Monday, April 30, 2007
Fibonaccis
Fibonaccis rose out of the early-'80s punk scene in Los Angeles, CA. Drawing from a wide range of influences including film scores, circus music, as well as an interest in bizarre pop culture in general, the band took their name after Leonardo Fibonacci, the 14th century Italian mathematician. The group's first lineup consisted of Magie Song (vocals, percussion), John Dentino (keyboards), Joe Berardi (drums, percussion), and Ron Stringer (guitar, bass). Fibonaccis' first record, fi'-bo-na'-chez, was released in 1982 on the Index label. Mixing their many influences, the band emerged with intelligent keyboard passages, over-the-top vocals, and surf-influenced guitar work. With a rising reputation as a live band, the group performed bizarre versions of "Purple Haze" and the theme from the film Psycho in their sets. In 1983, the band released the EP Slow Beautiful Sex with new member Tom Corey (bass, mandolin, vocals). Though they continued to appear live occasionally, they did not release any new material until 1986. By this point, Stringer had left the group and was replaced by Corey. The band wrote the soundtrack to the cult horror/comedy film TerrorVision, and had high hopes, but the film and the soundtrack did not do as well as was hoped. The group then returned to the studio to record Civilization and Its Discotheques (1987), which was a frustrating process, and the band broke up afterwards.
These warped-yet-tuneful mellotron-fortified zolo pop masters were one of the most intriguing groups to come of the very fruitful Los Angeles punk scene. Their one full-length album is unfortunately not a perfect showcase of their talents, but their small discography offers numerous pleasures and is well worth perusing. They have an out of print best-of CD, but the easiest way to find their music nowadays may be to ask the band nicely.
Discography
'fib-o-'nach-ez EP (1982)
Tumor/Slow Beautiful Sex/Psycho EP (1983)
"Purple Haze" (on various artists album Radio Tokyo Tapes Vol. 2) (1984)
TerrorVision soundtrack (1986)
Civilization and Its Discotheques (1987)
Repressed – The Best of the Fibonaccis (1993 compilation)
Fibonaccis - 1987 - Civilization and Its Discotheques
Fibonaccis - 1987 - Civilization and Its Discotheques
March to Heaven [A]Narcissist [B+]
Had It with Girls [A?]
Crickets [A?]
Leroy [B+]
The Thread [B+]
Stay Home [A?]
Stay Home [A?]
Medicine Waltz [B?]
Some Men [A?]
Old Mean Ed Gein [A]
Romp of the Meiji Sycophants [B+]
The Snap [A?]
It took the band four years to properly follow up their Tumor EP, thanks to their ill-fated TerrorVision soundtrack and various troubles within the band. Ultimately, the album seems to have killed them. It’s not the masterpiece that one would hope for; for whatever reason, several of their best songs never made it onto here. Still, it’s a worthy release. Opener “March to Heaven” might be the poppiest thing they ever did, and it manages to strike an excellent balance between freakish and melodic.
Much of the rest relies more on charm and atmosphere than hooks, but there are hooks there, if you look closesly. “Crickets” actually sounds like a classic 70s prog song, somewhere between Genesis and Comus. “Old Mean Ed Gein”, about a teen’s rebellious fascination with serial killers, is one of the best. “Leroy”, the single, unfortunately is a novelty song without too much going for it musically. Amusingly creepy, though.
01 - terrorvision02 - the friends of crime
03 - sack of suit fruit
04 - advice to a mutant
05 - he can't stop laughing
06 - space garbage
07 - norton's theme
08 - the monster materializes
09 - gramps bites big one
10 - pluthar and the kids
11 - monster attacks sherman
Brother to filmmaker Charles Band and son to veteran producer Albert Band, Richard Band is often similar to other film composers like Robert O. Ragland and Lalo Schifrin. The Band family has had a history of filmmaking. Richard's brother Charles, became a known executive producer when he founded Empire Entertainment.
Richard decided to take on making music for films for numerous production companies like Paramount, Universal, Film Ventures International and 20th Century Fox. During the mid eighties he scored music for all of his father's and brother's horror films including Re-Animator (1985), _Dolls (1986)_ , Troll (1986) and From Beyond (1986). After his brother's company collapsed, Band worked with numerous other filmmakers, and then returned to work for his brother and father in the early nineties. Richard Band's music scores are unique and fascinating and he has done music for over 50 motion pictures to date.
The Fibonaccis were an art rock group from Los Angeles. The members were Magie Song (vocals), Ron Stringer (guitar and bass), John Dentino (keyboards), and Joe Berardi (drums).
Rather like Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Fibonaccis were intelligent and technically accomplished musicians who explored dark themes, but they did so in a more cartoonish and satirical fashion. Their rendition of Bernard Herrmann's theme from Psycho was a favorite in concert. Their bizarre cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" is preceded by a snippet from a jailhouse interview of Charles Manson.
Rather like Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Fibonaccis were intelligent and technically accomplished musicians who explored dark themes, but they did so in a more cartoonish and satirical fashion. Their rendition of Bernard Herrmann's theme from Psycho was a favorite in concert. Their bizarre cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" is preceded by a snippet from a jailhouse interview of Charles Manson.
Tumor [A]
Slow Beautiful Sex [A?]
Psycho [A]
Shorter and sweeter than their debut, (though it doesn’t have a song as good as “Second Coming”) this dandy EP has to be considered a direct assault on the 80s and its inhabitants: “When the tumor comes / whatchu gonna do? / eat a roll of Tums? / who you gonna sue?”; “I love slow beautiful sex / with upwardly mobile people / ... / come on! pour me some Giacobazzi / and tell me you’re a Nazi!” It all ends, appropriately enough, with a cover of the theme from “Psycho” (a good job they do of it, too.)
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Teardrops Explodes - 1980 - Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjarois a melodic and atmospheric blend of post-punk, new wave, neo-psychedelia and even a touch of new romantic. A must have for fans of early eighties music!
The Group of Julian Cope
Tracks
1 Ha Ha I'm Drowning 2:56
2 Sleeping Gas 3:46
3 Treason(It's Just a Story) 2:58
4 Second Head 3:10
5 Poppies in the Field 5:08
6 Went Crazy 2:40
7 Brave Boys Keep Their Promises 2:30
8 Bouncing Babies 2:28
9 Books 2:36
10 Thief of Baghdad 3:09
11 When I Dream 5:38
The Reviews
1
Julian Cope has been making records for over 20 years now but the fact remains that his best work can be heard on the Teardrop Explodes' first album released in 1980. 'Kilimanjaro' is a very worthwhile document of the nascent early post-punk boom; it is perhaps worthier than most because of the all too rare intensity that is created allied with musicianship of the highest order. 'Sleeping Gas', 'Treason', 'Boucing Babies', 'Went Crazy' and the Top 10 UK hit 'Reward' are all perfect hook-filled nuggets driven along by energy, biting lyrics and great dexterity in terms of guitar playing and Cope's nasal vocal delivery; all tracks which register with the listener every time. 'Poppies' and 'Thief Of Baghdad' serve to remind us that they could carry off less agressive numbers with equal panache and style too. Only the final, unnecessarily extended vocal conclusion to 'When I Dream' outstays its welcome but generally this is excellent stuff.
2
Armed with trumpeters Ray Martinez and Hurricane Smith who add soaring flourishes and energetic blasts throughout, on Kilimanjaro the Teardrops explode in a torrent of creative, kicky and often downright fun songs that hotwire garage/psych inspirations into something more. Steering clear of ham-handed attempts to be commercially "new wave" while at the same time sounding young, bright and alive, the foursome go happily nuts with great results. Cope is already a commanding singer and frontman; his clever lyrics and strong projection result in a series of confident performances, whether his trading lines with himself on the motorik chug of "Sleeping Gas" or his yelps on "Books." For all the bad energy between himself and Balfe, the two sound like they're grafted at the hip throughout, the latter's keyboard washes and staccato melodies adding the fun, nervy vibe. Dwyer's spot-on drumming keeps the pace, while both guitarists, Finkler and his replacement Gill, don't drown the band in feedback to the exclusion of everything else. One listen to many of Gill's pieces, on songs like "Poppies," and Cope's oft-stated claim that early U2 was trying to rip off the Teardrops and other Liverpool/Manchester groups makes sense. Though it was assembled from a variety of different sessions Kilimanjaro still sounds cohesive. When it comes to the hit singles, it's no surprise songs like "Treason" and the brilliant "Reward," with its snarky opening line "Bless my cotton socks, I'm in the news today!" were such huge smashes. Perfectly hummable choruses, great arrangements and production and Cope's smiling vibe all add up with fantastic results. The sweet romance of "When I Dream" closes out this entertaining debut.
Download Link :
Thursday, April 26, 2007
VA - Music for Dancefloors: The Cream of the Chappell Music Library Sessions
An extremely fun compilation of funky, cheesy library music. Lots of wacky synth sounds and silly drumbeats. Contrary to the name of the compilation, I wouldn't rush out onto the dancefloor if I heard this stuff... but it's great for when you've got some folks over and need some enjoyable background tunes.Get it HERE.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Anubian Lights - 1998 - Let Not The Flame Die Out
First, a few archeological notes: Once upon a time, Tommy Grenas played with a very strange band called Farflung. Then he joined Pressurehed, a West Coast spacerock band. Later, Grenas and Pressurehed mastermind Len del Rio wandered off to produce a series of solo and side projects, exploring the full spectrum of space music. Among these side projects was Anubian Lights.
Anubian Lights - 1998 - Let Not The Flame Die Out
Track Listings
1. The Fire Breathes (3:35)
2. South Of Dashur (4:43)
3. The Locusts Call (6:24)
4. One Eye To The Sky (5:12)
5. Ali Mamoun's Broken Entranceway (5:25)
6. Frequency Of Sand (7:13)
7. Mutashaker (Thank You) (5:31)
8. Our Man In Baghdad (4:16)
9. Atoms Of The Gods (1:37)
10. As Seen In 822 A.D. (3:52)
11. Sanctuaries Of Jupiter (4:03)
12. Nara-Yana (5:26)
13. Vision Of A New Homeland (5:14)
14. Let Not The Flame Die Out (6:41)
Line-up/Musicians
- Gilli Smyth / vocals (background)
- Simon House / electric violin
- Nik Turner / flute, saxophone
- Tommy Grenas / guitar, keyboards, Moog bass
- Doran Shelley / guitar, Arp Omni
For this 69 minute release from 1998, the Grenas/de Rio core of Anubian Lights is joined by guest appearances by Nik Turner, Simon House, Dorian Shelley, and Gilli Smythe (from Gong).
This music still bears the signature blend of Egyptian and space rock, indeed in a more concentrated form. Tighter and less tribal, the music draws from more modern roots, splicing dance, pop and space with airs of the Nile. Even the Middle Eastern influences possess a modern touch, bringing the ethnic edge into the present day. Truly a solid evolution for the band's sound. Throbbing electronics swarm, dodging sinuous E-perc and haunting guitar. Infrequent vocal comments pepper the songs, sampled snippets and chants.
If there are UFOs in the sky over Cairo today, they were lured there by this music.
ANUBIAN LIGHTS are an electro-lounge outfit from L.A. masterminded by Tommy Greñas and Len del Rio. Continuously exploring space rock's possibilities, they mix sci-fi kitsch with acid-rock, spaced-out electronic and world-music, building their songs layer by layer and then filling their hooky loops with subtle details. This groove-driven (and outright danceable) material is progressive in a way, although not in the 'prog' sense per se. With the use of sampling, synths, drum machines and deep pulsating bass, they churn out some playful and infectious foot-tapping, hip-shaking numbers, creating hypnotic landscapes à la CAN and KRAFTWERK. At times rubbing shoulders with members of HAWKWIND, Greñas and del Rio have covered a lot of ground over the years, creating a string of other ambient beat bands such as CHROME, FARFLUNG, The BRAIN, ZERO GRAVITY and PRESSUREHED.
Their debut album, "The Eternal Sky" (1995), is an ambitious blend of space trance and slick Middle Eastern percussion with soaring synths, electric violin, electric guitar and robotic, bizarre chants. Conceived with a larger budget, "Let Not the Flame Die Out" (1998) boasts a better production and is a natural progression to their first; it also features two HAWKWIND members in Nik Turner (flute and sax) and Simon House (electric violin). Their third album "Naz Bar" (2001) is yet another percolating mix of krautrock, bellydance, hallucinetic grooves and bewitching vocals;
Anubian Lights - 1998 - Let Not The Flame Die Out
Track Listings
1. The Fire Breathes (3:35)
2. South Of Dashur (4:43)
3. The Locusts Call (6:24)
4. One Eye To The Sky (5:12)
5. Ali Mamoun's Broken Entranceway (5:25)
6. Frequency Of Sand (7:13)
7. Mutashaker (Thank You) (5:31)
8. Our Man In Baghdad (4:16)
9. Atoms Of The Gods (1:37)
10. As Seen In 822 A.D. (3:52)
11. Sanctuaries Of Jupiter (4:03)
12. Nara-Yana (5:26)
13. Vision Of A New Homeland (5:14)
14. Let Not The Flame Die Out (6:41)
Line-up/Musicians
- Gilli Smyth / vocals (background)
- Simon House / electric violin
- Nik Turner / flute, saxophone
- Tommy Grenas / guitar, keyboards, Moog bass
- Doran Shelley / guitar, Arp Omni
For this 69 minute release from 1998, the Grenas/de Rio core of Anubian Lights is joined by guest appearances by Nik Turner, Simon House, Dorian Shelley, and Gilli Smythe (from Gong).
This music still bears the signature blend of Egyptian and space rock, indeed in a more concentrated form. Tighter and less tribal, the music draws from more modern roots, splicing dance, pop and space with airs of the Nile. Even the Middle Eastern influences possess a modern touch, bringing the ethnic edge into the present day. Truly a solid evolution for the band's sound. Throbbing electronics swarm, dodging sinuous E-perc and haunting guitar. Infrequent vocal comments pepper the songs, sampled snippets and chants.
If there are UFOs in the sky over Cairo today, they were lured there by this music.
ANUBIAN LIGHTS are an electro-lounge outfit from L.A. masterminded by Tommy Greñas and Len del Rio. Continuously exploring space rock's possibilities, they mix sci-fi kitsch with acid-rock, spaced-out electronic and world-music, building their songs layer by layer and then filling their hooky loops with subtle details. This groove-driven (and outright danceable) material is progressive in a way, although not in the 'prog' sense per se. With the use of sampling, synths, drum machines and deep pulsating bass, they churn out some playful and infectious foot-tapping, hip-shaking numbers, creating hypnotic landscapes à la CAN and KRAFTWERK. At times rubbing shoulders with members of HAWKWIND, Greñas and del Rio have covered a lot of ground over the years, creating a string of other ambient beat bands such as CHROME, FARFLUNG, The BRAIN, ZERO GRAVITY and PRESSUREHED.
Their debut album, "The Eternal Sky" (1995), is an ambitious blend of space trance and slick Middle Eastern percussion with soaring synths, electric violin, electric guitar and robotic, bizarre chants. Conceived with a larger budget, "Let Not the Flame Die Out" (1998) boasts a better production and is a natural progression to their first; it also features two HAWKWIND members in Nik Turner (flute and sax) and Simon House (electric violin). Their third album "Naz Bar" (2001) is yet another percolating mix of krautrock, bellydance, hallucinetic grooves and bewitching vocals;
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The Loft - 1989 - Once Around The Fair
Tracklisting:
1. Why Does the Rain
2. Skeleton Staircase
3. Lonely Street
4. Your Door Shines Like Gold
5. Time
6. Winter
7. Like
8. On a Tuesday
9. The Canal and the Big Red Town
10. Up the Hill and Down the Slope
The Loft was one of the early bands on Alan McGee's Creation label. The band started out as the Living Room in 1980, with singer/guitarist Peter Astor, drummer Dave Morgan, bassist Bill Prince, and lead guitarist Andy Strickland as members. Upon realizing that they shared their name with a venue run by McGee, the Television-inspired band changed their name to the Loft. After meeting up with the club owner, they began playing there regularly and wound up on his label. The single "Up the Hill and Down the Slope" won the group and the then-fledgling label a good amount of attention, winning the group a spot on The Oxford Road Show, a television program on BBC2; along with the Jesus & Mary Chain's debut single, it also upped Creation's profile during their early lean period.
While on a tour opening for the Colour Field, a major rift between the group grew extremely deep; there was the Morgan/Astor half and the Prince/Strickland half. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the former half was the second half to join upon the band's inception. Prior to a major show opening for the Colour Field at the Hammersmith Palais, Astor informed Prince over the phone of his wish to sack him and Strickland and continue with Morgan under the same name. After Prince told Strickland of the call, Strickland demanded that Astor be present for the gig. Astor showed; prior to the final song of the band's set, Strickland foiled the singer and told the packed crowd that the Loft would be no more after that show.
Almost immediately after the dramatic public split, Astor formed the Weather Prophets with Morgan (he also released solo records and formed the Wisdom of Harry later on). Strickland and Prince went on to play in a couple of minor bands and also continued working sporadically as music journalists; Strickland also ended up managing the Dotmusic website. Once Around the Fair, a compilation of the Loft's material, was issued posthumously by Creation. ~ Andy Kellman, AMG
Download Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/27040023/loft.rar
1. Why Does the Rain
2. Skeleton Staircase
3. Lonely Street
4. Your Door Shines Like Gold
5. Time
6. Winter
7. Like
8. On a Tuesday
9. The Canal and the Big Red Town
10. Up the Hill and Down the Slope
The Loft was one of the early bands on Alan McGee's Creation label. The band started out as the Living Room in 1980, with singer/guitarist Peter Astor, drummer Dave Morgan, bassist Bill Prince, and lead guitarist Andy Strickland as members. Upon realizing that they shared their name with a venue run by McGee, the Television-inspired band changed their name to the Loft. After meeting up with the club owner, they began playing there regularly and wound up on his label. The single "Up the Hill and Down the Slope" won the group and the then-fledgling label a good amount of attention, winning the group a spot on The Oxford Road Show, a television program on BBC2; along with the Jesus & Mary Chain's debut single, it also upped Creation's profile during their early lean period.
While on a tour opening for the Colour Field, a major rift between the group grew extremely deep; there was the Morgan/Astor half and the Prince/Strickland half. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the former half was the second half to join upon the band's inception. Prior to a major show opening for the Colour Field at the Hammersmith Palais, Astor informed Prince over the phone of his wish to sack him and Strickland and continue with Morgan under the same name. After Prince told Strickland of the call, Strickland demanded that Astor be present for the gig. Astor showed; prior to the final song of the band's set, Strickland foiled the singer and told the packed crowd that the Loft would be no more after that show.
Almost immediately after the dramatic public split, Astor formed the Weather Prophets with Morgan (he also released solo records and formed the Wisdom of Harry later on). Strickland and Prince went on to play in a couple of minor bands and also continued working sporadically as music journalists; Strickland also ended up managing the Dotmusic website. Once Around the Fair, a compilation of the Loft's material, was issued posthumously by Creation. ~ Andy Kellman, AMG
Download Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/27040023/loft.rar
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Plastics - 1979 - Welcome Plastics
Plastics - 1979 - Welcome Plastics01 Top Secret Man
02 Digital Watch
03 Copy
04 I Am Plastic
05 I Wanna Be Plastic
06 Can I Help Me ?
07 Too Much Information
08 Welcome Plastics
09 I Love You Oh No!
10 Robot
11 Delicious
12 Last Train to Clarkesville (Monkees cover)
13 Deluxe
14 Complex
Lineup
Chica Sato - vocal
Toshio Nakanishi - vocal, guitar & percussion
Hajime Tachibana - guitar & vocal
Masahide Sakuma - keyboards, guitar & bass programming
Takemi Shima - rhythm box
Plastics or, alternately, The Plastics were a short-lived Japanese pop group prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Though they were short lived, their music was a major influence on Japanese pop music and have been covered by many bands, most notably Polysics, and Pizzicato Five (covering the song "Good" from Origato Plastico). The bands Talking Heads, B-52s, Devo were big fans of Plastics, and may have helped get their albums released in the US. Their mainstream exposure began when Toshio Nakanishi designed a tour program book for Talking Heads and slipped David Byrne a tape of Plastics demos. Byrne promptly sent it to the B-52s' manager who offered to represent them internationally.
Discography
1979 Copy/Robot (45)
1979 Welcome Plastics (LP)
1980 Origato Plastico (LP)
1980 Welcome Back (US Released as "Plastics")
1980 All Across the USA 80 Live
1988 Forever Plastico (CD)
Enjoy !!!
Monday, April 16, 2007
The Nick Vivid Effect
2 piece Garage/Psych/70's Arena from Brooklyn NY. (2007) From the press release: "The theme is a celebration of superficially small, seemingly inconsequential victories with all of the vigor, sweat, passion, and lust of one where the hero has just achieved world peace. The setting is post glam 1977, 'cause why the hell not? And the power chords and throbbing beats courtesy of a modern day guitar slinging batman and his stick weilding sidekick robin. The label is MegaPlatinum. The band is the Nick Vivid Effect." The label has allowed the spread via music lover blogs of the first single. Enjoy!
1. Baby Better Look Out
2. ...And now, the moment we've all been waiting for
3. Go Get 'Em, Kid!
http://www.mediafire.com/?a0m1m2mmixz
or
The_Nick_Vivid_Effect_.rar
1. Baby Better Look Out
2. ...And now, the moment we've all been waiting for
3. Go Get 'Em, Kid!
http://www.mediafire.com/?a0m1m2mmixz
or
The_Nick_Vivid_Effect_.rar
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Associates - 1980 - The Affectionate Punch
All ten songs on The Affectionate Punch are nearly swollen with ambition and swagger, yet those attributes are confronted with high levels of anxiety and confusion, the sound of prowess and hormones converging head-on. It's not always pretty, but it's unflaggingly sensational, even when it slows down. Having debuted with a brazen reduction of David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging" to a spindly rumble, multi-instrumentalist Alan Rankine and vocalist Billy Mackenzie ensured instant attention and set forward with this, their first album. Mackenzie's exotic swoops cover four octaves, from the kind of isolated swagger heard in Bowie's "Secret Life of Arabia" to a falsetto more commonly heard in an opera house than a bar. (Dude sounds like a diva, so proceed with caution if you'd much rather hear a voice in line with PiL's John Lydon or Magazine's Howard Devoto.) Though the subject matter of the duo's songs would later veer into the completely inscrutable, there's some abstract wordplay here that scans like vocal exercises or Scott Walker at his most surreal: "Stenciled doubts spin the spine, Logan time, Logan time"; "If I threw myself from the ninth story, would I levitate back to three"; "His jawline's not perfect but that can be altered."
Meaningful or not, there's always a sense of great weight. When Mackenzie runs through the alphabet in "A," he could be singing in code about the butterflies of love. Rankine, with help from drummer Nigel Glockler and a background appearance from then labelmate Robert Smith, covers most of the other stuff, specializing in spare arrangements that can simultaneously slither and jump, crosscut with guitars that release weary chimes and caustic stabs, as well as the occasional racing xylophone. Two years later -- a year after the genius run of bizarre singles collected on Fourth Drawer Down and the same year as the high-drama overdrive of Sulk -- Rankine and Mackenzie partially re-recorded and completely remixed this album to spectacularly layered and glossy effect. Get both versions.
by Andy Kellman AMG
DOWNLOAD IT HERE
Friday, April 13, 2007
The Godfathers - 1988 - Birth, School, Work, Death
The Godfathers - 1988 - Birth, School, Work, Death
1.Birth School Work Death
2.If I Only Had Time
3.Tell Me Why
4.It's So Hard
5.When Am I Coming Down
6.Cause I Said So
7.Strangest Boy
8.S.T.B.
9.Just Like You
10.Obsession
11.Love Is Dead
Line-up :
Peter Coyne - vocals
Chris Coyne - bass
Kris Dollimore - lead guitar
Mike Gibson - guitar
George Mazur - drums
The Godfathers missed the British punk revolution by a decade and were a few years too early before loud guitars became fashionable in England again. Consequently, the group's 1988 LP Birth, School, Work, Death is often overlooked. Released during the U.K. rave craze of the late ‘80s, ^Birth, School, Work, Death must've seemed completely dated in the barrage of pulsating electronic sounds that enveloped Britain at the time. Wearing Mafia suits and skinny ties, the Godfathers had a mean look that matched their name. And their sound was similarly tough: brass-knuckled punches in the form of menacing, explosive riffs; venom-spewing, nihilistic vocals; body-slamming percussion. Yet the Godfathers never forget the importance of the hook. The bleak title track -- with its gloomy shouted chorus of "Birth, School, Work, Death" -- has head-bobbing basslines and a toe-tapping drum beat. "I cut myself but I don't bleed/'Cause I don't get what I need/And it doesn't matter what I say/Tomorrow's still another day," Peter Coyne spits, the bile in his voice bringing back memories of Johnny Rotten's snotty rage in the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" as well Roger Daltrey's adolescent anguish in the Who's "My Generation". "Birth, School, Work, Death" is followed by two other rockers, "If I Only Had Time" and "Tell Me Why", that are equally catchy and filled with ticked-off confessions such as "If I only had time/I'd think of the perfect crime." But the Godfathers are from being one-dimensional. "Just Like You" is an upbeat love song and on "When Am I Coming Down" guitarist Kris Dollimore helps illustrate an acid trip gone wrong with swirling, disorienting guitars that recall Jimi Hendrix' moments of sonic transcendence. Coyne's spoken-word bit in "When Am I Coming Down" is chilling, told from the point-of-view of someone who has just overdosed on drugs. The production by Vic Maile is clean yet it doesn't soften the Godfathers' two-fisted attack.
~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide
1.Birth School Work Death
2.If I Only Had Time
3.Tell Me Why
4.It's So Hard
5.When Am I Coming Down
6.Cause I Said So
7.Strangest Boy
8.S.T.B.
9.Just Like You
10.Obsession
11.Love Is Dead
Line-up :
Peter Coyne - vocals
Chris Coyne - bass
Kris Dollimore - lead guitar
Mike Gibson - guitar
George Mazur - drums
The Godfathers missed the British punk revolution by a decade and were a few years too early before loud guitars became fashionable in England again. Consequently, the group's 1988 LP Birth, School, Work, Death is often overlooked. Released during the U.K. rave craze of the late ‘80s, ^Birth, School, Work, Death must've seemed completely dated in the barrage of pulsating electronic sounds that enveloped Britain at the time. Wearing Mafia suits and skinny ties, the Godfathers had a mean look that matched their name. And their sound was similarly tough: brass-knuckled punches in the form of menacing, explosive riffs; venom-spewing, nihilistic vocals; body-slamming percussion. Yet the Godfathers never forget the importance of the hook. The bleak title track -- with its gloomy shouted chorus of "Birth, School, Work, Death" -- has head-bobbing basslines and a toe-tapping drum beat. "I cut myself but I don't bleed/'Cause I don't get what I need/And it doesn't matter what I say/Tomorrow's still another day," Peter Coyne spits, the bile in his voice bringing back memories of Johnny Rotten's snotty rage in the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" as well Roger Daltrey's adolescent anguish in the Who's "My Generation". "Birth, School, Work, Death" is followed by two other rockers, "If I Only Had Time" and "Tell Me Why", that are equally catchy and filled with ticked-off confessions such as "If I only had time/I'd think of the perfect crime." But the Godfathers are from being one-dimensional. "Just Like You" is an upbeat love song and on "When Am I Coming Down" guitarist Kris Dollimore helps illustrate an acid trip gone wrong with swirling, disorienting guitars that recall Jimi Hendrix' moments of sonic transcendence. Coyne's spoken-word bit in "When Am I Coming Down" is chilling, told from the point-of-view of someone who has just overdosed on drugs. The production by Vic Maile is clean yet it doesn't soften the Godfathers' two-fisted attack.
~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Jeffrey Lee Pierce - Wildweed (1985)
Jeffrey Lee Pierce (June 27, 1958 - March 31, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was one of the founding members of the 1980s punk band The Gun Club. He also released several solo albums and was a founding member of The Red Lights prior to forming The Gun Club.
In the 1980s The Gun Club released a number of albums. The first, "Fire of Love" is still widely regarded as the band's most fully-realised work, and contained several songs that won critical acclaim, above all "Sex Beat" and "She's Like Heroin To Me". The next two albums, Miami and The Las Vegas Story, are highly original, the music being a unique mixture of punk, country elements and blues. Later albums depart somewhat from the swamp-punk template in favour of more reflective, melancholic moods.
Pierce recorded a solo album, "Wildweed" in 1985. To general surprise, it was an accessible, melodic and occasionally danceable work, with the tenderly devotional "From Temptation To You" displaying his (perhaps surprising) flair for soul-searching love songs. A reformed Gun Club then made 1987's "Mother Juno", generally cited second only to "Fire Of Love" as their finest work. Typically punkish efforts "Thunderhead" and "Araby" co-existed with startlingly melodic compositions "Breaking Hands" and "Port of Souls". As Pierce later said, "We envisioned an album that sounded like ocean waves". ~Wiki
Monday, April 9, 2007
McCarthy - 3 albums (1989-1991)
Catchy British jangle-pop with intensely leftist political lyrics. All three are very enjoyable listens! Tim Gane went on from this band to form Stereolab. The reviews below are from the AMG:
I Am A Wallet (1989): After recording two astonishingly beautiful singles, Red Sleeping Beauty and Frans Hals, the first album by McCarthy is a slice of three-minute, three-chord guitar pop reminiscent of the Byrds. The wonderful, if slightly twee, jangly guitars and upbeat drumming support Malcolm Eden's rather weedy vocals. While this form of indie pop was widespread in '80s underground Britain, McCarthy brought left-wing anarchist politics to the genre. Religion is attacked in "God Made the Virus," while the return of Victorian values espoused by Margaret Thatcher are compared to medieval oppression in "In the Dark Times." While this album may not be musically groundbreaking, if you're looking for perfect pop, you would be hard-pressed to find better than this album. Get it HERE.
The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth + Rarities (1989): Coming off the back of the controversial single Should the Bible Be Banned -- actually a song against censorship rather than religion -- McCarthy continued their sugar-sweet anarcho-pop campaign. This album is slicker produced than its predecessor, I Am a Wallet, but is in much the same vein with jangly guitars, great pop drumming, and Malcolm Eden's less-than-powerful vocals. Tim Gane's search for the perfect pop tune leads to greater invention in both music and tempo, particularly in the tirade against endless love songs "Boy Meets Girl So What." Most controversial, and also a single, is "I'm Not a Patriot But," which contrasts British left-wing support for Sandanista with the condemnation for the IRA. Enraged Will Inherit the Earth's sales ensured that McCarthy remained at the heart of 1980s indie pop. Get part one HERE, and get part two HERE.
Banking, Violence, and the Inner Life Today (1991): The final album by McCarthy sees no letup in the search for the perfect pop tune. Tim Gane begins to display the hypnotic layering that would become his trademark in Stereolab. However, Banking is still characterized by jangly guitars and up-tempo pop drumming. Malcolm Eden's nasal vocals are backed by Laetitia Sadier, future Stereolab singer and Gane's future wife. This album displays some of the most adept left-wing lyrics on offer. Never a band to indulge in political airheadedness, on "Use a Bank I'd Rather Die" McCarthy pours scorn on hippie idealism, whereas new age beliefs are rounded upon in "The Well-Fed Point of View." The uncaring attitude so prevalent in the Thatcher/Reagan era is solidly attacked on "And Tomorrow the Stock Exchange Will Be the Human Race." Always keen to court controversy, support for the IRA is espoused on "Take the Shortest Way With the Men of Violence." Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today displays McCarthy at the height of its powers; unfortunately, sales never propelled the band to the heights of some of its lesser-talented contemporaries. Get it HERE.
The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth + Rarities (1989): Coming off the back of the controversial single Should the Bible Be Banned -- actually a song against censorship rather than religion -- McCarthy continued their sugar-sweet anarcho-pop campaign. This album is slicker produced than its predecessor, I Am a Wallet, but is in much the same vein with jangly guitars, great pop drumming, and Malcolm Eden's less-than-powerful vocals. Tim Gane's search for the perfect pop tune leads to greater invention in both music and tempo, particularly in the tirade against endless love songs "Boy Meets Girl So What." Most controversial, and also a single, is "I'm Not a Patriot But," which contrasts British left-wing support for Sandanista with the condemnation for the IRA. Enraged Will Inherit the Earth's sales ensured that McCarthy remained at the heart of 1980s indie pop. Get part one HERE, and get part two HERE.
Banking, Violence, and the Inner Life Today (1991): The final album by McCarthy sees no letup in the search for the perfect pop tune. Tim Gane begins to display the hypnotic layering that would become his trademark in Stereolab. However, Banking is still characterized by jangly guitars and up-tempo pop drumming. Malcolm Eden's nasal vocals are backed by Laetitia Sadier, future Stereolab singer and Gane's future wife. This album displays some of the most adept left-wing lyrics on offer. Never a band to indulge in political airheadedness, on "Use a Bank I'd Rather Die" McCarthy pours scorn on hippie idealism, whereas new age beliefs are rounded upon in "The Well-Fed Point of View." The uncaring attitude so prevalent in the Thatcher/Reagan era is solidly attacked on "And Tomorrow the Stock Exchange Will Be the Human Race." Always keen to court controversy, support for the IRA is espoused on "Take the Shortest Way With the Men of Violence." Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today displays McCarthy at the height of its powers; unfortunately, sales never propelled the band to the heights of some of its lesser-talented contemporaries. Get it HERE.
Giorgio Moroder - From Here To Eternity (1977)
It's been awfully quiet around here with folks away for Easter vacation--- looks like I have to run the whole show by myself! So without further ado, let's get some new posts on these sub-blogs! Here's what's widely considered one of the great "shades-of-the-eighties-to-come" albums, producer Giorgio Moroder's soundtrack to the film "From Here To Eternity." This sounds like "Computer World"-era Kraftwerk crossed with disco, Italian style. Really fun stuff. One of the tracks, "First Hand Experience In Second Hand Love" also anticipates the vibe of prime 1980s synth-pop hits.Get it HERE.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Zone Six - 2003 - Any Noise Is Intended
Zone Six - 2003 - Any Noise Is Intended
01 Score Trek02 Any Noise is Intended
03 Psss......
04 Bauchfellhowie
05 The Gotthun
Zone Six is a totally improvisational group from Berlin. They have existed for many years and features current and past members of Liquid Visions. This is the second studio CD they have released. This material was recorded in a studio in 2000 but only just now released on the new German Label Sunhair. I saw the band live back in 1998. The past couple of years the band has not played that may gigs but this year looks like they will play more. The CD begins with the long 20 minute track called "Score Trek". It begins with some spaced keyboards and loads of bizarre sounds and echoed guitars, etc. before it builds its groove up. It remains slow and spacey for 10 minutes or so. Now things start to happen and a great Ozric tentacles like jam fest begins. Great stuff. "Any Noise Is Intended", the title track, takes us back out into space for another 14 minutes but this time the journey is long, slow and spaced out to the max! "Psss..." follows and is a strange soundscape more than a real song. "Bauchfellhavarie" begins with some strange sounds and a voice saying "Hello" and then everything gets phased and wobbly and very strange. Who put acid in my coke? "The Gotthun" closes the CD and we are back to songs and this one is much more like what the band have done in the past but the synths play a greater role and sound great. This is a great CD to chill out and take a journey with. The most spaced out stuff the band have ever done, in my opinion. A great way to start a new label, with a first class space rock release.
~Reviewed by Scott Heller
For more information you can visit the Zone Siz web site at:
http://www.zonesix.de.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Fred Frith - Cheap At Half The Price (1983)
Even with a body of work as wide-ranging as Fred Frith's, this is an odd one. Half art-pop songs, half brightly colored sonic experiments, Frith recorded this at home on a cheap four-track, playing most of the instruments himself apart from some prerecorded drum loops. The result is a whimsical carousel of an album that sounds like the mischievous younger sister of Eno's "Another Green World." My suspicion is that a major inspiration and impetus for Frith's creation of this album stems from his meeting, several years earlier, with genius one-man-band home-taper R. Stevie Moore (the phone conversation between Frith and Moore in which they arrange to meet at Frith's East Village apartment appears on RSM's 1979 cassette release "Quits."), especially given that RSM also often had a unique method of working with prerecorded drum tracks. And like much of Moore's work, Frith's "Cheap At Half The Price" is an album whose theme is the simple joy of music making.
Get it HERE.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Of the Wand and the Moon
Midnight Will [10'']Limited split 10" (666 ex.) June 2000
01 Brace Yourself
02 A Mass
03 Midnight Will
04 Winter Veil
05 A Dirge
My Black Fate [7'']
(2004)
01 My Black Fate (Live)
02 Lost in Emptiness (New Version)
Hail Hail Hail [7'']
(2005)
01 Hail Hail Hail
02 Benediction/Malediction
Get the Above 3 Singles Here
1998 - 2003: Limited 500 copies Box-set
Containing 3 vinyls with the 3 first albums, 1 Digi pack CD with live tracks
& 1 digi pack CD with exclusive versions
part I ~ part II ~ part III
Nighttime Nightrhymes 1999
01 Gandr
02 I Crave For You
03 Lion Serpent Sun
04 Sól Ek Sá
05 In The Colours Of Night
06 The Substance Of Simplicity
07 Raven Chant
08 She With Whom Compar'd The Alpes Are Vallies
09 VargQld
10 Wintry Mantle
11 Nighttime Nightrhyme
12 Mauna
Emptiness Emptiness Emptiness 2001
01 Lost In Emptiness
02 My Devotion Will Never Fade
03 In A Robe Of Fire
04 Algir Naudir Wunjo
05 Silver Rain
06 Gal Anda
07 Here's To Misery (A Toast)
08 Can I Erase The Demon?
09 Reficul
Algiz (Digi pack CD) 2003
01 Gal Anda
(Previous unreleased version)
02 I Crave For You feat. Matt Howden
(Version from 'I Crave For You' 7" 2001)
03 In A Robe Of Fire
(Version from 'I Crave For You' 7" 2001)
04 Sól Ek Sá
(Previous unreleased version)
05 My Devotion Will Never Fade
(Version from 'Lichttaufe 2' compilation CD 2001)
06 Lost In Emptiness
(Version from 'My Black Fate' 7" 2001)
07 She With Whom Compar'd The Alpes Are Vallies
(Version from 'Bringing Light & Darkness' split 12" 2001)
Hagalaz (Digi pack CD) 2003
01 Raven Chant
02 Gal Anda
(Recorded live at Hau Ruck! Festival - The Monastary - Austria, Wien 02.11.02)
03 Lost In Emptiness
04 Silver Rain
05 I Crave For You
06 Lion Serpent Sun
(Recorded live at Magnifiosi - Netherlands, Lisse 13.10.02)
Lucifer 2003
01 Lucifer
02 Nær Skóg Nær Fjöllum
03 Megin Runar
04 Followe Thy Faire Sunne Unhappy Shaddowe
05 Time Time Time
06 Let It Be Ever thus
07 Reficul II
08 Lucifer
OF THE WAND AND THE MOON (actually billed as :OF THE WAND AND THE MOON:) is the solo vehicle of guitarist Kim Larsen from Danish Doom merchants SATURNUS and Black Metal outfit BLAZING ETERNITY. The 1999 debut 'Nighttime Nightryhmes' employs traditional folk instruments such as violin and flute. SATURNUS drummer Jesper Saltoft also guests.
01 Brace Yourself
02 A Mass
03 Midnight Will
04 Winter Veil
05 A Dirge
My Black Fate [7''](2004)
01 My Black Fate (Live)
02 Lost in Emptiness (New Version)
Hail Hail Hail [7''](2005)
01 Hail Hail Hail
02 Benediction/Malediction
Get the Above 3 Singles Here
1998 - 2003: Limited 500 copies Box-setContaining 3 vinyls with the 3 first albums, 1 Digi pack CD with live tracks
& 1 digi pack CD with exclusive versions
part I ~ part II ~ part III
Nighttime Nightrhymes 1999
01 Gandr02 I Crave For You
03 Lion Serpent Sun
04 Sól Ek Sá
05 In The Colours Of Night
06 The Substance Of Simplicity
07 Raven Chant
08 She With Whom Compar'd The Alpes Are Vallies
09 VargQld
10 Wintry Mantle
11 Nighttime Nightrhyme
12 Mauna
Emptiness Emptiness Emptiness 2001
01 Lost In Emptiness02 My Devotion Will Never Fade
03 In A Robe Of Fire
04 Algir Naudir Wunjo
05 Silver Rain
06 Gal Anda
07 Here's To Misery (A Toast)
08 Can I Erase The Demon?
09 Reficul
Algiz (Digi pack CD) 2003
01 Gal Anda(Previous unreleased version)
02 I Crave For You feat. Matt Howden
(Version from 'I Crave For You' 7" 2001)
03 In A Robe Of Fire
(Version from 'I Crave For You' 7" 2001)
04 Sól Ek Sá
(Previous unreleased version)
05 My Devotion Will Never Fade
(Version from 'Lichttaufe 2' compilation CD 2001)
06 Lost In Emptiness
(Version from 'My Black Fate' 7" 2001)
07 She With Whom Compar'd The Alpes Are Vallies
(Version from 'Bringing Light & Darkness' split 12" 2001)
Hagalaz (Digi pack CD) 2003
01 Raven Chant02 Gal Anda
(Recorded live at Hau Ruck! Festival - The Monastary - Austria, Wien 02.11.02)
03 Lost In Emptiness
04 Silver Rain
05 I Crave For You
06 Lion Serpent Sun
(Recorded live at Magnifiosi - Netherlands, Lisse 13.10.02)
Lucifer 2003
01 Lucifer02 Nær Skóg Nær Fjöllum
03 Megin Runar
04 Followe Thy Faire Sunne Unhappy Shaddowe
05 Time Time Time
06 Let It Be Ever thus
07 Reficul II
08 Lucifer
OF THE WAND AND THE MOON (actually billed as :OF THE WAND AND THE MOON:) is the solo vehicle of guitarist Kim Larsen from Danish Doom merchants SATURNUS and Black Metal outfit BLAZING ETERNITY. The 1999 debut 'Nighttime Nightryhmes' employs traditional folk instruments such as violin and flute. SATURNUS drummer Jesper Saltoft also guests.
Much to Larsen's dismay he was cited in a right wing magazine as having empathies with pro-nazi causes causing anti-nazi protestors to attend early gigs in protest. Larsen vehemently denied any association.
The band formed part of an alliance with TRIO NOIR, MATT HOWDEN and UNVEILED for a rare split vinyl album. Other OF THE WAND AND THE MOON releases included scarce limited edition singles. The 7" Sól Ek Sa' release, restricted to 666 copies, was issued by Austrian label WKN and the 10" single 'Midnight Will' emerged in June of 2000 courtesy of German concern Eis & Licht.
A further 7" limited edition single was issued in June of 2001 by Prophecy Productions comprising of a previously unreleased version of 'I Crave For You' including MATT HOWDEN of SOL INVICTUS and SIEBEN as session guest and an alternate version of 'In A Robe Of Fire'. OF THE WAND AND THE MOON would also donate an exclusive variant of 'My Devotion Will Never Fade' to the 'Lichttstark 2' compilation album. During November of 2000 Larsen would relinquish duties with SATURNUS but maintain membership of BLAZING ETERNITY.
Larsen would follow this effort up with 2001's 'Emptiness, Emptiness, Emptiness' album and a European tour in September and October in alliance with DORNENREICH and TENHI. During this period, Larsen, Saltoft and SATURNUS bassist Brian Hansen were also operational with Gothic Rock project THE LOVELESS.
OF THE WAND AND THE MOON returned in October 2005 with the 'Sonnenheim' album released through Heiðrunar Myrkrunar. ~Rockdetector Biography
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