LP - Various Artists - Bonehead Crunchers Vol. 5:
14 Slices of Slimy Colonial Grillfat and Mindless Aussie Boogie
Excursions - $26.99 - BUY
- LISTEN 
- LISTEN LAST AND FINAL VOLUME IN THE BONEHEAD CRUNCHERS SERIES !
300 COPIES ONLY
Bonehead Crunchers, we hardly knew ye... the last and apparently final installment of this acclaimed compilation series is here and we can hardly believe that the end has come right as they were hitting their stride - better to go out on top, we always say... Belter Records' distro, Clear Spot has the digs on this Bonehead Crunching swan song:
" Australia... Not to say that Australians are in anyway backwards, but the Neanderthal thudding and basic rawness on show has a high reliance on thug attitude, beer, greasy Freak with a sprinkle of Sharpie. Here the Bonehead angle also features a strong belief in the hook, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing along as you bash your head on the sideboard. Think AC/DC with a touch of Easybeats melodicism but on a much more BASIC level. Although some of these sides are from the early 70s, we have also delved into 1977 and sometimes beyond to achieve the perfect blend of catchiness and heaviness. We could have chosen some meaty examples of Bonehead by more well-known purveyors such as Hush, Coloured Balls, Supernaut or Buffalo (although we feature their first single released under the name of Head), but we decided to dig a bit deeper to find titles that weren’t readily available elsewhere. A big word of thanks must go to the guys behind the Wallaby Beat blog for inspiration and for turning us on to many of these sides.
Side A :
1) Twister – Holy Smoke
2) Fat Daddy – Fat Funky Rock ‘N’ Roll
3) Francis Butler’s Sixty-Niners – Flash
4) Head – Hobo
5) Chook – Cold Feet
6) Sparkle – Crazy Like A Fox
7) Toxic – First Time
Side B :
1) The Ash Band – Let’s Go
2) U Turn – Traffic Lights
3) Geeza – Sydney City Ladies
4) Bullet – Mover
5) Macarthur – Good Stuffe
6) King Harvest – Jumping Jack Flash (Part 1 and 2)"
I mean, what more needs to be said about this series? It's been a killer ride from the head-shakin' hesher anthems from Vol. 1 to the Aussie junkshop glam/choogle of Vol. 5 and we'll see how hindsight ranks this series, but for now we're inclined to say that this is one of the most refreshing and consistent compilation series' since Killed By Death, Back From The Grave or Powerpearls! I mean, you can't fuck with a song called "Hobo"! We don't think we'll need to talk you into this one, so do we need we say this is essential? Fine. RECOMMENDED and ESSENTIAL summer listening - crack approximately six cold ones and fuckin' party, ya'll.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES
R-R-R-R-ReMIX! BYM (Blow Your Mind) has issued this suh-WEET remix 12-inch of two tracks from Follakzoid's most recent long-player! BYM were responsible for Follakzoid's debut, so they of all people should be intimately familiar - read on:
"This album—released on the Chilean BYM label—brings together the finest musicians of Sacred Bones Records, PSYCHIC ILLS and MOON DUO, into one unique work, featuring songs from acclaimed Santiago group FOLLAKZOID’s II album. This assemble becomes the top of the crop easily, with steady motorik, hazy psychedelia and space atmospheres, taking the kosmiche Chilean music to NYC and then launching it into Outer Space. Features the cut “9” remixed by Psychic Ills, backed by “Trees” remixed by Moon Duo. For fans of: The Soft Moon, Psychic Ills, Wooden Shijps, Moon Duo, The Holydrug Couple, CAVE, and Hawkwind."
DUDES - we jammed the FUCK out of Chilean kosmische-collective Follakzoid's last album "II" which was a mind expanding head-trip of streched out jamz (seemingly) tailor-made from the cloth of our collective psyches. BYM has recruited two of Follakzoid's bruthas-in-arms (and Sacred Bones label-mates) Psychic Ills and Moon Duo to each remix one track from "II" and put their unique stamp on it. Both remix(ers) expand the raw repetitive groove of the OG tracks and temper it into something more akin to their own sound. Strangely enough, the remoix of "9" ends up sounding like a Psychic Ills tune and the same goes for Moon Duo's remix of "Trees"... sounds a lot like Moon Duo. But... you know - not. We're stoked on this one - spin it at your next DJ night and watch the squares freak the fuck out. RECOMMENDED, but act fast - 500 copies worldwide will not stick around!
Hand Numbered Edition of 100
Available Exclusively In North America At Permanent Records!\
FUTURE MBRS OF SLUG GUTS AND PER PURPOSE!
Available Exclusively In North America At Permanent Records!\
FUTURE MBRS OF SLUG GUTS AND PER PURPOSE!
Our buds at Lost Race Records that brought us that killer Cobwebbs LP and Nite Fields single back 2012 have returned to the fold with this vinyl issuing of Loomer's "Ceiling". We'll let the label fill you in on the backstory:
"Here’s a 12" by cult Brisbane band Loomer, who are set to release their debut LP ‘Ceiling’ on vinyl due May 30th. Originally released on limited edition CD in 2010 and with members going on to join other seminal Australian underground bands including Slug Guts, Lakes and Per Purpose, this Brisbane band went on to influence many of Brisbane’s current crop of noise, rock, psych, etc. bands with their shoegaze x punk hybrid."
This mega limited album is 8 tracks of noisey shoegaze awesomeness. Floaty female vocals blend in and out of the glorious din of distorted guitars, throbbing bass lines and hard hitting drums. Loomer is also never afraid to just let the feedback scream! With hints of Bardo Pond, MBV and Sonic Youth, Loomer has created a walloping album of hypnotic jams that are as noise-laden as they are soothing and comforting, no easy feat, with a distinctly down under slant to the sounds. As stated above some of these folks went on to be in such other stellar Aussie acts like Slug Guts, Lakes and Per Purpose and one can hear hints of all these bands in Loomer's sonic assault for sure. Permanent Records is proud to be the sole distributor for all of North America for this fine album. It is hand numbered and limited to 100 copies so act fast and snatch this one up now. Super Recommended.
LP - Dentists - Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now (Blue vinyl - Ltd to 500) - $13.99 - BUY - LISTEN
- LISTEN Holy Cow! The lovely ones over at Trouble In Mind have gone and reissued a loooooong overdue U.K. pop masterpiece. Get the full story direct from the label babes:
"Trouble In Mind is honored to be reissuing this remastered version of U.K. band The Dentists’ debut album from 1985, “Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It’s All Over It Is Now” - available for the first time on vinyl since its original issue!
The Dentists emerged from the infamous “Medway” scene that had already spawned The Prisoners and Billy Childish’s band, The Milkshakes - whose raw sound and stage craft played a crucial role in molding the band’s ferocity.
The Dentists set themselves apart early on, not content with only drawing upon the sixties for inspiration, they looked to current bands like The Smiths and R.E.M. as kindered congwriting spirits, but as guitarist Bob Collin’s says, ”we thought they were getting the sound all wrong”. After releasing their debut single in 1985, the band quickly followed it up with this stunner of a long-player, fusing the aggression of British post-punk with the burgeoning jangle of the eighties underground rock scene and the band’s core, paisley-tinted influences of The Beatles, Love and The Byrds.
This 2013 edition of “Some People Are On The Pitch...” has been lovingly remastered from the original tapes by Jason Ward at Chicago Mastering Service and pressed onto 150gm vinyl (the first 500 copies pressed on blue vinyl) and housed in a near-faithful re-creation of the original jacket. Long live The Dentists!"
Brush-brush-brush… brush-brush-brush…ggrrrrr MAD DOG! Hee Hee!!! Around every turn the Trouble in Mind label continues to blow our collective minds here and this new reissue of the Dentists debut is yet further proof of the quality TiM is sportin'. This remastered edition is the first domestic pressing ever and the first time it's been in print on vinyl since its original release in 1985! They've hand delivered this amazing reissue for a whole new generation of listeners and for that we thank them wholeheartedly! Our bottom libbups are in our labbups! Recommended three times a day along with flossing!
LP - Marlon Cherry - Life After Theatre - Original Pressing - $29.99 - BUY
ORIGINAL PRIVATE PRESS FROM 1986.
As y’all know, we’re suckers for private press records around here. We’re always on the hunt for a rare obscurity and when we find one we actually enjoy listening to, we usually try to hunt down the artist, get the story, and procure as many copies as we can (if any are available at all). Usually, tracking down the artist is impossible or we get no reply, but sometimes, just sometimes, the artist replies and (if we’re really lucky) has copies of the record they’re willing to sell to us – to share will y’all of course. This happened to be the case with the ex-Antiseen bassist Marlon Cherry. Coincidentally, we discovered the Streets Living Theatre and Marlon Cherry solo records at the same time – in different locations! Marlon Cherry was a member of Streets Living Theatre and didn’t have any copies of that particular record (of which we found 3 sealed copies from a recent trade), but he did have a handful (less than 10!) of unplayed copies of each of his solo records ‘Life After Theatre’ and ‘Pete’ from 1986 and 1990 respectively. Marlon was one of the most receptive artists we’ve ever dealt with. When we told him that we wanted to hear the story behind these records and that we’d love to procure some copies, here’s how he replied:
“I put out Life After Theatre after leaving 2 bands, The Streets Living Theater and Life After Death, which was a psychedelic garage trio also based in Charlotte. That group released one 7" single and I quit shortly after. At the time I was working in a record store and soaking up as much music as my ears could hold. It was the height of the post punk/new wave era of Brit pop and I was really into that. Also it was the height of the DIY movement here in the states and I was really into that as well, digging the whole SST scene and that ilk as well as classic rock, RnB, and jazz, that I'd always loved. The Streets Living Theater was one of many groups in NC that thought we could hitch a ride on the Mitch Easter train after the REM success and Mitch's band Let's Active started taking off. Learned a lot from being around him during those sessions and his influence is on all of my solo work even though it's not obvious. Life After Theatre gave me a chance to do some things that I'd wanted to do that didn't really fit into the scheme of the two bands that I'd played with. Before moving to NY I did a stint with a hardcore punk band called Anti-Seen. I was friends with the singer, Jeff Clayton and we'd always supported each other's music. They need a bassist and I did it for the fun of it, knowing it was temporary because of my pending move. I played on their NC Royalty EP and had a blast doing the live shows during that time. I may have an extra copy of that in storage. If I do, I'll include it with the shipment. [Ed. Note: Thanks, Marlon!] After moving to New York I started putting together material for the Pete LP and it seemed to take forever, mainly because I starting getting turned on to so much new music on the local scene and the influences and directions that I considered seemed endless. It was really hard to get a focus on one set idea for the overall record. Also, I was working at Sam Ash Music, selling guitars and other gear and the pallet of sounds that I was exposed to also seemed endless. There was the old vintage gear that I loved and the new digital stuff that was fun to toy with as well. I finally got over the glut of music and sounds that were available to me and just thought about the actual music that I wanted to make. All of the recording sessions for the record were done from midnight until 6:00 am because that was the cheapest block of time that I could get at the studio. I got to borrow some nice guitars and other gear from Sam Ash and had a blast being in a New York City studio for the first time, just me and the engineer coming out of each session at sunrise in midtown Manhattan was a super feeling. Mostly, I just wanted to show some signs of artistic and musical growth since the time of the first recording and I still try to do that with each new thing that I do whether working solo or with a group…a couple of things coming out soon with other groups that I work with. One is called Afro-Jersey (also the name of the group) and it's a trio thing with Terre Roche (of The Roches) and Sidiki Conde, a master percussionist from Guinea. The music is a hybrid of American and African folk. The other project is called The Lazarus Rose and is coming out under the name Church of Betty Globestra, headed by my long time friend and collaborator Chris Rael. The music is modern arrangements of traditional Sephardic music. There are some clips of us performing on Youtube. Also there's an Afro-Jersey promo short there.”
As the needle drops on Side A of ‘Life After Theatre’, one hears frenetic synthetic rhythms, funky post-punk bass line repeats, synth bubbles float over the top slowing down only for a minor chord bridge to real drums, chorus flute lines and Marlon Cherry’s soulful voice echoing in an out of the mix of “Time Dream Theme”…then comes the fuzz guitar…and the searing lead solo. Marlon somehow mixed post-punk with electronic-funk and did so all by himself – Marlon plays all the instruments on this record.
Then, as track two “Time Dream Theme” kicks in, so does the funk. These are the kind of breaks DJs kill for (as evidenced by the tags on the only historied online sale of this record – “private afro psych funk breaks”). The Collector’s Frenzy listing goes on to describe this record as “very rare original, completely uknown private psychedelic fusion LP with funky beats and electronics”. No wonder it sold for $35 back in ’09 – even without a grade.
Side two includes just one track, but the instrumentation is crazy. The drum break, bass line, and Chrome-y guitar sound intro on the on “Greenhouse” are extraordinary. When Marlon’s vocals drop out, the shit really hits the fan: hand drums enter the picture, ivorys drop in, fuzz rhythm guitar hits the mix, I can barely keep up with what’s going on here. Then, after you think the track’s over, a spooky synth drops in with some bells and gets all 80s horror soundtrack on ya. Totally insane! You really have to hear it for yourself. Marlon Cherry is a mad scientist of sound and ‘Life After Theatre’ is a DIY multi-track masterpiece. I’ve never heard a record quite like this one.
LP - Marlon Cherry - Pete - Original Pressing - $14.99 - BUY
As y’all know, we’re suckers for private press records around here. We’re always on the hunt for a rare obscurity and when we find one we actually enjoy listening to, we usually try to hunt down the artist, get the story, and procure as many copies as we can (if any are available at all). Usually, tracking down the artist is impossible or we get no reply, but sometimes, just sometimes, the artist replies and (if we’re really lucky) has copies of the record they’re willing to sell to us – to share will y’all of course. This happened to be the case with the ex-Antiseen bassist Marlon Cherry. Coincidentally, we discovered the Streets Living Theatre and Marlon Cherry solo records at the same time – in different locations! Marlon Cherry was a member of Streets Living Theatre and didn’t have any copies of that particular record (of which we found 3 sealed copies from a recent trade), but he did have a handful (less than 10!) of unplayed copies of each of his solo records ‘Life After Theatre’ and ‘Pete’ from 1986 and 1990 respectively. Marlon was one of the most receptive artists we’ve ever dealt with. When we told him that we wanted to hear the story behind these records and that we’d love to procure some copies, here’s how he replied:
“I put out Life After Theatre after leaving 2 bands, The Streets Living Theater and Life After Death, which was a psychedelic garage trio also based in Charlotte. That group released one 7" single and I quit shortly after. At the time I was working in a record store and soaking up as much music as my ears could hold. It was the height of the post punk/new wave era of Brit pop and I was really into that. Also it was the height of the DIY movement here in the states and I was really into that as well, digging the whole SST scene and that ilk as well as classic rock, RnB, and jazz, that I'd always loved. The Streets Living Theater was one of many groups in NC that thought we could hitch a ride on the Mitch Easter train after the REM success and Mitch's band Let's Active started taking off. Learned a lot from being around him during those sessions and his influence is on all of my solo work even though it's not obvious. Life After Theatre gave me a chance to do some things that I'd wanted to do that didn't really fit into the scheme of the two bands that I'd played with. Before moving to NY I did a stint with a hardcore punk band called Anti-Seen. I was friends with the singer, Jeff Clayton and we'd always supported each other's music. They need a bassist and I did it for the fun of it, knowing it was temporary because of my pending move. I played on their NC Royalty EP and had a blast doing the live shows during that time. I may have an extra copy of that in storage. If I do, I'll include it with the shipment. [Ed. Note: Thanks, Marlon!] After moving to New York I started putting together material for the Pete LP and it seemed to take forever, mainly because I starting getting turned on to so much new music on the local scene and the influences and directions that I considered seemed endless. It was really hard to get a focus on one set idea for the overall record. Also, I was working at Sam Ash Music, selling guitars and other gear and the pallet of sounds that I was exposed to also seemed endless. There was the old vintage gear that I loved and the new digital stuff that was fun to toy with as well. I finally got over the glut of music and sounds that were available to me and just thought about the actual music that I wanted to make. All of the recording sessions for the record were done from midnight until 6:00 am because that was the cheapest block of time that I could get at the studio. I got to borrow some nice guitars and other gear from Sam Ash and had a blast being in a New York City studio for the first time, just me and the engineer coming out of each session at sunrise in midtown Manhattan was a super feeling. Mostly, I just wanted to show some signs of artistic and musical growth since the time of the first recording and I still try to do that with each new thing that I do whether working solo or with a group…a couple of things coming out soon with other groups that I work with. One is called Afro-Jersey (also the name of the group) and it's a trio thing with Terre Roche (of The Roches) and Sidiki Conde, a master percussionist from Guinea. The music is a hybrid of American and African folk. The other project is called The Lazarus Rose and is coming out under the name Church of Betty Globestra, headed by my long time friend and collaborator Chris Rael. The music is modern arrangements of traditional Sephardic music. There are some clips of us performing on Youtube. Also there's an Afro-Jersey promo short there.”
Marlon Cherry's second self-released LP from 1990 begins as a much smoother affair. The first song "Consitution", although it's not the best on the album, name-drops Jello Biafra and further investigation will find the Dead Kennedy thanked on the back of the jacket (alongside Mike Watt, Adam (Leonard's son?) Cohen, Chris Piegler (Antiseen), and a bunch of other slightly lesser known independent musicians. The second song "Amethyst" has a very 80s R&B vibe to it, it easily coulda been a top 40 hit alongside Culture Club and Hall and Oates, but deep within the song a scorchingly Funkadelic guitar solo rears its overdriven head. "Life After Theatre II" is one of the albums weirdest tracks. It's an experimental track that consists a super wonky synth drone fighting against some heavily affected electric guitar work that sounds like nothing I've ever heard before. Nothing like anything on the "Life After Theater" LP. Side two begins with another "could've been a hit if it weren't so weird" track called "Yesterday". There's something about this track (and the rest of the record) that is subtly off - in that idiosyncratically private press way. I'm not exactly sure what the deal is with the short songs "Stars" and "Stars (REM Version"). These two tracks come and go before you know it and Michael Stipe is credited in the liners for lyrics...call me confounded. The best track on the album is the album closer entitled "Arthur Lee". I'm assuming this is Marlon's homage to the legendary Love, but the track sounds a bit like the intro to a song or two off Queen's "News Of The World", but it doesn't go any further than that. It works on it's own, but it's also a little puzzling that it doesn't go on any longer. Again, mystery reigns supreme here.
Marlon plays all the instruments and does all the singing on "Pete" and he's an incredibly talented musician. His songwriting style is unique and his passion and drive show through, as do his eclectic tastes. The jacket layout is simply minimalistic in the usual private press style. No color printing, just Marlon's name, the album title, and a crude painting done by one of Marlon's relatives. This record, of the three Marlon Cherry LPs we've dug up, will probably be the toughest for Permanent regulars to get into, but fans of fey, airy pop music of the late-80s and early-90s will probably find something here to dig - and guitar aficionados will definitely be impressed by Marlon's playing. Who knows, this record may end up in a future edition of the Acid Archives. It's just as good, if not better than a good portion of the records featured in the book (but, full disclosure, no where near as amazing as the best, obviously). If you collect private press records, consider this one a worthy investment. You certainly don't come across records like this everyday.
LP - Streets Living Theater - Streets Living Theater (Orginal Pressing, Marlon Cherry) - $14.99 - BUY
ORIGINAL PRESSING FROM 1984!
As y’all know, we’re suckers for private press records around here. We’re always on the hunt for a rare obscurity and when we find one we actually enjoy listening to, we usually try to hunt down the artist, get the story, and procure as many copies as we can (if any are available at all). Usually, tracking down the artist is impossible or we get no reply, but sometimes, just sometimes, the artist replies and (if we’re really lucky) has copies of the record they’re willing to sell to us – to share will y’all of course. This happened to be the case with the ex-Antiseen bassist Marlon Cherry. Coincidentally, we discovered the Streets Living Theatre and Marlon Cherry solo records at the same time – in different locations! Marlon Cherry was a member of Streets Living Theatre and didn’t have any copies of that particular record (of which we found 3 sealed copies from a recent trade), but he did have a handful (less than 10!) of unplayed copies of each of his solo records ‘Life After Theatre’ and ‘Pete’ from 1986 and 1990 respectively. Marlon was one of the most receptive artists we’ve ever dealt with. When we told him that we wanted to hear the story behind these records and that we’d love to procure some copies, here’s how he replied:
“I put out Life After Theatre after leaving 2 bands, The Streets Living Theater and Life After Death, which was a psychedelic garage trio also based in Charlotte. That group released one 7" single and I quit shortly after. At the time I was working in a record store and soaking up as much music as my ears could hold. It was the height of the post punk/new wave era of Brit pop and I was really into that. Also it was the height of the DIY movement here in the states and I was really into that as well, digging the whole SST scene and that ilk as well as classic rock, RnB, and jazz, that I'd always loved. The Streets Living Theater was one of many groups in NC that thought we could hitch a ride on the Mitch Easter train after the REM success and Mitch's band Let's Active started taking off. Learned a lot from being around him during those sessions and his influence is on all of my solo work even though it's not obvious. Life After Theatre gave me a chance to do some things that I'd wanted to do that didn't really fit into the scheme of the two bands that I'd played with. Before moving to NY I did a stint with a hardcore punk band called Anti-Seen. I was friends with the singer, Jeff Clayton and we'd always supported each other's music. They need a bassist and I did it for the fun of it, knowing it was temporary because of my pending move. I played on their NC Royalty EP and had a blast doing the live shows during that time. I may have an extra copy of that in storage. If I do, I'll include it with the shipment. [Ed. Note: Thanks, Marlon!] After moving to New York I started putting together material for the Pete LP and it seemed to take forever, mainly because I starting getting turned on to so much new music on the local scene and the influences and directions that I considered seemed endless. It was really hard to get a focus on one set idea for the overall record. Also, I was working at Sam Ash Music, selling guitars and other gear and the pallet of sounds that I was exposed to also seemed endless. There was the old vintage gear that I loved and the new digital stuff that was fun to toy with as well. I finally got over the glut of music and sounds that were available to me and just thought about the actual music that I wanted to make. All of the recording sessions for the record were done from midnight until 6:00 am because that was the cheapest block of time that I could get at the studio. I got to borrow some nice guitars and other gear from Sam Ash and had a blast being in a New York City studio for the first time, just me and the engineer coming out of each session at sunrise in midtown Manhattan was a super feeling. Mostly, I just wanted to show some signs of artistic and musical growth since the time of the first recording and I still try to do that with each new thing that I do whether working solo or with a group…a couple of things coming out soon with other groups that I work with. One is called Afro-Jersey (also the name of the group) and it's a trio thing with Terre Roche (of The Roches) and Sidiki Conde, a master percussionist from Guinea. The music is a hybrid of American and African folk. The other project is called The Lazarus Rose and is coming out under the name Church of Betty Globestra, headed by my long time friend and collaborator Chris Rael. The music is modern arrangements of traditional Sephardic music. There are some clips of us performing on Youtube. Also there's an Afro-Jersey promo short there.”
Streets Living Theater is the most thoroughly rockin’ of the three Marlon Cherry-related records we were able to track down. The first thing that stands out about this record is the song-writing chops and the production. Streets Living Theatre were thoroughly pro. It’s a shame that the Mitch Easter connection didn’t get them more recognition and that they broke up – but then again, maybe we wouldn’t have gotten the Marlon Cherry solo records had they not. This is essentially an above average 80s rock record, but unlike many decent 80s rock records, Streets Living Theatre released this record themselves and they have a vocalist in Scott Sheridan that sounds like a Jim Morrison / Iggy Pop hybrid. Come to think of it, this is the kind of record I can imagine the Doors making in 1984 had circumstances with Mr. Mojo Risin been different. It’s also got a cool post-punk vibe especially in the rhythm section, the synth textures are rad addition, the guitar work is excellent, and the vocalist occasionally snarls in a way I previously thought only Iggy Stooge could (ie. “Alien Nation”). Did I mention that we only have three copies…
A vintage slab of Reagan-era angst from San Pedro three piece the Rub, Bikini Gospel is an atomic scorcher. Imagine Revolution Summer-era Dischord but with shredding guitars licks, a sense of humor and a hint of Flying Nun pop sensibilities. Released on Urinals/100 Flowers’ Happy Squid label, the Rub are able to distill their own niche of California Punk. Here’s what the label has to say:
Here is the debut disk from San Pedro's THE RUB, a trio prone to asking musical questions like "Who Killed Bob Crane?" Tim Baker (drums), Dan Duarte (guitar/vocals), and Eddie Mooney (bass/vocals) compose the band, which recalls the exuberance of bands from Detroit (late 60s and Australia (mid 80s). THE RUB's music is confrontational and high energy, with material that goes from nerve-damaged, guitar-slashing rock and roll ("I'm in Love") to heartfelt pop ("The Death of Pop"). Special guests on the album include Louis van den Berg (of STAN RIDGWAY) and Steve Stain (ex-BLUE DAISIES), with a mixing assist from John Talley-Jones. (100 FLOWERS)." - Happy Squid Records
What a fantastic score. Get these OG copies while you can. R-E-C-O-M-M-E-N-D-E-D-!
We scored a stack of this great new LP on Adagio830 Records and the label peeps have the whole story here:
"California's Naked Light's debut vinyl release on Berlin's ADAGIO830. Curating tracks from last years limited Chime Grove cassette release on Sanity Muffin, this vinyl release features several new additions and a warm vinyl geared remastering from Tim Green.
Combining an array of smartly used synths, damaged guitars, dubby baselines, drum machines and live percussion with sparse vocals.
Employing early 80's antics integrated with sublime worldly,post punk, minimal and kosmische overtones help mark this release as a powerful jumping off point for Naked Lights. Chime Grove is a strong prequel for the band's current live and studio endeavor's which mend newly added singer Aurora Crispin's poignant and playful vocals with a full encompassing post punk splatter, including a classic no frills live show featuring live drums, percussion, double jarring glass like guitars and bass. With the band's newly completed Santo Studio, a full analog recording studio at their disposal, this release charts an important initial offering in Naked Lights no doubt prolific future. Preceding an amalgamation of newer full band compositions, Chime Grove will hold up as a classic, a musically free and expansive listen. Limited to 500 copies, 100 on White vinyl. Highly Recommended)))
feat. Members of Tristeza and lots of other bands you probably can not remember."
New and innovative sounds outta Oakland unit Naked Lights has combined Can, Faust, Ennio Morricone and a Bad Seeds soundtrack-y noir with a hint of Stereolab/Esquivel's spaceage lounge sounds. They've got the gasping steam engine pulse of Suicide and 39 Clocks, whispered paranoia of Bark Psychosis and Long Fin Killie and the repeato undulations of dubby post-punk down pat. As a band full of "musical chairs" type musicians they keep things fresh as track to track morphs styles while maintaining a central sound. Naked Lights are offering modern experimental kosmische/post-punk with an overall uplifting/posi vibe through out; hypnotic rhythms, playful and artistic musical meanderings, brief tracks that play out like interludes that in our book comes Hugely Recommended. This record is absolutely intoxicating!
SUPER HYPER-LIMITED ONE SIDED GLOW-IN-THE-DARK EDITION!
A MERE 29 COPIES PRESSED & HAND-NUMBERED!
A MERE 29 COPIES PRESSED & HAND-NUMBERED!
Originally a 7-inch single on Sonic Bubblegum back in 1996. Reissued here as a one-sided glow-in-the-dark 12-inch on Chicago's Rococo Records! Ex-Shorty and Mercury Players members teamed up to erase Rock 'n' Roll in the mid-'90s and the birth of US Maple found them doing just that. Creating some of most unnervingly original art-damaged music ever put to tape, US Maple helped usher in another layer of brash and urgent No Wave clatter along with many other Skin Graft Records acts in the '90s that turned Rock 'n' Roll inside out, upside down and contorted, mutated and mutilated in every conceivable way. US Maple were like Captain Beefheart's Magic Band on a PCP bender doing a Second City improv exercise that left the listener needing a shower and quite possibly some therapy sessions with a licensed professional. Here their "cover" of Dion's crooner classic The Wanderer is only similar in name alone as the group has completely deconstructed any notion of the tune and instead opted to unfurl a snake-y tome of unease and greasy misgivings. But wait, there's more, US Maple is also supplying an original "tune" with Whoa Complains and here their clattering guitars, stomping drums and vocalist Al Johnson's wheezing inhaled sputterings are doling out smeared elastic R'n'R that descends onto the runway like a plane with not enough landing gear; like ZZ Top slow motion crashing into a malfunctioning, tape eating cassette deck. So yeah, it's pretty fuckin' mind blowing! Supremely Recommended.
Oh hellllllls yes! We just got a stack of the latest by Finland's shit-kickers Throat and we are over the freaking moon about it! Once again four labels have teamed up to unleash this bad-assery on the unsuspecting public. Get the vitals here from At War with False Noise, Kaos Kontrol, Made in Kansas and Rejuvenation Records:
"The Finnish noise rock quartet Throat presents their debut full length album, "Manhole". Nine songs jam-packed with dissonance, broken rhythms and filthy tales about getting off on the wrong foot every day. Black vinyl in full colour sleeve with black/white insert and digital download coupon. Limited edition of 550 copies."
We're still cleaning the blood and piss out of our mouths from Throat's menacing "Licked Inch Fur EP" and the prison shiv nastiness of their "Pee" single they dropped on us over the years, but shit a brand spanking new full length is here? We'll take it! And oh man it does not disappoint! "Manhole" finds Throat perfecting their noise punk regiment of early AmRep worship and misanthropic nihilism. If you dig the sounds of Unsane, "Strap It On" era Helmet, Brainbombs, Rectal Hygienics, Shaved Women, Drunks With Guns, Feedtime or Cuntz then you should grip this platter of sewer tunes immediately! Maniacally Recommmended.
Joe Meek's concept-album/ode to life on the moon (and life in the future, where we all will be living in outer space, obviously) reissued by Glasgow label PoppyDisc (a subsidiary of Joe Slaughter's Rev-Ola Records), check out tha label-approved crucials from PoppyDisc pals TinyMixTapes:
"Glasgow label PoppyDisc are set to issue an expanded edition of Joe Meek’s experimental pop masterpiece I Hear a New World in March.
“I hear a new world/Calling me/So strange and so real/Haunting me”
These poignant phrases of exploratory thought became eerie prophecies of a life headed strange-ward into the void. As David Toop once noted, Joe Meek — like Brian Wilson, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Phil Spector — is one of those rare sound scientists that wrestled on the fringes of sanity in order to conjure music from some “not-yet-existent” other place. The risk of course, in attempting to tap into such depths, is total disillusionment — a sudden detachment from reality. Wilson’s LSD-addled mind was lost somewhere in his sandbox, Perry flooded, then burned his cherished Black Ark studio to the ground, and in 1967, Meek murdered his landlady before turning the shotgun on himself. Meek is now rightly regarded as one of the most influential engineers of all time, a pioneer of the studio-as-instrument (and producer-as-artist) recording approach. In 1959, Joe Meek, alongside Rod Freeman and The West Five, fleshed out the spectacular, space-themed visions ghosting his brain. The result was I Hear a New World, a collection of dreamy pop vignettes, adorned with dubby echoes and tape-warped sonic tendrils. These pop experiments, originally released in abbreviated form, were all but ignored at the time. It seems that music made for and about the future must wait for the future to arrive before it can be sufficiently understood and appreciated.
This release is a veritable time capsule, a reissue as a near-perfect distillation of Meek’s nameless genius, likely the closest we’ll ever get to his envisioned final product. I Hear a New World was a Sun Ra-style moment of interstellar clarity, a lassoing of the moon and stars put to magnetic tape that foresaw decades of psych music’s space worship. Sitting comfortably between Wilson’s SMiLE and the Forbidden Planet soundtrack, I Hear a New World is a seminal moment in both electronic music and avant-pop history; it’s about time we get to hear it in its unabridged, fully eccentric shape. This is something to be excited about."
Joe Meek's illustrious career and tragic end is the stuff of legend, but the recorded legacy speaks for itself. "I Hear A New World" is equal parts Outer Space lounge/exotica (a'la Esquivel/Perrey-Kingsley), while looking towards the future of rock and roll recorded sound, expanding on Meek's work with folks like The Tornados, Honeycombs and Screaming Lord Sutch, influencing peeps like Brian Wilson and (whether or not he'd admit it) Phil Spector too! This record sounds like a cartoon alien's guided tour through other worlds whilst on ACID. A TOTALLY amazing and bonkers ahead of it's time sounding album that's been in and out of print over the years - it's been gone for a while, so we're stoked for it to be back in the racks! RECOMMEDED for all you cosmic voyagers!
FEATURING MBRS OF LAZY!
Kansas City/Lawrence, KS's ever evolving unit Ghosty has dropped their latest self-titled album on us and they are bringing the light-hearted indie fair of household acts like The Shins, Postal Service and Big Science. They've crafted 13 cuts of guitar led pop treats that tell the tales of heart break, sorrow and loss in love while never sounding weepy or sad instead bringing some bristling tunes of healing and catchy as hell modern pop rock musings. Strumming guitars, gentle vocals, lithe keyboards, commanding bass lines and some damn fine drumming to boot make up the bulk of this summertime-y, Beach Boys-esque inspired album. Overall you get an enchanting collection of songs here that prolly sound perfect with a cold beer in hand at a dimly lit club.
YES!!!!!!! After all these years we can finally put Dust's classic hard rock / proto metal / cult fave album "Hard Attack" on our turntables where it belongs!!!! Issued earlier in the year as a super limited RSD double LP with their first album that's now outta print, this is the first time this obscuro rock gem is widely available since it was released back in '72 on Kama Sutra. So get ready to kick out the jams!!!!:
"Hard Attack by Dust is an improvement over the acceptable performance of the self-titled debut from the year before. The team of producer Kenny Kerner and vocalist/guitarist/producer Richie Wise do just what the title suggests, bringing a harder attack to songs like "Pull Away/So Many Times" and "Ivory," the latter an instrumental with emphasis on guitar riffs and cymbal work. It's an all-out assault from the trio and pretty interesting, though the album as a whole works better when Thog's Fred Singer adds piano and organ. "How Many Horses" benefits from keyboard presence, and brings the group back to the Leslie West/Mountain flavors so obvious on the group's 1971 debut. That song definitely sounds like Dust was intent on remaking the Jack Bruce/Mountain classic "Theme From an Imaginary Western," one of that group's highlights. That the quieter moments, the elegant "Walk in the Soft Rain" and "How Many Horses," work better than the brutally hard "Suicide" hints at the adult contemporary leanings of Kerner and Wise. That they would merge this group with their labelmates in the band Stories for 1973's Traveling Underground is more evidence of what musical style they were more comfortable with. Unlike the commercial happy style of Stories, this album is obsessed with death -- perhaps a marketing tool to the hard rock audience with that theme running through the disc. It's no secret why Stories lead singer Ian Lloyd ended up on Scotti Brothers Records in 1979 and 1980: Producer Wise, the lead singer of Dust, was A&R man at that label. The two Dust albums provide evidence that there were some music business execs who actually had talent. The wonderful Frank Frazetta artwork on the front of the album also shows good taste. Frazetta did many a cover drawing for Creepy and Eerie magazines. It's a well-known fact that Gene Simmons from Kiss came from the world of fanzines and fantasy, and it should be no surprise that Wise and Kerner went on to produce the debut from Kiss in 1974 on Neil Bogart's Casablanca imprint. They also did the follow-up, Hotter Than Hell. You see, Bogart was VP of Kama Sutra's Buddah imprint as far back as 1967, and these Dust albums are truly the prototype to what became Kiss, at least in terms of sound. How could it not be so? The two men who made the first Kiss albums made these two albums a couple of years before Simmons and crew made their debut. All Music Guide writer Greg Prato calls Kiss (their debut album) "one of hard rock's all-time classic studio recordings." It was a product of the people who made Dust. Interesting that Buddah hasn't considered combining the first two Dust and third Stories album on a double CD to show the roots of Kiss; it would certainly be a neat marketing ploy. There's a pretty 19-second bonus 11th song/tenth track entitled "Entrance," which concludes the dark poetry of the Hard Attack album, an album that is one of the forgotten soldiers in rock history."
Pummeling, intense 70s rock n roll doesn't get any better than Dust's "Hard Attack"!!!! Comprised of Marc Bell (soon to be Marky Ramone), Kenny Aaronson (bassist journeyman extraordinaire who played with everyone from Bob Dylan to Stories including stints with the New York Dolls and Sammy Hagar) and Richie Wise (future hit maker / producer for Kiss), Dust tears up it with the best of them on their second LP, "Hard Attack." Yes they could bring the rock just as heavy as Sabbath or Sir Lord Balitmore or Wicked Lady and just as menacing and hard hitting as Alice Cooper or Montrose, and when they felt like taking it down a notch Dust could knock out a FM power ballad just as potent as Humblie Pie or Badfinger. Needless to say "Hard Attack" is a necessary part of yer rock n roll collection, and now you can finally grab a copy for the nice price. EPICALLY RECOMMENDED. Just look at the cover and you'll find yerself grabbing for yer wallet!
Evansville, IN-cum-Miami native Timmy Thomas' acclaimed record for the Glades label containing his most loved and well known hit - the million-selling title cut "Why Can't We Live Together". For those of you who are unfamiliar with this album, this is one of the most unique sounding soul records you're likely to ever hear. The entire record is just Thomas playing and singing along to his electric organ and drum machine - sparse, cold beats and bass rhythms provided (presumably) by the bass foot pedals, but paired with Thomas' soaring vocals and soulful playing. It's a strange-sounding album that is as confounding and avant-garde in its construction as it is beautiful and mesmerizing in it's simplicity. The title cut is a heart-melting ode to a peaceful co-existence, but the rest of the album is no slouch with sincere, socially conscious cuts like "Dizzy Dizzy World", "Cold Cold People", "Take Care Of Home", "Rainbow Power" (& more) that ooze out of the grooves like righteous, soulful sap from a really funky tree. Gawdamn! Remember that 'Personal Space' comp recently released via Numero? This is essentially the jumping-off point for the basis of that compilation, and is one of those records you find yourself returning to over and over and over again. Shit, we just listened to it twice writing up this description. An under-lauded soul classic, finally made widely available at a nice price. Get this right now before your record collection leaves you for another man. Serious as a heart-attack. RECOMMENDED.
HAND NUMBERED EDITION OF 100
SOLD OUT AT THE SOURCE
SOLD OUT AT THE SOURCE
Somehow we were miraculously able to get the final copies of this awesome record from late 2012! Here's what we had to say about the first time around:
Lost Race Records strikes back with this amazing full length by Cobwebbs! We'll let the Lost Race folks fill you in on the details:
"Cobwebbs are four Brisbane kids that make hook laden rock’n’roll. On their upcoming All Around LP out on Lost Race they grow up, move out of their parents' garage and head into darker experimental rock territory with psychedelic guitars and steam-train drums propelling washed out vocals."
We spun the shiz outta the Cobwebbs single on Anti-Fade so when this long player turned up we were singing the praises of the Aussie gods once again. "All Around" sets forth with the mid-tempo psych stylings of Spacemen 3 and continues to batter and berate hypnotic psych-garage r'n'r into fine feathered Aussie stompers. Cobwebbs concoct some tormented mashing of Kitchens Floor, TV Ghost, Pheromoans, Spectrum, Black Lips, Cosmonauts, and UV Race spat on the mirror then smashed to pieces. Reverbed vocals antagonize over spindly effect-laden guitars and caveman rhythms furthering the murk and showcasing some infectious hooks. Cobwebbs infuse their garage-y tunes with some mystery and just the right amount of washed out production making this full length a winner from start to finish. There's a dark feeling lying just beneath the surface of these tunes giving this record a late night, desert highway vibe. Plenty of fuzz, hooks for days, an underlying attitude and the mid-fi squalor and churn that we love around here insures this platter will be getting much love around these parts. Also there are only 100 copies available to go round worldwide so do not snooze. Mega Recommended.
We don't repeatedly listen to a whole lot of singer/songwriter stuff around here, but this one's been a shop fave ever since it's release back in 2006 on Orange Twin. It's the kind of record that'll send chills up your spine and gives you goose pimples on your forearms. Reportedly the tunes were recorded in the early 70s at home on reel-to-reel and weren't shared with anyone until three decades later when her son dubbed some copies for family members. Somehow, a copy fell in to J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.'s hands and it was finally released on Orange Twin in 2006. It, like the Jeff Mangum solo record, has been out-of-print for years, but thanks to American Dust, the same label who released "Live At Jittery Joes", it's been given a second wind on wax. Here's the label's description:
"Recorded in the early '70s in her home on a reel-to-reel tape deck, SIBYLLE BAIER's Colour Green paints intimate portraits of life's sad and fragile beauty. Baier and her music appeared in the 1973 Wim Wenders film Alice in the Cities, but her recordings were never released, and only shared with family and friends. It's said that "Remember the Day," the first song she ever wrote, was inspired by a road trip to the Alps with a friend during a dark period in her youth. Upon return, Baier pulled out her reel-to-reel and preserved these intimate thoughts and feelings on tape. Though she eventually chose family and motherhood over a music career, the bare, hushed folk songs on Colour Green, first released in 2006, have elevated her to the realm of revered cult performers such as Vashti Bunyan, Nico and Bridget St. John. After an extremely limited initial pressing (copies of which have fetched large sums via online auction sites), Colour Green is finally available again on vinyl."
"Colour Green" is a perfect morning time record. The songs will catch your ear upon first listen and stay with you for years. It's one of our favorite all-time singer/songwriter folk records and arguably the best record in the genre. No joke. It's captivating and timeless. Highly recommended, especially for folks who dig Nico, Vashti Bunyan, and bleak, simple, mellow singer/songwriter stuff.
LIMITED TO 300, YELLOW WAX
Chicago scene stalwart and Kentucky transplant, John Bellows, is back with a new self released single entitled "Traveller's Shoes," a teaser for an upcoming as-of-yet-untitled album. Fans of his previous LP "Clean Your Clock" on Moniker as well as outsider pop and downer country are in for a treat with this new twangy double shot from Mr. Bellows. Channeling his inner Bonnie Prince Billy and Gram Parsons, the A side is a dip into the new backwoods musical waters we here at the shop are hoping he's gonna explore on his new full length. And the B side "Second Nature" is a tracked billed as John Bellows / Lee Relvas', composed for and performed in Bret Koontz 2008 film "On A Clear Day You Can't See For Shit" and it's a heartbreaker of a country ballad, sure for repeat listens. Both tracks show why John Bellows is a must see part of the Chicago underground rock n roll scene. And with this new single, no travel is necessary to get a taste of this promising new songwriter. VERY RECOMMENDED.
Video Disease Records rereleased this live gem from LA's Doses cuz they know everyone needs a little brutal noisy hardcore in their life. Informed by Big Black and Flipper and giving asylum to a former member of Francis Harold and The Holograms, Doses sludges through five killer blasts of skull destroying rock n roll on "Live In Waco, Texas" including a excellent Cro-Mags cover. Right set to blow up yer boombox and TOTALLY RECOMMENDED.
Issue #9 Of "Scam Zine" is completely dedicated to Black Flag's first album Damaged. So we were hooked right away, author Erick Lyle tells the tale of the LA punk scene in the late 70's and early 80's and has interviewed members of Black Flag to get a sense of what it was like at the time the shit was going down. Insight into the recording of this classic hardcore album are revealed by the members themselves as well as stories from the frontline of police brutality, suburban wasteland teenage ennui and how the 80's found California in quickly changing climate of revolt. Right down to the Friz Quadrata font on the cover, "Scam" #9 is a proper tribute to one of punk's most uncompromising bands and one of their most vicious tyrades cut to vinyl. The zine itself is of the classic half size variety, partly hand written partly typed, black and white photo-copied photos from back in the day, footnotes in the back that further flesh out the full story. Perfect for bathroom reading, academic inquiry, or to really get in the spirit of the Flag, get in the van and live the lesson. Super Recommended.
