I made this mix for my good friend Carla, and figured I share it with you guys as well. The title says it all.
01) Michel Polnareff - Love Me Please Love Me 02) Scott Walker - Black Sheep Boy 03) The Apartments - Mr. Somewhere 04) Mojave 3 - Return to Sender 05) Mr. Wright - Anna Karina 06) The Stockholm Monsters - Decalogue 07) Wild Swans - The Worst Year of my Life 08) Television Personalities - All my Dreams are Dead 09) Red House Painters - Things Mean a Lot 10) Pulp - Blue Girls 11) Paul Quinn & The Independent Group - The Phantoms and the Archetypes 12) The Legendary Pink Dots - Belladonna 13) The Durutti Column - Spent Time 14) Blueboy - Also Ran 15) Alison Statton and Spike - Missing You 16) The Wake - Melancholy Man 17) Momus - The Sadness of Things 18) Martin Phillipps - Haunt Me [this song in particular breaks my heart into a million pieces] 19) Judee Sill - The Kiss
Note: This may be a little longer than 80 minutes and might not fit on your standard CD-r, but you can always take a song or two off if you feel inclined to burn it to a disc.
Okay, so I'm a little late with my 20,000 hit celebration post (currently sitting at 21,100 overall, 5700 for the month, and generally 300 or so uniques a day), but here it is finally. I know I promised a Felt album, but I've been in a Momus mood all day today, so I figured I'd share one of my favorites of his instead.
First of all take a good glance at that brilliant cover photo and tell me that Nick Currie isn't the man of all men. I mean, really, just genius. Although not quite as good as Voyager, which, in this blogger's opinion may very well be the best collection of songs recorded in the last 50 years, Momus followed up his magnum opus with a record in the same vein as its predecessor and a record equally as brilliant and ambitious (not to mention brilliantly titled). That album is Timelord, which is the focus of our attention today. The late 80s and the early 90s were Momus' "serious" period and this, along with Voyager could be considered his most austere work. Momus was always pushing the boundaries of acceptability within accessible pop structures. Overall, this was Momus' most eccentric work to date as well. Keep in mind that when I say this album is eccentric, I'm speaking in historical context, as anyone's who's heard his albums in this century know that next to those curios and novelty music such as the "O" series, Timelord would be considered pop Momus.
The album starts off with a sampled, techno influenced bang, in similar fashion to Voyager with the electro-nostalgic number, "Platinum" . "Enlightenment" which, in my opinion, is the standout track on Timelord and like a good majority of the the record is a mediation on true love or the impossibility of true love depending on your perspective. "It's not love, its mathematics" Momus sings (almost speaks) on "You've Changed," one of the album's more neurotic and reflective songs which weaves a complicated story of a complicated relationship that I'm sure just about everyone can relate to if you can get past the cryptic lyrics (although the title says it all - time changes people, and sometimes not for the best). "Rhetoric" (featured in tne mentally stimulating video below) once again meditates on true love and is also one of the album's stronger tracks. "Suicide Pact" is a soft and scintillating piece and marks a turn for the slower, more melancholic latter portion of the album until closing track "Breathless" which is a return to the pop style harbored on the earlier half and almost sounds like a winter time waltz. Hey, it's Momus. You should know by now to expect the unexpected. All in all, a very, very strong album, that had high expectations to live up to and almost did, but not quite. I'm going to go ahead and give this record the 10 that it deserves, and consider going back to my Voyager post and changing its rating to an 11 because its that fucking good.
Also thought I'd mention one of the most twisted cases of cosmic irony I've ever heard about. On the track "Enlightenment" Momus sings "And tell me you'll be there when I've only got one eye." Four years later, he contracted acanthamoeba keratitis from a contact lens case washed with Greek tap water, losing the use of his right eye (and forever making eyepatches a fashion statement). Now that's some ironic, bizarre, fateful shit right there.
In 1973, Judee Sill succeeded in creating what every artist aspires to create: a perfect work. Her album Heart Food is the musical embodiment of love and beauty. Every song on this album has an immense amount of soul; it’s just overflowing with it. It caresses you ever so gently and brings about an aura like sitting beside a fireplace, wrapped in a blanket on a cold night with a lover. Often endowed with subtle religious undertones, Heart Food is pure, tender, supple, and amorous; something truly special.
I’m sure if there was ever a study done, it would be scientifically proven to release an abnormal amount of serotonin in its listeners' brains. Orchestrated and arranged by Judee herself, the nine plus minute long closer is one of the most gorgeous and moving musical compositions ever written, and a testimony to her talent as a composer as well as just a singer/song-writer. It manages to encompass the entire emotional spectrum in just over nine minutes and to call it epic or breathtaking of transformative would be an understatement. The glorious postlude ends on an upbeat note with a Celtic sounding waltz, to kill any elegiac feelings it might have evoked with its tempestuous, flowing, layered, choral melodies.
You can tell just from the warmth of her music that she was a truly amazing, affectionate woman. Her personal struggles with drug addiction that eventually led to a tragic overdose were very unfortunate, as the world was robbed from not only her albums that never got made, but from a wonderful human being. Even though she took a break from writing music to pursue a career as a cartoonist (my kinda woman), she was working on a third album which never got officially released (although some years later, many of the demos showed up on a compilation of sorts, Dreams Come True, mixed by Jim O'Rourke). Sill’s second and final album stands as her swan song, and what a song it is.
The internet connection I was leeching is now password protected, so I have to rely on a much shakier one temporarily, which means I might not be able to upload for a while. I'm currently on hold with AT&T trying to set up an account, but the installation fee is probably going to be pricey because of my credit, or lackthereof. Either way I'm getting a solid connection soon, so once everything is set up, there shouldn't be any hold ups or gaps in posts. However the next week could be sparse on updates, but after that, expect BS to back in full force.
Edit: the technician is coming on March 5th, so after that I'll have REAL ACTUAL internet for a year!
The only other bummer I thought I'd mention is that I'm running out of new bands in my 'very best' folder to post. However I do have an extensive post punk folder, as well as a very extensive twee folder. So I apologize in advance for straying away from my usual pop/indie routine, but I always have plenty of Felt, Momus, and Durutti Column records to bombard you guys with, so don't fret.
In the meantime, be real, and BS will be back in full effect on the 5th.
A dictionary definition of the word "pioneer" is "one of those who are first or earilest in any field of inquiry, enterprise or progress." By that definition, Spizz was not a pioneer.
But just behind every pioneer is a "second wave," which appreciates the pioneer's discoveries and learns how to implement them. Spizz falls into that group. During an all-day music festival held August 27, 1977, fledgling punk cadet, Kenneth Spiers, aka “Spizz” haphazardly hopped on stage at a Siouxsie and the Banshees set and performed a brief improvised series of songs on the microphone with a borrowed guitar, unknowingly spawning his musical career. He obviously made an impression on some label folk attending the show as he was signed backstage afterwards. He soon teamed up with fellow punk and like-minded guitarist Pete Petrol and they went on to record some lo-fi, but promising material under the moniker Spizz 77. After several name and line-up changes, Spizz 77 became Spizzoil, until reforming in 1979 as Spizzenergi, who quickly rose to popularity and became the first number one band on the embryonic UK Indie Chart in January of 1980. They recorded through Rough Trade and later A&M Records, and their music was a fundamental cadre of the underground punk movement. Combining his love for Star Trek, science fiction and futurism in general, these motifs often permeated his polytonal pop punk and were found at the staple of his sound.
This CD compilation of his work between 1978-1988, released by Cherry Red Records is filled to the brim with hooks and raw punk energy, complemented by the aforementioned science fiction themes which gave his bands an unequivocal style. Herein contains hits such as the classic “Where’s Captain Kirk,” (which Spizz did the artwork himself for the single using felt pens and showcasing his talent as an artist as well as a musician. He later went on to focus on painting when his musical projects were on a hiatus) “Spock’s Missing,” (both odes to Star Trek) “Soldier Soldier” “Mega City 3,” (As Spizzenergi: 2) “Work,” among a plethora of others. Because of the ever changing musical environments during the early 80’s, the band sort of fell apart due to their failure to adapt and stray away from the combering punk rock movement they embraced so adamantly and progress towards the more popular new wave sound that was beginning to take over. Although this could be argued to be inaccurate, and that the group from Athletico Spizz 80 onwards did espouse with new wave to an extent, I personally still label them solely as a punk band, outside of a few releases which leaned in a more progressive direction. All of this led to a lack of interest with record labels and the band sort of fizzed out briefly.
However, they were persistent and got back with Rough Trade, under the moniker Spizzenergi: 2, which saw the release of two singles, both of which were up to par with their earlier material. Eventually, despite Spizz’s perseverance throughout the remainder of the 80s, they more or less died off. Spizz still continues to occasionally tour and record, but its mostly sporadic. His legacy and influence, however, live on today as there has been a recent resurgence of interest in the group with the release of this compilation in 2000 and with their inclusion of "Where's Captain Kirk" on Mojo's best punk rock singles of all time. Spizz not dead indeed.
Despite what the title will have you believe, there are no battles here outside of the internal struggles with the main character, Marcos, who is most assuredly not in heaven. Maybe some ironic titling? I went into this one blind so I wasn't expecting so much eroticism (the movie opens with a scene of hardcore fellatio being performed and there is hardcore porn and overt nudity throughout), but it ended up being quite central to the film from an obtuse angle and almost contrasting with the austere tone of the plot and the characters, aside from the general's daughter, Ana, who works in a bordello. Despite the fact that the obese, confused, guilt-stricken main character is just so detached, the sex scenes (all involving him) often come across as lethargic and emotionless, perhaps adding and not contrasting to the tone of the film. I think it would require another viewing to decide for sure, as I was a little tired while watching this, but this is one of those films that doesn't beg for a revisit; once is enough. The acting is top notch and natural, and the directing is unique, with extended, slow panning, almost indifferent shots of the purlieus, and often close ups of the unflinching characters to give clues to their latent emotions/agendas.
At first glance, Marcos, the main character appears to be entirely devoid of emotion, like some sort of farm animal, but soon we come to find out why. He and his wife kidnapped a baby for ransom and the baby ending up dying in their care. This puts a tremendous amount of guilt and mental stress on Marcos and explains his remote behavior and wandering, lost expressions throughout the film as well as his eventual mental deterioration towards the end. At it's core though, the only character with any real depth or development (if you could call it that) is Marcos, and it's a character study with a low-key, minimalistic plot centered around him, the events leading up to the his situation with the kidnapping, the unfortunate aftermath of the these events, and perpendicular to all of this, his unconditioned love for his general's daughter whom he has known since she was child and has apparently secretly had feelings for an undisclosed period of time. The climax and the finale take the nature of the already bizarre plot and just decide to run with it as things begin to tragically fall apart.
All in all, nothing too special, but it had its faculties and it used them well for what it was trying to accomplish. I could see how it could be perceived by others as boring and directionless, but maybe I'm biased as I thought the film was worth it alone for Anapola Mushkadiz's pulchritudinous breasts, which made up for any shortcomings I might have otherwise had qualms with. A good, and definitely unconventional one, but too devoid of substance to lump into the great-tier category.
The first half of this movie was boring, banal, bourgeois bullshit, cleverly disguised as a family drama...that also happened to make me very hungry and otherwise upset I wasted a good hour of my time. The latter half tries to rectify this by going in the opposite direction and was decent, but not enough to salvage the film from sinking in mediocrity. Also, the escalating tragic events were somewhat compelling, but nothing spectacular. Had the film started an hour in, and went from there it might have been a worthwhile experience. However, the first portion was just so flaccid, that not even Tilda Swinton's distinguished androgyny, convincing Italian accent, and overall solid acting, nor one rather sensual sex scene could save this one.
The Names were a crepuscular post punk trio from Brussels, Belgium, who put out four singles and an album, all produced by Martin Hannett of Factory Records and existed during a very interesting era for music. To fully grasp their raison d'etre, you need to take things into context as there were a lot of important movements going on and things were beginning to change from the late 70’s into the 80’s and The Names certainly played a minor, yet significant part in it all. They shared a few similarities to Joy Division, although not as raw and a bit more melodic. Although, they were generally considered “dark,” and melodramatic in nature like many bands in the genre, it would be better to describe them (much like Joy Division) as having this fatalistic romanticism. At times it sounds like music to make love to during the apocalypse, with the moon inauspiciously plummeting towards earth, while the fault-lines around the globe are splitting apart devouring entire cities and everything on the horizon engulfed in a large pyre. It’s this blood-and-thunder, histrionic vibe that was central to their brooding, yet passionate style. Sadly, The Names died off in 1983 as the post punk era also came to an end, and that was that. This particular re-release contains their sole album Swimming as well as all of their singles (including my favorite B-side of theirs, “I Wish I Could Speak your Language”)
Expanding the blog to some new horizons in the upcoming months, most notably the inclusion of interviews with some of our favorite older bands, as well as contemporary acts, and the introduction of a monthly podcast (which will hopefully one day transform into a live radio show) entitled BUD KLUB, featuring Budd Dwyer (yours truly), Buddy Holly (Jezy Gray), and occasional special guest when we can get the teleconferencing thing worked out, Cannabis Sativa (Alan Palomo of Neon Indian fame). All I can say right now is that we're working on the technical aspects, Darcy Clay's "What About It" will be our theme song and you should expect the first edition by mid March. Be vigiliant; good things to come from BS in the future.
Also, we're approaching the celebration of 20,000 unique visitors since our humble nascent beginnings in June, 5,000 of which have occurred within the last month (which means 1/4 of our visitors have stopped by recently, which means rapid growth for our userbase). When we reach the 20,000 mark I may do a special of some sorts to commemorate the event. Our hits should reach that number by tomorrow. Not sure what I'm gonna do yet, probably just post a Felt album. The golden rule of BS: when all else fails, post a Felt album.
Thanks for everyone out there who takes the time to read, listen and look. It may not be the most eloquent of endeavors, but we try our best, and take pride in this blog, and hope you frequenters and passersby obtain something of value from it.
"So what good are all these fruitless discussions; for in the eternal battle of the sexes, we are always conquered - and we can do nothing about it - and none of us as yet, be he misogynist or feminist, has found a more perfect instrument of pleasure, or any other means of reproduction, than woman." ~"The Manuscript"
"Woman possesses the cosmic force of an element, an invincible force of destruction, like nature's. She is, in herself alone, all nature! Being the matrix of life, she is by that very fact the matrix of death - since it is from death that life is perpetually reborn, and since to annihilate death would be to kill life at its only fertile source." ~"The Manuscript"
As an artist myself, this man's work often makes me feel like a knuckle-dragging troglodyte/uncultured cur because I know I will never be able to come anywhere close to producing something so awe-inspiring or imaginative as this. What Bacon does with color and form is just beyond me...without a doubt, one of the greats.
Francis Bacon - Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion (1944)
The KLF. The Ancients of MuMu. The JAMs. Whatever you wish to call them or they wish to call themselves it does not matter. What can I say about this album that hasn’t already been said a hundred times over by a hundred other bloggers before me? It’s the most punk rock rave record ever conceived. The whole concept behind the album and what they did with the money as an artistic/philosophical/political statement is just unprecedented and no one has come even remotely close to doing anything so ambitious or absurd since. For those that aren’t aware, the idea was to systematically create a hit record (which they succeeded in doing, and Bill Drummond even wrote a manifesto of sorts on how to do it entitled, simply, “The Manual”), then burn all of the money they made off of its record sales in a fire and video tape the event, which subsequently became a short film/documentary entitled “The KLF Burn a Million Quid.” Its pure fucking genius and not only that but the most ballsy statement anyone could possibly consider making – and they made it.
Most importantly, beyond all of this, the album itself is fantastic. They picked a genre that was popular during a certain period of time and just hit the ball out of the park. The quality of the craftsmanship on The White Room surpasses any other early 90s techno/house release by a mile. They essentially copycatted their peers and did so much better than the “real” acts in doing so. You can put this album on and jam out to some truly awesome electronic music, with undertones (such as “Build a Fire”) that hint at the purpose behind it, making it that more of a piece of art work. So, in the end, you’re not just listening to a singular recording of a collection of songs, rather, something much grander in scope.
Bill Drummond has since said publicly that he somewhat regrets burning the money (which wasn’t a petty amount), and that is kind of saddening because it sort of takes away from the powerful nature of the act. However, despite potential regrets, they did something truly remarkable and unique that has yet to be surpassed, and that’s the important part. They just did it; something 99% of the world’s population would deem stupid or crazy, and they had a valid reason for doing it. I personally think it’s one of the biggest "fuck you’s" to global capitalism that’s ever been given and for that alone the record is worth downloading. But like I said, it’s a damn fine record to boot. If you don’t have this in your collection, I mean it – no ifs, ands, or buts – proceed straight to the link below and start downloading immediately. This album will one day be recognized as one of the greatest works of art in modern music. Until then, enjoy it on the many levels it was meant to be enjoyed: as an album consisting of 9 songs, lasting just over 44 minutes; but also, as something more, something grandiose and monumental. "3AM Eternal"
The fact that there are 55 "dislikes" for this video on youtube is an abomination, a travesty. Somebody hunt these heretics down and slice their Achilles tendons with a butcher's knife.
Since Michael Gira is going to devour my soul tonight at the Palladium, a vintage video of Swans' classic cover of one of the best songs ever written (and a complete antithesis to my previous post). Notice how M. Gira looks kind of like a 90s teen idol in this vid. Only he could pull off that kinda shit. Gotta dig it.
These are two fairly short EPs, so I'll write a laconic summary of them to keep things simple. Obviously inspired by New Order (and as a few otherblogs have pointed out, Close Lobsters as well, who I have to admit I haven't really listened to much), The Friendly Fires' first 7", Arkansas on Deadbug records is composed of resplendent, heaven-sent 80's new wave with jangly guitars and velvety vocals. Every song on here is pop perfection, especially the title track "Arkansas" and "Looks Like Rain" both which sound like they could have been New Order B-sides.
They had two other EPs during their evanescent time as a band (they were only zoetic for a year or so between '86 and '87), the second of which, I Said to Him 12", is featured here as well. It's not quite as good as Arkansas, and kind of sounds like more of the same (although they definitely changed their style up slightly), but its still decent. I may come back and edit this and write more on these guys later (I had a difficult time hunting down info on them for some reason), but I'm a little hungover and and have school stuff to attend to. In the meantime, enjoy.
Sheffield based post punk funk band, They Must be Russians were some of the unsung heroes of the genre, generally overshadowed by bigger bands of the era such as Orange Juice and Gang of Four. Their sojourn in obscurity was due to a couple of reasons. Firstly, their sound was not too particularly unique, and secondly because of label and promotional issues. However, they had a few groovin' jams in their brief catalog, which consisted of 2 LPs and a handful of EPs/singles in the late 70s and early 80s, most notably the killer titular hit-that-never-was-and-should-have-been, "Chains" on the Chains EP (which rivals anything OJ was putting out around that time). Featuring funky guitar riffs and bass lines, synthesized grooves, and a bangin' beat backing the track, it's a powerhouse and definitely their catchiest song. Why it didn't make their debut full length while the still solid, but not quite as enticing track "Gramophone" did is a total conundrum. Why a ton of their other songs are on youtube but "Chains" is not is also quite perplexing. With the inclusion of "Chains," their self-titled album could have been an underground classic, but instead it kind of drifted under the radar, even with the aid of their friends in higher places (Cabaret Voltaire, who assisted with production).
I got asked a while back to post the rest of my material that I had from this rara avis Italian prog outfit, so although it took me a good minute, I’m doing so now. Words and phrases that immediately come to mind when describing Sensations’ Fix: “fucking awesome” “epic” “badass,” & so on. Both Finest Finger and Portable Madness open with eerie presages that sounds straight out of a 70s horror flick. At times a nightmarish odyssey, at others a divine, arcane, flickering phantasm of ambiguity, and occasionally sounding like music for navigating a labyrinthine 8-bit oubliette of some vintage arcade game. These atmospherics and evocations of bizarre milieu are no coincidence as guitarist and founder Franco Falsini did the soundtrack for a film (Cold Nose) in 1975 in between Sensations' Fix recordings.
Although neither of these LPs are quite as good as Boxes Paradise (which is a masterpiece in all respects), Finest Finger is a solid precursor to that magnum opus, and you can see the direction they were beginning to take with more structured songwriting and the inclusion of vocals, which weren’t present on 1974's Portable Madness. Portable Madness is fully instrumental but the vibes are there and the vocals aren’t really needed. Speaking of vibes, the cosmic sensations emitting from these guys are just, for lack of a better phrase, pure insanity. I've really never heard anything else like it, although I'm no prog guru by any means. Songs on both albums build and build and then peak, then fading away to the next prog rock mystical space jam. As I mentioned in my previous article on Boxes Paradise, the music itself feels like taking psychedelic drugs, which is a cool effect when you've run out of your stash. I couldn’t imagine actually being on shrooms or something and listening to Sensations’ Fix simultaneously. The universe could implode.
Includes:
Portable Madness (1974) Finest Finger (1976)
Boxes Paradise can be found here, but I'm not sure if the link is still operational. I'll re-up it if need be. I couldn’t track down their 1974 self-titled debut, however, these two should be suffice to get your Italian prog “fix” for the time being. Also, this doesn’t include their second LP, Fragments of Light (which was also released in 1974), however, I’ve seen it floating around on a few other blogs
Star Time, Mr. Wright's second full length album was released on Le Grand Magistery in 1999. You’d think with Momus lending a hand on Wright’s sophomore LP, you’d expect a bit of absurdity of some sort amidst the pathos; maybe it’d contain a bit more flashiness, peacocking around with upbeat Momus brand satire, not the lachrymose, disheartening, usual fare that Wright knows and does best. However, despite Momus’ assistance on this record, it’s still undoubtedly a work of Kevin Wright. Outside of a few tracks with faster tempos and brighter, peppier steps where you can see Momus’ influences, such as “You’re a Queen,”(which is Wright's glammiest moment) “Star Time” and penultimate track “Balloon Race” this is unmistakably a Mr. Wright album. And although there’s this minor almost bipolar vacillation (not unusual for the “fancy man”), Wright is poignant as ever.
Much like the rest of his catalog, there is a very concise cinematic feel to Star Time. The majority of the record consists of a carefully laid out and meticulously orchestrated mixture of loungey and baroque style songs with lyrics defining unadulterated insecurities, hopelessness, and loneliness, with a dash of romanticism thrown in here and there all presented with the sincerity of a man who really means it - who really FEELS it. So don’t be mistaken, Star Time is not a cloying affair, but a genuine look deep into the soul of a true artist, and like all true artists, there is suffering here; it’s real and in your face. On “Don’t Walk in the Dark (Oh Baby)” Wright showcases empathy for his audience who feels the same, “…and you feel like you want to die / you know I sympathize with you” “and all those demons inside your mind / and all those people who are so unkind”
Wright can go from making you think he’s seconds away from offing himself in some dismal motel with a rusty razor blade, then with resilience, sounding zealous and spirited, and then immediately becoming introspective and somber again with the subsequent track. It keeps things interesting for sure. If I had to label him something (besides humble, passionate, and genuine), I’d say that Mr. Wright is a remembrancer (one who or that which reminds) and his role as such plays an important part in his music, whether it’s melancholy or soulful is not important. He holds the natural artistic prowess to evoke and it’s what makes his music so special and places him on a pedestal above his peers.
I've said it thrice and I'll say it again, since all of his albums are on iTunes, go buy them if you like what you hear from my posts – he is wholly deserving of it.
Before their harrowing plunge into mainstream electronic territory, Everything But the Girl, consisting of the husband and wife duo Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn, made some great, saavy, and rich acoustic “sophisi-pop” music. I must say that I kind of loathe that term, but I’ve heard multiple sources refer to them as such, so I guess it’s appropriate to use it to describe them. Like I said on my write-up on Eden, Love Not Money still has that innate warmth that brings to mind kitschy wintertime/holiday music; however, with wistful undertones and diverse instrumentation that makes it so much more. The album opens with its strongest track, and like your mom with her arms spread wide open, osculating you softly on the forehead and then embracing you in her comforting clasp, the song just makes you feel all nice inside. Much of the album has this quality and it’s what made their sound so endearing. Opener and single “When All’s Well” is then followed by a rustic, almost country-twanged lilt before resigning back to their usual pseudo-poppy, lazy jazz conglomeration they do so well. There’s not much to say about the rest of the record. It’s solid, charming, soothing, and what you’d expect from an early EBTG album. Sadly, this was one of their last real quality albums before their dramatic shift in style that a lot of fans of their earlier stuff were turned off by, myself included. Yeah, they sold out. Plenty of bands have done it before, but at least we got a few gems before their retrogression.
Starts off with a bang, ends with a heroin drenched rallentando before the final pop closer by the Jazzatteers, which serves to leave the listener in a pleasant mood after a wide range of strange emotions evoked by some of the weirder tracks. I actually made this mix for a friend a while back, but I'm just now getting around to posting it. A few of the songs on here are pretty obscure, but its still rather accessible. Hope you guys enjoy it.
Stinkin' up the Charts
01) Beacon Street Union – My Love Is 02) Blue Orchids – Sun Connection 03) Cleaners From Venus – Summer in a Small Town 04) Way of the West – Feel the Steel 05) Happy Mondays – Stinkin’ Thinkin’ 06) Bathroom Renovations – Intensely Henna’d 07) Bloodless Pharaohs – Bloodless Pharaoh 08) Joachim Witt – Kosmetik 09) The Godz – White Cat Heat 10) Al Klowowski & Pyrolator - What Made you so No Good? 11) The Turquoise Swimming Pools – Burst Balloons 12) Mark Lane – Sojourn 13) Los Inciados – No Es Navidad 14) Shiny Two Shiny – Wake 15) Kenneth Higney – Night Rider 16) Jim Sherpherd – Bingle Bangle 17) The Clean – Fish 18) Jazzataeers – Up To My Eyes
The Enraged Will Inherit the Earth is a musical molotov cocktail that’s a mixture of power chords and virile, virtuous lyrics. I’ve always liked McCarthy because of their keen sense of political awareness and proactive mentality of “less talk, more action.” They go as far as to advocating violence to start a coup - which is a lot more effective than hippies sitting on their asses singing songs in a peace protest. Yeah, I've stolen, dumpster doven, train hopped - I know real anarchy from the fake. Their polemic (how often can you use that word when referring to a band?) is strong and convincing, as any should be. This is a record to provoke action through intelligent liberal ideals and had it more exposure it could have sparked a much needed revolution. Probably not, but we can think wishfully, can’t we?
As a triad, all three of their albums in their repertoire stand strong, but I think they hit their zenith with the middle child, The Enraged Will Inherit the Earth. The songwriting is tightly forged and their knack for producing raw pop is at its finest here. Another impressive quality worth noting is the amount of tracks on this album; its sheer fruitfulness is almost overbearing. There’s so much to take in on one listen – this album contains 19 songs and is over 70 minutes long; it’s superfluous to say the least. However, with an album with so much sheer material, you’re gonna come across a dud or two. Also a few of the songs sound a little too much alike one another and the album tends to favor a recumbency to the front a little, but not too much. Nitpicks aside, The Enraged Will Inherit of the Earth is a powerful weapon that didn’t get enough of a user base to make its intended impact. If the question was ever proposed, "can art be a weapon?" I think this album answers with a bold and resounding “yes.”
VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL part III: For the love birds
Not quite a complete antipode to The Trash Can Sinatras, but definitely a band rooted in the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, purveying an unbridled optimism without any hints of maudlin sentiments. These guys are all about lovey-dovey atmospherics. In my book, Prefab Sprout are undoubtedly the most romantic band in the history of recorded music. You just have to hear it to know what I mean. It’s chock full of beatitude and idealism. Yeah you got the classic romantics like Stevie Wonder, and so many other ballad makers of 60s, 70s,and 80s; Bread’s “If,” Croce's "Time in a Bottle" and all the rest. But I’m not just talking about “romantic” in the strictest sense of the word, but romantic in the dreamy, picturesque sense, like Herman Hesse describes in Steppenwolf, “soaring on the wings of youth and poetry” This intrinsic “romance” is seeping in Prefab Sprout’s music and the lyrical themes. Starting off with a barrage of heavenly pop hits then slowing the tone down a bit towards the latter half of the record, From Langley Park to Memphis flows so smoothly, like a perfect day with a special person and like any romantic album should.
Songs like the reminiscent “I Remember That” and big beat and correlating bass lines of “Enchanted” (complete with Romeo and Juliet references) are just meant to be listened to by happy couples on a date in a car on the drive to nowhere or an intimate night at home on an old record player. Then you have songs like “Nightingales” which is a gorgeous ode to a lover and perhaps the crest of the romanticism here. “Hey Manhattan” bottles the excitement and liveliness of the New York City’s magical nightlife: a meteoric, melodic medley of youthfulness. The only exception to this rule is “Knock on Wood” which is a cautionary tale of love gone wrong. But aside from that, at its core, this is a sweet, simpering record for sweethearts to sit quietly or dance under the stars to or do whatever lovestruck couples do (I’ve never experienced “love” and the girl who I do love wants nothing to do with me so I can only speculate these things as a man who knows only one night stands and fleeting relationships *frowny face*) The slower paced final two tracks, wind down the album lazily and with ample grace. From Langley Park to Memphis is perfect and adorable Valentine’s Day music. Burn it to a cd and give it to your lover. I'm sure, good taste willing, he or she will appreciate it.
VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL, part II: For the lonely and lovelorn
Taking a musical and lyrical nod or two from The Smiths, The Trash Can Sinatras capture mid 20’s directionless lethargy and musing romanticism quite well. I listened to it yesterday while getting drunk alone on Valentine’s and it was really hitting the spot. Opener, "Obscurity Knocks" was the single for the album (featured in the promo vids below)and is one of the more refulgent, poppier tracks on Cake. “The Best Man’s Fall” is an heartfelt monody that acknowledges that singular point in which you realize you’re not getting any younger (“I’m old / not wise / just worried”), and reminisces on happier days past while harboring apprehension for the future (“Good God, give me strength to face another lazy day of…”) not to mention longing for the greener grasses on the other side (“If I was a millionaire, I’d be a million miles from here”). “Thrupenny Tears” which has found a place on many a mix-tape of mine, is the Sinatras at their most rhapsodic and concise. Opening with scintillating acoustic guitar picking, the album’s third track is a brilliantly crafted and exquisitely lush pop song that hits all the right notes. Following track “Even the Odd” is another classic twee gem with a great guitar line and catchy rhythm. “Circling the Circumference” is one of the more upbeat songs on the album and has a soaring chorus with barely audible lyrics that don’t really matter because the music at the forefront is so good.
All in all Cake is a sensitive, angsty affair, no doubt, but hey, that’s part of the reason why twee exists in the first place. Sometimes people just want to hear about fragile problems to relate to their own fragile problems. That’s one of the beautiful parts about recording. You can capture feelings and put them out and it’s mutual exchange between the creator the and the listener. Anyways, before I get off on a lengthy tangent, I'll get back to the band. This is an album for the dejected, the lost, the confused, the frustrated. So if you feel like any of those qualities describes you, this might just be for you. Sadly, in my opinion, their following albums didn’t live up to the verve of their debut, but they’re still decent and worth checking out if you dig on Cake - and really, who doesn't dig on cake? (bad pun, sorry)
If They Go Boom!! was a cup of tea, it'd have 10 sugar cubes in it....and it would taste delicious. Because Daryl of TGB is such a nice and awesome dude, he contacted me over last.fm and offered to give me all (well, most) of the missing pieces to the TGB discography and gave his permission to share them with you today. Thus, in combination with the previous posts, I present you the very close to complete TGB discography in fragmented pieces on Bigger Splashes. In the same vein as their other material, debut Atlantic is a synthy ornamented “hyper” pop classic, and a fantastic debut full length comprised of the classic TGB formula: lovelorn lyrics over melodic music. This nevus, once again is nothing new, but they push it to the extreme. Although Atlantic is not as polished as their later efforts it still stands on its own two feet, sans legerdemain.
Their compilation tracks features a phenomenal cover of Felt’s “Ballad of the Band” and puts into concrete their credibility as a band whose taste and influences are undoubtedly refined. Normally, I would have put this in with the Trash Can Sinatras as music for the lonesome folk, but there’s a sense of hopefulness with every other TGB song that isn’t present in The Sinatra’s work, and their style is just far too upbeat to be labeled as downtrodden. That’s not to say that there aren’t heartbreakers here. “I want somebody to want me to carry on / I need somebody to need me to be strong” is the catchy refrain on “Twentieth Century” from The Ruby Lounge EP. Also on the same release, “Take me to the End of the World” is, as the name suggests a blissful ballad which leads into the band’s ultimate quasar and potentially most well-known track “She’s Not my Friend” which is just pure perfection. Dig on these guys, not just because they're underappreciated, but because they're the real deal and deserve to be heard loud and clear.
Collection features:
The Ruby Lounge EP (1991) Europop EP (1991) (missing track 2) Woody Allen (EP? year unknown) Compilation tracks (various) Atlantic LP (1995)
Tomorrow expect a belated Valentine's Day double (possibly even triple) feature. I was going to do it today, but I was up at the school working on an animation project for the majority of the day.
I don't even know where to begin in describing these guys, Awkward for sure, subtly outlandish and quiescently wild, Tall Dwarfs were a lo-fi kiwi indie rock group fronted by undergound legend Chris Knox that were pretty promient in the early to mid 80s and embraced a number of contradictory musical elements giving them a unique sound. They were also a staple band in the Flying Nun collective. They embody a panoply of styles, playing around with noise, then metamorphosing into minimal and quiet pieces, then hitting you with some awesome schizo-pop. At first glance, their songs are kinda just there; there's seemingly nothing special about them. However, after letting the album sink in after a couple listens you get a feel for their oddball weirdo vibe. The songwriting is abstract and rather unconventional and the experimental nature of their sound creates a distinct and dynamic style. One particular perplexity adding to their abstract sensibilities was the lack of a proper drummer. In place of drums they used hand claps or various makeshift household appliances. Some might argue that this was a poor decision, that the songs would have benefited from having an actual percussionist, but I think it adds a bit charisma and rawness and their template wouldn't have meshed well with a drummer.
Songs like the misogynistic "Woman" have a portentous ghoulish dance hall vibe, which gives way to the tranquil, calming "Shade for Today". Bizarro 3 minute long interludes such as "Louie the First," present a fresh palate for the more poppier tracks on this compilation, such as subsequent songs "Maybe" and "Pictures on the Floor." This constant transition of contrasting elements repeats itself throughout the compilation and makes for a very engaging listen, keeping the audience's ears perked. It's one of the those albums that you feel the need to listen to from start to finish. I might also add that if you try to take a nap to this stuff, you might just end up with a case of sleep paralysis (true story: actually happened to me once). Anyhow, potential sleep paralysis aside, Hello Cruel World is a rather comprehensive retrospective of the Tall Dwarfs' strange, deranged, but charming anthology.
Witnessed the insanity of The Raspberry Reich the other night. Never have I ever been so confronted, challenged or provoked by a film as I was with this movie. Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but like hairy genitalia right up in your face, this film will at the very least get your attention, if nothing else. It may even shatter your sheltered perception of gender roles, sexuality, and capitalism while its at it. Outside of the acting, which was so bad it was almost laughable (intentionally, perhaps?), a crazy, and dare I say, "revolutionary" film. "THE REVOLUTION IS MY BOYFRIEND"
"MASTURBATION AND CORNFLAKES ARE COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY"
This ain't no Billy Joel shit. The Vietnam Veterans were a French neo-psyche outfit that formed in '83 and continued making rockin' tunes until '88, which is a longer lifespan than most ephemeral bands in that niche and short-lived genre. If I remember correctly, I heard about these guys via the Children of Nuggets comp. Their sound was guitar heavy for sure, as they were a well-mixed conglomeration of 60's psyche and garage rock, but with lots of romping organ accompaniment thrown in to create some real psychedelic rock stompers. It's effect is hectic, spastic, at times even dizzying, but in a rock your face off sort of manner. Mark Embata's vocals are guttural, trenchant and raw, alternating between almost spoken lyrics to high-pitched shrieks. decisively garage rock influenced. The band has just recently reformed in '05 and returned with a new album in '09, which I have yet to hear, however I'd be curious to see what it sounds like after a 20 plus year music-making hiatus.
Also included in this collection is their final release before originally disbanding, the compilation The Days of Pearly Spencer which is a good starting point for those looking for an introduction to this relatively obscure and under-looked group. Give a listen to The VV's cover of Bobby Bare's "500 Miles Away From Home" in the video below, which is the band at its most sincere, reflective and especially melodic, and you'll know immediately these guys were (to use an already established phrase) a golden nugget of the 80s. No nitpicks here, just quality stuff from a band that went way under the radar.
Collection includes:
Crawfish for the Notary (1984) In Ancient Times (1985) Catfish Eyes and Tales (1987) The Days of Pearly Spencer (1988)
The only things missing are their debut album (which is a little rough around the edges, even for a garage/psyche band) and their live album, which I couldn't find, but I'm sure is out there somewhere. Anyhow, enjoy:
Chris & Cosey, was a duo consisting of Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti (interesting name, eh?). Their music had a pinch of darkwave, a pinch of synth pop, and a little pinch of industrial leftover from their days with Throbbing Gristle. Midway through they change their tone a bit with the inclusion of “Lament” which is a rather gentle, melodic song and then followed by “Talk to Me” which sounds kind of like minimal wave funk and is actually peculiarly similar to modern revivalists such as Glass Candy. This sound was kind of a trend in certain circles during the early to mid 80s, but Chris and Cosey do it a little better than others, as they had seasoned experience (with TG) and more ambition than most (even creating their own label, Creative Technology Institute).
I’m posting this album today in commemoration of the recent re-release of both Exotica and Songs of Love and Lust. I actually haven’t heard Exotica, so I can’t comment on the quality of that, but Songs of Love and Lust is a pretty darn good record for what it was trying to accomplish. It’s not something I’m always inclined to listen to, but there are times when the mood strikes.
Once again with this genre, we see the early half of the album being more accessible and the latter half more avant-garde and experimental, outside of the instrumental "Chiron" which is one the better tracks on this LP. I can safely say that this album is not for everyone, but if you’re interested in checking out some of the pioneers of dark wave, this is a good starting point. To conclude, not the most employable music out there, but the two were definitely musical savants tackling new horizons that had an impact on electronic music to come.
Rating: 7.5/10
Link removed per request. Support the artist and buy the album!
I’m paraphrasing most of this from wikipedia because his story is so significant and fascinating, so fuck it. This is also essentially a re-write of my write up on Fame a la Mode, but again, fuck it.
“Black glasses, fancy trousers, and ambiguous provocations” are just a few components of Michel Polnareff’s flamboyant image, not to mention his muscular physique and adoration for tank tops (hey, we have something in common!) However, it was Polnareff’s elegance and sincerity, along with his endearing quasi-narcissism (a rare, almost contradictory quality) that made him unmatched by any of his peers as a pop star in his era. With these aforementioned qualities, combined with his impassioned voice and his competent musicianship and song-crafting abilities, he was destined for stardom. Although, as they say, the fall from the top is a long way down.
At the peak of his career, adored by the French public, censored and often banned by French officials, a disastrous occurrence of fate happened when his manager at the time, Bernard Seneau, ran off with all of his money, leaving him broke and adding to his deep depression from his close friend’s recent suicide. Soon thereafter, his mother also passed away and with him unable to pay his debts, he was exiled and forced to flee to the US to live anonymously.
Dark times ensued for Mr. Polnareff. However, he continued to record, and even had semi-hit in the States, “Jesus for Tonight,” which landed him on the billboard charts. He also did some soundtrack work during his time in the US for the exploitation rape drama Lipstick (1976). Although his success was not nearly as fruitful as it was in France, he continued writing and touring and ended up in Belgium, where thousands of French fans came to see him perform and pay respects to the once legendary star. In 1981, he had a comeback album called Bulles, which made him even more popular in France.
Fortunately, the tragedy here has a happy ending. Later in his career, in 1989, he returned to France and recorded several hit albums, almost picking up where he left off in the early to mid 70s. His popularity was benefited even moreso by his tribulations and his new creative spark, with the album Kama Sutra gaining critical acclaim in his home country. After playing a number of well-received concerts in both France and the US, he sort of dropped off the map in 1996. He had a brief third revival in the 2000s, playing a few shows which garnered great support from his longtime fans, but he has yet to release any new material and has been presumably living a peaceful, quiet life away from the spotlight, profiting from the royalties of his past record sales. Lawrence of Felt was often quoted as being a huge Polnareff fan, and he inspired many other musicians as well. His legacy lives on today, especially in France.
The tender and noble Kevin Wright (now formally known as Mr. Wright) put out 2 EPs and two LPs under his alias Always during the late 80's. The EPs and the first LP, Thames Valley Leather Club were released on the legendary El Records and inspired and influenced a myriad of twee/indie pop bands to come. His sentimental British style of wistful romanticism carried on to his work as Mr. Wright. It’s obvious that Wright is a man of immense depth as shown by his songwriting, which at times borders on poetry with musical accompaniment. These early beginnings may be a little rough and amateurish and even thin at times (although in a delicate way) compared to the more fleshed out, orchestrated Mr. Wright albums, but nonetheless affecting and emotive.
The reason I love Wright’s music so much, and perhaps the reason he is so often ignored by the public, is his brutal honesty and his intrinsic introspective display of real and genuine sadness as well as his aching suspiring for something more in life. He can transform the banal into something interesting, and really, really hit you with a maudlin (although not sappy), melancholy song when you’re not expecting it. There's even a strange, almost out of place track on Thames Valley Leather Club and Metroland, "Park Now" which carries a sense of portentous film score anxiety. It's a great, suspenseful track, just a little randomly placed amidst heap of pop music, maybe thrown in to add some diversity to the mix
This collection features two classic albums and one of his EPs (the other of which, Ariel Atlas I couldn’t track down, but I imagine the songs were featured on Thames Valley Leather Club like 3 of the tracks on the Metroland EP). Even if it comes off as little out of key at times or that he isn't the most proficient musician, Always is pop at its most sophisticated and distilled, much like Felt and Momus of the era. These are historically defining must-haves in any collection, even if the world chooses to ignore their general existence, influence, and sheer brilliance of their esoteric brand of pop. He has a myspace here, where you can listen to some of his newer material, and I've posted a few Mr. Wright albums previously here (Hello, is Anyone out There?, 2001) and here (Metropolitan, 2004). BUY THIS MAN'S ALBUMS!
Collection includes:
Metroland EP (1987-8?) Thames Valley Leather Club LP (1988) Looking for Mr. Wright LP (1989?)
Few bands have such an unhinged vigor and voracity and level of emotional conveyance as Comet Gain does. They have their punk roots, their twee/pop roots, their northern soul roots, etc. They can be boisterous and rough, and then be soft and sentimental in the span of a few tracks. Throughout their career, which engulfed the UK underground scene in the mid 90s, and continued to progress towards a more distinguished sound, they've always carried a sense of youthful energy and momentum; a "lust for life" so to speak. By the time the 2000's rolled along they really had it down. At the forefront of the band's songwriting is Jon Slade and founder David Feck, but the UK sextet is full of equally talented musicians such as vocalist Rachel Evans, Kay Ishikawa (bass), the pulchritudinous and alluring Anne Laure Guiot Guillain (keys), and M.J."Woodie" Taylor (drums, production).
All of their material is pretty much stellar and has a real sense of urgency and emotional output. Realistes! and especially City Fallen Leaves (which isn't included in this collection since I've posted it a while back here) already cover all your bases from upbeat ballads about the excitement of going to the movies for a date ("Movies") to songs sadder than the loneliest night, such as "Don't Fall in Love if you Want to Die in Peace," to everything in between from love, lust, longing, hope, sadness, the mundane; a potpourri of life in general. "Baby's Alright" on the one of their earliest efforts, Getting Ready EP is an anthem for going out and a damn excitable one at that - one of my favorites of theirs. Many of the songs on the singles are also featured on the LPs (Broken Record Players in particular, is a compilation album featuring most of the bands singles and EP material), but I included them anyways to make the collection as complete as possible. Also, Sneaky is just the American release of Magnetic Poetry, but it has a few bonus songs included.
More than anything, Comet Gain has soul, which can't be said for many artists these days. As I mentioned before in my write up on City Fallen Leaves, these are ardent anthems for youth culture. They're like a more refined and versatile Sonic Youth that knows better than to take themselves too seriously. Although at times they can be chic and cool (as shown in the vid below), there's no veneer, no facade; it's all sincere. Their prolific and expanding career is filled with almost two decades worth of heartfelt poetry combined with punk rock attitude that mesh together really well. Rock these guys and gals, they don’t get enough love.
Collection includes:
Holloway Sweethearts EP (1994) Gettin' Ready EP (1995) Casino Classics LP (1995) Say Yes! (To International Socialism) EP (1996) Magnetic Poetry LP(1997) Sneaky LP (1997) Strength EP (1997) Tigertown Pictures LP (1998) Red Menace EP (1999) Realistes! LP (2002) Beautiful Despair (single, 2006) Love Without Lies (single, 2008) Broken Record Players LP (2008) Herbert Hunke Part I (single, 2009)
What's missing:
Million and Nine (single, 1995) Jack Nance Hair EP (1998) Mailorder Freaks Singles Club" [If I Had a Soul, He Walked By Night, Brothers Off the Block] EP (1998) You Can Hide Your Love Forever EP (2001) The Weekend Dreams (Split EP with Hello Cuca, 2010) I Never Happened EP (2010)
