It's medication time

Now it's celebration time / Nothing else will make me smile / I've been waiting quite awhile / It's my medication time Tick tock- its medication time pop pop, its medication time / Now it's celebration time / Now it's medication time / I'm so glad that it's finally medication time, / And I can't believe that I made it to medication time, Give me more give me more give me more give me more give me more Give me more more more more / Fuck me up, fuck me up, fuck me up, fuck me up, Fuck me up, dirty motherfucker, Now it's time to scream and shout, now it's time to come unwound, My favorite time is coming now / Now its medication time For me for me now its medication time for me Tick tock its medication time Pop pop its medication time Now it's celebration time / Now it's medication time / I'm so glad it's finally medication time / And I can't believe I made it to medication time, Make it burn, make it burn, make it burn, Make it burn burn burn burn burn, Hit me hard hit me hard hit me hard hit me hard Hit me hard, you mutherfucker mother fucker Fuck me up fuck me up fuck me up fuck me up you poodle butt fucker Give me more, give me more give me more give me more give me more give me just one more..

The Vindictives : medication time

Ed Fotheringham

Mr Edwin J. Fotheringham's illustation works (by an obvious henchman of the "ligne claire") are the opposite of the "musical" style he invested for a few years in the Seattle scene. The Thrown Ups (Ed & Mudhoney), Bushpig (Ed & King Snake Roost), Eddy & the Backnine (Ed & Flop), Icky Joey (Ed & Love Battery) offered left-of-the-center out of tune sounds & grunting vomit-like vocals. Better fasten your seatbelts and have a well bounded stomach before listening.

Archive content
The Thrown Ups : Seven years golden (CD-1997)
Your band sucks / She's fat / Eat my dump / Flubber mate / Bucking retards / Dude pump / Person in my bowel (is sad) / Fleshy web pit / Elephant crack / My cock is the coin / Hairy crater man / Sparse tits / Smiling panties / Be correct / Melancholy girlhole / Stock boy, superhero / Felch / Lard butt / Sloppy pud love / Hot lunch / The ladies love me / Scabby like my love / My love is simple / R ladies R bitches / Patty has a problem / Slick lip / Thorp, thorp
The Thrown Ups : compilation tracks
Walrus head / Traffic accident sex / I'm going to heaven with or without you / You lost it
Bushpig : self-titled (EP-1989)
Felching the cat / Grunt / Rorting about / Bushpig
Eddy & the Backnine : Improving our lie (EP-1993)
Under 10 handicap / Dishes / Pin high / Titleist too
Icky Joey : Pooh (LP-1993)
Zara / I see you / You are the world / Bone of contention / Dog lady / Fat / Burnout / Smokin' the devil's bud / Total catharsis / Medusa anus eye / I'll love you there / I'm Liberace now / King of pinch and roll // bonus : Marron, marron / Josephine

Download it here.

Get more Ed (Love + Respect) on this Steve LaRose's page.

Diabologum

In 5 five years this highly conceptual mutant outfit moved from lo-lo-fi pop (à la Kramer) to hi-hi-noisy rock (really dark, personal, grinny/unsmily attitude), with a likely detour by mid-mid-power heartful/poignant/jocose pop. Actually the kind of guys who ask questions first, play later and question themselves about what they've done. Surely not the first existential band, but one of them. I remembered an interview where they admitted being jealous of the Butthole Surfers or Ween (whose dabbling works & "fuck it" attitude seemed sooo natural). I can sense a lack of spontaneity here.
Afterwards, the singer/guitarist formed Programme (half-spoken arrhythmic depressing noise) while the other singer/guitarist formed Experience (a calculated return to simplicity - which, by the way, is by definition fake simplicity).

Diabologum : B-sides & rare tracks (1994-1997)
Transmission / Tannis root / Aussi belle qu'une balle / Dogs / A flash in my heart / De tels actes de renoncement / Adieu Paris / C'est presque trop beau / Flood / A découvrir absolument (remix version) / (version) / Quelque chose pour hier soir / Do you wanna have a party? / A coté / Tous les mots disent la même chose / Autre chose / Local 16 studio / A Flash In My Heart (live)

Download it here.

Sinner dc : Panoramic

I was amazed reading unanimous praise for sinner dc new record. I was even more amazed hearing ambient electronic pop audio samples. In my mind, this swiss trio were a noisy-pop band. So I checked : they were. They switched other way a while back (a little bit like the Telescopes, not quite comparable but you know what I mean).

sinner dc : panoramic (CD-1998)
Gazm or gasm / Carwrecking in the backyard / January / Fifty / Backstage song / Circle / Heaven was our home / Far u gone / Smaller gets the moon / The day before / A.A. everyday / Believe / Silent run / Amber mine

Download it here.

Skippies : Care

Bikini Machine has released a new album in 2009. They're also recording with Dominic Sonic for his new record to come (they've played undercover as "Sonic Machine" or maybe "Bikini Sonic", I don't remember precisely). The three core members (singer, bassist, guitarist) had a grunge-pop band back in the 90's : Skippies. The first record was produced by Harvey Birrell. For the sophomore album, driven by a healthy ambition, they went in NYC to record with Martin Bisi. The result was a disaster (fucked-up mastering, lame sound : a total wreck). The debut album ("World Up") is much better. So is this CD single (including a Police cover).

Skippies : Care (MCD-1993)
Care / Green laundrette / (I hate) Traffic wardens / Can't stand losing you / Skipz part 3

Download it here.

The Dirteez

Inaugurating a "what were they doing before doing what they're currently doing" series, I have an easy start with The Dirteez (doing more or less the same thing - rock'n'roll! - since 1986).

The Dirteez : The curse of the haunted cobra (CD-2004)
Werewolf / His song / Pink Bikini / Waiting / The Ring / Question in wine / Nocturne cobras / Don't really care / Summertime / Lizard man / The curse
The Dirteez : A fistful of blue spells (CD-2006)
The Real Potion n°9 / Haunted Blues / Car Crash / Now we're dead / Atom Boy / Rubber Room / Paradise / Ghost Dance / Voodoo Woman / Not alone / I want some of that / A dirty talk with Batman

Download it here.

Dum Dum Boys : X-perimental zebra phonic

Experienced rockers making experiments. Feel free to become their guinea pig.

Dum Dum Boys : X-perimental zebra phonic (CD-1995)
Hypnovista / Underground kingdown / Color your blood red / Transreverberation 1 / Can't make up my mind / Fuzzbox baby / On the burning sand / In a dream / Summertime / Down / Sonic spectra sound / Angel on my shoulder / Transreverberation 2 / Morning dew / Nothing means nothing / My Love For you is Petrified / Cool jazz / (+ more digital tracks)

Download it here.

Cowboys From Outerspace : Sleeping with ghosts

Heading south with the dark shaky shaking rock'n'roll of Cowboys From Outerspace. Join the cattle.

Cowboys From Outerspace : Sleeping with ghosts (CD-2005)
Black haired cocktails / Sleeping with ghosts / I've been loving you too wrong / Buzy cat tamer / Preaching the blues / Fade away / 1000 time better / Queen of evil / Australian singer / Grey suede shoes of rommel wife / The push in / Too drunk to love you (+ hidden track)

Download it here.

The Firewalkers : Nervous breakdown!!!

The first and only release of these visually significant pub adventurers. Fire walk with them.

The Firewalkers : Nervous breakdown!!! (CD-2005)
Let's Do the Twich / Mouch Mouch / She Was Gone / Give Me Money / I'll Be Back / Hallelujah! / Don't Put Me Down / Are you Ready ? / Muchas Gracias / Just One More Time / R.O.C.K. / Her Best Friend

Download it here.

Jellyfuzz : Talk talk talk

The debut EP of Jellyfuzz, a great band focusing on great music, great artwork and great performances.

Jellyfuzz : Talk talk talk (MCD-2004)
I'll be gone / Swamp love / Won't you love me ? / Antidote (Mono) / 12 gauge / Talk talk talk

Download it here.

The Dadds : French kiss

Inaugurating a french bands series, here is the debut EP of 60's beat rockers the Dadds.

The Dadds : French kiss (MCD-2007)
Oh Miranda / Je vais te manquer / Ma poule aux yeux d'or / Johnny Thunders is my broom / I am Dorian Gray / Non plus jamais / The clouds have groovy faces

Download it here.

Salvo of 24 gunshots - tribute to Gun Club

Are some of you wondering what happened to my rock'n'roll? Hold on. Here it comes.

VA : Salvo of 24 gunshots - Tribute to Gun Club (2xLP-2005)
Elvis' Corpse Revisited : Sex beat / Cowboys From Outerspace : Preaching the blues / The Come Ons : Promise me / Bare Ass Minimums : She's like heroin to me / Cool Jerks : For the love of Ivy / Magnetix : Fire spirit / Demolition Doll Rods : Ghost on the highway / Blanche : Jack on fire / Mighty Go Go Players : Black train / Speedball Baby : Cool drink of water / Flytrap : Goodbye Watermelow Johnny / DM Bob And The Deficits : Mother of Earth / Oubliettes : My dreams / Fatals : Sleepin' in the blood city / Dirtbombs : Lupita scream / Girl Trouble : Death party / The Jakes : The stranger in our town / Sonic Chicken 4 : Like calling up the thunder / Andy G And The Roller Kings : Bad indian / The Rebel : Devil in the woods / Sunday Ada : The house of Highland Ave / Tepper at Naz : Devil in the woods / Guitar Fucker : Your man's feelin low / Dead Brothers : Mother of Earth // bonus 7" - Lucas Trouble : Mother of Earth / Ultralove : Mother of Earth

Download it here.

Avenue A : Never the less

Holly Golightly and Dan Melchior replay 2 songs on this "trip-hop-easy listening" album.

Avenue A : Nether the less (CD-2000)
Pick Up The Pieces / End Of You / Run Cold / Up Off The Floor / Give Off / Nothing You Can Say / Swing It Back / Deliverance / Make Your Peace / Clap Your Hands / Lady Sings The Blues / Outro

Download it here.

Shampoo : We are Shampoo

This is the reissue of the classic debut of the "hate'em / love'em (no in-between)" witted toy doll fetichist bimbo duo. Including 6 tracks (rougher sound) prior to the 1994 album, only available in Japan until this 2007 reedition.
Back in 1997 I heard on radio a version of "Trouble" with french lyrics. Although I've tried, I am unable to identify the interpreter since. Let's draw the context. I was on an island. Subject to seasickness, I've puke throughout the voyage. When the airplayed song came to my ears, I was waiting for the boat supposed to bring me back to civilisation. Miraculously saved of the threatening plan the rough islanders had for me (sleeping right there, at their home! no thanks : I've seen Deliverance!) if I didn't solve their technical problem before the last shuttle. Indeed, if the boat cancelled the voyage I was in deep deep trouble ("oh oh, j'ai des emmerdes!"). Perhaps the song was the projection of my twiste psyché. Perhaps it was no island at all. It was the twilight zone.
Anyhow, if someone know who's covered "Trouble" in french I'm buying it.

Shampoo : We are Shampoo (CD-1994, reissued in 2007)
Trouble / Delicious / Viva La Megababes / Dirty Old Love Song / Skinny White Thing / Glimmer Globe / Shiny Black Taxi Cab / Me Hostage / Game Boy / House of Love / Shampoo you / Saddo // Excellent / We Don't Care / School is Boring / Girls 'round Here / Kinky Men / Outta Control

Download it here.

Songs for the young at heart (and more)

If your child is rambunctious : calm him/her down and have him/her go to bed with "Songs for the young at heart". If your child is apathetic : try a sound stimulation with the Wee Hairy Beasties. If you have no child : do whatever you want.
"Songs for the young at heart" is a story-telling production initiated by Stuart Staples (of Tindersticks fame), featuring drawings, voices or playings by rather famous guests such as Will Oldham, Kurt Wagner, Robert Forster, Jarvis Cocker, Sexton Ming...
Jon Langford & Sally Timms (of Mekons fame) + country singer Kelly Hogan + ragtag old-timers Devil In The Woodpile = the Wee Hairy Beasties.

Archive content :
Songs for the young at heart (A Stuart Staples/Andy Boulter production, 2006)
Theme For the Young at Heart / Uncle Sigmunds Clockwork Storybook / Fiorence's Sad Song / White Horses / The Lion and Albert / Robinson Crusoe / Hushabyemountain / Morningtown Ride / Inchworm / Mary, Mungo and Midge / Puff the Magic Dragon / The 3 Sneezes / Hey, Don't you Cry
Wee Hairy Beasties : Animal crackers (CD-2006)
Wee Hairy Beasties / Flies on my Taters / Animal Crackers / Ragtime Duck / Housefly Blues / A Newt Called Tiny / I'm An Ant / Road Safety Song / Cuttlefish Bone / Glow Worm / Buzz Buzz Buzz / Cyril the Karaoke Squirrel / Toenail Moon / Lightnin' the Turtle / Wee Hairy Beasties (Reprise)
Wee Scary Beasties : Creepy lullabies (MCD-2008)
Wee Scary Beasties / Pumpkinhead / The Lonely Vampire / Monster's Disco / Creepy Lullaby

Download it here.

Fuck : pardon my French

Artist : Fuck. Title : Pardon my French. Support : Digipack CD. Label : Matador (ole 261-2). Year : 1997. Barcode : 744861026129.
Tracklist :
Li'l Hilda / Fuck Motel / Le Serpent / Bestest Friend / Compromise / One Lb. of Indigo / La Jolla / For Lori / Raggy Rag / Tether / Dirty Brunette / To My Gurl / Thoroughfare / Sometimes / Am I Losin' / Scribble Dibble

Lost Patrol tell no lies

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16) (aka "You shall not lie" aka "Tell no lies"). "Disinformation is false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. It is synonymous with and sometimes called Black propaganda. It may include the distribution of forged documents, manuscripts, and photographs, or spreading malicious rumors and fabricated intelligence. Disinformation should not be confused with misinformation, information that is unintentionally false" (source : Wikipedia).
Blogging or reviewing is my curse. I spent years and years rebelling and resenting against "official" criticism just because I thought they betrayed my innocent immaculate trust. Like Johnny Rotten said : "The problem is me". I have no trust in myself and you should not put your trust in me (nor in your GPS, these devices aren't reliable - God is my co-pilot). I'm warning you : I'll lie and cheat as a matter of self preservation.
That being said, I'm still curious of blogs abroad (it's good for my mental health). Like Joe Perry said : "Let the music do the talking".

Lost Patrol : Tell no lies (cassette-1990)
After the rain / Overlook hotel / You don't own me / Grown up hard / Tell no lies / Rescue me / Long long night / Tomorrow is my destiny / Kinda sorta miss home / He's too far

Download it here.

Halo Benders / D+

A long time ziner once called Beat Happening "the Cramps at the summer camp" and I won't find a better description. Always pulling the "indie-lo-fi" string on Calvin Johnson's puppet is forgetting the basic "notes and chords mean nothing to me" & "do-it-yourself" ethics of his famous label K-Records, as well as the twisted rock'n'roll beat of half Beat Happening's songs. Sure, K-Records made its main income out of jingly-jangly lo-fi pop & anti-folk bands. But, hey, never forget that Beat Happening rocked!
Olympia Rock City. Calvin Johnson has been overbooked running the label, twiddling the knobs at Dub Narcotic studios and twistin' & funkin' with Dub Narcotic Sound System, Blues Explosion or the Halo Benders. I chose the 2nd album of this improbable collusion between Calvin Johnson and wannabe guitar hero Doug Martsch (of Built To Spill fame, tenderly credited as "Dug" on the cover - to avoid the wrath of Warner Bros. with which Built To Spill was under contract). Why this record ? Because the first one (God don't make no junk) is the most reknown, because the third one (The rebel's not in") is the most polished and because the last song "Crankenstein" is perhaps in my personal Calvin Top-10 (and that means a lot).
Anacortes Rock City. Bret Lunsford (fidel lieutenant in Beat Happening) has been overlooked by his old partner until he launched his label (knw-yr-own records) and formed his band D+ (easy to google, to say the least). Relocated in Anacortes, he is active (label, music, "What the heck?" festival organization) since 10 years or so. All of D+ records are worth the listen. Bret Lunsford was undeniably an overshadowed creative element inside the little Beat Happening world.
Take a tour with these two North-Westerners.

Archive content :
Halo Benders : Don't tell me no now (LP-1996)
Phantom power / Halo Bender / Mercury blues / Bomb shelter Part 1 / Bomb shelter Part 2 / Volume mode / Inbread heart / Planned obsolescence / Magic carpet rider / Blank equation / Crankenstein
D+ : self titled (LP-1997)
Wrinkle / Super 8 / Silent spring / What you won't / T.S.O.L. / Cotton candy / If him / Heatherwood / Better you / Book / Jaywalker / Darkroom / Sing me to sleep

Download it here.

Tennessee Tearjerkers : 3rd album demos

Around 2005, one of Jack Yarber's numerous incarnations brought two major novelties to light : an organ player (Adam Woodward) and a female guitarist/singer (Margaret Airplane Man). These recording sessions were aimed to become the Tearjerkers' third album. Some of it ended on limited edition EPs, some of it ended on "Jack O is on the flipside" (the "real" third album) and some of it remained unreleased. Quite a shame considering the quality of the songs featuring Margaret on lead vocals.

Tennessee Tearjerkers : 3rd album demos (2005)
Dirty nails / Charms / Short term plan / I want you / Make you mine / Original mixed-up kid / Don't touch / 100 proof man / Hell / Chills & fever

Download it here.

Weak : Supertramp

Three french guys revering Motörhead (especially Lemmy Kilminster) and the Supersuckers (especially Eddie Spaghetti). An act of faith. Actually the six strings play louder than the four and the men sing along all together. So the comparison stops there. Loud, fast & dirty. This is the first album by Weak. The album title is a joke for the azerty keyboard users. The pictures are taken from a Nagisa Oshima's movie ("Seishun Zandoku Monogatari", 1960).

Weak : Supertramp (LP-1996)
Roger / Cry for help / No more / Going wild / Cheating / My girlfriend is seventeen / I can't stand you / J.M.P. / Wicked / Nothing to say / My hell / Devil's on my back / Cruel / Hemi powered / Eat shit / Fuck (vinyl only)

Download it here.

Lost Sounds : Future touch

I spent nights & nights building a "trash-noise-punk-moog-disco" theory implying Brainiac and Lost Sounds. Question is : why Brainiac (& followers) end in "Indie/alternative" stores bins and why Lost Sounds end in "Garage/Rock'n'Roll" stores bins ?
Biographic issues : Brainiac was a local band from Dayton OH. Kim Deal (native of Dayton) gave them a kick and the band got signed by Touch & Go records. The singer died in a car crash accident and guitarist John Schmersal released a solo record under the John Stuart Mill's nom de plume, before forming Enon. Lost Sounds was a side-project of Jay Reatard (from Memphis TN punk band The Reatards). The band died in a stardom crash accident since Jay Reatard got signed by Matador records to release his solo stuff.
Brainiac/Enon & Lost Sounds resemble in line-up and instruments. One big difference : bass. The first used bass as a bass (sounds like "bwang bwang") while the latter used bass as a fuzzy-lawnmower-vegetable-mixer tool (sounds like "bzzzrrrrr-zzzz-wrrraw". I never thought I would once write the technical musical way but that's it, I've figured it out : bass. Big deal.
Anyway, here are a Lost Sounds extended play, and the weird John Stuart Mill solo record.

Lost Sounds : Future touch (MLP-2004)
Future Touch / Rearview Mirror / Moving Mouths / Trails Fears / Tyrants Head / Black Flowers / Sweet Knives
John Stuart Mill : Forget everything (CD-1999)
A-Check / Learn the proper languages Before you go to bed / Eternal story / Organ donor '97 / Refresh the anchor / Aimless feathers / Canteen of pearls / Now and forever / Don't forget to write / Anybodies / Whiskey Jones / Paranoid fantasies / Desiree has tooth decay

Download it here.

Peter Murphy's Carver Combo : One sin between me and the Lord

After all these past days noise pollution, it's about time to purify your soul. If Peter Murphy is a preacher, his disturbing silhouette recalls the "Wise blood" / "Night of the hunter" kind. If Peter Murphy is a songwriter, he is pretty good at it.

Peter Murphy's Carver Combo : One sin between me and the Lord (CD-2005)
Stalker / Sometimes / Maricopa girl / Reptile / Bones and pearls / Instigator / Stray box car town / In the ballroom / One sin between me and the Lord

Download it here.

Yells from the crypt (VA)

Gravewax Records is a Lone Star State's company offering rockabilly, surf, spaghetti western, twang country sounds for the masses, the living dead & the masses of the living dead.

V-A : Yells from the crypt (CD-2005)
Shadow over Elkhart (The Creepniks) / Among the pines (Those Poor Bastards) / Murder on Beaver Street (The Route 66 Killers) / Vampire bar fight (The Cryptomaniacs) / Blood on the grill (Alex Machine) / Psychonaut (The Coffin Daggers) / Packin' heat at the Speakeasy (Rainer Hass) / CSG theme (Colonel Sander's Grave) / Anhelo (Sons of Perdition) / Death row hoedown (Muleskinner Jones) / The hungry grave (Gein and the Graverobbers) / Beast (Blitzkriegbliss) / Dead and gone (Phantom Creeps) / Give me! (Lona and the Love Objects) / El diablo el mas chingon (Los Muertos Vivientes) / Going back to Memphis (Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre) / Hope you get what you deserve (Cooterfinger) / Juan Simon (Dexentonados) / The hellbound train (Lonesome Wyatt) / People hate blues (Reverend Elvis and the Undead Syncopators) / Helv (The Visitant)

Download it here.

Rancid Vat : We hate you all the way from Texas!

"Offending since 1981", they say. A brief (well, depending on how fast you read) look at Rancid Vat's history (published in Carbon 14) will give you the keys of sociopathy. It is a pop-culture document and a lesson of punk as a living art (without all the "Decline of the Western Civilization" glamour marketing and thematic undermeaning). It is honest, humble, uncensored, uncomprised. Rancid Vat, along with the likes of Antiseen, GG Allin & so on, were driving on the politically incorrect greasy "hi-fivin' "in-your-face" punk lane. They relocated to Austin in the 00's and issued this record I'm sharing.

Rancid Vat : We hate you all the way from Texas! (CD-2004)
We hate you all the way from Texas / Austin bloodbath / Strychnine / Crybaby / Imagine what I would do to you / I'll never get out of this world alive / The nature boy / Hatred is sacred / The frozen dead / Portrait of a true american hero (the Bruiser Brody story) / Ramones medley (I don't care / Cretin hop)

Download it here.