You may see, almost all of my faves are “cover bands” on a certain level. One noteworthy exception : Chokebore. It really bothered me and kept me awaked days and nights, wondering if there was something wrong with them (or with me). Until I saw Troy Von Balthazar playing “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone” at the end of his set a few years ago. Phew! Not too soon, Troy! I’ve been waiting, my friend.
Band status : inactive. Date : 1991-2003 Content : Dana Lynn: 1-Circle / 2-Pothead / 3-Son // Chokebore: 4-Nobody / 5-Throats to hit / 6-29 mile wind / 7-Now i crawl / 8-Narrow (1993) / 9-Brittle & depressing / 10-Nylon / 11-The Alaska / 12-Days of nothing (full band winter version) / 13-Pink deluxe / 14-Speed of sound (chokeboresound studio version) / 15-Her majesty / 16-Ciao LA (new version) / 17-Sections / 18-Be forceful / 19-The rest of your evening // B.Balthazar: 20-Enemies / 21-One last happiness / 22-Sweet receiver / 23-You could ice skate to this / 24-Red spider / 25-I want you to want me Check : the bath Missing : Dana Lynn demo tape & Chokebore unreleased live tracks (a terrible shame)
FagerstaRockCity. Regularly Sweden brings us bands that don’t meet the norm, equally adored and despised. The Hives fit in that category (note, because it’s probably the only thing they fit in – yeah, they act bigger than life). The Hives’ purpose is caricatural : a clownish singer, grinning and gesticulating in the foreground of a rather pale and effaced backing-band. The name of the singer is Pelle Almqvist. Elaborate in his gesture, stilted in his demeanour, provocative in his marketing pose, Howlin’ Pelle is the performer who titillates your low instincts. He’s the rock star you love to hate. That said, the fact that the Hives gained a worldwide success is meaningful. When going to see the Hives, leave your ego in the cloak-room, it won’t be handy. Not having to bear my pride or my know-it-all attitude is restful. The time of a record or the time of a show, I confide my life and my feelings to Pelle, and he’s the sort of guy who seems competent to handle them carefully (not so). There’s no danger, just plain intensity. And I like that.
Band status : active Date : 1996-2007 Content : 1-You think you're so darn special / 2-Cellblock / 3-Some people... / 4-How will I cope with that / 5-Bearded lady / 6-Let me go / 7-03:30 Punkrock city morning / 8-Gninrom ytic kcorknup 03:30 / 9-Numbers / 10-Back in black / 11-Untutored youth / 12-Fever / 13-Mad man / 14-Ramanda / 15-The hives are law, you are crime / 16-Lost and found / 17-Howlin' Pelle talks to the kids / 18-Walk idiot walk / 19-Genepool convulsions / 20-Keel-hauling class of 89 / 21-Uptight / 22-Hives meet the norm / 23-Born to cry / 24-Little lil / 25-Jag skriver inte på nåt (Moneybrother) / 26-Throw it on me (Timbaland) / 27-Christmas duel (with Cyndi Lauper) / 28-TV Live Medley Check : your tie Missing : live tracks
The word with the D4 is “frustration”. I’m talking about me, not them. A noise bulimic like I am cannot be contented with only two albums. The band called it quit in 2006. It’s hard to accept. I said it : I’m frustrated. Year 2002. In my darkest hour, in the winter of my discontent, when my tormented soul was fed by morbid thoughts and sordid issues, “6TWENTY” was a shining star. A band from the other hemisphere was enjoining me to “Come on” and to “Party”. How I could I refuse?
Band status : inactive Date : 1999-2006 Content : 1-Girl / 2-Outta blues / 3-What u want / 4-North shore bitch / 5-Don't believe in Xmas / 6-Get loose / 7-Joe Orton's wedding / 8-John Rock (live at 95bfm) / 9-Get loose (john peel session) / 10-Santa Claus /11-Joe 90 / 12-Invader ace (live) / 13-Outta blues (live) / 14-Pirate love (live) / 15-Ladies man (live) / 16-Sake bomb (japanese version) / 17-Rock n rule / 18-Diamond, ruby, stone / 19-Evil heart / 20-John Rock'n'Roll Sinclair / 21-Sleaze city Check : your shoes Missing : "High Voltage" (from "Garage Days OST")
NEW : The two frontmen have now a new band each : The True Lovers (Dion's one) and Luger Boa (Jimmy's one). I know it is uncool to upload new records. I did it with Luger Boa : Mutate or die debut album. The share is not limited in time but in count. The first 15 downloaders win a special free Maori tattoo on the back of the neck. I repeat : the first 15 downloaders win a special free Maori tattoo on the back of the neck.
Songwriting, lesson one : “Make it simple”. Lesson two : “Keep it simple”. Lesson three : “Don’t add anything, it’s just perfect”. Lesson four : “Label the paycheck to Kepi Ghoulie”. Kepi Ghoulie was not good cards given but he enjoys the game all the same. Like most punks, he’s a loner, an outcast, the depressive kind, suffering in secret. Like less punks, he’s funny and friendly, arms wide opened, entertaining in society. “No matter where you’ve been / be a Groovie Ghoulie”: it sounds like the call of unity the punk scene was promoting before jealousy & self-pity & auto-glorification & crybabies complaint took the forescreen. Individual deficiencies are sublimated in the Ghoulies’ songs. You should see what they can do with only one chord and one singing line. Not to mention the b-movie imagery and cultural knowledge that make you go “nudge-nudge” and say to yourself “well done, man, I know what you mean”. One day the true genius of Kepi Ghoulie will be acknowledged.
Band status : inactive Date : 1990-2004 Content : 01 / Pop goes the world / 02-Hell house / 03-Skeletons / 04-Pet sematary / 05-Girl in black / 06-Christmas on Mars / 07-My Christmas card to you / 08-Don't go out into the rain (you're going to melt) / 09-Dead end / 10-Child of the Moon / 11-Flying saucer rock'n'roll / 12-Day in, day out / 13-We go so good together / 14-Sad vacation / 15-All aboard / 16-Gates of steel / 17-Dolomite / 18-Trick or treat / 19-Devil town / 20-Wild, wild Jayne / 21-Someone's looking at you / 22-I don't like mondays / 23-My girl's retro / 24-Magic 8-ball (Cub) / 25-Magic 8-ball (Head) / 26-If 8 was 5 (a slight return) / 27-Funny funny / 28-Valentine / 29-Planet Brian Jones / 30-Come on (live) / 31-Doin' fine / 32-R.A.M.O.N.E.S. / 33-You can't go home / 34-K.N.O.C.K.O.F.F.S. / 35-Someone is always not happy (alt.) / 36-School is in (alt.) / 37-She hangs out / 38-Graveyard girlfriend (live) / 39-Ghoulie family (live) / 40-The beast with 5 hands (live) / 41-Rock'n'roll damnation / 42-The brews / 43-'Cause you don't know me / 44-Little black egg / 45-Are you passionate? (live) / 46-Doin' fine, Free bird, Hard night's day (live) / 47-Lonely heart blues, R.A.M.O.N.E.S., Criswell predicts (live) / 48-Love defined / 49-The time warp / 50-Normal (is a million miles away) / 51-99 girls / 52-Loser like eye Check : “Project Ghoulie” (unofficial release) Missing : "No offense but I love you", "Rumble in the housing projects"
So you still want to know how the Supersuckers became the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world ? I’ve got the answer. Like that good old Bobby Johnson or that good old german doctor, they treated with the devil. The remainder is secondary. The devil is naturally greedy, so. Making tons of records, giving tracks on loads of comps, playing two-hours-long shows (with the country Supersuckers as an opening act for the punk Supersuckers or the punk Supersuckers as an opening act for the country Supersuckers), corrupting millions of fans, dialing 666, drinking and driving, all that is daily routine. They signed to pour the shit, the sweat, the blood out of their body and soul, so who’s complaining? They made a deal, didn't they? I always thought Eddie Spaghetti was a really good singer. Slowly but surely, I’ve come to discover he was an even better songwriter. Seems like the spell operates, huh?
Band status : active Date : 1993-2005 Content : part1: 1-Drinking n driving / 2-Your mom rules / 3-400 bucks / 4-Ozzy (alternate ending) / 5-Nitroglycerine / 6-Whiskey river / 7-We'll call it Christmastime / 8-Pseudopsychopharmacology / 9-Are you ready? / 10-Mother Mary / 11-Angel is the devil / 12-N.Y.C. / 13-Ball lightning / 14-Play some rock'n'roll / 15-Rock'n'roll singer // part2: 16-I'm poor / 17-That is rock'n'roll / 18-The least I could do / 19-Up to the curb / 20-Get it on / 21-Cowboy song / 22-Shit fire / 23-Thinkin' out loud / 24-Girl I know / 25-Rock your ass / 26-My beady eyes / 27-The trick & the tactic / 28-Mean-eyed cat / 29-Jailbreak / 30-Stuff n sense Check : “How the Supersuckers became the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world” CD, “Devil’s Food” CD Missing : none (… I think)
Fronting a journalist who asked if Herman Düne’s music could be labeled as “urban-folk”, André Herman Düne, more tongue-in-cheek than ever, replied “yes I like urban-folk. I also like urban-pop, urban-rock, urban-jazz. I must confess I also have a weakness for urban-country” Officially, 7 albums have been released under the name “Herman Düne”. Beside, about 40 albums are circulating from hands to hands. Including solo works, side projects, several radio sessions (with songs that do not appear on albums), HD as a backing band for Turner Cody or Julie Doiron, full participations for Kimya Dawson, the Wave Pictures, Jack ‘Lesser’ Lewis, , and so on. Saying that they are prolific is an euphemism. More specifically : they were. The departure of André in the fall of 2006 was a brake in the living. And a growing indisposition is perceptible here in the songs. David sings “my mother said my brother was her favourite child” in “When the sun rose up”. André sings “I moved away from my friends and family / and became an enemy of society” in “Stanley Brinks”. If not a latent animosity between the two brothers, an embryo of rivalry is born. Ah, family affairs… Without André, it is not the same band anymore. It’s rude to write this down because David is a nice guy. He’s a real nice guy but his songs become more and more superficial (I’m going to the laundry, let’s make a song out of it!), more and more chatty (in a Bob Dylan kind of way). While André, well, he may be not that nice, but he’s a better songwriter obviously. On the way to release their last album “Giant” on a major-label (Source Etc), David was wondering: “I hope we are not making the biggest mistake of our lives”. Time has told it was a horrible one. Go on and live with it, David. The horror is human.
Band status : active Date : 1999-2007 Content : 1-Money makers on my back / 2-Born a king / 3-Early morning chocolate at Jack & Jill's / 4-No revolution / 5-The backyards berries / 6-Just like that / 7-Fire / 8-It's better asunder / 9-Drunk train (Red) / 10-The beast in me (Red) / 11-So fast / 12-Dance me / 13-Watch and smile / 14-A wiser man / 15-The loneliest man / 16-Sweet heart fever / 17-Doughnut song / 18-Ocean bird (Kim) / 19-You are such a mountain (Lava Lava) / 20-Your priorities / 21-No matter what the middle men say / 22-New Bethleem / 23-Best seller / 24-Baby bury me now / 25-I wish i had someone that i loved well / 26-Song for Golda / 27-Pure hearts / 28-Song of Samuel /29-Over all (Françoiz Breut) / 30-Please be angry (Françoiz Breut) Check : your cap Missing : “What do you know (about my philosophy)”, “Skinhead”, “Carnival of souls (the red nose deer and the mountain goat)”, “Sitting beside you”
That post didn't exist a year ago, only lucky searchers will find Hayden deep down in the archive. Which is perhaps the place he aims to be. Although a new album ("The Place Where We Live") is being released in 2009, most informations about his rare or scattered songs have just vanished and are undocumented.
NEW contents Rare tracks : Take / I almost cried / Mild / Gouge away (Pixies) / Hazy / I wake up with me / A fortune I'd kept / Trees lounge / Carry on mentality / Wasting my days away / Neil Young song / Bad as they seem (radio edit) / Choking (alt. version) / Wasting my days away (alt. version) / The closer i get (first version) Demo 1993 : I believe I'm free / Trust you / Truck ride In September (cassette 1994) : Game / In September / Hardly / On & on / Bunkbed / Careful / Bad as they seem / Life's like / Less than / Stem / Causes me pain / My parents house Live samples (early years) : Famous blue raincoat (L.Cohen) / Wintertrip / Keep everything inside
Tim Kerr is a compilation man to the bone. One, because the music of his earlier bands (Big Boys, Poison 13) can only be found on anthology records. Two, because his following bands consisted mainly on doing 7” or 10” vinyl records, all reunited later on several compact-discs. These are tracks that escaped the compilation process.
Band status : what band are we talking about? Date : 1992-2004 Content : Lord High Fixers : 01-Next in line / 02-Poppa hoodoo / 03-Is paranoia a form of awareness? / 04-It's your curse / 05-Makin' time / 06-My house is burning / 07-Down the barrel of a gun / 08-Watch my 32 / 09-Inside looking out / 10-Buzz / 11-I'm hurtin' / 12-The things she said (Spaceland, L.A. 9-1996) // Monkeywrench : 13-Cold cold world (no organ) / 14-Out of focus / 15-Shutdown / 16-L.I.E.S. / 17-The pusher / 18-That trip your on / 19-6:10 Phoenix // King Sound Quartet : 20-Annihilate this week / 21-Memphis train // Jack O'Fire : 22-Jack the ripper / 23-Shake your hips // Total Sound Group : 24-Wake me when I'm over Check : Lord High Fixers (“Group Improvisation… That’s Music” CD / “When The Revolution Comes” CD) – Jack O’Fire (“The Destruction Of Squaresville” CD / “Forever” CD / “Beware The Souless Cool” CD) Missing : “Hoodoo Man’s Pins” (Lord High Fixers) // “Our Friends Are Friends”, “Almost Grown” (Total Sound Group Direct Action Committee)
Right, homemade comps are still avaiblehere (courtesy of “Rock Is Dead/R.I.P.” blog) and here (courtesy of “guerra in letto” blog) and I wrote some stupid words one year ago : The fore-mentioned covered the b-sides and compilation’s contributions of the man. Thus, what’s left ? The numerous collaborations with other artists. Here I would like to point the complacency of the practice, as Mark Lanegan’s participation is often underlined. Contenting himself with some “mm-mm” along the music and being credited with “backing vocals”. Which is not a bad thing at all. If there is a singer who is ghostly doing “mm-mm” on one song of one record and the disc is worth buying, no doubt it’s Mark Lanegan. Debunking Mr. Lanegan in a record is a full time job (and a pain in the ass). Now some editions are "US only" while others are "UK only". All that sweet discrimation pulls me off so I did my own sorting job to share with all. Band status : active (and rather well !) Date : 1994-2008 NEW Content: Part1 - file_under : She's not for you / Death don't have no mercy / Slide machine / Cripple creek / Café / Untitled lullaby / Nothin' in the world can stop me worryin' 'bout that girl / Josephine / Blood / Mud pink skag / Mirrored / All night long / Sneakers / Man in the long black coat / Museum //Session & Live : Deep purple / Tomorrow night / A taste of honey / Cinnamon girl / Dear Mr. Fantasy (false start) / Wild Colorado / Little bit of rain Download Part1.
Part2 - Steve Fisk - Johnny smoke (swamp thing) / Steve Fisk - This vacuum / Steve Fisk - One more valley / The Walkabouts - Feel like going home / Mad Season - I'm above / Mad Season - Long gone day / Mike Watt - Max & Wells / earthlings? - Rock dove / Masters Of Reality - High noon Amsterdam / The Desert Sessions - Hanging tree / Mondo Generator - Four corners / Martina Topley-Bird - Need one / Twilight Singers - No 9 / Twilight Singers - Hard time killing floor / Melissa Auf Der Maur - Taste you / Nick Oliveri - Autopilot / Nick Oliveri - Four corners / Isobel Campbell - Why does my head hurt so? / E.O.D.M. - I gotta feeling (just nineteen) / E.O.D.M. - I like to move in the night / E.O.D.M. - Poor doggie / Twilight Singers - Live with me / The Baldwin Brothers - The party's over / CWTAB - Black out, new hit / CWTAB - Crawl like a dog / Soulsavers - Blues run the game / Soulsavers - Ask the dust (demo) / Bomb The Bass - Black river / CWTAB - Lonely light Download Part2.
Part3 - Mark Lanegan & Q.O.T.S.A. : Auto pilot / In the fade / I think I lost my headache / No one knows / Song for the dead / Hangin tree / God is in the radio / Song for the deaf / This lullaby / River in the road Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell (singles) : Revolver (part II) / Further into the night / St James Infirmary / Sleep City // Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell : Keep me in mind sweetheart (MCD, Usa) : Keep me in mind, sweetheart / Fight fire with fire / Asleep on a sixpence / Violin tango / Rambling rose, clinging vine / Hang on // Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell : Sunday at devil dirt (CD2, Uk) : Revolver / Carry home / Willow's song / Sand / (Do you wanna) Come walk with me? / The circus is leaving town / Rambling Man Download Part3.
Check : “The Winding Sheet” CD (2 bonus tracks), Gutter Twins, Soulsavers, Isobel Campbell, Twilight Singers, Queen Of The Stone Age, Creature With The Atom Brain, Screaming Trees, the mail, the mirror, the closet, under your bed. Missing : who knows ?
The nightmare of every archivist. In arcana of records collectors, some whisper at each other’s ear : “How many Billy Childish’s related records do you miss?” –“About twelve, and you?” –“Oh! Only sixty two, but I’m working on it!”
Band status : inactive Date : 1990-2000 Content : 01-You've got your head on backwards / 02-Time will tell / 03-Davey Crockett (gabba gabba hay!) / 04-409 / 05-Mask of the Squaxin / 06-Hatred, ridicule and comtempt / 07-It's your own fault / 08-I want you to come into my life / 09-Lakota woman / 10-Have love will travel / 11-Give it to me / 12-No such number / 13-Reasons for hating you / 14-Now is not the best time / 15-Please won't you tell me / 16-Picket fence / 17-Sitting in my corner / 18-Tear it to pieces / 19-Girlsville / 20-Goldfish murder / 21-Your little light / 22-Kira's vowels / 23-Full blown square / 24-Sufference wharf / 25-Run chicken run / 26-Crazy Horse / 27-This heart / 28-It's bad / 29-Hardtail / 30-Automatic love / 31-I wanna get fucked / 32-When the night comes / 33-And also I have felt God / 34-Hangman / 35-I just wanna make love to you / 36-I remember // Billy Childish : 01-Ballad of Hollis Brown / 02-Gizzerley bear / 03-Hangman communication Check : “Elementary Headcoats” 2xCD (or 3xLP) Missing : the shadows knows...
I cheated with this one. Damaged Goods had released “Sisters Of Suave”, a collection of singles. I picked up some of it to make my own sampler. Enjoy it.
Band status : inactive Date : 1992-2001 Content : 1-Fish pie / 2-Cum into my mouth / 3-Davey Crockett / 4-Young blood / 5-Santa Claus / 6-Evil thing / 7-My boyfriend's learning karate / 8-Headcoat girl / 9-Strychnine / 10-Gotta move / 11-Automatic love / 12-Spineless little shit / 13-I'm happy / 14-Park it up your arse / 15-Johnny Jack / 16-Come and see me / 17-Now your hunger’s gonna be a coming / 18-Swallow my pride / 19-The prize / 20-Baby it's you / 21-Jackie Chan does kung fu / 22-This wonderous day / 23-Sing shed sink (Kyra) / 24-Paint it black Check : “Sisters Of Suave” CD Missing : none (…I think)
Compiling the Dirtbombs is a difficult thing to do. Fortunately, In The Red has made it easier with the double CD “If you don’t already have a look”. It’s simply the best sampler a band can afford to. Don’t look anywhere else, you won’t find a better one. 24 pages booklet. 52 tracks. Original lay-outs. Multiple-voices comments. Mick Collins’ liner-notes. Hats down. Mick Collins is “the” pope. He’s got a natural charisma that makes him an authority in the music world. He doesn’t even have to preach, everything he says is words of wisdom. If he says addiction is a bad thing, then don’t do drugs. If he says the world is an ecological disaster, then you’d better recycle. If he says we need more fuzz on the chorus, then you’d better listen to the record. “The best albums are all compilations, anyway. Why? Because they’re made up of SINGLES, duh”. Think of it for two seconds. Then put the record on.
Band status : active Date : 1997-2008 Content : 1-Wheatland / 2-Song for Heather / 3-Dirtbomb blues / 4-I'm through with white girls / 5-Temp / 6-Mystery train / 7-The house as a giant bong (dance mix) / 8-Missionary man (live) / 9-Oh Katrina (live medley) / 10-Candyass (live) / 11-Sherlock Holmes / 12-Nothing to do / 13-I need you tonight / 14-The devil inside / 15-Rocket U.S.A. / 16-I can't stop / 17-Politicians in my eyes Check : “If You Don’t Already Have A Look” 2xCD Missing : “Encrypted (demo version)”
Beware! Beware! Time to make your mark in Society (of the Spectacle) and question your bind with it. Consume. Do not consume. Do not be consumed. Herr… answer c) ? Huh! What have I bought today ? Bread. Hum, so answer a) ? (I knew there was a trick with this MCQ). Dennis Lyxzèn is a quite atypical kind of singer, he’s a literate one (purple prose alert! purple prose alert!). His combo Noise Conspiracy has a politic edge taking its roots with bands like MC5, The Clash, Public Enemy, Nation Of Ulysses (to name a few). Throughout their liner notes Noise Conspiracy also streches the mic to revolutionary authors like Jean Baudrillard, Guy Debord, Raoul Vaneigem, Gilles Deleuze, Karl Marx, Hans Arp, Emma Goldman (to name many). Musically, it’s 60’s rock oriented with a mod attitude, so the honour is safe. The first time I saw the Conspiracy live, Dennis Lyxzèn questioned the crew : “Do you protest ?” All I wanted to reply was : “Oh come on Dennis! Tomorrow, promised, I will destroy society, but right now I just want to dance!” Then, like he read in my mind, he said : “No, you don’t protest indeed, you’re just here to dance to the music”. I was legged-cut. The Conspiracy’s romantic politic investment isn’t only naïve but truly realistic. Their heart is at the right place. And I can certify Dennis Lyxzèn is sincere as hell. Therein, the first three panels of the “Smash It Up” video-clip represents the kind of political program I would adhere to. It says: "LOVE, HUMOUR, POETRY."
Band status : active Date : 2000-2007 Content : 1-Inner city rejects / 2-Sleeping pills / 3-The transmission / 4-Simulacra overload / 5-Ever felt cheated / 6-United by haircuts / 7-Weighing war on coma / 8-Writting on the bourgeois body / 9-Beautiful so alone / 10-Baby doll / 11-Waiting for salvation / 12-A textbook example / 13-When words are not working / 14-My star / 15-Guns for everyone / 16-A voice of our own / 17-Free me / 18-Shut up / 19-Washington bullets Check : your shopping cart Missing : none (...I think)
Sub Pop has done a great job collecting Mudhoney’s material with "March To Fuzz". Plus, the "Superfuzz Bigmuff" deluxe-edition now includes "The rose" and "Halloween", absent of the first edition. Still, there are strange omissions. Biggest of them all is the 1990’s "Thorn" (12"). Mudhoney was at a turning point at the moment of recording it. They were close to leave their typical "grunge" sound to invest a mere "garage-rock" sound. They headed to Australia and took a Celibate Rifles member to produce it. The third song is a cover of Thee Mighty Caesars "You make me die" featuring Billy Childish singing through the phone. Billy Childish fairly admitted he dislikes their heavy sound but would take the free-publicity for granted (Mudhoney was at the centre of a big hype and helped artists they like reaching fame). Anyway, here’s the opened file.
Band status : active Date : 1990-2008 Content : 01-Checkout time (alt.) / 02-You're gone / 03-Thorn / 04-You make me die (w/ Billy Childish) / 05-We had love / 06-Goodbye mo, hello Lenny! / 07-Please don't forget about us / 08-Freak momma (w/ Sir Mix-A-Lot) / 09-Tonight I think I'm gonna go down / 10-Buckskin stallion blues (w/ Jimmie Dale Gilmore) / 11-Goat cheese / 12-We hate the bloody queen / 13-War in peace / 14-Fuzz gun 2001 / 15-Blues for stoner / 16-Who will be the next in line? / 17-Long way to go / 18-Dig those trenches / 19-Urban guerilla / 20-I like to make noise and break things / 21-Street waves / 22-Gonna make you Check : “Superfuzz Bigmuff” deluxe edition 2xCD / “March To Fuzz” CD2 Missing : none (i think)
First woman to hit the “file under sacred music” series, I am proud to host Mrs. Golightly’s world of law. I worship her so much. Her songs have an universal reflection, dealing with such as lost, love, lost love. It doesn’t sound fun on paper but Holly Golightly mobilized not only your heart & brain but also your body as the music makes you snap (fingers), clap (hands), tap (feet), shake (hips), sweat (naughty bits). Sometimes it’s relieved and laid-back. Sometimes it’s dim and tense. Sometimes it’s rocking and swinging (and rather well). Holly Golightly introduced you to a world of mixed emotions. Absolutely overwhelming, if one dares to be surprised. Early 7 inches have been filed on the “Singles Round-Up” double album in 1998 (with a beautiful package by Arhole International Inc.). Pending the next compilation, here’s the tracks released since.
Band status : active Date : 1996-2008 Content : 1-In you / 2-Clean in two / 3-Pretty good love / 4-I'm gonna miss you (like the devil) / 5-All I want / 6-Ruler of my heart / 7-Don't mess around with love / 8-Little stars / 9-I don't hear you / 10-My love / 11-Slowly but surely (original version) / 12-Do or die /13-Christmas tree on fire / 14-Hear my call, here / 14-I want to hug you, kiss you, squeeze you (‘til my arms fall off) / 15-No big thing Check : “Laugh It All Up” CD (adding “Mary-Ann” EP and “Jiggy Jiggy” EP) / “Singles Round Up” 2xLP Missing : none (… I think)
Buff Medway was originally a label aimed at releasing the last album of Thee Headcoats. The reference of the disc was “Cock” (see picture). Then some records came out under the name “Wild Billy Childish and The Friends Of The Buff Medways’ Fanciers Association” (FOBMFA). Later, the name was cleverly shortened in “Buff Medways”. The band left the chickens obsession far behind to recreate episodes of World War I in front of photographs, adding on their late years Nurse Julie (perhaps because they have been wounded during the battle) in the line-up. “The Last Of The Buff Medways” is a rant in Billy Childish’s manner, making statements and taking names (John Peel, Kurt Cobain, Jacky White). Now the band have metamorphosed to “Wild Billy Childish and The Musicians Of The British Empire”.
Band status : inactive Date : 2000-2006 Content : 01-Fire / 02-Manic depression / 03-Demolition girl / 04-Medway sadness / 05-Just explain / 06-Into your dreams (single mix) / 07-Highway chile / 08-Hound dog / 09-One more letter / 10-Every moment / 11-Leave my kitten alone / 12-You make me die / 13-Nurse Julie / 14-The doo rek / 15-Merry Christmas Fritz / 16-Stille nacht / 17-Pink 14 / 18-Dear Lorna / 19-A quick one / 20-1975 / 21-Albion / 22-The last of the Buff Medways // The Stuckists : 01-Art or arse (you be the judge) / 02-Anachronism in the UK Check : your haircut Missing : none (I think)
Rocket From The Crypt’s discography is a mess. Even their official’s webmaster had given up keeping it to date. “All Systems Go” (19 tracks!!) and “All System Go 2” (25 tracks!!!), both compilation of rarities, weren’t sufficient to cover the whole world of RFTC’s scattered songs. Here is an attempt to gather the missing ones. NEWS : The recent release of "All systems go 3" (SWAMI records) made me rework this "file under RFTC". Some additions, some removal... Keep moving.
Band status : inactive Date : 1992-2006 Content : 01-Gold / 02-Nail biter/Battery licker / 03-Call it a complex / 04-Lie / 05-Video reign man / 06-Cancel Christmas / 07-Lumps / 08-From the dead / 09-I turned into a martian (live) / 10-I flame you / 11-Tattoo / 12-Tiger mask / 13-I drink blood / 14-Tiger feet tonight / 15-Watusi '98 / 16-Black eye / 17-Bombs away / 18-Free language demons / 19-Wrong and important / 20-Delorean / 21-On the prowl / 22-Come on / 23-California lights / 24-Flight of the hobo / 25-Bring us bullets / 26-My silverhead / 27-Disapointment and disease on the rope MCD series : 1-04.young livers [bbc - mark radcliffe] / 2-01.on a rope (live from the white room) / 2-04.suit city (mark radcliffe session) / 3-01.on a rope (live) / 3-03. don't darlene (mark radcliffe session) / 3-04. lorna doom (mark radcliffe session) | from a three MCD UK only release Check : "All Systems Go" CD / "All Systems Go 2" CD / "All Systems Go 3" CD / "Circa Now!" CD reissue (4 bonus tracks) / "Group Sound" second edition (3 bonus tracks) / "Hot Charity" CD edition (including "Cut carefully & paste" EP) / "The State Of The Art Is On Fire" CD (including "Plays Music Machine" 7") Missing : what is missing will be on the soon expected "All systems go 4" (unless Speedo lost the masters)
All right. It was a warm-up so far. Now the thing is getting serious. The “file under sacred music” will be a series of posts collecting b-sides, compilation tracks or rare songs by rather famous bands that made my day for a long time. All posts will be documented. If it happens I find new material, I will update the original post. So keep an eye on it if you’re still interested.
Now I would like to thank you for your comments and support. Most of you gave me the pulse to do this blog. I don’t regret it. Community sharing is sane. It’s cool to be part of something.
Notice of the “file under sacred music” archive files. The origin of the song is edited in the MP3 tags (name of the disc, year, track number). When available, the covers are included in a separate folder (not in the tags). The sound quality may vary (I don’t use normalization filters). If you find an error or if you have a special request, feel free to manifest.
Poitou-Charentes, 1995. People at Total Heaven record store & label instigated an international lo-fi answer to the running “MTV Unplugged” hype. Subtitled “another way to cook”, these are french, german, australian bands playing songs in the key of U. The highlight of the record is probably the Motörhead’s “Overkill” acoustic cover by D.I.T. (by the way, D.I.T. stands for “Deep-Into-Traci” – you all know the miserable old joke : -“Good Lord, good Lord, where is Traci?” –“I am Traci you dickhead, and don’t call me Lord, for you it’s gonna be Mrs Lord”). Well the funny thing is D.I.T. launching a rumour of a “Motörhead Integrist League” wanting to beat D.I.T.’s ass for having overkilled a classic. You also have Skippies doing “Into the groove” (Madonna), Twisted ‘Garlic’ Sister for an electro-cheap version of “Throw away the rind” (Helios Creed) and a little bit of a Depeche Mode tune, The Bartlebees for “Das sing von Prévert” (Serge Gainsbourg), Dog Shop doing “Sand” (Lee Hazlewood), Nic Dalton of Godstar (as himself) and a cool original song by Greedy Guts called “Sharks like surfers” (you all know the miserable old joke: “What’s the difference between a lawyer and a herring?” “One is stinking, sticky and disgusting / and the other one, well, is just a herring”. Period. I’m not getting paid for this, you can laugh all the same).
New York City, 1997. Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records political authority, is on his way to write few nice words of his bands for the forthcoming sampler “What’s Up Matador”. The ones addressed at Britt Daniel (lead-singer of Spoon) goes beyond usual compliments : “if there’s a better songwriter alive, have him send us a tape”. Flattery leading nowhere, as everyone knows, Spoon left Matador for a major company, Elektra Records, to issue their second album “A Series Of Sneaks” in 1998. Every indie band has a major label story to tell (my favourite one is from Steel Pole Bath Tub, forced to honour their contract by making another record for Slash/London, finally making it and calling it “Unlistenable” which is… well, it’s written on it – end of the story). Britt Daniel’s one is quite common by comparison. “A Series Of Sneak” didn’t sell. Spoon was fired soon after, leaving Britt Daniel bitter, betrayed and unsatisfied. So Spoon roved in the limbos of the bands with no contract, where he met a lot of people but made friend with no-one. They released a flexi disc where Britt Daniel had not enough of one song to express his anger, so he wrote two : “The agony of Laffitte” and “Laffitte, don’t fail me now” (Ron Laffitte was the man who signed them). This is possibly the best work of Spoon. Britt Daniel can be annoying sometimes but he has never been so cohesive and poignant than on this record. Every story has his inner moral. Spoon later signed on Merge Records, the label of Mac & Laura. They managed to re-issue “A Series Of Sneaks”, adding the two Laffitte songs as bonus tracks. I like happy endings.
First time you see Anjali (real name : Anjali Bhatia), if you go “Jeez, seen that asian type chick? She’s so gorgeous!”, you lose one point. Because Anjali is an ex riot grrl.If you go “I deeply respect her personality and soul despite of her physical attributes or her geographical origins", you lose two points. Because Anjali is an ex riot grrl. First time you hear the lyrics “you can do what you want with me”, if you go “See! See! The godamn’ bitch is asking for it!”, you lose one point. Because Anjali is an ex riot grrl. If you go “Hmm, I taste the subtle irony and the cultural contre-pied”, you lose two points. Because Anjali is an ex riot grrl. That’s it with riot grrls. You’re never right, riot grrls are too might. You’re always wrong, riot grrls are too strong. Yes, I could have been their poet or their communication man. Yes, I loved that twisted logic and the insecurity feeling flowing out of it. Yes, riot grrls were disturbing, yet forseeable. I mean: if you say “I’ve had enough enduring your bad mood, now can I get some oral sex in change?”, you already know the answer. I purchased the Anjali disc for one reason: coz Bruce ‘Bash’ Brand was playing on it. But I’m not into the trip-hop thing no more. And this record is calm, sooo calm. Calm and cold. I thought Goldfrapp was frigid but here you front a Goldfrapp breed. Pure nonsense. For an ex riot grrl with an attitude, have a look at Hanin Elias (ex Atari Teenage Riot). For a “riot grrl”-era production, have a retro-look at Huggy Bear’s side-project Blood Sausage (recorded by Liam Watson at Toe-Rag in 1993, courtesy of pukekos blog).
The web is not a safe place to be. Having a domain name has a cost. More and more bands & labels leave their official site in abandon to find shelter on MySpace. What we are losing here is a bucket full of free music. A striking example : The Brian Jonestown Massacre site was offering the band’s complete discography (plus live performances and rare sessions) for free. Now it’s over.
The following is a directory of free music bandwidth. It’s not exhaustive. But you’d better hurry to get these songs. No one can predict how long it is gonna be available. Let’s begin with the Stuck-Ups, a Seattle band which had ‘Nurse’ Julie Hamper for bassist in their early years. The Dashboard Prophets are buried now, their music is still alive. The Wave Pictures are sharing some unreleased tracks. Here, you can find a BBC session of Herman Düne (it’s a (not so) secret link). The three Railbenders records are streaming on their website (trick: rip it with Freecorder, don’t tale-tell I told you so). The Go offers their second album for your listening pleasure. The stunning Oreille Equitable’s congregation give you the key to a kingdom of crazy music and eclectic vibes, including a partnership between Skip Jensen & Seb Normal. Still in France, Bolchoi was, as the name stated, a punk oï band of the country. In Germany, the candy garage-pop of Curlee Wurlee is streaming. In California, Pansy Division, the queerest band in the world, is giving you a blowing job. The legendary “Double Live CD” of the Butthole Surfers is at hands too.
The live show must go on with Elephant6 label, providing live tracks and sessions of their psychedelic-pop tribe. Check also the archive.org’s Live Music Archive where I lay my head on the Dirtbombs page, the Supersuckers page and the Man Or Astroman? page. Also on archive.org, three records by The Fire Dept. (medway sound relatives). Finally ending with a Cramps fanatics double CD at “Trash Is Neat”.
Hope you’ll have a good time there. And if you don’t keep music evil, make a backup at least. God bless your hard drive. Amen.
******************************** Addendum 1 : An american band draw my attention on their work, it's called Community Gun (i liked the breathless voice and the sludgy sound). Like Barry Gibbs or the Trashmen said, "bird is the word", and i'm passing it. Addendum 2 : The swedish band Wire For Mono is giving the world a new single every dozens. Check it. Addendum 3 : 22 Pistepirkko allows access to the demo version of their sixth album. South-Florida all stars, Charlie Pickett and John Salton let you pick some samples (list reduced to the core, I myself picked several more in a recent past). Addendum 4 : Make your own CD with StereoTotal.
America’s most wanted satirist Jim Goad called the whole thing “a salute to the bullies in blue”. This record can be filed in an under-genre section (with no much records in store) : “the soundtrack to a film that does not exist”. There’s a theme (cops!), there’s a concept (cops!), there’s dialog-clips (entitled, for instance, “cops are the only people left”). There’s a country edge. There are classic songs covering (The Who, Isaac Hayes, Ennio Morricone, Tom Jones, John Barry and so on…). Who could doubt there is no movie behind? When Jim Goad settled down in Portland, he debauched local punk heroes Poison Idea to be the backing band for the recording. Other performances include Adam Parfrey, Nick Bogus, Anton LaVey, Boyd Rice (the “Apocalypse Culture” bad guys all set together). Those were the good days, before Jim Goad had troubles with justice. Prosecutor : “Isn’t that true that you beat your girlfriend down in Reno ?” J.G. : “No” Prosecutor : “Isn’t that true that you punched her repeatedly in the face and squeezed her throat in Reno ?” J.G. : “No” Prosecutor : “Isn’t that true that you knocked her, beat her, choked her and left her on the pavement soaking in her own blood, just to watch her die in Reno ?” J.G. : “N… Oh, I see! That was not in Reno, sir. That was in Seattle!
Anyway “Deep Inside A Cop’s Mind” shows you Jim Goad on the good side of the bat. And this is a pretty good record on Amphetamine Reptile. I read somewhere it has been only released on CD but I’m having it on vinyl (european pressing?)
From the town that brought you the Oblivians, the Compulsive Gamblers, Reigning Sound, Soul Filthy, American Death Ray Music, the Tearjerkers among others, here’s the last Memphis’ sensational and controversial figure: Jay Reatard. Not everyone can take it with Jay Reatard, I understand. Be it with his former band (the Reatards), be it with his solo works, Jay Reatard isn’t subtlety incarnate. My humble opinion is positively balanced. For the better, it’s screams, yells, noise, stupidity, amateurism, with a little 77 punk touch. For the worse, it’s screams, yells, noise, stupidity, amateurism, without a little 77 punk touch. Indisputably, he is a breath of fresh air in the Memphis scene where all eyes were focused on the ex Oblivians members Jack Yarber and Greg Cartwright. Surprisingly, it’s the most discreet of the ex Oblivians Eric Friedl (& his label Goner Records) who godfathered Jay Reatard and introduced him to the club. Bad Times self-titled album is a playful meeting between Jay Reatard, Eric Oblivian and New-Orleans’ special guest, King Louie Bankston.
Is it gonna be Billy Childish’s month ? Here’s two 7 inches by the New Bomb Turks, recorded in Billy Childish’s kitchen in 1993. You hardly can expect the New Bomb Turks to go lo-fi. But they do.
“I Remember” is part of the “blues trilogy”, along with “The 1982 Cassettes” and “I’ve Got Everything Indeed”, released on Hangman Books & Records in 1987. Some tunes appear on the CD “Crimes Against Music” anthology (Sympathy For The Record Industry), losing on wax scratches. This one is a rare one. It’s rare and it’s raw. I would recommend it only to Mr. Childish’s hardcore fans. And I am one of thee.
You all know Steve Turner, don’t you? No? Oh, come on! He’s the guy who always stands behind Mark Arm and follows him wherever he goes. Green River, Mudhoney, Thrown-Ups, Monkeywrench, New Strychnines : if Mark Arm is in a band, bet your flannel shirt Steve Turner is stalking around. He’s not Mr. Arm’s bodyguard, nor his personal stuntman, nor his drug provider, not his spiritual advisor, just the guitar player next to him. It’s a fact : they’ve done a lot of things together.
At a moment Steve decided to emancipate and to have his own band and to write his own songs. Oh, sure he was already able to do something without Mark Arm, like going to the toilets, wiping his ass or founding the label Super Electro but, to many witnesses, he was perceived as the second-hand man, condemned to remain in the shadow of his senior.
From 2002 to 2006, we all discovered that Steve Turner had a voice, a real talent as a singer/songwriter and he even grew a beard to show how mature he was. The first song of his last record begins with a cruel statement. “No-one gives a shit what you think. No-one gives a shit what you do. No-one gives a shit what you say, so you might as well do it anyway.” I don’t hear any bitterness in this. The song is catchy and joyous. Steve Turner’s solo-career might have been underrated. At least he has done it. And most important of it all : he has done it “his way”
Part 1 Steve Turner : "Searching for melody" (CD-Roslyn, 2002) Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter / Steve Turner (EP-Burn Burn Burn, 2002) Steve Turner : “A beautiful winter” (MCD-Houston Party, 2004)
Part 2 Steve Turner And His Bad Ideas : “s/t” (CD-Beautiful Happiness, 2004) Steve Turner And His Bad Ideas : “New wave punk asshole” (CD-Funhouse, 2006)
Last night I was sitting with a friend, the dead austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke and the dog of the Baskervilles.The dog said to me : “Look ahead Tintin, it looks like Milou is trying to tell us something!” Rilke softly coughed and began to speak in his inimitable way : “That is at bottom the only courage that is demanded of us: to have courage for the most strange, the most singular and the most inexplicable that we may encounter. That mankind has in this sense been cowardly has done life endless harm; the experiences that are called visions, the whole so-called spirit-world, death, all of those things that are so closely akin to us, have by daily parrying been so crowded out of life that the senses with which we could have grasped them are atrophied. To say nothing of God.” I think he was drunk.
When I was a teen, weekly stuck to my favourite radio show, the Psycho Daisies’ hit-single “Santa Claus is coming down again” was sometimes airing. And for ages, either I have a really bad ear or I wasn’t listening close enough, I thought the men in the radio were saying the name of band was “Psycho Disease”. Well, I didn’t know anything but banalities about the Yardbirds and couldn’t make the connection. But I knew the name of the disc-jockeys : Eric Cogen, Gildas Cosperec (founder of Dig It! Fanzine) and... sorry, I don’t remember the name of the third. The radio trio was highly responsible for my on-going passion for music. Actually, they were spreading the disease.
What to say of the Psycho Daisies ? They are from Florida and have incestuous relationships with Charlie Pickett, The Eggs, The MC3 etc… “It’s no fun to be paranoid” is their third album, delivering 11 songs of harsh blues-psychedelism. John Salton loves his guitar very much. And this is the kind of love that finds its full bloom with a physical contact. He touches it a lot, giving a good reason for “don’t-play-a-guitar-solo-or-i-die” purists to avoid this record. The long instrumental parts are okay with me. It contributes to build a comfortable psychedelic ambiance. The perfect disc to go to bed.
Mickey Hampshire : Mumbo Jumbo E.P. (Little Teddy Recordings, 1995) Miss Ludella Black with the Masonics : The Skull Of A Man E.P. (Smartguy Records, 2002)
Life after the Milkshakes has shown different career conducts. While bandmate Billy Childish was making one record after another, as his life was depending on it, Mickey Hampshire’s production has been nothing less than sporadic. We had to wait the second part of the 90’s to find Mickey with the Masonics or the Salty Dogs putting out records on a regular basis.
Pretty much the same thing with Miss Ludella Black (mistress of the medway beat) since the separation of Thee Headcoatees. Just one album and few guest appearances with the Masonics. Ludella isn’t lazy : she’s just happy doing nothing. What is rare is precious. Dress your own conclusions, my friends.
Note : The Masonics’ new album “Royal & Ancient” is out now. The following to Miss Ludella Black’s “She’s Out There” is expected this autumn.
“Hello! My name is Holly Golightly. You’ve probably seen me appearing as a guest-star with American bands like Rocket From The Crypt (San Diego), the Greenhornes (Cincinatti) or Steve Turner and His Bad Ideas (Portland & Seattle). Right now I’m gonna close my eyes, put my finger on the map, reopen them and… oh! Hill, Texas. Never heard of it. Ought to ask my personal android if he detects signs of organic life in there. Ah, let’s have a look at the listing : doh!… The Brokeoffs. Well, let’s give them a phone call and see what we can do together.” (fiction)
Before being enrolled by Holly Golightly for recording sessions and European tour dates, the Brokeoffs made a record of their own. It’s called “Rest Stop”, delivering 12 cuts of folk-blues full of an inner obsession for the devil and the saviour, alcohol and water, violence and peace. It’s worth the listen, believe me. (facts)
“Toe Rag studios (the best recording studio in the world) is proud to present the debut waxing from those legendary garcons de la garage, THEE GLOOMIES. From the vast array of talent passing through Toe-Rag, thee Gloomies are unique in their decency to purchase enough whiskey to sufficiently fuel Toe-Rags artist manager Liam Watson to the highest level of recording deborchary and filth. The tunes on this disk are a milestone in artistic achievement and will certainly live up to the reputation they will achieve once you buy this record and slap it on the turntable. During the entire recording procedure Toe-Rag phenomenal recording facilities were pushed to the limits and every sound created was of such technical advancement that a new standard has now been set for recording persons around the world. So buy now and forever enjoy the sound of thee Gloomies at Toe-Rag, yes just think Toe-Rag and all your recording dreams will be fulfilled. Yours sincerely, Baine WATSON (Toe-Rags sad old bastard resident loony manageing director)”
Liner notes taken from the 7 inches released on “Guess Who Records” in 1993. This is, as far as I know, their first and their last.
The other day I was scrolling this kind of list linked by some blogs and I decided to make my own list. Not a list of “bad”, “worse” or “worst” covers, just comics-inspired covers. Having them classified started to piss me off, so I drop them in a single unsorted archive file.
The illustration above (a Jason Lutes piece of work) should give you the envy to go further.
Note : I concentrated only on “Album Covers” (no inner layouts, no printings, no posters, no inserted comic-books). I did not include covers done by musicians such as Daniel Johnston, Tom Antona (Alice Donut), Ray (Hard-Ons), David-Ivar Herman Düne, Jeffrey Lewis, Chris Kirkwood (Meat Puppets) or many others. Only artists not involved with bands, kind of strangers to the music world. At least artists who have been acclaimed elsewhere.
Comics covers cenvention presents : Daniel Clowes, Chris Cooper (alias 'Coop'), Adrian Tomine, Charles Burns, Robert Crumb, Jason Lutes, S.Britt, Jim Blanchard, Peter Bagge, Matt Groening, Joe Sacco, Ed Forethingham, Kaz, Jaime Hernandez, Pierre Ouin, Pirus, Vuillemin, JC Chauzy, Bob Frye, RK Sloane, Robert Williams, Mezzo, Raymond Pettibon, Simon Bisley, Joe Matt, Chris Ware.
And to complete it : a bonus video by the greatest rock’n’roll band of all time, who gently let Mr. Clowes capture them in tiny little cases.
André Herman Düne is a weirdo. He’s one of the most prolific musician to date, yet he is sickly publicity-shy. He quit the band Herman Düne in 2006 because they planned to do some TV shows and he didn’t want to be filmed (considering his shades were not enough to remain incognito). So he hid away in Berlin and changed his name to Stanley Brinks just to jam tracks.
In the fall of 2004, his brand new fantasy was a strong desire to play at his fan’s home, sit in the couch, empty the fridge, drink all the beers and sing some songs as a compensation. Some privileged folks received an e-mail like this : “hey / this is a collective mail / i am in france soons / and i want to play in houses / if you have a big rooom / and want to organize an acoustic show at home in november of 2004 / answeyr me quickly / preycising in which town and reygion you live / and how to get there from paris / ciao / ahd” (typing unchanged).
No wonder some of us replied. It was too tempting.
Of this uncommon and rewarding experience, the following recording is the only one to have surfaced.
Australia again with these three Intercontinental Playboys before the name was taken (see below). Starring Blackie (the white one), Ray (the asian one) and Keish (the indian one), all three standing as... the hard ones (joke! hihihi). Nah. The Hard-Ons macho attitude and sexist under-meanings have been largely discussed at the time. The hardcore scene actors, full of self-righteous probity, couldn’t take with songs such as “Suck & Swallow” or “The girl in the sweater”. It was all fresh and naive but harcore world (and the Hard-Ons were often touring with harcore bands) had his rules. Point is : the Hard-Ons are not a hardcore band, they’re a rock’n’roll band. They did a decent come-back lately but when I listen to “The Worst Of”, I think they’ve never sounded better than this. The disc have been re-issued with a different title (“Hot For Your Love Baby”) and a different cover but it’s actually the same record (a collection of 1987 unreleased tracks). Personnaly I'll go for "The worst of..." merely because I always liked the artwork (in a “mom-gave-me-a-coloured-pencils-box-for-my-birthday” style) of Ray.
Warning : “… if you are not accustomed to extreme & illogically unrepentant stimulation and/or are of a nervous disposition, the outcome of your exposure to this record may shock your friends and your family !” (liner notes)
These five (now four!) good-looking guys from all around the world gathered in Sydney, Australia to give you shock treatments and deliver a certificate of madness to the masses. The B-side couple of songs (“The bedroom analyst / I lost my head”) is an ode to universal mental disorders and the way to get through with them in following an appropriate therapy. Call it psychotic if you want. The InterContinental Playboys should be approved by the World Health Organization.
Take this Larsen Records EP at homeopathic doses. For a longer prescription, don’t forget that their first album “Sonic Seducers” is a must.
Martin Savage doesn’t keep in place. He jumps from a musical project to another, sometimes without leading the thing to his logical fulfilment (a full-length record, let’s say). From the Blacks (punk) to the Dixie Buzzards (cajun garage rock’n’roll) to the Locomotions (garage punk) to Reverend Savage & His Holy Rollers (gospel garage rock’n’roll), the only permanent business is he involved into seems to be Savage Magazine (and Savage Records).
He formed the Dixie Buzzards at a time where he was spiritually connected to King Louie (the Persuaders even wrote a song called “Dixie Buzzards”) and everything coming out of Louisiana. The band included Martin Savage on vocals and guitar, his wife Jenny on drums and Altay (of the Do-Its) on guitar. They released one split EP with the Blowtops, five EPs (maybe I missed one or two) and one 10”, all a must-have.
“Come Little Tony” is a 3 songs EP on Valentina Records. The title song is a tribute to a young italian Elvis impersonator : the fore-mentioned Little Tony.
After the Squares and before the Cheeraks or the Normals, french figure Nick Normal occupied his time with another power trio named Thundercrack, featuring Stanley Roadrunner on the other guitar and Jay Automatic (AKA King Automatic) on drums. Less danceable than the Squares but more groovy than the Cheeraks, Thundercrack was announcing the radical recent works of Mr. Normal. “Own Shit Home” (taste the subtle pun) is the first album they did for Estrus Records. One is vinyl-only and the latter is CD-only. Both are now out-of-print.
Download “The Crack” at Trashsistors Blog, so you can have the whole discography in two (or a few more) clicks.
P.S : Nostalgy time : everyone knows that the Squares were from the town of Nancy (east of France) and took their name after one of Billy Childish’s finest song (“Squaresville”) but Groningen garage - self-called - “legends” The Beavers did a nice song about a girl called Nancy (“Nancy, you’re a square”) that could have been an irresistible local hit.
Question : How many bloggers does it take to change a lightbulb ? Answer : I don't like to sound too presumptuous but I think I can do it by myself. No offense.
You may see, almost all of my faves are “cover bands” on a certain level. One noteworthy exception : Chokebore. It really bothered me and kept me awaked days and nights, wondering if there was something wrong with them (or with me). Until I saw Troy Von Balthazar playing “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone” at the end of his set a few years ago. Phew! Not too soon, 
