of “indie” supergroup of sorts, starring Tsunami’s Jenny Toomey, Unrest’s Mark Robinson, and Rob Christiansen of the Eggs. It’s like a Simple Teen Machine Beat Party.

Grenadine have a couple of albums, and a handful of singles, my favorite being “Goya” from 1992. I had been a huge Unrest fan, and that’s pretty much what lead me to the world of Grenadine. I think I moved from Grenadine to Tsunami after that.

It was my interest in Unrest, actually, that led a friend in Seattle to send me (in Vancouver at the time) a couple of mixed tapes that featured Grenadine, as well as hits from Luna and Unrest. It wasn’t until after I moved down to Seattle and started working at Orpheum that I was first really introduced to the Tsunami sounds.

The Eggs, however, I actually never really got into. Not quite sure why, they just never hit me at the right time. I’m not against Eggs, just don’t know ‘em. The band, not the food. I love eggs, for the eating.

I’m not really going to get into those other bands (Unrest / Tsunami), because that would probably entail writing too many words about music.

So, for the Grenadine, they lasted about 7 years or so, creating soft and romantic slices of swooning music that touched upon moments that you might find in old faded photographs from the 1920’s, sometimes the 40’s.

On this 7”, I think they might have mixed up their little time machine and ended up with a few hits from somewhere in the 80’s, which ends up being kind of interesting.

the delusions: quiet time

2009-08-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Delusions:
Quiet Time b/w That Flower Song

Shaky Records (1996)

Dave Keppel
Jim Roth
Denise Maupin
Matt Marti

Another of those Seattle bands that I have many memories of seeing – standing in the crowd, drinking my beer, loving the music…
This was one of those happy poppy Seattle bands that also had a nice bit of depth to them, as well as a bit of punk rocked noise and touches of something that went into more chaos and freedom. I had a few conversations with Denise after shows, before shows – the ones before the shows usually went better, as by the time the bands had all finished, my conversation usually ended up being a little bit slurred and probably more than a little bit silly.

This band has been around for a while. Playing and recording and making their music. Shifting sounds, but keeping their style. They’ve done a few tours, most notably playing the support for Built To Spill, and sometimes, you can hear some of the same sounds creeping through their songs.

This is possibly because Jim Roth joined up with Built To Spill somewhere in 1999 I think, as a touring guitarist, and then became a full-on BTS band member. This single, though, was before that – so the Doug Martsch influence is a little less on these songs.

Dave Keppel has done a whole lot of other singing, writing, guitaring for solo projects and other bands, too many to really get into right here, but I will note that he played with Doug Yule from the Velvet Underground, he was in Bone Cellar back in 1989, doing the Seattle grunge thing, and is writing songs for the Laughing Academy. Ah yes, Bone Cellar. I remember them.... talk about a blast from the past....

Denise went on to play with XXX Audio, alongside Brian Burnside, and I remember a couple of those seattle tribute shows when we black nite crashers ended up sharing the stage with them triple x audios. Like one of those many Cure cover nights, for example. Those were fun. I think we also hung out with them in Bellingham one night – they were playing down the street with Visqueen, and we were up there playing with Bobby Pins & Batteries, and after our respective shows we all gathered at some motel and had a little rock ‘n’ roll after party. At least, I think that’s how it went down – that night is a little blurred.

Anyhows, Denise also played (plays?) with the Heavy Hearts, still alongside Brian Burnside – the band that features members of “The Delusions, The Bali Girls, and Engine Kid". I haven’t heard this band, but I’m definitely curious now…. love them Bali Girls, and of course, the Engine Kidders (as a little reference point, XXX Audio included members of the Bali Girls, the Black Panties, and Me Infecto).

Matt Marti has followed along with Dave, it seems – playing in Bone Cellar, the Delusions, and now the Laughing Academy.

myspace monday # 5: Sugar Army

2009-08-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

My ears hit a nice selection of new music over the weekend, but when i actually sat down to figure out which one moves into the myspace monday mess it's Sugar Army that marches into place.

Sugar Army on the Myspace

A young and energetic quartet from Australia (Perth) who have managed to combine dark dynamics and intense energy. Bringing to mind recent bands like the White Lies at times, but also hitting on notes that move between The Trail Of Dead and perhaps Killing Joke.

There is a menace and noise within the songs that allows them to sink deeper within you while the melodics and harmonies keep it feeling smooth.

There is definitely a touch of the 80's darker goth touched britpop (echoing the bunnymen, a little), but it's kept nicely from becoming stale through the inventive percussion and bursts of glorious white light guitar.

It looks like they are currently touring (Australia) in support of the new album, "The Parallels Amongst Ourselves", and who knows, one day - they might start moving across North America as well.

live photo taken by Kate Griffin - www.griffinrocks.com.au

the nightcaps: you lied

2009-08-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

The Nightcaps
You Lied (ReMix) b/w The Last Of The Secret Agents

Estrus Records (1999)
ES 7115

Dan Cunneen - Drums
Theresa Hannam - Vocals
Garth Brandenburg – Guitar
Robert Fucci – Upright Bass
John Broeckel - Percussion

*design by Art Chantry

The B-side is their take on a Lee Hazlewood song,
The group debuted with Split in early 1998. You Lied, a slightly different version than this 7” mix, appeared on that album.
Just because, well, because I can – I’m going to reprint a review I wrote of this 7” for Ink 19. Probably about 10 years ago, but it still works:

Heartbroken swingin' at the beach party. "You Lied" is a smokin' go-go dancin' ditty with tough girl vocals and garage guitars. Catchy and jaded and paying respects to some purely cinematic visions. This isn't lounge, it's what you listen to after you've left the lounge where your boyfriend became your ex-boyfriend and you feel like crying, but you don't want to cry... you want to get angry, you want to get angry with style. You light up a smoke, get in your big red boat of a car, head towards the depths of the city nightlife with the Nightcaps blaring on the tape deck. The b-side is a Lee Hazlewood tune sending shivers of cigarette smoke and shadows through the speakers. Secret agent sounds with sunglasses, shot in slow motion black and white.
So, yeah, that about sums it up. I’d probably be doing more reviews like this on these pages, if I had more time.

A fun Seattle band that I enjoyed seeing a few times, they ended somewhere in 2003 and left behind a few great songs and lounged-out memories.

Dan Cunneen was in Final Warning alongside Tim Paul, who I worked with at the Lava Lounge and was also in Gruntruck and a damn fine DJ. Cunneen also played in Zipgun and much more currently, Sugarsmacks.

Theresa moved down to Los Angeles, and I’m not sure if she’s making music or not, but hopefully she is…

Garth was in the Crows, the Moonspinners, and Lushy.
Robert Fucci replaced Bill Herzog (Citizen’s Utilities / Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter / Joel R Phelps and the Downer Trio).

And, well…. That’s all I got.

the coctails: 3/4 time

2009-08-08T15:44:00.000-07:00

The Coctails “3/4 Time”
Rose Selavy b/w Traveling Circus / Walt’s Waltz

Hi Ball Records (1993)
HBEP-0293

John Upturch – guitar, clarinet
Archer Prewitt – guitar
B. Norman Phipps – bass
Mark Greenberg – drums, accordion
Dave Crawford – trumpet, accordion

(Dave Crawford appears courtesy of Poi Dog Pondering)
*first pressing: 221 / 1000*

I discovered the Coctails in a slight roundabout way. First, for me, was the Sea & Cake, which was my first introduction to the styles of Archer Prewitt.

Then I discovered the Sof’ Boy comic book… which led me back around to the Coctails. I think, even then, it was from the Sof’ Boy comic to one of Dame Darcy’s little mini-comics, and from that I discovered the Dame Darcy / Coctail collaboration – and then I was there – hitting the easy chair with my slippers on and my Manhattan in hand, listening to the Coctails spin.

This band moved between loungecore and garage jazz, and were often lumped in with the whole cocktail culture revival thing that hit in the late 90’s, but I think they kind of had their own little circle that moved more towards the artistic and avant-garde.

Hi-Ball records was a vinyl only label created by the band, for themselves and some of their friends and contemporaries, including Dump, Dianogah, and the Vandermark Quartet, among others.

John Upturch also played in Dianogah as well as the Rachel’s, Archer Prewitt has done some solo work as well as the Sea and Cake releases, and has collaborated with Sam Prekop.

Barry Phipps started up the label Tight Ship Records, as well as the North Branch Recording Studio.

Mark Greenberg plays with Archer Prewitt, and Eleventh Dream Day, and Dave, well, Dave is a Poi Dog.

ed hall: deth

2009-08-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ed Hall:
Deth b/w Witless Tilt

Trance Syndicate (1991)
TR07

Kevin Whitely
Larry Strub
Gary Chester

There’s pretty much no info on this 7”, not even a mention of who’s in the band, but I’m assuming that at that point in 1991 it was the people listed above. The original drummer was John Buron, who (I think) left before this 7”. Later, Lyman Hardy replaced Kevin on the drums, who had replaced John.
I got this single in Denver, after hearing the A-Side being played in the store. I had really no idea about the band, but it was a cover of “Beth” by Kiss, replacing that name with death. A must have, if you ask me.

Ed Hall were kind of fitting in with the whole early Butthole Surfer thing, although I think with a little more silliness involved, as opposed to craziness. The band also appeared in the movie “Slacker”.

The band split in 1996, except for a reunion in 2003, and other than that, I don’t think there have been any other Ed Hall appearances, but I could be wrong.

Gary Chester spent time in Moist Fist and Gold, Lyman Hardy played in a number of bands, including the Goin Along Feelin Just Fines. The two joined back up with Larry Strub to play in the “retro-futuristic cosmic dance-rock combo” Pong.

Kevin Whitely was also in the band Cherub, and then joined up with the Pretty Please alongside Matt Hovis from Cotton Mather and Carrie Clark from Sixteen Deluxe

(and I loves me some Sixteen Deluxe).

Don’t have much more than that for you at this point, but still…. “Deth” remains a classic, so listen, and let it take you away.

myspace monday # 4: Heat-Ray

2009-08-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I discovered a possible new favorite band…

Heat-Ray.

And they’re Canadian!

Now, I know there’s a lot of great Canadian bands, but it seems to be a rare thing for some Canadian Content to get across the border, and when it does, rarely does it sound as good to me as this does.

Not only are they from Canada, but from Alberta. Now that surprised me.

The first song hits with some kind of crazy Dinosaur Jr. Swervedriving against a little Bloody Valentine. The main vocals have that kind of J. Mascis drawl, but the harmonies hit nice and MBV.

Second song moves a little more sexy Sonic Youthy, with some nice Kim Gordon poeticals creeping through the blur and distortion of the guitars.

While there is a newness to the sound, the thing that keeps getting me is the way the songs definitely know their history. It’s not just some new shoegaze buzz band hitting the sounds that they are hearing right now, there’s an old school noise crawling through the chords, making me think of bands like Live Skull and some of the New York No Wave crowd. I don’t know if it’s done on purpose or just a nice sonic accident, but either way – I like it. The song “Take It Down” is so amazingly Dinosaur Valentine, it makes me shiver.

Upcoming shows for you lucky Canadians:

Aug 15 2009 8:00P
The Marquee Room Calgary, Alberta

Aug 22 2009 8:00P
The Pawn Shop Edmonton, Alberta

Aug 29 2009 8:00P
Local 522 Calgary, Alberta

Re-up: Itch

2009-08-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick Sunday re upload for Tony:

We got a little virtual Itch -
Bones 7"

various: colorado krew III

2009-08-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Colorado Krew III
“This Is My Donut”

Keep In Mind – yours (or, out of convenience)
Dogbite – verge of nothing
Again – bradin full on
Jux County – pick your brain
Fluid – don’t wanna play
Hobbledehoy – turn back the clock
Acid Pigs – white lie
Warlock Pinchers – confrontation, yeah! yeah!

Donut Crew (1990)
DCR007

(all tracks included in linked file)

Ok, this one, I think, falls right between the previous two in terms of obscurity. I definitely got this in Denver. It was a Wax Trax purchase, and it holds some nice little indie Colorado gems.

Let’s go band by band, and there are a couple of these which leave me with pretty much nothing, so, I’m doing the best I can…

Keep In Mind:
On the jacket it says the song is “yours”, but on the vinyl it says the title is “out of convenience”. Some of the members were in a band called Atomic Dilemma before they moved on to other bands like this one and Again, who also appear on this comp.

Dogbite: Steve Shiramizu / Tim Beckman / John Meggitt / Tom Kennedy / Dan Zelinkoff
Dan was in a band called IZ with Mike Serviolo, who has appeared on this blog before (Jux County).
Steve Shiramizu has been involved with The 100 Band, El Espectro, and played with fellow Dogbiter John Meggitt in bands like Brother Rat and Rope. El Espectro became The Emirs, with Steve, while John moved on to work with his new label, Blue Lamp. All of this is fairly old news, but that’s what I got.
Tim Beckman was also in Rope, but moved on after the Dogbite to play in Spell, with Garrett Shavlik – of the Fluid, who I opened for in Boulder when I was playing with the Radio Junkies. He also married Chanin Floyd (of 57 Lesbian, who played at that same Fluid show with us. And yes, I’ve got the flyer… somewhere, and yes, I’ve already mentioned all of this.)

Again: Bo Pogue / Jared Poley / Dave Clifford / Devon Rogers
Oh where have all the young punks gone. The song here was recorded in March of 1990, and everyone in the band looks like they are just trying to get the hell out of high school. The song here is a tribute, of sorts, to Mark Bradin, who produced this little ditty, and did some guest vocals (and chimes).

I was living in Boulder, Colorado as of August 1990, and somewhere between there and moving to Denver a few months later, I found myself hanging with this band called Bunny Genghis. I attempted, very unsuccessfully, to play drums for them. Not my thing. Somewhere, i have a practice song on cassette, but i think even if icould listen to it right now, i probably wouldn't want to. It was definitely an experience, and I think the band played a house party shortly after I made a drumming fool of myself, and Mark Bradin was doing the drums. We all hung out a few times, doing those boulder punk things, and then I kinda drifted away Denverwards. Still, good times. And yes, I’ve mentioned this a couple of times here already, but these things seem to keep coming back.

Jux County:
I’ve written about this band before here, another 7”, another post. I always enjoyed seeing this band play live, and I’m so pleased that I had the chance to hang out with them on more than a few occasions.

Fluid:
Another band that’s been mentioned here. Another band that has been written about by many others. It’s nice to hear them alongside all of these other bands, though.
Lesse – the first non-seattle band to sign with Sub Pop. The album Clear Black Paper from 1988 is my favorite Fluid album.
The Fluid formed from the remnants of the Frantix, and were called Madhouse before changing their name.

Hobbledehoy:
Seriously can’t find anything on this band. Hmmm… I know they were playing the Boulder scene while I was playing the Denver scene. Doing my time in bands like the Radio Junkies and Psycho LoveScene.

Acid Pigs: Arnold / Jack / Dave / John

They’ve been around, they’ve played with the Accused, from Seattle. They’ve been on Myspace since 2008. They’re old skool. They’ve had a couple of line-up changes, and that’s all I’s got.

Warlock Pinchers: King Scratchie / Karen Carpenter K-Sum (K.C. K-Sum) / EEROK / 3KSK / DDROK / Pontiffical Scratchie Salad.
This is Warlock Pinchers, 1990. I worked with Eerok while at Wax Trax in Denver, and I have a few Warlocked memories from those days. While not quite like the hit singles that many know and love (“Morrissey Rides A Cockhorse” / “Where The Hell Is Crispin Glover”), “Confrontation…” is still a damn fine Pinchers song. It’s a little bit like some gothic industrial Dead Milkmen, but way better.
In 2002, like a decade after the last Warlock Pinchers show, an album called Imposters was released, with 31 tracks of different bands playing Warlock Pincher songs.

“Got together, wrote some songs, got in a van, played some shows, van broke down, band broke up.”

various: teriyaki asthma vol. III

2009-08-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Teriyaki Asthma Vol III

Babes In Toyland - fleshcrawl
L7 - bloodstains
Frightwig –hellway to high
Dickless – sweet teeth

C/Z Records ( 1990)
CZ017

(all tracks included in linked file)

So, I’m going to keep this one fairly short, as these bands are a little less obscure than bands like, oh, I don’t know… Big Nurse. So there’s been plenty of info on these bands, and other bands these people have been involved with, and I’m not going to find much new info…

So, for the most part, I’m just going to let the music speak for itself.

I picked this up probably early in 1991, while doing the Denver drag. Partly just because of the Teriyaki Asthma thing, as I had the first 2 comps (although now I think I’ve either given away or ebayed my vol. 1… these things happen). I also had a little crush on Frightwig.

This is like the cool punk grunge riot grrl Teriyaki Asthma release, and it also holds my favorite L7 song. Not that it’s their song, but I always really liked their version of it. Although, I have to say, that “Sweet Teeth” is pretty awesome also.

This single makes me feel all 1990 inside, and I mean that in a good way.

Babes In Toyland: Kat Bjelland / Michelle Leon / Lori Barbero

The Babes formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The image, or the way Kat dressed was known as the kinderwhore look. I did not know that. Their debut album, Spanking Machine came out in 1990 and the band was invited to tour Europe with Sonic Youth shortly after that.

L7: Donita Sparks / Suzi Gardner / Jennifer Finch / Dee Plakas

A Los Angeles band that formed somewhere in 1985. A year before that infamous beginning, Suzi Gardner had sung backing vocals on Black Flag’s “Slip It In”. They were signed by Epitaph in 1988 and released their debut album. Smell The Magic came out on Sub Pop in 1991.
“Bloodstains” is originally by Agent Orange, a band that I sometimes love, sometimes don’t. it all depends. It came out on their first 7” in 1979.
(personally, I’m a sucker for This Is The Voice from 1986, but that’s just me…)

Frightwig: Deanna / Rebecca / Robert

From San Francisco, this band was actually probably inspiring to all of the other bands on this single. They formed in 1982 and stayed together until 1986, and reunited briefly in 1990, possibly for this release, but probably for a little EP that I actually have not heard.
Actually, out of all four bands represented here, Frightwig is the band that holds the most memories for me. Dickless, kind of, but that’s more because of how blown away I was the first time I heard Jana McCall do “Mother of Earth” on her 1998 solo album and less because of Dickless. Although there is also that Teen Angels connection, which leads to many other things.
Anyhows, back to the Frightwigs.
It was 1985 when I first came across a copy of Cat Farm Faboo, which reminds me – I have to get to my storage boxes of vinyl and find it, ‘cause I could really use a loud blast of “My Crotch Does Not Say Go” spinning off the record player.
“Yes, there are times, like right now, when I’m real hot. Yes, tonight’s the night. I’m alright, but you’re not!”
Ahh, glorious vinyl.

I enjoyed the Faster Frightwig, Kill Kill album, and then in 1989 Rebecca and Deanna managed to get Lyn Perko, from Sister Double Happiness (love them!), to hit the drums, and recorded Phone Sexy. But Cat Farm Faboo was one of those albums that I would just sit in my room and listen to, loud, and have my parents wonder what the hell was going on with me. That and Flipper’s Gone Fishin’. There were definitely others, but those two albums are a huge part of my 1985.

I came across this quote, evidently spoken by one Courtney Love, who said that without Frightwig "there would be no Hole, no Babes in Toyland no riot grrl and no PJ Harvey"

And last, but by no means least…
Dickless: Kelly Canary / Kerry Green / Jana McCall / Lisa Smith

I’ve mentioned Kelly before, in my little Teen Angels post. I guess that this band was labeled “Foxcore”, alongside the Babes in Toyland, Hole, and the Lunachicks.
Did you ever see Foxes? The 1980 movie with Jodie Foster and Cherie Currie (and Scott Baio)?

No reason. I just thought of it when I wrote “foxcore”.

The band Angel was in that film too, as was Laura Dern.
It seems as if, for whatever reason, Thurston Moore was the guy who coined the term “foxcore”.

I learned that little tidbit from the lamestain blog, which is a nice place to go when looking for some cool but slightly lesser known Northwest Musical greatness.

So, anyhows, Jana McCall put out a couple of brilliant solo albums, and has made some wonderful music with Mark Pickerel (Screaming Trees / Dark Fantastic / Truly) and also with the band The Ruby Doe. Kelly Canary was replaced by Megan Jasper, who I met after she had done the Dickless thing and was busy working at Sub Pop HQ.
Lisa Smith was in the Teen Angels, Atomic 61, Alfajerk, and a whole lot more.
Kelly Canary, I think, also did some vocals in the band Earth, formed in 1990 by Dylan Carlson, who I worked with briefly during my Sub Pop stint.

various: holier than seattle

2009-08-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

“Holier Than Seattle” Compilation

Freak Theater – give an inch
Glueneck – save
Big Nurse – love you tomorrow
Nude Swirl – fuck sharp

Heat Blast Records
HB003 – pressing of 1000

(all tracks included in linked file)

So, after the Cinderleaf split, I thought I’d hit with a couple of 7” comps. Why not.

Here we have, I think, New Jersey’s answer to Seattle, circa 1990 (or maybe 1991).

I’m pretty sure I picked this up while living in Boulder, prior to my stay in Seattle, but it wasn’t the “Seattle” that got me to buy this one, it was the fact that it had a band called Nude Swirl playing a song called “Fuck Sharp”. That was the big selling point for me. I had no idea who the band was, I just knew that those were four words that looked great together: nude swirl fuck sharp

So, lessee – first off, Freak Theater. They had their own little 7” on Heat Blast, and then there’s this:

There was a band called Middle Class Uprising, who have a lot of connections snaking all over the place, but the singer, Chris, went on to play in Freak Theater with Tommy Southard, who was in Social Decay.
Tommy went on to play with Godspeed, and Solace. (also played with Prunella Scales, the one album band side-project from Skid Row’s Rachel Bolan
Chris went on to play in Burnout King, and Reg – of Freak Theater – went on to play with Daisycutter, alongside Tim Cronin, who went on to Monster Magnet.

Glueneck – Jason, who was I think the singer, went on to play in Solace alongside Tommy.
Dargis played guitar, and has since played in a number of other bands, released a solo album, and is moving more into the recording / production world.

Big Nurse – was a small band with a huge sound. This should have been Sub Popped, I think. From what I’ve gathered, it was probably Bill Lovgren on drums, Ken Hulse doing the vocals, and Curtis Kile doing the guitar thing. At some point I think that the guitarist from Freak Theater leapt into the mix, but it didn’t last long.
Bill was in a band called Evergreen File, Curtis was in Laughing Soup Dish.
There was also a Big Nurse 7” on the Heat Blast, which I would love to find, although I have a feeling that’s a little close to impossible.

Nude Swirl managed to put out at least two entire albums, and also, I think, got some music floating around Beavis and Butthead. They formed in 1988, put out their first LP in 1989, released their self-titled CD in 1993 on Megaforce Records, and then they disbanded in 1995.
Original members included:
Shane M. Green on the vocals
Mike Toro on them drums
Mike left the band and then Nude Swirl was:
Christopher Wargo, Diz Cortright, Shane M. Green, and Woody Newland.

They toured with White Zombie, Danzig, and many others.

Dizzy went on to play with The Mad Daddies
Shane went on to play with SlapRocket and Lord Sterling
Bassist Chris Wargo formed his band LoveGas and opened Gas Works recording studio
Mike Toro played with the Joe Yello Band

So there you go. And here you go.

myspace monday # 3: We Fell To Earth

2009-07-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

so, i know, i shoulda been posting some 7" love over the weekend, but between a little trip to San Diego for Comic-Con craziness and friends visiting from Canadaland, i didn't have time.

good stuff coming soon though, promise!

in the meantime, here's a little myspace monday for ya.

the band:
We Fell To Earth

the myspace page:

W F T E

it's a little psychedelic, a litle shoegazey, a litlle britpopped, and a litle spacey in my head. Kind of reminding me of the Beta Band sometimes, and sometimes they just go off and remind me of something completely different. Like Suicide playing Air songs after listening to too much Mogwai. but again, that's just me, and only sometimes.

other times, this hits like some UNKLE side-project, a little dark shadow trip hop groove going on, and that's probably where most of it falls, since this UK male/female duo is comprised of Richard File (see also UNKLE) and Wendy Rae Fowler (see also Queens of the Stone Age & Mark Lanegan).

The low growl of tribal drums slips out into mellow back beat break beats, while the melodics snake and swirl, from lush to sparse and back again, haunting and haunted.

Hints of bands from IAMX to Portishead to QOTSA hit and hold and fade underneath a consistent flow, and i'm dreaming my way through this monday.

band photo by Chloe Dewe Mathews

myspace monday # 2: The Depreciation Guild

2009-07-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

ok, myspace hit # 2.

I came across this band, The Depreciation Guild, and the music instantly grabbed me, wrapped me up, and spun me around in dizzying circles.

from the myspace page:

The Depreciation Guild

What I'm loving is just a little two song 7", containing the songs "Dream About Me" and "Listless", but these two songs led me to the album In Her Gentle Jaws, which came out around the end of 2007.

The album is a little bit poppier than the single, pushing out a vibe that kind of reminds me of The Anniversary, but much fuzzier, while the single has this brilliant Cocteau Twins lushness over a slight My Bloody Valentine swirl. Still, the album hits real nice, combining some blipped out electronica that crunches against the guitar fuzz overdrive.

This trio is from Brooklyn, and have managed to combine a harsh and jagged edge with a smooth and hypnotic purr, to create something that just feels right, especially during these summer daze.

it looks like they will be doing some touring in September, a little Canada and a few States. Of course, it looks like they are missing LA and heading straight down to San Diego, but who knows...

I'm hoping to hear a new album - that moves more in the direction of the 7", 'cause i have a feeling that it will be, well.... Sweet.

*pedal photo by taylor peden
*purple silhouette photo by cole hannan

various: the maplehelm / cinderleaf

2009-07-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Split Single:

The Maplehelm
“racing to your head”

Cinderleaf
“a light marauder”

My-t Records / Vaporlamp Records (1997)

So, I never saw or heard the Maplehelm before getting this little 7”, but I do like the song. Cinderleaf, on the other hand, is a band that I saw, when we played with them back in 1999. I think it was at the Re-bar. The Weird Birds and Cinderleaf… and Matchless. I loved and adored Matchless. Muchly.
I have the flyer somewhere… I think we were mostly billed as “guests”, or, if we were lucky… “special guests”, at that point.
Musically we were quite different, but I really enjoyed the Cinderleaf set and they hadn’t managed to get any of their music other than this single to the show with them.

There’s no words, no info, no band members listed on this 7”, so this post is about as sparse as can be. I do know that there was an ex-Maplehelmer (at least one) who went on to join the Texas band Mechanical Walking Robotboy in 1997 or so. A band started by Christopher “Smarty” Smart.

Also from Texas was Cinderleaf… or, perhaps, they still are from Texas. I’m actually not sure if they are still playing or not playing or taking a little break from playing and will resume playing in the near future.

As far as band members go, I know they’ve gone through a whole lotta bass players. From the always wonderful myspace information world:
Kevin - Drummer 
Chris, Brandon, Chris, Dave, Chris, Colton - Basser/Vocaler 
Andy - Guitarer/Vocaler 
Jason - Vocaler/Guitarer

So, odds are that Chris was playing bass on this single, but I don’t know for sure. Also, Andy, Kevin, and Jason were probably involved as well.

I did find out that there might have been a name change as well, briefly. Not sure when, but at some point Cinderleaf became June. It seems that didn’t stick long, so they went back and added "The".
There once was a band called Cinderleaf…then they were called June…then they went to The Cinderleaf.
From what I gather, they decided to quit, but then played a show after they quit, called it a last show, but then they played a few more shows… so, I think it’s one of those, “well, you never know” kind of things.
I think it was supposedly over for the Cinderleafers near the end of 2005.

So, there you have it. Another one for the obscure history books.
Now I wanna go and listen to some Matchless.

ditch croaker: monkey wild

2009-07-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ditch Croaker:
monkey wild b/w sweet lucy

Fine Corinthian (1994)
Cor-004 (edition of 1,000)

Tim (Tim Newman) – vocals / guitar
Floyd (Tim Floyd) – bass / vocals / keyboards
Tim (Tim Barnes) – drums / vocals / percussion

Ok, so, I honestly can’t remember exactly when I got hip to the hep sounds of the Ditch Croakers… I have a feeling it was back in 1995 or so and I ended up getting a copy of the Chimpfactor CD to review for some kind of publication. Ink 19 perhaps?

Not sure, but I know I liked it – a collection of older singles and released on their own label – Fine Corinthian. Evidently the hit of the bunch was this song “Monkey Wild”, which you can hear for yourselves right here.
I know that at the time I was definitely appreciating the lo-fi indie grooves, the little hits of Sebadoh and Pavement and Sonic Youth and all that, and thinking that this band did it all quite nicely. Slacker Grunge Pop with nice hits of fuzz and distortion.

Other than a handful of singles, there were four albums, the last being Tranquil Waters – released by Vital Cog in 1999.

This, unfortunately, is one of those bands that does not have a lot of info floating around. It’s hard enough to find stuff about the band, let alone trying to figure out what happened to Tim Floyd Tim after the band. Unless I’m just looking in all the wrong places, which could be the case.

The single (along with a couple of the albums) was recorded by Adam Lasus, who also did some great work with bands like Yo La Tengo, Madder Rose, Versus, Space Needle, Helium, and many more.

What else?
You tell me.

eureka farm: quinsonnas

2009-07-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Eureka Farm:
quinsonnas b/w headache (4-trk version)

Loosegroove Records (1999)

Arman Bohn – vocals / guitar
Jason McGerr – drums / vocals
Chuck Keller – bass / vocals
David Miklos-Snyder - alto saxophone / bass clarinet / keyboards / vocals

I bought this 7’ from the band one night when they were playing a show at the Lava Lounge. I always liked this band, although many of my friends at the time didn’t. That’s alright though, each to their own ears, I say. Well, I’ve never said that – but I did just write it.
So yeah, I knew of this band from playing the “consignment guy” at Orpheum records, and so I couldn’t resist seeing them play live at my favorite little bar. I think I saw ‘em at the OK Hotel as well, at some point, but I remember kind of digging the big sounds in the small confines of the bar, getting drunk, and buying this single. I probably said something really stupid as well, but thankfully I don’t remember that.

First off, the now defunct label, Loosegroove was started (I think) in 1994 by Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard and Regan Hagar, to help and promote and push the sounds by the bands they like. They had a nice and eclectic roster, not all the bands were enjoyed by me, but I did appreciate the label. Anyone who can release music by Eureka Farm, Critters Buggin’, and Malfunkshun is alright by me. Regan Hagar, by the way, was in Malfunkshun, and also played with Stone Gossard in Brad – alongside Shawn Smith, but I’ll stop there, otherwise I’ll go off in completely the wrong direction.
Loosegrove released the first Queens of the Stone Age album in 1998, Eureka Farm’s album, The View, in 1999, and closed their record label doors in 2000.
The Loosegrove catalog moved to Will Records, and then Lakeshore Records, who seem to primarily deal with soundtracks. Speaking of soundtracks, listening to Eureka Farm can sometimes feel very cinematic, so that brings me back to the band I’m supposed to be writing about.

Nice segue, eh?

Eureka Farm started in 1996, and went by the name of Shed. Shed was Arman Bohn, Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer. You might recognize a couple of those names as also belonging to Death Cab For Cutie. Ben left and was replaced by Jason McGerr, Nick left and was replaced by Chuck Keller, and the Shed became Eureka Farm. That was 1997, the year they released their first album, Analog.
In 1998 David Miklos-Snyder joined the band, and in 1999 they released an album and this single.
Later, after the ‘Farm disbanded in 2000 or so, Jason joined up with Death Cab as well.

This is not music I can listen to all the time, but when I’m in the right mood – it’s perfect. There’s a strange balance of over the top prog-rock, a little bit of Pearl Jammy grunge, and hints of Radiohead battling it out with Sunny Day Real Estate. When they were on, man… they were On.

I think the Eureka Farm CDs are out of print, but digitally available on that iTunes thing.

So – Jason, off with the Cute Dead Cabbies. He’s made some drum noise with Neo, Pretty Girls Make Graves and Tegan and Sara as well, and has a Seattle recording studio that goes by the name of Two Sticks Audio.
Chuck spent some time in Neo, who also included members of Sharpie and Enders of Ozone.
Neo was another band that I really enjoyed listening to, and I remember trying to get them a show at the old I-Spy.
David Miklos-Snyder has been busy working on bits and pieces, classical music, strange sounds, possibly putting together some grand adventure in recording, and he has also been doing some musical work with Arman Bohn.

Arman between then and now, has evidently done a number of things, learning physics, working on films, making soundtrack sounds, and just recently he released Bits. An album that took two years to complete, and employs the use of many strange instruments. This includes, and I quote, “the magical toolbox, condenser microphones, special microphone preamplifiers, modified tube guitar amps and various virtual instruments.”
It’s an album that moves along the electronic pop rock roads, and who knows how far it goes. All I know, is after re-listening to my Eureka Farm, I’m quite intrigued.

why yes, i do think that there is a future in noise...

2009-07-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

Starting 7/20/2009, at 1 PM PST (4 PM EST; 9 PM BST) and running all through the day, to mark the 1-year anniversary of A Future in Noise, there will be a virtual chat going on about things like independent music, on-line promotion and radio, and the current state of the music industry.

I also suspect topics might run towards many other things, most of them probably worth hearing or talking about.

so, check it out if'n you want, and feel free to spread the word, yo.

myspace monday # 1 : There Will Be Fireworks

2009-07-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

so,
don't know if i'll continue with this little idea - maybe - who knows.

i get hit with random burst of new music, that usually are all digital and nowhere near a 7" single.
i thought perhaps i'd do a little monday music move, and it's starting here, short and simple - but i may expand on this idea in the future.

sort of like "currently listening to:" but different.

i stumbled across this band and was immediately overwhelmed. it's raw and rough and lush and full and hard and light and sparse and heavy and it just moved me.

from the myspace page:

There Will Be Fireworks

"We are thusly post-rock to appease our friend and sometime cohort Vinny The Barrier-Jumper and Glockenspielist with the Awesome Reverb Pedal. But we aren't actually, except that we don't know what we are or whatever. Three of us are in the EngLitSoc, one only nominally though. One of us is shoe-rave and wears white hoodies. One of us is obsessed with Jeff Mangum. One of us is obsessed with German nuns. One of us likes to move all the furniture in his house from one room to another as a pastime. And he never answers his phone."

antiseen: psycho killer

2009-07-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Antiseen
psycho killer b/w heavy mud (live)

Jettison (1991)
Jet008

Bass - Tom O'Keefe
Drums - Steve Sadler
Guitar - Joe Young
Noises - Gideon Smith / Tod Goss 
Vocals [Screaming] - Christie Espisito
Vocals, Backing Vocals - Jeff Clayton

I didn’t know much about this band when I bought the single – also a little Denver record store find – but I was into hearing a punk rock talking heads cover, so throw down a couple of dollars and pick up a little vinyl.

Antiseen were the backing band on G. G. Allin’s “Murder Junkies” album, but I’m not going to go in that direction here. I did hang around with a few crusty punks in the Denver scene who were into that whole Nihilistic Punk thing, but I kinda moved more towards the melodic goth glam at the time.

When Allin died in 1993, Jeff Clayton took over as a replacement in the Murder Junkies for some live shows in 1995

This band pushed through the releases from around 1988 until, well, sometime in the future, and it looks like there were a couple of line-up changes. Here we got the full on 1991 Antiseen raging, with special screaming credits going to Christie Espisito. Can’t beat the “Scream” credit.

Tom O'Keefe did some tour managing, including a stint with Train, as well as bands like Lustre and Watershed.

Steve Sadler was one of Antiseen’s many drummers (5?)

Joe Young and Jeff Clayton are pretty much the constants in the Antiseen scene, and are still doing it. Non-stop. Rocking the Midwest and the east coast in Antiseen, this summer, making the noise and playing it their way.

Crazy.

Tod Goss was the man behind Jettison Records, and gets to make noises, along with Gideon Smith, who was an Antiseen roadie.

Smith also played in “Gideon Smith and the Dixie Damned”, who, I think, are still going strong.

atari teenage riot: deutschland has gotta die

2009-07-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Atari Teenage Riot:
deutschland has gotta die b/w riot 1996 / riot sounds produce riots

Grand Royal / DHR (1996)
GR031

Carl Crack
Hanin Elias
Alec Empire

Ah yes, the infamous ATR. I never really got completely into this band, but they definitely had their moments with me and my mid-90’s moods.

There was a point while practicing with Black Nite Crash where our paths almost kinda crossed.

We were practicing at the Jambox and ended up sharing a space (briefly) with the Shizit, who had songs released on Alec Empire’s “Don’t Fuck With Us” compilation, and also joined him on his European tour. It was kinda nice, sharing that space – while it did get a little overcrowded with gear at times, the band was rarely there – notes on the drumkit reading “we’re in japan, love Shizit.” “don’t touch our crap, we’re in germany.” – or something like that….

I know, not really an ATR story, but that’s how it goes sometimes…

Alec Empire started making the noise with partners in crime Hanin and Carl, and named the band Atari Teenage Riot in 1992. in 1994 he started Digital Hardcore Records (DHR), and the first full length ATR album hit in 1996 and Alec joined forces with Mike D to work alongside the Beastie Boys Grand Royal label.

The band went on a hiatus in 1999, and Carl Crack passed away in 2001.

Alec still continues to remix, DJ, and make music in bands like Nintendo Teenage Robots (where all of the music composed was produced using only a Nintendo Game Boy), Alec Empire, and Alec Empire & The Hellish Vortex.

Hanin Elias left in 2002 to start up her own label, Fatal Recordings, which lasted until 2006.

She has relocated, moving to French Polynesia, and now, it looks like Chile – where she continues to make music.

I think, for me, if there was an Atari Teenage Riot hit single, it would be deutschland has gotta die. So, turn it up!

kill city: secret smile

2009-07-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

Kill City:
secret smile b/w beggin for more / cancer of the mind

Dionysus Records (1991)
IDO74514

T. A. Black – Killing Machine (Fender Stratocaster)
Andi Hayes – Queen Zombie
Tom Hofer – Free Bass
Darb Namztloh – Drummer Boy

Yellow & red splatter vinyl

I pretty much picked this up way back when just because of the picture on the sleeve, and the nicely colored vinyl… and the band name. felt very iggy pop to me. I kept it because, well, it kinda rocks.

I picked this single up in Denver, probably at the Wax Trax store. It seemed to fall right into my early 90’s listening pleasures, so I always wondered what happened to this band – I tried to figure it out, but all I got was, well, you know – these things happen.

Before he joined up with the Kill Cities, Tom Hofer was doing some wonderful stuff with the Leaving Trains – who are one of my faves, so there’s nothing wrong there – alongside Falling James and Sylvia Juncosa.

There’s a whole lot that I could write about them Leaving Trains, but that should wait for now. Tom was also involved with Sylvia in To Damascus, a handful of other bands, and a solo-project of sorts, “Clearinghouse”

Tom met up with T. A. and Andi, who were in The Web, brought in Brad Holtzman (Darb) from The Need – and there it was… Kill City – who I think managed only this one 7”.

Andi Hayes released a solo album (Eyeballs in the Ocean) in 2007, and is working full-on in that vegan psychedelic garage goth milieu. You could probably file this between the MC5 and the Lords of the New Church.

Not sure what happened during the space between 1991 and 2007, but perhaps that’s a mystery for another time.

Brad did the photography for the Leaving Trains album “Kill Tunes” –

Not really much findable info on T. A. Black, and both Andi and T. A were in The Web before Kill City hit, and Brad / Darb isn’t quite popular with the web hits, unless he stopped playing music and started doing some Hollywood costume and wardrobes
– but most likely that’s someone else… (maybe)